 A vintage book on cigars, giving vintage advice
Los Angeles, August 12 – One of the joys of cigars is the history. In moving around some files to accommodate the new information we received at the recent Retail Tobacco Dealers of America (RTDA) convention and trade show, we found a favorite, slender volume entitled “A Short Appreciation of Havana Cigars,” published in 1984.
It was created by Hunters & Frankau, the British firm which has the import license for Havana cigars in Great Britain. This specific work was a promotion for the popular H. Upmann brand, which started when the Upmann banking firm in London set up a Havana branch in the early 1840s.
It’s not a long book, just 16 pages. But there’s a passage which merits our attention, a little old school wisdom about tobacco, cigars and aging:
“Then there is the question of age. If kept hermetically sealed in glass jars, Havanas keep their pristine freshness until the day they are smoked. But if packed in boxes, as most cigars are, they go through a three to six-month period sometimes called the ‘sick’ period, when they are no longer ‘fresh’ but cannot be said to be conditioned. Twelve to eighteen months after manufacture, a Havana is fully conditioned and fit for a cigar smoker to transfer from its box to his expectant lips. This is the stage at which most cigars are smoked. Like a good wine, a good cigar improves with age, reaching a state of majestic maturity within six to ten years after it was made, when it is unsurpassed for the splendour of its flavour and aroma.”
This statement is reminiscent of the comment posted on the interior of a box of Cuban-made Rafael Gonzalez cigars:
“In order that the connoisseur may fully appreciate the perfect fragrance they should be smoked either within one month of the date of shipment from Havana or should be carefully matured for about one year.”
Unfortunately, most cigars are not available in glass jars anymore. Thus, we are instructed to wait for a year to enjoy our cigars.
It’s often worth the wait; remember that patience is a virtue.
I try to age most of my cigars for at least 6-9 months since they have probably been moving around from manufacture to warehouse to retailer for more than three months since they were rolled. I take a couple of individual cigars from each box and move them into a “ready to smoke” humidor so I can get some immediate enjoyment while aging the rest of the box for later pleasure.
Stick a little label on the bottom or side of your boxes and write the date of receipt on it for future reference. You’ll be amazed how handy these come in when you try to remember exactly when you got that box of Ashton Aged Maduros.
Having had the opportunity to age some cigars for better than six years, I have noticed the increased smoothness and subtleness which develops with age. Those British knew what they were talking about in 1984 . . . and I would be happy to try any of the cigars they began aging back then!
~ Rich Perelman
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