6: Aging Tobacco

By modern standards, cigars are time-intensive products. It can take years for master blenders to transform tobacco seeds into premium cigars. Indeed, multiple stages of the cultivation process require serious patience. It takes months to grow the seedlings, months to harvest the plant, months to cure the tobacco leaves, and months to ferment them. And after all that, cigars need at least one month to simply “rest” before they’re shipped to retailers.

However, aging is a critical component of cigar production. You can’t “rush” tobacco development, and certain cigars – like Maduros – simply require lots of time to achieve their desired color, texture, and flavor.

Cigar Aging

Exactly when a cigar is “finished” aging is a matter of opinion. Because cigars are natural products (you can think of them as a collection of tobacco leaves), they change over time. True, some of the chemical reactions that occur during tobacco development happen as a result of outside forces. Fermentation, for instance, isn’t just a matter of time, but rather of force, heat, and moisture applied as well. Still, just letting a cigar “rest” can change the character of the smoke.

While the phrase “fresh-rolled cigar” may have an appealing ring to it, the truth is that it’s not recommended to smoke a cigar immediately after it’s produced. That’s because, with time, tobacco leaves continue to release chemicals like ammonia even after they’re rolled. Cigars that haven’t been aged properly may have a harshness or “bite” to them because the tobacco hasn’t had a chance to properly mellow. What’s more, flavor profiles can and do change as cigars are aged. Flavors from different leaves may meld together in pleasing and potentially even unexpected ways if left to age long enough.

It’s generally accepted that a cigar is ready to smoke a month or so after it is rolled. However, cigar connoisseurs may choose to age their cigars for further months or years to develop the flavors even more. If properly stored, cigars may age with positive effect for another 5-10 years after production.

Where Cigars are Aged

All cigars are aged for certain periods during production. What can make a specific cigar unique is the manner in which it is aged. One interesting method for aging tobacco is to utilize alcoholic barrels. For example, barrels used for the production of wine, whiskey, or even beer may be used to house tobacco leaves during the aging process. Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask contains a binder leaf that’s aged in barrels once used by Rabbit Hole whiskey and Pedro Ximinez Sherry.

Alternatively, tobacco leaves may be aged in burlap bales. Or, as in the case of CAO Arcana Firewalker, they may even be buried underground for part of the fermentation process.

Fast Facts You Can Use

• In 2012, approximately 800 Mayan Sicars were exhumed during an archaeological dig. Amazingly, the 600-year-old cigars were discovered still in smoking condition!
• There are two types of aging: aging done by the manufacturer and aging done by the customer. The act of aging a cigar in your own personal humidor is often referred to as “box aging.”

Conclusion

Ready to test your knowledge and earn a badge? Then take our quiz on this lesson here. And don’t forget to check out the other Seed to Cigar features on Cigar World to complete your cigar education!