Monday, November 29 1999
Q. I understand that cigars should not be aged more than 5 years. Therefore, I have been inclined to smoke [my cigars within a three year period] and replace them every three years with newer boxes. Any input on this?
A. As far as aging goes, cigars can be aged almost indefinitely; I've never read anything about a time limit. Moreover, I once read an article about smoking cigars that had been aged for 20 years and even as long as 50 years. On the other hand, I've also read that, like aging wine, cigars can eventually reach a point where they lose their bouquet.
I have cigars at home that have been aging longer than 5 years, and they're mighty fine. That said, I prefer to smoke cigars within a more reasonable time period. In today’s crazy world, you never know when you’re time is up, so enjoy them while you can. Other than that, I would agree that three years is a realistic time frame for home-aging cigars.
