Vintage cigars

[kevind587]

I recently obtained 18 vintage cigars when I purchased an antique tin that apparently had not been opened in a number of years. I know at least one of the cigars (La Palina) is pre-1926, but I'm not sure about any of the others. Is there anyone out there who considers themselves an expert on vintage cigars and is willing to give me some info on these cigars? I don't plan on trying to smoke any of them, but would like to know more about them before I put them on display in a glass humi jar.

Thanks in advance -
Kevin

[icehog3]

Look like clear Havanas, which were legally sold in the U.S. before the embargo. The 10th from the left is a Muriel, a regular production cigar during that period.

This resource will potentially be much more helpful than I can:

http://gothamcigarmuseum.com/clear-h...lectibles.html

[AdamJoshua]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Look like clear Havanas, which were legally sold in the U.S. before the embargo. The 10th from the left is a Muriel, a regular production cigar during that period.

This resource will potentially be much more helpful than I can:

http://gothamcigarmuseum.com/clear-h...lectibles.html

Batman approves of this link.

[nutcracker]

i say smoke em.
You only live once.....

[Weelok]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

i say smoke em.
You only live once.....

I'm with Nutcracker on this or I will smoke them and provide my thoughts

[Wharf Rat]

Muriel cigars were rather famous for their TV commercials, which were considered rather risqué back then. I like the one with Stan Getz, the jazz player...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y7EbLIdE88Q

[SmokeyJoe]

Originally Posted by Wharf Rat

Muriel cigars were rather famous for their TV commercials, which were considered rather risqué back then. I like the one with Stan Getz, the jazz player...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y7EbLIdE88Q

Love these old commercials.

As for the OP, I like the idea of displaying them in a glass jar. Couldn't be any good to smoke after so many years of neglect.

[Wharf Rat]

Muriel cigars were rather famous for their TV commercials, which were considered rather risqué back then. I like the one with Stan Getz, the jazz player...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y7EbLIdE88Q

Mods: sorry for the double post...

[Don Fernando]

is Joe still around? He knows a lot about these things http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/member.php?u=451

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by Don Fernando

is Joe still around? He knows a lot about these things http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/member.php?u=451

Shows 4 years since his last log in.

[mosesbotbol]

Smoke a couple of them just to say you have smoked cigar that are that old. A few cigars short is not going to change your display.

Make sure to give them at least 3 weeks in the humidor before lighting. It'll be a good learning experience. Vintage cigars taste a lot different and they aren't for everyone.

Let us know what happens!

[MarkinAZ]

Place them in a humidor for a while to soak-up a little humidity, and then enjoy the *ell out of them

[lenguamor]

Hi, guys. Sorry I've been away so long. I'm battling health issues, the nature of which I won't bore you with. I missed the camaraderie and the friendships I nurtured here.

To the OP, Kevin; I need a graphically better photo than the one you provided to make an educated guess. The reason it will be a guess (albeit imbued with some fairly extensive knowledge of very old cigars; I have boxes over 100 years old) is that, unfortunately, you didn't receive the boxes for these, and those (along with the tax stamps on them) are what tell the true story of an old cigar's age and provenance.

I can tell right off the top that you have two genuine Clear Havana, long-filler sticks there; the two wrapped in foil. That was expensive back then, and reserved for very special cigars. The rest, well...it's hard to say. They certainly do seem to be of the era in which a lot of US-rolled cigars used Cuban tobacco. But many more of them used tobacco from CT, PA, OH, and other states. That doesn't mean they're not desirable; but the "clear" Havanas, or especially the Bonded Havanas are premium.

I would be grateful if you could capture a clearer, high-quality photo, close-up, of the lot. I could probably tell you more by examining the bands and other aspects. I am by no means the definitive expert on this, but as I said I collect them extensively and have acquired valuable knowledge over the 40+ years that I have smoked hand-made cigars.

One more thing; On NYE, I have a tradition of picking one stick out of my "oldies" humidor, and smoking it. Last 31 January, I smoked a White Owl, non-punched, long-filler cigar. These attributes denote a quality smoke for the time. The cigar came to me unboxed, but I estimate it (and its companion, still in my humidor, to be a 1940s-1950s stick. As you would imagine, it was light on the palate, but through the nose I was delighted to find nuance and flavor. Not bad at all for a stick as old as 70+yrs.

So here's my advice regarding keeping/smoking these:

Humidify them at 70% (with beads) and keep them cool to keep them from bursting or bulging...for as long as six months to a year. These cigars often come to us from estate sales, and they are by and large not curated as we would now. They'll need time in a TLC environment in order to restore as much as they can be. I recommend a humidor lined with Spanish cedar; don't keep them in the tin unless you open the top, nor in glass, to prevent mold.

If they are in very bad shape, they may never come back completely. If they were kept at least in a cool, dark place, you may be able to restore them close to their original states. Certainly, they will not approach the strength nor vitality of more recent cigars, curated properly all their lives. Don't let that stop you.

Either way, after whatever time you deem enough, smoke one. You might be delighted and surprised by it.

Meantime, please try to publish a higher-quality photo. I'd love to have a closer look.

I'll make an effort to be around more often than every four years. No promises, though.

[Weelok]

Originally Posted by lenguamor

Hi, guys. Sorry I've been away so long. I'm battling health issues, the nature of which I won't bore you with. I missed the camaraderie and the friendships I nurtured here.

To the OP, Kevin; I need a graphically better photo than the one you provided to make an educated guess. The reason it will be a guess (albeit imbued with some fairly extensive knowledge of very old cigars; I have boxes over 100 years old) is that, unfortunately, you didn't receive the boxes for these, and those (along with the tax stamps on them) are what tell the true story of an old cigar's age and provenance.

I can tell right off the top that you have two genuine Clear Havana, long-filler sticks there; the two wrapped in foil. That was expensive back then, and reserved for very special cigars. The rest, well...it's hard to say. They certainly do seem to be of the era in which a lot of US-rolled cigars used Cuban tobacco. But many more of them used tobacco from CT, PA, OH, and other states. That doesn't mean they're not desirable; but the "clear" Havanas, or especially the Bonded Havanas are premium.

I would be grateful if you could capture a clearer, high-quality photo, close-up, of the lot. I could probably tell you more by examining the bands and other aspects. I am by no means the definitive expert on this, but as I said I collect them extensively and have acquired valuable knowledge over the 40+ years that I have smoked hand-made cigars.

One more thing; On NYE, I have a tradition of picking one stick out of my "oldies" humidor, and smoking it. Last 31 January, I smoked a White Owl, non-punched, long-filler cigar. These attributes denote a quality smoke for the time. The cigar came to me unboxed, but I estimate it (and its companion, still in my humidor, to be a 1940s-1950s stick. As you would imagine, it was light on the palate, but through the nose I was delighted to find nuance and flavor. Not bad at all for a stick as old as 70+yrs.

So here's my advice regarding keeping/smoking these:

Humidify them at 70% (with beads) and keep them cool to keep them from bursting or bulging...for as long as six months to a year. These cigars often come to us from estate sales, and they are by and large not curated as we would now. They'll need time in a TLC environment in order to restore as much as they can be. I recommend a humidor lined with Spanish cedar; don't keep them in the tin unless you open the top, nor in glass, to prevent mold.

If they are in very bad shape, they may never come back completely. If they were kept at least in a cool, dark place, you may be able to restore them close to their original states. Certainly, they will not approach the strength nor vitality of more recent cigars, curated properly all their lives. Don't let that stop you.

Either way, after whatever time you deem enough, smoke one. You might be delighted and surprised by it.

Meantime, please try to publish a higher-quality photo. I'd love to have a closer look.

I'll make an effort to be around more often than every four years. No promises, though.

Whoa a cigar grand master just showed up. I sit stunned, educated, and humbled.

[kevind587]

Thanks for the detailed info, I'm definitely interested in learning more about these so I can tell the story when they are displayed. But I will definitely pick a few to restore using the steps you described and try smoking them. I've been smoking cigars for a few years now and am always up for a news experience.

Here is the link to better quality pics

http://s50.photobucket.com/user/Kevi...ibrary/?src=pb

Originally Posted by lenguamor

Hi, guys. Sorry I've been away so long. I'm battling health issues, the nature of which I won't bore you with. I missed the camaraderie and the friendships I nurtured here.

To the OP, Kevin; I need a graphically better photo than the one you provided to make an educated guess. The reason it will be a guess (albeit imbued with some fairly extensive knowledge of very old cigars; I have boxes over 100 years old) is that, unfortunately, you didn't receive the boxes for these, and those (along with the tax stamps on them) are what tell the true story of an old cigar's age and provenance.

I can tell right off the top that you have two genuine Clear Havana, long-filler sticks there; the two wrapped in foil. That was expensive back then, and reserved for very special cigars. The rest, well...it's hard to say. They certainly do seem to be of the era in which a lot of US-rolled cigars used Cuban tobacco. But many more of them used tobacco from CT, PA, OH, and other states. That doesn't mean they're not desirable; but the "clear" Havanas, or especially the Bonded Havanas are premium.

I would be grateful if you could capture a clearer, high-quality photo, close-up, of the lot. I could probably tell you more by examining the bands and other aspects. I am by no means the definitive expert on this, but as I said I collect them extensively and have acquired valuable knowledge over the 40+ years that I have smoked hand-made cigars.

One more thing; On NYE, I have a tradition of picking one stick out of my "oldies" humidor, and smoking it. Last 31 January, I smoked a White Owl, non-punched, long-filler cigar. These attributes denote a quality smoke for the time. The cigar came to me unboxed, but I estimate it (and its companion, still in my humidor, to be a 1940s-1950s stick. As you would imagine, it was light on the palate, but through the nose I was delighted to find nuance and flavor. Not bad at all for a stick as old as 70+yrs.

So here's my advice regarding keeping/smoking these:

Humidify them at 70% (with beads) and keep them cool to keep them from bursting or bulging...for as long as six months to a year. These cigars often come to us from estate sales, and they are by and large not curated as we would now. They'll need time in a TLC environment in order to restore as much as they can be. I recommend a humidor lined with Spanish cedar; don't keep them in the tin unless you open the top, nor in glass, to prevent mold.

If they are in very bad shape, they may never come back completely. If they were kept at least in a cool, dark place, you may be able to restore them close to their original states. Certainly, they will not approach the strength nor vitality of more recent cigars, curated properly all their lives. Don't let that stop you.

Either way, after whatever time you deem enough, smoke one. You might be delighted and surprised by it.

Meantime, please try to publish a higher-quality photo. I'd love to have a closer look.

I'll make an effort to be around more often than every four years. No promises, though.

[Don Fernando]

Welcome back Joe, I hope you're health issues aren't too serious

[jjirons69]

Good to see Joe back.

Cool lot of smokes!

[icehog3]

So good to "see" you, Joe!

[icehog3]

Hopefully the OP shows back up to see the answers.

[AdamJoshua]

Maybe he was expecting someone to tell him they were worth a ton and be willing to buy them off him.