Best cigar age?

[JJKJR]

When a cigar maker says that he ages his tobacco for 5 years before rolling the cigar does that count in the aging process? Or does a cigar only properly age after it is rolled?

[T.G]

Originally Posted by JJKJR

When a cigar maker says that he ages his tobacco for 5 years before rolling the cigar does that count in the aging process? Or does a cigar only properly age after it is rolled?

Kinna-sorta... They are both actually proper, but they are different. The manufacturer aging the tobacco does affect the flavor, profile and characteristics of the tobacco, but because the aging is done in compressed bales, it's not the same as what you would get by aging the finished rolled product. Additionally, it's not uncommon for different components to be of different ages when the final cigar is assembled, ie, the filler might be 2 years aged in bales, the binder 6 months, the wrapper 5 years aged.

Hope that clarifies things a bit, and when you get a chance, please stop in over at the new inmates section, post an intro.