Few cigar aficionados appreciate the potential of good cigars to age and mature. Proud collectors of vintage cigars form a cult-like guild of connoisseurs who, like wine enthusiasts, hunt for genuine stogies the world over. Vintage simply means aged, well maintained, high-quality cigars. Generally, they have to be aged ten years or more to be considered vintage, though some special editions cigars are made of aged tobaccos and qualify as such as soon as they hit the shelves.
A handful of cigar collectors are lucky owners of bona fide vintage smokes which can seldom be found in leading cigar stores worldwide and have to be picked up at special events. They are also known as pre-embargo cigars, referring to the 1961 US embargo against Cuba, or pre-Castro cigars referring to smokes rolled before Fidel Castro assumed power in 1959, or simply aged, limited edition cigars most of which are no longer in production. A box of aged, vintage smokes or a commemorative humidor can set you back as much as 37,000 USD at auctions which are typically run by Christies in London as well as other lesser known auction houses.
Another famous place to locate rare vintage cigars is the yearly Habanos Festival held in Havana, Cuba. This legendary festival customarily features the release of new, special edition cigars, humidors and artful boxes. In 2000, the festival witnessed the release of the Millennium Edition cigars which have since become collector items. Typically, Fidel Castro would autograph humidors before they went for bidding. Sadly, for the 2007 festival, Il Presidente, he was too ill to moniker any humidors.
Two distinctive cigar brands stand out as the most coveted vintage smokes – the Cuban Davidoffs and Dunhills. Both brands’ Cuban production was discontinued in 1989 after which the legendary smokes became possessions prized by a small number of connoisseurs due to their high-quality, rarity and age. This is not to say that other household names like Cohiba, Bolivar, Romeo & Julieta produced in limited quantities or in commemorative, special humidors do not qualify. Take for example the three-year-old Compay Segundo Montecristo humidor which was produced in very limited releases to honour the legendary Cuban Jazz musician. In no time, it has become an auctioneer’s dream. Other vintage cigars feature rare sizes and shapes of commonly known brands.
Cigar fans should not be fooled by the word ‘vintage’ that some manufacturers – particularly of non-Cuban cigars – freely label their smokes. In this case, vintage only means the old leaf wrapping the cigar. Aging non-Cuban cigars can be rewarding, maturity in these smokes is quickly reached and in a few years the cigars lose complexity if not smoked. Just like French soil delivers unrivalled wine, Cuban soil is equally unique in producing the richness and complexity of its wonderful tobacco leaves. The combination of climate, fertile soil and the deft workmanship of torcedores (Spanish for cigar rollers) make high-quality Cuban cigars natural candidates for aging.
Just how vintage cigars are kept and aged is a different story altogether. The process starts with the harvesting of tobacco leaves which inevitably includes caring for the leaves and carefully nurturing a double fermentation process of tobacco before it is sorted out, cured and prepared for blending and rolling, ultimately delivering a powerhouse of flavours and smoking pleasures. The imparted flavours only get better with time and optimum aging conditions. Extreme care is taken when selecting the best leaves for high-quality cigars which will become vintage products decades later. Limited edition Cuban cigars on the market today will soon find their way into the exclusive club of vintage smokes.
Maintaining cigars and fostering their maturity can be a simple process if supervised frequently. Optimum conditions for cigars to age, self-ferment and regenerate should include an environment of 70 per cent humidity along with a temperature of 21° Celsius. This is normally provided by sealed humidors that are lined with special cedar wood. It is better, however, to ensure proper aging of cigars for longer periods of time, to keep the humidity at no more than 65 to 67 per cent which would slow down the aging process and ensure careful and measured maturity.
With careful aging and proper storage, the cigars’ natural leaves regenerate and ensure self-aging, acquiring more depth and complexity in flavours. Vintage cigars are mature smokes that deliver unparalleled spiciness and character rarely found in even the most famous cigars on the market. They smoke like a dream and leave a palatable, extended aftertaste that you can continue to savour long after the cigar is finished.
