Age Matters

Pictured at the top is an Every Day Is Cigar Day Core Line Maduro, a regular in my rotation. But I must admit that it didn’t start out that way. In fact, I wasn’t at all impressed with the last couple of bundles I purchased. So, about a quarter of the way through the second bundle, I pushed them to the side in favor of much better cigars.

But a funny thing happened. After about six months of rest, they transformed in a big way. Where the other cigars had occasional harsh flavors, the aged sticks had none. And though the tobacco is all from Nicaragua, the flavor profile doesn’t have the abundance of pepper, coffee, and cacao that I’ve come to expect from Nicaraguan cigars.

In fact, this cigar reminds me of a stronger Dominican, with a subtle sweetness, floral notes, a bit of grass, and amazingly enough, vanilla. The dark wrapper screams robust, but this maduro is medium at best. Mind you it’s not super-complex, but it’s well-balanced in what it has to offer.

The experience of smoking this stick reminds me of listening to a new song I’d never heard. I want the song to take on a journey that’s a little familiar but surprises me at times with unexpected twists. And that’s what this cigar does.

But it did take time. As I write this, I only have two left to smoke. But I’m going to age them for several more months to see what happens to them. I believe they’re going to get much better.

Unfortunately, these are no longer available as EDICD experienced a big quality issue with their original manufacturer and are now gearing up for v2.0 of their Core Line. I do wish them well because they’re a breath of fresh air in a tightly packed industry.

But this is not the only smoke that I’ve had this experience with. I’ve had several over the years that are completely different (read: better) after several months of rest, and this has led me to rest all my cigars for at least a month after they arrive. Granted, there are some that have lots of box aging, so I will try one a week or so after I receive them. But for the most part, I’ve had to learn to be patient.

And patience pays off!