You know how wine enthusiasts age their bottles to transform the drink from something standard to exceptional? You can do the same with cigars. Time has a powerful effect on the flavor complexity, smoking experience and value of cigars. 

Aging cigars is a unique and interesting process, and thankfully, it is not an inherently complex one to try at home. Aging a cigar requires minimal intervention and uses beginner-friendly equipment. Of course, aging does require time — and patience on your part — but it is a satisfying hobby that rewards you with quality cigars.

Depending on the quality of the tobacco and the type of blend, you can improve a cigar by aging it. Explore this guide to the science of cigar aging and how time affects flavor and quality. Then, you'll understand the effects of aging on a cigar and reap the benefits of creating refined, premium stogies.

Do You Need to Age a Cigar?

Aging a cigar can improve its quality and taste. Aging at home can be a fun and satisfying pursuit in enhancing your cigar's profile, but it is not always a necessary step, and that is true for several reasons.

Often, freshly rolled cigars should be ready to smoke right away, primarily because premium tobacco is already aged before the cigar is rolled. This may have been a short-term or long-term aging process, depending on the master blender, but it usually means your premium cigar is ready to enjoy straight out of the box. 

Aging tobacco and cigars can take anywhere from several months to several years. If you purchase a quality cigar, there can be benefits to aging it even further. With more time, the flavor becomes more mellow and pleasant. However, remember that not all aged cigars are better, and that aging some cigars certainly won't make them any better, no matter how long you wait. Some cigars are unfortunately made from lower-quality tobacco or a blend that doesn't age well.

The other factor is that some tobaccos and cigars may age well, but only to a certain point. If aged too long, some cigars may become too mellow and actually lose flavor and depth.  

The Importance of Aging Premium Cigars 

The longer you wait to smoke a cigar, the more time the oils in the cigars have to break down and allow the flavors to round out. 

Tobacco that has not been aged has a harsher flavor, certainly one that is not as pleasant as it can be. Aged cigars have a mellower, more refined and complex flavor because the oils in the different types of leaves — the wrappers, binders and fillers — have time to blend. Aging is, therefore, an essential part of blending premium cigars with a good flavor profile. Without this step, the flavor would not be as rich and balanced. 

The experience of smoking a fine cigar is a fundamental part of why cigars are a worthwhile luxury investment, and aging a cigar helps enhance the smoking experience in several ways. Aging can encourage a more consistent burn, which is essential for a flavorful and enjoyable smoking experience. Since every component burns evenly, the flavors can meld together and release their aroma in a harmonious, even way.

A more consistent burn also helps prevent issues like an uneven draw, tunneling and canoeing. Tunneling is when the inner part of the cigar continues to burn even as the wrapper cools, and it creates a hole in the cigar. Canoeing is when the cigar burns unevenly, so one side of the wrapper remains intact while the other side burns down, resembling a canoe shape. 

How Aging Affects a Cigar's Flavor Profile

Here is how aging affects different types of cigars and their flavor profiles:  

• Full-bodied, spicy cigars: Initially, full-bodied cigars have an intense, bold, peppery and spicy profile. Aging these cigars is essential for mellowing this initial strength and intensity so that new flavors like cedar, chocolate and coffee can emerge. The peppery notes will soften with aging, but you will still enjoy hints of the initial profile's spicy complexity. For full-bodied cigars, 1-3 years of aging is enough to achieve a better balance of flavors, and 3-7 years is sufficient for reaching peak complexity. 
• Sweet, creamy cigars: These cigars have distinct sweet notes, creaminess and mild spice that form their initial flavor profile. Aging sweet, creamy cigars refines and intensifies the sweet notes, while the creaminess becomes deeper and complex with hints of nuttiness, honey or toast. Sweet, creamy cigars are at risk of becoming too mild-flavored if they are aged beyond the standard long-term brackets. The optimal cigar aging period for sweet and creamy is around six to 18 months. You typically don't want to exceed two years. 
• Earthy, leathery cigars: These cigars have robust flavors of earthiness, soil and mushroom that soften as the cigars age and develop character. New, nuanced flavors emerge with time, including notes of coffee, chocolate and dried fruit. The initial leathery profile also deepens and becomes more prominent. The peak period for aging earthy, leathery cigars is around 3-10 years, but rare flavors like truffle can emerge beyond 10 years. 
• Woody-cedar, forward cigars: The distinctly woody initial flavor of cedar-forward cigars can be quite sharp. As these cigars age, the wood notes become more refined, with a more old wood-like quality. The cigars also take on warmer, vanilla-like tones. To enjoy the old-wood flavor in these cigars, you can age them for 2-5 years. 

Different wrapper types also have distinct changes when they age:

• Maduro: Maduro wrappers have an appealing sweet, chocolate profile that mellows into richer dark chocolate and espresso flavors.
• Natural: Natural wrappers are quite mild and indistinct. Over time, they become more refined, but the transformation is subtle. Hints of nut and wood notes can develop. 
• Candela: Candela, or green, wrappers have prominent grassy notes that are best enjoyed fresh, with minimal aging. 

How Aging Affects a Cigar's Quality

Aging definitely enhances the quality of a cigar. Everything from wrapper development to burn characteristics, aroma and taste improves with aging: 

• Wrapper development: Aging cigars is a must for wrapper development. Over time, the oils will distribute evenly throughout the wrapper. Aging also helps create a more consistent color and tone across the wrapper and makes it more elastic. 
• Burn characteristics: Aged cigars burn more evenly, have a firmer and whiter ash that holds longer and have a better draw consistency. 
• Flavor and aroma: Both flavor and aroma become more pleasant and complex with aging. 

The Stages of Cigar Aging 

The process of aging a cigar varies depending on whether it takes place during manufacturing or at home. 

Aging Cigars During Manufacturing 

The aging process starts post-harvest, when the tobacco is fermented. Then, pre-rolling tobacco aging and post-rolling cigar aging happen during the manufacturing stage. The process generally follows these basic steps:

• Drying and curing: The tobacco is dried and cured immediately after it is harvested. This is the beginning of the aging process. 
• Post-harvest fermentation: Once dried and cured, the fermentation process begins. First, the fresh tobacco leaves are stacked in “pilones" — large piles of tobacco that create an ideal environment of pressure and heat. These pilones allow a natural fermentation process to begin, which is vital for removing ammonia and harsh impurities from the cured, dried tobacco. The process can last several months, and the leaves are periodically rotated to help them ferment evenly. 
• Pre-rolling: After the leaves have fermented, they are sorted and classified according to type of leaf, color and texture. The leaves are bundled into small hands, or groups of leaves, sorted onto bales and left to age. This is the primary aging period, and it lasts anywhere from 2-5 years, depending on the blend and the manufacturer's expert preference. Some experts may even age their tobacco for more than 10 years. It is during this period that the flavors develop as the oils mature. 
• Post-rolling: Once the cigars are rolled, they need to rest to allow the wrapper, binder and fillings to come together. The manufacturer lines cigar boxes with thin sheets of cedar or wraps the individual cigars in cedar sleeves, and they rest in “escaparates” or cooling cabinets. The cedar sleeves are important since cedar reacts quite well with moisture, unlike most other woods, and serves as a natural beetle repellent. Some believe that the cedar adds dimension to the flavor of the cigar, but others think it has a negligible influence on taste. Post-rolling aging can last for several months to years, and cigars will continue to age properly in climate-controlled environments until you purchase them.

Aging Cigars at Home

From the manufacturing process, it is clear that most cigars are aged by the time you purchase them. While the cigar is just about ready to smoke, you may want to consider some form of at-home aging process — not necessarily to enhance flavors but to improve your smoking experience. 

If there is at least part of the aging process you implement at home, it should be the initial rest period of two to four weeks. The initial rest period gives the cigar time for its water content to stabilize, settle and acclimate to your humidor's conditions.

Short-term aging of up to six months can help ensure that any initial harshness is gone and can elevate your smoking experience ever so slightly above smoking a fresh cigar. Medium to long-term aging, from one to five years, can bring out more complex flavors depending on the type of blend. 

With a few simple steps, you can learn how to age cigars at home, and you generally only need a few basic tools and some patience:

• Get a quality humidor: Any quality humidor will effectively store your cigars in an ideal environment, and you can find various brands and sizes to suit your preferences. To prepare the humidor, gently wipe the interior with a bit of distilled water before placing the humidification device inside. Close the lid and wait a few days for the humidity to stabilize, around 65%. 
• Check the temperature and arrange the cigars: When you remove the lid again, the cedar will feel slightly damp. The temperature should be around 63 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidor should be away from heat sources and direct sunlight. You can then arrange your cigars, allowing enough space between them to air properly. You can either store your cigars in the original box or individually. If you choose to store them individually, keep the cellophane on each one to help protect them.
• Rotate cigars and maintain the humidor: At least once a month, it is essential to rotate your cigars from the top to the bottom of the humidor and vice versa for even humidity. Every quarter or so, you can remove the cigars and place them in an airtight container while you wipe down the humidor and allow it to dry before returning the cigars. This is also a perfect time to inspect your cigars for any issues like mold or beetles. You should also refill the humidifier as needed and recalibrate the hygrometer every couple of months. 

The best way to age cigars at home is to use a book or app to track your journey. Note how long you age the cigars and how they develop throughout. You can also experiment with aging times by trying a cigar from the box periodically. 

Refine Your Experience With Corona Cigar Co.

Aging a cigar transforms and enhances the smoking experience significantly. You can savor both complex and subtle tones that the cigar would not have otherwise developed. The process also ensures a smoother and more luxurious smoking experience. Aged premium tobaccos can also grow in value and be part of collector's items. 

Are you ready to enjoy aged cigars with the finest flavor profiles? Corona Cigar Co. is the biggest one-stop online shop, offering quality handmade cigars from the United States, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. We stock accessories, humidors, popular cigar brands, lesser-known gems and samplers to get you started on your fine cigar journey. You can also sign up for our Cigars of the Month Club, which allows you to receive 10% off your orders.

We have the most user-friendly online cigar store and take our customer service to the next level by offering a money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied with your purchase. Shop online today for the best cigars for aging, and enjoy free and fast shipping on orders of $125 or more.