Cuban Montecristo No. 2

I smoked a Montecristo No. 2 the other night. It was everything is was supposed to be! At 6 1/8 x 52 I think this cigar is the perfect size. The cigar came from a box dated Feb. 05. All of the cigars from this particular box were dark and oily. The construction was perfect. It had that rich, spicy, leathery smell that this cigar is known for. Once lit, it burned perfectly as well, developing a long, grey ash. The flavor really kicked in after smoking the first third of the cigar. It developed woodsy, leather, and earthy aromas. I would not mind finding a box of these for my humidor!

Cigar Aficionado

What do you think of Cigar Aficionado magazine producing a list of the year's top 25 cigars? Do you trust their tasters to know what makes a cigar good? Do you try the cigars they recommend with high ratings? What makes a cigar the number 1 smoke of the year? I have smoked the Fuente Fuente Opus X Double Corona and would have to agree with their rating. However, some of the other cigars they like I have tried and I do not agree with their ratings.

I think it is like wine tasting. While some people like some wines, others don't. It is very subjective. If you like a cigar or wine, then that is what you should purchase and smoke. Never let someone tell you what is good. I enjoy trying cigars that others have recommended, but if I do not like it, I will not continue to purchase or smoke it again. Status means nothing to me. Some of my favorite cigars come from Casillas Cigars in Sacramento. They are inexpensive, unbanded smokes. They have great flavor, and the construction is superb. Best of all is the price. They have a small shop in Reno, Nevada that I usually purchase from.

I love discovering new cigar shops, and trying new cigars. But it seems that the more cigars I try, the more I realize that the old standby cigars in my humidor are always the best!!

Storing Cigars

Does anyone age their cigars? Do you believe doing this is of any benefit to the smoke? I've heard a lot of different stories. Some say it does not matter, smoke the cigars as soon as you get them. Others say wait a year to smoke them. Still others say six to eight years is a good time to wait. Additionally, I've been told some cigars age better than others. You want to pick a darker, larger cigar to age. However, Cigar Aficionado magazine has profiled some aged cigars recently that had Connecticut Shade wrappers or were smaller ring gauge cigars.

So, I think you should do what you like. If you enjoy looking at your boxes aging in the humidor, that's great! But if you can't wait to get your hands on your smokes, and you light them up immediately, that's cool too.