Could 80 Year Old Cigars Still Be Smoked?

[brassmonkey]

I know this post ain't about pipes but I'm sure there are some smart smokers around who could chime in.
I picked up an old cigar box this morning that still had about 15 cigars still in it. The box is much older than I thought, perhaps mid 1930s. They are still wrapped indivually in cellophane.
The brand is called Phillies, made in USA.
Could these dry old things be rejuvinated and smoked? and is it worth the effort to do so?

 

[bluegrassbrian]

8O
:rofl:
I wouldn't smoke a brand new Phillie.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

They will likely taste like air. Even if they're properly stored that long, there's not much left.

 

[npod]

Doubtful. I used be a cigar guy and still have Cubans that are 20 years aged! Some guys hunt the extremely aged stuff, but honestly after 15-20 years the magic is gone. Nicaraguan and Dominican is even less, like 10 years.

 

[gkr1]

honestly after 15-20 years the magic is gone

I've 30 year old cigars and have smoked pre-embargo and they have been magical!

 

[npod]

I've 30 year old cigars and have smoked pre-embargo and they have been magical!

Same here. I was trying to be general in my reply. True story ... I was at an auction in 1999 and they were auctioning 1973 Montecristo No. 2s for $2,600 a stick. I was sober so I didn’t bite .
Again, a general comment above. I haven’t discussed cigars on a board for many years, this is like asking if smoking 15 year old Penzance is good. Short answer yes. Long answer yes (but it is new beast entirely at that point).

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

You guys have different experience than I do. However, what you prefer in the way of taste may be different than mine. I like some sharp edges. Cubans I've smoked over 10 years old were enjoyable but had lost a lot, at least to me. In fact, the best 15 plus year old cigar I ever smoked was a 1990's Nicaraguan blend St Luis Rey. They changed to a Dominican blend in the late 90's to try to cash in on the cigar boom and the Dominican trend. Big mistake. The one I had was around 20 years old and I have to admit, it was still quite good. IMHO however, Nic tobacco is stronger than Cuban so I wasn't that surprised.
But all that's a different story than the OP. He seems to be talking about a low grade cigar that hasn't had any storage. It likely tasted like crap 30 years ago and didn't magically get better sitting in the box instead of a humidor all that time.

 

[Civil War]

I'd give it a try. Properly store them in a humidor for a couple of months to slowly bring them up to humidity, keep the cellophane wrappers on and if one is good finish the rest.

 

[brassmonkey]

Well the consensus seems to indicate that the smoking experience may well be crap. In any case I am going to rehydrate a couple and give 'em a burn. I can then at least say that I have indeed partaken of original 1930's vintage cigars, although it appears that tobacco does not generally age well, as say a fine single malt whisky might.
I will of course report back about the experience/experiment.

 

[gkr1]

I was at an auction in 1999 and they were auctioning 1973 Montecristo No. 2s for $2,600 a stick

Talk about getting Rooked! lol

Properly store them in a humidor for a couple of months to slowly bring them up to humidity, keep the cellophane wrappers on and if one is good finish the rest.

I stopped buying cigars in 2008, have more than I could ever smoke in life time or 2. Well I Lied, I did buy some regional limited run releases I keep mine in a big thermometric wine cooler that has been converted to humidor 65/65 all year long!
As far any none Cuban cigars go I know very little!
And in regards to the OP question, do as @civilwar said and see what happens and please report back!

 

[mikethompson]

it appears that tobacco does not generally age well

not quite, tinned tobaccos and sealed jars will continue to age and improve generally. Cigars might be a different story.

 

[madox07]

Hmmm .. I had a cigar once, with a filler leaf from a bundle of Cuban tobacco found in Spain in 1949. I aged the cigar for 10 years myself, nothing fancy, just put it in my humidor and made sure it had all it needed as far as moisture and temperature. At one point it was exposed to some higher temperature and it turned with a few spots on the wrapper, but I smoked it immediately once I noticed that and the smoke was fantastic (I am guessing that those microscopic tobacco bug eggs hatched and started eating the cigar). As far as Phillies ... those are machine made cigars if I am not mistaken. I wouldn't have too high of an expectation there ..

 

[craig61a]

If they have sat that long and in unknown climate, there is a chance that the oils in the tobacco have dried up and it will taste like cardboard. But its worth a try.

 

[The Pipe Professor]

I have a rather extensive collection of cigars (both cuban and non-cuban) that range in production from 2005 to present. My experience has been hit and miss with aged cigars. Folks will argue, however, cubans do age better than non-cubans, and I tend to enjoy them more so than other brands. However, there are several quality non-cuban brands that smoke great fresh (i.e., Padron, Fuente, Tatujae). At the end of the day, I am like many others here and tend to reach for my pipe and pipe tobacco more than cigars. I find I enjoy the pipe smoking experience much more than cigars anymore (even the aged ones).

 

[5star]

A member of the extended family recently mentioned that he has some Cuban cigars that he got back in the 1990s boom days. They have at least 25 years on them. They were kept in nothing but their original box, so I have my doubts about them. (If they were in proper temperature & humidity conditions they likely would’ve been much better.)
I’ll be curious to hear your smoking report on the 80 year cigars.

 

[lazar]

Phillies are dry cured, right? That means they're already dried out after manufacture and shouldn't be humidified. It might taste like crap, but probably no worse than it was on release date. Or it might be the greatest Phillie ever smoked....

 

[d4k23]

All this Phillies talk reminds me of my first cigar with my friends camping, a Phillie Titan. Got me started but never went back.
As long as there is no mold, I say safe to smoke. But my bets are they taste like cardboard, rehumidified or not.

 

[pylorns]

Cigar leaf just like pipe leaf is aged before being rolled. The leaves may be 10-15 years old in some cases before they even roll the cigar. Then if they are climate controlled, you'll see the same plume on them as they age. 20-30 year old cigars can be magical but there is a point of diminishing returns - 80 year old cigars I would have my doubts.

 

[craig61a]

Cigar leaf is not processed in the same way pipe tobacco leaf is. As long as the cigar is maintained in a humidor at the proper temp and humidity, it will last a very long time (decades). Plume is something that is very elusive, and more often than not white mold is mistaken for plume. Over time, cigars will mellow, and certain aspects of the tobacco become more floral in flavor, as opposed to a sharper, oak or woody taste. That's not an expansive description. As for Cubans aging better than other cigars, I don't know were that comes from. I have cigars that are 30 years old that will stand up to the Cubans I have of the same age.
A number of years ago I was gifted a pre-embargo Cuban, and while it was a nice cigar for being 35 years old, I still prefer Nicaraguan cigars over a lot of other stuff... Padrons are my favorite.

 

[maker]

some cigars should age rather well and if kept sealed/humidified/RH Temp should be able to last 80 years or more.

My picks would be

RyJ Cazadores

Punch SS#1,#2, RS

OpusX line
Those phillies probably tasted mild new so there probably won't be much of a difference now. make sure to humidify them for a month or more first.