Opinion Needed, Good cigars or Great cigars

[bballbaby]

Need the opinion of all y'all ceegar aficianados

I'm headed out into the woods in a few weeks for a 4 day backpacking trip. Headed to Seneca Rocks in West by-God Virginia. It's been 3 years since I've been able to make the annual hiking trip, so I'm super pumped.

I've got a lot of cigars that have been sitting in the bottom of the humi for about 5 years now. Nothing super special, LAdC oringal releses, Illusiones, Toranos, Fuentes, Tatuajes, lots of pepin stuff, all of it in the average price range, nothing extravagant. It's stuff I laid down 5 years ago with the idea of letting them age and coming back to them at some point to see how the age affected them. I've smoked several of them and they've all been very VERY enjoyable. I just never seem to get down to them all that often because I tend to be reaching for a CC or something I just purchased.

I've also got a lot of high end sticks. Special occasion sticks, if you will...Padron anniverseries, Don Carlos anniversarios, opus, GoF, BBMFs, ESGs, Cohiba Siglos, Behikes and lots of other limited release cubans as well as my favorite CCs. These are the sticks that, like most people, I've been waiting on the perfect special occasion to fire them up, but those occasions never seem to come either.

So the question is this, do I take the stuff that was set aside 5 years ago and say that the time has come to fire these puppies up, or do I take the special occasion high dollar sticks anc cubans and smoke ultra premium sticks every time I fire one up.

Note that a mixture of the two is not the way I want to go. I've been waiting on the right time to bust into that aged stuff but I've also been waiting to fire up a lot of those premiums up as well. For me it's one or the other.

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

 

[Schmec]

For a hiking trip don't take your high end stuff. Way way to many chances for something to happen. Take your aged stuff. Ya find one that didn't fare so well, Meh on to the next. It starts raining half way through, same thing oh well.

 

[pbibby]

I agree with ^^^^^ this! Also, it sounds like this is a trip you take with friends? If so, if they are not into cigars as much as yourself, then you save your more expensive smokes for later. If they are into cigars, it still sounds like you have some great smokes that any leaf lover will enjoy. Just my .02

 

[NHaze]

For backpacking, definitely the aged sticks. Love that part of WV btw, I'll be headed out that way sometime in November :thumbup:

 

[Red Raider]

+1 for the aged sticks and the environment and company may make then stand out even more.

If it were me, i would pack one premium though. Pick one that you have had your eye on, just waiting foot the right time. Since this is your first trip back in a while, take a moment and really enjoy your surroundings and the smoke. It may give you time to just sit and reflect, or if that's not your style, just a really good smoke in a memorable location.

Just my 0.02

 

[Jfire]

Knowing you 4 the amount of time here and what you have laid down in your humis...... You're a crazy sob if you don't pull out some OG Pepin, PJ and Dion for your trip. Btw you ever say that aged sticks from those three aren't anything special again and I may ask you to check into a mental facility. Aged Blues, Illusione and Cazzies with that much time down. SIGN ME UP 4 THAT TRIP!!!!!!! Coming from a CC snob lol.
Jfizzle

 

[Jfire]

And have fun bro you've earned it!!!!!

 

[njstone]

I've done this a couple times ... a "uber-premium smoke week." ITs' fun! To me a well-aged smoke can be just as "special" as a newer high-dollar or LE cigar. The choice really just depends on my mood. If it were ME going on this trip, I'd probably choose the aged stuff. But tomorrow I may change my mind, lol.

The only advice I'd give is that if you're going to be burning a lot more cigars than is typical for you, you might find that you're palate gets a bit over-worn and you start to enjoy them less, and then wonder if you're wasting great cigars (this happened to me the first 2 times I did this). But if you're going to be smoking about the same amount as normal you'll be fine. I've done this a few times now, and it's a great chance to smoke the nice stuff that I tend to horde instead of burning, lol.

If it were me, Id' bring with some everyday favorites as well, even if it's just in a ziplock (if you don't have room in the travel case), and I'd make some of those super strong in case I started getting burned out. That way you've got your bases covered

 

[bballbaby]

Good opinions by all. Well said on many points.

 

[bballbaby]

OK, after hearing the overwhelming responses in favor of the aged sticks, that's what I'm taking. I was leaning towards them anyhow, and you all made some excellent points for taking them.

I'll post some pics before we head out. I'm also gonna take along an 8-5-8 Rosado as it's one of my all time faves.

Thanks again gents.

 

[jmatkins]

Of the 2 I would say aged sticks, but I might also just go for what is in top of the humi. Sounds like to aged smokes might be in a new HTF list, I don't have smokes like that with that much age on them............

But enjoy your trip!