I have to apologize for the long waiting time which had some reasons. However, I am proud to publish the final Questions & Answers. Thank you for providing your questions.
BIG THANK YOU Min Ron Nee - Thank you for the time to answer the questions (I know you are VERY busy).
1) If I may submit a
question, it relates to the improved approachability of young Habanos ( say
from 2013 onwards) versus older examples. Even brands such as Cohiba appear
quite smokeable almost straight away, which does not appear to have been the
case barely 5 years ago.
Could MRN provide his opinion as to how and why this has happened? Might this
be by design, or rather a happy (or perhaps not so happy in the long run)
accident?
Also of greater interest to me, is MRNs view of ageing potential of this recent
Habanos ? Might this enhanced approachability now mean that these cigars have a
shorter path to their peak ( and sharper decline?) than older leaf?
Apologies for such a non marca specific query. Though it appears to me that
this issue seems to be impacting all marcas.
I know the answer to this question.
But for all the sources who kindly provided me with all the information that I
trust 100%, they would not like their names revealed. I could answer this question
without naming my sources. But this is not ethical in my opinion.
2) I just wanted to know ,
if you have single sticks of Cuban cigars and if so , how do you store them in
your humidor ? I have seen things from " you should keep them divided by
brand to you should group them all together " , I just wondered what's the
best way to store my single Cuban cigars ?
I store single sticks long term in
Ziploc bags, 12°C.
And at 55 to 60% relative humidity.
For single sticks that I wish to
smoke, I remove the Ziploc bags, and store them at room temperature, 72%
relative humidity, naked, in my cigar Eurocave for at least one month before I
smoke them.
I always mix different marcas and
different ages of cigars, long or short term. No harm done as far as I am
concerned.
3) The question on many
lips: Any updates on the status of the 'The Book'?
I love my 1st edition to pieces (literally) and have been very eager to see
what MRN has put together with modern tech and the insights gained in the past
decade.
I am working on it. This is a very
honest answer I can promise everyone. I do not set deadlines, as I am not
obliged to.
4) I'd like to start off by
saying thank you for doing this
I have really enjoyed reading the first book and hope to delve into the second
printing in the future
My question is as far as cuban cigars go have you seen a change in the profiles
that you described in the first book
It seems to me that some of the cigars have had a bit of a change in their
profile and wanted to get your opinion on the matter
Yes there is a big change. But it
requires careful wordings to even try to explain this. Once I offend my
sources, people will not talk.
5) How do you deal with
rarities which are sealed (e.g. sealed vintage boxes)? Do you open
them and if not how do you make sure
that you have purchased cigars in impeccable condition?
I
never open any sealed boxes to inspect. I have never encountered any problems
with sealed boxes. Beetles cannot live within a sealed box, as fermentation
would have consumed all oxygen available. No loss of flavours either.
In
short, there is no gamble when you buy a sealed box blind. No worries.
6) How do you decide when
to open a vintage cigar box? I am a bit afraid to open such a box because it
could be the best box in my life and I somehow want to keep „the magic“.
I open them for no reasons. No rules.
Sorry if I appear to be “arrogant”, as I am spoilt for choices. I bought a lot back
in the 1990’s when supply was abundant and prices were dirt-cheap.
7) My question is about the
aging potential (which is stated in years) in the Min Ron Nee book. How do you
determine the years for each cigar? I guess it is driven by your personal
long-term experience but are there any other possibilities?
For me it is quite hard
to anticipate if a cigar has the potential to age 3, 5, 10 years or even
longer. I am just able to evaluate if a cigar needs more aging time or not. At
the beginning I have assumed that the aging potential of powerful cigars is
higher vs. light cigars. But I can’t confirm that based on my experience. I see
different developments for cigars which I smoke frequently (e.g. RASS). I have
noticed differences in the vintages - similar to wine. I truly appreciate your
thoughts in this matter.
Cigars
are not wines. The year means nothing. The box date means the date the cigars
were boxed, period. I am sorry to say that after 1995, there is no reliable way
to determine the quality depending on the date code.
And
by the way, “powerful” does not mean great aging potential. The matter is way
more complicated than this.
For
ALL pre-1995 cigars, all of them are smoking great now.
8) How do you think about
the future of cigars in the face of the tabbacco unfriendly environment?
This
is a question I would pass. I never embarrass people in Cuba.
9) Do you have favourites
for you day to day smoke? If yes could you please name the top 3-5?
No I
have no favourites. I smoke what I have. I do sincerely thank God for this,
whoever He is. Or for the Karma accumulated by my Ancestors.
10)
How
important is temperature for cigar storage? Many people in the cigar scene
argue that a constant level of humidity is much more important than the
temperature.
The
short answer is: nobody knows.
For
long-term aging, I store them like wine. 12°C. Mind you, there is no scientific
evidence for this.
And
at 55 to 60% relative humidity. High humidity seems to be much more damaging to
cigars versus high temperature. But again mind you: this is a one man’s opinion
based on one man’s experience.
11)
A lot
of Aficionados / Vintage Cigar Dealers recommend to smoke Vintage Cigars which
were stored at lower humidity. Could you please explain the reasons if you
share the same opinion?
Low
RH, i.e., 55 to 60%, is essential for aging. This has been scientifically
proven, but I am afraid this needs a lot of words to explain. In the future
second edition MRN book, that is, if there is one, I shall explain the science
behind this in detail, and with quoted scientific papers.
12)
It is
possible to revitalize dry stored cigars without losing quality? If yes –
please share how to do it.
Yes.
That is, for the quality still remaining. There is no way to improve an expired
cigar due to prior bad storage.
For
smoking, store them in a humidor at room temperature and 72% relative humidity,
naked, for at least one month before smoking. Never rush this time frame.
For
long-term aging, I store them inside a Ziploc bag.
I
store cigars at temperature like wine. 12°C.
For relative humidity, at 55 to 60%
relative humidity. This RH is based on everyone’s experiences, and according to
scientific researches that I have found.
13)
How
has it developed that you have become a collector, passionate cigar smoker and
book author?
Long
story. I like to have a little bit of privacy.
14)
I have
read that there are a lot of seasoned cigar collectors / vintage cigar smokers
in Hong Kong. Could you please explain why this is especially in HK the case?
For example, London (where you can also find many experienced Aficionados) has
a long history of tobacco.
Honestly
I do not know. When I was born the sophisticated cigar culture is already here
in Hong Kong. And I do not think this is due to British influence, as local
Chinese people and British people did not mix in the old days, because of
language problems I suppose.
15)
What
was the initial idea to publish the cigar encyclopedia under a pseudonym? It is
a great book and you could be very proud of it. From my point of view the
majority of the cigar community is very open & friendly.
Long
story involving many people. I think I’ll pass this question.