Cigars After 60
Why Many Older Cigar Smokers Stay with the Cigars They Trust
This article looks at how older smokers have developed a palate for cigars over the years and its role in nurturing a “comfort zone” that favors a specific flavor profile. The effect of higher cigar prices is also explored, including a selection of “always faithful” cigars.
A Tale of Two Boomers
Having turned 69 recently, sometimes it feels like I’ve been smoking premium handmade cigars for eons. Although I’d had a short-lived experience with cigars during the early 1980s, my love affair with premium cigars began in earnest somewhere around 1993. The Cigar Boom was underway, I was hooked, and that included a lot of other cigar smokers from my Baby Boomer generation. Little did I know that some eight years later my passion for the leaf would land me a dream job in the cigar industry.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to smoke hundreds of different cigars, many of which I’ve also reviewed. Yet even with my “all-access pass,” so to speak, I recently began smoking more of the cigars that I call “the always faithful.” These are the cigars that I have found to be consistently well-made and flavorful for me year after year. Since I began smoking cigars I’ve developed “a palate” for medium to medium-plus strength cigars with nutty, woody, sweet, and delicately spicy flavors.
Yet I still enjoy smoking the Arturo Fuente 858 Flor Fina Maduro, a relatively mild cigar.
Arturo Fuente
Still a popular “go-to” decades later, the Fuente 858 is one of the cigars that has helped many new cigar smokers develop their palate.
And another one of my faithful—the bolder Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sun Grown Epicure.
Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sun Grown
The Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sun Grown Epicure has been one of the author’s “always faithful” since its releasee in 2012.
I began to wonder if the palates of other cigar smokers in my age group had developed in a similar way. What cigars were on their “always faithful” lists?
Come All Ye Faithful
I began reaching out to my friends and other cigar smokers who are over 60. I started in the Famous Humidor cigar lounge. Almost all of the regulars are everyday smokers, too. Some of them still buy new cigars - just not as often. No doubt, rising cigar prices have affected their buying habits. This year, many of new premium releases have been going for around $12/cigar on average, and some are even higher. So, it’s not surprising to see many “regulars” kicking back with their everyday favorite cigars. John, a fellow lounger, told me that he enjoys the Famous Nicaraguan 3000 Toro because he likes hearty Nicaraguan cigars and the Nic’ 3000 was priced affordably.
Famous Nicaraguan Selection 3000
The Famous Nicaraguan 3000 Toro is an all-time “go-to” bestseller for its robust Nicaraguan blend and affordable price.
He’s not alone. A number of the lounge’s older cigar smokers were also committed to a single favorite about 95% of the time. Howard smokes the Rocky Patel American Market Toro almost exclusively. Like John, he finds the cigar’s price attractive, but his palate is tuned to cigars with a medium body and woody-nutty flavor profile.
Rocky Patel American Market Selection
This medium-bodied exclusive from Rocky Patel is also priced affordably and offers a woody, nutty, and sweet flavor profile.
Will, whose sessions average about three hours, prefers big cigars like his usual favorite, the super-sized JFR Lunatic 770 Maduro, for that very reason. His palate is more medium-plus with a penchant for rich Nicaraguan blends that aren’t too spicy, too strong, or too expensive. The common thread here is that economics plays a big role to many older smokers, some of whom may even be receiving Social Security or a pension. Therefore, they stick with cigars they can trust, enjoy, and afford. However, they will reach into their pockets for a special occasion cigar, a friend’s recommendation, or an irresistible deal.
JFR Lunatic Maduro
If, like Will, you enjoy super-sized smokes, the JFR Lunatic 770 Maduro will keep you occupied and satisfied for almost three hours.
Hardcore Herfers
I also wanted to hear from some of the over-60 members from an online cigar group in which I’m active. They’re a little more adventurous, so when I asked if they still look for new cigars to smoke, the answer was overwhelmingly, “always looking” but not always buying. Like most cigar smokers, they hunt for the best deals.
Two of the Group’s members, Artie and Rob, told me that they are smoking more cigars these days, mainly because they’re retired. Both of them have built large cigar collections over the years to draw from, too. They also like Nicaraguan-forward blends, particularly cigars by AJ Fernandez. Will (no relation to the Will above), who likes many of the full-bodied Diesel selections, also lists the milder Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Double Chateau among his faithful.
Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Sun Grown
The Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Double Chateau is a mild to medium-bodied classic that many older cigar smokers discovered early on and continue to enjoy even though they’ve developed a palate for more full-strength cigars.
We also talked about how their palates have changed over the years. Artie said that he can now “tolerate stronger cigars.” Rob said that his palate today is “more refined,” and “far more selective,” while Will says that his palate today is also “more sophisticated.” Of course, this is a natural thing for anyone who has been smoking cigars for many years. However, you’d be surprised at how many cigar smokers don’t taste any flavors in their cigars.
It's All About “The Comfort Zone”
Although my findings are not a true a representation of all veteran baby boom cigar smokers, let’s start with this: In the beginning, we naturally experiment with different brands and blends, which helps develop our palates. Certain cigars have a taste that becomes our comfort zone, as if that unique flavor profile has been coded into our brain. We become attached to those cigars and generally end up sticking to them for life as our “always faithful.”
Although some veteran cigar smokers may still be looking for that illusive unicorn, experimenting can be expensive. It’s one reason why many older cigar smokers have to balance between rising prices and their everyday favorites, which often tend to be in the mid-price range. For example, I added the Zino Nicaragua Toro to my regular rotation shortly after it came out in 2021; not just because the flavors were right in my wheelhouse, but because I was equally impressed with how affordable it was, especially for a Zino. It’s a good example of how palate happiness at a nice price can make a cigar a BFF.
Zino Nicaragua
One of the author’s more recent faithful for its consistently good flavor and affordable price.