Cellaring - How Wide and How Deep

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dadgy

Might Stick Around
Nov 13, 2015
78
1
The FDA unpleasantness this week has modified my cellaring plan, in that I've moved the blends introduced after 2007 to the top of the priority list.

 

didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,895
31,636
34
Burlington WI
I'm trying to get rid of all my blends that I don't like, and narrow it down to a minimum of 4 tubs of Carter Hall. You go through a blend fast when you only smoke one.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Boy, this is so individual. How do you smoke? How often? Some aren't content unless they're stocked up for life, and against all possible tax or price increases. I am a temperate smoker, whatever that means ... moderate. So I could probably stretch my few pounds for a few years, if it came to that. I don't want to have so much on hand that it seems piling on to try something new, or get a few samples from friends, or an array at Christmas. It would be years before I wouldn't have a somewhat wide selection, from my point of view. Right now I wouldn't want five pounds of even my favorite blends. There is so much out there to try. But I can understand the heavy buyers. To have fifty pounds of favored blends, or several hundred tins would be security. On the other, a slight feeling of scarcity or evanescence gives the endeavor some edge. The question is philosophical!

 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
I made the mistake of storing too many English blends when I first started out. I have been disappointed with all of the 5+ year blends I have tapped into. The Latakia fades, granted a lot of people seem to like that but it just makes the blend taste flat to me. Good news is, I have revived a lot of them by adding fresh Latakia. Anyway, as I have said, some (most) seem to really enjoy it, the price Pipestud sells some of his tins for is a sure sign of that, an original tin of Balkan Sobranie sold for for over $1,000 (I think), spending that kind of cash will make one believe that what they are smoking tastes amazing

 

tootles

Lurker
Feb 23, 2016
4
0
Thanks to everyone for sharing their many interesting views. I tend to agree with mso489 that it really is philosophical.
Personally I take comfort in having a variety just waiting there for me to open at some future date. But I am also taking advantage of pre-retirement income to stock up now so if money becomes tight later, I'm all set. I do have certain favorites like PS Luxury Bullseye Flake and HH Old Dark Fired. I will be making sure those are available to me. I also realize a lot has to do with personal rate of consumption. Right now with my schedule and smoking time allowance, I am guessing 50lb would last me 20 years. 50lbs seems plenty to me but time will tell how much TAD will convince me to buy! (I'm a sucker for good deals)

 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
That's a good article Pylorns! I need to get on pipe tool again, it's really tidious if you already have a large cellar but I think it will be a great tool to have once I finally get it up to date.

 

robwoodall

Can't Leave
Apr 29, 2015
422
5
I've been smoking a pipe for a year and a half, now. I'm still sampling, and my taste is still evolving, so I haven't gone too deep, yet.
I tend to buy samples in a four ounce size, and store them in bale-top jars. Experience tells me that the bale top jars will keep it fresh for at least a year. If I still want that blend after the sample is gone, I order a pound, also stored in bale top jars. When I notice that my pound jars are going down quickly, I buy another pound to store "permanently" in Mason Jars.
Right now, I have far too many open jars, but I'm starting to narrow things down. I only have three pounds in long term storage, but they are the blends that I really, really love, and do not expect to ever stop loving.
Somebody said "variety is the spice of life," and that's true, but right now I have far too much variety. I'd like to get down to about 10 favorites, but always keep a steady stream of new stuff to sample.

 
I started off by watching and listening to Peck when he talked about his celler, as well as a few others on here at the time. Then I made a plan to set back at least 25 lbs of each blend that I relish the most, and five pounds of each blend that I like. I do have a lot of one-sies of tins, but that is not a cellar, that is just blends waiting on being tried.

I have only reached 25 lbs on two blends, and I still have a few more blends that I want to make sure that I get that goal reached.

As of today I have 132lbs set back. I buy large bulk orders or take advantage of deals when they come up, but I mostly only smoke fresh tobacco for the B&M. What I buy to cellar, I only ever tap into these when one hits a threshold, like 2 year old Escudo, then 5, etc... Buying and smoking fresh tins keeps me in good with my favorite B&M, and he will float me new tins that he picks up from vendors or picks up at shows for me. And, he keeps me in mind and calls me when something unique comes up. That makes the higher B&M prices worth it for me. Plus, by steadily dropping in at the B&M, I get top meet all sorts of people in our pipe-smoking community. I wish I could hang out there every day. The most interesting people are always coming and going.

 

troutface

Lifer
Oct 26, 2012
2,328
11,362
Colorado
Please do not be a "cellarer" unless you are willing to admit that you think

that you can do better.

So the chef has deemed us philistines for not realizing what a masterpiece of fresh ingredients he has put forth on our plates. Well I'll smoke MY Penzance whenever I damn feel like it :evil:

 

iamn8

Lifer
Sep 8, 2014
4,248
14
Moody, AL
Cosmic, if The Briary weren't 30-40min away I'd be there also all the time :( if, God-willing, this next back surgery helps like I hope, I'll see you guys there more often.

 

bent1

Lifer
Jan 9, 2015
1,138
2,999
64
WV
I’d say go broad with high quality blends as you can possibly trade as tastes change over time.

 

pepesdad1

Lifer
Feb 28, 2013
1,023
675
Peck got it right: "I am essentially done with my cellar so don't worry much about tobacco at this point. The feeling is liberating."
Yes, it is. When you have enough tobacco to last you as long as you think you're gonna live (I'm 75) it is a great feeling knowing that you have what you want and don't look for anything else (famous last words)

 

mrenglish

Lifer
Dec 25, 2010
2,220
72
Columbus, Ohio
Totally agree with Peck and Pepesdad. It is a liberating feeling. Over the years I have figured out what I like and stocked about 20-25 tins for each of my favorites.

 

canadianpuffer

Can't Leave
Oct 8, 2017
300
463
Peck is full of crap. We all know he is still hoarding like a dragon and their gold. TAD is a lifestyle lol

 

erhardt85

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 14, 2017
200
61
39
I'm a fan of variety over quantity but for my absolute favorites that I fine myself going back to time and time again I'll get at least a pound or maybe two. I have a couple pounds of plum Pudding Special Reserve and five pounds of old dark fired. I intend to get a half kilo of several it the GH flakes also but besides that I'll likely stick to a half pound for ones I enjoy but don't smoke all the time

 

jaytex1969

Lifer
Jun 6, 2017
9,517
50,591
Here
I've chosen the "deep and wide" approach. A few have become enjoyable enough to obtain a quantity, while I still have numerous untasted blends. Since I stick to mostly non-aro's, I am confident I'll at least like them.
If not, they will trade off easily.
jay-roger.jpg


 
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