On the Fence... About this Cellar...

[VDL_Piper]

Cellaring is as much about what you like now but also what you may like into the future, difficult I know. I like English/Balkan, Virginia's in the red spectrum and VaPer's with the odd light aromatic to change it up so I have some breadth in my desired taste. I've kept my blend choice narrow and deep if that makes sense but with a few outliers for fun. I have about 20 blends, that's all.

 

[AJL67]

I have about 65 different blends, 95% VA / VaPer so at least I'm narrowed down in that respect, I think most people go through this and the "if i only knew then what i knew now" I've sold off most of my pipes just holding on to a few that are more collectable to me and my peers which is what i smoke out of, the tobacco... well as someone or many someones here have said it's never going to be cheaper than today, so i just keep holding on to it, i don't need the money so it's just sitting so if i ever do need money it's there.

All of those blends and I smoke CRF with and without Perique 99.999999999999% of the time and thankfully I have plenty of it. The pounds and pounds of Brown Flake and 400 and this and that can just sit and keep aging.

That would be "meers", I have no peers. =D

 

[FLDRD]

I may be an outlier, but variety has worked well for me. Both for developing a more appreciative palate, as well as one that's more adaptable.

For me, that means I've tried easily 100+ blends in the last few years, and I've got at least another 150 on my shelf ready to try as my whims dictate. Which tin to open next is a delightful dilemma to me. (95% of my tins staring back at me have a sibling or a whole family living in the cellar for the future.)

I can now appreciate more variety than when I began, and that in itself seems to help prevent me from getting what I feel like is "palate fatigue". Even a blend I love from the first whiff, gets a little boring by the end of a tin and I'm really ready for something different most every time. Fortunately, I've enjoyed at least 80% or more of the blends during this process.

I wouldn't recommend buying enough to stock a B&M like I did, but I don't have any regret yet. I may find I stocked up on "English" and Lat-heavy blends a little bit but I'm not too concerned yet. My palate seems to be like that crazy friend that you never know what's gonna happen next time....

I'm ok with how I've done it, as this seems to be an activity I'll participate in for many years to come...

 

[anotherbob]

It’s only worth cash if you can find a buyer.
If you don’t like it, without a buyer, it’s dried leaves in a can.
Sell it while you can if it’s dead weight to you.

or make a trade. Trades are so much easier. And the few I've made always seem to come with an extra little present. Like a sample of a blend they remember me mentioning curiosity about.

 

[tmcg81]

I wish I would have been a little smarter with my cellaring when I first started. I was looking for a new tin to smoke recently and looking through my cellar, nothing sounded good to me. I'm thinking about selling some off and buying the stuff I know I like, but at the same time, you never know how your tastes could change. Mine have changed a lot over the years, maybe they'll revert to what they once were. That said, there are a handful of blends I wish I had bought a lot of a couple years ago.

 

[Oddball]

I've really enjoyed everyone's feedback so far. Thanks for the perspectives!