Reasons for Cellaring

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dcicero

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 23, 2019
591
2,880
Michigan
As I read reviews, it seems the highest recognition a tobacco can be given by its smoker is cellaring. People say, I liked it, but not enough to cellar. I think I understand some reasons to cellar, like with McClelland gone it may be nice to have some of that stocked up. But then with Dunhill, stockers may be a bit salty with Peterson. So, what are the reasons people cellar tobacco?
 
1. The clock is ticking, and being able to order tobaccos to be delivered through the mail is finite, probably within the very near future.

2. Blends change, companies go out of business.

3. Blends tend to get slightly sweeter or more mellow durring aging.

4. I will be retiring soon, so if I want to smoke while on a fixed income, I need to have reserves.

5. Having a room full of pipe tobacco makes the whole house smell wonderful.

6. Blowing all of my money on tobacco keeps me from developing more expensive hobbies like golf, flyfishing, or high dollar prostitutes. puffy
 
Which base tobaccos cellar the best, gents? Virginias (as has already been stated). What others?
It really depends... "best" is so subjective. When I hear people say "best," I just dismiss it. I really like the way burleys tend to round out in flavor. I have been enjoying some aged PS Cube Cut and Burley Flake #1.

But, I have more Virginias set back than anything, and they do tend to get a little sweeter, but they never get mindblowingly better. None of them do. It just depends on what you prefer.

I am not the biggest latakia fan, but a Balkan that has had time to meld and round over in flavor... sublime. I am enjoying a tin of five year of Balkan Sasieni right now. And, I have five pounds of that sweetly sour C&D Star of the East aging away in the cellar.

So, it just depends... you can explore tastes of aged tobacco for yourself, or just rely on forum lore.
 
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Humblepipe

Lifer
Sep 13, 2019
1,787
6,243
Guerneville, CA
It really depends... "best" is so subjective. When I hear people say "best," I just dismiss it. I really like the way burleys tend to round out in flavor. I have been enjoying some aged PS Cube Cut and Burley Flake #1.

But, I have more Virginias set back than anything, and they do tend to get a little sweeter, but they never get mindblowingly better. None of them do. It just depends on what you prefer.

I am not the biggest latakia fan, but a Balkan that has had time to meld and round over in flavor... sublime. I am enjoying a tin of five year of Balkan Sasieni right now. And, I have five pounds of that sweetly sour C&D Star of the East aging away in the cellar.

So, it just depends... you can explore tastes of aged tobacco for yourself, or just rely on forum lore.

Thanks, cosmic. I am in an interesting position. I'm still growing my palate and taste is in flux because I am newer to the pipe. Yet, I would like to cellar and I am set up to do so. What to do? Maybe waiting a bit is wise. I had thought that there might be a few I could start out with...
 
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Elric

Lifer
Sep 19, 2019
2,185
9,826
Liplapper Lane (Michigan)
tobaccocellar.com
They say Latakia will mellow (or fade), but I wouldn't know.
Has anyone tried a really old Oriental blend?

I'm smoking some 12 year old Presbyterian Mixture lately and it is absolutely amazing. I would go so far as to say the latakia is more noticeable now than when fresh but obviously still a minor player in this blend.
 
What to do?
The best advice I ever got, suggested buying three tins of something as you explore blends in the beginning. One for now, one for a few years later, and one for the long haul. This way if you buy five new blends, 15 tins at a time, you will cover more ground as you build. And, if you don't like it now, you might like it better as you build frames of references for your taste buds. Like trying turnips for the first time. It is always better to have a taste for broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts before you go treading into turnip territory. And, just because you don't like it, doesn't mean someone else won't so you will at least be able to trade latter, if you want.

Then, when you find one you like, buy buy buy...

I will order 20-30 tins of something I haven't tried, if it fits within the genres that I know that I will like. Virginias, VaPers, a straight burley, or the Balkan category... it's a safe bet for me that as long as no one reports that it has a strong topping that I will like it. This is why Modern Virginia pissed me off when I bought it up. No one, absolutely no one mentioned that it was a straight up freakin' aromatic. But, that has been my only disappointment. And, even there, I just smoke it like I would my morning aromatic, even though I didn't really want 20 tins of an aromatic. I have also traded away a few of them for harder to find things, so... win win.
 

mngslvs

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 24, 2019
256
530
Yarmouth, Maine
Well if anyone wants to find out about aged latakia, I posted on 11/27 a tin of McConnells Oriental Mix, 14 yrs in cellar. Just looking for a good home for it. Just can't get into blends with latakia, though god knows I've tried.
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,832
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
They say Latakia will mellow (or fade), but I wouldn't know.
Has anyone tried a really old Oriental blend?
Yep. Other orientals don't fade quite the way Latakia does.. Remember that Latakia is the result of a smoking process combined with the underlying flavor of the varietal and it's that processing that fades. My impression regarding ORientals in the 40 to 60 year old blends I've sampled is that they meld and become a bit richer in flavor as the Latakia becomes more subdued.

Regarding the OP's question, all the answers apply including one that hasn't been stated. Tobacco doesn't get cheaper to buy.
I cellared for all the reasons stated above, to have what I want to smoke when I want to smoke it, to have some of it age, that leaf quality will get worse in the future, as a hedge against inflation, etc, etc.

It's a bit of a bet. You're betting that you will continue to like what you cellared; that what you cellared won't go bad because of tin failure, or mold, or some other issue; that you won't croak out way before your cellar does, etc, etc.

Life's a gamble. The only way to avoid the gamble is not to be born.
 

LOREN

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 21, 2019
576
992
65
Illinois -> Florida
1. The clock is ticking, and being able to order tobaccos to be delivered through the mail is finite, probably within the very near future.

2. Blends change, companies go out of business.

3. Blends tend to get slightly sweeter or more mellow durring aging.

4. I will be retiring soon, so if I want to smoke while on a fixed income, I need to have reserves.

5. Having a room full of pipe tobacco makes the whole house smell wonderful.

6. Blowing all of my money on tobacco keeps me from developing more expensive hobbies like golf, flyfishing, or high dollar prostitutes. puffy
maybe low dollar prostitutes? :)
 
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