Aging the GL Pease Classic Collection

How old is "old"? I've got tins of both Abingdon and Charing Cross from 2006. I'd be happy to pop them in the coming weeks and report back.
Bob

I'm well past my second year with a pipe, so have not been at it long enough to experience any Pease blends with significant age to it. I have been able to aquire some aged McClelland Blends, but for one reason or another, Pease blends always seem to come pretty fresh from the manufacturer/retailer.

That being said, I have a solid little stash of Pease Blends in the cellar. I am basically buying 2 of each tin that catches my fancy. I try to smoke one fresh, and leave the other for aging. If I fall in love with a blend after the first tin, I will buy more to put away for long term aging.

One thing that can be said for Pease blends, they are easily available fresh, unfortunately, the same is not true for aged.

Not from the classic collection,

but I have an 07 Westminster

and

an 02 Cumberland
..the Cumberland will be opened this summer, it's the old skinny tin so I hope it's in good order, I will report my experience with it.
Many thanks for your report!

Interesting to read.

I haven't opened them yet, but I have some Samarra and Caravan that are at least 10 years old.
The 2002 or 2003 Cumberland is truly one of my favorite tobaccos. I don't know if it's the age or the way it was made in the early years, but the fresh stuff doesn't compare (at least not yet).

I also have a 2005 tin of Abingdon. Looking forward to trying it at some point as I really enjoyed the fresh tin I have.
Also, the Caravan is from 2001 and the Samarra is from 2000, so there's plenty of age on them.

Test

Challenge accepted!
I will say at the outset, though, that I never note anything about a blend's coloring in my notes -- and I rarely comment on appearance/cut at all, unless it's something unusual or something I have to figure out when it comes to packing. Of course, I'll be able to comment on those things with the aged blends that I'll be opening. But I won't be able to tell you how they compare in appearance to their fresh selves circa 2006/2007.
Bob

escioe:
No. . . Actually, I completely forgot about this thread! I've got a lot of other tins going at the moment. But once I finish the Bombay Court I'm working on -- which should be this week -- I'll open the Abingdon (going in alphabetical order) and report back.
And just to be sure I don't forget, I'm moving this one from my cellar to my "next to smoke" drawer today.
Bob

Quick update:
I just opened a 2006 tin of Abingdon. I'm going to smoke at least three bowls in the same pipe before reporting back, but I should be able to post my impressions by the end of the day today, along with my original TR.com review from 2010 of a fresh tin of Abingdon.
Bob

In general I like aged tobacco, and the marrying of flavors and a more subdued and the different, more savory taste of aged tobacco has always been to my liking. I don't have experience with aging latakia blends such as those in the Classic Collection, but my experience with VA-based blends tells me that I would like them aged, as well.

Here's my "aged Abingdon" report:
First, here's what I said on TR.com in 2010 regarding a fresh tin:
"Despite the tin's description -- a "big Balkan blend" -- this is what I would consider a very good medium-weight Balkan. To my mind, no one currently does Balkans of such variety or finesse as GLPease, and this one fits perfectly in that range. It is similar in approach to Ashbury and Charing Cross. However, in those blends, the orientals are more acrid and more forward in the blend; Abingdon pushes them back a bit, making this a blend that is more evenly balanced among the Virginias, orientals, and latakia. If Ashbury and Charing Cross are a bit too sharp for you, Abingdon may be just what you're looking for.
"I should say, though, that all of these blends are a touch lighter and more focused on the acrid-oriental side of the Balkan spectrum than, say, Caravan or Odyssey, which feature a stronger latakia presence and slightly sweeter orientals. (If you're new to GLP blends, Odyssey is the "biggest" of the Balkans currently on offer.)"
As for my 2006 tin of Abgindon, opened on 5/12/24. . .
The tin had begun to puff up slightly, but of course the seal was perfectly intact. And it hadn't puffed to the point where it didn't sit level on a flat surface. Slight puff of air on cracking the top. . . and virtually no tin aroma whatsoever. After a day in a jar, the only aroma is from Virginias and, perhaps, the orientals. But from the unlit aroma alone, I think a lot of smokers would assume this was a straight -- or primarily -- Virginia blend.
That perception changes the minute you light the bowl: Delicious orientals are the first thing you notice, and they dominate throughout the bowl. The Virginia is there too, but it never comes to the foreground. And the latakia? Well, it has mellowed remarkably -- perhaps to the point where you could smoke this and not really think there's much latakia -- if any -- in this blend.
So, in my experience, the "balance" this exhibited when fresh has shifted strongly toward the oriental side of the blend after eight years. It is more mellow than I remember it being when "new," but the VAs and latakia have become almost condimental. Also, it remains a "dry" smoke -- as opposed to sweet -- despite the Virginias in the blend.
Which leads me to wonder if this still truly qualifies as a Balkan, as I define it: A blend where the latakia and orientals are in the foreground, and the Virginia is a very quiet background element. Because the latakia has mellowed so much, it really isn't holding its own with the orientals anymore. For me, this has become a rich oriental blend.
It is quite delicious, and I think it would reward extended cellaring. Yes, the latakia is moving more and more into the background as it ages, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. And the overall blend certainly doesn't feel like it's peaked, by any means. Assuming you're not looking for a latakia-dominant blend, I think this should continue to mature nicely for many more years. It'll be interesting to revisit this at the 15-year/20-year marks.
Bob

I bought 3 tins of GLP in 2010. Abingdon, Quiet Nights, and Westminster. I just recently picked up the pipe again after a few years of hiatus. I opened the Quiet Nights a few weeks ago, and I love it. Just can't get enough and need to order much more. I opened the abingdon, and was completely disappointed. It looks like floor sweepings and is not a very satisfying smoke. Just thin and boring. I still have the westminster, but I have vowed to finish one. or more, of my 11 tobaccos currently opened before popping it.
I really gravitate to the darker flake tobaccos, so maybe thats why I am not happy with my aged Abingdon.

@escioe I just cracked a tin of 2004 Charing Cross and I consider it one of the finest smokes I've ever had. Shoot me a PM and I'll send you a sample.