Can You Cellar Tobacco To Long?

mustachedpiper · May 24, 2017

Hey all! I am going to be receiving some old pipe tobacco from a dear friend whose late husband used to smoke a pipe. He passed 17 years ago, and purchased these tins several years before that, making them roughly ~22 years old. The tins are still sealed. Can you cellar tobacco too long? The tobacco is Dunhill. Specifically My mixture 965, early morning, nightcap and maybe a few others, but she hasn't gotten the tins down since she put them up 17 years ago. Thanks guys! Cheers

Edit: Capitalized all words in thread title per rule #9.

puffy · May 24, 2017

Probably a matter of opinion. I don't like to cellar Latakia blends

sablebrush52 · May 25, 2017

Tobacco can be cellared too long, but in this case, I don't think it is an issue. As long as the tins weren't exposed to heat they should be fine to smoke and be a fine smoke.

madox07 · May 25, 2017

I don't know, the tobacco should be fine, although after 22 years one would expect it to be a bit on the dry side.

metalheadycigarguy · May 25, 2017

It all depends on the tobacco.

If it was aromatic blends then the I would say yes, because aromatics aren't recommended to be aged more than 5 years (some say 3 years). This is because they'll loose the flavoring over a period of time. English blends will benefit from age but at a certain point they will no longer improve. Virginia blends seem to do the best with long term aging, but even Virginia's will reach a point where they will no longer benefit from being cellared. As long as the tins still have their seals intact you should be fine. They might be a bit on the dry side, but that's easily corrected.

jvnshr · May 25, 2017

It was more than a year ago I was gifted a generous amount of McClelland PCCA Winter from 1995-1996 and Levin Pipes Klenderwood from 1993. Having 20+ years on them, they both smoked like a dream.

ray47 · May 25, 2017

Three years ago I received some Blue Boar samples from a forum member that was produced in the mid 50's and 60's. Some of the best smokes I've ever had.

fitzy · May 25, 2017

The tins are sealed they are still good.
The latakia loses a little bit but I'm sure those will be fantastic smokes.

jravenwood · May 25, 2017

I was wondering this recently, are certain leafs better the longer they age? Are others best aged only a few years? I've read somewhere on here that Latakia may peak at 5 years... but Virginias the longer the better.

jpmcwjr · May 25, 2017

If there's a ton of those tins, you can get premium prices for aged Dunhill tins. Happy Smoking.

mikestanley · May 25, 2017

I think modern tins are much better at preserving tobacco for longer than older tins, mostly because they don't seem

as susseptable to rust. In my experience, which involves quite a few very old tins of all manner of blends, compromise of the tin is the only enemy of time to pipe tobacco. I have seen tins of McClellend blends from the 1970's which were perfect and some that rusted. To my taste, these older blends lose a lot once

they are open about a week or so. I mean. Lends with Latakia. I don't open old Latakia blends unless I know I will have time

To enjoy it in short order.

Mike s.

mso489 · May 25, 2017

As I understand, the Virginias in a blend improve over time up to a point; burleys don't improve much but keep well; Latakia fades over time, as do aromatic flavorings. Humidity, heat, and maybe big temperature swings (?) probably take their toll. Blends have to have been in sealed tins that remained sealed or sealed jars.

sablebrush52 · May 25, 2017

I was wondering this recently, are certain leafs better the longer they age? Are others best aged only a few years? I've read somewhere on here that Latakia may peak at 5 years... but Virginias the longer the better.

Latakia will hold up a lot longer than 5 years. It's still pretty good at 15-20. But after that, the smokiness fades and by 30 years it's just a ghost. Of course, there are always exceptions and I wonder how much environmental conditions have to do with that.
Virginias and Orientals age well and long. But every tobacco has a shelf life and eventually it peaks and dies. Burleys don't change much over time, but they don't go south either.
Vintage tobaccos can be unstable after opening, and quickly fade, so it's best to be prepared to smoke it up after opening.

jravenwood · May 25, 2017

Excellent info Sablebrush, thanks for the reply

allthebass · May 25, 2017

Even if the tins weren't stored well and the tobacco is dried out you may try rehydrating. A few year back I got to smoke some rehydrated John Cotton that I was told was 40-50 yrs old and it was exquisite. I don't recall the blend but it tasted like an English but the Latakia wasn't pronounced.
Six months ago I rehydrated a almost full 10yr old tin of Penzance and a partial 13yr old tin I had misplaced in my cellar. Both tins were very dried out. The 13yr old tin had really softened but it was still quite good. The 10yr is amazing! The Latakia is still fairly strong and it definitely taste like Penzance. Only a few bowls left and I'll be sad to see it go.
On the other hand I haven't had as good of succes rehydrating some 10yr old HOW Barking Dog and Revelation, both Burley blends. Not much flavor to speak of though the tobacco smells good. I popped a 6yr old a sealed tin of Larry's Blend that taste monochromatic and muddy. I remember being in love with previous (fresh) tins;, it was a heavy on Latakia but really creamy. This lacks any character of the fresh tin and has been a bit of a chore to finish. Perhaps my taste changed since I last smoked it.

ophiuchus · May 25, 2017

Latakia will hold up a lot longer than 5 years. It's still pretty good at 15-20. But after that, the smokiness fades and by 30 years it's just a ghost. Of course, there are always exceptions and I wonder how much environmental conditions have to do with that.
Virginias and Orientals age well and long. But every tobacco has a shelf life and eventually it peaks and dies. Burleys don't change much over time, but they don't go south either.
Vintage tobaccos can be unstable after opening, and quickly fade, so it's best to be prepared to smoke it up after opening.

Bingo!

Humidity, heat, and maybe big temperature swings (?) probably take their toll.

Temperature changes can affect aging adversely.

orlandofurioso · May 26, 2017

I cellar my baccies ( Thank the Gods for cellars ) and just recently opened and rehydrated an ancient Dunhill Nightcap from the early seventies or late sixties. It was heaven. Forever in your debt mr. J. Loring for helping "dating" the beautiful tin.

Environmental conditions ( stability ) do matter !

mustachedpiper · May 26, 2017

Well, the tins have been in a closet buried for 17 years, and this lady keeps her house at a constant temperature, so I imagine they should be fairly stable. Thanks for all the replies! It is a shame that I will have to smoke them so fast... I will probably wait until I have some free time to sit and just smoke through them before opening them. Would hate for them to go to waste.

saltedplug · May 26, 2017

I've had some tobacco older than ten years, but I've had a lot more at around five years, Cairo, Cumberland and Haddos. I could taste the melding and mellowing, and I liked it. Anything with a good Va presence should improve, although I've read that Euro Vas don't change much, which is odd as they may well have bought the Va from the US.
Fermentation is more illustrative of the changes going on within container than aging as it speaks to the chemical changes of an organic substance. The real question about these changes is whether they appeal to you. Some smokers want fresh and some want aged. Some want five years of aging and some want ten.
Personal preference again dictates when tobacco has had too much aging or declaring the tobacco dead. As long as there is chemically changeable substance, those processes will run.

mawnansmiff · May 28, 2017

"I will probably wait until I have some free time to sit and just smoke through them before opening them."
How on earth can you smoke them before opening them? :rofl:
Regards,
Jay.

Can You Cellar Tobacco To Long?

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