Escudo (2001)

iamn8 · Jan 26, 2015

I just received a tin of 2001 Escudo by way of pipestud. It's my first "vintage tin" and I'm a bit anxious about cracking it open. I get that everyone will have their own opinion on the matter, but should I let it age longer or smoke it now? With wine there is a point when it stops improving with age and deteriorates. Do tobaccos have a similar point or maybe a point when it's considered "time to open"? Just curious. I have a feeling there's no rule here and it's all in the eye of the beholder, but it never hurts to ask.....?

jmill208 · Jan 26, 2015

Smoke it.

The age should be perfect. : puffy

:

freakiefrog · Jan 26, 2015

Here is my thing about the age of tobacco. At what point is there a diminishing returns on investment. So you spend all this time aging the tobacco and at what point does it stop aging and start going down the other side of the hill? I say open it and smoke it. I just opened a tin of 2007 Christmas Cheer. The thing I see is the tobacco is visibly darker and softer than the younger 2013 stuff I have it also has less of the vinegar smell that it typically has. Let us know how it smokes..

delro · Jan 26, 2015

I enjoy escudo when its fresh out of the tin - I'm jelly. Enjoy bro

bloodwood · Jan 26, 2015

Good for you Nate (as the green head of envy watches over my shoulder).

I can only relay my experiences from the Dunhill equivalent. At least, I've read it's pretty much the same coin.

Easily one of my top three go-tos right now.
Though, an aged tobacco in my arsenal would be closer to 14 days not 14 years (you lucky B%$%&rd).

cortezattic · Jan 26, 2015

Here are G.L. Pease's opinion(s) at various times:

The most major changes occur over the first six months to a year, though there is significant improvement in two months. After a year, it takes about another year to notice much difference, then about two more...see a pattern? After about 10 years, things really slow down. But, smoking tobaccos that have been aged 2-5 years is a real treat, and worth the wait, for some blends. GL Pease, 1998-03-08
There is really no optimal interval, but there are ranges that are significant. The first real difference is noticed after a couple months in the tin. Here, the melding of the flavours has really started to take place, and there's a little more "evenness" throughout the smoke. After about 6-months or so, significant fermentation has begun, and the flavours really start to become enhanced. Beyond that, 1-year, 2-years, 5-years show distinct changes, though not as dramatic as the early ones. Aging continues, but at a slower pace. There's not a lot of difference between a 5-years old tobacco and one which has been aged for 6-years, but at 10-years, it's noticeable, though subtle. GL Pease, 1999-06-01
As with wine, the best thing to do is to buy plenty, cellar it carefully, and taste it often - at six months, at a year, at two years, again at five. It is better to enjoy it sooner, and dream of what it may become, than to find it over the hill later, and lament what it might have been. GL Pease, 2000-05-03
It seems that somewhere between 12 and 24 months is something of a magic number, and that seems to be pretty universal amongst most tobaccos I've experimented with. GL Pease, 2002-05-20
While six months makes quite a difference, I've noticed that 18 months to two years is really where the turning point lies. You can expect increased complexity, a rounding out of the flavours, enhanced sweetness, and greater depth. GL Pease, 2004-08-05

Personally, I can notice some improvement with time, but my palate and sense of discernment isn't sophisticated enough to justify a really long period of denial. As a rule, I appreciate the exuberance of younger blends -- to borrow a phrase frequently used by Pease.

iamn8 · Jan 26, 2015

Very interesting read!! Thanks guys for all the info which points at smoking time. I've always been absolutely fascinated by Pi even have a Pi tattoo. This March 14 is an epic Pi day and was looking for something special to mark the day. Today I have a new absolutely stunning S Bang large billiard arriving along with another vintage tin of '97 Dunhill Elizabethan again from pipestud. That guy gets great tobacco!! I also have a bottle of 25yr old Macallan... see where I'm going? Break in the Kent with Escudo, the S Bang with the Dunhill and sip Macallan. Should make for an epic Pi day!! Who's comin'?!

melvinsunsmokedcastello · Jan 26, 2015

Smoke it. Thats old enough. I have smoked very old tobaccos and sometimes they get so mild they start to loose their character.
I know after opening a few tins of Latakia based blends I prefer them under 10 years..they soften too much and seem to change the blend, which imo throws off what the creator had in mind when he made it. They are by no means bad! Just too soft. If I'm smoking Lat's I like them smokey & strong. That said If you have a blend where the Latakia is overpowering it would be a good candidate for long aging.
Just my opinion and as usual YMMV..
To the point of your thread 14 year old Escudo in a prime sweet spot!

papipeguy · Jan 26, 2015

Pop it, load it, light it and love it. Find a pipe buddy to share a bowl and luxuriate in your bounty. Then tell us how awesome it is.

phred · Jan 26, 2015

Brian Levine did a comparative Escudo tasting on the Radio Show a while back - I don't remember the specific vintages, but I look forward to replicating the experiment with some tins of my own at some point 10-15 years from now... :D
Pipes Magazine Radio Show, Episode 73

mustanggt · Jan 26, 2015

As Harris once said, "Pop that tin and smoke that bitch!" :rofl:

teufelhund · Jan 26, 2015

I've had other vapers at varying degrees of age and either I'm too inexperienced to tell or there isn't much discernable difference between 5 years and 10. There is after all only so much material to ferment. I say crack it; I'm shooting to age my tins somewhere around 5 years before they work into the rotation.

conlejm · Jan 26, 2015

Nate, here is a post from Peckinpahhombre about 2001 Escudo you may enjoy reading:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/escudo-gods-gift-to-pipesmokers

peteguy · Jan 26, 2015

Smoking some from 2003 right now. It is deelish and I would smoke that tin up!

tobyducote · Jan 26, 2015

Smoke it!!!

escioe · Jan 26, 2015

I think with this sort of thing, once you get much beyond 5 years, you're starting to look at doubling the time in the tin to have much difference. So unless you want to smoke it in 2029 or so, I say go for it right now. Life's too short to deny yourself.

lockdown199 · Jan 26, 2015

Smoke Up Johnny

planetary · Jan 26, 2015

Eric said:

I think with this sort of thing, once you get much beyond 5 years, you're starting to look at doubling the time in the tin to have much difference. So unless you want to smoke it in 2029 or so, I say go for it right now. Life's too short to deny yourself.

Yes. There are definitely caveats and much to be said about aging the different kind of leaf and if there are "over the hill" points, but very generally, older is better, up to 20 years (and much longer than that for pure VA blends). I think Eric recently talked a bit recently about GLP Bohemian Scandal softening a bit and maybe losing some of its Syrian character. I'm not sure about that, as it's only been 10 years. I think it's got pretty good legs, myself. But that's another thread.

I'd pop the tin on that Escudo and enjoy it. If you find it really enjoyable, you'll be more motivated than ever to allocate a high percentage of your hobby dollars into building out the cellar, which will pay dividends in the years ahead.

escioe · Jan 27, 2015

One of the things I like about buying old tins is smoking them regularly, allowing all my newer tobacco to age a little longer before I crack it. I'd love to get to the point where I don't have to smoke anything younger than 2-3 years if I don't want to. I'm there with latakia blends, but have a way to go with Virginias.

iamn8 · Jan 27, 2015

I've listen to the podcast and read Pecks review. I now know more about Escudo than I thought possible. I'm VERY curious to compare 2014 Escudo to 2001 Escudo. I'll take photos once i open it. Wondering if it'll appear just like Pecks did. We'll see if there's consistency in the aging process. I'm 100% sold on opening it and will do so on Pi Day. I just wish that I had a shipping container filled with five year old Escudo

I WANT A SHIPPING CONTAINER FULL AND I WANT IT NOW!! I'm holding my breath until I get it!! Gah I never get what I want!! If God cares about me he'd give me my escudo or I'll stomp my feet and hold my breath until I die!!!
Thanks, This snotty temper tantrum has been brought to you by Nate.

Escudo (2001)

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Starting to Get Obsessed

Might Stick Around

Lifer

Lifer

Can't Leave

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Starting to Get Obsessed

Starting to Get Obsessed

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer