When Tobacco is Aged, What Changes?

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hawke

Lifer
Feb 1, 2014
1,346
4
Augusta, Ga
I was recently gifted some tobacco. One of the batches is fairly dark and is kinda like scissor cut flake. The brand is unknown.Its pieces are pretty thick as flake goes that Ive bought, like 3/32 thick. Im amazed at how cool it burns when sipped. It is fairly dry but does not light readily however even when only small pieces in the bowl are lit it continues to burn for several minutes. Im wondering is this because of the aging process that might have have happened? Ive asked him was it this stored for a spell and awaiting his reply.
Im really intrigued by this tobacco. Its far from being strong in flavor but is a little bit sweet when sipped very slow and only burning small parts of the bowl at a time. I like a more pronounced flavor like latakia balkan blends but this tobacco burns so cool and stays lit that I am fascinated by it. It allows me to "sip" and wait longer between puffs better than any Ive ever smoked. Does aging a tobacco do this?
What is the difference you've found with a freshly purchased tobacco and that same tobacco that has been ages for a year or two?

 

judcole

Lifer
Sep 14, 2011
7,186
33,560
Detroit
What is going to change is going to depend on the blend, and how long it's been sitting. I have smoked (among others) aged Best Brown Flake, Red Ribbon, Dunhill Light Flake (that's the Murray version), Hartwell Signature, and MacBaren Mixture. Each blend was different to begin with; each changed over time, in their own way.
The consensus of everything I have read on the subject is that the most noticeable changes come at 5 year intervals; I used that as my own guide. I can't say, then, what happens after "a year or two". I'm gonna be popping a 10 year old 10 of BBF around the holidays; I am looking forward to that.
That was a nice guide you found. Thanks for sharing it.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,133
6,837
Florida
Great resource you shared. Interesting pics of the various 'cellars'. It's always nice to experience an easy smoking bowl of well prepared tobacco. Aging, drying, rubbing, folding, cubing, all can be successful.
I've got Escudo, LBE, Mc's 2015, and Pease JKP...I've smoked them all right out of the tin or bag, fresh, and also with some drying...I think the flavors may become more subtle with the drying and time...more evened out?...
The fresh taste is quite nice too. I cubed some JKP last night and left it in a bowl to dry...put some in a washington cob this a.m....and it lit perfectly, and smoked like a dream. (I only got halfway through so far!)

 

krizzose

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,133
18,288
Michigan
The only tobacco I've smoked that was significantly aged was some 10 year old Erinmore Flake. My experience was that it was decidedly richer but much mellower. The top note had faded, and it was just very smooth

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,101
Think of aging as planned fermentation, or deterioration, of an organic substance. Blenders have ways to stop it as it sits in bales, waiting to be activated by water. Once activated it will continue to ferment, and certain tobaccos will ferment/change in ways that smokers appreciate; that is, they age. It used to be the maxim that 80% of the beneficial effects of aging, melding and smoothing, occurred by 5 years, and that after that, though it will continue to change, it will do so much more gradually. Most smokers who like aged tobacco find that a significant VA component ages best. But in truth any tobacco will ferment and will appeal to certain smokers.

 

curl

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 29, 2014
722
461
I think a key attribute of cellared tobacco is not having to pay higher taxes later.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
I don't age my tobacco in any disciplined way. My experience is that different blends or unblended leaf behaves

differently. It can simply mellow then fade. It can integrate better so the various components of the blend are

more joined. It can become richer. It can become more colorful and intricate. Mostly the good aspects happen

with non-aromatic blends. Aromatics can improve somewhat buy losing some of the flavoring but still retaining

the strength in the tobacco, if it's good tobacco.

 
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