94 Year Old Granger Tobacco

[DCXII]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

I just bought a old Granger tobacco tin at an antique shop. It had a full but open bag of tobacco in it. There was a Missouri tax stamp from 1926 and a made in Mo sticker on the bag. It is dry as can be but with tons of aroma. Do you think a could re-hydrate it and try it out? It smells so much better than a current can of Granger I am smoking. Thanks for any advice DCXII

 

[jaytex1969]

Welcome to the forum!

It would be interesting to see some pics, if you have the chance.

If you sit the opened tobacco bag in a bowl and cover the top of the bowl with a damp dish towell, it will begin slowly rehydrating the contents.

With something that old, going slow and easy would probably be the best approach.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I may be crazy, but I might would even try one bowl as it is, just to see. ?‍ Pretty cool find.

 

[ashdigger]

Hello, you had me at Granger.

Any old tobacco can be carefully rehydrated and enjoyed; however, there is a fine line between handling, hydrating and mummy dust.

I’ve enjoyed Granger from the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and the 2000’s.

All good stuff, but I’m partial. Lol

Let us know how how it goes and welcome!!

 

[DCXII]

Here are a few pics... The bag fell apart on me so transferred
to mason jar.

 

[mso489]

If the rough cut is still in pieces but not down to dust, it will probably rejuvenate. I'm not sure if it will resemble what it was at two or three years old, perhaps not. My dad smoked nothing but Granger all day long for fifty years, from age 15 to 65 when he quit cold turkey (for a second career on a non-smoking campus). As an odd coincidence, my wife grew up in a tiny non-incorporated rural town named Granger, and she has an empty can of about that vintage.

 

[Worknman]

If its lost its oils Im not sure how good rehydrating it will do.

 

[fightnhampster]

Cool find! I don't think I would try it. Too many unknowns as far as what has gotten into it over the past 100 yrs.

 

[sablebrush52]

If you decide to rehydrate, use distilled water.
My experiences with tobaccos that old have not been pleasant. Good luck!

 

[jerseysam]

I haven't had much luck with the few tobacco's I've found at that age, they broke down no matter how gently I tried to re-hydrate them......but hey, what else are you going to do with it Cool tin though...dig that and it was probably your main target.

 

[FurCoat]

I would put the tobacco back in the tin and display it.

 

[cshubhra]

1. If you do not want to do the towel route, just toss in a 69 Boveda in the jar and it would gently rehydrate in a couple of weeks. Boveda would rehydrate slowly, which is what you desire.
2. Dry tobacco in a bowl would rehydrate itself slowly when smoked, from the moisture it generates from combustion. So you can try smoking a bowl as is. First 10-15 puffs will be harsh, but then it would start to become normal.
3. Contradicting my own prior opinion slightly - Yesterday I wrote (In another post) that I believe a tobacco can remain dry without significant loss of flavor: I meant up to 10-15 years. (Logic I have is that blenders/distributors often warehouse dry tobacco for quite some time)
100 years is too long a time for any organic material to retain its original characteristics, and will probably taste bad. Most experienced smokers have opined first hand from their experience

4. Do post what you taste.

 

[canucklehead]

I've smoked various vintages of Prince Albert, the oldest being at least 45+years old that was fantastic, still had good flavours and only minimal dust and rust aftertaste.

Please smoke some as is, and try rehydrating a small amount and report back. I am very curious as to how it has held up.

 

[NomadOrb]

and only minimal dust and rust aftertaste.

Well as long as they're minimal...

 

[canucklehead]

Well as long as they're minimal...

Still tastes better than new, it has no chemicals and humectant aftertaste.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

still had good flavours and only minimal dust and rust aftertaste.

To be honest "dust & rust" does sound like an interesting flavour combo?

 

[Old School 3319]

I would definitely smoke some of it. But then again I am a big Granger fan

 

[J.GANDY]

I would smoke it and go from there with hydration. From the photos, the tobacco looks fine and doesn't look nasty or moldy. Someone just closed the can and put it on a shelf, not stored in a dank old cardboard box in a basement. That's pretty cool!