It seems I've already written a few words on this, the most recent being in my column in the P&T spring issue, but...
Cosmic wrote:
Three Nuns is one in which the original recipe was renowned for aging very well. I can't speak on behalf of the new recipe, but I would wager that it ages well also.
The original, and to my mind the only real Three Nuns, had a large percentage of perique in it, which, when coupled with some very fine virginias, and the absence of anything that would interfere with the natural processes, made it one of the few blends to have what seems to be a virtually infinite lifespan. Meaning it will outlive any of us reading this. I've smoked examples from the 1940s, and it was sublime - heaven in a tin. I have less confidence in the current periqueless simularcrum.
And also,
Just finishing a 20 year old tin of GLP's Odyssey side by side with some just a few years old, I would have to vehemently disagree. Maybe some blends fade or soften, but not all. Having also had samples of very well aged Penzance, mmm. I have also had a few others. The latakia seems to meld with the other flavors very well. I guess if you like the sharp pungent and spicy cheese flavor of fresh latakia, you may see this as a negative.
From the very beginning, I've specifically structured my blends with aging in mind. Odyssey is no exception. Yes, the latakia will soften (fade would be too strong a word in this case), but as it does, the virginias and orientals take up the slack with their own specific voodoo.
And Jmatt wisely pens,
It occurs to me that perhaps Latakia aging is like Scotch. Many people chase after aged Scotch like MacAllan 18 or 25, as it gets so mellow over time. And while I appreciate the occasional 118 year old Scotch, what I really love is a deep peaty, smoky, Ardbeg 10. Powerful stuff that Ardbeg 10.
So which is better? Well - I'd just say they're different. And different strokes for different folks.
Touché. Though many tobaccos will certainly pass their prime at some point, some sooner than others, there are blends that simply evolve into something else that is equally, though differently wonderful. I still frequently dip into tins of Garfinkel's Orient Express #11 that were produced in the 70s. It was never a latakia WMD, but relied more on the interplay of the other leaf to give it its backbone and structure, and even now, nearing 40 years later, the stuff is delicious, remaining my all time fave of the closet classics from yore, and to my mind, the best thing to ever come out of Sobranie House.
There are wines that are meant to be drunk young, and lose their charm within a few years in the bottle (a 2004 Lake County merlot I recently tasted comes to mind - oxidized and tired), and others that will gracefully evolve for decades (the 2005 vintage from the same vineyard - still bright, youthful and tightly structured). It depends on the wine maker's style, understanding, knowledge and skill, and, of course, cooperation from the vineyard management and the whims of nature.
And, I'm right with you on the Ardbeg 10.
