Aging Tobacco

[danb77]

Do tobaccos generally get better with age? And are all the same? Like English blends age batter or burleys age better etc. Which age the best?

I have had a few blends that are popular that I didn't like much so wondering if they will get better.
Edited by jvnshr: Title capitalization (please check Rule #9)

 

[mikestanley]

I personally believe that all blends improve with age. That being said, if I don't don't like something "fresh", age won't help. If a blend I like has a characteristic I don't like, age may help that. What blends are you having problems with?
Mike S.

 

[danb77]

A few actually, Mississippi river was one. I like the flavors but it had a little harshness to it. Not a strength or full body, just a harshness. Another was Mac Baron HH old dark fire. Same thing with this one. The flavors are nice but harsh also. When this happens with a cigar I let it rest 6 months and no worries.

 

[saltedplug]

It takes study to come up on aging. I could spit out a few paragraphs but have done so too times to no effect. GL Pease has a good bit on his site, as do most of the boards. Briefly, all tobacco ferments over time as it is organic. Blends are fine as they are but if you like the mellowing and blending aging effects, it may be worth your while to buy two tins instead of one and put one down to sleep; maybe buy pounds instead of tins.
Virginias age the best but all tobacco changes.

 

[sablebrush52]

Here's the link to Greg's writing on the aging of tobaccos:
http://www.glpease.com/FAQ.html#AGE
Aging changes tobaccos. Whether that change is seen as an improvement varies with different smokers. In general, I like the affect that aging has on many of the blends that I smoke. That said, there are a lot of blends I'm happy to smoke when fresh.

 

[mikestanley]

Time may smooth those out for you. Neither are blends I have any experience with to speak of. Youve got them, so what do you have to lose?

Mike S.

 

[danb77]

great article sablebrush52, that's exactly what I was looking for. That article should have came with my first tin of tobacco.

 

[deathmetal]

Other relevant discussions:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/aging-tobacco-5

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/tobacco-aging-question

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/the-theory-behind-aging-tobaccco

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/aging

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/storing-and-aging-flake-tobacco

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/storingaging-tobacco

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/the-aging-of-perique

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/one-more-question-on-aging-tobacco

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/cellerig-and-aging-tobacco

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/this-ageing-malarky

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/so-you-really-cant-cellar-an-aeromatic

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/questions-about-aging-my-own-tobacco

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/aging-tobacco-for-a-beginner
Some good insights there, and that's just scratching the surface of what this forum has to offer.

 

[danb77]

Nice thank you, ill have a look at them. Lots to learn!

 

[mayfair70]

The HH Old Dark Fire will age nicely. The harshness will smooth out and the flavor will become fuller and more complex. It is one of my all time favorite blends and I much prefer it with a few years on it, though I won't turn my nose up at a fresh tin. It blooms in as little as two years, so hang on to that one for sure. YMMV. If in doubt, feel free to send it to me for proper "disposal." :P

 

[cigrmaster]

I age all of my tobacco as most of my cellar consists of Virginia, Virginia/Perique, Virginia/Burley,Virginia/Aromatic Flakes. All of these except the VA/Aro's can be aged forever and they keep getting better. I don't have any experience aging VA/Aro flakes as I just began cellaring those in the last couple of years. I am assuming that the Aro flavoring will start to minimize too much after maybe 5 years or so. I will keep checking my stock of Aro's every year to see if I am losing flavor.
I do have a half dozen of non flake aro's that I don't plan on aging like I do my flakes. From what I have read, aro's will lose flavor after a certain point so I will be watching them closely.
Also if you read Sabblebrush aka Jesse's link to a Greg Pease article, don't take it as gospel. I have forgotten more than Pease knows so listen to me. :nana:
ps: Be careful about aging English blends as they will lose flavor after a certain point. I don't smoke any English blends anymore so I am not sure when they start to lose their flavors.

 

[jorchamp]

I particularly like aged Dunhill Flake. It is a very mellow and flavorful smoke. I prefer to leave it in the tin till time to smoke and then transfer it to bell jar. HH Old Dark Fire also, it becomes a very smooth smoke with some subtle highlights.

 

[cigrmaster]

jorchamp, I keep my open tins in a specific type of container so I don't have to bother re jarring the tobacco. Here is a pic of that container. In the pic you can see the tins in the opaque colored container with the white lid. I can keep an open tin in that container for over a year and it will be just as fresh as when the day I opened the tin. I can't get the picture up for some reason. Photo bucket is screwing with me. If I can fix it I will. For now just picture a tupperware like container that is just plastic. I buy them at walmart and a pack of 4 different sizes are 6 bucks.

 

[instymp]

cigrmaster..good to see you back here.

 

[cigrmaster]

Thanks instymp.

 

[pipebuddy]

I opened, last night, a 6 year old tin (8oz) of Exhausted Rooster. I had opened one previously when it had reached a bit more than 2 years.

As where the 2 YO had been great, this one was not at all. The flakes were not really any darker. The tobacco was on the very dry side. And it has lost a lot of its taste.

It kind of sucks, I would say, because I am a big fan of the Rooster!

Anyone has an idea as to what happened?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Harris-
You can't fix photobucket unless you pay a hefty fee to those bastards.
Imgur and postimage are all right, and the album here works.

 

[deathmetal]

The tobacco was on the very dry side.

Bad seal on the can?

 

[mikestanley]

You never know. I opened an 8oz tin of Samaria from 2006. All good. Tobacco is only slightly drier and the tin interior is very clean. This will be my to and from work smoke for a bit.

Mike S.

 

[sablebrush52]

Anyone has an idea as to what happened?

Sounds like the seal didn't hold. It happens. I've opened 20 year old and older tins that were just fine, and others that were completely shot. i wonder if the newer tins are of lesser quality than the older tins. I'm going to add a seal around the join of the lid to the sides on my square and rectangular tins. These are the most prone to failure. All tins are slowly leaking from the get go, so an added seal is a good idea if you're going to store for the long term.