Brands or tobacco type that age well

[kanaka95]

Hey fellow pipers i was wondering if you cellaring tobacco specialists would be able to tell me what type of tobaccos age well and are worth purchasing and aging.Even brands of tobacco will work for me.I may try to start purchasing a few here and there with every order and start to just jar and cellar.Of course i will sample them to make sure it fits the taste need but want to take a chance on some of your suggestions.I havent been around long enough to know so all your help is much appreciated.

 

[cortezattic]

kanaka95, you have got to read this article by G.L. Pease: Saving for a Rainy Day

I'll let someone else make recommendations. I cellar hoard tobacco for political and economic reasons -- not for aesthetics.

 

[beefeater33]

I agree with Cortez- I stock up for the same reasons. Tobacco never gets cheaper, if you can afford it put some extra away. My hope is in retirement, on a fixed income, I'll never have to buy any more. I believe all the "non-aromatics" will age fairly well. As for taste, I find that my tastes change over the years. I stocked a bunch of lat-heavy blends years ago, as that was what I preferred. Now I'm into the pure Virginia'a which I didn't stock up on!! Point is don't just stock what you love, you might love the one you don't down the road, and wished you had cellared some.

 

[clickklick]

McClelland, McCranie, Smoker's Haven in tin form. Any non-aromatic bulk in mason jars.

 

[kanaka95]

Cortez and beefeater33 that is my exact reasons for my storage.I am going to hoard tobaccos like mad.Thanks for the article i will read asap.Clickklick thanks for the post as well.I am taking all post into consideration.

 

[havanarick]

i have some tobacco tins that i have had since 2010, i wonder if they are still good. :?:

 

[clickklick]

Properly stored tins are usually considered to improve with age havanarick. So yes, your tins should be sublime.
My current rotation allows me to never have to open anything with less than 5 years of age on it.

 

[kanaka95]

Wow clickklick im hoping to be there one day.

 

[neverbend]

Hi Kanaka,
My comments are specific to non-aromatics.
Another reason to store tobaccos is that the component leaf changes. Even with the best intentions blenders can't guarantee their leaf sourcing and as a natural product it will vary based on many factors including weather. Are virginia tobaccos still from Virginia? What your unaged blend tastes like today isn't necessarily what the same unaged blend will taste like in a few years. Many famous blends, like (the original) F&T Golden Mixture, have been discontinued because of leaf sourcing problems. Dunhill Shell Mixture was discontinued because it was a labor intensive production (hand cranked curlies). Store what you fear losing.
I'd caution against a blanket policy of endless ageing because some tobaccos don't age as well as others. Latakia doesn't do as well as Virginia over time. Knowing the component tobaccos in a mixture can help you estimate but can't guarantee your success in ageing that tobacco. The problem is that if you wait too long (and my experience is that most Latakias blends are going downhill in 10 years or less) you just wasted your time.
Environment and packaging impact ageing. Light heats the tins and sweats tobaccos in plastic as examples.
I age tobaccos by accident not intent. I buy in batches (so I know the age) but I forget them (actually my wife moves the boxes with the tins). I find them and they've aged but there are many that I wish that I'd have opened earlier. It's better to open a tin too soon rather than too late.
Regards,
Pete

 

[kanaka95]

Thanks pete i appreciate the knowledge.I think your wife and my wife have something in common.There always moving stuff then i can't find it.Then walla i find it months or years down the road wondering what the heck happened to it.I will definitely do my homework on the baccys though.Thanks again.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Aging tobaccos "on purpose" is a new trend. Before you go converting rooms into tobacco storage, try buying a few already aged blends of something you'd think you'd like to age. I'll bet that age doesn't do what most people thinks it does. I did this. I traded and bought a few tins of things that I was curious about, and it kind of gave me an idea of what happens with age.
I'm, not sure why, but people don't discuss how tobaccos tend to taste more like dirt after a certain point. Some lose any hint of sweetness and take on a more earthy cigar-like taste. I have read of men smoking 20+ year old Escudo with eyes rolling back into their heads in ecstasy. That wasn't my experience. However, everyone is different. Maybe a lot of people like that dirt taste. I've sort of figured out what I think will age well and I have a 140 lbs set aside. I didn't save a bunch of my favorite tobaccos, because I know that perique just loses its peppery-ness after a while, and many sweet tobaccos becomes more bland. Those are my observations, and someone else may differ in tastes. But, I set back things that I think will actually improve. The rest I just smoke at will.
So, just try out some of the already aged blends to see if it is something worth your effort to age. It's hard to just ask someone, because that someone may like things totally different from you. To make my point, find a blend you love and read the reviews for it on tobaccoreviews.com, someone will hate it. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. It may even be that aged tobacco just isn't for everyone. I could see how someone who likes bright Virginias with that citrusy zing to it would not want to age them.
Try a few aged blends. B&Ms will almost always have a few old tins of something in the back. And, then there's the auctions. Or, trades that come up periodically. I hate to be the "emperor wears no clothes" guy, but we can't just say that everything "improves" with age. If we can't even agree on what the word "improve" means.

 

[derfargin]

Great post Cosmic. I have to say, after reading lots of reviews, and what I see with people cellaring so much tobacco, it really toes the line on "hoarding" in the name of improving taste. It seems to me that there has to be a point of diminishing returns when it comes to aging tobacco.
I can't really say that I want to "invest" in a few pounds of a specific blend I enjoy and sit on it for 10 plus years without smoking it. Tobacco, like pipes are meant to be smoked, not kept in glass jars for accounting purposes. I myself want to buy now and smoke now. I'm pretty sure what I like now, I'll like even more with significant age on it but I'm not waiting around to find out. There's too many options out there.
On a somewhat related note, I like the idea of tin "baking". From what I've read it doesn't really replace the aging process, but it can take the edge off a blend.
However, I know lots of people hoard tobacco due to potential future regulations imposed on tobacco, or the fear of a manufacturer discontinuing their favorite blend. That I can understand completely.

 

[neverbend]

I'm, not sure why, but people don't discuss how tobaccos tend to taste more like dirt after a certain point.

That's the over marrying where the distinct flavors of the components become less vibrant. I don't know that I ever thought of dirt but I get your point.

Try a few aged blends. B&Ms will almost always have a few old tins of something in the back. And, then there's the auctions. Or, trades that come up periodically. I hate to be the "emperor wears no clothes" guy, but we can't just say that everything "improves" with age. If we can't even agree on what the word "improve" means.

good advice and I'd add (if possible) get a new tin of the aged tobaccos to understand (approximately) how it changed with age. It's possible that the leaf has changed from the older can but it's a base line.

 

[kanaka95]

Great point cosmicfolklore.I am a little worried about the gov regulations and such.That's the most part of the reason i want to store.And being a new pipe smoker i love the habit.But i do have the baccy fever and its probably getting the best of me.Aside from the fact that I'm out to try every tobacco i can.All these post above i respect and take into serious consideration.Much thanks to all who replied.