Cellaring Aromatics

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okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
I have read that it does no good to cellar aromatic's as far as flavor goes.

In the light of coming bad times, I was curious if it could be done in order to stock up a supply for the day the spigot gets cut off? If it can't be done, what would you suggest aromatic smokers could do. May be a stupid question but it probably will not be my last :0)

 

mikestanley

Lifer
May 10, 2009
1,698
1,126
Akron area of Ohio
Yes, you can cellar aromatics. You just shouldn't expect improvement. Properly sealed, you will be able to put blends up for years without noticeable decline in my experience. I have large tubs of Prince Albert, SWR Aromatic and John Rolfe Peach that have been around for some time. No problem.

Mike S.

 

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,994
You can cellar everything. It's just that, as Mike mentions, aromatics don't really develop and improve with time in the tin like non-aromatic blends do. But if you simply want your favorite blends on-hand in the future -- and you'd like them to taste pretty much how they taste now -- then you can certainly cellar aromatics. You may notice changes in flavor after a decade or two of aging, but how these blends will or won't change will depend on each blend's specific ingredients.
To be honest, I don't think I've ever heard any aromatic smoker weigh in on the differences that age can make to a favorite blend. The idea of "cellaring" pipe tobacco is a fairly recent trend (and, for the most part, one limited to North American pipe smokers), so I'm not sure anyone's been stockpiling decades' worth of, say, MacBaren Symphony to see how it fares over any length of time.
It might be interesting to pick up an older tin of a blend you know well on eBay and do your own comparison. Of course, it won't be perfect: You'll have no way of knowing what that particular tin has been through over the course of its life. One advantage you would have over non-aromatic smokers, though, is that the same flavoring recipe has probably remained unchanged over the life of the blend. The rest of us often see blends altered slightly over time, due to leaf availability and changes in manufacturing. I'm guessing this isn't an issue that aromatic smokers have to deal with.
Bob

 

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
Thanks for the info gentlemen. That is great news! Per the blog info shared with us, I have been cellaring tobacco and have been putting them up in the pint and smaller (new) mason jars.

I love PIPESMAGAZINE.COM !!!!!!

 

msandoval858

Part of the Furniture Now
Jun 11, 2012
954
3
Austin, TX
I've always heard that long term aging of aromatics will not help the blend improve from a flavor perspective. However, if you are simply looking to stock pile to have quantity for the long haul, putting them in an airtight mason jar and cellaring them away will probably preserve the flavors of the blend for years.

 

tankbuster183

Lurker
Feb 27, 2014
30
0
Deptford NJ
Okiescout,
I have cellared aromatics and had good luck with it. When I started, I bought a lot of the Sutliff brands, mainly because of the smell. I think they taste much sweeter after sitting for a year. Example: 'taste of summer' REALLY tastes like peaches now.
I will say this though: I have grown to like latakia more in the last year, so it may just me my perception of the aromatics has changed because I like stronger tastes now.

 

voorhees

Lifer
May 30, 2012
3,834
937
Gonadistan
I only have one aro(my favorite) I get from an online vendor in bulk and I plan on getting more and jarring it up. Better safe than sorry.

 

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,994
natibo:
That's a bit of an overgeneralization. "Better" isn't just one thing. Yes, Virginias will improve the most with age. Meaning that they are the most likely to develop a deeper flavor and increased sweetness. But heavier latakia blends will mellow with age; for many, that would make them "better." (And the Virginias that provide the foundation for those heavier latakia-based English blends will also be improving over that time.) Over time, a VA/burley flake will marry in a way that would also make it "better" for some smokers.
So while most agree that burley will change the least over time, all of the constituent leaf in a blend will change with age. Orientals may lose some of their spice, latakia may see some of its deep smokiness rounded off. . . But all of those changes may add up to a "better" experience for the individual smoker.
Bob

 

cmdrmcbragg

Lifer
Jul 29, 2013
1,739
3
The gloom and doom about tobacco makes me laugh. US laws aren't going to all of a sudden become Canadian like. Taxes may go up, but that isn't going to dry up the pipe tobacco game and send everyone to their cellars for the foreseeable future.

 

metarzan

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 14, 2012
608
117
I have many aromatics that have been cellared for 12-15 years. That was not the plan, just moved on to other blends. Occasionally I pop one open for inspection and they always still smell edible and have proper moisture level. One thing I have noticed (or not noticed) is there is never any crystallization forming on any of my aromatics. Even some two years young Penzance has that yummy moldy appearance, but none of the aro's do.

 

Strike Anywhere

Can't Leave
Nov 9, 2011
368
83
mcbragg is right. I have been smoking a pipe for 10 years (a short period compared to some) but I've been hearing about the end of pipe tobacco almost that entire span. Yes, some states have enacted internet sales/shipping bans, and I'm sure that list will increase (at about the same rate those same states legalize/decriminalize marijuana use) but I really try to discourage panic buying. Buy stuff you like and you think will improve. I have a cellar myself, but the market isn't going to dry up all of a sudden. For easy comparision, Lane 1Q was about $19.99 a pound ten years ago. It is $27.50 right now on SP.com. A 20oz Coke was around $1.00 and now they are $2.00
I don't know how many of you smoke cigars, but remember S-CHIP and how that was going to kill the cigar market? Like a fool I stocked up big time. Yes, prices have gone up a bit, but there are still great deals to be had, meanwhile I'm babysitting a stockpile of cigars I've got to keep an eye on and keep humidified.

 

cmdrmcbragg

Lifer
Jul 29, 2013
1,739
3
Same went for ammunition and guns after Aurora and Sandy Hook. "Obama is coming for the guns!" Ammo shortages nationwide and record firearm sales through the roof. The only shortage was caused by those fearful of a gun grab ... therefore creating a gun grab by the consumers only. People were literally aware of when new ammo shipments would come in and be waiting to buy them all up, for fear of the democrat president who would be the first to round up all of America's guns. A few states made some changes to their laws, but not one gun had to be rounded up by force because of new legislation that banned them.
Same goes for tobacco. The tobacco industry (same as the NRA) like to drum up doom and gloom to rile the consumer into action: buy buy buy, get involved, spread the word ... just keep that cash flowing because you NEED this today or it may be gone tomorrow.

 
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