Cellaring Aromatics

[Homer]

My friend puts small 58% Bovedas inside of the mason jars during winter to prevent tobacco getting dry.
Have any of you done that?
In Finland the relative humidity is very low in winter so the tobacco will lose moisture if I open the jar many times.

 

[Chasing Embers]

The only real reason to cellar an aromatic tobacco IMO is to be sure you have some around when the company that makes it goes belly up.

That and rising cost are the only reasons I cellar anything. Aging is just coincidental.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Have any of you done that?

No need, just pack them as tightly as possible in the jar with as little air remaining as possible. I've got Sutliff, then Altadis, blends from the late 2010s that taste the same as new.

 

[Homer]

OK. RH inside my home is aprox 15-20% in winter so that's why I am interested of how to prevent tobacco of getting dry or moldy.

 

[Chasing Embers]

OK. RH inside my home is aprox 15-20% in winter so that's why I am interested of how to prevent tobacco of getting dry or moldy.

It shouldn't affect the environment of a sealed jar. Adding moisture to jar contents can encourage mold growth.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I can only comment on some aros I have jarred since 2021 - they are fine and I don't expect them to "age" but don't expect them to deteriorate.

One thing I've found by mistake, which isn't probably recommended, is some aros I left in the cheapo plastic baggies they come in are perfect after about a year in one of cheap bags - they dry out a bit and the flavor loss on some is minimal. I'm more intentional about jarring them these days, but still have some gooey ones I know I'll grab in the bags they came in for convenience.

 

[Homer]

I have one unopened pouch of MB classic loose cut. Should I put it in a jar or can I just keep in the pouch as long as its not opened.

 

[mortonbriar]

I enjoyed a 50 year old aromatic this year, but the topping was too subtle to get a real feel for it. Smoking some Svendborg aromatic that is 30-40 years old over the last couple of days (thanks to @Ahi Ka) and it has an Irish moss sort of flavour going on, right to the bottom of the bowl.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I have one unopened pouch of MB classic loose cut. Should I put it in a jar or can I just keep in the pouch as long as its not opened.

Definitely jar it.

 

[OverMountain]

Anybody use those distilled water disks that Boswells sells to keep things hydrated in the mason jar?

 

[fireground_piper]

if it's in a closed mason jar with a good seal, hydration isn't needed. It will hold.

 

[Samuel Perez]

Aromatics gain the least improvement with age, but in a well sealed jar that is not constantly being opened or a sealed tin, all of the ones I have set back have maintained all flavors. Some of the first tobaccos I cellared were aromatics, and I will occasionally smoke a tin or jar.
Here are the ones I have set back...

1Q
Molto Dolce
Rattrays Bagpipers Dream
Rattrays Exotic Orange (now Exotic Passion)
MacBarens Vanilla Cream Flake
Stanwell Vanilla
Holger Danske Mango
And, a few more.

Not a one has lost any flavor.

edit... ^I should mention that all of these have more than 10 years on them in my cellar. I wouldn't be caught dead buying an aromatic now, ha ha. And, I merely smoke these when my wife has her friends over.

So if there’s no improvement in flavor why do people store them that long?

 

[fireground_piper]

So if there’s no improvement in flavor why do people store them that long?

Prices and availability. Prices will always slowly (or quickly) go up usually depending on any new tax directives. Availability because if you really like something and want to ensure it's around, buy it up.

A blend can be discontinued, a manufacturer could shut down or a blend could be altered in the future that you may not like. So if you like a blend now and want it in the future, buy it now while you like the current recipe.

 

[mso489]

It seems to me that aromatic flavorings mellow and fade a little over time, but that can be good, if like me you prefer a more tobacco forward blend. If the base tobacco is good quality, and something you like, which is usually burley or Virginia, the taste may improve a little compared to a fresh tin.

I have a partial jar of 1Q I've had for years, and it remains eerily moist and retains its non-tobacco flavorings. It seems preserved into perpetuity. But no denying, it is an extremely popular blend sold under scores of names by various pipe shops and retailers.

 

[ThermionicScott]

The only real reason to cellar an aromatic tobacco IMO is to be sure you have some around when the company that makes it goes belly up.

If the flavored tobacco bans keep spreading, it's possible these choices could go away before the companies themselves do. Maybe the paranoia of this forum is rubbing off on me, but I've started to wonder if I should start buying more samples of aromatics... while I can.

 

[OverMountain]

If the flavored tobacco bans keep spreading, it's possible these choices could go away before the companies themselves do. Maybe the paranoia of this forum is rubbing off on me, but I've started to wonder if I should start buying more samples of aromatics... while I can.

All that will need to happen in case of this eventuality is a liquid aromatherapy packet to be marketed. Of course it would be designed to be used in candle warmers. However, I’m sure one could figure out the appropriate fluid ounce to ounce of unflavored base tobacco.

 

[rmbittner]

I wouldnt recommend it, unless its from a source that you may be worried about obtaining it in the future. I dont smoke aromatics often, but i wont cellar/buy in bulk anymore. I had 10 tins of Nording Labrador. When i bought them fresh, the hazelnut topping was amazing. After over 5 years, most had lost that in the smoke. Tin note was still great.

This gives me a little bit of peace. I don’t smoke aromatics often, but Labrador was my ideal for what I wanted an aromatic blend to be—delicious, wonderfully aromatic, yet still tasting like tobacco. I was heartbroken when distribution stopped in the US, wishing I’d cellared a couple of dozen tins. But at least I can tell myself now that they wouldn’t have provided the same pleasure as when fresh. (Whether or not my experience would have matched yours, I can at least tell myself that!)

 

[rmbittner]

So with cellaring aromatics are there certain brands/blends that shouldn’t be cellared because they go rancid?

Rancid? I’ve never heard of that happening with any tobacco.

 

[Peterson314]

When I tried Autumn Evening the first time, I absolutely hated it. It tasted like waffle crumbs and syrup. I jarred it and forgot about it and came back to it 3 years later and the flavoring mellowed enough so that I could see why people liked it, just wasn’t for me.

I’ve got a 2019 jar of 1Q that was better fresh.

I’ve got a 2018 jar of BCA that is absolutely sublime.

I generally don’t cellar my aromatics on purpose. I just usually pick English blends to smoke and bring out my aromatics when I’m smoking with a new piper. My exception is BCA.

 

[Samuel Perez]

they tend to stay the same, but there might be minor differences in texture.