I started my cellar by buying three tins of everything I tried. The idea being that to despise something would be relatively premature at the beginning of my pipesmoking. My tastes change over time (normal people's all do), so three tins give me the best shot at truly knowing a blend. One tin to smoke as soon as I get it, another in a year, and if I really like it, smoke the third, but if I am still wavering in regards of a blend, I let it set for five years and try again.
Tastes change in time, and I still have many single tins in the cellar awaiting the final trial. If I truly loved a blend right off the bat, I smoke all three and order 20 tins at a time till I have twenty pounds set aside. There are many that fit this strategy for me.
It is still fun to open a tin after it has set for five years, to give the blend the final, yeh or nay. But, some blends I can be relatively sure that I will like, so I pop for twenty tins right off the bat. So far, the only blend I regret Buying five pounds of before trying is MacBarens Virginia #1. I had expected something without as much casing and topping on it. But, It does get better after the five year mark, hopefully. So, it can wait.
Tastes change in time, and I still have many single tins in the cellar awaiting the final trial. If I truly loved a blend right off the bat, I smoke all three and order 20 tins at a time till I have twenty pounds set aside. There are many that fit this strategy for me.
It is still fun to open a tin after it has set for five years, to give the blend the final, yeh or nay. But, some blends I can be relatively sure that I will like, so I pop for twenty tins right off the bat. So far, the only blend I regret Buying five pounds of before trying is MacBarens Virginia #1. I had expected something without as much casing and topping on it. But, It does get better after the five year mark, hopefully. So, it can wait.