I recently had the good fortune to open my second bag of Stonehaven, and it gave me the chance to compare this 2013 bag with a 2007 bag that I opened last year. Based on about a half-dozen bowls so far, I'm convinced that while 1-year-old Stonehaven is quite good, time in the cellar will be richly rewarded.
When "fresh," Stonehaven is nearly black and quite moist. I've let the entire bag air-dry for over four hours and it's still moist -- to the point where it's currently a 5-8 match smoke. With age, the moisture dissipates, the already thin flakes become almost feathery, and the color lightens to a medium brown. But the flavors also deepen dramatically over time, and the sweetness increases (in my opinion). I don't know what the magic number is for this blend's peak, but after six years I feel that it moves from "very good" to "amazing."
Of course, if you haven't tried it before, you may be especially eager to see what all the fuss is about. I'll just say this: If you enjoy Virginia/burley flakes (and in Stonehaven, the Virginia is the main tobacco and the burley is secondary), then you don't need to worry about liking it. You will. But if you can patiently tuck this one away, I think you'll find yourself truly falling in love.
For the curious, here is a photo of the blend with six years of age on it:
And here is the 2013 blend, which I opened earlier this month:
Bob
When "fresh," Stonehaven is nearly black and quite moist. I've let the entire bag air-dry for over four hours and it's still moist -- to the point where it's currently a 5-8 match smoke. With age, the moisture dissipates, the already thin flakes become almost feathery, and the color lightens to a medium brown. But the flavors also deepen dramatically over time, and the sweetness increases (in my opinion). I don't know what the magic number is for this blend's peak, but after six years I feel that it moves from "very good" to "amazing."
Of course, if you haven't tried it before, you may be especially eager to see what all the fuss is about. I'll just say this: If you enjoy Virginia/burley flakes (and in Stonehaven, the Virginia is the main tobacco and the burley is secondary), then you don't need to worry about liking it. You will. But if you can patiently tuck this one away, I think you'll find yourself truly falling in love.
For the curious, here is a photo of the blend with six years of age on it:
And here is the 2013 blend, which I opened earlier this month:
Bob
