Escudo (2001)
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I've got a tin of Escudo from 2003 and am waiting for the occasion wherein it will not only be a treat for me but also others.
I missed this thread earlier, but here's my 2cents...
I've noticed that you are still cruising different blends, so I am going to make a huge assumption, (and feel free to disregard) but until you can detect very subtle nuances in VaPers and Virginias, you might want to wait. I know, I know, in the face of everyone saying to pop it and burn it... But, the subtlety of what age is going to have been doing to this tin just might get lost on the layman tongue. Everyone is different, and I am just going on my own experience, "learning curve" so to speak. You may have be a super taster, as They Might Be Giants would point out, ha ha. But, for me it was after a year of just smoking Virginias and VaPers that I was able to detect the subtle nuances of what age does. I had bought and traded for ancient tins of McClelland Virginias and ancient tins of Escudo also, and if you'd have asked me, there was no way back then that I would have admitted that I couldn't tell a twenty year old tin from a two year old tin, especially after paying the big bucks for the opportunity. Sure, I said I could tell, but I wasn't going to admit that inside I felt like I had wasted money.
So, if you try it and afterwards, you can't tell the effects of aging on the Escudo. Don't give up. Smoke Escudo for a while longer, and then try again. Don't let a neophyte tongue trick you away from aged tobaccos.
On the other hand, you may be a born connoisseur of these aged tins. I just know that I had to ease into it.
By the way, you're close enough that we can meet up at The Briary, and I can bring something from my cellar. I spent Saturday afternoon up there. It's always a great place to meet some of our area's most interesting people.
I've noticed that you are still cruising different blends, so I am going to make a huge assumption, (and feel free to disregard) but until you can detect very subtle nuances in VaPers and Virginias, you might want to wait. I know, I know, in the face of everyone saying to pop it and burn it... But, the subtlety of what age is going to have been doing to this tin just might get lost on the layman tongue. Everyone is different, and I am just going on my own experience, "learning curve" so to speak. You may have be a super taster, as They Might Be Giants would point out, ha ha. But, for me it was after a year of just smoking Virginias and VaPers that I was able to detect the subtle nuances of what age does. I had bought and traded for ancient tins of McClelland Virginias and ancient tins of Escudo also, and if you'd have asked me, there was no way back then that I would have admitted that I couldn't tell a twenty year old tin from a two year old tin, especially after paying the big bucks for the opportunity. Sure, I said I could tell, but I wasn't going to admit that inside I felt like I had wasted money.
So, if you try it and afterwards, you can't tell the effects of aging on the Escudo. Don't give up. Smoke Escudo for a while longer, and then try again. Don't let a neophyte tongue trick you away from aged tobaccos.
On the other hand, you may be a born connoisseur of these aged tins. I just know that I had to ease into it.
By the way, you're close enough that we can meet up at The Briary, and I can bring something from my cellar. I spent Saturday afternoon up there. It's always a great place to meet some of our area's most interesting people.
Michael, that was exactly the reason for my posting this thread. I had that same thought. While not exactly a good analogy, the subtle nuances of a $5000 Bordeaux would certainly be lost on someone sampling their first wine. However, I can also very much appreciate that I've learned a lot in my past by sampling the best and the worst of something which gives me an understanding moving forward.... I can completely understand waiting till I'm a more seasoned smoker. Some will say "stop overthinking it and smoke it" while others might think as you have. I might just wait and hope the time comes when I wake up one day and feel it's time. I might be overly dramatic when the truth is that there are better tobaccos than this one and it's much ado about nothing. I might buy tins which make this one seem pedestrian by comparison. Tomorrow I might turn into a flying moose. Who knows :wink:
What time of day on Saturdays do you usually hit the Briary? I'd love to swing by and shoot the shite.
What time of day on Saturdays do you usually hit the Briary? I'd love to swing by and shoot the shite.
Well, I don't don't keep regular hours, ha ha. But, I'll send a contact, so that I can let you know when I'm there.
I can't tell you when you'll be ready to smoke this tobacco, but it's about as ready as it's going to get. At least for the next 10 or 15 years. At 30-40 years of age, you might notice a deeply fermented "old" taste that you would really enjoy, but it probably won't taste as much like Escudo. And that's a long wait. I say smoke it just as soon as you're ready.
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