First AK Surprise

[dragonslayer]

Well I love AK anyways, but found a chunk last night in the tin I knew would be special. A little darker and moist I had to rub it a couple times. The fig and VA notes were huge. It took five hours to dry out. Finally I had two bowls of a great experience. Started out fruity and by half way the VA was running the show. Moving to the bottom was a peppery finish and a grey ash. This complex blend is really going to change forms in 5 and 10 years.

 

[chopsie]

What's AK stand for?

 

[captainsousie]

I'd guess Anniversary Kake.

 

[dragonslayer]

Opps yeah H&H Anniversary Kake.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

AK is fantastic stuff. It is odd to me that the 8 0z tins are so cheap compared to the 1.5 oz tins but, hey, I'll take it. I've got several 8 oz tins in the cellar with more on the way. For the price especially, I think this is some of the best "value" stuff out there.

 

[dragonslayer]

Agreed, that’s what makes it so cool to me. Plus it’s one of the four I’m cellaring the most BBF, FVF, SJF and AK. Having aged many cigars for year, some over 10 years, the changes are actually not hugely different. It doesn’t have the advantage of bringing in the many components that pipe tobacco has. Yes I can taste the difference between a new Hemingway from a 10 year old, but mostly it’s a mellowing and the Cameroon wrapper combining and bringing its pepper bleeding into the aging Dominican binder and fillers. I only aged long leaf, it’s possible that blend cigars may have more of a change, but that would be someone else’s experience.

With AK being so strange for a word, what the hell it turns into is an unknown, possibly crazy good. Until then it is one great smoke for a rotation.

 

[bogglor]

AK is my leading candidate for favorite VA/per but I haven't tried Escudo yet. I did try PS Luxury Bullseye last night and I think Roth is right, that one could use some time on it.

 

[bogglor]

Double post, doh.

 

[dragonslayer]

@peckinpahhombre--- I take the 8oz tins and transfer them to jars. Unlike the quality 50 gram tins who take the precaution of lining the tobacco from being next to the tin. AK is very moist meaning a lot of water against the tin. There is a chemical reaction that occurs when you take water, oxygen and tin. If you’re looking at 5 or 10 years down the line it may have a negative effect on the tobacco. Jared you know it’s safe. As always, just another observation of chemical possibilities.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Interesting - so the 8 oz tins aren't lined like the small tins? Russ - are you out there - is this correct?

 

[dragonslayer]

Yep, raw tin... Just like many of the tins like Suttliff etc. Escudo and Nightcap I know for sure use a liner. I don't have any G.L. Peace brands.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

The inside of the tin has a coating on those.

 

[dragonslayer]

Ok, scratched back from a roll seam on Suttliff and found a small scrape, I mean micro of something plastic like, too thin to tell but you can scratch a little. Escudo and Nightcap have none, just paper liner. H&H has a misting of a waxy sticky surface. If you rub hard you can feel it move. I would love to know the name, or chemical composition of both of these. I can then throw it to my daughter who is a Bio-chemist and run projected chemical reactions over time. Shooting an email to the info addy at H&H off the can.
Lols, we must answer the question! Is it better to trust your long term investment in a tin can than a well-sealed mason jar?

 

[dragonslayer]

@rothnh - Actually 2 good points. The outside of the tin is not treated and could lead to rusting from the outside conditions. It also makes you think about DID the companies 15+ years ago take any precautions in tinning the tobacco.

 

[dragonslayer]

I love how these threads go all over the place

 

[dragonslayer]

I know people are glad this is buried in a thread having nothing to do with canning. The tin used to make containers is produced by another company. Each would have their own standards, guidelines and quality control. Different products would have carrying degrees of FDA regulation. 50 gram tobacco tins are all raw pressed tin top and bottom, screwed on vacuum seal. Tobacco tins other than the 50 gram are made out of rolled tin that may or may not be treated before assembly; this makes a big difference at the seams. Suttliff and H&H have a crimped tin bottom. I don’t know if the vacuum sealing is done by the company or if that’s something that’s done at a canning factory. P&C apparently farms out to a canning company. My hope is they vacuum seal the containers themselves, and may have the machinery to roll the tin strips into the containers, and crimp the ends. (?) But my guess is they don’t.