How Long do Lakeland Toppings Last When Cellared?

[Skippy B. Coyote]

The STG buyout of Mac Baren and closure of Sutliff really hammered into my head that it's time to start deep cellaring and building up a lifetime supply of my favorite blends, and for most of them it's pretty straightforward. Bright Virginias and Red Virginias will keep fairly indefinitely providing the seals on the mason jars hold, and the same goes for English blends, but the one category of blends I love that I'm really not sure how they'll keep over the long term are Lakelands.

Specifically I'm thinking of 1792 Flake, Dark Flake Aromatic, Coniston Cut Plug, and Bosun Cut Plug. Does anyone have any experience cellaring any of those blends for a decade or more? If so, did the toppings hold up or did they fade or spoil over time? My goal for 2025 is to cellar a 20 year supply of all my favorite blends, but I honestly have no idea if Lakeland topped blends would keep for 2 decades sealed up in mason jars.

Anyone here have experience in this sort of endeavor?

 

[BlueRidge]

I've some Dark Flake Scented and Coniston from around 2016. it is still quite sauced and has held up well. The Coniston is actually stronger in topping than the pound I bought in 2023. I smoked some 1792 that was jarred 6 years ago and it was fantastic and still sauced. Can't speak on Bosun as mine is from 2023. however 20 years is probably a lot to ask of that incredible Lakeland nectar imo

 

[spearheadbill]

It holds up just fine and the tobacco itself just seems to improve. I have Bracken Flake from 2005 still in original tins that were stored undisturbed and are magnificent. It just depends on the quality of your storage I would guess. 10 year aged ennerdale plug is beautiful. 20 year old Brown no.4 is heavenly

 

[renfield]

The more recent production Lakeland’s seem to have less sauce to start with than they did a few years back. That alone will reduce the number of years you’d want to cellar.

Looking at my notes for some 2015 vintage 1792 it says “Too old at 8 years”.

YMMV.

 

[Mrs. Pickles]

The more recent production Lakeland’s seem to have less sauce to start with than they did a few years back.

Now that we have FVF Burnt Ends, can we please have Ennerdale Extra Sauce?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Now that we have FVF Burnt Ends, can we please have Ennerdale Extra Sauce?

We call that pre 2018 Ennerdale.

 

[coming to_falling too]

Does Gawith still maintain that they use the same amount of sauce that they always have?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Does Gawith still maintain that they use the same amount of sauce that they always have?

Yep.

 

[Ahi Ka]

For storage Id consider Cobb plug for 1792 and the bosun plug rather than the cut one. I have both of these and vacuum sealed. In 20 years we can touch base about tasting notes.

 

[rectifythis]

More recent Gawith lakelands I find that the toppings fade pretty quickly. 2 or 3 years and I'm wishing there was more sauce

 

[JackOrion]

Don’t take this the wrong way, but who cares. At least I don’t care at this point. I’m not, not going to keep buying and storing the tobacco I like. And I do really like the Lakeland essence even though I very rarely smoke aromatics. If we keep buying they’ll keep making, and when they finally don’t……. It is what it is.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Don’t take this the wrong way, but who cares. At least I don’t care at this point. I’m not, not going to keep buying and storing the tobacco I like. And I do really like the Lakeland essence even though I very rarely smoke aromatics. If we keep buying they’ll keep making, and when they finally don’t……. It is what it is.

That's definitely a good perspective and one worth considering. I do recall Rachel Gawith herself saying that people who buy up pounds of tobacco in one or two goes then never buy again don't help them stay in business. What they really need is people who buy small amounts frequently so they continue to get sales and income every quarter, not just one big sale then no more.

By buying up a whole ton of tobacco and cellaring it away in case the company goes out of business or discontinues a blend it creates a bit a self fulfilling prophecy, where the company becomes just a little closer to going out of business or discontinuing a blend because they've ostensibly lost you as a customer once you've made your big purchase and bought up all you need for the foreseeable future and won't be buying again.

It's also a heck of a lot easier to budget for just buying a few ounces at a time.

 

[coming to_falling too]

Some to cellar away, some to smoke in the meantime. That's how I try to balance it.

 

[Steddy]

Some to cellar away, some to smoke in the meantime. That's how I try to balance it.

This is the way.

 

[wyfbane]

The STG buyout of Mac Baren and closure of Sutliff really hammered into my head that it's time to start deep cellaring and building up a lifetime supply of my favorite blends, and for most of them it's pretty straightforward. Bright Virginias and Red Virginias will keep fairly indefinitely providing the seals on the mason jars hold, and the same goes for English blends, but the one category of blends I love that I'm really not sure how they'll keep over the long term are Lakelands.

Specifically I'm thinking of 1792 Flake, Dark Flake Aromatic, Coniston Cut Plug, and Bosun Cut Plug. Does anyone have any experience cellaring any of those blends for a decade or more? If so, did the toppings hold up or did they fade or spoil over time? My goal for 2025 is to cellar a 20 year supply of all my favorite blends, but I honestly have no idea if Lakeland topped blends would keep for 2 decades sealed up in mason jars.

Anyone here have experience in this sort of endeavor?

I couldn't tell you the name, but a wonderful gentleman brought a 1950's tin of tobacco to a Seattle Pipe Club picnic some years back. It had Lakeland essence in it and it was sublime. So if stored properly, I'd say don't worry too much.

That's definitely a good perspective and one worth considering. I do recall Rachel Gawith herself saying that people who buy up pounds of tobacco in one or two goes then never buy again don't help them stay in business. What they really need is people who buy small amounts frequently so they continue to get sales and income every quarter, not just one big sale then no more.

By buying up a whole ton of tobacco and cellaring it away in case the company goes out of business or discontinues a blend it creates a bit a self fulfilling prophecy, where the company becomes just a little closer to going out of business or discontinuing a blend because they've ostensibly lost you as a customer once you've made your big purchase and bought up all you need for the foreseeable future and won't be buying again.

It's also a heck of a lot easier to budget for just buying a few ounces at a time.

But it is the few ounces at a time guys that suffer when a tobacco crop fails, or the sauce does doesn't get reduced. I wish I had fallen in love with Lakelands much sooner. I have some pre 2018 stuff, but not nearly what I would like.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Some to cellar away, some to smoke in the meantime. That's how I try to balance it.

After further pondering, I think that's exactly what I'm going to do. Stash away a pound or two of my favorites in case of the worst, but keep buying smaller quantities every few months to support my favorite blenders and help them stay in business producing the blends I like.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

If the wraith spokesman from GH that comes on here is telling the truth, haha. Then comparing my cellared Dark Flake to today's Dark Flake, and my 1792 to todays, and so forth and so forth... Then not only does my memories of what I have smoked (in just GH blends) suffers serious brain damage... but, the blends will get better tasting sauces and become much more flavored with them with age. But, of course, this all pends on whether that woman can/is telling the truth.

Me, I trust my memories and my own cellared blends compared to the swill blends they sell now. But, I know a lot of people on here are tickled to death that she lies out of her piehole comes on here. I guess they are honored by that or something.

 

[woodsroad]

I know a lot of people on here are tickled to death that she lies out of her piehole comes on here. I guess they are honored by that or something.

There's been a change in voice from the @gawithhoggarth account. Either she's stopped drinking and posting, or someone else is handling their antisocial media accounts. Either way, I miss the entertainment.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

There's been a change in voice from the @gawithhoggarth account. Either she's stopped drinking and posting, or someone else is handling their antisocial media accounts.

Good, I've just been ignoring her, so I have missed this. My apologies to them. It was just aggravating to be a fan of a thing where the owner was treating us like shit.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

If the wraith spokesman from GH that comes on here is telling the truth, haha. Then comparing my cellared Dark Flake to today's Dark Flake, and my 1792 to todays, and so forth and so forth... Then not only does my memories of what I have smoked (in just GH blends) suffers serious brain damage... but, the blends will get better tasting sauces and become much more flavored with them with age. But, of course, this all pends on whether that woman can/is telling the truth.

Me, I trust my memories and my own cellared blends compared to the swill blends they sell now. But, I know a lot of people on here are tickled to death that she lies out of her piehole comes on here. I guess they are honored by that or something.

Now that was just rude. Yes, we know the sauce proportions have changed, and yes we know the company's representatives would rather not say that they've been changed, but that's no excuse for name calling nor is it what this thread is about. I never got to try Gawith's pre-2018 blends, but I do very much enjoy their current blends and am happy that representative of their company posts on here at all; especially when they have to deal with crud like that.

There may be a reason that Jeremy Reeves, Gregory Pease, and Russ Ouellette don't post much at all here anymore.