How Long Does Tobacco Keep?

[elcincogrande]

I'm new to the forum and new to tobacco pipes (had a stint back in '96). I saw the thread asking for folks to show their tobacco stashes. Saw some impressive collections. My question: generally speaking, how long does tobacco keep while keeping it in a ziplock bag or tin?
I'm sure the question has been asked and answered before, so I appreciate your patience with this newbie question.

 

[pstlpkr]

Welcome Elcincogrande,.... William The Big Five,
That is a good question. Some Perique was recently opened after 10 years, and will be available next year.

I have kept some Wessex Brigade Apple for at least 10 years. (sadly its all gone)... :-(
If it is stored correctly it can last a very long time.
Great question, and again... Welcome aboard!

 

[ohin3]

I have 8 and 10 year old jars of escudo and 1792. I just keep them tightly sealed in a mason jar. I have never had tobacco go bad.

 

[surfmac211]

Being in Florida everywhere in my house is either hot or cold even in the closet, so I like to keep my tobacco in a ziplock and then I pop it in some kind of screw top, plastic container. Only reason I do that is because sometimes I might not put a good enough seal on the ziplock ,or if its a cheap ziplock it can come undone. I have a couple bags of tobacco that are still in great smoking shape that I've had for 5 years. Obviously some people here have had them stored much longer than me like pstl. Main thing is if it sealed well you will be fine.

 

[dunendain]

The longer , the better. As long as you use a mason jar, and make sure there is no tobacco particles on the seal, it should last many years.

 

[hauntedmyst]

Assuming you mean an opened tin or bulk plastic bag, it will last a few weeks to a few months depending on the blend and environment. I'd highly recommend storing the tin in a freezer bag which will extend its active use life greatly.

 

[cortezattic]

Welcome to the forums, elcincogrande,

I share ohin3's opinion. And...

Some tobaccos, most notably Virginias and Virginia blends, seem to have the longest life expectancy; I've smoked Three Nuns that was over 50 years old, and it was simply amazing. Latakia mixtures don't seem to improve for as long, but still a long time. I've smoked stuff that is over 30 years old, and it's wonderful, though some 40+ year old Balkan Sobranie I smoked last year had become a little disappointing.

GL Pease, 2001-02-02

(Quoted from the Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage and Cellaring FAQ.

You can Google it, but it appears the site is down right now -- temporarily, I hope.)

 

[fred]

Non-Aromatics can age for 30 years, or longer if they are stored in a tin or glass jar

and kept inside the house. They can be allowed to dry out and be rehydrated when the smoker wants to burn them. Most blends will benefit from age as aerobic or anaerobic fermentation and the marrying of the blend components occurs. There is a degree of controversy about the use of plastic containers, as some say it flavors the blend or that the flavor gets absorbed by the plastic. It's a good idea to avoid keeping the tobacco moist for long term storage, as the possibility of getting mold increases.

 

[elcincogrande]

Thanks, all, for the insights and the friendly welcome.

 

[igloo]

Once you pop a tin it is best to transfer to a good ziplock bag , if you plan to keep it in the tin .

 

[chuckw]

First, allow me to welcome you to the forum and group
The life expectancy of pipe tobacco depends greatly upon how it's stored. Some good suggestions have already been given.

Another factor to consider is the type of tobacco. Most OTC tobaccos are treated with a food grade humectant to keep them moist while setting on a warehouse and/or dealers shelf. I've had an open pouch of Carter Hall that was left in a winter coat pocket for two years and was just as moist as when I bought it.

Virginia blends tend to improve with age as long as they are left unopened and kept out of the heat.

Latakia blends, one the other hand, tend to loose their earthiness with to much age. I have a friend that gave me 4 pounds of 20+ year old Dunhill 965. Imagine my excitement at the thought of haveing some of the real stuff as blended by Dunhill. It was as flat as the proverbial pancake.

I can't give an opinion about burley based blends. I've never had any around long enough to allow to age.

 

[maduroman]

if you have a hot house, put your mason jars of tobacco in coolers. i am to cheap to keep our house real cool so my cigars are stored in coolers, not humidors. dame with pipe tobacco...

 

[pstlpkr]

I have kept a gift I got from my mother-in-law about 15 years ago.

It was a pound of straight latakia.

I keep it in a dark green ceramic bail top coffee jar.

It is soooooo mellow.

I only smoke it my church wardens....

Still have about a half pound.

Hmmmm... time to buy more and store.

 

[cortezattic]

I've kinda overlooked the obvious response to your question, elcinco. Check out Bob Tate's excellent blog on storage.

 

[nickyp]

60+ year old tobacco

I found a box of cigars in my deceased grandfather's sock drawer. They were in an original box and came with a card which read "It's a boy!" I can only assume this tobacco is from my uncle's birth. This is 2012 and he is at least 60 years old.
I decided to try one of the cigars this evening. I was wondering if nicotine breaks down and found this website (pipesmagazine.com). I normally smoke the popular chemical filled mainstream cigarettes, but lately I have switched to the purer American Spirits. After reading this forum and then seeing the rest of this website I think that I would like to quit cigarettes all together, cut back, and smoke a pipe a day as opposed to a pack a day.
I am envisioned because of the enthusiasm and technique discussed in this website. You make this truly classy and please stay at it. I hope to see people keeping pipe smoking and tobacco collecting a sophisticated hobby far into the future. This site brings me back to a childhood vacation to a relative family's house in Norfolk, VA where my uncle had just gotten out of the Navy. As I sat on their porch quietly reading a book, my uncle a tall, loud, energetic, jovial, bigger than life man stepped out onto the porch and walked to the edge. He faced away from me as unbeknownst to him I inquisitively watched him lift a pipe to his mouth, his gaze fixed on the sea, to my surprise he released small billows of smoke from his pipe and mouth. I inhaled and took in an amazing breath of good tobacco mixed in with the salty breeze of the bay. I watched this old sailor finish his pipe and tap it out while he simply had a moment to himself. He walked back inside, unaware that I had watched him from the corner, and I knew I wanted to store this memory for the rest of my life. This is what I hope that each and every pipe smoker can have in their own unique way, their own story about their own favorite moment to themselves.
Quite honestly, I am inspired now to use my artistic talents to create one of a kind hand carved pipes for tobacco smoking. I am glad that I found this website. And I hope that pipe tobacco can give me the inspiration I need to trade in smoking packs of nasty cigarettes for a pipe and a moment in time to myself every now and then.
Thank you all for this amazing site.

Sincerely,

Nicholas P
PS: I am well into this 60+ year old cigar after writing this. I find that the taste of the tobacco is definitely not the same as if I had bought fresh tobacco today. What I have tastes very stale. However it has a quality that I like... Simply knowing that the tobacco in this cigar is from at least 1952 I am able to distinguish the parts in it that make it unlike any tobacco grown today. This is real tobacco.
It was kept inside a normal wooden box which was in a sock drawer on the second floor of a house. There was virtually no moisture I could think of that these cigars were exposed to. They did not have mold and were in perfect condition, just stale. If anyone would like to try one simply let me know. I would be interested in finding out if there are ways to rehumidify them.

 

[judcole]

Welcome to the forum, Nicky, and thanks for an interesting first post.
I would not venture an opinion on trying to revive those cigars - I am not enough of a cigar guy to know.

 

[spartan]

A Monumental first post indeed. Glad to have you, and welcome to the family.
This site has a sister site called Cigar Chronicles that is advertised on here as well.

They might be more equiped to help you with your Cigar Needs.
As far as pipes and pipe tobacco goes. You will find no greater place.
I have no relative to pass on to me any precious pipe smoking memories, but rather thought of pipe smoking as a very gentlemenly thing to do. And as I view myself as such, and greatly valued the tobacco leaf, I thought it a very welcomed step.
Back to the main point of the thread...
Tobacco will keep longer than you will live.

 

[captainbob]

NEVER STORE TOBACCO IN A BAGGIE! USE A MASON JAR.

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[jeffthechef19]

I am a newbie as well and just bought some sir Walter Raleigh. Its dry but tastes supreme. In the pouch it came in how long will it last?

 

[12pups]

misterlowercase invited a dozen of us to post a review of an unopened 65-year-old Thomson & Porteous of Edinburgh "Scots Cake." It was still awesome, after all those years. Wonderful.
Good on him for sharing!