How Long Will Tin Last Cellared?
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Maybe. Maybe not. My own experience, and what I've read, the vast majority of tins will survive nicely for decades if stored in a stable temperature and humidity.
It will stay fresh even after the human race is extinct - but who would smoke it then is the big question.
Put the contents in a Ball jar and the tobacco will last for many years, I am still smoking from tins I opened more than 10 years ago.
Tins will stay sound for decades for sure if properly cared for...darkness & good humidity are their friend. 
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The oldest tins have a tendency to rust at the seam. They've solved that problem with the current era tins.
Puffiness may be a problem though with the largest 16oz tins. Never had firsthand experience with those but I've read one poster saying that the large cardboard walled tins don't handle the pressure as well. They get distorted and may rupture from the gas that builds up.
Puffiness may be a problem though with the largest 16oz tins. Never had firsthand experience with those but I've read one poster saying that the large cardboard walled tins don't handle the pressure as well. They get distorted and may rupture from the gas that builds up.
A few years ago I scored two cutter-top tins of Wills Cut Golden Bar. No date but since cutter tops were replaced with vacuum-sealed tins in 1960s, they were at least 50 years old.
The first was perfectly sealed, and it was exquisite. The aroma was a sort of almond/ brandy, which hit your nose with a real headiness. It came through rich and thick on the smoke. Delicious.
The second had a rust spot. Goodness knows how long it had been open to the air. I rehydrated the contents and it was just like smoking a Samuel Gawith virginia. It had lost all of its aromatic content, but the 'plain' tobacco was still fine. Nice. Nothing special, but certainly not 'bad'.
So there are two answers to your question. The first totally depends on your tin storage, coupled with a little bit of luck. If you store it well (cool, dark and dry) and no rust appears, I don't see that it'll ever go bad and might develop into something quite exquisite.
The second answer is sort of 'forever'. Even if you do get a pinprick of rust, you should still be able to rehydrate and enjoy the contents. It might even surprise you.
Steve
The first was perfectly sealed, and it was exquisite. The aroma was a sort of almond/ brandy, which hit your nose with a real headiness. It came through rich and thick on the smoke. Delicious.
The second had a rust spot. Goodness knows how long it had been open to the air. I rehydrated the contents and it was just like smoking a Samuel Gawith virginia. It had lost all of its aromatic content, but the 'plain' tobacco was still fine. Nice. Nothing special, but certainly not 'bad'.
So there are two answers to your question. The first totally depends on your tin storage, coupled with a little bit of luck. If you store it well (cool, dark and dry) and no rust appears, I don't see that it'll ever go bad and might develop into something quite exquisite.
The second answer is sort of 'forever'. Even if you do get a pinprick of rust, you should still be able to rehydrate and enjoy the contents. It might even surprise you.
Steve
I believe tins will last forever if stored in stable temp/humidity. Light doesn’t play a factor unless you can see the tobacco through the container and I have yet to find a tin like that. Haha
Some people seem to think the square tins are more prone to coming unsealed, and I think I’ve seen others say some of the C&D tins start to swell/inflate. I always ask how many they’ve had do this and they never give anything more than 2 or 3, and that’s usually because they’ve just done a move or something not the tin itself.
Personally, I never worry about my tins unless I open them. I store them on my bookcase in my apartment set at 70. I would love to keep it cooler at like 60-65 but that feels too cold here in Florida, plus costs a lot haha. If a tin did pop open I would smell it since I keep them stored in a living room. If it’s open, I pack it in a 4oz jar, set the lid on and push the button, then screw the top down on the lid nice and snug, and helps it seal.
Of course this is all IMO. YMMV haha
Some people seem to think the square tins are more prone to coming unsealed, and I think I’ve seen others say some of the C&D tins start to swell/inflate. I always ask how many they’ve had do this and they never give anything more than 2 or 3, and that’s usually because they’ve just done a move or something not the tin itself.
Personally, I never worry about my tins unless I open them. I store them on my bookcase in my apartment set at 70. I would love to keep it cooler at like 60-65 but that feels too cold here in Florida, plus costs a lot haha. If a tin did pop open I would smell it since I keep them stored in a living room. If it’s open, I pack it in a 4oz jar, set the lid on and push the button, then screw the top down on the lid nice and snug, and helps it seal.
Of course this is all IMO. YMMV haha
I can't think of any tobacco produced in the last ten years that would break its seal if kept properly humidified. Jar it only if you can swear that you are going to smoke it eventually. My guess is that the tobacco loses at least half its value when jarred.
I'm still popping such tins (c&d, gl pease) from 2005-2008 with no issues whatsoever, that were stored in a cabinet in my basement.
I have a couple of tins from the 1970's that are still waiting to be opened.
Thanks for the input! Most of my celler is comprised of Cornell and Diehl blends and GL Pease which of course they produce.
I am filling my cellar with Blends that will be going extinct, with favorites that I want to be smoking for the next 25 years.
I assumed that they would be good, but wanted to tap y'all's experience.
I am filling my cellar with Blends that will be going extinct, with favorites that I want to be smoking for the next 25 years.
I assumed that they would be good, but wanted to tap y'all's experience.
The canister type of tins tend to hold up pretty well, but pretty much any tin that's not a cutter top is a crap shoot after a decade. I've had canisters that lasted 20 years and some that have failed.
The square and rectangular tins are more of a crap shoot. If you're planning to hold something for 20 years, jar it upon purchase and let it age in the jar, or bag it in Mylar and revisit it way down the road.
The square and rectangular tins are more of a crap shoot. If you're planning to hold something for 20 years, jar it upon purchase and let it age in the jar, or bag it in Mylar and revisit it way down the road.
FDA Deeming Rules, announced in 2016, require that all blends introduced into the US market after February 15th 2007, undergo their deeming process to remain on the market after August 8th 2021. Otherwise they can no longer be sold. All blends release into the US market after August 8th 2016 are required to go through their mysterious deeming process prior to becoming available for sale.
The FDA has been pretty lax about enforcement, but don't count on that after August 8th of next year.
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