How Many Blends Do You Cellar?

[maxx]

I'm at the beginning and have only tried seven blends, excluding OTC blends: Nightcap, Durbar, Sixpence, My Mixture 965, London Mixture, Royal Yacht, and Barling 1812 Tradition. I like all of this tinned tobacco except Royal Yacht. I've decided to start buying extra to set aside for cellaring just two of these: Nightcap and London Mixture. Later I may add some of these other blends, but not now. I need to explore further, and spend money on what I can smoke, not put away. So for me, it's just two blends so far.
What about you?

 

[nachman]

I have about eighty blends and cellar about twenty. That is a mistake and shows a complete lack of discipline. I would probably cut that number by a factor of four if I went back in time and could stick with a reasonable program. I have cellared blends I haven't smoked in years. Pick four or five solid favourites from mostly different categories to cellar.

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

Cellar what you like and you can have it aged down the road. Most of what I have are VAs, with some blends in multiple representation. Escudo, Wessex BCDF, Three Nuns, etc.
You don't need to have any specific discipline, but if you really like it, cellar it.

 

[jkrug]

Sounds like we are in a similar situation. I too am in the tobacco exploration stage and trying several blends to find what suits my taste. There is a couple VaPers that I enjoy that I have started cellaring. Once I find other blends (English & Latakia?) That I enjoy I will start cellaring those as well. In the end I can see myself cellaring larger amounts of 6-8 favourites, smaller amounts of a couple occasional favourites and always having an assortment of tins on the go just for sampling.

 

[jackswilling]

Primarily three but the are another three being added at a slower pace.

 

[okiescout]

Cellar what you like and you can have it aged down the road. Most of what I have are VAs, with some blends in multiple representation

.

Like cmdr said.

Virginia's benefit the most from aging according to all the pros. I find aromatics smooth out a little over a couple of years and I like them much better that way, But most of the bulk I now cellar is VAs and VaPers. I still try an aromatic now and again with a good surprise occasionally. I tried some Peterson's Connoisseur's Choice the other day, based on a friends recommendation. To me it was quite good. It smoked smooth, burned well with no bite, had a good flavor with a little sweet fruitcakey taste, which I like very much.

 

[brass]

Some guys have more money in their cellar than I have in my car.But I second Nachman's suggestion to structure your cellar inventory by few favorites in different categories. Build on the fundatmentals, educate your tastes, and then you will be in a much better position to refine your collection later with little waste.
Pax

 

[mso489]

About forty, but a few of those aren't properly stored. I'd say 35 unopened tins and jarred tobaccos. I'm kind of factoring in/out a generous sampling of a dozen blends sent by Forums members I've been enjoying right along. I don't have quantities of anything. I think eight ounces jarred is my maximum, and mostly I have small tins, one each of a number of blends. I'm not storing up for the tobacco tax crisis, so if prices soar, I may have to coast on tub tobacco mixed with my better blends.

 

[clarkj734]

I just realized over this past weekend that my cellar is fairly "broad" right now, but not extremely "deep" and its something that I'm looking to change / correct.
Currently I have about 60 different blends in my cellar. About 20 of those are Latakia mixtures, which I actually don't find myself smoking or enjoying anymore but acquired them during my Latakia days. The other 40'ish are VA's and VA/P flakes which is what I enjoy. That said, in most cases I have less than 5 tins of each blend.
My goal is to reduce the "breadth" and expand the "depth" focusing on 10 or so favorites for aging / cellaring.

 

[freakiefrog]

The more I smoke it the more I cellar. Like OGS and Escudo are two that I have maybe a dozen tins of in my cellar at any one time. Of course most of that doesn't last more than a year in fact I will add 2 tins of each to an order for P&C regardless of what I'm ordering. Now things that I don't smoke as much of like My Mix 965 or Saloni 633 then maybe I'll keep two or three tins of. Like I have one tin of ODF that I haven't even opened it's just sitting in the drawer waiting for me clear out some of the onesie twosie stuff I have open that I'm trying to empty out.
The other thing is bulk tobacco, I love PS Luxury Twist so when IPSD rolled around I added a pound to my cart. If it takes my 5 years to smoke all of that so be it.
Things that are limited runs like Christmas Cheer I buy two tins of that every year. it's my ritual, I have them all the way back from 2007 it's like my little savings account.

 

[brudnod]

I had been cellaring my lot in boxes mostly until last week when I bought a set of shelves for the tobacco (pipes are somewhere else - keeps my wife guessing). As it turns out it looks like about 40-50 pounds of tobacco, probably 35 different blends. I have about 4 pounds of stuff that are currently in play. I agree with Nachman: complete lack of discipline!

 

[av8scuba]

I normally keep about 10 blends in the cellar. If I find something I really like, I will keep smoking it awhile before I actually start to cellar it. I've found too many where I think I like them, but after a couple of months my tastes change or the blend changes, etc.
That being said, the blends I do have in the cellar are much better tasting in my opinion, so I always look forward to when I "need" to get to the cellar instead of just ordering some more "fresh". ::

 

[daimyo]

Too damn many...

or maybe not enough...

I'll get back to you in 20 years...

hopefully

 

[darthcider]

I have only been piping for about 18 months, so tend to buy something different every time I shop.

I have about 15 tins, all different, but lately have decided that I enjoy perique and oriental blends, so think I will start buying more of those.

 

[lochinvar]

I have about 80 different blends represented, but only about 5 are represented over a pound.

 

[framitz]

I have been smoking for sixty yrs I never cellared until I couldn't get tobacco easily and dunhill 965 was unavailable now keep about ten pounds

Spread over forty blends add one new blend with any order. Shel

 

[seadogontheland]

I have about 1 pound of Marlin and am increasing buying more. I also have about 3 pounds of Capt. Earle's Private stock. I long ago weeded out ones I was not interested in any longer. I typically will buy at least one of each with every order, no matter if buying a pipe, cleaners, inexpensive aluminum tamps and the like.

 

[okiescout]

It is like a guy told me about ammo years ago " if you can count it man, you don't have enough!" :rofl:

Seriously, everyone has to address it as they budget for the other things in their lives. It is still just a hobby. But it is a hobby you can take part in until they fit you for the big sleep.

- as cosmic would say "Ha Ha"

 

[cigrmaster]

.I have 28 blends in my cellar with all of them being either a VA, Vaper or Vabur Flake. After years of trying new blends I finally figured out exactly what I wanted to put away in my 25 year supply. I began my cellaring in 2012 even though I have been smoking a pipe since 2000. I took a break for a few years 2009 if memory serves, but came back in 2012. When I came back my cellar consisted of 75 percent English blends with the rest being VA, Vaper and Vabur Flakes. I had lost my taste for English blends somewhere around 2007 so I eventually sold off all my English blends.
For the new smoker I would be cautious about cellaring too much until you have tried a whole bunch of blends as your tastes can change after a couple of years. I used to love my English blends and I never thought I would lose my taste for them, but it happened.
Today I am very happy with my cellar and it is aging very nicely. The blend that I have the most of put away is Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake, it only comes in tins but I figured out I have approximately 24 pounds of it. Most of my other blends I have are in the 8-15 pound range. I only cellar 5 bulk blends with the other 23 being tins.

 

[warren]

I but to smoke. At my age I consider anything over a week old to have been aged. The kids wouldn't know what to do with a bunch of dusty tins when I kick. They'd just go to waste.