Same for me! It’s like I’ve been asleep for 10 years and the world has all changed…
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How much do you cellar?
- Thread starter JeffNYC
- Start date
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If I had to guess, I have about 75 pounds cellared. The majority is tins so I have a TON of tins lol. I don't buy a whole lot of bulk although I should as it would be easier on my wallet. I used to cellar wide instead of deep, meaning I bought a lot of different blends, only a few tins of each. Nowadays I'm trying to cellar what I like deep and buy more of the same blends that I love since I'm about 6 years into the hobby now and know what I like.
Sorry, I've been away from the site. Honestly, I really enjoy almost every tobacco. My palatte is simple and easy to please.
As such, thing so consider as you look at my list: I focused mostly on VA because they tend to age best and are, well yum. But my list was primarily driven by what was on sale, when. I may be the only person I know who has the Tsuge blends that I got cheap when they were discontinued. Similarly, I am the only one I have ever heard of with the STG William the Conquerer. But I got them at a fantastic rate. Since I have only ever disliked 1792 of all the dozens and dozens of blends I have tried, I figured I could not lose taking gambles on random sale priced tobacco. Sadly, good sales are like spotting a unicorn these days.
Best of luck in your acquisitions!
I have about three hundred unopened 50 gram tins (counting 100 gram tins twice) in tubs in my basement, so about 15,000 grams, or 33 lbs cellared, plus 10 pounds in bulk and another 100 tins opened in jars for ready access. When I look at the price stickers on some of the older tins, I realize that pipe tobacco is only going up in price, like most consumables, not to mention new taxes on tobacco. I cellar wide, not deep, since my tastes change every few years and blends I once hated sometimes become my new favorite with age.
I paid $23.99 plus tax for a 50 gram tin of the new Sun Bear at a Tinder Box this weekend to be able to use their smoking lounge. I’m 67 so 50+ pounds is more than enough. But then again, I have friends with 20 collectible cars they will probably never drive and bourbon and wines they will never drink, but they just love owning and looking at them. Nothing like opening a box of new pipe tobacco that just arrived from LJ Peretti or Watch City or McCranies or Smoking Pipes etc.
I paid $23.99 plus tax for a 50 gram tin of the new Sun Bear at a Tinder Box this weekend to be able to use their smoking lounge. I’m 67 so 50+ pounds is more than enough. But then again, I have friends with 20 collectible cars they will probably never drive and bourbon and wines they will never drink, but they just love owning and looking at them. Nothing like opening a box of new pipe tobacco that just arrived from LJ Peretti or Watch City or McCranies or Smoking Pipes etc.
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I must be sick! I need all that tobacco and stuff the guy offered to sell me like I need a spine crushing injury, but I find myself thinking and wanting to buy it. I'm beginning to think that increasing your stash can become addictive. I have plenty already, but I just can't resist the chance to buy more at a bargain price. Am I the only one who's loosing it, or are there others out there with this monkey on their back?Just for fun you can join me as I count my eggs before they hatch! Looks like my cellar may grow some in the next day or two. I just got an email from a local pipe guy I know who says he is going to quit smoking because of health problems. He offered me 180 pouches of Half and Half plus some other odds and ends and a few pipes. Don't know what he will want for it, but in the past he's sold some stuff at great prices. I sent him a reply to call me. I'll let you know what happens.
Am I the only one who's loosing it, or are there others out there with this monkey on their back?
I just updated my tobacco cellar list..it certainly seems like I have a lot (nearly 7 pounds). Nothing close to most on this thread, but should keep me busy for a long time.
There may be a 12 step program for this. Or, maybe you need a full intervention. You sit in the middle of a circle of your friends,..... they shout out disparaging remarks about you, as a person,..... you beg their forgiveness and then give out all of your cellared tobacco to them!!! Voila! You're cured!I must be sick! I need all that tobacco and stuff the guy offered to sell me like I need a spine crushing injury, but I find myself thinking and wanting to buy it. I'm beginning to think that increasing your stash can become addictive. I have plenty already, but I just can't resist the chance to buy more at a bargain price. Am I the only one who's loosing it, or are there others out there with this monkey on their back?
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Only works if you’re truly done…
I'm still trying to figure out exactly how much I should cellar of the blends I'd like to have for a good long time, and my thinking is that rather than "buy all I can" I should probably base my deep cellaring habits on how long I think any particular variety of tobacco will retain it's flavor and quality when cellared.
For instance, my most smoked blend for the past year or so has been Lane RLP-6, and being an aromatic I should expect it will not retain the flavor of it's toppings indefinitely. I know from digging into my own cellar that Lane's aromatic blends tend to retain their flavor for at least 2 years without any noticable loss of quality, so I'd probably be safe to cellar the amount I would typically smoke in 2 years time; which for me would be about 2 pounds.
An easier one is Gawith Hoggarth Kendal Mixed, which I also smoke quite a lot of but since it is a pure Virginia I'd imagine it will last at least a couple decades so I should be safe to cellar as much of that one as I please. Then there's the English blends I enjoy like Presbyterian Mixture and Early Morning Pipe. I've been told Latakia really doesn't hold it's flavor much past 10 years, so I should think that I'd only like to cellar as much as I plan to smoke in 10 years time; which for me would be about 10 tins since I'm only an occasional English smoker and rarely go through more than one tin a year.
At the end of the day it seems to me the answer to the question of, "How much to cellar" really depends on the type of blends you like to smoke and how long they'll keep without experiencing a reduction in quality. Unless of course you know a favorite blend is going out of production, then cellar as much as you can since even getting to smoke a somewhat quality reduced version of your favorite blend is better than never getting to smoke it again when it's no longer available for purchase.
For instance, my most smoked blend for the past year or so has been Lane RLP-6, and being an aromatic I should expect it will not retain the flavor of it's toppings indefinitely. I know from digging into my own cellar that Lane's aromatic blends tend to retain their flavor for at least 2 years without any noticable loss of quality, so I'd probably be safe to cellar the amount I would typically smoke in 2 years time; which for me would be about 2 pounds.
An easier one is Gawith Hoggarth Kendal Mixed, which I also smoke quite a lot of but since it is a pure Virginia I'd imagine it will last at least a couple decades so I should be safe to cellar as much of that one as I please. Then there's the English blends I enjoy like Presbyterian Mixture and Early Morning Pipe. I've been told Latakia really doesn't hold it's flavor much past 10 years, so I should think that I'd only like to cellar as much as I plan to smoke in 10 years time; which for me would be about 10 tins since I'm only an occasional English smoker and rarely go through more than one tin a year.
At the end of the day it seems to me the answer to the question of, "How much to cellar" really depends on the type of blends you like to smoke and how long they'll keep without experiencing a reduction in quality. Unless of course you know a favorite blend is going out of production, then cellar as much as you can since even getting to smoke a somewhat quality reduced version of your favorite blend is better than never getting to smoke it again when it's no longer available for purchase.
I’m finding I’m not enjoying English blends as much..I may do a reverse TAD on some of those, or trade, as they are a bit past 10 years.
Hey Jeff
I have about 40lbs currently. Also love English. I have some great aged GLP English blends.
I also live in NYC. If you ever wanted to meetup for a trade and/or a smoke, ping me.
Since I retired I don’t make it to the city much, but thanks for the offer. I’m targeting to burn a bowl if Dunhill Nightcap tonight!
My goal is always to buy twice what I smoke. Here lately I've been buying more.
I smoke about a tin a month. I've been buying 4-5 a month.
Can't have too much, and it aint getting any cheaper.
Other than that, we've seen blends discontinued that a lot of folks love.
So I like having a bit of a stash.
I smoke about a tin a month. I've been buying 4-5 a month.
Can't have too much, and it aint getting any cheaper.
Other than that, we've seen blends discontinued that a lot of folks love.
So I like having a bit of a stash.
Yesterday I had a visit from two pipe smoking friends. They brought some pipes and we talked about this and that pipe related. After a while I showed them the 4 new Stanwells I had acquired. (more about this in this thread). They were surprised because these are not my usual type of pipes. I explained that I was not very interested in them at first, but then I found the new Stanwells are made in Italy and that peaked my interest. I explained they were part of a "deal" I made with the this guy here in town who was giving up pipe smoking because it affected his asthma. I figured that if the Italians made them they might be pretty good smokers. Besides, I was impressed with the quality, size and shape, plus, he was offering them at what I thought was a "good deal". After some back and forth I ended up buying the 4 new Stanwells,150 new sealed pouches of Half & Half and 100 packs of pipe cleaners for $400. I like H&H as a change of pace smoke and already had some so I knew what I was getting. And the Stanwells are breaking in just fine.I must be sick! I need all that tobacco and stuff the guy offered to sell me like I need a spine crushing injury, but I find myself thinking and wanting to buy it. I'm beginning to think that increasing your stash can become addictive. I have plenty already, but I just can't resist the chance to buy more at a bargain price. Am I the only one who's loosing it, or are there others out there with this monkey on their back?
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I’ve added about 20 lbs this year over maybe 25 blends, some deeper than others, some aged to smoke now, most for the future (the blends with decent natural sugar content that should age well). I was fortunate to add another 20 tins of Capstan Blue flake to the cellar just a month or so before the recent near doubling of its price, which only emphasizes the point. For a while, I was only replacing what I was consuming with a small buffer, but in light of recent history in the industry, I just don’t see any downside to a reasonable hedge against the pressures our hobby is facing. Stock up!
I love English blends and always worried that "cellared" tobacco that had been sitting around for a few years would lose its zing. Not all tobacco gains by a lot of aging. That being said I've recently cracked some tins of English like Billy Budd and Tuggle Hall among others from 2016 - 2020, and besides being somewhat dryer they tasted fantastic. I'm sure it depends on the blend, but I would't say the blends are better, but they are not worse.
After getting a positive response to my posts about my "stash", I figure some of you might like to see some pics. This is most of it, but here are more cans in those drawers and there is a large Igloo ice chest full. Doubt if I'll be buying any tobacco for quite a while.I must be sick! I need all that tobacco and stuff the guy offered to sell me like I need a spine crushing injury, but I find myself thinking and wanting to buy it. I'm beginning to think that increasing your stash can become addictive. I have plenty already, but I just can't resist the chance to buy more at a bargain price. Am I the only one who's loosing it, or are there others out there with this monkey on their back?
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