How to date a tin?

[sjolie]

So I'm wondering how to date a tin.
My local B&M is not frequented whatsoever and there are all kinds of old tins laying around. Most of what is available are McClelland tins and I picked up a 100g tin of British Woods, which has a stamp on the bottom that reads "371307" Anyone out there know how to date that?
There are many tins that could be picked up and it seems like many may be very old (like I said, they get very little traffic in there - not sure how they stay afloat!)
Sean

 

[sjolie]

Did a bit of sluething on the net and determined that the last 2 digits are the year it was packed, and the leading digits are the blend. So I've got my self 100g of 4 year old tobacco.
I don't know much about McClelland's tinned stuff (like the 5100 bulk, though), but if it is good stuff and ages well there's a ton of it just a couple blocks away!
I understand McClelland is known for their VAs, which is supposed to age very well, so I'm thinking this could be a very good thing. Not to mention it is less expensive than ordering it online.
So thoughts on McClelland tins would be appreciated. Or I can just get a few and see if I like 'em. Judging by the stamps on them they are at least 4 to 7 years old on the shelf.

 

[oldjazzlover]

Hey where are you at? Let me know if you like it.

 

[sjolie]

I'm outside Chicago. I want to crack it open tonight, but don't have a jar to put it in once I open it, so I've been holding off. I suppose I could put the tin in a ziplock until tomorrow when I can get a jar to store the rest...?

 

[fred]

McClelland's tin dating is comprised of 3 pairs of digits. The first

pair is the blend, the second pair is the batch and the last pair is the year.

 

[tedswearingen]

Fred's got it. Also, many tins simply cannot be dated. Mac Baren finally started dating their stuff awhile back, C&D's used a couple different methods over the years, but a lot of the stuff coming from the UK/Denmark arena can be rather trick to identify to date.

 

[sjolie]

Ok, as much as I wanted to hold off I just couldn't! Smoked it in a cob, and really enjoyed it. Was lighter than I expected, and sweeter too. Very dark in the tin, so I guess I was expecting something much heavier. Did have a very full taste, but light and sweet too. I think there are at least 2 more tins, which I will be acquiring soon.
Now I need to figure out what I like about the other blends, because there are LOTS of them there. Don't want to put all my eggs in one basket, but this is an odd little place and who knows when they're going to shut down.
Again, any suggestions on which McClelland tinned blends are recommended would be appreciated!

 

[romeowood]

Check out some of the Christmas blends, sjolie--and if you want to pick some vintage up on my behalf I'd paypal you post-haste

 

[expatpipe]

Any investment involves some risk, but buy what you can and I'd guess you could at least get your money back, or better yet, trade for a pipe you fancy. ::

 

[sjolie]

Pipe trade...interesting idea!

 

[tanless1]

Yenidiji supreme

 

[fred]

Tedswearingen is correct about dating some of the UK/Denmark blends.

One of the ways to approximate a date is to see if the tin art is displayed

with or without the mandatory warnings. Another way to get an approximate

age on one of these tins is to ask the Seller when he/she bought it.

 

[admin]

How to date a tin?

Ask nicely, and don't use any cheesy pick up lines, like; "What's a nice tin like you doing in a tobacconist like this?"

 

[sjolie]

After I read the subject line I wrote, I started to wonderhow long it would take for someone to a comment like that! :lol: