Oh Nightcap, What Happened To Thou?

[americaman]

Be warned, young men, Nightcap is just a shadow of what it once was with two years of age on it. Father Dempsey? Amazing with age. But Nightcap is now just another cheap bulk blend.
I cellared over two pounds of Nightcap before it went away last year. It was my first tobacco love and I could not lose it. But now I don’t know if I can even pack another bowl. It’s just not worth it.

 

[mikethompson]

Or, your tastes have changed. I've heard Nightcap is even better after a few years too, its all down to individual preference.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I was never impressed with the bulk version of Night Cap, nor any of the copies. They've just never had the strength that the tin of original Night Cap have had. With the copies, I just assume that these companies that have made them were just wooses in kicking up the nicotine. and, the copies I have tried came about from the previous loss of Dunhill brands. The bulk, I have no explanation. It was just that something magical happened inside those original tins that made Night Cap a smooth but strong nighty-night nicotine monster.

 

[kcghost]

I've had many aged tins of NightCap and the bulk also and they were are all wonderful with age on them.

 

[mso489]

I have a remaining tin, so I will be interested to see how it is when I eventually open the tin. It's not bulk, so there's that. Then we'll all hear and perhaps taste how the Peterson version comes out. Personally, I don't recommend buying huge supplies. I smoke so moderately, I wouldn't anyway, but it seems like a misstep. As illustrated, blends change over time, tastes change over time, and I suspect for many having multiple pounds of a blend on hand make you want to smoke something else. It's like ordering a meal and having them roll up a push cart with enough food for twenty meals. Even if I were a one blend guy, like so many of the old time smokers, unless I were responding to some sort of long term market drought, I don't think I'd buy more than a few tubs at a time. It's just the psychology, not appetizing.

 

[americaman]

As a side note, since it seems I cannot edit my original post: This is Dunhill Nightcap, not a match version. I was just commenting on how it tastes like a generic English bulk now.
Perhaps I don’t like the way the Latakia has mellowed.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

By "now" what do you mean? Like, this is a tin that you just bought, or bought before the havoc of everyone scurrying to buy when they announced it was going away, or is this bulk verses tins? What is different from this "now" verses whatever it was that you liked? What is the differences in taste?

 

[npod]

+1 to Cosmic.
The hoarding of Dunhill blends was less than 2 years ago. I can’t imagine any significant change to Nightcap in that short period. I am currently working through a jar of Nightcap from 2007 and it’s wonderful with only slight mellowing. But then again, I love my English blends mellow and aged, so ymmv.

 

[warren]

If your reference is the "Night Cap" of a few years ago ... you can't be wrong as you are only posting your opinion. Your palate changes as you age. I wasn't a fan of the last of the blend, (Dunhill labeled not, Dunhill blended), ever. I liked the 60's stuff. But, you're kinda wasting your time warning others as all palates are different, tastes are individual. You can only really speak to your own, aging palate and experience.
This is similar to the original War Horse v. new War Horse debate. A nearly total waste of time resulting in one member ... well, he is no longer among us. One can seriously only speak to one's own experiences. But, the debate was highly entertaining and entirely meaningless. The idea of warning everyone else based on your own limited experience seems ... well, a bit (I'd better step away from the keyboard.)

 

[mso489]

I don't know about the other constituent leaf in Nightcap, tin or match, but Latakia is definitely variable in how it ages. I had a well-regarded premium blend from one of the master blenders -- not going to hold him responsible here. I did age the tin a few years, and when I opened it, the first few bowls were primo, but after that the Lat went flat, absolutely went away, and left the other blends blandly unbalanced. I finished the tin by fixing it up with other tobaccos, and some worked better than others. But it illustrated that Latakia is not predictable in aging. Others have aged Lat blends with big success and find it good right through the tin or jar.

 

[americaman]

The opening of my post was written jokingly, but I understand that humor doesn’t always translate through text. This is all my opinion.
Mso, thank you for the feedback. I predict it is the flattening of the Latakia I don’t like. Nightcap was the first tin I ever bought and it was incredible. When I learned that Dunhill was leaving us I bought two pounds to cellar in large Ball jars. Perhaps the difference could be tin vs. bulk.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

A few years ago on the PM Radioshow, Brian had said that Dunhill tobaccos was one of the namebrands where there was a significant difference between the quality of the leaf in tins and bulks. Not all tobaccos are like that, but definitely Dunhill.

 

[lawdawg]

I don't know about the other constituent leaf in Nightcap, tin or match, but Latakia is definitely variable in how it ages. I had a well-regarded premium blend from one of the master blenders -- not going to hold him responsible here. I did age the tin a few years, and when I opened it, the first few bowls were primo, but after that the Lat went flat, absolutely went away, and left the other blends blandly unbalanced. I finished the tin by fixing it up with other tobaccos, and some worked better than others. But it illustrated that Latakia is not predictable in aging. Others have aged Lat blends with big success and find it good right through the tin or jar.

I've experienced something similar with Nightcap. I have a lot of Nightcap in bulk because I wanted to stock up at the last minute as Dunhill was exiting the market. I've also got some tins as well. A freshly-opened Nightcap tin is noticeably more nuanced and complex in its flavor than bulk. However, within a couple weeks at most, it mellows and becomes identical to the bulk.
My suspicion is that the bulk and the tinned Nightcap are the same thing, but that the bulk Nightcap has had more opportunity to "air out" and be exposed to the circulating air, which causes the baccy to lose something in the process.
EDIT: that all being said, I still think it's pretty great, even in bulk ::

 

[redglow]

I always enjoyed the tins much more than the bulk. I have some 4 year old bulk that I dip into once in a while and it's not the same as the tins. I still enjoy it. But, there are definitely none of those moments where I'm blown away by the "amazing flavors" of Nightcap.

 

[redglow]

americaman,
Just an idea to rejuvenate your Nightcap if you want to try to salvage it.
As mso mentioned above, adding some tobacco to the dead Nightcap could turn it into something excellent again.
Rub out a few (or more) plugs of GL Pease Gaslight and mix them in with your Nightcap.
This quite possible could give it the flavor that you are missing.
Nightcap used to be the only tobacco I smoked back in the day. To me, Gaslight is every bit as enjoyable and could bring your aged Nightcap back to life.

 

[americaman]

Thanks Redglow. I have a tin of Gaslight that I’ve never opened, so I should try that.

 

[haparnold]

Might also be because you're using large jars. Opening and resealing those will definitely change the way the tobacco ages, because continually exposing it to fresh air keeps anaerobic aging from happening.