On Aged Dark Star

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rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,994
McClelland’s Dark Star is, IMO, one of the great stoved VA flakes, distinguished from its peers by a stoving process that leaves the broken flakes nearly black and with a consistency similar to slightly old jerky. While it can be a challenge to rub out, it takes a light well and burns all the way down the bowl without a hint of bite. When I first smoked it in 2005, I thought it was a rich and mellow, slightly sweet smoke with hints of vanilla and citrus.

Now that I’ve reached a certain age (ahem), I’ve decided to finally start smoking some of the tins I’ve cellared. I decided to start with a 2004 tin of Dark Star, the oldest blend I have on hand. I thought some of the folks here might be interested in how this one has fared after about 18 years.

As I mentioned, because the tobacco is so heavily/thoroughly stoved, it’s nearly black to begin with. So it appears relatively unchanged in the tin after 18 years. Notably for a nearly 20-year-old Virginia flake, there is not even a hint of crystallization in the tin. (Again, I’m going to attribute that to the extensive stoving.) My assumption is that there was nothing left untouched by the stoving process that would have allowed for any meaningful changes over time.

That’s fine by me. I loved this blend when I smoked it fresh. If it‘s still the same experience after 18 years, I’m not going to complain! (Especially since it is now out of production.) For a broken flake, I was surprised to find so many whole flakes in this tin; I don’t recall ever seeing that in past tins.

According to my original 2005 notes, my TobaccoReviews review, and my memory of the fresh version, the tobacco really has not changed much over time. It remains a rich, mellow Virginia with a nicotine hit just short of moderate (at least for me). If anything, it’s actually just slightly less sweet than I recall it. But, my, what an enjoyable tobacco.

Given my experience with this tin, I would propose that Dark Star could probably go 50+ years in a tin without any trouble. While it may not improve much at all over that time, I think that’s beside the point: You’d be able to enjoy a (by then) long-gone blend much as it would have tasted when fresh. That seems a rare experience to me.

Here are some photos if anyone’s curious:
 

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jpberg

Lifer
Aug 30, 2011
2,905
6,545
I’ve been opening a tin each summer for the past few years.
Old habits die hard - I still remove it from the tin into a bowl, turn it by hand (grinding a bit as I do) and let it sit overnight covered with a towel.
Like the OP, I find it a bit less sweet, and maybe a bit less “clear” than relatively fresh.
Age doesn’t harm it, but doesn’t perform any magic either.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,632
44,858
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Dark Star was for me one of those "what were they thinking?" McClelland products. The savoryness of McClelland's processing just didn't work happily with the sweetness provided by the stoving when I smoked it. Different strokes for different folks.
 
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jpberg

Lifer
Aug 30, 2011
2,905
6,545
Dark Star was for me one of those "what were they thinking?" McClelland products. The savoryness of McClelland's processing just didn't work happily with the sweetness provided by the stoving when I smoked it. Different strokes for different folks.
Different strokes is right. It’s about the only Personal Reserve blend I like.
 
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peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,530
906
Aging really brings out the sweetness to my palate. Same as cosmic. Love this blend with 10yrs on it, pure sugary love.
 

stearmandriver

Might Stick Around
Mar 13, 2018
64
148
Very nice. I have a jar of this that's about 4 years older than yours. It was dried out completely and then rehydrated and jarred.
It tastes like smoking a toasted marshmallow. It's not my favorite but it's good and I appreciate the rarity so I only have one or two bowls a year, usually to celebrate the arrival of summer.

If mine is still this mellow and sweet after what it's been through, I have to agree that you can probably age it about forever!