Over-Aged Pipe Tobacco

[Sig]

Ive never experienced tobacco becoming terrible. According to Greg Pease, Virginia tobacco reaches its peak at about 10 years. From there it doesn't get worse, it just doesn't change much more.
Ive been jarring tobacco sinse about 2005. I recently opened a jar of MacBaren Va#1 from 2008. I then opened one from 2018, and one from 2024.....for science.
As expected, the 2008 and 2018 tasted about the same. They are much darker than the 2024, they smell more "fruity", like Fig Newtons than the 2024, and the famous honey topping is there, but less noticeable.
The 2024 tastes like fresh Va#1, and has the normal amount of topping flavor. This is my all time favorite blend, so I KNOW!
My smoking friends agree with everything I said here. We compared notes after a few bowls of each over a week or so.
I also recently popped a tin of FVF from 2008. It is a moist as it was in 2008, and has whisps of plume all over. Its fine....but I honestly prefer a freshly opened tin, which I also did from the recent drop.
I cellar tobacco so I have it. Its not getting cheaper. I wouldn't care if it changed or not. I stockpile blends I like, why would I want them to change?
But again, ive never had a blend that got dramatically worse tasting, or became unsmokable after 20+ years in a jar or tin.

 

[Infantry23]

I bought some tobacco from a B&M about 15 to 20 years ago. Kept it in a zip lock for years until I got serious about jarring tobacco. It was in that zip lock for about 10 to 12 years and it's still a decent smoke. Not great, but it's not bad. In fact, it might be better than when it was new.

 

[Searock Fan]

I really hope there is no time limit on storing tobacco. I have over 150 sealed pouches of Half & Half stored in large glass jars and expect it will take a while to smoke it all....

 

[sablebrush52]

How in Gods earth were 3 different jars of the same batch different? Were the tobacco’s oriented the same way within the jar?

Were the weights of each jar (and contents inside) the same?

Did 1 jar recieve more light?

Did you look at one of the jars more?

Lord knows. The three jars were packed the same. They were side by side on the same shelf, in the back. No one jar was treated differently from any other. If there was a difference in the tobaccos in the original box, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. It’s just one of those mysteries.

Aging is unpredictable.

Regarding your question about which varietal is the most long lasting, my experience suggests that it’s burley. Even after the Virginias had gone strange in those ancient blends, the burley was still recognizable as burley.

 

[woodsroad]

How in Gods earth were 3 different jars of the same batch different? Were the tobacco’s oriented the same way within the jar?

Were the weights of each jar (and contents inside) the same?

Did 1 jar recieve more light?

Did you look at one of the jars more?

Voodoo, man.
It’s voodoo.

 

[Auxsender]

i’ve heard horror stories with C&D

Here’s a really lovely C&D story.

I had a tin of Steamworks that was moldy in 2023. I called the number listed for Cornell and Diehl and left a message about my moldy tin. An hour later Jeremy Reeves himself called me back. He apologized profusely, offered a detailed explanation, and then sent me a free tin of Atalaya as they were out of Steamworks.
That is great customer service.

 

[HeadMisfit]

Here’s a really lovely C&D story.

I had a tin of Steamworks that was moldy in 2023. I called the number listed for Cornell and Diehl and left a message about my moldy tin. An hour later Jeremy Reeves himself called me back. He apologized profusely, offered a detailed explanation, and then sent me a free tin of Atalaya as they were out of Steamworks.
That is great customer service.

great customer service.

LIke taking a brand new 80,000$ bronco back into the dealership for a leaking head gasket and the dealer says it cant be fixed, so gives you a genuine 1979 Yugo as a replacement.

 

[Terry Lennox]

I agree with the ten year mark as peak for Virginias. I have had 20 year old tins that had turned a bit medicinal and overly musty in flavor. Some people like that. I don't. There are some Virginias I actually prefer fresh like Peterson (Dunhill) Navy Rolls. It's all subjective.

One thing that is true is Latakia will lose some of its power over time. Again, some like me, prefer a delicate Oriental forward English blend so this weakening of Latakia is not a bad thing.

 

[Mury]

Lord knows. The three jars were packed the same. They were side by side on the same shelf, in the back. No one jar was treated differently from any other. If there was a difference in the tobaccos in the original box, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. It’s just one of those mysteries.

Aging is unpredictable.

Regarding your question about which varietal is the most long lasting, my experience suggests that it’s burley. Even after the Virginias had gone strange in those ancient blends, the burley was still recognizable as burley.

wow I wouldn’t have never thought! Burley is like the honey in the pipe tobacco world, not because it’s sweet but because of its shelf life. Very cool!

 

[Mury]

I agree with the ten year mark as peak for Virginias. I have had 20 year old tins that had turned a bit medicinal and overly musty in flavor. Some people like that. I don't. There are some Virginias I actually prefer fresh like Peterson (Dunhill) Navy Rolls. It's all subjective.

One thing that is true is Latakia will lose some of its power over time. Again, some like me, prefer a delicate Oriental forward English blend so this weakening of Latakia is not a bad thing.

I totally can see that! i’ve been buying 25-30 year old virginias from rattray and McClelland and I’m hoping they will be good, otherwise money will be wasted

 

[Mury]

Here’s a really lovely C&D story.

I had a tin of Steamworks that was moldy in 2023. I called the number listed for Cornell and Diehl and left a message about my moldy tin. An hour later Jeremy Reeves himself called me back. He apologized profusely, offered a detailed explanation, and then sent me a free tin of Atalaya as they were out of Steamworks.
That is great customer service.

now that is awesome!! Shit I would have sent you an entire damn sleeves if I was Jeremy! I’m not familiar with those blends, is Atalaya a better replacement?

 

[Mury]

Ive never experienced tobacco becoming terrible. According to Greg Pease, Virginia tobacco reaches its peak at about 10 years. From there it doesn't get worse, it just doesn't change much more.
Ive been jarring tobacco sinse about 2005. I recently opened a jar of MacBaren Va#1 from 2008. I then opened one from 2018, and one from 2024.....for science.
As expected, the 2008 and 2018 tasted about the same. They are much darker than the 2024, they smell more "fruity", like Fig Newtons than the 2024, and the famous honey topping is there, but less noticeable.
The 2024 tastes like fresh Va#1, and has the normal amount of topping flavor. This is my all time favorite blend, so I KNOW!
My smoking friends agree with everything I said here. We compared notes after a few bowls of each over a week or so.
I also recently popped a tin of FVF from 2008. It is a moist as it was in 2008, and has whisps of plume all over. Its fine....but I honestly prefer a freshly opened tin, which I also did from the recent drop.
I cellar tobacco so I have it. Its not getting cheaper. I wouldn't care if it changed or not. I stockpile blends I like, why would I want them to change?
But again, ive never had a blend that got dramatically worse tasting, or became unsmokable after 20+ years in a jar or tin.

that is very interesting! thank you so much for sharing

 

[Mury]

Not much new to add, but I did smoke a 50 year old tobacco at one of the Seattle Pipe Club annual hootenanies. I guy had purchased the tin and brought it that day for all of us to try. This was in 2015 or so. It was sublime. I wish I could remember what it was, but it had lakeland essence in it and it was my do or die moment with that tobacco type. So good.

I also got some Mac Baren Mixture Scottish from 1977 on eBay before they got all draconian about buying tobacco on their site. It was about the same time, 2015 or 16. I cracked one open at a meetup with a fellow smoker. He found it very hot, like many Mac Baren blends can be. I loved it. So individual tastes may vary as well.

i wish i got into this hobby when people were selling tobacco on ebay lol

 

[Auxsender]

great customer service.

LIke taking a brand new 80,000$ bronco back into the dealership for a leaking head gasket and the dealer says it cant be fixed, so gives you a genuine 1979 Yugo as a replacement.

Whatever you say, boss.

 

[Auxsender]

now that is awesome!! Shit I would have sent you an entire damn sleeves if I was Jeremy! I’m not familiar with those blends, is Atalaya a better replacement?

“Better” is subjective.
He offered CRF/P but I’m not a huge fan of that blend so I chose a different limited release that has similar components as Steamworks which is Atalaya. Sadly, Atalaya tastes nothing like Steamworks. Gladly it’s something I enjoy anyway. It was also really cool to talk to Jeremy on the phone. He could not have been nicer or more professional.

 

[Sig]

I agree with the ten year mark as peak for Virginias. I have had 20 year old tins that had turned a bit medicinal and overly musty in flavor. Some people like that. I don't. There are some Virginias I actually prefer fresh like Peterson (Dunhill) Navy Rolls. It's all subjective.

One thing that is true is Latakia will lose some of its power over time. Again, some like me, prefer a delicate Oriental forward English blend so this weakening of Latakia is not a bad thing.

Wow, finally another piper who doesn't agree with the "aged Latakia is horrible" thing.
Thats a bit harsh, there are a lot of us. As with any genre, some blends I prefer fresh, and some I prefer with some age. The one thing I will say, Latakia blends always hold up for me. Yes, the Latakia can become more mellow, but that's a GOOD thing in some blends.
Like a dope I put myself through the odd world of Facebook pipe groups occasionally. But hey, I see some of you there too...you know who you are.
Anyways, I have seen more than a few tobacco "experts" tell new pipers that cellaring Latakia blends is a huge mistake because Latakia is ruined after a few years of age.
The one guy I confronted about this said that he has NEVER aged a Latakia blend because he heard it doesn't age well. THAT was his proof that Lat blends didn't age well. He was giving advice to a new piper who was asking for help.
These are the same guys making reviews on Tobacco Reviews causing new smokers to avoid certain blends.

 

[anotherbob]

One way to look at aging is that the product is degrading the whole time, it's just degrading to a point that is more enjoyable to some people. Kind of like fermentation is spoilage but to a point that spoilage is widely considered an improvement, aging is a form of breaking down.
Another way to say the same thing leaving something in the oven is a way of breaking down something too but timing is super important. You leave it in too long it goes from great to a burnt chunk of carbon.

 

[telescopes]

Aging - at some point - but definitely at a certain point, sucks. The next stop after that milestone is death, then dust. This is just as true with tobacco as it is women.

 

[mortonbriar]

I prefer 8-10 years for any blend with latakia, because that is when it finally takes a back seat. I find the other flavours hard to discern if the latakia is fresh.

 

[HeadMisfit]

I prefer 8-10 years for any blend with latakia, because that is when it finally takes a back seat. I find the other flavours hard to discern if the latakia is fresh.

well then you better get to the store and start getting all that sam gawith navy flake and chocolate flake.