Preparing for the future

[toadie]

I'm still fairly new to the 'bacco game, and from reading around I seem to be one of the newbies who still can't quite taste all the flavors and nuiances of their tobacco. '
Earlier this evening, I was wondering if it would be a good idea if I were to purchase some "must have" tobaccos now, let them age (from what I hear it seems to make the tobacco better in some way), and come back to them in however many months it takes for me to really appreciate high quality, aged tobacco.
So, what are some "must have" tobaccos that I could look into that benefit from aging?

 

[kabong30]

I have found that all the Peterson aromatics I have tried are awesome. My favorite is Summertime 2011 which this being 2012 might not be around forever. I plan on squirreling away a few tins. Boswell's gets high praise around here and I can't wait 'til next payday to throw a few bucks their way. I'm still new as well, but most tobaccos don't seem like they're expensive enough that I feel like I'm wasting it even if I can't discern all the nuances.

 

[zanthal]

hi toadie,
The reason why most of the pipe smoker's on this forum use mason jars to store their tobacco, is because tobacco can still be pleasantly smokable after decades so long as it's kept sealed.
I've had aged tobaccos that retain their flavor, and some that just become bitter or harsh.
In all honesty, I don't see the benefit of holding onto a tobacco for the long term, unless of course you like it in the short term also.
SO, that being said, I recommend you do a little internet research about the different STRAINS of tobacco, the different main varieties: Burley (most commonly used in cigarettes), Virginias (not grown in Virginia), Latakia (the main type in English blends, often Syrian) and Orientals ... which I happen to know very little about the origins of.
There's plenty I don't know, but that ought to get you started.
In summary, you oughtta know what you like, before you start jarring it up for later

 

[judcole]

In summary, you oughtta know what you like, before you start jarring it up for later

+1
Not all blends benefit from storage. From everything I have read, burleys and aromatics will not benefit at all. English blends will benefit some from aging, depending on the quality of the Virginias used. And Virginia and Virginia/Perique blends benefit the most.
My own experience, which is based on a few blends that I have stored for five years, is that they have been smoother and mellower after aging. I don't cellar stuff just to cellar,though - I only cellar things I really like. ::

 

[hobie1dog]

welcome to the forum toadie, that's a tough question with many opinions on aging. I recently got to smoke some 1938 Revelation (Einsteins favorite), but there is always the mental factor knowing that you are smoking aged stuff. A double blind test might tell you a different story if you didn't know the age of it.
BTW, mean looking camera....what is it?

 

[pstlpkr]

One note on what to store that hasn't been mentioned as of yet.

Vacuum packed tins will not benefit from aging, where tins that are not vacuum sealed may.

Air is a necessary component in the aging process.

Virginias and Aromatics may benefit more from "cellaring" than English blends.

Latakia seems to become more and more mild over time.

Some would say that is a benefit, others would not.

IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)

Just my two cents.

::

 

[photoman13]

Looks like a Nikon D80 to me. I also agree that if you don't enjoy a tobacco before you store or age it, you still won't like it down the road.

 

[cortezattic]

These are my "can't go wrong" cellaring blends:
Virginia: Mac Baren Virginia #1, Fribourg & Treyer Cut Virginia Plug, Orlik Golden Sliced, Solani 633

VaPer: Escudo, H&H Louisiana Red and AJ's VaPer, 4noggins' Prairie Wind

Aromatic: Mac Baren Mixture Scottish Blend, Symphony

 

[jpberg]

I'll throw a little different angle on this - I don't think that you can ever go wrong with cellaring any of the McClelland Matured Virginia (Brown Label). They age divinely, and are never going to be worth less than what you paid for them. They are a recognized name, with a solid track record of good 20 + year aging, and a fanatical following in the aged tobacco world.
There's many others that are in almost the same category, but these are dummy proof.

 

[baronsamedi]

My McClelland's 3 Oaks Syrian was dynamite after being opened and somewhat forgotten about for half a year in my storage box! It's all gone now, though. :crying:

 

[cigrmaster]

I will have to respectfully disagree with our esteemed mod Lawrence when he says that sealed tins do not benefit from aging. I have recently opened the following tins that were 15 years old Orlick Dark Strong Kentucky and Orlick Golden Sliced, the following were 10 years old, F&T Cut Virginia Plug, Astley's 109 and Escudo. All of these in my opinion developed more roundness in that the sharp edges when new are gone. The flavors seem more intense and sweeter and the colors definitely get darker.
Now in comparison to brand new the only one I can compare is the Escudo because all the others I only have old stock( new stock is on the way so a more detailed comparison can be made). The new Escudo was lighter in color, not quite as sweet and definitely not as smooth. There is definitely more nose to the newer version as well.It was still a pleasure to smoke and I will definitely be pounding the new stuff, but to my tastes the older versions are different.
Now back to the topic, I think you should not worry about aging things until you have ascertained what your favorite blends are. In the beginning there is a lot of hit and miss when trying to determine what your favorites are. What I did in the beginning was to find one tobacco I really liked ,then went to http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/index.cfm and looked up that blend. Then I would take note of reviewers who gave it a four star and searched on other tobaccos they liked. I was doing this in 2001 and still do it today if I am looking for something new, some of the reviewers I really paid attention to was Tantric,Newman, Sykes Willford,Eulenburg,Colonel Panic and Paddy to name a few.

 

[hobie1dog]

Now that I'm going to cellar my Penzance , where is the cheapest place to buy a case of Mason Jars?

 

[toadie]

@hobie1dog & photoman13: It's a Nikon D7000 w/ grip.
@cortezattic: Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for.
@hobie1dog (again): I bought a few mason jars at Dollar Tree for methinks 80 cents or so each

 

[hobie1dog]

What size do people use? I went to Amazon and found 8,16, and 32 ounce jars, some had wide mouth. :crazy:

 

[hobie1dog]

Bump to get my question answered.

 

[galeon]

I use the quart size Ball Mason jars, although I'm no cellaring expert. Just read around a little bit. I guess it would depend on your ability to sterilize the larger jars, how much you plan on cellaring, an what increments you want to open your aged baccies in.
I also purchase my jars at the local Wal-Mart. Although they can be found at many local hobby stores for right around $12 for a dozen.
-Stephen

 

[triprolo]

I grab mine from the Amish stores. 12 jars for $7.00. I usually get the mid size jars.

 

[hobie1dog]

Cool, if I'm forced at gunpoint, and only between 3-4AM, so that I'm not seen or subjected to the most primitive beings in the Universe, then I'll go get me some Ball jars. Thanks for the tip Dave.

 

[photoman13]

Nice camera toadie. I prefer canon but like nikor lenses.

 

[baronsamedi]

Get the wide-mouth jars, hobie! They are easier to get the baccy in and out.