Royal Yacht (It's Current Iteration) Aging Potential

[alaskanpiper]

Just tried some Royal Yacht for the first time, and I'm wondering, with the light topping how this blend does with age? I've heard many sing the praises of Esoterica Dunbar, but caution on aging it for too long as it's light topping plays a significant role in it's incredible flavor.

I am wondering if Royal Yacht (the current Peterson version) has the same issue. Anyone have experience with aging this blend long term?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I can smoke some Royal Yacht, and I have bought a few tins of it here and there. I have even had pleasant moments while smoking it. But, of all the tobaccos in the world that I could intentionally buy to set back for aging, Royal Yacht is not.
Do you really like it that much?

 

[saintpeter]

What is the topping flavor? Plum?

 

[alaskanpiper]

I can smoke some Royal Yacht, and I have bought a few tins of it here and there. I have even had pleasant moments while smoking it. But, of all the tobaccos in the world that I could intentionally buy to set back for aging, Royal Yacht is not.
Do you really like it that much?

I do. Granted, I have only had the one bowl so far, so my fledgling impressions should be taken with a grain of salt, but I rather enjoyed it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

What is the topping flavor? Plum?

Yes, I think it was meant, originally, to simulate the way perique makes Virginias plumy, but after years of adjusting to new leaf used in the blend and changing the formula of everything, something has gone awry.

It is definitely not just a plum flavoring. Something else is going on with it.

 

[alaskanpiper]

What is the topping flavor? Plum?

According to TR, yes.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I do. Granted, I have only had the one bowl so far, so my fledgling impressions should be taken with a grain of salt, but I rather enjoyed it.

It's like asking whether or not Boone's Farm Cherry will age well in the cellar.

I'm just raggin' ya. It is a quality tobacco... to some people.

 

[alaskanpiper]

It's like asking whether or not Boone's Farm Cherry will age well in the cellar.

I'm just raggin' ya. It is a quality tobacco... to some people.

Haha, I think that is a bit of a stretch. If I were inquiring about the aging potential of say, some kind of sutliff goop, then maybe.

 

[saintpeter]

It is definitely not just a plum flavoring. Something else is going on with it.

Let's see...If you age a Plum, you get a Prune. Smoking aged Prunes?!? I think I would just smoke it as I get it.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Let's see...If you age a Plum, you get a Prune. Smoking aged Prunes?!? I think I would just smoke it as I get it.

So aged Va/Pers are out of the question for you then? Just sayin......

Yes, yes, I know, topping vs. natural flavor, just playing along.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Pretty nice rich in nicotine tobacco, I may suspect a first-time smoker of RY may need to accustom himself to it,at least it was so with the undersigned,

 

[saintpeter]

So aged Va/Pers are out of the question for you then? Just sayin......

LOL, about the most aging any of my tobaccos get is how ever long it takes for the post office to get it to me.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

There is a plum variety that the Japanese pickle. It's lacks sweetness and very sour. This is what I think of when smoking RY.

To be fair, I have had it at ten years of age, and i didn't really notice that much of a difference, except that it had stoved a little, darkening with age.

If you really like RY now, then of course you should set some back. It only makes sense with the ax hanging above the hobby as it is. It is the only 100% assured way of knowing that you will be able to enjoy it further into the future.

 

[mso489]

I like RY after being prompted to open a long-held tin by Forums members. In general, aromatic blends, even lightly aromatic blends, are not prime candidates for aging. Many do fine over time, and if you like mostly tobacco forward blends, dampening the flavoring could be an improvement. However, other than a little mellowing of the Virginia, which is good, not much will improve. Aromatics I intend to go ahead and smoke, and non-aromatics are candidates for aging. Since I smoke my stash slowly, things do get aged.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I like RY after being prompted to open a long-held tin by Forums members. In general, aromatic blends, even lightly aromatic blends, are not prime candidates for aging. Many do fine over time, and if you like mostly tobacco forward blends, dampening the flavoring could be an improvement. However, other than a little mellowing of the Virginia, which is good, not much will improve. Aromatics I intend to go ahead and smoke, and non-aromatics are candidates for aging. Since I smoke my stash slowly, things do get aged.

Would you really call RY an aromatic though? The topping is so minimal.....

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Would you really call RY an aromatic though? The topping is so minimal.....

The industry calls it an aromatic, because the flavoring was added late in the processing of the leaf. I know, I know, there are straight Virginias with more added flavor, like PS LTF, but that is a cavendish where the casing was added while the tobacco was being processed. So, it is still a non-aro.

It's a technicality.

 

[mso489]

As cosmic says, aromatic flavorings can be extremely subtle. I had always thought of Granger as the most non-aromatic of Kentucky rough cut burley, until the owner of my local independent pipe shop, who sells Granger by the once out of a tub, quietly noted that it is technically an aromatic flavored with molasses. So I took another puff, and sure enough. Some of the online retailers still list it as a non-aromatic.

 

[alaskanpiper]

The industry calls it an aromatic, because the flavoring was added late in the processing of the leaf. I know, I know, there are straight Virginias with more added flavor, like PS LTF, but that is a cavendish where the casing was added while the tobacco was being processed. So, it is still a non-aro.

It's a technicality.

Right, but technicalities will not impact the aging potential. I don't care what it's called on paper, I care what it tastes like, and I would not label this blend as what one would typically think of when it comes to an aromatic, as far as the way it tastes. I think it falls much closer to most non-aromatic tobaccos than to most aromatics. This is part of why I'm curious about it's aging potential.

I mean, would you say Dunbar is an aromatic tobacco?

I understand the presence of a topping may make it so on paper, but the real question here is not "how do we classify this blend" it is "given the way this blend tastes with it's minimal topping, much more like a non-aro, will/does it age well?"

This is my fault, since I phrased that question the way I did without specifying, just trying to be more clear this time.

Even more specifically, the actual question was if anyone out there has experience doing so and what their results were. Asked an answered by some, including you cosmic, so thanks!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Right, but technicalities will not impact the aging potential.

The problem is having binary thinking about aging. It is more wrong to say that all aromatics do not benefit from aging, than it is to reclassify the blend. But, you may call it whatever you want, and I'd agree with you... but technically, it is still an aromatic.

But, the problem comes from misunderstanding. It all seemed to spin to shit when Brian on his radioshow said that to his experience, Virginias aged best, latakia less, and burley and aromatics aged the least. This did not necessarily mean that it is wrong to age anything but Virginias. Greg Pease made a living and lifestyle from aging latakia and burleys. I have several aromatics that I pull from the cellar occasionally. It just depends on what you want.

And, honestly, if Royal Yacht lost its aromatic-ness, wouldn't that be an improvement?

 

[alaskanpiper]

And, honestly, if Royal Yacht lost its aromatic-ness, wouldn't that be an improvement?

This is what I'm trying to find out! Would it? And also, fully agree with your sentiments.