Should I Buy Aged Tobacco?

[telescopes]

Aging is a bit overrated if you ask me, especially when it comes to 10 years and beyond. Most blends lose a lot of their edge and complexity when they get really old and what you end up with is an ultra-smooth smoke that has one predominate flavor instead of mixture of many subtle ones. My favorite blends are best fresh or with a year or two on them. Beyond five years they start to get less exciting.

+1

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

I wouldn't, personally. There's so many blends available thede days.
Say your looking at a $200 bag of Esoterica or McClelland. There's 2 main risks - it's moldy upon breaking the seal, or you hate it. When instead, for 200 bucks you could try a large variety of blends, or get a few pounds bulk.of.something you like and age it.
I only buy aged if the price is right and the seller is a well known member. But for the most part, I just buy what I know I like - and lots of it.

 

[FHlight]

I think it is necessary that some aged tobaccos will have different flavors.

 

[Val]

Here's my simple answer: No.

Why - I think you've read some sound advice above. Second, tobacco IS NOT wine. It is not meant to be aged. Yes, it does age, and sometimes the aging mellows the FLAVORS to make them more even and less harsh. But in the case of tobacco, that doesn't mean better. Many blends are are already aged by the time they are packaged. Second, I have found that 12 months is usually enough time to tell you where the tobacco is headed.

No one - for the most part - is aging our tobacco as a primary function of why we bought it. It is being cellared ONLY for the time when obtaining it would be near impossible. It ages because we can't smoke all of it NOW.

I do let a year pass on some heavy and oily blends such as G&H plugs and ropes because I prefer them to be settled and less likely to cause me to get sick. After a year of being jarred where some air has had an opportunity to tame them, I find them good and ready to go.
Be careful you you aren't getting sucked in to some unintentional seller hype. While it is true that some older blends have certain tastes that are no longer available, that is only because the tobacco is no longer available that gave them those unique tastes. But even then, because they aged, they are no longer the tobaccos they were when new and no longer the tobaccos that people raves about when they were new.

I doubt anything written here will change your mind. Hype is hype. You've been given some great advice by other posters.

Wine too is not “meant” to be aged. It is an organic substance just as is tobacco. A substance that someone along the way tasted after aging, liked it and began to age more. One thing is clear, while I have yet to meet someone that prefers a fresh tobacco over the same blend aged, the aged tobacco contains complexities that cannot be attained without the aging process.

 

[telescopes]

Wine too is not “meant” to be aged. It is an organic substance just as is tobacco. A substance that someone along the way tasted after aging, liked it and began to age more. One thing is clear, while I have yet to meet someone that prefers a fresh tobacco over the same blend aged, the aged tobacco contains complexities that cannot be attained without the aging process.

Hmmmm. Then you are about to meet a lot of folks. Keep in mind most of our tobaccos we buy new already have gone through some time: aromatics will loose their complexities after a few years. Certain smokers don't really dig Latakia. Aging doesn't make it more complex - it quiets its voice. The same with Perique. Aging settles it down. I am not suggesting a year in the tin doesn't make a positive difference on many blends. It can and often time does. Aging, fwiw imho, is that thing that happens after more than a few years. The blend settles and quiets down. Voice notes are lost while others remain. It was NEVER the intent of the maker for the tobacco to taste the way it does after aging. Wine makers make certain vintages and encourage aging. Tobacco blenders really do not. If they did, they would sell them in containers that were designed to last through time.

 

[MattRVA]

No. Take your time getting to know how to smoke first, then you’ll discover what you like and what works for you. Aged tobacco would be wasted on your palate. It takes a couple of years to grow into smoking a pipe in my opinion.

 

[rmbittner]

I have yet to meet someone that prefers a fresh tobacco over the same blend aged…

Well, we still haven’t technically “met,” but I’d pay twice the retail price for a fresh tin of Penzance, but I wouldn’t even consider buying an aged tin if it’s older than a year or two. For me, one of my favorite things about the blend is its oriental zestiness—particularly noticeable in the retrohale—which fades after only a couple of years in the tin. (Penzance was my main tobacco for about a decade…before the insanity became too much.) So now you’ve met one person.

 

[sablebrush52]

It can have that effect. But enlightenment is on the horizon, as well.

Soon you realize that you don’t need to smoke this or that because of the hype, or because such and such says it’s 3.5 stars vs. 3.0. It eventually clicks and you understand that it doesn’t matter. Get what you want and enjoy it. If you can afford it, buy the hell out of aged tobacco. If you can’t, buy the hell out of 1oz samples of the match and figure out if you even like it before you buy the real thing. To that end - and pay close attention here - they will always be available through some outlet, or another. At least until they aren’t.

I often wonder what pipe smokers complained about before the internet.

They complained about the poor quality of clay tablets.

 

[BarrelProof]

They complained about the poor quality of clay tablets.

Blast it, James, I dare say that gone are the days of quality parchment!

 

[sablebrush52]

One thing is clear, while I have yet to meet someone that prefers a fresh tobacco over the same blend aged, the aged tobacco contains complexities that cannot be attained without the aging process.

Congratulations at emerging from your hermitage! There are plenty of blends I prefer fresh to aged, like McClelland 2015, Esoterica Dunbar, and actual, real Escudo, just to name a few. Real Escudo, not the shit that's on the market today, was wonderful fresh AND aged. Escudo changed with aging, losing that white pepper note and developing a wonderful fruitiness, and I liked both. The new garbage, a "whatsis" being made from poorer quality components, doesn't match up.

And I'm hardly alone in liking some blends fresh. Others here have said the same thing. As for complexities, that's true with some blends and not true with others, Sometimes balances do change with age, as when Latakia fades mellows while other oriental leaf ripen a bit, and while I prefer the faded softened flavors of Latakia, many other prefer it fresh. Add too much age and the only complexity is how to find any flavor in any of it.

So now you have met someone who prefers some blends fresh.

 

[Val]

Congratulations at emerging from your hermitage! There are plenty of blends I prefer fresh to aged, like McClelland 2015, Esoterica Dunbar, and actual, real Escudo, just to name a few. Real Escudo, not the shit that's on the market today, was wonderful fresh AND aged. Escudo changed with aging, losing that white pepper note and developing a wonderful fruitiness, and I liked both. The new garbage, a "whatsis" being made from poorer quality components, doesn't match up.

And I'm hardly alone in liking some blends fresh. Others here have said the same thing. As for complexities, that's true with some blends and not true with others, Sometimes balances do change with age, as when Latakia fades mellows while other oriental leaf ripen a bit, and while I prefer the faded softened flavors of Latakia, many other prefer it fresh. Add too much age and the only complexity is how to find any flavor in any of it.

So now you have met someone who prefers some blends fresh.

Sorry about the hermitage, life can get intense! Just a thought but the blends you mentioned are all pre aged. So in that case you prefer the 3-5 years pre aging that those blends come out with as opposed to further aging. Though I’m sure you might have others that you prefer fresh that are not presaged. I should have been more specific in my message regarding types as I was referring to Virginia’s specifically and not Latakia. I do have friends that prefer Latakia fresh. I also have a friend that prefers wine fresh so I guess it makes sense that someone might prefer the sharp edgy notes that a fresh Virginia provides.

 

[mikebjrtx]

Aged is my preference, but it only improves tobacco it doesn’t transform it.

 

[sablebrush52]

Sorry about the hermitage, life can get intense! Just a thought but the blends you mentioned are all pre aged. So in that case you prefer the 3-5 years pre aging that those blends come out with as opposed to further aging. Though I’m sure you might have others that you prefer fresh that are not presaged. I should have been more specific in my message regarding types as I was referring to Virginia’s specifically and not Latakia. I do have friends that prefer Latakia fresh. I also have a friend that prefers wine fresh so I guess it makes sense that someone might prefer the sharp edgy notes that a fresh Virginia provides.

Most all blends are pre-aged to a greater or lesser degree. The better blenders release their blends for consumption when they believe that the blend is ready to be smoked. As Robert Germain wrote in response to a question about additional aging after release, "Quit faffing about!"

This is not to say that additional aging might not bring changes that smokers like, but it doesn't guarantee them, and occasionally the manner of change goes in the opposite direction.

I don't cellar to age. I cellar to have blends that I like be available for smoking. If I want to smoke a blend that's OOP, it's nice to have it on the shelf. If I had known in the 1970's what I know now, I'd have a slightly different cellar. But I have a goodly selection of blends I enjoy, and will not want for anything important. However, due to cellaring faster than consuming, the vast majority of my stock has anywhere from 8 to 30 years on the shelf and I've ceased buying.

 

[Perimeter_Road]

I’ve had good luck finding aged tins on the shelves at brick and mortar stores. Depending on the location, some of those tins can easily sit there for 5 or more years collecting dust. I get to try some aged tobacco at the regular price (sometimes cheaper if they priced them a long time ago and never updated it) and they get to finally move some old stock off the shelf. A win-win. If you have any B&M’s in your general area, I’d give it a shot.

 

[rmbittner]

I’ve had good luck finding aged tins on the shelves at brick and mortar stores. Depending on the location, some of those tins can easily sit there for 5 or more years collecting dust. I get to try some aged tobacco at the regular price (sometimes cheaper if they priced them a long time ago and never updated it) and they get to finally move some old stock off the shelf. A win-win. If you have any B&M’s in your general area, I’d give it a shot.

Absolutely agree! You might also be pleasantly surprised when ordering online; in my experience, it’s not all that unusual to get tins with a year or two (or even three) of age on them—especially if you’re buying a backlist blend, i.e., something that isn’t the newest, hottest thing on the market. (Of course, you‘ll only know this if the tin was factory-dated/coded or if there is some notable change in labeling/distributor.)

 

[logs]

Sorry about the hermitage, life can get intense! Just a thought but the blends you mentioned are all pre aged. So in that case you prefer the 3-5 years pre aging that those blends come out with as opposed to further aging. Though I’m sure you might have others that you prefer fresh that are not presaged..

What current blends are aged 3-5 years before selling? I've haven't heard of that with exception of McClelland where they used to age tinned blends before selling. I don't think that practice is common with other blenders though. Gawith will age their blends during/after pressing but I think it's more like a time frame of weeks or possibly a few months.

In the case of limited release blends that use old rare tobacco, we're still just talking about the age of raw leaf that's basically been stored in crates in a warehouse. That's very different than creating a blend and then letting it sit for years after pressing and tinning.

 

[telescopes]

Most all blends are pre-aged to a greater or lesser degree. The better blenders release their blends for consumption when they believe that the blend is ready to be smoked. As Robert Germain wrote in response to a question about additional aging after release, "Quit faffing about!"

This is not to say that additional aging might not bring changes that smokers like, but it doesn't guarantee them, and occasionally the manner of change goes in the opposite direction.

I don't cellar to age. I cellar to have blends that I like be available for smoking. If I want to smoke a blend that's OOP, it's nice to have it on the shelf. If I had known in the 1970's what I know now, I'd have a slightly different cellar. But I have a goodly selection of blends I enjoy, and will not want for anything important. However, due to cellaring faster than consuming, the vast majority of my stock has anywhere from 8 to 30 years on the shelf and I've ceased buying.

This right here. Every so often a thread comes around about myths in pipe smoking. The myth that tobacco is better when aged in the tin for five or more years is one that seems unshakable. Buyers desperately want to believe that they are "MISSING OUT" on something special. We see esoterica selling for insane prices, especially if it has 5 or more years on it. There will be more drops. For way less than the 500 dollar a bag currently being offered, Ernie will sell you a bag at retail if you buy a pipe. A cheap pipe at that. And yet...

I have been doing some home blending. I know that I prefer the Latakia and the Virginia Slices a bit toned down. I can let the tobacco set for a year after blending or I can use less of each blend. But five plus years? The taste changes, but the most interesting notes are squelched.

 

[Val]

What current blends are aged 3-5 years before selling? I've haven't heard of that with exception of McClelland where they used to age tinned blends before selling. I don't think that practice is common with other blenders though. Gawith will age their blends during/after pressing but I think it's more like a time frame of weeks or possibly a few months.

In the case of limited release blends that use old rare tobacco, we're still just talking about the age of raw leaf that's basically been stored in crates in a warehouse. That's very different than creating a blend and then letting it sit for years after pressing and tinning.

You know, the two he mentioned in his post, esoterica and McClelland.

 

[gawithhoggarth]

Here's my simple answer: No.

Why - I think you've read some sound advice above. Second, tobacco IS NOT wine. It is not meant to be aged. Yes, it does age, and sometimes the aging mellows the FLAVORS to make them more even and less harsh. But in the case of tobacco, that doesn't mean better. Many blends are are already aged by the time they are packaged. Second, I have found that 12 months is usually enough time to tell you where the tobacco is headed.

No one - for the most part - is aging our tobacco as a primary function of why we bought it. It is being cellared ONLY for the time when obtaining it would be near impossible. It ages because we can't smoke all of it NOW.

I do let a year pass on some heavy and oily blends such as G&H plugs and ropes because I prefer them to be settled and less likely to cause me to get sick. After a year of being jarred where some air has had an opportunity to tame them, I find them good and ready to go.
Be careful you you aren't getting sucked in to some unintentional seller hype. While it is true that some older blends have certain tastes that are no longer available, that is only because the tobacco is no longer available that gave them those unique tastes. But even then, because they aged, they are no longer the tobaccos they were when new and no longer the tobaccos that people raves about when they were new.

I doubt anything written here will change your mind. Hype is hype. You've been given some great advice by other posters.

A voice of reason in the never ending hype to cellar as much as possible........

 

[thepipesman]

I'm glad I found this thread, I just recently picked the pipe up again and was going to throw out my old dry tobacco that was in storage from 12 years ago but I think after reading through this thread I will try to rehydrate it in a humidor and see if it's usable. I never thought about the flavor profile changing with age, i just assumed it got stale and turned to dry grass.