Should I Just Throw It Away?

[murf]

So, when I first started smoking a pipe here in the states, I went a little overboard with my TAD (actually, it might not be so bad, but my wife always asks why I have so much tobacco). I ordered some samplers from P&C, tried most of them.
Anyway, I had not stored these tobaccos in jars, and turns out that the place I was storing them was a bad spot (in my living room, in a cabinet, but the sun would hit the front window and heat up the living room everyday. Plus, it's right next to the heater). Lesson learned.
I have since moved it to a better spot (and in mason jars), but this tobacco (almost all of it aro) is going on just over a year old now. It still smells pretty good, I've re-hydrated it with those little ceramic discs. But, I'm worried that most of the flavor is gone. And I'm thinking, if I try it and hate it, why would I ever buy that kind again?
I have smoked almost all of it fresh, but I used to smoke too fast, too hot, etc.
I'm seriously considering just getting rid of it (my dad says he'll take it, that he'll never throw out any tobacco). My frame of mind is, if I smoke it and don't like it, why keep it? I understand for tobaccos other than aro, that aging can help.
Another reason is to clear out some room in my "cellar." So I can do it right this time, and properly store the tobacco as soon as it comes in the mail. Anyway, since then, I've just been buying the tins, figuring that they'll keep pretty well on their own.
I have smoked some since, and it was ok, just ok. I'm wondering if buying it fresh would make it that much better

 

[homeatsea]

I haven't been in the pipe/tobacco world long enough to properly give this advice, but many of the veterans on this forum have commented on subjects like these in the past, and here are the basics of what I have taken away from their wisdom (though your situation may a bit different given the toasting of your tobacco early in the process):
Many who try a blend and do not like it upon the first few tries suggest storing it away properly and waiting. Many have said that after forgetting about it in the cellar for a few months to as far as a few years and then revisiting the tobacco have found that their palate has changed and they now enjoy the blend very much.
Another technique is to try blending these tobaccos with other blends (in very small amounts, as you could hate the blend even more than the two tobaccos as they stand alone). Many have found that blending a tobacco they prefer with a tobacco they did not improves them both, or that blending two tobaccos they did not enjoy makes a gem of a smoke.
If neither of these are your preference, give them to your dad! No reason to throw away tobacco. You will always find someone who will take it, especially if your dad has already offered to take it for you.
Sorry for the novel, hope this is of any help. If any of you more experienced smokers want to chime in, especially if I've royally ballsed something up here, please correct me.

 

[murf]

I've already done a little mixing myself. I took 2 pinches of Altadis bourbon and 1 pinch of Altadis amaretto. Was quite tasty. I call it "the godfather" after the cocktail.
I think part of my problem is my TAD, too many open tins, and not smoking often enough. Hopin to change that last part soon, but I don't want to force it, you know? Every day is different, and I'm not always in the mood for a pipe, or I'm not able to when the mood strikes me. I've been smoking more in the car, on my way home from work. Not always a good idea for me on an empty stomach, but I enjoy it. I take the long way home
Also, is there a type of thing called TADD (tobacco attention deficit disorder)? That was my trouble to start, I was so new, I wanted to try everything! I'd only smoke one bowl before moving on to the next. I've gotten a little better about that now

 

[bobpnm]

Get yourself some Carter Hall 8) and try mixing a few bowl of each tobacco 50/50 with Carter Hall 8). Many of us use Carter Hall 8) this way in addition to smoking it straight. Seems a shame to even think about throwing your tobacco away.

 

[mso489]

murf, if I read you correctly, you are afraid to sample these tobaccos that were stored wrong. At least do that. I don't think

they will prejudice you against these blends in the future. You know you handled them wrong and won't take this sampling

as representative of these blends at their best. Equally to the point, some of them may be, a probably, quite good. Some

aromatics store under poor conditions quite well. When I went back to pipe smoking after several years, I offhandedly

started with an aromatic -- from Tinder Box I think it was -- that had been sitting around in its baggie (carefully closed

ziplock) at normal room humidity and temperature for all that time (and more in the store). It was most pleasant and alluring.

So murf, go ahead and sample those tobaccos, and either blend, age, or pass along the ones you don't like, and smoke the

ones you do. And there will be some that taste fine, maybe better than the original time of purchase, for the aging.

Tobacco is a witchy weed and lives an interesting life of its own and does not obey the precepts and presumptions of

tobacconists nor pipe smokers. It exists to confuse and defy us and make us wise to the fact that we are not in charge.

 

[murf]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I'll hang on to all of it for now. I have since put it in mason jars.

I'll give them all another few tries.

 

[murf]

@rothnh i don't know too much about humectants, but aren't they used for tins? The stuff I ordered was bulk and came in bags.
Carter hall is a good suggestion. I've also heard Lane 1Q is a good one to mix with. I will definitely experiment, and I will try those tobaccos again. Thanks for all the help!

 

[drwatson]

I love all tobaccos, and have stored aeros in glass jars for years without making too big of a difference. Some of them have even gotten way better. I just opened a jar of 1Q that was 8 years old and think it is better. I guess I have really never understood why everyone says that aeros dont age well. But then again I store mine in the pit, where its dark and cool, gaurded by the hounds!