Significant Change After Three Months

[HitchensDog]

I enjoy straight Virginia's and realized I'd never tried Capstan Blue before. I picked up a tin about three months or so ago. I immediately opened it, dried out a flake and had a nice smoke. I put the rest in a mason jar after letting it dry a bit, and sort of forgot about it these past three months. I usually only smoke a bowl a day in the morning with my coffee. Sometimes more on the weekends. This morning, I was going over my mason jars, deciding what to smoke with my coffee, and picked up the Capstan. This sounds good, so loaded up a bowl and sat outside for my smoke. The flavor had changed significantly from that first smoke. Not that the first bowl was bad in any way. I distinctly remember the taste of that first bowl, and this was entirely different. I'm not sure how to describe it. I'm not very good at describing the flavors I get from pipe tobacco, but It seemed richer and fuller, less rough around the edges. I've never noticed such a big flavor disparity with a blend before in such a short time. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Have any of you had similar experiences in such a short time?

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I have experienced the very same phenomenon with quite a many blends, notably with G&H offerings, Condor Long Cut , Erinmore and St Brunos

 

[mawnansmiff]

Could be down to the state of your palate on any given day. I've sampled new to me bourbons one day and on another day it can taste quite different. The way I determine the quality (or otherwise) of a bourbon is to try several samples over a period of time.

I'm quite certain that applies to tobacco also.

Just my tuppence worth ?

Regards,

Jay.?

 

[mso489]

A little time in the jar and a little drying improves many blends, but I suspect the biggest improvement is in ones learning a blend, knowing what to expect, and attending to the flavors and tending the burn better. There's a learning curve, and sometimes it doesn't kick in until the second order of a blend, or until after it has been set aside for some time, sometimes years. It has surprised me considerably how much a blend can improve in the second or fifth bowl or after some time unsmoked.

 

[bullet08]

A jar is an amazing thing. Just few weeks in a jar, a blend will settle down and give mellower characteristics. More pronounced with anything that has latakia. But Va will knock off some edges also.

 

[HitchensDog]

A little time in the jar and a little drying improves many blends, but I suspect the biggest improvement is in ones learning a blend, knowing what to expect, and attending to the flavors and tending the burn better. There's a learning curve, and sometimes it doesn't kick in until the second order of a blend, or until after it has been set aside for some time, sometimes years. It has surprised me considerably how much a blend can improve in the second or fifth bowl or after some time unsmoked.

That's interesting. I haven't thought of it in that way, but that makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Sonorisis]

I recently returned to some 1792 Flake. Early on the tonquin was a constant 'flavor' that stood apart from the tobacco -- it was like a 'curtain' between me and the flavor of the tobacco. When I came back to it -- about a year and a half later -- the tonquin had all but disappeared, having been 'absorbed' into the overall flavor profile. The result was a delightful, harmonious smoke.

The problem is that I should have put more of it up but didn't because it wasn't that great early on. Now, it is special and I wish I had more at hand. Live and learn.

 

[kurtbob]

One that I smoke daily, War Horse Bar does that. 2 weeks in a jar and it goes from a dark tan, crumbly crumble cake to a dark brown, leathery Long flakes and deeply married flavor......who’d of thunk?