Good news! Today I decided to open one of my 2012 tins of Skiff Mixture and it was in great shape. These tins have traveled with me across country, been stored in a closet in both the cold of winter and hot summer without temp control. The seal was still good, although I suspect some out-gassing occurred as there was always a faint smell of Latakia in my closet and in the plastic bin I used to keep the tins. That said, the tobacco had some moisture remaining, and was ready to smoke. It did not need any rehydration. But it was not as "wet" as I recall fresh tins from 10 years ago, clearly.
There was a tang to the tin note and the smoke itself was full of flavor. Skiff is more flavorful to my mind than Squadron Leader. A bit more Latakia, perhaps? Interestingly, the color of the various leaf remained distinct from one another. In my experience with similarly old Squadron Leader the entire mix turns somewhat brown/olive. Here we see many blond strands. Maybe that has to do with more Oriental being SL?
Either way, I enjoyed my first bowl. I probably prefer Skiff to SL overall, but that is subjective.
You will see in the photos how the oils soaked through the paper and the edges of the tin show oxidation (to be expected). But the tin did its job after more that 10 years. I would say it is peak right now. I'm not sure any further aging will add anything to the flavor profile. If anything the Latakia might fade past where you might want it. Right now it is smooth and mellow, but still there.
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