I have smoked tins that old, not because I purchased them with that thought in mind, but because I had acquired enough of a stash that of a certain blend that it worked out that way. Got several tins and a couple of jars of bulk that will be hitting 10 years in 2024.
Who Buys Tins to Age Ten Years or More?
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The only two blends that I don't love fresh but really love aged are OGS and LBF.
The LBF needs only a year, so no biggy.
But the OGS needs 10 years. To me, it's almost a "why-bother" when fresh, but after 10 years it's literally in my top few tobaccos ever.
Unfortunately, I only just discovered this a year ago, when I received a 10 YO tin of OGS in the Secret Santa (and did some subsequent reading when I was so astonished at the difference). So, I've put some away now... but I've got a while to go...
Everything else that I smoke, I like fresh.
The LBF needs only a year, so no biggy.
But the OGS needs 10 years. To me, it's almost a "why-bother" when fresh, but after 10 years it's literally in my top few tobaccos ever.
Unfortunately, I only just discovered this a year ago, when I received a 10 YO tin of OGS in the Secret Santa (and did some subsequent reading when I was so astonished at the difference). So, I've put some away now... but I've got a while to go...
Everything else that I smoke, I like fresh.
I found some Maltese Falcon tins from 2004 in my closet that I had forgotten about.
I've got tins with about ten years on them, but it wasn't intentional. In my dotage, compounded by the ravages of Covid on my palate, I like a raw edge to my best smokes--you know, like that of fresh Haddo's Delight, or straight Five Brothers. I'll take "mellow," but don't seek it out. It will find me. (I don't even know what the hell I've got.)
I definitely buy tins with the intention of aging.
In fact over the past several years Ive bought a modest cellar's worth of tins with the intention of methodically smoking all of those tins when I retire (which is hopefully going to be in about 15 years).
As many folks on this forum have suggested, I dont think tobacco will ever be any cheaper than it is right now. So my mentality is stock up as much as I can now while prices are low and supply is still decent.
Also I completely agree with SBC about aging OGS.
In fact over the past several years Ive bought a modest cellar's worth of tins with the intention of methodically smoking all of those tins when I retire (which is hopefully going to be in about 15 years).
As many folks on this forum have suggested, I dont think tobacco will ever be any cheaper than it is right now. So my mentality is stock up as much as I can now while prices are low and supply is still decent.
Also I completely agree with SBC about aging OGS.
In 2012 I found a tall boy of Orlik Golden Sliced from that was dated 1997. I cracked it and was amazed at how dark it was. It tasted great so I ordred a test tin and was totally bumbed out. The new tin tasted all grassy and hey and nothing like the 1997. Since I was filling my cellar with way better fresh tasting Virginia's I never loaded up on OGS. If I couldn't enjoy smoking it fresh then I was not cellaring it. It never made the cut, maybe it was a mistake but I didn't see it getting rid of all that grass and hey flavors in ten years or less.
All my flakes I built my cellar with had no grassy or hey flavors as those just don't appeal to me.
All my flakes I built my cellar with had no grassy or hey flavors as those just don't appeal to me.
I'm a fan of grass, hay, and earthiness, and I've found that one of the first things to age out of my aforementioned preferred blends are those notes. Bums me out, but might be worth your time.
I don't buy a tobacco blend for the specific purpose of aging it for long periods of time, I just want to buy in quantity the blends I like so that I can smoke them in the future and however long that is is how much age will be on them. I love the blends I currently smoke in their current state when fresh, but I have also liked certain ones a little more with some age, but others I have actually liked less. Trying to stay ahead of disappearing blends, rising prices, and higher taxes are what drive me to buy as much as I can as quickly as circumstances allow.
Most of my cellar is between 3 to 5 years old but I have got some 10+ tins. They were purchased on the secondary market, tho.
I find you always get a big improvement with fresh tobacco if you jar it for 6 to 12 months before smoking. The difference really can be night and day.
I find you always get a big improvement with fresh tobacco if you jar it for 6 to 12 months before smoking. The difference really can be night and day.
I basically keep an open tin of may favorites in rotation, and anything I buy gets stocked away. I only crack a tin when one runs out, or if I'm trying something new. I'd say I have plenty of tins that will unintentionally be stored away for 10 years, and i look forward to when the time comes to crack em.
Like many I am mostly buying to get it while i can. Just getting started, too as had put the pipes away decades ago and never did collect pipe tobacco then. My state (wa) is particularly hostile to tobacco: few stores, HIGH taxes, don't get me started... Seeking out mail order shops and vendors with much better prices..and ordering qty of what i know i like, samples of other things, and a broad selection of tins and blends i am learning about here. Almost manically. (Maybe drop the 'almost.') I already think tobacco is getting pricey, and is one reason absolutely not interested in buying any cigars anymore--gone to stupid prices, imho. High prices for cigars is not, in my opinion, any kind of justification for raising tin and bulk pipe tobacco prices. Finally, I am excited with the amazingly wide variety of blends now, and the obtainability of so many classics that once were relegated to visits to the shop, or being in the know to order direct (e.g. Boswell's, Georgetown, Paul's Pipe Shop, Perretti, etc..)
I'd say I have well over 10 years of tobacco cellared, but I still buy every special release I think I'll like ( which is quite a few). I usually buy three tins. One is opened right away like a kid on Christmas, the other two go in the closet for me to open later. Given that the cycle continues with every VaPer and VaOr release, I logically know most of them will sit ten years or longer. So, while not necessarily my primary intent, I know I'm buying now for a long-term benefit.
Didn't C&D release a line of blends meant to be aged about 7-10 years (but can be enjoyed fresh if needed)?
I believe it was a handful of Virginia blends, but the names currently escape me.
I believe it was a handful of Virginia blends, but the names currently escape me.
Yes they did. I believe it was called the "Cellar" series or something like that.
I thought it was a gimmick. Quality blenders aged their product under controlled conditions before releasing it so that it represented their intention. To do that they delayed getting compensated until the blend was ready to release, and bore that cost as part of producing a quality blend.
This struck me as a way to "cash in" on the cellaring craze by sticking the responsibility and cost onto the customer.
Many blends have years of aging before they are released. They're ready to be smoked and need no more aging. This is why Robert Germain asked people to stop "faffing about" with their blends.
Pipe smokers love myths, one of which is that the longer you age a blend, the better it gets.
Blends change with age. Whether that change is an improvement is up to the individual smoker to decide. Some blends, like PS-LBF I think really blossom and improve with a few years, probably because they're released way too early. McClelland 2015 I preferred fresh. And while I don't like it quite as much aged, I'd rather have it to smoke than not. Having something I can enjoy after it's gone OOP is a primary reason why I cellar.
buy more than I can smoke and as a result I have many 5+ year olds and several are over 10 (tobaccocellar.com says over 10% of my stock).
Fortunately, over the years I have also accumulated tins of disappeared tobaccos (several Dunhill and Erinmore made by Murray, many McClelland, Esoterica, Balkan Sobranie) with the pleasant side effect of having some examples with 20+ years of aging.
In some cases I have at least the pleasure of making comparisons with the memory of the same fresh smokes, for others I am only lucky enough to be able to try them as they have aged.
A small part of my cellar are tobaccos that I haven't smoked yet but in the meantime they have accumulated a few years, I don't know if it's a good thing but if I like them so I can always stock up already knowing how they could be in a few years ...
Sometimes not having a method has its advantages.
Fortunately, over the years I have also accumulated tins of disappeared tobaccos (several Dunhill and Erinmore made by Murray, many McClelland, Esoterica, Balkan Sobranie) with the pleasant side effect of having some examples with 20+ years of aging.
In some cases I have at least the pleasure of making comparisons with the memory of the same fresh smokes, for others I am only lucky enough to be able to try them as they have aged.
A small part of my cellar are tobaccos that I haven't smoked yet but in the meantime they have accumulated a few years, I don't know if it's a good thing but if I like them so I can always stock up already knowing how they could be in a few years ...
Sometimes not having a method has its advantages.
As for aging, I'm not so convinced that all tobaccos benefit from it (this also applies to Virginia).
Some even with many years of aging do not change much and if I do not like them fresh I hardly find them better aged (for example the current version of Escudo or many Dunhill/now Peterson mixtures made by STG).
For this reason, if a tobacco does not convince me after 1 or 2 test tins I do not stock up.
I happened to find some forgotten tins at the tobacconist and I was able to try the aged version by comparing it with a new one before deciding if it is worth investing.
From these fortunate circumstances I also understood that the blends with Latakia can still be very intense even after decades, maybe the flavors are a little better blended but Latakia is still quite strong.
Some even with many years of aging do not change much and if I do not like them fresh I hardly find them better aged (for example the current version of Escudo or many Dunhill/now Peterson mixtures made by STG).
For this reason, if a tobacco does not convince me after 1 or 2 test tins I do not stock up.
I happened to find some forgotten tins at the tobacconist and I was able to try the aged version by comparing it with a new one before deciding if it is worth investing.
From these fortunate circumstances I also understood that the blends with Latakia can still be very intense even after decades, maybe the flavors are a little better blended but Latakia is still quite strong.
I found so many flakes and plugs without the earthy grassy thing so I didn't try to age those flavors out of them. I was smoking them fresh as well as aging so I wanted dual purpose blends that would change to different flavors after a decade or so. It was fun smoking them at different stages over the years.
I don't specifically buy to age but, due to my buy/smoke ratio, that is the outcome. Now, I enjoy having a lot of old tobacco around; 123 containers over 10 years old.