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Post by olbluesmoke on Feb 27, 2024 16:36:15 GMT -5
When it comes to storing tobacco, especially Virginia blends... What is the minimum amount of time one should jar their tobacco in order to achieve propitious smoking results?
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Post by Ronv69 on Feb 27, 2024 16:46:43 GMT -5
While I don’t smoke Virginia's, I bought several tins of Christmas Cheer before I knew it didn't have any taste. I've been watching the prices for it on tinbids and it seems like mine is too young to get full price. Mine are all 2016 and 2017. I see that 2008 is holding it's price today.
Can't say what the limit is.
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Post by urbino on Feb 27, 2024 16:47:28 GMT -5
In my experience, there's not a single answer to this. It depends on the blend. Most Virginias will improve with age (depending on one's tastes), but I find just about all of them are very pleasant when fresh, too. Fresh OGS, for instance, has a wonderful, sweet grassiness that it loses with age. Other things about it get better, but the grassiness goes.
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Post by username on Feb 27, 2024 17:01:33 GMT -5
It's all a matter of personal preference. But one age range I hear often is 5 years. I don't really buy to age. I buy a hedge against me not being able to afford my favorite blends or them being discontinued. The age is just a nice bonus.
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Post by turbocat on Feb 27, 2024 17:02:14 GMT -5
I would echo Urbino on this. For myself I prefer many Virginias on the newer side, but I can’t deny that some nice things happen to others with age. I don’t intentionally plan to age any of my tobaccos, I just have too much and it just seems to happen since I can’t smoke them fast enough.
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NJDan
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Post by NJDan on Feb 27, 2024 17:16:05 GMT -5
I’m also in Camp Urbino. I find that with C&D produced blends as little as a year tends to help a lot; but right now I’m a smoking a bulk C&D blend fresh outta the bag and it’s pretty nice. I buy tobacco faster than I smoke it, so after a few years at the hobby it’s easy to smoke blends with a little age on them.
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Post by urbino on Feb 27, 2024 17:32:42 GMT -5
I should add I know some people find fresh Virginias bitey, but I personally don’t experience that.
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Zach
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Post by Zach on Feb 27, 2024 22:21:11 GMT -5
Very blend dependent and preference. In my opinion and experience, 2-4 years of age is still “fresh.” Contrary to what some say, it hasn’t aged much in that time. It has mellowed some and many Virginias have started to ferment during that time, and will generally offgas once popped and have smoothed during that time. Once popped, you stopped the main anaerobic aging and it will continue to smooth out in a different way. At seven years, is ideal for a Virginia based blend. 15 year is often touted as the Virginia peak. 20 year is losing some oomph. 25-30 year is getting really mild. 35+ often touted as too old but this is also opinion and matter of taste. I like between 5-10 year range most often but you’ll see me smoking at various vintages to sample different years. Last I smoked some 17 year old Escudo was some of the very best tobacco I have ever smoked.
I tend to like many of my favorites fresh and aged. I also primarily cellar and age to stock against discontinued issues, supply issues, and increasing prices.
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Zach
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If you can't send money, send tobacco.
Posts: 4,381
First Name: Zach
Favorite Pipe: Too many currently, bound to change
Favorite Tobacco: Haunted Bookshop, Big 'N' Burley, Pegasus, Habana Daydream, OJK, Rum Twist, FVF, Escudo, Orlik Golden Sliced, Kendal Flake, Ennerdale
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Post by Zach on Feb 27, 2024 23:01:12 GMT -5
2007 Sam Gawith Full Virginia Flake  1999 Alfred & Christian Peterson Horsen’s Escudo    2001 Gallaher’s Rich Dark Honeydew Flake  The Gallaher’s square tin was compromised with so much age, and this is what happens often at the 20+ mark in tins. Once removed from the baggie, rehydrated with distilled water, and rested in the jar a few weeks it came back around but well beyond it’s prime. |
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Post by turbocat on Feb 27, 2024 23:32:19 GMT -5
Hey Zach that Escudo is a sexy beast! |
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Zach
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If you can't send money, send tobacco.
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First Name: Zach
Favorite Pipe: Too many currently, bound to change
Favorite Tobacco: Haunted Bookshop, Big 'N' Burley, Pegasus, Habana Daydream, OJK, Rum Twist, FVF, Escudo, Orlik Golden Sliced, Kendal Flake, Ennerdale
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Post by Zach on Feb 27, 2024 23:34:52 GMT -5
The picture is old now and from a lower quality camera, but it was very darkened coins and frosty. I got the sealed tin in person from the gentleman who owns TinBids, actually.
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Post by turbocat on Feb 27, 2024 23:41:04 GMT -5
The picture is old now and from a lower quality camera, but it was very darkened coins and frosty. I got the sealed tin in person from the gentleman who owns TinBids, actually. I was referring to the picture of the front of the tin, top right. I thought it was appropriate 😃👍 |
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Zach
Pro Member
If you can't send money, send tobacco.
Posts: 4,381
First Name: Zach
Favorite Pipe: Too many currently, bound to change
Favorite Tobacco: Haunted Bookshop, Big 'N' Burley, Pegasus, Habana Daydream, OJK, Rum Twist, FVF, Escudo, Orlik Golden Sliced, Kendal Flake, Ennerdale
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Post by Zach on Feb 27, 2024 23:43:14 GMT -5
Oh right, heh. It was a picture of a bison underneath.  |
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Post by urbino on Feb 27, 2024 23:57:20 GMT -5
Oh right, heh. It was a picture of a bison underneath. But not a bison's underneath? |
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Post by coalsmoke on Feb 28, 2024 8:02:04 GMT -5
I find brighter VAs in such blends as GLP Union Square to be too sharp and bitey for me. It has to do with the sugar in the leaf. Instead, I prefer the darker VAs that make up pressed flake tobaccos. These age very well and, I find, are best after five year's time or more giving them a smooth, mellow characteristic. I've smoked ten year old Christmas Cheer that was just wonderful. I currently have about 200g of both FVF and BBF in the cellar sleeping away. I also have other favorites with a few years on them such as Limerick Flake, HH Pure VA Flake, and Wessex Brown VA Flake. I have a couple of tins of Small Batch Carolina Red Flake that's just right for me after only a couple of years.
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Post by Ronv69 on Feb 28, 2024 20:56:13 GMT -5
Oh right, heh. It was a picture of a bison underneath. But not a bison's underneath? It took some Google-fu, but here it is, per request.  |
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Post by urbino on Feb 28, 2024 23:28:26 GMT -5
But not a bison's underneath? It took some Google-fu, but here it is, per request. Nah, that's just the backside. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Feb 29, 2024 0:11:15 GMT -5
It took some Google-fu, but here it is, per request. Nah, that's just the backside. Sorry, I will search harder. But I'm sure I will find another use for the picture. |
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