Aging and Cellaring Tobacco

[Sigmund]

Im sure Im paranoid but I almost wonder if some of the lore with aging is pushed by tobacco makers. It gives them an excuse to put out rough stuff. I dont have it to compare but in my memory a lot of tobacco I smoked from the US was a bit rougher than what I get in the EU. Here the majority of customers cant afford to cellar and in many areas its not as easy to obtain. Blends I get are quite smooth. Maybe they get better with time?

If its not good enough to smoke today I wont buy it again. If it gets better over time then that is a win too.

 

[BronzeAgePiper]

I went through a short phase were some VA’s we’re nipping me but other than that it’s very rare I get bit, so I wonder if that’s your case you might have the chemistry to enjoy younger, sharper leaf because I’ve certainly found some aged Va’s quite dull as well.

 

[sablebrush52]

Im sure Im paranoid but I almost wonder if some of the lore with aging is pushed by tobacco makers. It gives them an excuse to put out rough stuff. I dont have it to compare but in my memory a lot of tobacco I smoked from the US was a bit rougher than what I get in the EU. Here the majority of customers cant afford to cellar and in many areas its not as easy to obtain. Blends I get are quite smooth. Maybe they get better with time?

If its not good enough to smoke today I wont buy it again. If it gets better over time then that is a win too.

Some years back C&D jumped on that bandwagon with their cellar series, touting how John Q Public could enjoy the privilege of buying blends specifically designed to be aged before enjoying.
It was quite the gimmick and I don’t think it found many suckers.
The best blenders put out products that are ready to smoke.

 

[fireground_piper]

I think some folks who are not used to rather raw blends, also fall into the mindset that it was released prematurely.

Not much to do with age, but more manufacture principles.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It's funny, in almost every pastime that can be categorized as a hobby, people develop likes and dislikes, that they will argue for or against. I just attended a printmakers conference where printmakers argued against silk screening being a form of printmaking because it does not involve a plate transferring the ink to paper. Real nerdy stuff.

Whether or not someone likes something is a highly personal thing. Some will dislike aged latakia, whereas many of us prefer it. Whether something is better fresh verses aged is all a matter of tastes. I have found that some blends just don't age, not that they lose anything over time, but because they just keep fresh regardless. I have not found one that I would say became worse because of aging. But, I cannot attest to the taste of others. YMMV

 

[ThermionicScott]

I was always under the impression that aging tobacco was ALWAYS the way to go. I started cellaring back in 2011 and just recently started cracking into some of these tins and jars. Some have markedly improved in certain ways and, to be truthful, some are not as good and are much better when fresh. This came as a surprise to me and one particular tobacco brand is noted for its positive aging properties. I'm not saying the aging process ruined some of these, but, in my estimation, the fresh variety is better as some of the casings applied to these are an important part of it's flavor profile and they have disappeared over time.

I don't know if this is a recent thing fuelled by the Internet, or something that I've just observed more and more, but there is a tendency to take practices that might be helpful, go to extremes, and turn them into orthodoxies. No room for nuance anymore, it's just all or nothing. Be wary of people who tell you you must do things categorically.

This FAQ has some good details for managing expectations on the whole thing: The Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage and Cellaring FAQ - https://pipe-club.com/tobacco_aging_faq/eng/index.php

As with wine, the best thing to do is to buy plenty, cellar it carefully, and taste it often - at six months, at a year, at two years, again at five. It is better to enjoy it sooner, and dream of what it may become, that to find it over the hill later, and lament what it might have been.

 

[sablebrush52]

I don't know if this is a recent thing fuelled by the Internet, or something that I've just observed more and more, but there is a tendency to take practices that might be helpful, go to extremes, and turn them into orthodoxies. No room for nuance anymore, it's just all or nothing. Be wary of people who tell you you must do things categorically.

This FAQ has some good details for managing expectations on the whole thing: The Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage and Cellaring FAQ - https://pipe-club.com/tobacco_aging_faq/eng/index.php

Nothing new with this sort of behavior. People have simplified the meanings of ideas since the dawn of history.