Opening Jar of Aged Tobacco: How Long Could it Last?

[Dandy Pipesmoker]

I would like to know, according to your personal experience, once a jar of aged tobacco (say 5 - 10 or more years) has been opened, how long does it remain in good condition for smoking?

Specifically if it is an English mixture or a falke with light flavoring (therefore not only natural Va or VaPer, but also Lakeland scented or tobaccos such as Erinmore Flake or Royal Yacht) once the jar has been opened, and it has remained closed for many years in the right conditions , how long will I be able to enjoy them without risking losing certain aromas?

By dividing a 100g (3.5oz) jar or tin into smaller jars once the one in which it was aged has been opened, will it be possible to smoke part of it and further preserve the others?

Thanks for helping me.

 

[Sigmund]

Sure why not...Id say months if there is not too much air space in the jar...even still Ive salvaged and rehydrated tobacco that was still very good after being in baggies. Stored well you are good to go.

 

[judcole]

It's in a jar. You close the jar nice and tight. It's not going to dry out, sitting on the shelf, in a jar, if you close the jar up properly. The aging will stop, but it will be fine to smoke for a long whie.

 

[MattRVA]

From what I’ve gathered from other people’s experiences… the longer the tobacco has been aging the quicker it degrades once opened. I think you’re safe 10 years and younger but anything older might have to be consumed within a month or less. I’ve heard of aged tobacco going south quickly once opened but I don’t have personal experience yet.

 

[pappymac]

Since I don't cellar tobacco in jars for aging purposes, I can't give a definitive answer.
That being said, I do have some blends that have been store in jars for over five years and they have not dried out or lost flavor.

 

[boston]

I generally divide larger tins into smaller jars, but not always. I opened a tin of '96 Xmas cheer 2 years ago and put it all in a mason jar. It was marvelous when opened. I rarely smoke it, but it's been marvelous since. I have a bit left.

And, if you seal well and leave it closed, I believe it will begin aging again. Some disagree, and think the little ecosystem of bacteria that began when it was first sealed die when exposed to 02 (presumably), never to occur again. Sounds sketchy to me.

Tobacco doesn't spiral down in quality after opening, at least not in my experience. It's been dried and rehydrated who knows how many times before ending up blended and in a tin. If the open tobacco gets too dry, spray some water on it, distilled if you like, seal it, and all will be fine again.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I've not seen any issues at all. 10 years or less, it should be good for a very long time. People have reported very old tobacco gore bad rather quickly. I have not seen that to be the case myself but that's limited to 4 or 5 experiences as well.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I have a couple of large jars of very old Va I obtained from a member via the FS on here and I've been in and out of them for well over a year, maybe coming on two, and they are fine by me - no physical signs of issues. Obviously, I have no clue what they tasted like 10-15 years ago but I like them and they are just as good today as when I opened the jars. I guess I could have divided into smaller jars, but not having seen a problem, just not worried about it, maybe I'll do that next time if I go that route with something.

 

[kcghost]

It will remain smokable for an extremely long time. If you mean how long will it retain the characteristics of a tremendous tobacco, I'd say 5-7 days.

 

[sablebrush52]

It comes down to several factors, age of the blend, composition, conditions under which it was stored, etc.
Older vintages, 30 years of age or more, are more variable. In my experience they lose flavor within a couple of days of getting hit with fresh oxygen.
I’ve now smoked a couple of dozen, thereabouts, ancient vintages, of which several were amazing, most a bit diminished, and some truly disgusting.
None of them survived more than a few days after opening before going flat.
On the other hand, most younger blends, 5 years thru 20, that I opened and then jarred, didn’t suffer for it.

 

[Dandy Pipesmoker]

Thanks everyone for the replies, very helpful.

I would like to ask your opinion on two specific cases:

- I have three tins of Erinmore Flake by Murray dating back to the 80s and 90s, assuming they are in excellent condition when opened, do you think it is better to smoke them quickly or can I draw from a jar every now and then for a few weeks or months?

- I have a 100g tin of McClelland Frog Morton's Cellar which is already 6 years and 7 months old and since it has a particular aromatic note added I think it's better not to wait any longer to open it. How do you recommend I proceed with this tobacco?

I have fewer doubts about the other tobaccos in the cellar because they are all Va, VaPer or Oriental Mixtures and even if some are very old I think there shouldn't be too many problems...

Thanks again.