Profile changes

J.S.

So I have been smoking Howl O' the Wynd that has a little age on it. The profile has changed. From 0-24 months the pepper and plum of the perique is forward the VA is sharp with a little edge to it and the KY gives it all depth but is just background. This jar has 40 months on it and now the KY's spice leads the VA's are soft and smooth and the perique comes in and out but stays in the background most of the time. Still a very good smoke but the profile has changed and very early into the aging process I think.

Is anyone else aging tobacco and how are your experiments coming?

dr_frankenstein56

wow 40 months old! I wish i had that will power!

closest I have gotten is 6 months on a tin of Capstan, but no changes ive been able to notice. But I did buy a tin of patriot flake im going to try an hold out on! Any Process tips?

Aj

J.S.

Tins are great they age without doing too much. I would recommend just keeping it in a cool place.Everything I have read suggests that the temp not get over 80. While some will argue that you can speed up the age by adding heat it will result in a loss of several notes that the blend would otherwise have. It takes time to age. I have found that the difference at 6 months is really not great. If you have a blend that bites storing for 6 months will often reduce that.

There are two types of tins by the way. One like Capstan that is vacuum sealed and the other like what G.L. Pease and others use that while airtight are not vacuum sealed. The latter seems to age a little quicker. I have not tried Patriot Flake but I want to! Dan Tobacco uses both types of tins so I am not sure which they have used for your flake. If you want to use the aerobic method and you have a vacuum sealed tin just open it and add it to a mason jar and forget about it for at least a year and you should see some changes. In fact that would be a great test. Open it smoke a couple of flakes jar the rest and open it again in a year. The change will be subtle but it will help decide if you want to consider it for long term aging.

dr_frankenstein56

time seems to be the hardest part... The waiting kills me!

My wife would get upset at me when i would find a sale and purchase as much as I could at that moment, particularly everything in doubles. It was difficult to explain to her that its literally an investment in time.... you spend that extra few dollars just to have a second item so it can rest and possibly age. I even struggle with it at times. But I have had some aged tins, one in partcular was this old tin of Orlik GS. I think it had close to 10 years on it - And it was amazing to smoke compare to a fresh one. Thanks for the tips, I just hope I actually have a jar last that long to see the results!

Aj

jsnake

I have many things aging. Squadron Leader, Penzance, Bald Headed Teacher and more. I mostly smoke arromatics and found some age ok but most lose their flavor and end up with a dull muted taste. Christmas Cheer is the only non arromatic I have smoked so far and it is a 2008 tin. I still need to finish smoking the arromatics I have open like my Peterson Christmas 2011.

J.S.

Both Penzance and Bald Headed Teacher are on my wish list. They have proven hard to find as they sell out quick.

Aros don't like age. I have have found they lose their top flavor too. VA blends and Lat. blends should. Burley should too but it will be slower as it is lower in sugar but higher in oils than VA's.