Intro/question

[javelin377]

Hey pipe guys, I'm new here and wanted to say hi in this forum also. I enjoy pipes as well as cigars, just not as often.
I posted a question in the cigar section but it also applies to pipe tobacco also.
How old is too old?
I assume unopened tins are immune from this discussion, but what about bulk tobaccos? Assuming they are properly kept of course.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

That all depends on the blend, just like cigars. Most VA blends will only get better with time while others may fall off. I will let some of the more experienced pipers chime in on the baccy's that tend to fall off after a while though as that knowledge I am still trying to gain myself. Welcome aboard!

 

[derfatdutchman]

First off Welcome!

When it comes to cellaring tobacco, both unopened tins and properly stored bluk blends will age. If you do a search on cellaring you will find allot of information.
Virginia blends tend to age the best. Burley based blends will also age, but not as well. Condiment tobacco's like Latakia and Perique will also change with age becoming softer and less intense.
Allot of pipers use a three tin system, one to smoke now, one to smoke in 6 months and one for 1 year. The same thing can be done with jarred bulk.
How long can a blend go? There are pipers smoking 20 and 30 year old blends that are still smoking well, like cigars it depends on the tobacco.

 

[gravel]

There is a point where fermentation slows dramatically and gains from aging diminish.

There is no definitive answer as intentionally aging pipe tobacco is relatively new. Anything we have of significant age wasn't intentionally aged and may produce hot air or happy accidents.

Much of it is left to the smoker's taste as well. I smoked some stellar 90+ y/o PA. Others may have disagreed with me. OTOH, I smoked some older Lat blends that just tasted old.

Simpler blends (simple Burley) or blends with higher amounts of sugary VAs seem to do well or somewhat maintain their profiles. Condimental leaf (Lat, Orientals) and aromatics lose their distinctiveness.

The real question is, what do you hope to gain from aging? Is it a hedge against future uncertainty (I'm looking at you FDA) and taxation, or are you hoping to gain new flavors?

 

[javelin377]

Thanks for the info guys.