What tobacco have you ruined by aging?

[sounds7]

I normally have very good results in aging tobacco in a small 4oz size jar when Cellaring no less than two years. However I was so dissapointed to learn that this process absolutely failed me with Penzance. the flavor is gone and it is now weak and has only one note throughout the smoke. Sad day indeed. How about you? what tobaccos have you learned do not age well?

[Zeabed]

I'm aging Penzance right in 5 unopened tins. I know it's more expensive to buy it in tins, but somehow that mottled flake struck me as not being too amenable to in-jar aging. And Penzance is one blend that I don't want to screw up, so I play it safe. This may not be justified for most flakes -- but opening up a flake tin and transferring the contents to a jar just doesn't strike me as kosher. Just a personal feeling - I'm probably wrong to generalize, but aside from Penzance and Mac Baren's Navy Flake I don't have many flake tobacco blends.

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by Zeabed

but opening up a flake tin and transferring the contents to a jar just doesn't strike me as kosher.

Doing so is unnecessary. The tobacco will age just fine in the tin. The benefits of jar aging are that you can buy the tobacco in bulk bags which is generally cheaper than the same amount of baccy from the tin.

Also, there's a small chance that a tin will "decompress" and the baccy will dry out or the tin will rust and corrupt the blend. Since the former has only happened once and the latter has never happened, I'm perfectly comfortable aging blends in the tin if that's how I buy them. Moving a blend from one airtight container to another is typically unnecessary, IMHO.

[sounds7]

I should have bought it in tins. Is this true for all flake latakia?

[sounds7]

Originally Posted by sounds7

I should have bought it in tins. Is this true for all flake latakia?

I'm going to answer my own question. Curiosity got the best of me and I opened the jar of J.F.Germain and Son, Special Latakia Flake and had a bowl. It was Tremendous!! Infact I am ready to order a few tins of it to cellar it. I will still cellar Penzance in the future but I have learned a valuable lesson as far as its aging goes. I should have passed on the great bulk Penzance deal at CupOJoes.com a while back. I notice they are not selling it in bulk now however " Pipes and Cigars" still carry it in Bulk. http://www.pipesandcigars.com/penzance1.html
My suggestion to all, unless you are a Penzance freak and plan to go straight through 8OZ of the stuff. Stick to tins.

Now I have to get back to the bowl of Germains SLF. so please excuse me.

my review:
J. F. Germain & Son - Special Latakia Flake pipe tobacco reviews


A footnote on Penzance- I will smoke this batch of Penzance as a first smoke of the morning because it is now mild enough to do that. It works O.K. in my small rusticated Brebbia.

[Mad Hatter]

I've read that latakia blends peak at about 3-5 years of age

[sounds7]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

I've read that latakia blends peak at about 3-5 years of age

Different Schools of thought on that. Pease gives it a bit longer
The Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage and Cellaring FAQ: Aging

I doubt mine make it past 5 years though

[dillonmcmurphy]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

I've read that latakia blends peak at about 3-5 years of age

I've heard that as well. I believe it was on the aging and cellaring faq.
The Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage and Cellaring FAQ: Cellaring

[uvacom]

Sounds - what is your method for jarring? do you attempt to create a vacuum seal, do you seal the lid in paraffin, etc?

[sounds7]

Originally Posted by uvacom

Sounds - what is your method for jarring? do you attempt to create a vacuum seal, do you seal the lid in paraffin, etc?

Neither actually. I have the lids that twist on with the Metal Lids with Plastisol Seals and I turn them tight and leave it at that. Like I say, this is the first and only time that the method hasn't worked. have you found parraffin to make that much difference?

I have read the opinions however I just haven't fooled with them yet.
The Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage and Cellaring FAQ: Tobacco Jarring Guide

[uvacom]

Oh, I don't have any experience jarring actually (it's something I'd very much like to start doing with bulk tobaccos though). I'm just hypothesizing that perhaps there was a small amount of air exchange over time that deteriorated the freshness of your penzance. But maybe that's not it.

[sounds7]

Originally Posted by uvacom

Oh, I don't have any experience jarring actually (it's something I'd very much like to start doing with bulk tobaccos though). I'm just hypothesizing that perhaps there was a small amount of air exchange over time that deteriorated the freshness of your penzance. But maybe that's not it.

Perhaps. I suppose the safe thing to do at this point is to take every precaution that it doesnt happen again. I will try the paraffin wax.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by sounds7

Perhaps. I suppose the safe thing to do at this point is to take every precaution that it doesnt happen again. I will try the paraffin wax.

Better yet you could boil the lid before putting it on the jar. This softens the rubber and causes it to form to the rim. Most people say the lid seals just fine on its own.