First let me say that I am some what new to pipe smoking and have a question. I am vary familiar with cigar smoking. I have been smoking cigars for twenty years and am very experienced with cigar ageing especially cuban cigars which get better with age to a point.
I have read that our friends in DC are considering raising the taxes on pipe tobacco by a couple of hundred percent. My first thought is to stock up on my favorites. So far I have only smoked fresh tobacco.
So my question is what happens to pipe tobacco when it ages? Does it get stronger and more complex like cuban cigars or does it lose flavor and strength? Is it a good idea to buy now before they tax it to the point that I have to rob the local bank to afford it or is the best pipe tobacco the latest release?
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The method generally adopted, is to age pipe tobacco in the unopened tin, as the inlet of air stops the aging process. Is aging pipe tobacco worth it? ... I think so. As a mattet of fact, some won't smoke tobacco younger than a year ... some, younger than 10 years. What's your preference?
Like cigars, pipe tobacco marries with age, becomes more complex and in many cases, gains plume. Pop open a tin of 10 year old VA flake & you may find it covered in sugars.
When making a purchase, many buy more than 1 tin ... one to open & others to cellar, noting the date (if it's not there already) on the bottom of the tin. This way (like cigars) you have an idea of how that tobacco ages over time.
IMO, nothing ages like good Virginia, be it flake or ribbon. I think orientals age well & latakia blends seem to get softer to me ... a good thing. Burlys, I'm not so certain about, but I smoked some Revelation last week from the 1920s-1940s & it was simply sublime. Of course, I have no knowledge of how the stuff was new.
My thoughts.
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