How long till ageing matters?

[MichaelM]

I've never really gotten into aged tobaccos and have been building a cellar from fear of where taxes are heading more than a desire to age the tobacco. Tonight I had a craving for some Old Joe Krantz and opened a jar I had put away 5 months ago. I was surprised at how wonderful the stuff has become. Its smoother, a bit sweeter, and the perique is just perfect. Now I think fresh OJK is pretty darn good, so its not like something magical happened, but it really seems different after just 5 months. Is that possible, or am I simply deluding myself?
Mike.

 

[MisterE]

I have some OJK that's been in a jar for about 5 years and it still tastes rancid to me! I can't stand the stuff, but you're welcome to it if you want to try some longer aged OJK.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

All the pundits say burley dominant mixtures don't benefit from aging. So maybe you were just in a really good mood today?

I am with MisterE, the only thing I have ever gotten from smoking OJK is a hard learned lesson on the perils of the strength of some of C&D's burleys :no:

 

[MichaelM]

Yeah, OJK does not appeal to everyone. But it does seem to have a good portion of virginia in the mix. I know burleys are not supposed to improve with age (since they start out perfect  ) but thought maybe the virginia changed.  Then again, I am in a good mood
Mike.

 

[puros_bran]

Burley does change... Not as fast as other types do but it does none the less.  

It could be the time in jar allowed the blend to meld together a little.. It could be it was 3 degrees cooler or the humidity changed in a way your body liked, or even you had a Ph neutral dinner or brushed your teeth shorter or longer than normal.     So much stuff going on inside our body and the briar that it's hard to say what causes those magical smokes.     Else we'd always have those magical smokes no?

 

[SpeedyPete]

Well, I can testify to the fact that burley does benefit from aging.

I received my 16oz of Mellow Monk yesterday after it's been sitting at the post office for 49 days. Tastes better than the fresh sample I received :twisted:

OJK is not for me. I'm almost through the 4oz I ordered to try. I love strong tobacco but this one turns into a demon towards the bottom of the bowl.

I will stick to Pete's Irish Flake when I'm in the mood for some punishment.

 

[MichaelM]

Speedy, you are getting at the heart of the question I'm trying to ask. If just 49 days could make a difference then every tin I open of any blend would be unique. Even 5 months seems too little time time. Yet I'm smoking another bowl of the OJK right now. Different day, different pipe, different drink, and it still seems improved. I think PB's comment on melding may be correct in this case. And from what I've experienced with Mellow Monk, there is a lot of wonderfulness there to meld. Another ill formed thought I had is that bulk tobbaco may just not have the time or environment to fully meld until you jar it up for a bit. But I'm getting pretty far out on the limb now.
Mike.

 

[Thomas Tkach]

I've heard that C&D Burleys need a little time to breathe before they hit their stride. Otherwise I've read (Pease, I think) that they age much slower and less dramatically than VAs.

 

[SpeedyPete]

I've heard that C&D Burleys need a little time to breathe before they hit their stride. Otherwise I've read (Pease, I think) that they age much slower and less dramatically than VAs.

I have very little experience with burleys. But Michael might have a point. I do not know how bulk tobacco is stored by the sellers/dealers. But jarring it might give them a better opportunity to blend into each other? I'm asking, not stating!