Virginias - Good Ones To Age

[HoosierPuffer]

So, I'm on my Virginia kick right now.

I'd like to put some tins away now and pop them open in 50 years.

Plugs, twists, flakes, ribbons - doesn't matter. Just something pure, strong, and straight Virginia that will be even better the longer I sock it away.

What are some good ones that age well you'd recommend?

 

[jhuggett]

Full Virginia Flake has got to be in the list.

 

[Tennessee Dave]

Agree with the FVF. Would also add McCranie's Red Ribbon.

 

[puros_bran]

Straight Virginia or are condimental tobaccos allowed?

Straight:
I second Sam Gawith Full Virginia Flake.
I've yet to try it but I will blindly state GL Pease Union Square. Pease products are great 'fresh' but designed to be sublime aged. I'd also toss in McClellands Christmas Cheer.

With Condiments.
Sam Gawith Saint James Flake and McClellands Saint James Woods are very good Virginia/Perique Blends that will age fine.
Any of the Pease Virginia heavy blends will age well. I've smoked most of them but I'm drawing a blank on all the names but Cairo.


Straight and condimental..

The McClelland numbered Virginia blends will age fine. You'll need to read the tin descriptions to decide if they are straight or laced.

 

[Ol'Dawg]

In regor's absence I'll add Rattray's Marlin Flake for him.

I'd add McClelland's #5100 too.

If you decide to add some VA/Perique blends, McConnell's Scottish Cake and GLP's Haddos Delight do very well in the aging department.

Jim...my ha'pence worth if that

 

[kilted1]

Full Virginia Flake has got to be in the list.

I couldn't agree more. I was very fortunate to purchase 2 pound of FVF from the year 2000 some time ago. I opened and portioned out one pound at the 5 year mark, setting some back re-tinned in mason jars, and smoking some immediately. At the 5 year mark and each year since I've noticed subtle changes, but mostly it just deepens. Here at the 9 year mark it is incredible! The remaining pound is set back for long term aging, haven't decided yet when to open it, maybe at year 15 doing the same thing over again.

FVF is DA BOMB any time! I'd give BBF a nod as well.

As for others:

Just about anything VA in Greg Pease's line up should age very well. Anyone who knows Greg at all can attest to his interest in long term aging and designing baccy mixtures with that purpose in mind.

McClelland VA's (barring the 'ketchup' rumors) all age well, I've had some past the 10 year mark and they are extraordinary
!

Solani 633 and 660 should age well, but I'm not really sure I trust the packaging as is. I think were I investing in any quantity for long term aging, that I'd personally opt for my own tinning methods (mason jar, heat sealed)

Reiner Long Golden Flake is a prime candidate and comes in packaging that surely could survive the Apocalypse

C&D have a lot of fine VA based mixtures which should age extremely well.

H&H have some very fine products which should age extremely well.

Really, I can't think off the top of my head of ANY VA which wouldn't benefit from age, but those picks would be my highlights and goals.

Were i restricted to one single type of tobacco to smoke for the remains of my days, hands down it would be Virginia mixtures :cheers:

 

[Joseph76]

Definitely Gawith Full Virginia Flake, that stuff is divine.

Both 5100 and McCranie's Red Ribbon/Flake seem to improve with age.

Hal o'the Wynd for sure

 

[Anonymous]

I will have to agree with the others on S.G. Full Va Flake, I've got several pounds in jars right now.
I'll agree with PeeBee that the GLP Union Square should age nicely as well.
I would also throw in a suggestion for C&D's Manhattan Afternoon, I can only imagine that it will get even smoother with age.

 

[Muddler]

Old Gowrie, McClelland 2010, SG FVF & BBF, GLP Laurel Heights, C&D Virginia Gentleman, Night Train & Bayou Morning are all aging in my cellar.

 

[Natch]

Most of my thoughts are already listed. I've always liked aged Marlin Flake and Old Gowire and Full Va Flake. I also like well aged Mc Christmas Cheer. All good, and all seem to get better with age.

Natch

 

[TallSmoke]

Hey, you old timers! If I have a couple of small tins of FVF to cellar should I put them in an air tight container? Or will they be OK in the tins?

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

I've yet to hear of any straight VA or VA/Perique that didn't improve greatly from aging for a full aging cycle of 5 years. Some people think that even a year of age makes a big difference.

As regards containers, the rectangular, pressed tins that Gawith uses are the most suspect of aging vehicles. It's not that hard to open such a container without the use of a coin, instead by using your fingers. As Gawith tobaccos are among the cheapest, they have to cut corners, so I view them with suspicion. Other tobacco vendors who use this type of tin I have successfully aged in their original tin. Unless the tin had more than one year of age, in which case I'd not want to lose that aging and would leave it alone.

I've received Gawith lbs whose flimsy cellophane wrapper had been breached and part of the lb was dryed out, causing me to have to rehydrate before jarring. Not awful but a pain. Compare Gawith-Hoggarth's packing of a thick cellophane wrapper followed by a plastic bag. Even that can be breached but at least you know they tried.

 

[JohnnyFlake]

Hey, you old timers! If I have a couple of small tins of FVF to cellar should I put them in an air tight container? Or will they be OK in the tins?

I don't have any official statistics, but my experiences and discussions with others over the years, leads me to believe that simply leaving the tins as they are will produce great results about 75% of the time. Unfortunately, tins have a way of losing the air tight seal about 25% of the time over years in storage. Don't know what the reason is, but moving them around, bumping them, temperature variations, etc., can all play a part in that happening. If your going to leave stash the tins, I suggest that you box them up carefully and then put them in the coolest area in your home. Don't look at them from time to time, don't move them around and so on, until you plan on opening one.

Personally, when stashing a tin for long term storage, I suggest vacuum sealing the tin with a food storage system. They are very effective and work extremely well with single or even double tins, placed side by side. The tins will stay sealed forever, once sealed in that manor. Food Saver System can be had now for about $60 and are very well worth it. Hell, you can actually even use them to store food. LOL!

The Mason Jar method is okay, but much more difficult and not really as good!

 

[TallSmoke]

Thanks, JohnnyFlake. Great advice!

 

[J_Rock]

Hey, you old timers! If I have a couple of small tins of FVF to cellar should I put them in an air tight container? Or will they be OK in the tins?

I don't have any official statistics, but my experiences and discussions with others over the years, leads me to believe that simply leaving the tins as they are will produce great results about 75% of the time. Unfortunately, tins have a way of losing the air tight seal about 25% of the time over years in storage. Don't know what the reason is, but moving them around, bumping them, temperature variations, etc., can all play a part in that happening. If your going to leave stash the tins, I suggest that you box them up carefully and then put them in the coolest area in your home. Don't look at them from time to time, don't move them around and so on, until you plan on opening one.

Personally, when stashing a tin for long term storage, I suggest vacuum sealing the tin with a food storage system. They are very effective and work extremely well with single or even double tins, placed side by side. The tins will stay sealed forever, once sealed in that manor. Food Saver System can be had now for about $60 and are very well worth it. Hell, you can actually even use them to store food. LOL!

The Mason Jar method is okay, but much more difficult and not really as good!

Great info. Thanks!!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Since someone already said 5100, I'll go with McClelland 2000.

 

[Tom Clemons]

Hi Hoosierpuffer,

I'll echo much of what has been stated, I've not had any Va or VAPER NOT improve with age. The effect of aging for me is that VA based blends become smoother, sweeter and richer tasting.

I still have a three tins of Sweet Chestnut from the late '70s that has to be my favorite VA. I have no idea what it was like fresh as it went the way of the dodo bird in the early '80s. I was given 11 tins about 8 years ago. Word of caution - one tin was completely dried out beyond resurrecting and another tin was pretty dry but still smoke-able. The others were in excellent condition. 2nd warning, this old tobacco dries out very quicklyl I was present when a friend opened up a tin of Cope's Escudo last fall and although the tin has a faint "whoosh" when opened, the tobacco was very dry and needed re-hydrating. Even after this, it smoked hot. So, no tin is guaranteed to last several decades.

The blends I have found that age most significantly are:

1. Peter Stokebye's Luxury navy Flake, which starts out as a very enjoyable "B" grade smoke for me, but becomes a solid A smoke after two years and is even better with 5 years.

2. GLPease's Montgomery, which when fresh is a B- for me (sorry Greg) but with 3 years of age is wonderful ... outstanding. Now I have to go buy tons of this blend to smoke in 2014, God-willing. The same seems to hold for GLPease's Telegraph Hill as well.

3. McClelland's 2010 and 5100 are much better after just a year of aging, and improve beyond that at 2 years and even more at 5 years.

FWIW and YMMV, Cheers,

TC