Does your smoking tendencies match your cellar?

[AimlessWanderer]

This crossed my mind earlier today...

Plain Virginia and Virginia Perique blends currently account for 45% of my ageing stash. However, they don't command that much of my smoking time. Maybe half that, at a guess. The 9% that is blends with Latakia doesn't win 9% of my smokes either. They're hardly ever touched.

Most of my smokes actually tend to be with something topped or cased, even though that's only about a third of my stash. I can buy that as needed though, and it doesn't need as much age for me to really enjoy it. So while my cellar matches my needs (plain stuff aged longer, topped stuff smoked fresher), it doesn't reflect what I actually smoke most (consumption ratios). If I never bought another ounce, I'd easily run out of topped stuff first, if I didn't force myself to ration it.

As you guys tend to cellar for different reasons (avoiding price hikes, and ensuring future access, etc), do your cellars better represent what you actually consume? Or have you gone for what ages best too?

 

[RazorbackFan]

Yes, my cellar composition aligns very closely with the blends/genres that I actually smoke, but this is due largely to the good fortune I have in the USA to trade and sell easily and frequently. I don’t take it for granted. I’ve seen your posts about tobacco prices surging in the UK.

I’ve been really lucky to have met a lot of guys in this hobby to trade with and sell to. If not, my cellar might be much less aligned with what I actually smoke.

Aging is sort of a secondary reason for me, not a primary. I focused on the blends I love and never want to run out of because they are awesome to me, even fresh. If they get better with age, that’s a bonus.

I do honestly worry about aging some of my pipe tobacco and cigars to death, though. Surely they will go downhill at some point in the years/decades ahead, right? Hope not!

Good question/discussion starter!

 

[brandaves]

I'd say my cellar break down matches my tastes pretty well but I'll echo @RazorbackFan on the trading/selling point. I have a lot of blends cellared that I've never even tasted based on the recommendations of people with similar tastes and/or a blends constituent components. On the off chance I find a blend that I don't care for then I'll have some aged trade stock to trade or something I could sell to purchase something I do like. There are a handful of blends I bought early on that I regret buying so deep, aromatics especially because I rarely smoke them, they won't age particularly well and their trade stock is low. Overall though I'm happy with my cellar and will continue to add VA and VaPer blends primarily.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I do honestly worry about aging some of my pipe tobacco and cigars to death, though. Surely they will go downhill at some point in the years/decades ahead, right? Hope not!

That's another reason (aside from funding limitations) that I didn't get in too deep. I'd always got 5 to 10 years in mind as to the "reach", although I do expect I'll lose some to spoilage, faulty seals, pin holes in pouches etc, along the way.

I took a sniff of some Squadron Leader earlier on today. I've lost track of how long it's been in the jar. Maybe three years. All the blond leaves are now more of a chocolate brown, and the scent is a lot richer than I remember it. Definitely an outdoor smoke.

The reason I decided to crack it and stick my nose in, was to see if the Latakia seemed muted yet, but it's more like everything else has "ripened" to the same depth and pungency. What I expect each blend to do, might not reflect what it actually does.

 

[brandaves]

I do expect I'll lose some to spoilage, faulty seals, pin holes in pouches etc, along the way.

This is why I mylar in such small portions. I very rarely cellar anything in larger then 2 oz (50g +/-) portions. If I lose 2 oz that'll suck...but not as bad as losing 8.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

There are a handful of blends I bought early on that I regret buying so deep, aromatics especially because I rarely smoke them, they won't age particularly well and their trade stock is low.

Don't write them off too quick, Brandon. In 2017 I bought some 2013 Sam Gawith seasonal Cavendish aro, and it was really nice. Less like I'd expect a Cavendish aro to be, and more like a topped Virginia Burley. The topping had relaxed a bit, while the non-Cavendish tobaccos were playing a fuller role. At the time I didn't understand the what and why, it was just a great smoke, but I now have a few Cavendish aro blends sleeping, hoping for them to do the same.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

This is why I mylar in such small portions. I very rarely cellar anything in larger then 2 oz (50g +/-) portions. If I lose 2 oz that'll suck...but not as bad as losing 8.

12.5g here. Four pouches per tin for rubbed and flake. Plugs are in 25g pouches. So I get to smoke 1/4 of a tin while the rest is still cooking.

 

[Benzadmiral]

My "stash" (I wouldn't call it a cellar) matches what I smoke for sure. Codgers and other burleys, some Virginias. I have some Englishes, but not much, and I don't smoke those often at all.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

My "stash" (I wouldn't call it a cellar) matches what I smoke for sure. Codgers and other burleys, some Virginias. I have some Englishes, but not much, and I don't smoke those often at all.

Our "codger" blends are Lakelands, shag tobaccos, and bitey (apparently, never tried 'em) aromatics. If I was to be caught without baccy in town, and wanted to grab a bit to smoke, until I got back to my stash, it would probably be a shag tobacco. I'm quite partial to the Cherry and Vanilla, and Blueberry shag tobaccos I can easily get hold of here (Gawith's of course). No Cavendish, just gold or mixed Virginia based shag, with a little extra flavour. Not something I would lay away for a rainy day, or would bother trying to age though. Just a simple grab-n-go baccy I can get from at least two local newsagents within walking distance.

I grab some occasionally for quick smokes too. Remember the Sherlock Holmes quote about the three pipe problem, and not wanting to be disturbed for 45 minutes? Shag tobacco in small pipes. Cellar quantity, nil, but maybe 10% of my smokes.

 

[bberg100]

About 50% Virginias of assorted blends, about 30% English/Balkan/Latakia blends, remainder is assorted burleys & codgers, with a splash of aeros.

The burley and codgers get the most use.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

About 50% Virginias of assorted blends, about 30% English/Balkan/Latakia blends, remainder is assorted burleys & codgers, with a splash of aeros.

The burley and codgers get the most use.

Did you intentionally stock up the Virginia's and English for ageing, knowing the codger blends would still get smoked more often?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I have some Englishes, but not much, and I don't smoke those often at all.

Dark blends are what I tend to smoke, when others might reach for a Latakia blend. Revor Plug, Dark Plug, Westmorland Slices, etc (none of which I would recommend to you though, as they are way too potent). They give me a good meaty smoke, but without the stench or dirty mouth feeling from Latakia. If I want something less heavy, GH American Black and Brown is a Cav aro with molasses topping, which gives a nice rich flavour, but with far less potency.

 

[KellyG]

Yes, more to less. When I returned to pipe smoking after a 30+ year absence, I was amazed at the purchasing opportunities brought on by the internet, especially living in an out of the way place. That, coupled with the influence of pipe smoking forums and retirement in the not distant future, led me to a rapid accumulation of tobacco. As my tastes in tobacco refined I found some of my cellar, perhaps, over represented. For the most part however, my cellar reflects what I smoke most often, VaPers, VaBurs, VaOrs, Burley Blends, English, Balkans and only a few Aromatics. I'm relatively happy where I am cellar wise.

 

[bberg100]

Did you intentionally stock up the Virginia's and English for ageing, knowing the codger blends would still get smoked more often?

No, but I need to be in the right mood to really enjoy them. The burleys are always on the desk easy to grab.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

No, but I need to be in the right mood to really enjoy them.

I can definitely relate to that.

 

[nortac]

My cellar doesn't really represent what I currently smoke most often, but that may change over time, or not. As a noob and afraid of impending regulations, FOMO bit me hard and I stocked up on many of the recommended blends without having the experience under my belt to choose more wisely. Hopefully I'll grow to appreciate most of them over time. I'll never "need" to purchase any tobacco again in my lifetime. I may occasionally buy a tin of something else to try. But I probably have enough of what I like to last me for the foreseeable future.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I stocked up on many of the recommended blends without having the experience under my belt to choose more wisely.

A lot of my early intake was purely based on recommendations and guesswork too. There are a few which I wish I hadn't got, but thankfully not many, as I went wide rather than deep. I don't know for certain, how they or my tastes will develop over the years ahead, but I do know they'll only be opened in the event of having nothing else left.

 

[gpjoe]

Yep. I would guess 80% of my stash is codger blends, so it's just the way I want it. I may have over-bought on the aros early, but I'll get through them eventually.

 

[OkieStubble]

I keep a very minimalist cellar and am a very minimalist pipe smoker. I’m sure the small stock I keep will still get plenty of time to age.

 

[gewoon ik]

Yes. Not all blends i have are smoked, but they fit in my "what i like" bracket.
So most Virginia based blends like vaper and vabur or combinations.
Some latakia, but a small bit.