40 year old pipe tobacco

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PipeLeisure

PipeLeisure

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My cousin who is also my pipe smoking buddy gave me a tin of his dads pipe tobacco Flying Dutchman (who remembers this pipe tobacco?) I know I don't...LOL. When I opened up the tin for the first time I was very disappointed, the tobacco was all dried out, stuck together and hard as a rock. I doubted myself on bringing back this 35 to 40 year old pipe tobacco. I then went to work by very carefully rubbing out this "round brick" of tobacco and placed it into a soup bowl and covered with a face towel moistened with distilled water, then wrapped the whole bowl with plastic wrap and left it for about 24 hours. After 24 hours I noticed that the tobacco was just a little to moist so I left it uncovered overnight to let it settle out a bit. The final result was almost perfect...even the aroma came back, don't smell bad at all. I packed it back into the tin and put it on top of my pipe cabinet...I still haven't introduced it to fire yet but will be very soon.
here is a pic of the tin and the tobacco after I brought it back to life.



 
Great Derek. Just make sure you sip on that tobacco because its like a shag cut and burns very quickly and hot. Hope you enjoy it.
Doc
 
Thanks doc I will keep that in mind. For some reason I'm afraid to try this stuff...LoL
 
Congrats on the smoke, let us know how it turns out once you fire it up. I am completely surprised by how long pipe tobacco stays good, much less getting better with age. I need to do a little research on the forum to see about properly storing my smoke while i'm out here. It seems that if you find a blend that you love, you should buy it in bulk as it will be good for a long, long time. My tobacco experience stems from years of smoking cigarettes, a horrible habit that I kicked in 2004. I would never smoke a 40 y/o cigarette (I know, apples and oranges)....lol.

I learn something new everyday here...thanks fellas.
 
I used to smoke Flying Dutchman, and wish I had kept one of the tins for old time sake. I now smoke CCCs version of Flying Dutchman, and enjoy it a lot. When you do smoke it, don't pack it too tight, or it'll burn hot. If you don't care for it and want to either trade or sell it, send me a PM please.
 
Wine that is aged too long turns to vinegar. Tobacco that is aged too long turns to...?
You'll have to let us know? You must smoke the old tobacco.
Milan
 
I use to smoke that stuff! As I recall, I liked it quite a lot, but, as others have said, it will set you on fire if you push it!
 
I used to buy the large tubs and mix it with other tobaccos back in the 90s. Not bad, but to be honest, not a great tobacco, and yes it burns like, well, Texas does these days. :affraid: But it mellowed out some stronger blends I had in the past.

Natch
 
i would be interested in your observations about Flying Dutchman--i used to smoke it a lot back in 1968-69--couldn't get my burley where i was living--

it could, i suppose, smoke hot and bite--i never really had much trouble with that--but do take care when you try it--

i assume this is the really old stuff, and not the modern version, which i am led to believe may be a totally different thing--if it is it should provide you with a very enjoyable experience(if it hasn't moved on over the years)--
 
Yes! I procured an unopened can of Douwe Egberts Amphora "Extra Mild Cavendish". After two hours of research online I've come to the conclusion that the can is from the late 1960's. At the moment I am re-hydrating the tobacco. It smells incredibly strong; hopefully time has refined this burly monument to yesteryear. I just can't wait to smoke something that has been harvested twenty years before my birth! Does anyone have any additional information about the age of this tobacco or even what the flavor used to be like?

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I'm going on day three of re-hydration! It's taking to the humidity but very slowly.
 
I came across a tin of 20 year old Mac Barrens pipe tobacco, I humidified and it did smoke very well, with a bit more body than new tobacco of the same type. Weather it was due to age, curing, harvest etc. I cannot say. Also, in this day and age of Ebay and Collectors. If you come across sealed vintage tobacco (say, 1960 or before) do some research, there may be so called Collectors of vintage canned tobacco out there who just can’t live without it and willing to pay a king’s ransom for sealed containers in mint condition.
 
After slowly re-humidifying (the 40+ year old can of “Douwe Egberts Amphora Extra Mild Cavendish") for one week I finally had a chance to smoke a bowl of it! Because of the slow re-humidification I found that the tobacco burns much slower than a new can of pipe tobacco. The room note was very sweet and the smoke was mild. About halfway into the bowl I discovered interesting woodsy flavors that would come and go; I would have to attribute this to the age of the tobacco. This old Cavendish was an amazing experience. I was able to truly taste the past in all of its time-flavored glory!

If you have an old can and want to try this remember to re-humidify VERY slowly and you wont be disappointed! :farao:
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superwizardpipedude":meon9bbm said:
After slowly re-humidifying (the 40+ year old can of “Douwe Egberts Amphora Extra Mild Cavendish") for one week I finally had a chance to smoke a bowl of it! Because of the slow re-humidification I found that the tobacco burns much slower than a new can of pipe tobacco. The room note was very sweet and the smoke was mild. About halfway into the bowl I discovered interesting woodsy flavors that would come and go; I would have to attribute this to the age of the tobacco. This old Cavendish was an amazing experience. I was able to truly taste the past in all of its time-flavored glory!

If you have an old can and want to try this remember to re-humidify VERY slowly and you wont be disappointed! :farao:
imag0913.jpg
Click to expand...
Congrats on a rehumidification well done! I'll keep my eyes peeled for a sample in my mailbox. ;)
 
Smoked a bit of the Dutchman in the late sixties and seventies. It was lightly flavored. Tasted and smelled nice, but was hot and bitey. Every drugstore had it in pouches.
 
This was a tobacco I tried off/on in my early days of pipe smoking. I kept several tins for years until I put them all together in one large 16 oz. tin. I will smoke a bowl once or twice a year and re-hydrate annualy. I do use distilled water on any tobacco I want to moisten and I mix one quart of distilled water with 4 drops of glycerin. I have used this simple formula for 45 years and I've never encountered any mold in any product so far.

Flying Dutchman is a strong tobacco anyway, and as has been stated, sip it slow! It does have a unique character but a little goes a long way.
 
Usually I'm the one who blames biting on the smoker's technique. However, this stuff was Rabid Badger in a Can. It was also known for its unique room note, which was immediately recgnizable, but which I remember as way too strong. It also tended to leave its mark in the briar in which it was smoked. All that said, it would be impossible to resist revisiting yesteryear by reviving and trying this Golden Oldie. Keep a popsicle handy. Good luck.
 
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