G Pease Embarcadero

Brothers of Briar

Help Support Brothers of Briar:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

peckinpahhombre

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2012
Messages
264
Reaction score
0
A month or so I picked up 10 tins of this after I had tried it and really liked it. Since then I saw some threads on here I believe where people indicated that it was better fresh, which I interpreted as meaning that it doesn't age well. Is this true? Should I smoke my stock up in a mad dash or will this age reaonably well?
 
I've only tried Princess 'Barc fresh at the suggestions of those-who-know, and what little I have isn't aged. I figure it isn't going to go funky or bad with age, that much is for sure, but if it changes (it likely will), and it's good right now, I can't argue with it. Eventually I'll get some with age (or lose a tin behind a shelf) and note back with the experience.

8)
 
Yak":jf3eeu59 said:
It starts getting sweeter.

:face:
Just the man to chime in. What's your experience with the year-by-year progress with Embarcadero as it ages? Specifics?

8)
 
Sorry to report no usable information forthcoming.

Usual pattern as been

1) Get some.

2) Smoke it.

3) Get some more . . .

The sweetness showing up (what would you expect from Red Virginia ?) has been (since I started putting stuff back) at around the 2-years mark.

It's unexplored territory.

And, with your tongue, you're just the man to chronicle it. 8)

:face:
STAYING TUNED
 
I smoke a good bit of Embarcadero. I was given some with about three years of age on it (probably on the heavy side of an ounce). My palette can't hold a candle to Kyle's, but I'll throw a few observations out there:

--Yak is right, it get's a bit sweeter. Still, while the change in sweetness is noticeable, it's not so much that it changes the overall experience of the VA.

--It behaves like most blends do with age - everything rounds out a bit. For me, this did take away from things a bit...one of my favorite things about Embarcadero is that, even fresh, it's incredibly well rounded and nuanced, so without sharp edges to round off, it sort of homogenized things a bit...if that makes any sense.

--I wouldn't go as far as to say that age makes the blend monotonous, but it tames the unpredictable transitions between Virginia and Izmir level out a bit. For me that's kind of a downer; if you prefer a more consistent smoke from beginning to end, this might be nirvana in a bowl.

I have no idea what more than three years would do to it, but I don't know that I, personally, would want to find out. Don't take this to mean that aged Embarcadero is bad in any way. It's still quite good...my preferences lean towards something under a year old, though.
 
I've a fair amount from the first year, about three 2oz. tins left.

I've only been through one of those 2007 tins... It was wonderful. Basically, what Ian said: it's like most VA blends in that age simply rounds out the flavor "spikes" a bit.

It's like adding compression to an audio signal.

I enjoy it fresh, but at one to two years seems to be my preference... Or at least as far as I've been getting before caving in and opening tins!

I have an 8oz can from 2009... Should be interesting in another year or so... And I'll have enough to send out samples.

Perhaps a mass-tasting is afoot?
 
God damn, you guys are driving me nuts with these yummy baccies, gonna go and have a likkle cry now.........................
 
People in Florida probably wish they could grow apples ; people in Wisconsin wish they could grow oranges.

I don't think Britain has any shortage of good pipeweeds, even with the outsourcing of production.

People over here get to mooning about unobtainables from your end too. :D

:face:
 
I'm with you guys, at least with speculation on Princess 'Barc. She doesn't get wrinkles, but that youthful vigor might calm down into a more demure (but proud) nature. So, she's fussy and fun when she's young, hopefully just a bit more sweet, tolerant and direct when she's older.

Rob, I doubt suddenly Embarcadero is going to turn into 1Q after a few years, don't get too excited. :p

Embarcadero is one of those that I keep an eye out for when my tobacco shops I haunt start finding those dusty boxes of stock they "forgot about." That's how I got the Blackpoint I have from 06. Fortunately, I seem to remember alongside said Blackpoint there were a few tins of 'Barc from 07 and 08. I hesitated due to money output, and, wondering if it'd be worth getting. Now I have a challenge to complete, it seems. :lol:

Kirk, there's always something that someone can't get somewhere. This is why trading and commerce are kind of cool. :)

8)
 
Top