sugar crystals and aging of Virginia flakes

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fumo bro

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I am new to Virginias with the exception of Rattrays Marlin Flake which has become one of my favorite smokes. From reading reviews on Virginia blends I noticed that reviewers mention that sugar crystals form on the tobacco. I imagine this is a result of an aging process. I just purchased 5 tins of Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake. I opened and sampled one tin but I did not see any crystals. I was thinking about letting the remaining 4 tins age. How long (on average) should it take for Virginias to age? Months? Years? Does the aging of Virginias really make a big difference in flavor or taste?
 
The first time I saw this, I thought it was mold.
fvf110.jpg

Pretty common to Sam Gawith blends.
This sample was jarred for a year and a half.

 
It's not really sugar, it's some precipitates from the chemical changes in the tabak. It varies how long it takes to develop - blend, storage container, etc.

Buddy
 
with cigars it is called plume or bloom. A wonderful thing to see on a cigar, now I just have to figure out how to hold on to some tobacco long enough 8)
 
fumo bro":gklcg21p said:
I am new to Virginias with the exception of Rattrays Marlin Flake which has become one of my favorite smokes. From reading reviews on Virginia blends I noticed that reviewers mention that sugar crystals form on the tobacco. I imagine this is a result of an aging process. I just purchased 5 tins of Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake. I opened and sampled one tin but I did not see any crystals. I was thinking about letting the remaining 4 tins age. How long (on average) should it take for Virginias to age? Months? Years? Does the aging of Virginias really make a big difference in flavor or taste?
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Great post and find fumo.. I was wondering about aging down the road. Also how does that Rattrays MF smoke .. Making a list for the future.. Thanks for everything too Bro... :cheers:
Chuck
 
Thanks Hermit for the nice photo. Every now and then I'll read about aged tobacco containing crystals that sparkle like diamonds. Does the white substance in the picture glitter at all? I will search the web and try to find out an example and then I'll post it.

Fumo Bro
 
Hello Buddy,

The crystals may not be sugar. If anything I would expect the sugar content of tobacco to decrease with time as a result of some type of fermentation process. Kind of like grape juice to wine. But what do I know? I'm just getting a PhD in chemistry.
 
fumo bro":8e0ddhb5 said:
Hello Buddy,

The crystals may not be sugar. If anything I would expect the sugar content of tobacco to decrease with time as a result of some type of fermentation process. Kind of like grape juice to wine. But what do I know? I'm just getting a PhD in chemistry.
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I had a wonderful Uncle named Doug who was a top chemist out of UpJohn's for over 30 years. He retired and moved up in the wilderness years ago then passed from a bad heart. He was a very smart and wise man.Two traits found together is rare these days.. He built three homes for his family by hand. Was into electronics big time ended up being one of three people who calibrated something that would read compounds via electronic equipment. He made some fantastic wine and smoked some great blends he tinkered with. I think you are right about the sugar break downs.. The first thing he taught me about natural sugars was C6H12O6 if I remember right.. He was a big nature buff and taught me about all the important things of nature and cultures. I wonder if one could set up a tank with tobacco and the ingredients to ferment tobacco then dry and cure it for a smokers dream ? Let me know what you find out.. Enjoy the weekend..
Chuck...
 
Hello Chuck,

Marlin Flake (by Rattray) is one of my favorite blends. In fact I paid a pretty penny for a beautiful Radice pipe while I was in Italy and I use this pipe exclusively for smoking Marlin Flake. In this way I get a consistent smoke without 'interference' that may arise from the residue of other blends. I highly recommend trying Marlin Flake.

Fumo Bro
:)
 
You don't need some kind of special tank. Just tins that don't rust and/or clean jars with new, good-sealing lids. After that, time in an environment that never gets outright hot.

Look for six months to make a noticeable difference, two years to be startlingly better yet, five to be revelatory and ten to be off the chart. Twenty is probably a utopian target, but who can reach it ?

GLP's riffed about this at some length at his site -- well worth reading.

:face:
 
Yak":qf16jw9t said:
You don't need some kind of special tank. Just tins that don't rust and/or clean jars with new, good-sealing lids. After that, time in an environment that never gets outright hot.

Look for six months to make a noticeable difference, two years to be startlingly better yet, five to be revelatory and ten to be off the chart. Twenty is probably a utopian target, but who can reach it ?

GLP's riffed about this at some length at his site -- well worth reading.

:face:
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Wonderful idea .. I think my basement which stays at a steady 55.F and dark would work great.. I shall use tins and then tape and date them. Also new fresh seal Mason jars.. I will even put that soft plastic wrap on the new lids just in case it try's to leak on me.. I will start storing some of my favorites for a long rainy day when I think I am much older and wiser and can talk non-stop to younger people while smoking my pipes.. Heck I might even have some older friends to shoot the bull with.. What a cool goal that is fun.. :cheers: :cheers:
Chuck..
 


This is Penzance (from an 8 oz package)... you can't buy it in Canada, so it was an early e-tail order from the US. At that time I was posting on pipes.org. Mel, who loves Penzance, said he couldn't tell anything from looking at the picture and simply said "smoke it".

Never knew if it was mold or whatever :shock: But I'm still alive after all these years :lol:
 
Hermet got it right, several of my Lakeland Flakes have that look, especially some Sam's Flake that I jarred up about 3 years past. The largest crystals I've seen on any of the Virginia tobaccos I smoke were on McClelland's in tins. I once had some Christmas Cheer from the early or mid 90s (memory fails me), that I swear I could have sprinkled on my cereal in the morning, it looked more like a sugar bowl than tobacco!

Natch
 
i bought 8 tins of 35 year old rattrays black virginia and the tin i opened was completely covered with crystals and it is delicious.
 
Cigar2you":gwz32b6f said:
i bought 8 tins of 35 year old rattrays black virginia and the tin i opened was completely covered with crystals and it is delicious.
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Whoa what a picture you put into my head.. Must have been like a Holiday in Heaven... :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Chuck...
 
Cigar2you":jnfyw1fl said:
i bought 8 tins of 35 year old rattrays black virginia and the tin i opened was completely covered with crystals and it is delicious.
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Sweet :)

Good to know too - have some of that in the cellar - now I just have to wait 34 years :)
 
VA ages well especially FVF.
I must say the best I have smoked was a 5year batch, Mudd gifted me.
You will notice a vast difference in the smoke with a year in cellar. Not to sure How long Which blend will improve over time. My cellar is a working experiment in progress. What I have heard is that VA is the best aging baccy of them all.
Some guys have blends in cellar for 10 to 15 years!!!
 
Hey Piet,

Sounds like a good idea. I would like to buy ten tins of FVF and stash them away for a few years if only I could find any. I noticed Samuel Gawith has been unavailable for some time now - do you know why? I hope that they are still in business.

fumo bro
 
fumo bro":npzprshu said:
Hey Piet,

Sounds like a good idea. I would like to buy ten tins of FVF and stash them away for a few years if only I could find any. I noticed Samuel Gawith has been unavailable for some time now - do you know why? I hope that they are still in business.

fumo bro
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Bro, FVF is made in the British Isles.
It is a small operation of just a hand full of people and all the baccy is hand pressed packaged etc. SG had no idea that their baccy would take the market by storm. They just cant keep up with production. Keep your eye on the prize at 4Noggins and Somkingpipes.
I know 4noggings limited the guys to 6 tins per order last time!!!!

Good luck, I think half the worlds FVF stash is sitting right here amongst the brothers!!
 
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