A Better Pipe Smoking Community

this is a great site, and hope to have you stick around.

I am no expert, but I would at least give the tobacco a try. Worst case you scenario you have to throw it out.

I hope you enjoy this forum, lots of good people.

If the tobacco has no evidence of mold you need to rehydrate it.

Greg Pease' method for rehydrating tobacco is to put it in a large bowl and cover it with a wet towel. Let it sit for a day or so, mixing occcasionally, until it picks up the moisture. It is a slow but conservative approach. When it reaches the consistency you want, jar it up.

Another method is to mist it, mix it, and bag it for a while to let the adsorb consistently. Quicker but it's possible to over-wet it which would risk encouraging mold.

Absolutely - you have a treasure. It's likely to be very dry. Try a few bowlfuls of it as it is - just to appreciate it in this state. Then rehydrate it slowly. While it will never be quite the same as if properly stored, it should be good. You should find the Latakia has mellowed back nicely.

...stored in a bag will completely lose their flavor over time. You did not mention if they were non-aro's or aro's. But, spray some water on it and leave it packed in a jar overnight. Then give it a try. You have nothing to lose.

You have very little to lose.
By the way, welcome to our little slice of the world.
Talk to us often.

I appreciate the welcome here. I hope to stop by often. I will try the slow rehydration after I smoke a couple of bowls of the very dry version.
Per Captain Bob's question, its a non aromatic. I think it was called Traditional English. It was purchased from Carey's Pipe Shop in N. Canton Ohio per the invoice in the box. It still smells pretty good too.
I am traveling this week but will let you know how Greg Pease method works. I assume best to use Distilled water for this experiment.

Hey Kurt "Krawdad13". I hope you can get that dog Hanna trained soon! Thank again!

Her momma, my spouse, will be a barrier to any training.

12 year old tobacco? When I was 12 we didn't have fancy Tinder Box blends. I had to smoke Rum and Maple :)

But seriously, if it's not crispy nasty dry or appallingly molded, I'd lock, load and set fire to that stuff.

I have smoked a twenty-year old cellared Virginia (not made anymore). It was NOT good!

I'll repeat what Craig Tarler has told me.

Approximate Quotation:
"When a manufacturer creates and markets a blend, it is ready to smoke, not age. It is intended to be smoked right away. It probably contains the right amount of aged tobacco's." Anyway, that is how I remember his comment.

This is not to say that a pure non-aromatic Virginia, that is seemingly harsh, could not benefit from some aging. But, be careful. I have experimented with cellared tobacco. Personally I do not do it beyond a year or two. Perhaps, the blend won't be harmed any. But, significantly improved? I doubt it a lot, based on personal information and experience. The choice is yours, of course.

I do not recommend aging tobacco that is cased or topped. Chemicals and tobacco change over time and not necessarily for the better.

If you age, age a totally non-aromatic for a year or two, and then smoke it up.

Remember, I am not a Master Blender. But I do have 48 years of pipe smoking experience. It does bother me that some folks will buy out ahead of themselves five or more years. Regardless of the price, it may just not be wise. If you insist, be certain your tobacco is stored absolutely air tight in mason jars or a tin with an unbroken seal. Believe me or not, it is still a gamble due to chemistry.

I report, you decide.

I had read some comments on the aging subject by GL Pease. While talking about his own blends he takes aging in account, he says that a particular blend should peak in X years and then start a slow decay, that X was something like 10 or 20 years, sometimes more.

I'll take a back seat to Greg Pease with much respect. You can take what he says to the bank. I was just relating my personal experience. While I do like stock, I just don't buy more than about 18 months ahead of what I smoke. I smoke up a pound per month. So, I have a respectable stock of my favorites and come next May, I will pre-order another mother-load to pick up at the Chicago Show as usual.

Capt, notice that GLP was talking about is own blends. I think that he can outsmart all the others.

The only experience that I had that might prove that something happens with time was the 1st tin of Presbyterian Mixture that I had. It was amazing, deep and strong flavor and taste, everything I could want from a VA/Oriental, the 2nd tin was nothing special, and I have the tobacco from the 3th inside a jar waiting for better days.

I'm still running my little aging experience, I have about 12oz of heritage and 4oz of Red Carpet waiting for this Christmas to taste for myself the difference between the old and the new. I'm planing to get a new 2oz tin of each in November.