I have noticed a few people on here talking about ageing snuff for a few years, is this done the same way has pipe tobacco? sealing it in jars or not opening sealed tins?

I asked this question a while back and the general concensus was that snuff is best fresh. With a whole year and a half’s snuffing under my belt i now tend to agree. That’s not to say that you can’t store snuff for a long time and it will age slightly but its, IMO, not the same as pipe tobacco as in it just tastes aged not really better. My first tin of snuff was an unopened 25 year old vac sealed J&H wilson top mill 25g bought in a closing down sale at a barber shop. While it was fine when opened it has degraded much faster than snuffs normally would over 18 months (there’s only a third left anyway). Fresh is best in my books but if it’s stored for years i’d use it fairly promptly when opened.

ok thanks! I am planing on storing my snuff in glass mason jars from Lidl to keep it as fresh as possible. I will keep them in the original tin/tub and then put those in the jars! as air tight as I can get

With pipe tobacco most of what I’ve read says that Aromatics are best fresh and pure tobacco blends are the ones that benefit from aging. As most snuffs have a scent added I would think those would always be best fresh. I suspect that few if any of the pure tobacco snuffs would benefit from aging, but Maybe.

Some snuff ages quite well. Discovered a tin of Old Paris that must have been 5-7 years old and stored well sealed in original container. Quite nice and prompted me to order more. Other snuffs may not age so well but should be fine if kept properly. (away from heat air and light) This applies to beer also. I have some 15 yr old home brewed barley wine that just keeps getting better. I also like to use Mason type jars.

Please refer to the following. Article on snuff that mentions aging. http://books.google.com/books?id=RisaAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA119&dq=fribourg+%26+treyer&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bP9qUqLUEqi9yAG2sIDACg&ved=0CFkQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=fribourg%20%26%20treyer&f=false

Interesting

Raising the topic of aging snuff here because I’ve recently had an experience of trying some snuff that I had misplaced for three or four years. The snuff in question Dholakia White. I had absolutely no love for it when I first got it; it smelled like fish food and had that ridiculously fine grind, so the black plastic “tin” was almost full. Well, the grind is obviously the same, but the fishmeal stench is now gone. It has an aroma somewhat similar to SG’s and F&T toasts; biscuity, slight sweetness, little toasty, a bit of vanilla. Wonderful stuff, this! It’s impossible to say if the tobacco has turned better because of the time, or if it’s just because every last bit of ammonia has disappeared. IMO, it’s quite possible that a dry, unscented snuff can benefit from aging.

In my opinion it is the moister darker snuffs that actually benefit most from aging. The Old Paris I found was in original tin and 6-7 years old. Quite tasty! Believe the Abraxas and Sir Walters would age well also, at least the Mull of Oa seems nicer now than when first received. Santo Domingo, Princes, Best Dark? All of my snuffs are transferred to mason style jars and stored in cellar. Perhaps @Abraxas will address this subject.

In my opinion it is the moister darker snuffs that actually benefit most from aging. The Old Paris I found was in original tin and 6-7 years old. Quite tasty! Believe the Abraxas and Sir Walters would age well also, at least the Mull of Oa seems nicer now than when first received. Santo Domingo, Princes, Best Dark? All of my snuffs are transferred to mason style jars and stored in cellar. Perhaps @Abraxas will address this subject.

Quite possible. I only have bad experiences of aging (not really aging, more like forgetting) moist snuffs, but this is most certainly because of poor storage. Coarse dry snuffs can be terrible when dried.

Please see the Google book link in my previous post (above) for references to wonderful snuff that is 20 years old ! Also a see page 123 about aging snuff.

Please see the Google book link in my previous post (above) for references to wonderful snuff that is 20 years old ! Also a see page 123 about aging snuff.

Excellent stuff, thanks or posting that!

@Jari_T Another interesting read mentioning 30 year old snuff. Just reading this now. http://books.google.com/books?id=C4pIAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs\\_ge\\_summary\\_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Ah, “The British Perfumer”, I’ve read this a couple of years ago. Good stuff! It has a wonderful toothbrush recipe, too.

There is a ridiculous caprice existing, and even on the increase among snuff takers, of purchasing their Snuffs perfectly dry. Some use them in this state; others moisten them just before use. Every one, possessing the least experience, must be well aware that Snuffs kept in a moderate state of moisture for a considerable time, acquire double the flavor they possessed when dry. From: The Smokers’, Chewers’ and Snuff Takers’ Companion, and Tobacconists Own Book. 1841

I know people put snuff in mason jars and store it in them but has anyone kept it in the original tin and vacuum pack that with a food save.

Sure would keep it fresh. May be over kill but better safe. Hard to access if you want some. Maybe that’s how they did it back in the 1700’s

I know people put snuff in mason jars and store it in them but has anyone kept it in the original tin and vacuum pack that with a food save.

That is exactly what I have done with a large amount of bulk American Scotches and Sweet Scotches.I did this for a few reasons,firstly prices are only bound to go up in the future,secondly some Scotches are not being produced any longer so I have bought bulk of everything I could find and probably most importantly who knows when the powers that be are going to decide whats best for us and ban the legal sale of tobacco products.They have already made shipping tobacco products a pain in the arse for everyone involved.

Just broke out my stash of Irish D Light. About 8+ years old. Quite nice! Properly stored in airtight container and kept in cellar.

Proper storage is always important, whether it for one year or 100. Cellar your favorites, If you like the current batch of something buy enough now the next batch may not be loved the same. Some snuffs will rust a tin even Vac packed, Aluminum has a tendency to decay, Plastic is permeable. So air tight glass is the best option. Protect your investment, Store in usable amounts. If you buy 400 grams, 2 oz jars will hold close to 50 grams, so you can have eight jars instead of opening one big jar to fill your snuff box. This insures the remainder of your snuff stays as fresh as the day you decant it. There is more than one reason to cellar snuff. :-B

I put it in a large jar and use that to fill a small jar and use the small jar to fill snuffboxes, that way I only have 1 large jar and 1 small jar instead of a bunch of small jars everywhere

Very interesting and useful comments. I need to get a large supply of airtight jars. Unfortunately, I only a few, and have actually put some bulk snuff in empty plastic vitamin bottles. They are adequate, but not good. I have found that some of my older snuffs, as mentioned in this thread, have improved in flavor. Especially F&T Princes, and SG Black Rappee. The Indian snuffs seem to keep well, and lose a little flavor, but still are quite nice and usable, even when stored in those tins. All my F&T snuffs either get a slice of carrot, or a piece of orange peel about every two months to keep them “fresh”. I really enjoyed the link to the “Snuff and Snuff takers” on Google Books. Thanks for posting it, it was a very good read. I really enjoy the old books, and the excellent language they use in describing snuffs, mixtures, etc. I always look forward to finding such gems here. I can’t discuss snuff or snuff taking with anyone I know, another reason I love this site.

I like the idea of the carrot, apple or citrus peel to hydrate but think I would caution that you should limit it’s direct contact with the snuff itself. My reasoning is this. I tried same with pipe tobacco some years back and found that if I let these things sit in direct contact with the tobacco I had a fairly good chance of developing mold - which is never a good thing, Once I separated it - say with a bottle cap, piece of waxed paper or something else - the problem seemed to be avoided. So the bottom line is, good to keep things hydrated, the subtle flavor nuances of these natural ingredients is good and avoid mold where you can. CHEERS!!!

I recently used a piece of carrot to rehydrate some snuff. It worked very well but I would caution using a small piece - easier to add more moisture if needed than end up with ‘snuff mud’. I put about 1cm3 of carrot in a GH tub and the snuff was almost ‘wet’.

I have a 3 year snuff, that a kept in a jar, but you have to be careful where you store it, because if it is too humid, mold can develop visit this site https://www.swisscubancigars.com/index.php/cohiba-cuban-cigars.html

Keenly aware that both my snuff needs will not likely abate- requiring a steady stock and the fact that the tropics are a perfect environment to breed molds, I will apply the lessons learned here. Those being to stock up, care for my cherished stock and enjoy myself.

who knows when the powers that be are going to decide whats best for us and ban the legal sale of tobacco products.They have already made shipping tobacco products a pain in the arse for everyone involved.

@outlawmobile. You have successfully scared me into needing to buy 2 400 gram bags of Toque toast. I figure that will keep the longest. I sadly found out rustica is not in a 400 gram bag.

@Jari_T Another interesting read mentioning 30 year old snuff. Just reading this now. The British Perfumer: Being a Collection of Choice Receipts and Observations ... - Charles Lillie - Google Books

The language is rather overwrought, but MAN, that’s awesome. And from 1839…! EDIT: Oops. Quoted the wrong link, but that’s pretty cool too.

I see cases of very old snuff on ebay pretty regularly. Maybe some people just like it like that.

Just broke out my stash of Irish D Light. About 8+ years old. Quite nice! Properly stored in airtight container and kept in cellar.

Um, what is a cellar? I have a basement, but, it stays around 95F, because there is a large heater there. Can I just put it in ziplock bag in the bottom drawer of the fridge until I find some jars…

Yikes, 95F? My cellar is 65F in the heat of the summer and 40F in the dead of winter. Definitely don’t put snuff in a 95F degree environment, that’s mold heaven. I once put a carton of American Spirit rolling tobacco in my hot attic storage area and it got quite moldy quite quickly.

@jpsavage Very interesting google book find! Especially the part about “powder of post”, made from the sweepings of the floor and sold as snuff. And pawning snuff, and guys who pretend to be sailors, selling supposedly captured snuff in ports, etc. This is a real gem of snuff esoterica. Many thanks.

I thought I would resurrect this threat and share my experiences with ‘aging’ various varieties of snuff.

The first thing I would say is that it definitely depends on the type of snuff.

SG’s Kendal Brown original

My experience of SG’s Kendal Brown original is a good example of what good and bad can come of aging a scented snuff. I had had a previous tap box  which was awesome at least until it completely dried out (my attempts at rehydrating never restored the original delicious aroma).  

I then purchased a 25 gram tin. When it arrived and I popped the top I found the scenting overwhelmingly strong and not very nice. Nothing like the tapbox.

After 6 months however the scent had eased off and it was fantastic again. 6 months again and while the moisture was still there the scent has mostly evapourated. Its still okay but not as good as it was. I can see why SG load them up with scent if there is a possibility they are going to sit on a shelf for a year or more.  Also your experience of the snuff is going to be completely different depending on what point you get it at. 

One of my first snuffs was a WoS Sherry.  This little tin was quite old  - all the scent was gone but the tobacco had matured into a beautiful cigar like snuff. When I bought a new tin it was nothing like the previous one and I have never found another quite like it. Clearly that first tin was a special batch at least in terms of the quality of the base tobacco which I find with WoS to be patchy at best. The new tin has not aged gracefully - the tobacco has that wet dog/wet cardboard smell/taste. Ive similar experiences with J&H Wilsons Medicated no 99 and Top Mill #1. The scents dissipate and what happens after that depends entirely on the quality of the base tobacco - if its good it just gets better - if its not it just gets worse.

SWS St James Parish. 

The first 15g tin of this I scored was fantastic and its still my number 1 desert island blend. It burns like hell - has an atrocious back drip and the forward drip is no better - but the aroma is amazing and its strong with a nice slow release nic kick - perfect for a 3pm pick me up.

2nd tin was awful when i got it. Full of ammonia and all sorts of other off flavours - 1 year down the track and its almost as good as that 1st tin. Another year  - well I know its going to get even better (note to self  - get another 50g tin to cellar)

WoS HDT #22

Great when it arrived - unfortunately the really dry powdery snuff seems to absorb moisture over time and this seems to ruin them. If I had transferred it to a better container - ie not left it in the WoS tin it came in - I think it would be still going strong. Certainly the Havana Toast and Lundy Foot toasts in the SWS tins ar ekeeping these two in good shape.

Abraxis Premium Fin

again Ive kept this one in the fridge the whole time as per instructions. Hasnt changed much at all - perhaps mellowed/melded and improved a little -  I do seem much more inclined to take the occasional pinch.  A great snuff.

I keep all snuffs in the fridge, all 10 lbs so far of various types in original containers whether tins, glass, plastic, Old Mill, WoS, dk, Viking, SWS, SG, Rosinski, Bernard, 6 Photo, 41 Photo to name most of the name…for well over 9 monts now and all of them are as fresh as when I received them. Suspended apparently in that state which is fine…if there is aging to be done I may be missing out, but freshness seems to be most important and all of them are fresh and haven’t lost a thing to date. Fortunate to have a wife who allows me an entire shelf of large plastic tightly sealed containers in which original containers are stored in, and only moans occasionally. YMMV but highly recommend this approach for long term storage.

Schmalzlers don’t age well , best to use them up in one or two years. Even stored properly they get weird 

I’d suspect snuff manages as well as pipe tobacco does.

Keep it cool and dark, in a very clean, sealed glass container.  At least, as I am quickly amassing a respectable pile for a layman snuffer, I hope so. 

This is just my personal opinion on the subject and it’s highly likely I’m wrong.  It won’t be the first, or last, time for that to happen.

I think there’s a major difference between storage & maintenance and aging.  Some leaf varieties age well; particularly flue cured Virginia, because of their natural sugar content. 

Others don’t age well at all, but with proper storage can maintain their character over time. Burley comes immediately to mind.  

When I think of ‘aging’ I infer some improvements or changes over time.  Long term storage, to me, means the tobacco doesn’t deteriorate.  

For snuff, as opposed to pipe weed, I’ve had great success with maintenance, and only one (accidental) success at aging; a lost tin of HDT that got even better after bouncing around under the car seat for God knows how long.  Side by side with a new tin it had gotten much better and showed more layers of scent versus the fresh tin.  This leads me to think that there’s a high percentage of flue cured in HDT