The issue of the limited lifespan of Toque snuff has been raised several times before and the response has been that it is because natural ingredients are used. It seems to me that Toque toasts have a much longer life and i would like to know why. I have two 25g tins with tiny amounts in and the snuff is still beautiful and soft despite being open for many months in a less than ideal environment in fact a tin of Toque Coke in the same place was pretty awful after only 2 weeks of being opened.
Toasts are so dry they don’t go bad very fast.
I guess because the toasts don’t have as much if any moisture to lose, so the product doesnt change much. I had some toque bourbon last night that I’ve had for probably 6 months or more and it was awesome.
[quote] … in fact a tin of Toque Coke in the same place was pretty awful after only 2 weeks of being opened.[/quote] I am curious. In which way was it awful? Do you mean that it dried out? I don’t seem to have the problems with Toque that many people are having. I have a 25g tin of Toque Absinthe that’s been sitting on my desk for several months. It has dried out a little and has lost a bit of its original pungency, but it is still quite good. No, it is not at its optimum freshness, but it’s useable.
I agree, their toasts seem to last longer. Some of the fruit and SP snuffs seem to lose their aroma very quickly, although I wouldn’t say any become “awful”. Just less flavourful. I noticed Poschl snuffs retain their aromas indefinitely - must be all the oils and waxes. I think the solution is to not stockpile too much and stick to the flavours you most enjoy.
I transfer snuff in smaller box for my daily use so I don’t open the tin more than once a day. Than I screw it as tight as I can. I think that helps to keep my toques fresh. But I empty the tins for about a month or less. I don’t have older toque.
There’s nothing wrong with stockpiling as long as you store your snuff properly. The tins are no good for long term storage. Take a few dollars with you to the nearest culinary supply shop. The small French clasp top jars (made to hold spices) are the perfect size for the contents of a 25g tin of snuff. They look good, the gasket ensures an airtight seal, they are reusable, and they cost around 99 cents each. Larger sizes are available for bigger quantities.
Like many people i keep snuff that is in use on my desk next to the computer which tends to dry them out so what i meant by awful was very dry. Don’t get me wrong it was as has been said perfectly useable but the toasts have sat in the same place for months without going through dramatic change. The thing i’m trying to get my head around is if its because of the strict usage of natural ingredients only then why do the toasts have such a long life in comparison and in no way am i trying to have a pop at Toque snuff as i love all of them. I just wish i could have lots of tins on the go at the same time.
What I do with the more moist snuffs is to immediately transfer most of the contents to a French jar, leaving a little to spoon into the Toque 10g containers that I’ve saved. Keep the 10g container near you; keep the French jar away from your computer and direct light. Your snuff will maintain its freshness while stored in a tightly sealed French jar. If you don’t want to bother buying glass jars (cheap as they are), I recommend using your used metal Fribourg & Treyer canisters. The lids have a gasket and will keep your snuff fresh. The F&T tins are by far the best out there. The Toque snuffs in question are more moist than toasts, pure and simple. The toasts really just don’t have much moisture to lose, that’s all.
Thanks for the replies i will certainly try using the Fribourg & Treyer tubes as i have plenty of empties that could be put back into service.
Just an idea, If toque snuffs dry out easily and lose thier flavor fast due to the type of tin. Wouldnt it be a great idea to use the Fribourg&Treyer type tins but in the same look as the toque tins now? Just change the lids to fully screw sealed type lids like F&T uses. I have a wide range of toque snuffs and none changed (very little if any) thus far, but i only had them now far 2 months at the longest. It will be a sad day indeed if my toque snuffs go bad. 
Just maybe somthing to think about Roderick. Changing the tin lids sound like it can improve the overall of Toque Snuff.
It has nothing to do with the lids. The Toque tins are fine. For one thing, they are much better than the tins used by Wilsons of Sharrow. The reason the F&T tubes maintain more freshness than the Toque or Wilsons 25g tins is solely due to the surface volume of exposed snuff – i.e., each time it is opened, a wider surface (Toque/Wilsons/McChrystal’s) tin exposes more surface snuff than does a narrow tube. The Toque tins close very tight and maintain a good seal. Changing the lid design isn’t going to improve on that. Again, if it takes you a long time to finish a 25g tin (as it does for me) and you wish to maintain optimum freshness, then either buy smaller tins (10g) or move a reasonably small amount into a smaller container, be it a tin you are reusing, a smash box (this is a great way to continually make use of the smash boxes the Nicotine Rush samples come in), what have you. The more you open the large container, the more the snuff is exposed to air. This goes for all snuffs, not just Toque. (Obviously, if we’re talking about American Scotches or High Dry Toast, this is hardly a concern. It’s not as if W.E. Garrett is ever going to get any drier.)
From my own experience, the F&T tins can’t be beaten for having a good seal. All the rest come second. Mind you, the Gawith Hoggarth dispensers are also pretty good. The very worst are those McChrystals red dispensers (they leak snuff for goodness sake!).
Having read this discussion I’m a bit worried about all my Toque tins! I’ve been keeping them in the plastic bags they arrived in, then packing those into an airtight plastic container… will that be enough to preserve the flavour for a long time? I’m about to put in another order to sample more flavours and get my hands on some Christmas Pudding as well, so I hope I can keep my Toque fresh even while it continues to pile up 
@thorsilver: Your Toque will be perfectly fine. There is no need to worry. Your storage method will preserve them pretty much for eternity. To reiterate: 1. There is nothing wrong with the Toque tins!! 2. Keeping ANY moist snuff near a heat source AND opening the tin frequently *will* dry it out over time. 3. Solution: keep your snuff away from said heat source. Exercise common sense and all will be fine.
Toque toasts stay fresh longer because they have magical properties.
@thorsilver: I keep my Toque snuffs in their plastic bags and store them in a steel cabinet in my office. Most of the Toque snuffs are dry or semi dry and therefor the flavor is not effected. In fact, some of them get better with time. The only one I have which lost some of it’s flavor is Grapefruit and I received it like that. It’s still very nice though. If you keep your Toques in their condoms and in an airtight container nothing will go wrong with it. You can take my word for that.
kjoerup and Pieter Claassen: Thanks! Very reassuring to hear that my storage method is sound. By way of celebration, I went ahead and ordered that big wodge of Toque products 
Ive not read the entire post so I might repeat stuff. I have snuff heaven with the following method: Keep the bulk in an airtight jar, decanted from the tin. Use a decent snuff box and put the amount you need for the day in it Btw, as said there’s not much moisture in a toast and the Toque cans are massively improved since the first ones.