I'm going to smoke some pork ribs (first time!) on my Weber grill.

I went to grab the unopened bag of Weber hickory chips from the shelf and I notice that one of the cats had chewed through the bag (likely thinking it was cat food).

So they have been exposed to air for what I must assume is about a year (I bought them last summer but didn't use them until now).

They don't have any smell to them coming out of the bag... upon opening the bag, should I have expected a robust hickory smell? If i use them, will they turn out ok? As I soak them in water it seems I can smell the wood a bit more, but I'm concerned that they are too dried out and are therefore lacking essential oils or whatever...

I also have some of the Weber poultry blend, which is a mix of beech and apple wood, but also a bit of "caramel flavoring" which i definitely smell upon opening that bag... maybe better to use those chips although they are "recommended for poultry" and not pork?

TIA