|
|
Post by Wolfman on Apr 24, 2019 16:18:17 GMT -5
There is a great deal of uncertainty these days when it comes to the future of pipe tobacco. Will internet sales be outlawed? Will production of Cyprian Latakia cease? Will my favorite blends be available ?
I’m not going to panic and spend the mortgage and milk money on tobacco. At the same time, I won’t ignore reality.
I put together a list of some of my favorite blends that are readily available so I can slowly stock up.
The list is not absolute, nor entirely accurate. It’s more of a starting point for me.
Balkan : BlackHouse, Balkan Supreme and Plum Pudding Special Reserve
Virginia: Samuel Gawith FVF, C&D Opening Night and Sutliff 515 RC-1
VaPer: H&H Louisiana Red, C&D Telegraph Hill
VaOr: C&D Sunday Picnic, GLP Embarcadero
Burley blends: C&D Billy Budd Blonde and Pegasus, Wessex Burley Slice, Solani Aged Burley Flake and Mac Baren HH Burley Flake
|
|
|
|
Post by roadsdiverged on Apr 24, 2019 16:30:26 GMT -5
Looks like a good list to me. I'm currently stacking my favorites DEEP as well. Mostly the VA's  |
|
|
|
Post by pepesdad1 on Apr 24, 2019 16:36:57 GMT -5
Sam, I'd like to suggest butternut burley...pretty much everyone I know (not many) like it. If you haven't tried it yet, I suggest that you do.
I just asked Josh get me a pound, when he ordered his other stuff, to add to the few pounds I already have.
also Bengal Slices which is somewhat like Plum Pudding SR. Perhaps some PS English Oriental Supreme and Arango Balkan Supreme...all are really good tobaccos and I try to keep plenty on hand.
|
|
SCF Dan
Full Member
Posts: 524
Location:
|
Post by SCF Dan on Apr 24, 2019 16:37:22 GMT -5
All great choices.
I've taken to stocking up on things I like when someone's running a big sale. The last 25% P&C sale had me stocking up on Black House, White Knight, and Fire Storm. Previous sale was a load up on 515 RC.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
Location:
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2019 17:01:21 GMT -5
Sam, that’s a great selection of tobacco’s. Stock up on what you really enjoy, look for sales and go as deep as possible 👌👍👍 This is half the enjoyment of the hobby of pipe smoking !!!
|
|
xingpao
New Member
Always working on my cellar!
Posts: 49
Location:
|
Post by xingpao on Apr 24, 2019 19:24:54 GMT -5
Change is in the air for sure. I am trying to develop my cellar as much as I can this year for sure.
|
|
stone
Full Member
Posts: 996
First Name: Jeff
Location:
|
Post by stone on Apr 24, 2019 19:28:52 GMT -5
Damn! I wish I knew enough to know what to stock up LOL
|
|
|
|
Post by sperrytops on Apr 24, 2019 19:42:06 GMT -5
Doing the same. Putting in a monthly order to stock up on my favorites.
|
|
chasingembers
Senior Member
Posts: 1,911 
First Name: Duane
Favorite Pipe: My Growing J. Everett Collection, Fifteen Day Bruce Weaver Set, Meerschaums, Oguz Simsek Skulls
Favorite Tobacco: Black Frigate,Solani Silver Flake, Yenidje Highlander, Angler's Dream, Watch City Slices, Salty Dogs, Mephisto, Ennerdale Flake, Rich Dark Honeydew, 1792 Flake
Location:
|
Post by chasingembers on Apr 24, 2019 20:08:14 GMT -5
Been putting away for thirty years. Now I just buy for fun and a little extra bolstering.
|
|
|
|
Post by blackmouth210 on Apr 24, 2019 22:07:17 GMT -5
Just a general note:
If you have been smoking a pipe regularly (several times a week) for less than 5 yrs, your tastes in pipe blends is still going to change quite a bit.
If you don't smoke regularly, then it'll change quite a bit over an even longer stretch of time.
Some of the blends you love today, you won't like in a few years. And some you don't care for today will become favorites later. And everything in between.
Ask any piper with 10+ years experience and he/she will likely tell you something similar about their evolution with the pipe.
Sometimes we come full circle with the type of blends we smoke. Most times we don't.
I never recommend a pipesmoker with less than a few years of "regular" piping experience cellar too deep no matter the doom-in-gloom rhetoric you may read/hear.
That "end of tobacco" chirping has been going about since I first picked up a pipe 20 yrs ago.
Sure the climate for this industry isn't great. But the climate wasn't great 20 yrs ago either. And there were far less avenues to get your pipe/tobacco then too.
And I also suggest newbies don't fall into the "I can always trade what I don't like" theory others preach. New pipers can lose a lot of money banking on that.
But it's your money. Your choice.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
Location:
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2019 22:09:34 GMT -5
Been going deep on Virginia's - Astley's #44, #109, F&T Virginia Cut Plug, Sutliff 515 RC 1, P.S. Luxury Twist
Virgina/Burley - G&H Best Brown #2
I think the tobacco apocalypse will hit aromatics hard first. Hording Old Toby, Butternut Burley, Trout Stream, Second Breakfast, Bass Pond and a few others. Went wide here.
I have 3 quart jars full of 5 year old perique but with that being said, P.S. Navy Flake, Bullseye and Escudo
Already have a lot of English so have not been in acquisition mode on those.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wolfman on Apr 25, 2019 7:46:25 GMT -5
pepesdad1 I’ve been meaning to ask you about Butternut Burley, as I see you smoke it often. Is it more aromatic, just a nutty Burley taste? I’m not sure why I’ve yet to try Bengal Slices. If it’s anything like SPC Plum Pudding Special Reserve, I’m gonna like it. Arango Balkan Supreme has become one of my favorite Balkan’s. The other being BlackHouse. How does Magnum Opus compare to any of the above ? I understand it’s supposed to be based on the way Russ tuned up Balkan Sobranie with Perique in the 1970s. C&D Yorktown is another one I’ve been stocking up on. At the moment, my current ‘favorite’ is Sutliff 515 RC-1. It’s great solo and makes a great base as some of the other Patchers have sent me their mixtures. Also the three new Sutliff Crumble kake blends are very good. The price point sucks. - 1.5 ounces at $11 .
|
|
captblack
Junior Member
Posts: 224
Favorite Pipe: Peterson, Tsuge, Savinelli
Favorite Tobacco: Aromatics and English Blends
Location:
|
Post by captblack on Apr 25, 2019 10:18:35 GMT -5
It sounds to me like you know which blends you prefer and that you have a plan to cellar what you enjoy. Go for it. I tend to avoid cellaring "wide" but I do cellar "deep" with what I like. Sure, it can backfire someday, but if you talk to anyone who missed out on cellaring the old McClelland blends or the Dunhill blends that they enjoyed, you would hear a different story. Nowadays, some McClelland blends are going for over $100/100g tin on eBay and there will always be a market for tobacco.
|
|
|
|
Post by roadsdiverged on Apr 25, 2019 10:28:57 GMT -5
I keep stocking up on different types of blends because I know my taste will most likely change. I started with englishes and loved them, then heavy lat forward blends. For the last 6 months or so, it's been mostly Virginia's, especially reds. I've put away a good bit of 515 rc and other virginias. BUT I have also added more of everything else. I also have stuff for blending put away.
The goal for this next year is widen the cellar while still making my favorites from each category a little deeper.
|
|
stone
Full Member
Posts: 996
First Name: Jeff
Location:
|
Post by stone on Apr 25, 2019 11:02:05 GMT -5
When I first started the pipe again a month or so ago, I calculated that I had enough tobacco to last me about 15 years. I have gotten much better at packing and relighting and I have bought a bunch more tobacco and, now when I calculate, I have enough to last about 5 years. The only variable in the equation is the number of bowls per week. I guess I'm screwed  |
|
mpuffington
Junior Member
Posts: 215
First Name: Mario
Favorite Pipe: Currently: Ashton Pebble Grain Bent Billiard XXX
Favorite Tobacco: Currently: C&D Midnight Drive, Hearth & Home 10 to Midnight, Trout Stream
Location:
|
Post by mpuffington on Apr 25, 2019 11:16:04 GMT -5
Been socking it away, basically since I started the hobby last year. Not sure how much I need to take me to "end times" though, lol. I'll just keep buying it, and cellaring it, until the party ends.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wolfman on Apr 25, 2019 11:21:00 GMT -5
I currently have four or five years cellared. I began about two years. I started cellaring wide, but that changed quickly.
|
|
|
|
Post by slowroll on Apr 25, 2019 11:21:22 GMT -5
If I can accumulate a coupla hundredweight of C&D Engine 99 and HH ODF, I'll be happy. Just need to accumulate the money.
|
|
|
|
Post by pepesdad1 on Apr 25, 2019 11:49:36 GMT -5
pepesdad1 I’ve been meaning to ask you about Butternut Burley, as I see you smoke it often. Is it more aromatic, just a nutty Burley taste?
I’m not sure why I’ve yet to try Bengal Slices. If it’s anything like SPC Plum Pudding Special Reserve, I’m gonna like it. Arango Balkan Supreme has become one of my favorite Balkan’s. The other being BlackHouse. How does Magnum Opus compare to any of the above ? I understand it’s supposed to be based on the way Russ tuned up Balkan Sobranie with Perique in the 1970s. C&D Yorktown is another one I’ve been stocking up on. At the moment, my current ‘favorite’ is Sutliff 515 RC-1. It’s great solo and makes a great base as some of the other Patchers have sent me their mixtures. Also the three new Sutliff Crumble kake blends are very good. The price point sucks. - 1.5 ounces at $11 . re: butternut burley...it is maybe considered an aro....and to me it is, but it has enough burley for me, and enough taste that is subliminal, that makes me reach for it about 3-4 times a day...which is why I stocked up on it with a couple pounds. I'm 76 and not much life left in me due to medical issues, so I think I have enough, plus the other tobaccos that I smoke...hopefully it will last the rest of my life. I find that as much as I like Bengal Slices, being in the same neighborhood as Plum Pudding and PP Special Reserve, that I can rotate between all three and be very satisfied. Because I loaded up on several aros that I like...I'm not too worried that I will run out of tobaccos that I like before I die...I try to rotate between aros, Balkans and English, that I don't get tired of any of them. I've traded some of my McClelland blends with Josh, because Va's burn my mouth if it doesn't have at least 5 years on them...then they are tolerable. Josh likes Va's and his Ph is compatible with the Va's. so I trade with him for whatever he has to fill-out some of the blends that I have, but not enough of. Josh is a close friend, and so the value difference (McClellands going for big bucks) doesn't bother me. As Martin told me once... "it is only tobacco" and he was right. If I can help a friend and give him what is no longer available (McClelland) then everyone is happy and my friend is happy...yeah, maybe I could sell it and get more ($), but I'd rather have the friendship than the money.My only suggestion to others is that tobacco is gonna get tight to get..period. You will always have something that someone else will trade you for...and that is a fact also. It may not be today or tomorrow...but somewhere down the line...someone is gonna want it, and if you have it...you have a deal! |
|
|
|
Post by Wolfman on Apr 25, 2019 12:24:07 GMT -5
I appreciate the info. Walt. I hope stick around a bit to enjoy it. You’ve convinced me to pickup some Butternut Burley and Bengal.
|
|
|
|
Post by roadsdiverged on Apr 25, 2019 12:45:21 GMT -5
Butternut Burley is a good aro. I normally have a bowl every afternoon with my coffee. On the weekends its normally first in line with my coffee as well.
Bengal is good as well. I can't compare it to PP, or PPSR, because I havent tried either one yet.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dramatwist on Apr 25, 2019 13:31:39 GMT -5
I think it's a smart move to plan for the future and discussions like this are a great way to gauge your progress. I've made sure over the years to stock WIDE (many different blends, even those I don't generally care for... meaning aromatics) and DEEP (known favorites for at least 10 years.)
Don't break the bank, but do what you can. I promise you, you'll be glad you did down the road.
|
|
