old
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Post by old on Feb 11, 2021 17:02:05 GMT -5
I've been missing from the pipe community for a while and although I stashed a good amount of tobacco over the years, I've been reacquainting myself with what's available currently, both tins and bulk. What I find is a lot of my go-to blends are extinct. I've been trying to figure out if it's a change in tastes, the demise of blenders, or was I enjoying blends not popular enough to survive. Certainly McClelland closing is a surprise for me, and accounts for a good portion of my disappointment, but I see a big increase in aromatic offerings on the market. I wonder if it's the lack of quality tobaccos that can stand on their own that has influenced the blenders to sauce up their leaves ,,,,maybe I'm way off base and I freely admit I'm just getting back in the swing of things,,,, just thinking out loud I guess.
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Post by terrapinflyer on Feb 11, 2021 17:15:57 GMT -5
I don't know about quality of leaf available, but I think that was part of McClelland closing. There are plenty of minimally cased blends still around. What were the blends you liked?
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Post by Ronv69 on Feb 11, 2021 18:13:21 GMT -5
There is definitely a shortage of quality tobaccos, but fortunately we can get most anything we need so far. McClelland's couldn't get the best Virginias anymore, KBV is burning through the best remaining tobaccos. Most of us just won't notice the substitutions in our daily blends, but Wilke is recently ran out of Latakia and Perique.
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Post by urbino on Feb 11, 2021 20:45:06 GMT -5
I've been missing from the pipe community for a while and although I stashed a good amount of tobacco over the years, I've been reacquainting myself with what's available currently, both tins and bulk. What I find is a lot of my go-to blends are extinct. I've been trying to figure out if it's a change in tastes, the demise of blenders, or was I enjoying blends not popular enough to survive. Certainly McClelland closing is a surprise for me, and accounts for a good portion of my disappointment, but I see a big increase in aromatic offerings on the market. I wonder if it's the lack of quality tobaccos that can stand on their own that has influenced the blenders to sauce up their leaves ,,,,maybe I'm way off base and I freely admit I'm just getting back in the swing of things,,,, just thinking out loud I guess. I am very similarly situated. Coming back after 15 years away. And I'm noticing the same things, pretty much. A lot of the old favorites are gone (or as good as gone). OTOH, there are a lot of new blends to try, and lots of blends I didn't try the first time around. |
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Post by qmechanics on Feb 14, 2021 1:09:27 GMT -5
All I can say is thank the heavens for Captian Black Grape!!!!
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Post by daveinlax on Feb 14, 2021 1:12:37 GMT -5
All I cansay is thank the heavens for Captian Black Grape!!!! I heard yesterday that’s been discontinued now too!  |
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Post by qmechanics on Feb 14, 2021 1:13:12 GMT -5
All I can say is thank the heavens for Captain Black Grape!!!! Still the most cellared tobacco in the world!!!  Oh my.... Say it isn't so Joe or should I say Dave ( daveinlax )!!! |
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Post by terrapinflyer on Feb 14, 2021 10:30:53 GMT -5
Synchronicity. I just thought of Captain Black Grape this morning. I shuddered a little at the thought, but still...
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Post by Cramptholomew on Feb 14, 2021 11:25:42 GMT -5
I think part of the problem is that manufacturers are blending and packaging young tobacco. Houses like McClelland would buy high sugar quality VAs, and age them before blending and packaging. Syrian Latakia is no more, and at some point Cyprian will go away. Quality orientals are hard to get. Honestly, most of my intake has become G&H, Sam Gawith, and other European blenders. Seems they're able to keep quality standards high, but they've become hard to get. Coming into the US in dribs and drabs. Sutliff has upped their game recently with several offerings. Most stuff, though, especially C&D, requires at least a couple years of aging by the customer to mellow out, and improve - IMO.
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Post by puffy on Feb 14, 2021 12:15:02 GMT -5
In the past here in Carolina tobacco was a main cash crop.Tobacco though is a hands on labor intensive crop..Most farmers these days grow things that can be done with machines..Very little tobacco is grown here any more..It's probably that way most other places as well.I'm guessing that quality tobacco is getting harder to come by..
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old
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Post by old on Feb 15, 2021 6:26:07 GMT -5
I went surfing around looking for some straight Virginias. Feel like I'm starting all over again,,,"out of stock" seems the norm. I wonder if this is backlash from the anti smoking campaigns affecting tobacco growers by reducing demand/profit.
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Post by terrapinflyer on Feb 15, 2021 11:40:57 GMT -5
I think  hit that nail on the head with his posts above, regarding premium American tobacco. There is some demand, as evidenced by the speed that a drop from either Gawith disappears. That is probably due to hoarders and possibly speculators in fear of anti-tobacco zealots and legislation. |
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rokerdepipe
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First Name: Eric
Favorite Pipe: Sara Eltang bent Rhodesian
Favorite Tobacco: Presbyterian Mixture (and a bunch of others!)
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Post by rokerdepipe on Jun 8, 2021 8:05:21 GMT -5
It's quite challenging and a bit disheartening to say the least. The best one can do is buy what you enjoy smoking (whenever and however you can) and stick it away.
The availability of our old blends will never be better than it is today; right now. Because with each day forward, the potential to lose a blend increases.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2021 14:26:20 GMT -5
There are not so good aromatics on the market and there are excellent that are available: St Bruno, most of the G & H, Erinmore Flake, University Flake, Mac Baren Navy Flake and others I certainly forget.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jun 8, 2021 15:04:18 GMT -5
You can't go wrong with Wilke aros. Even if you don't like aros.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2021 16:11:23 GMT -5
You can't go wrong with Wilke aros. Even if you don't like aros. Wilke's Rum Cake is excellent! |
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flatwatermonte
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First Name: Trevor
Favorite Pipe: Whichever one is in my mouth
Favorite Tobacco: McC Dark Star
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Post by flatwatermonte on Jun 28, 2021 7:08:45 GMT -5
I think hit that nail on the head with his posts above, regarding premium American tobacco. There is some demand, as evidenced by the speed that a drop from either Gawith disappears. That is probably due to hoarders and possibly speculators in fear of anti-tobacco zealots and legislation. Not to mention that a large majority of McClelland smokers have switched to these higher quality European brands. I, for one, have substituted quite a few Sam G blends into my rotation and have slowed down on smoking through my remaining McClelland cellar. There is definitely more demand on the higher end producers. Add into that equation that the majority of pipe smokers today are more like wine connoisseurs. We may smoke several bowls a day, but we are smoking higher quality blends than our forefathers did. There are still some that burn through two cans of Prince Albert or SWR a month, but I believe that the majority of us go through two to three tins of higher quality tobaccos instead. A mentor of mine here, who for years smoked the same pipe everyday, with the same Prince Albert in it, recently discover H&H Bold Kentucky. Now instead of 2 to 3 cans of Prince Albert a month, he burns about a pound of Bold Kentucky instead, going from 6-8 bowls a day to 3-4. He has even been adding pipes to his rotation after discovering that letting a pipe rest a day makes for a better smoke. |
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Post by terrapinflyer on Jun 28, 2021 21:16:39 GMT -5
I think that's probably true of newer pipers and higher-end blends. It's shown that drinkers are going that way, with quality over quantity. Natty Ice still sells like crazy, but people are turning to craft beer and small-batch whisk(e)y and the like.
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Post by Legend Lover on Jun 30, 2021 7:57:01 GMT -5
There are not so good aromatics on the market and there are excellent that are available: St Bruno, most of the G & H, Erinmore Flake, University Flake, Mac Baren Navy Flake and others I certainly forget. You've put me in the mood for some St. Bruno. I forgot that I had some... I liked it. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2021 13:56:25 GMT -5
There are not so good aromatics on the market and there are excellent that are available: St Bruno, most of the G & H, Erinmore Flake, University Flake, Mac Baren Navy Flake and others I certainly forget. You've put me in the mood for some St. Bruno. I forgot that I had some... I liked it. I hope you're enjoying it! |
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Post by Legend Lover on Jul 4, 2021 7:13:51 GMT -5
You've put me in the mood for some St. Bruno. I forgot that I had some... I liked it. I hope you're enjoying it! I haven't had a chance to try it yet! |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2021 11:09:00 GMT -5
I hope you're enjoying it! I haven't had a chance to try it yet! What are you waiting for?  Get on with it!  |
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Get on with it! 
