New Tobaccos

Woodsman

A lot of us are always trying new blends. Is there one that's new to you that has impressed you? Newminster is a newer blender on the market and I've been pleasantly surprised by their Ultimate English and Superior Navy Flake.

judandhispipe

I have enjoyed my exploration of the Astley's line. This is not a new line; they've been around a long time; but they don't get a lot of notice.

Bphasty

Well not a new tobacco (I don't think) but new to me was the Ole Shenandoah line of Aros (especially Barrel 76) & I really like them a lot!

piperdave

I recently tried Dark Red by Lane and I think that is a really good Aro, burns pretty cool and has a nice flavor. The room note isn't bad either.

dbh1950

After the finding of the Country Squire Tobacco on This Pipe Life, I decided to try several of their blends. I found the Parson's Blend particularly enjoyable, with a complexity of tobaccos which gives different flavors as smoked. Ordered more prior to heading West to visit family in Nevada. Getting ready to load a pipe, go out and contemplate what outside work I can place on my, put off till tomorrow list. 

pwkarch

Yes, our friend Motie turned me on to Sutliff Vanilla Custard, and Sutliff Barbados Plantation, both of which I ordered, received, and have been smoking here of late.

I like the Barbados Plantation, but I am in love with the Vanilla Custard. I am almost exclusively an aromatic kind of guy with very impromptu forays into other types of tobaccos for short smokes just for giggles. I love most of the Lane Bulk tobaccos such as Dark Red, Vanilla Black Cavendish, BCA, RLP-6, and several others. I love Sutliff Creme Brulee, some of the McClelland blends, and I really enjoy Carter Hall.

But, because of Motie I am already the proud owner of a pound and a half of the Vanilla Custard and I am about to order 2 pounds more for the "cellar". This blend smokes so well in every pipe I have used, and it really smokes well when I load a cob late at night for the first thing in the next morning. I have a paper plate and a tamper on a pull out drawer on one of my computer desks to fill my pipes. I sit here and the aroma of the tiny bit of overfill tobacco makes my mouth water.

I do however warn all of you that I am crazy and you should not believe anything I wrote above.....and DO NOT order any of this tobacco. I will take another for the Corps and I will buy it and smoke it so no one else needs to suffer. That is just the kind of guy I am.

motie2

@pwkarch -- You write, <<I do however warn all of you that I am crazy and you should not believe anything I wrote above.....and DO NOT order any of this tobacco.....  I will buy it and smoke it so no one else needs to suffer. That is just the kind of guy I am.>>

My kinda guy. 

I just reminded PappyJoe that I'm an avid fan of TPL and smoking my pipes, but I don't especially like the taste of tobacco, hence my dedication to many of Sutliffs and other sweetly flavored tobaccos. So, I too am "crazy." And all devotees of English blends and VaPers should discount anything I write vis-a-vis tobacco. But, after a couple of former decades, smoking Balkan Sobranie and cope's Escudo, I'm pretty sharp on the care and feeding of pipes.

And once again, it's TPL, not TTPL.

PappyJoe

About a month ago I discovered Balkan Blend tobaccos even though I started smoking a pipe in 1972. I have smoked a lot of OTCs in the past and a lot of bulk aromatics from different tobacco shops. (disclaimer: I gave up smoking of all type around the house from about 1990 - 2002 because of one of our daughters asthma and allergies. During that time I smoked an occasional cigar and my pipe only on road trips and poker nights) When I started smoking my pipe again, it was the renamed bulk blends available at my local cigar shop. In fact, I didn't buy an actual tin of tobacco until about 6 years ago when I transitioned from 3 or 4 cigars a week to a daily pipe smoker again. 

Since then I have been on an odyssey of trying different blends and learning everything I can about pipes and tobaccos. My small cellar (roughly 12 lbs.) contains 60% aromatics and 40% non-aromatics. I can safely say that I enjoy all of them depending on my mood and environmental conditions. Some blends I like during the summer, some I like better when it's cool. Some I like when it's raining, some I like when it's not raining. 

I am always a fan of trying new tobaccos.

 

ghostsofpompeii

I think the newest tobacco I've tried recently is Panama Jack's Key Lime Blend. I was somewhat ambivalent when I first tried it, but it appears to be one of those tin blends I've heard from many here that actually gets better once the tin has been opened and let sit for a while. The tin note of Key Lime got more distinct - as did the flavor. I'm truly enjoying it and plan of picking up another tin or two on my next order to Pipes & Cigars - which should be soon before the bulk sale runs out.     

motie2

Just remember: All the "new" tobaccos go away if the government gets its way.......

PappyJoe

@motie2 - only the new "new" tobaccos could go away, not the "new to you" old tobacco blends.

motie2

Thanks; I knew that.

pwkarch

I FINALLY found Lane Vanilla Black Cavendish on the P&C site. What bothers me is that I asked them several times via email WHEN they would be getting it back in stock to no avail (except one time with a predicted stock date of 2 weeks, over a month or more ago). In addition to that I filled out a "notify me" form to which I also got no response. I will be happy to receive it tomorrow according to UPS. I wish I could find this blend elsewhere to enjoy a better supplier-customer relationship.

In terms of NEW tobacco I also ordered several ounces of Sutliff Burma Road. I read several reviews that indicated the "cross over" blend reminded some of incense which intrigued me greatly. Although I have mostly straight aromatics, I do on occasion dabble in some crossovers, but I do not enjoy the full on  English blends. I am not a fan of Latakia, Periques, etc., but I believe the Burma Road has minimal amounts of those tobaccos.

After I smoke a couple of bowls I will report my findings. Everyone enjoy their Sunday....................

ghostsofpompeii

@pwkarch Just curious to know if you've tried the Burma Road yet. I too am intrigued by the incense comment. Might be a nice switch up for me when I'm not in the mood for something too sweet. If you go back through the archive to about page 6 or 7 you'll see we have a topic dedicated to pipe tobacco reviews. You might consider posting there as well once you've made a determination of the blend. We'd love tyo hear your comments on the review page.

pwkarch

Ghost

I will certainly post in the Review section regarding the Sutliff Burma Road. I expect it to be delivered tomorrow, but I always smoke at least 3 or so bowls, and in different pipes to give the blend a fair "test drive" experience. As we all know, any given bowl can be an "outlier" due to temperature, humidity, wind, and the overall mindset while smoking at any given time. Today for instance, my outdoor weather station says it is 96.5 degrees here at the Jersey shore......and I AM NOT going out to smoke anything today. If I did, no matter what the pipe and tobacco combination I could use would result in a less than favorable experience.

I have however been known to take a solo drive to nowhere special in my pick m up truck in order to smoke when it is either too cold or too hot. Yesterday and today I spent cataloging my record collection order to figure out how to sell it.....turns out I have almost 300 LP albums. So I did not get to take a drive to smoke today.....yet.

motie2

@pwkarch -- https://www.smokingpipes.com/tobacco/by-maker/mcclelland/bulk/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=3968

Personally, I've tried the Lane Vanilla Black Cavendish. And I greatly prefer Sutliff Vanilla Custard.

pwkarch

Motie

You had told me that before, and I will order some of the Sutliff VBC when I place my next order. I was just interested this time to round out my cellar quantity of the Lane VBC. And I have to admit that I have somewhat of a one track mind philosophy that when I have trouble with something I won't let it go until I succeed. .That comes from my military training, a habit is sometimes hard to break.

Again I thank you for the "heads up" on the Sutliff Vanilla Custard some time back......my favorite current blend of which I now have 5 pounds jarred and in my "cellar". I can't find a way to dislike it. I mix it with multiple other blends, smoke it alone, smoke it in cobs and briars, and every smoke is great. Your recommendation relative to Barbados Plantation was a "thumbs up" as well as I have some of that stored. Fact be known I probably have enough "good" tobacco to last me a lifetime......but I can't stop trying new (at least to me) stuff. I am going to ask my doctor if he can prescribe something to help with the dreaded TAD.

bluespiper

I recently bought a sampling of Lowland Pine from the Country Squire. Notably, it contains white burley, VAs, cavendish, and latakia. I have to say, I really enjoy this blend.
I'm assuming it's the white burley that gives it sort of a woodsy taste, which I love. The VAs and dash of latakia really adds to the outdoorsy thing. Great for smoking while camping, fishing, or hiking.

ghostsofpompeii

My birthday is coming up on June 23rd, and I currently have a nice stash of tinned tobaccos my wife won't let me have until then. Most of which I've never tried before. So I'm hoping to have something to add to the conversation very soon now. 

PappyJoe

My wife caught me perusing a couple of on-line shops to see what new tobaccos are out there.

She gave me that "LOOK".

mfresa

@PappyJoe, just ignore the "look".  I know it's hard but you can do it :-)

@bluespiper, what do you mean by "woodsy"?

pwkarch

Gentlemen

I promised "the Ghost", and indirectly I suppose all who read these posts that I would review the Sutliff Burma Road after I had smoked 2 or 3 bowls.                     Executive Summary: I am not a fan.

I received my order several days ago. Upon opening the bag I was hit with an "odor" (not an aroma) of a forest fire, or perhaps creosote. I jarred the tobacco and gave it 2 days before I reopened the jar to find that the notes that I mentioned had tamed itself, then after a bowls' worth air drying for a day or so it was a shadow of its' former self.

Now before I go any further, and with my need to be fair in my judgement, I am principally an aromatic smoker. I do quite often smoke CH, PA, and some of the other similar blends as well. I have several tobacco blends in my collection that have some latakia, perique, virginias, etc. most often found in other than aro blends. I will smoke them occasionally as a change of pace however they are seldom the first jars or tins that I consider smoking.

So with that said, and with my predjudices stated, the Burma Road was just too "unusual" for me. I smoked 2 bowls, and actually emptied the last half of the second bowl as it was somewhat "bitey" and I did not care for the flavor. The suggestion in one review likened the room note / flavor as "incense" like which I admit intrigued me as I love the smell of real incense such as we have at certain Masses in my church. There was absolutely no resemblance to any incense I have ever smelled. Now I have been smoking over 50 years so I think I know how to handle my pipes, but this was just too "bitey" and it left a strange feel in the back of my mouth and throat. Retrohaling produced a burning sensation in my nostrils. The tobacco produced tons of smoke and burned very well with the tobacco that I smoked turned into a fine gray ash.

The tobacco looks great, arrived fresh and at just about the correct moisture level that would produce a happy smoke. The pipe, a MM Cob was packed correctly, the draw seemed fine, the temperature was about 80 or so, and a slight breeze on my screen porch kept the experience very nice.

My reason for offering those caveats are because I did not like this blend is almost certainly due to my personal tastes and likes. I am sure, particularly with all of the great blends that Sutliff offers many of which I smoke, that this blend is a great smoke for those who like this genre of tobacco. I will add this jar to my collection and revisit again in the near future to be certain of my evaluation.

Back to my Sutliff Vanilla Custard........

motie2

The part I find so fascinating is that since finding Vanilla Custard, I have stopped looking for a new/different vanilla flavored tobacco, and I've chased after a few, including offerings by Mac Baren, CAO, Hartwell, and C&D. 

How good is VC? If there's a better vanilla, I don't care. I'm not looking for the next big thing or something better in a vanilla anymore. As far as pipe tobacco goes, I have what I want. Contentment is mine -- Inner peace.  [Of course, I'm a flaming ball of white-hot envy over some of y'all's pipes as pictured elsewhere in TPL. Something about coveting.....]

So for me, it's come down to three blends: Sutliff's VC and Barbados Plantation, and @ghostofpompeii's Mrs. Hudson's blend, my favorite. If you are a sweet aro smoker, and I have not already over-hyped Mrs. Hudson's to you, ask Ghost or me for his recipe. And, again, Ghost, thank you for your inspired creation!

Charles

@motie2-- I placed an order with P&C for the ingredients to make up a batch of @ghostofpompeii's Mrs. Hudson's blend.  Everything except Sutliff Irish Creme is backorderd.  Must be a run on the other Sutliff tobacco components listed in this recipe. 

Saintbubbles

I've been getting into Virginia flakes and broken flakes more lately. Currently smoking McClellend's 40th Anniversary and really enjoying it. I have McClelland Blackwoods coming in the mail today. Tomorrow McClelland's St. James Woods and Rattray's Marlin Flake will be arriving. I've heard good things about all of them and can't wait to try them.

motie2

@ghostsofpompeii -- Did you see this post by @Charles?

<<I placed an order with P&C for the ingredients to make up a batch of @ghostofpompeii's Mrs. Hudson's blend.  Everything except Sutliff Irish Creme is backorderd.  Must be a run on the other Sutliff tobacco components listed in this recipe.  >>

These were blends P&C had no trouble keeping in stock.

      COMMENCE WORRYING.

mseddon

An officer of the Austin Pipe Club recently turned me on to L.J. Peretti's (http://www.ljperetti.com/) Number 8 slice. It's a Va-Per blend and I have to say it's become my favorite Va-Per, and I've been looking hard for a favorite. The slice form, really a thick flake almost a cross between a cake and a flake, is fun to prepare. The tobacco itself is a rich, complex, and very full-bodied smoke with enough perique to be a noticeable component, and you get a little tang from it, but it isn't overwhelmingly peppery or spicy. I was also glad to find out about L.J. Peretti, I'm going to have to make a trip to Boston methinks, and their online customer service was excellent.

motie2

Here's some heavy criticism from http://www.pipes2smoke.com

<<Real Tobacco or not! There is a lot of what I call fake tobacco coming out. John Cotton’s, Four Square, Capstan, Fribourg & Treyer, Murray’s, Presbyterian, etc. are all current versions that have nothing to with the originals.  I tried them and they are not even remotely similar. Some of these when offered on-line don’t even say where they are made.  This is an almost acknowledgement that they fly under false colors. This is akin to selling a Chinese Cherry car badged as a Hispano-Suiza car because the name’s trademark or copyright has lapsed. Nobody would confuse these two cars unless they had never seen the original. One guess which is which below.

     

There are a few reasons that these tobaccos cannot be made as the real ones were. Many ingredients are no longer available, the machinery often no longer exists and most importantly the knowledge has been lost. Even if all these were recoverable the tobaccos could still not be made in another country to taste the same because the water is different.  That is why the same beer brand that is made in many countries tastes somewhat to extremely different in each.

 

Interestingly neither S. Gawith or McClelland’s two of the really great blenders still working have ever tried to pass off some lesser concoction as one of the no longer made great blends of yesteryear. Their honors are earned for consistently made great tobaccos. The lesser and less skilled, if not down right unskilled tried to capitalize on others talents and pass them off as their own.

 

I tried the recently released John Cotton’s. The only thing it has in common with the real thing is they both come in a tin. Obviously brought out by somebody that either has never had the original or has no idea how to come close to it.  The JJ Fox tobaccos now made by K&K, Germany are very similar to the originals.  With skill it is possible to recreate a facsimile of a vintage tobacco. Without skill they just to put it in a tin that resembles the original and whose name is known. Aware that few people will know the difference. Caveat Emptor.>>

motie2

 No comment.

bluespiper

@mfresa  I mean it has a taste/aroma that I might compare to cedar or pine. Now, I've never tasted any kind of wood that I can recall but I made a connection through how those woods smell. Hope that makes sense. It's a great blend.

mfresa

@bluespiper, thanks I will investigate it.