Crown Achievement

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thomasmartin

Can't Leave
Jul 13, 2015
324
1
Unesco world heritage
Memories from my earlier pipe smokin days come back in little pieces now. I remember having smoked this blend before 2004. Back then it was reputed (or marketed) to be "the finest blend in the world". I remember a blend heavy on orientals, some latakia, no perique, rather light and not full bodied. I cannot recall that I was really impressed by this, if so, then I would surely know it. Is the actual production any good?

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
I find the new iteration of CA more like what I smoked in the 1970's than the later blend of the 1990's. I think Lane did a good job with this and it's worth a try.

 

dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
I would say yes, very good. Well worth trying, Lane did an excellent job with the new release.

 

dmcmtk

Lifer
Aug 23, 2013
3,672
1,685
I would say English. If you like MM965, you will like Crown Achievement, I actually found a little more balanced and richer than 965.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
It's one of my tins of "good stuff" that I have yet to open. This is certainly an enticement and an encouragement. I'm always glad to learn I am holding some tasty leaf.

 

lestrout

Lifer
Jan 28, 2010
1,758
283
Chester County, PA
yo jp - a lot of pipers think of a Balkan, in terms of common current use here in NA, as an English (Latakia, VAs) with a noticeable amount of Orientals. Drilling down further, an "American English" would also have burley.
I don't know of any appellations applied in the inclusion of Perique. Then there's dark fired, Kentucky, Maryland and so forth.
Back to the OP, I hoarded a few pounds of CA when it was discontinued, and I believe it to be the 2nd generation version free of Perique. Regardless, a fresh tin of the reissue is much tastier than my hoard - a good thang, I guess. CA is more forward in Orientals than 965, being more like London, Aperitif and EMP in that regard. 965 has that delicious brown Cavendish, I would guess based on Virginia rather than the usual burley, which rounds it out.
hp

les

 

blendtobac

Lifer
Oct 16, 2009
1,237
213
When they made the new release, they went back to the original recipe. Sometime in the nineties, a bean-counter felt that Perique was too expensive so that rocket surgeon felt that black Cavendish would be a good substitute. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't Crown Achievement. When they wanted to resurrect it, they found the original recipe and followed it. I agree that the current version is much the same as I remember from the seventies.
Russ

 
P

pipebuddy

Guest
Not disagreeing, but trying to learn..... What distinguishes a Balkan from an English blend?
From what I think I figured out in that debate, a Balkan needs to have Latakia and (other) Orientals as the main players.
Now you guys have me intrigued about Crown Achievement.
@ Russ: that bean counter cannot possibly have been a pipe smoker if he thought that Black CA could make up for Périque. 8O

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
@ Russ: that bean counter cannot possibly have been a pipe smoker if he thought that Black CA could make up for Périque.
Very true. When RJR took over Lane many fine blends were either altered or outright discontinued. My favorite blend, Highland, was one of the casualties. It appears that Lane is now going through that old recipe book and slowly bringing some of those fine old blends back. Sadly, Leonard W. told me that my blend is not on the book.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,568
27,074
Carmel Valley, CA
Pipeguy-
After reading articles by Messrs. Ouillette, Tate, Pease et al, I am not inclined to label any tobacco as English, Balkan or Oriental! :)
How similar is CA to English Luxury?

 
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