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newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,412
Florida
I have been really enjoying both aspects of pipe smoking in the last 3 yrs since I became 'woke' to the process.

Pipes have been a large part of my interest, but really, they're secondary to what gets burned in them.
I've been trying to become sufficient in the cellar department as economically, yet, qualitatively as I can and to that end, I find that bulk blends are the way to go.
I've been buying both C&D and D&R products for the last couple of years. I buy blends and components, like perique and latakia or dark burly, or Izmir.
Right now, and till Sept. 15th, you can obtain what I consider to be the best tobacco values in bulk tobaccos available anywhere on the planet, via the D&R line.
I've smoked several of their blends and found each to be worthy of my efforts.
From VA's to Burley's and especially perique blends, D&R has the stuff at the best possible pricing.
So, this sale has caused me to consider buying MORE tobacco. I don't need any MORE tobacco. I have lbs. of the stuff.

Most speak of stacks of tins, but I will tell you of unopened lbs. in bags. (all under, and right now, well under, $30.00 per lb.)
For reference and an idea of who and what Daughters and Ryan is, listen to radio show #54.

You too, may be compelled to try a bag or two of these eminently smokable blends.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
We see eye-to-eye, Newbroom. But with respect to D&R, I have been struggling with a couple of trade-offs. The bulk that I've received on order is dry. This is a mixed blessing: you get a few percentage points more product by net weight, and some modest assurance in mold protection (not usually an issue); but I have found substantially more "dust" and crumbs from handling -- remnants that are essentially unuseable. Then too, there is the additional cost of Mason jars, which, for all the bother, negates any savings over buying tins from the start.
G.L. Pease has argued, convincingly IMO, that plastic bags, while great moisture barriers, do not prevent the mid- and long-term loss of the volatile components responsible for tobacco's flavor.
I'm not proselytizing for tins, as my cellar of 12 cases of Mason jars testifies, but the amount of "mummy dust" from D&R that I've had to discard gives me pause.

 

deathmetal

Lifer
Jul 21, 2015
7,714
32
I have found substantially more "dust" and crumbs from handling -- remnants that are essentially unuseable.
Ugh. I've gotten a few bulk orders which had substantial dust, and there is nothing to do with it but throw it out. Dry tobacco crumbles easily, so this can be a problem with dry blends, although it has not been with Semois.
I am still waiting for the D&R blend that I really like. Obviously the inferior Three Sails is not comparable the original moist, ribbon cut Three Castles, which is why the rumor was that the American blender had botched the job. But the Ryback I tried was not that great either. So I'm not exactly in a rush to try many more, and although I'd really like to support what Daughters and Ryan are doing, and have no objection in theory to dry tobacco, something is "off" about their approach.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
I went through a tin of Two Timer Gold like crap through a goose, and I eagerly order a pound of it in bulk. It was much, much drier than the tinned product; and re-hydrating it didn't restore the flavor I found in the tinned version.

...and yes, I had to discard about a tin's worth of dust.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,412
Florida
I've smoked 1 lb bags of Rimboche S.J. A.P , TwoTimer, PennHooker, and parts of several others, with no significant loss to crumbles or dust.

I don't even bother to rehydrate the 16% (according to Mr. Ryan) moisture content of these blends, and I find them delicious.

I don't even jar the stuff, I just leave it in its bag and put it in a cooler.

Improving taste with age? Biological enhancement? I figure it's got to be aged in order to get it into smoking shape.

I am already old myself, , so, jarring Va's for the future is foolish, and yes, an older tin of a familiar blend can taste better to someone than when it was freshly received. I don't think it warrants obsession.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Just from my perspective, I am a moderate smoker, about a bowl or two a day, some days none, others three or four, a stretch here and there none, to get over a cold, etc. So my modest accumulations of tins, jars and tubs barely registers on the Forums cellar lists. I don't need pounds of anything at this point. My hoarding is confined to a tub now and then, and a few bulk blends in jars that don't get opened yet.

 

deathmetal

Lifer
Jul 21, 2015
7,714
32
So my modest accumulations of tins, jars and tubs barely registers on the Forums cellar lists.
If it works for you... who cares?
I like that some people hoard tons of tobacco. I like thinking about how much fun it must be to walk into a room lined with tins and jars, and just feeling all that goodness.
But I don't want to do it. I have set aside a few things I enjoy so that I know they will be there for long enough that I get to enjoy them, and I try to buy as much as possible to do my small part to keep the industry kickin'.
Beyond that, eh, I'm freestyling it. One has to be careful of addictive drugs, behaviors, and mentalities, I can see becoming a hoarder for hoarding's sake, and then spending way too much time/money that I'd rather spend on other things or other people.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,412
Florida
Full disclosure. I have 7 unopened tins of tobacco. 4 are what remain from a 'deal' I got 2 yrs ago, and are one blend, and 3 other blends.

As long as they sit on the shelf, I feel I've got a cellar. The last 3 are those I've gleaned are optimal for aging.

JKP, Escudo, and Marlin Flake.

 

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
I always dismissed D&R as RYO blends masquerading as pipe tobacco. Maybe I need to rethink.

 
Jun 27, 2016
1,273
117
Hey newbroom, their Blenders Bench Latakia is perfect moisture right out of the tin and it is really amazing stuff. That bulk Latakia leaf that you posted about recently might be comparable, but I have not tried it. If you have not tried the D&R Latakia and are interested in a little trade, PM me and maybe we can exchange some because I would be interested to see how that bulk leaf tastes. :puffy:

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,412
Florida
I have replied to balkisobrains in the affirmative.

This whole leaf latakia is still the batch that was discussed on this forum 2 or 3 yrs ago, and is from 1997.

It couldn't be any drier. It is still very strong in 'room note' and flavor. Very acrid flavor.

The only blend I've smoked from D&R with Latakia is Rimboche A.B. and it's presence is slight. The blend is very nice.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,412
Florida
Here's a great clip of Mark Ryan of D&R talking about his products at the 2016 Chicago Pipe Show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWt34lQGsS0

 
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