RIP Ashton's Artisan Blend

[perdurabo]

Syrian dust! The reset is Cypriot and Black Cavendish.

 

[Dutch Pipe Smoker]

According to the Dutch Pipe Smoker, Ashton's blender (Planta, iirc) ran out of Syrian years ago. What's available now could be remaining stock, but given the blends popularity, I'd suspect what's on the shelves now doesn't contain the real stuff. If that's the case, then we'll have AAB for a while.

Ashton's Artisans Blend is made by Kohlhase & Kopp and they no longer have Syrian latakia. Although they claim otherwise. A couple of years ago they said they no longer had Syrian and now for some blends they suddenly claim they have it! Also what stands on the label is sometimes different than the description on the site. Strange.. So, no... K&K is not a company like McClelland or Cornell & Diehl that honestly and openly says they no longer have Syrian latakia. As long as they think they can sell by saying they have Syrian they will do it.. The only company of which I am 100% certain that they still have the genuine Syrian now is MacBaren.

 

[owen]

Presumably the same applies to Solani white and black?

 

[ericusrex]

...and McConnells Oriental.

 

[owen]

So basically all the blends I enjoy the most.

 

[madox07]

Guys ... I think it's no joke with this whole situation. I went down to resupply on a few blends, and I bought the very last tin of Artisan's Blend. The lady at the store said she doesn't know when she will get some more, and that she didn't receive any in a while now. I wanted to stock up, and there was nothing left to stock on ... man ...

 

[beezer]

madox07 - not sure where you live, but SmokingPipes has 101 tins in stock at the moment. If you're able to place an online order that may be your best course of action.

 

[madox07]

beezer I live in Romania, not sure how things would work with this whole new EU Regulations, but it's worth giving it a shot, thanks for the tip!

 

[akfilm]

I hope this isn't true. I really like this blend. Hard to find up here, but picked up a couple tins when I went through Chicago. I smoked one, fell in love, the other tin has been sitting in the cellar for 11 months or so.

 

[madox07]

akfilm that will be a grand smoke. I have opened the one I bought yesterday. Some way or another I will get some more, I have called the tobacco shop hq and they have some tins left at the warehouse, they probably have some age to it too. :puffpipe:

 

[mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast]

A couple of years ago they said they no longer had Syrian and now for some blends they suddenly claim they have it!

I've heard that Cyprian latakia magically turns into Syrian latakia after it sits for 10 years? I think it works a little like Acadian perique and St. James Parish perique? :wink:

 

[madox07]

Hmmm ... even the one I have bought recently has Syrian LAtakia written on the label .. I tend to believe that ashton is a respectable enough company not to mess around with such things .. I have to admit, come to think of it, the tin I bought was a batch from a few years ago, according to the lot number.

 

[Dutch Pipe Smoker]

I tend to believe that ashton is a respectable enough company not to mess around with such things ..

There is no Ashton tobacco company. It is just a brand name from Kohlhase & Kopp.

 

[madox07]

Hmmm ... you don't say. Are they the same guys that make the ashton cigars as well?

 

[lasttango]

Well, K+K finally got back to me... I asked them if they used Syrian Latakia in the Artisans blend. Here is their response:
Dear Geoff,
Sorry for being late in answering!
In the past the Latakia originated indeed from Syria. Since many years this is not the case anymore. Latakia tobacco nowadays is predominately from Cyprus. To our knowledge there is no company getting Latakia from Syria anymore.
With best regards from Germany,
Your Kohlhase & Kopp Team
*worth noting*
They did not address that the label claims to have Syrian.

 

[wyfbane]

Someone needs to be brave and order a tin of tobacco from Argentina to see if their claims of having Syrian Lat in their blends can survive a taste test.
They claim to have Syrian Lat in almost all their English blends.

 

[ericusrex]

Thank you for that update, lasttango. I would love to know when they started substituting in Cyprian.

 

[beezer]

Well this is potentially the best piece of news I've heard all week!
One of my favorites will be around for a while and at under $9 a tin to boot!! Alright!!!

 

[zerohunter]

Cyprian or Syrian, the blend is one of my favorites. I'm secretly hoping it's been Cyprian all along so it won't disappear. At least, until the FDA.

 

[simba]

wow.... i've just missed dunhill 965 coz dunhill has announced they won't produce all pipe tobacco anymore since late jan 2017.
now, my other fav, ashton artisan's blend is gonna RIP

but honestly speaking, i'm just a pipe smoker. i don't even know which latakia of ashton artisan's blend.

all i know, i enjoy this blend alot. for only less than $30, i can get 200gr of this blend. that's all i need for my monthly need. 1 month 200gr is enough. i will live my life in peace
if KK is using cyprian latakia, that even sounds great for me. it means i've been falling in love with this blend when it already use cyprian latakia. i've been smoking this blend for 2 yrs. assuming KK has no syrian latakia since 2-3 yrs ago, that's still fine for me.

so this blend will last longer and i don't have to worry this blend will be vanished anytime soon :p

it'e enough for me for loosing 1 fav blend. watching my last 600 gr of dunhill 965 in my stash is really hurt. i used to smoke 965 and ashton artisan. and now, i will smoke 965 in really special occasion only which... i didn't smoke it yet. as for my daily now, i rely on ashton artisan's blend and sometime swing to mcc lelland 925 just for a switch.
my sincere prays would be:

*if my life would be another 60 yrs, then i'm expecting this blend will last for at least another 70yrs :lol

*may cyprian live in peace for at least another 70yrs

*in worst scenario, may god show mercy by helping china to produce any good latakia :lol *desperate mode: ON