Lane Crown Achievement Review by Romeowood

admin · Feb 10, 2014

This past Christmas Eve, we broke the story about the return of the popular Lane blend, Crown Achievement. (It actually is a great story on what they had to go through to bring this back. There is a link to it in the beginning of the review.) Romeowood and I had fun on this one. We both contributed photography and both of us smoked the tobacco as well.
Check it out -

The Six Million Dollar Smoke: Lane Crown Achievement

spartan · Feb 10, 2014

Sounds like a great blend that I'll need to get around to trying.
Might I also suggest maybe having a, "If you like blends like A, B, and C, then you're sure to fall in love with Lane's Crown Achievement."?
Could be interesting to see whether the reviewer can or can't find blends that are close in flavor.
Or not. Just a suggestion, not a criticism.
Great review Romeowood! As always. : puffy

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yohanan · Feb 10, 2014

An Excellent review, I have acquired some Crown Achievement and have put it away in my cellar, I will give it a try in about a year. : puffy

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kcghost · Feb 10, 2014

Really looking forward to trying this blend out. Glad to see Leonard made a real effort to bring back a version of the original.

spartan · Feb 10, 2014

@yohanan

You have some now, but won't try it until you've aged it for a year?

Why not fill up a bowl now and put the rest in a jar?
Trying to wrap my head around how you can resist the temptation. Does not compute.

romeowood · Feb 10, 2014

That's actually an excellent idea, Spartan, though I would want to append a caveat to it...off the top of my head, McClelland's Syrian Super Balkan is in the same vein, though perhaps a bit lighter and drier, lacking some of the sweet notes of the Basmas; Chelsea Morning or Quiet Nights from GLP are two excellently rich variants on the theme; Three Oaks Original has a lot of the same feel, if not quite the same flavor profile. I always worry about cross-comparisons like that though, because on more than one occasion I've been surprised when what may seem like a perfectly similar tobacco to me is anathema when suggested to someone else.
And Yohanan, always try them when they're young. Take notes! Compare in a year. Repeat.
Thanks for the comments, and I'm eager to hear others' take on the new blend, particularly as I haven't had the old version(s). Write in when your shipments arrive!

lestrout · Feb 10, 2014

Ro - your writing is always so uplifting. Next time we get together, at JR's or the summer picnic, remind me and I can bring you some well aged Crown Achievement to try.
hp

les

ssjones · Feb 10, 2014

I have some aged CA that papipeguy gifted me for cleaning up a pipe of his. I've been rationing it and now I can compare it to the new mixture. That is, if I can find it! None of the East Coast shops I haunt have it instock yet. I love Romewood's reviews and writing, thanks for the heads up.

romeowood · Feb 10, 2014

You had me at "vintage tobacco", les :D Try to make pipe club tomorrow--we have special guests ThePipeGuys coming in from Joisey!
@Al--I believe the initial production run is exclusive to pipesandcigars.com, after which it will be widely released. They also have some nifty NOS pipes finished for the occasion, and a contest to win one of them.

ssjones · Feb 11, 2014

Ah, that explains it. I do enjoy stumping my local tobacconists just a bit, so I'll keep asking!
The tin art is certainly unmistakable.

papipeguy · Feb 11, 2014

LeonardW was kind enough to end me several tins of CA last month. I like the new version a lot and others I've shared it with concur. It's a winner in my book and I'm looking forward to new realses of the older blends discontinued under the RJR regime.

spartan · Feb 13, 2014

I always worry about cross-comparisons like that though, because on more than one occasion I've been surprised when what may seem like a perfectly similar tobacco to me is anathema when suggested to someone else.

Yes, but I think you'll help more people than you discourage. I think... I've got no evidence to back that up.

Also, such is the nature of personal tastes. ~~Many~~ All of the blends you review sound amazing, but there's just no way I'm going to love everything you describe anyway. I see your point, but for me it only adds to the review as a whole.

ssjones · Feb 13, 2014

I buy tobacco from local shops only (pipes online, for the most part). That gives me a good reason to hang out and enjoy some lounge time, particularly in the winter. So, I'll just have to wait it out.

riffraff · Feb 26, 2014

I also liked the review. I was fortunate enough to have a friend that gave me a couple of bowls full and it is an outstanding blend. I really enjoyed it and will be putting it on "my must get" list.

aristokles · Mar 22, 2014

A belated comment on this blend. I finally got a couple of tins earlier this week and must, way before I am ready to make a full review, state that this is quite possibly the best blend I have had since the pre-Murray, pre-Orlik Dunhill MM965.
Only downside thus far is the tin moisture is too low to facilitate good aging in the tin, IMO. Other than that minor issue, this is an out-of-the-park home run. Firing up another bowl now.

mso489 · Mar 22, 2014

This blend had already caught my interest. I am aging it in its well-designed tin, while I use a number

of other blends and tobaccos already open. This review makes me look forward to the experience.

papipeguy · Mar 22, 2014

I'd say smoke it and don't cellar it. I've found that the latakia loses something over time although I'm not sure how Orientals respond over time. I look at it like this, buy it, smoke it and buy more so it stays in production.

yohanan · Mar 23, 2014

@yohanan

You have some now, but won't try it until you've aged it for a year?

Why not fill up a bowl now and put the rest in a jar?

Sorry Spartan, didn't mean to let you down. In my experiences only pertaining to me, (and to me only); I find that freshly tinned tobaccos can be a bit on the harsh side, and not up to their full potential until they have aged a bit. These tins are only 2 months old, and by the time I have gotten around to trying everything else I have, it will be almost a year. As far as the temptation thing goes, that just shows you how effed up I am.

romeowood · Mar 23, 2014

I've opened two more tins since writing the review, and am even more confident of the rating and profile; it really is a damn fine smoke. I'll be cellaring a good amount just to have it on hand and hedge against price increases, not specifically to age; however, though it is at a low moisture content in the tin, I don't see that as a particular hindrance to the aging process. Of course, only time will tell.

12pups · Apr 10, 2014

Second that, rsuniv. I love the stuff. First bowl, eh. But that was because I was sick right away with the flu. I came back to it a week later and... now I need to order more. Love it!

Lane Crown Achievement Review by Romeowood

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