Oldest Blends
- Thread starter drennan
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I think the oblivious "record" is Sam Gawith's 1792 which has supposedly been manufactured since that date using the same recipe, method and even machinery (the machine used to press the tobacco is actually considered a historic artifact in the UK because it's purportedly the oldest working piece of Industrial Age machinery still in use).
Anyhow, 1792 is my guess. I'm curious as to what other blends are suggested. Some of the Rattrrays and Dunhills have been around for quite awhile, as have many other Gawith blends,
Anyhow, 1792 is my guess. I'm curious as to what other blends are suggested. Some of the Rattrrays and Dunhills have been around for quite awhile, as have many other Gawith blends,
I don't know about U.S. blends. I note that none (few?) of the codger blends feature an originating date on their packaging. Carter Hall, Prince Albert, Half-and-Half, Sir Walter Raleigh, Granger, and so on. I suspect at least some of these go back into the 19th Century (1800's) but maybe not by much.
Prince Albert was introduced in 1907 so I'd say that it's probably the oldest continually produced U.S. blend.
1792 may indeed hold the record,
btw, back in the day it was known as Cob Flake.
Condor = 1895
St. Bruno = 1898
btw, back in the day it was known as Cob Flake.
Condor = 1895
St. Bruno = 1898
I'm pretty sure 1792/Cob goes back "merely" to the mid-19th century or so. 1792 is the date that snuff equipment was first brought to Kendal. Pipe tobacco wasn't made by Gawith, as I understand it, until sometime in the mid-19th century. So, still very old and possibly the oldest. Although isn't Grousemoor supposed to be Gawith's oldest blend?
Peretti's Cuban Mixture: Created at the turn of the century, this combination of seven different tobaccos is our oldest mixture, originally blended by L.J. Peretti. It is exceptionally mild and smooth and makes for an excellent all day smoke. It can, however, be blended into other mixtures for a milder effect.
Great point,
and thanks for the clarification.
I think it's a commonly misunderstood thing, I think you're right about it being a commemoration of the arrival of the snuff equipment, and not the birthdate for Cob.
I think I did read somewhere about Grousemoor being the oldest, most certainly it is the oldest of their tinned blends as some of the old empty tins are still with us...
I don't think Cob Flake was ever tinned way back when, although it is listed in a 1917 Tobacco yearbook that I have (my earliest reference) so it was surely sold as a loose counter baccy...
I'm with mr. lc on this one. I don't really know what the oldest blend is that's still being made, but I've always thought that Grousemoor was one of the oldest, supposedly being the same stuff for the last 200 years. I still enjoy a bowl from time to time.
Now, someone explain why some tins of Grousemoor the name is hyphenated and some aren't? mr. lc, any comments?
Now, someone explain why some tins of Grousemoor the name is hyphenated and some aren't? mr. lc, any comments?
I would have to say Condor followed by War Horse. There was a twist kicking around called 'Nail Rod' which supposedly had been made since the 1840s but I have not seen any about in ages. I know that 'Nut Brown' shag was another one that was still available until at least the early 1990s and was smoked by my Great Grandfather in the 1880s as he didn't kick off the planet until 1959 aged 100. Those are the only ones that spring to mind with me. Any other suggestions Troy?
Pitchfork suggested Grouse-Moor...
...but about the hyphen, it seems that sometime after the bar-code addition, the artwork layout slightly changed along with a lighter colored background, the name is straight instead of arched?
it'd all be speculation on my part...I've been meaning to get a load of old magazines for "research"
But then when I add 'em inna cart I have 2nd thoughts and wonder what I'm doing?!?!? LOL It's also a roll of the dice because you never know if there'll actually even be any adverts! I have found a nice lot of Punch from the 20's and 30's though, which I'll buy this weekend (sad me, I'm so silly)......but stuff like London Illustrated News or Country Life may also be rich with old baccy adverts,
any suggestions for other old British magazines that may have some innit?
:P
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