Question about B&M tobacco

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bouwser

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 8, 2018
274
27
As I'm getting more into pipe smoking, it is easiest to try different blends by the once from the large glass containers at my local b&m's.
My questions are:
Are these blends looked down upon as subpar?

Are these blends as flavorful as if I had picked them up in a tin?

One place had Stokkebye Navy 14 year aged. Is this something I can find elsewhere? (it smelled really good but there wasn't enough in the jar to take any home)
I tried Dunhill 965 from one of these large class containers but I'm weary about whether it truly was Dunhill or a blend the shop had made to taste like Dunhill.
Any thoughts about the tobacco from large glass jars is very welcome.

 

bassbug

Lifer
Dec 29, 2016
1,112
905
The only blend that can be labeled as sub par is the one YOU don't care for.
My experience is that there can be a difference in flavour between tin and bulk, but its usually very small. Then again, I have not compared every blend.
14 year old tobacco in an open jar? I'm not surprised it disappeared quickly.
As far as the 965, just ask. I believe that blend is available in bulk through various places

 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
I've purchased blends from my local B&M and they are OK. A few were blended by the local tobacconist, but he told me that others are bulk from known brands, most notoriously Lane (he had BCA and HGL, to name a couple). Were it not for the outrageous taxes we pay here, I'd not hesitate to buy them from him (I actually did: 25 grams of HGL and BCA and another blend that he sells under another name here; no complaints).

 

seanv

Lifer
Mar 22, 2018
2,958
10,405
Canada
Sounds like the b&m here Olkofri. Where are you located?

Some house blends are great, don’t hesitate to explore them and ask lots of questions

 

crashthegrey

Lifer
Dec 18, 2015
3,810
3,566
41
Cobleskill, NY
www.greywoodie.com
House blends or bulk from jars is a good way to explore your likes and dislikes. Any good tobacconist will tell you if that is a dunhill bulk or a match. It probably is just Dunhill bulk. Every blend varies on how different the tin and bulk are, but most are negligible differences, especially early on. I smoked glass jar tobacco nearly exclusively for over a year just to try every single thing that I could. It let me look, smell, and feel so I could draw my own conclusions on moisture content of tobacco, what the different types were, actual amounts visible in the blends, smell to taste, and all of those types of things without the risk of a tin that I wouldn't see or understand until opening. Now I smoke more tins, but it is more due to wanting to cellar tobaccos without necessarily having to jar them up.

 

bouwser

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 8, 2018
274
27
Thanks all for the answers. Bulk seems to be a nice way to try different things without much break to my bank.
Off I go to try some more. . .

 

kickinbears

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 21, 2018
200
1
Bulk from the B&M jars is a great way to try different leaf. When I started I grabbed 1oz of 5 - 6 different blends to learn what I liked. I’d recommend staying away from the bulk aro’s at first, as my experience is that they tend to be goopy, bite easily for the inexperienced piper, and ghost (an issue if you have limited number of pipes starting).
Don’t get all highbrow about trying tobacco. Grab a pinch and give it a go. If you don’t like it, you’re only out a couple bucks at most. Save em for a pipe club meeting and give away.
Trying new varieites is part of the enjoyment for many. Hell, if I ever stumble on some OTC burley at CVS I plan on picking up some myself, piss on then world’s opinion.

 

michiganlover

Can't Leave
May 10, 2014
336
3
Most of the blends found in the glass jars are going to be from major known manufacturers: Lane, Sutliff, and Peter Stokkebye being the big three. Some of these blends are great (Lane 1Q, and BCA are good on their own, but stellar mixed 1/2 and 1/2 together).
Very few shops these days do any blending of their own; they may rename the bulks they buy from the well known manufacturers though. Making it seem like their blend is special, and exclusive to their store.
For example, it's not uncommon to find Lane 1Q being renamed, and sold as a house blend.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Chat with the proprietor him or herself, not the hired staff, and get a feel for who they are, how long they've been in the business, and what they know. Don't be critical minded, or try to educate them. Just get a feel for the professional experience they do or do not have. Many shop owners will let you know where they source their various blends and single-leaf and offer suggestions and information. Usually, the bulk tobacco in the big glass jars is good, of its kind. The shops want to cultivate business, and that's an important means. The more knowhow the person has, the more confidence you can have. Whoever they are, build what trust you can, and if necessary, gently educate them, if they are not more knowledgable than you, though this has to be done with an exceedingly light, friendly touch, telling someone else about their business. My shop owner is a true blue pipe man and expert. I don't agree with every last thing he's ever said, but I know he is better informed than I.

 
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