Question about C&D blends:

oscruiser · Feb 22, 2015

Had a question about C & D tobaccos. I haven't smoked a pipe in a few years. Quit back in 2011 after 3 or so years and just started up again. I used to smoke and really enjoy Old Joe Krantz from C&D. I purchased a pound from P&C and was chomping at the bit to have that awesome taste again. Wasn't exactly how it went down when I filled a bowl. The taste seems really off. It's there, but not quite. I have a few bowls that are spot on, but several others that are bitter and not even close to the way it used to taste. Could be my taste buds have changed over the years, but I can't imagine they would change that much.
Has anyone else noticed a difference in C&D blends since they were taken over by a new owner/distributor?

papipeguy · Feb 22, 2015

I haven't picked up any changes in the C&D blends but taste perceptions do change at times. I'm a big fan of their blends although I have not tried OJK.

oscruiser · Feb 22, 2015

It's a Burley, Red VA and Perique blend. I used to get a nice hint of Burley, but for some reason it seems very dominant in the pound that I bought. It also does seem that this batch might have been fresh of the mixing table, it was pretty moist. Might just need some drying out time.

cosmicfolklore · Feb 22, 2015

My tastes change with the weather, my mood, and with what I've eaten. Some days my absolutely favorite tobaccos can become torturous to smoke, and things that I hated at first will really hit the spot. It's really different from my cigarette days, when I stuck with one brand for decades. But, I think it makes the pipe way more interesting to me.

Chasing Embers · Feb 22, 2015

I've smoked Black Frigate and Pirate Kake for several years, and have not noticed anything different.

pitchfork · Feb 22, 2015

I've smoked OJK for a couple of years (as well as Haunted Bookshop) and haven't noticed any differences. The only thing that might matter, besides changing taste buds, is how fresh the mix is. I know from experience that fresh, damp OJK or HB will be a bit sharper than stuff I've had lying around for a while. That may be the issue, but I suspect it's changing tastes.

oscruiser · Feb 22, 2015

Glad to hear it's not a change in the blend. I'm also wondering if it's the pipe. I bought a pipe $48 Italian briar and smoked a few bowls of an English blend from my local b&m. I do notice the first bowl in the pipe is spot on. But around the second to third it changes and goes sour. Is there a way to get rid of any lingering favors from that other blend?

cosmicfolklore · Feb 23, 2015

Was the pipe broken in well? This will impact flavor significantly. I just wipe my bowl out after each smoke to help keep the cake down, and to prevent what cake does build up from being a weak ashy cake. However, if this is an older broken in pipe, you may with to clean it well. The stuff that builds up in the shank can seriously sour a pipe. Just use pipe cleaners in between smokes till they come out clean. You can also clean it with a pure grain alcohol. I use medicinal denatured alcohol occasionally, without dying, but some are afraid that it can be bad for you (up to you). You can also use a retort, or the oven and charcoal method of de-ghosting. There are articles out there on both of these methods.

brass · Feb 23, 2015

I'm also thinking that your new pipe may be the culprit. Some pipes need cleaning more than others. Get a cob and smoke a few bowl of Old Joe in it. You'll get the true flavor of the tobacco and can isolate the problem quickly. Some, if not most, professional blenders use cobs to true out the blend.

brass · Feb 23, 2015

I'm also thinking that your new pipe may be the culprit. Some pipes need cleaning more than others. Get a cob and smoke a few bowl of Old Joe in it. You'll get the true flavor of the tobacco and can isolate the problem quickly. Some, if not most, professional blenders use cobs to true out the blend. Just my 2 cents.

aristokles · Feb 23, 2015

I smoke at least a couple bowls of OJK daily and have done so for about a year and a half. In that time which I think spans the merger I have detected no changes in it or any other C&D blend of which I normally partake.

oscruiser · Feb 23, 2015

Thanks everyone for the tips and suggestions. I cleaned it thoroughly with grain alcohol and things are tasting better today - even after a few bowls, which is a definite step in the right direction. The pipe isn't quite even two weeks old and seems to be much like my ex-wife, major high maintenance. :D
Definitely going to toss in a few cobs in my next order.

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Question about C&D blends:

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