Ah the mighty condor, it seems you guys in the states have quite a following for her (as too the masses here in the UK). Let me explain the new founded hate towards this blend/brand of soap infested nicotine. For today I smoked my last bowl of gallahers rich dark honeydew. This blend was one of if not the no 1 blend of the UK for 50 years or so, until the advertising guys & hipsters of the 70s took hold & slowly but surely sounded the death knell for the honeydew. Those of you reading this might think I'm going over the top somewhat, but after finishing my tin I felt I must let everybody know what a loss to the pipe smoking world it was.mthanks to ebay I've had the opportunity to smoke some cracking blends from the past (& present) digger flake/shag,wills capstan,ogdens flake,Bengal slices,etc. but nothing has come close to the strength & taste of gallahers rich dark honeydew. I've always looked upon condor as a poor mans St. Bruno but today I hate her even more! As the UKs second best selling baccy our words will not harm her, so please feel free & join me in your reasoning & diss the condor!
Why I begrudge respect to the mighty condor, am I alone?
- Thread starter simong
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Ennerdale is the best selling blend from Gawith Hoggarth, they were probably just trying to copy its success.
Blame Ennerdale for being the sweetest and floweriest blend ever. It is truly the master of this industry. I will bow to the Ennerdale, absorb its floral nectar into my veins.
ALL HAIL ENNERDALE!
Blame Ennerdale for being the sweetest and floweriest blend ever. It is truly the master of this industry. I will bow to the Ennerdale, absorb its floral nectar into my veins.
ALL HAIL ENNERDALE!
Yes, from what I can remember talking to the old boys here in England, condor really took off in the 60s/70s & gallahers rich dark honeydew was looked down upon as an old boys smoke. My father smoked condor all his life, & my grandfather honeydew, I am convinced my late grandad had better taste.
Frozenchurchwarden, Let me enlighten you. Gallahers were a powerhouse & had no need to emulate ennerdale then or now. Sales figures show that even today condor selling more than g&h blends combined. I am saying that after finishing an extinct blend from gallahers, I am bitter as condor put the Kai bosh on an exemplary tobacco.
I won't diss the Condor, but will say that Gallaher's Rich Dark Honeydew remains in my top 5 all-time greatest smokes and I've smoked a lot of different tobacco blends over the last 40 plus years. I too, lament its loss.
+10. I am only one year into my pipe smoking journey and only 15 bowls into my first tin of Ennerdale, but yes, this is some awesome stuff. I will smoke a large cob today!!
I have not smoked Condor or Gallaher's Rich Dark Honeydew but I would love to try them.
but I'm very very very glad that Condor is still in production.
RDH had a 100+ year run, being introduced in 1888.
If anything,
I blame the UK govt. for their embrace of ridiculous WHO FCTC health directives,
as well as implementing a generalized EU "big state" control apparatus.
I also blame Japan Tobacco Inc. (JTI) for their shortsighted vision and lack of concern regarding the pipe tobaccos, they only care about Silk Cut and other big ciggies it seems --- they inherited one of the richest pipe tobacco portfolios in existence and totally dissed it, let trademarks lapse and are completely disinterested in the heritage of the Gallaher brand.
A good historical video here, mentioning Condor, RDH, and War Horse...
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-29537524
see also:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-30913723
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/video-news/video-gallaher-workers-tell-of-their-shock-after-devastating-jobs-blow-for-ballymena-30647782.html
.
I have smoked Condor all my life as did most members of my family going back at least to prior WW1. I have smoked Rich Dark Honeydew if thats the one that came in a rather dark green 2oz tin and to be very blunt it didn't leave much of an impression on me as I must a have bought a tin somewhere or other since I probably couldn't find any Condor.
For those who have tried both, is the GH&co rich dark honeydew a similiar blend to the old gallaher version?
Isaac
Isaac
No Isaac, totally different blends. The Gallaher's version had some kind of special casing added to the leaf. The processing was way different, too, making for a totally different presentation. Believe it or not, the Gallaher's was stronger.
Pipestud
Pipestud
Well, now I want to try it, but it doesn't exist... is the H&G version at least reminiscent?
Early on in my pipe smoking, someone suggested that vanilla honeydew blend from ???
Early on in my pipe smoking, someone suggested that vanilla honeydew blend from ???
Probably mid Victorian and used to compensate for very poor quality tobacco. If you google search 'Victorian Tobacco' it will lead you to an article that reproduces a Victorian Tobacconists Almanack which gives you all the potions that were applied to inferior leaf to improve it including the addition of asbestos to aid in even burning! 8O
Whilst the new G&H rich dark honeydew is a very good smoke on its own merits, it pales in comparison to gallahers. The gallahers is a very finely cut shag black in appearance, the smoke seems to last forever, definately the longest lasting I've tried. A lovely faintly rich taste, not sweet or sickly. Oh yes & strong, very strong,kick in the head type of stong, but an enjoyable & civil kick in the head. The tins I've had were from the late 70s/early80s so I'm guessing the honeydew casing would of diminished quite a bit. Speaking for myself I found the taste spot on, would be interesting to hear from the guys who used to smoke this regular, I can imagine when this was fresh out of the tin it must of been sublime. As for anything similar now? The only thing that comes close is G&H dark Birdseye. Very similar texture & duration, but taste wise nothing.
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