Tobaccos of Yesterday that are basically Gone

[JadeStarCat]

2 things I smoked as a kid like when I was 12-14 which are supposedly still available or resurrected are Grainger, and later on Amphora. Neither one of these are anything close to what they once were.
Amphora does not in any way resemble what I smoked in the 1970s Sadly the changes are negative, and all the character and flavor is gone out of these blends. Another one I smoked in my youth was Sail, both the yellow and the green pouches. Sail is a little close, and a slight bit of the original character remains, but not enough. Another drug store blend from the past age was Skandinavik. I actually found some of this around 2018 and bought some. It was similar, with memory coming back of some of what it was like back then , but just a shadow of it. Another favorite of the 1970s was London Dock. now seemingly long gone. There was an outfit that brought back a version, but it did not last apparently.
I have found nothing whatsoever that compares to the McClelland line. Their blends were simply out of this world, and not just a few of them. Aurora was some of the best Virginia I ever put in a pipe. Until later Lads.

 

[BingBong]

It is quite confusing. For blends that still exists, often the recipe has changed while others cleave to the original - but still seem poorer. All this while leaf quality has never been better, we're told.

I suspect now that what have gone missing are some of the additives which made a blend unique, like essence of Civet cat and its like. There used to be long lists of these for each blend, some for casing, some for topping, all kept highly secret by the blenders and known internally only by codenames to prevent industrial espionage. These old blends are simply no longer reproducible, those secret components are lost forever to time.

 

[telescopes]

For tobacco blenders, cleaving to the old formulas simply isn't a possibility. However, with imagination and creativity, exciting and enjoyable blends are possible. Yes, they will be different, but different can be just as enjoyable. As a case study, I point to HU's Tuarekh. This Balkan style tobacco reminds me of White Knight which reminds me of Balkan Sobranie. Not the later versions mind you. No, it isn't a copy, but it is a blend that brings back memories of what one liked about such styles of Balkan. Although I won't be collecting it as a rotation tobacco, (I've simplified what I prefer for everyday smoking) I plan on keeping a tin or two around for those times I prefer a Balkan with imagination.

 

[Questionable Source]

I prefer a Balkan with imagination.

Maria Nikolaeva Todorova

 

[telescopes]

Maria Nikolaeva Todorova

As a part of my latest journey in Europe, we spent 8 days of our 6 week foray on a river cruise. Late at night when I couldn't sleep, I would sit with the Night Watch which included a delightfully tall, thin blonde Greek woman and a curly haired lanky spaniard. A few of our conversations centered around the forthright nature of Bulgarians and other Eastern Europeans. The only group they thought exceeded them in that nature were the Dutch - who I have to admit after spending more than week with them, were indeed overly "honest" in expressing what they were thinking at the time.

Oddly, both the Greek and the Spaniard lamented the lack of Vikings on staff - especially the Spaniard, who apparently announced he would love to get lost in their long arms and legs.

 

[Sig]

As a part of my latest journey in Europe, we spent 8 days of our 6 week foray on a river cruise. Late at night when I couldn't sleep, I would sit with the Night Watch which included a delightfully tall, thin blonde Greek woman and a curly haired lanky spaniard. A few of our conversations centered around the forthright nature of Bulgarians and other Eastern Europeans. The only group they thought exceeded them in that nature were the Dutch - who I have to admit after spending more than week with them, were indeed overly "honest" in expressing what they were thinking at the time.

Oddly, both the Greek and the Spaniard lamented the lack of Vikings on staff - especially the Spaniard, who apparently announced he would love to get lost in their long arms and legs.

Svenska kvinnor är heta.

 

[woodsroad]

2 things I smoked as a kid like when I was 12-14 which are supposedly still available or resurrected are Grainger, and later on Amphora. Neither one of these are anything close to what they once were.
Amphora does not in any way resemble what I smoked in the 1970s Sadly the changes are negative, and all the character and flavor is gone out of these blends. Another one I smoked in my youth was Sail, both the yellow and the green pouches. Sail is a little close, and a slight bit of the original character remains, but not enough. Another drug store blend from the past age was Skandinavik. I actually found some of this around 2018 and bought some. It was similar, with memory coming back of some of what it was like back then , but just a shadow of it. Another favorite of the 1970s was London Dock. now seemingly long gone. There was an outfit that brought back a version, but it did not last apparently.
I have found nothing whatsoever that compares to the McClelland line. Their blends were simply out of this world, and not just a few of them. Aurora was some of the best Virginia I ever put in a pipe. Until later Lads.

StarCat? Is that you?

 

[driftedshank1]

Svenska kvinnor är heta.

They cerainly are.

 

[brian64]

StarCat? Is that you?

Yes, but he's jaded now.

 

[fireground_piper]

Yesterday's tobacco is gone with every new crop year.

 

[woodsroad]

Yes, but he's jaded now.

He never was an old fashioned girl

 

[telescopes]

Svenska kvinnor är heta.

Yes, they certainly are. But if I were to ever remarry, I might prefer a tall, stout healthy looking Danish girl who can carry her own luggage.

 

[sablebrush52]

I had a Brazilian girlfriend. Swedes need not apply.

 

[WVOldFart]

2 things I smoked as a kid like when I was 12-14 which are supposedly still available or resurrected are Grainger, and later on Amphora. Neither one of these are anything close to what they once were.
Amphora does not in any way resemble what I smoked in the 1970s Sadly the changes are negative, and all the character and flavor is gone out of these blends. Another one I smoked in my youth was Sail, both the yellow and the green pouches. Sail is a little close, and a slight bit of the original character remains, but not enough. Another drug store blend from the past age was Skandinavik. I actually found some of this around 2018 and bought some. It was similar, with memory coming back of some of what it was like back then , but just a shadow of it. Another favorite of the 1970s was London Dock. now seemingly long gone. There was an outfit that brought back a version, but it did not last apparently.
I have found nothing whatsoever that compares to the McClelland line. Their blends were simply out of this world, and not just a few of them. Aurora was some of the best Virginia I ever put in a pipe. Until later Lads.

Milan Tobacconist in Roanoke, Va. have several versions of the old blends, such as London Dock, Kentucky Club, Royal Comfort, and many more. You might want to check on their website. I enjoy many of their blends.

 

[sablebrush52]

As for tobaccos, the OP is absolutely correct. Long time smokers remember a quality slippage during the 1990's and the past 8 years have seen another one. Many blends no longer resemble their past incarnations. They're merely names on a tin, whether they are blend names or brand names.

While it may be true that excellent quality tobaccos are still being grown it doesn't seem to show up in the tins. Maybe it's due to different sourcing, machine harvesting instead of traditional hand picking, cheapening the product by scimping on more expensive components like Perique, simplifying processing, not pre-aging blends before release, optimizing stocks and blends to increase profits, or other factors.

That said, new smokers won't notice the change since they haven't smoked the originals. They will imprint on the blends available to them.

 

[woodsroad]

I had a Brazilian girlfriend. Swedes need not apply.

I dated a Dane once. She was Great.

 

[sablebrush52]

I dated a Dane once. She was Great.

Woof woof!

 

[WVOldFart]

As for tobaccos, the OP is absolutely correct. Long time smokers remember a quality slippage during the 1990's and the past 8 years have seen another one. Many blends no longer resemble their past incarnations. They're merely names on a tin, whether they are blend names or brand names.

My wife is 10 years younger than me, and I tell her that one of the worse things about getting old is that you remember how things use to be and most of the time they were better. I just finished the last of some very old Sir Walter Raleigh original, knowing that I will never taste that again. The Match blends that Sutliff made were very good and the Match blends that Milan makes are very good, but the taste buds can still tell the difference.

 

[Waning Embers]

Amphora does not in any way resemble what I smoked in the 1970s

Nothing that exists today resembles what it did in the 70s. Recipe changes, supply changes, and cost cuts have done both good and bad over the years.

There was an outfit that brought back a version, but it did not last appapparently

Daughters and Ryan's version was fairly close to the original but was discontinued when the company sold. The buyer was mostly interested in making their blends that translated well to pipes and RYO. Milan Tobacconist has a version of London Dock but I've not tried it.

 

[WVOldFart]

Milan Tobacconist has a version of London Dock but I've not tried it.

It is pretty good, but I believe that it is probably milder than the original. Well worth trying, but still not the same.