A Real Three Nuns Substitute

[bulletsnbriars]

This forum loves tobacco, obviously. This forum has a wide palate; some of us just enioy OTCs in their cobs and thats good enough for them, while others cellar the finest tobaccos for years before enjoying them in their pristinely maintained handcarved artisan pipes. Theres nothing wrong with either! Smoke what you like how you like it!
Though we are all different and enjoy different kinds of blends, a few names stand out that everyone seems to agree on. I have yet to hear a bad word about Orlik Golden Sliced, GL Pease Gaslight, Balkan Sobranie, Marlin Flake, or Penzance. But one of the most discussed blends that I've noticed is Bell's Three Nuns. It is held in reverence that only seems to be matched by the hate for its phoenixlike rebirth. I love VaBurs and look forward to trying the new Three Nuns. But I have recently acquired a passion for VaPer that stemmed from a recreation of the original, C&D's Three Friars. Excellent as the blend is, it is a ribbon, not a Curly Cut, and some have said it is not the same as the old legend. But a search on tobacco reviews reveals nine VaPer curly cuts. They look the same as the original.
In your opinion, what VaPer is still being produced today best matches the original Three Nuns? I look forward to learning from the wisdom here.

 

[sfsteves]

bulletsnbriars asked:

... what VaPer is still being produced today

best matches the original Three Nuns?

None ...
There are a number of really good VA/Pers available but none are really close to Three Nuns ... GLPease Telegraph Hill comes closest to matching the pre-light or tin aroma ...

 

[novicemaker]

Briar my friend your best bet would be to save up a little money and see if you can buy a tin of the original.
I'm sure someone out there in the pipe world has a tin and would be willing to part with it for a reasonable price. Once a blend is made its never made the same way twice. The blenders out there like mr.please do the best they can but it will always be a different blend. Its sad but once a blend is gone its gone even with the recipe the first person that made it, they would be the only one that could get it close because they smelled it, tasted it, saw the subtle color it was, and poured every thought into making it just they way they wanted it to go. A blend is like art, people know what Mona Lisa looks like, people study the brush strokes and the type of pigment but no one can do it exactly the same. I know this was a rant but i felt like ranting a little bit sorry for it.

 

[northernneil]

As I understand it, the original 3 nuns had something like 20% perique in it. This creates 2 problems in today's market. 1) perique is one of the most expensive tobaccos manufactured today. 2) there is a limited annual supply due to its processing. From a manufacturing stand point, I just do not think it would be a financially sound decesion to recreate it using the original recipient.

 

[papipeguy]

Yes, this still remains a popular topic. I smoked the new incarnation and thought it was good. I smoked the original but so long ago I don't recall what I thought of it.

Some folks here thought that Villiger's Cocktail Hour comes pretty close. I believe that Kevin even commented on it some time ago.

Frankly, I think our memories of blends gone by get embellished in our minds. I do wish the "old" blends were still around but with so many new and exciting blends coming out all of the time I don't find myself pining about the past as much.

 

[rmbittner]

I'm not a VA/Per smoker, but I'm surprised no one's mentioned the current version of Escudo, which seems to be very highly regarded as a spun-cut VA/perique blend. In fact, I don't hear people talking at all about how "the new Escudo can't compare with the Escudo I smoked back in the 1970s!" Whether it has truly remained consistent over time or it has changed in less dramatic ways than Three Nuns, Escudo seems to remain a much-praised "standard" in this category.
But it's been decades since I've tried either blend. So maybe it's not actually much like Three Nuns at all in the bowl.
Bob

 

[rmbittner]

northernneil wrote:
"As I understand it, the original 3 nuns had something like 20% perique in it. This creates 2 problems in today's market. 1) perique is one of the most expensive tobaccos manufactured today. 2) there is a limited annual supply due to its processing. From a manufacturing stand point, I just do not think it would be a financially sound decesion to recreate it using the original recipient."
This is slightly off-topic, but it brings up something mentioned in another thread recently. What is holding someone back from recreating, say, the original Three Nuns -- with 20% perique (if that's indeed what it had) -- and just charging accordingly? There has been such an online uproar about the "new" recipe that I would think there would be a market for this blend that would willingly pay a premium price for it. Offer it in limited release and charge, say, $18 or whatever for 50g.
Of course, it isn't going to taste like the "original" Three Nuns. Tobacco is agricultural, and you're talking about specific crops from 30-40 years ago. But there's no reason why someone couldn't source aged leaf and high-quality perique and produce a premium release. I could even see MacBaren themselves doing this, since they've got the tins handy; all they'd have to do is stamp a "Limited Release" on the top lid to distinguish it from the "new" Three Nuns. (Or "Classic," versus "New" Nuns.)
Bob

 

[mikestanley]

The problem with copying Three Nuns lies in the casing . what is it, exactly? Perhaps Haddos Delight?

Mike S.

 

[ravkesef]

Bob Bittner hit the nail on the head. Even if you had the original formula, originally equipment, etc., you would still not be able to reproduce it precisely because tobacco is, when all is said and done, an agricultural product, and these vary from year-to-year depending upon the amount of sunshine, rainfall, various other factors. I started smoking the original Balkan Sobranie in the 1960s, and smoked it almost exclusively for 20 Years. Then it no longer tasted the same, and lo and behold, we discovered that the formula had changed – slightly, almost imperceptibly, but for us dedicated smokers, it was no longer the same. Then three years ago we held a contest at the Chicago show to replicate the original blend, and lo and behold there was a winner! It was a fine tobacco, strongly reminiscent of the original, but it still wasn't the same. Then this year, Russ Oulette came out with White Knight, which to this smoker looks, smells and tastes like the original. But then, who am I to know? The White Knight made a rather quiet entry onto the field, but I think this is the real McCoy. Your opinions are most welcome. Perhaps, one day Russ or another blender will come up with a reincarnation of Three Nuns that will be indistinguishable from the original. But then again we have so many fine tobaccos to choose from today, far more than we had back when the old greats held sway.

No doubt there is a blender today who is trying to replicate the original Three Nuns, but keep in mind that even when the original was available, it still represented a niche market.

 

[settersbrace]

Agreed that since tobacco is an organic, agricultural product, there are many "x" variables when trying to recreate a vintage blend. There was a certain cigar that I used to smoke that had a double Maduro wrapper that was just out of this world. It was primo grade ++++ and was aged considerably. Then there was a fire and poof, it was gone. The company tried to use younger leaves to keep up with sales but alas, that cigar was never the same again.

 

[misterlowercase]

I agree with Mike S. that the casing is crucial, that's generally how a distinct profile is maintained thru the years regardless of crop variation, at least for the most part.
The Imperial tobo co. had some very complex casings.
These old ads from the 20's mention sherry, madeira, and even cherry as flavor profiles...

It's a shame that Imperial didn't give the original recipe over to Mac Baren, but that's the way the curly-cut crumbles...
...I've never smoked 3 Nuns in any form, so I don't know anything really, but from just looking into it, I'd agree that it was a niche blend and never really sold extremely well in the overall scheme of things, and it's always been very expensive to produce. Perhaps the legend grew stronger after it was actually gone? I dunno, they did a lot of advertising so it must have been somewhat popular, but the posthumous mystique may be from pipers smoking well-aged tins?
I don't have any answers.

 

[andrew]

I'm sure someone out there in the pipe world has a tin and would be willing to part with it for a reasonable price.

:rofl:
I highly doubt that. I find the new 3 nuns is way over priced for a 50 gm tin, enough for me to not bother trying it.

 

[cigrmaster]

In my experience the only thing that is somewhat similar to the Bells Three Nuns is some 2002 Solani Silver flake. It has more perique flavor and spice than any other blend I have smoked other than TN. I have a lot of fresh Solani and it does not have anywhere near the perique flavor in comparison to the aged stuff. I have smoked a lot of aged Escudo and the perique in that mellows over time. Now I don't know if the Solani put way more perique in it back in 02 as I never smoked it back then. Will my new stuff age the same,who knows. I will tell you in a decade or so. lol
In terms of what is on the market now, I have not come across a blend that is similar to TN. I have tried the curly cuts that look the same, but they have no where near the perique content to my tastes. Wessex Sovereign and the Heinrich versions just don't do it for me. I am down to one last tin of the Bells TN but will not crack that for a while.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I am coming out with a clone blend which will be called The Flying Nun. Look for it at a store near you. The new logo is below. Many thanks to cigrmaster for dressing up in nun garb and letting me film him. He is a good sport.

 

[cigrmaster]

peck, it is my pleasure. It has been lifetime dream to dress up as a nun. I loved Sally Fields growing up and since the Flying Nun show aired I have been looking for an opportunity to show off my nun garb.

 

[cigrmaster]

lol, good one rsuninv.
peck, check your PM quickly.

 

[settersbrace]

The reference in those ads to "Kings Head" has me curious. Anyone ever get any of that?

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I believe Harris intended to refer to Solani 633 not Silver Flake (660)

 

[cigrmaster]

peck, you are correct, I did mean 633. See what Alzheimer's does. lol

 

[weezell]

The reference in those ads to "Kings Head" has me curious. Anyone ever get any of that?

Was he getting "Kings Head" from Three Nuns???( I know, I know, I'll go to hell)...