A Ruminative Discourse Concerning Expensive Blends

[JOHN72]

A few days ago, tobacco arrived at the local tobacco shop. A mythical tobacco, I should not say the brand, but it is super famous, and super tasty. It is worth 15.50 euros per tin. I bought about 20 tins, all virginia flake. But nevertheless I prefer to keep buying tobacco that costs me half the price, or even a little less. I'm talking about tobaccos like St. Bruno, Condor, Amphora, mac baren, which still have ridiculous prices. I mean, I still buy kilos of good tobacco at a good price. 15.50 euros a tin of 50 damn grams, it's already out of control of my economy.

 

[telescopes]

A few days ago, tobacco arrived at the local tobacco shop. A mythical tobacco, I should not say the brand, but it is super famous, and super tasty. It is worth 15.50 euros per tin. I bought about 20 tins, all virginia flake. But nevertheless I prefer to keep buying tobacco that costs me half the price, or even a little less. I'm talking about tobaccos like St. Bruno, Condor, Amphora, mac baren, which still have ridiculous prices. I mean, I still buy kilos of good tobacco at a good price. 15.50 euros a tin of 50 damn grams, it's already out of control of my economy.

Condor for me is a very difficult tobacco to obtain due to its expense and shipping costs. I really dig the taste of Condor.

 

[JOHN72]

Condor for me is a very difficult tobacco to obtain due to its expense and shipping costs. I really dig the taste of Condor.

Yes, for example, I love mac baren navy flake, but buying online is becoming more and more of a headache for me because of the costs and other new customs laws outside of Europe. Spain is still on a tightrope, it is only a matter of time before it will be like England or Denmark.

 

[cigrmaster]

In my opinion every tobacco blend I buy is cheap especially in comparison to cigars or even cigarettes. I love Capstan Blue Flake which is why I bought over 150 tins of it. When Hamborger Veermaster came back on the market in pounds, I bought one and found that a pound of it had way too much shake in it so I decided to only buy tins after that. I didn't care about the price difference, I only cared about how the tins smoked so much better than the bulk.

Almost all of my favorite blends were made in tins which I prefer. I like how tinned tobacco ages in their original tins. Pipe tobacco is so cheap that I never even consider the price of it when buying it.
Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake only comes in tins and I bought over 200 tins of it because I like it so much. I never once looked to find something similar in bulk form or something even cheaper. Astleys no 44 Dark Flake is another favorite of mine and I bought over 150 tins not once caring about the cost.

When Mac Baren Old Dark Fired came out in 2012, I bought 65 3.5oz tins and I paid either 10.99 or 9.99 per tin as they were on sale when they first came out. I could go on and on with blends like Solani 633 which came in 50 gram tins that were vacuum sealed or I could have bought the 100 gram tins which needed to be jarred. For me it was a no brainer and I bought the 50 gram tins.
When Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky came back on the market in 2016, I did a test tin and then I bought 100 50 gram tins. At 7.01 per tin, it was dirt cheap in my opinion and it was a hell of a deal. There are so many great deals when it comes to tins that I never think twice about buying them.

 

[condorlover1]

Expensive is all relative. When we did the War Horse Bar the plan was to produce a 1oz plug in threshed leaf for $10 but somehow that idea went a bit pear shaped. I love the latest plugs by CI released under the Cascadia label and the price is just about right. To me premium tobacco is something like Warrior since it is not made anymore. Everything is a matter of personal preference.

 

[didimauw]

I smoke mostly cheap tobaccos. Not ....Supervalue cheap.....but cheap none the less.
I do it not cause I can't afford the better more expensive tobaccos. I do it because that's what I prefer.

 

[Streeper541]

I was ruminating on your rumination and surmise that... per your disclosure; you smoke inferior aromatic 60% more often than you do surperior Virginia, Latakia & Perique blends, which suggests you find the inferior to be superior and vice versa.

Quite paradoxical?

 

[jpmcwjr]

I was ruminating over the title and if just "Expensive Blends" would have drawn the same interest.
So, if the first topic is exhausted, you can discourse like crazy over the above.

 

[telescopes]

Expensive Blends - Some suck, some don't. I never felt that price was an indicator of much.

Is their a correlation between quality and price?
Yes.
Is their causation between quality and price?
No.

The same can be said of less expensive brands.

EXCEPT

The correlation confidence interval for less expensive brands and quality is much lower than the correlation confidence interval for more expensive brands and quality.

I am confident most of you will agree with that statement.

That said, there are some things that have a much higher correlation between quality and price.

Nuclear submarines versus diesel submarines comes to mind.

Nuclear is better and it costs a hell of a lot more.

 

[mortonbriar]

Most of what I smoke is free. Free of cost, free of PG, free of toppings, free of marketing hype and more or less free of opinions and reviews outside of a very small circle, cos I done groweded it myself!

 

[anotherbob]

packaging and shipping seem like the biggest factor in most cases.

 

[Peter Peachfuzz]

I smoked what I like.. Cost doesn't factor in to it. I put down most of my tobacco before retiring and at 70 I doubt I'll finish what I got. But, I'll still buy a tin or two or a couple of sticks when I visit my local shop. They provide me with leather chairs, multiple big screens, mixers and coffee.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Where is this wondrous shop?

Please put your location in your Profile, as people are forgetful.
Why: It will save time for others as to where you live when you mention local stores, weather, tobacco prices, availability, regulations, location of photos, wildfires, air quality, etc. In many instances that saves time for those who read your posts, and for you in not having to reply to inquiries. .
How:
Under your avatar, (top right, left most of three symbols) you choose "Account Details", which brings up "My Account". "My Location" is halfway down. Whatever you're comfortable with- town, city, county, state. province, etc.

 

[jpberg]

Not too long ago, five pound bags of 5100 was about the least expensive stuff you could buy.
Two ounce tins have always been the least affordable thing to smoke.

 

[condorlover1]

Nay lad. I remember the days when you could get change out of cent! In all seriousness my friends back in the U.K marvel at the prices we pay for tobacco here in the U.S. I know for a fact that when I relocate back home I will be traveling with my entire cellar so that I can withstand the ravages of inflation.

 

[Briar Lee]

I was ruminating on your rumination and surmise that... per your disclosure; you smoke inferior aromatic 60% more often than you do surperior Virginia, Latakia & Perique blends, which suggests you find the inferior to be superior and vice versa.

Quite paradoxical?

One very redeeming aspect of cheap, highly processed, candy flavored aromatics is they smell wonderful. I seldom smoke in front of clients (unless that smoke) but otherwise keep a Lee Star Grade pipe handy all the working hours of the day. Mostly it’s lit, unless I I sit it down.

There’s one ultra premium aromatic I smoke at the office, Cult Blood Red Moon. Maybe it tastes a little better than Smoker’s Pride Cherry Cavendish, but the aroma is approximately the same.

My office smoking is an addiction, the same as the endless cups of Maxwell House Colombian coffee I sip on all day.

But tomorrow morning I have scheduled a visit to the hallowed grave of Major John S. Cosgrove 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry who valiantly defended Humansville from marauding bushwhackers and rebels and went on to have field command of all Governor Gamble’s loyal troops in Southwest Missouri.

He never caught Quantrill, but was hot after him. His stone has fallen over, and some of us great grandsons of the 8th MSM troopers are determined to reset the stone with appropriate ceremonies this summer.

John Cosgrove (1832-1910) - Find a Grave Memorial

www.findagrave.com

Among such sons of Argyle as I’ll be with tomorrow I’ll make sure and smoke top shelf stuff.


There’s tobacco that you burn up and better tobacco you savor when out with boon companions, you know?

 

[telescopes]

Smokers Pride. I just can’t get through a bowl of that stuff.

 

[Hovannes]

There are expensive blends which I dislike.
There are cheap blends which I dislike
I must be an equal opportunity blend dis-liker!

OTOH, there are some less expensive blends which I find very acceptable
but I wouldn't call them cheap.

I fire up what tastes good to me, Sometimes a bulk blend, sometimes a tinned blend.
Life is too short to smoke (or drink) bad stuff.
Memento Vivere

 

[mso489]

As a sort of parable, I'd pick up the matter of Spam, the canned meat. Canned meat is never going to be a premium meal. Frankly, for most of my young life i thought it was organ meats and entrails to be avoided. In fact, I believe it is ground pork shoulder, which is not a revolting cut.

Likewise, some bag tobacco is good quality, not all, but some. Hawaii took up Spam as a sort of state delicacy and it is standard fare at homes and restaurants where plenty of good cuisine is available.

 

[Grangerous]

Only the individual can assign worth to a blend. Value exists if you enjoy it. —If you don’t, it’s worthless.