Haha, too late! After my initial basket pipe purchase, my second one was a Peterson Aran B10. I’m eight pipes deep now, and it’s still my favorite. Puns aside, your Bre’r Rabbit & the Briar Patch ploy alone put Artisan’s Blend in my cart.
Cheers!Am I Late to the Party?
- Thread starter WildTurkeySurprise
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I would say Balkan Supreme is a must try then. It is available in bulk (meaning you order it by the ounce) and is also available under the Peter Stokkebye name.
I'm a big fan of SPC Plum Pudding and (thanks to @hoosierpipeguy ) find C&D Dreams of Kadath to be in the same vein but different enough to have cellared both fairly heavily.
Nightcap is great and Ashton Artisan's blend is worth checking out. When the Dunhill version of Nightcap left the market I started with the Artisan's blend as it scratched the same itch and I'm not sure I'll ever go back.
H&H Black House and GL Pease Westminster are two more blends to definitely at least try if you like Latakia.
One final recommendation is GH&C Bob's Chocolate Flake. This one is a step apart from other blends but is one of my all-time favorites. Some might call it an English blend while others might call it an aromatic but really I like to think of it as a "kitchen sink" blend that is unique unto itself. The different components in it, including the Latakia, play together extremely nicely without any one dominating the others but still having layers of flavor.
Somehow I forgot to include C&D Black Frigate in the list of blends to try. This is another "kitchen sink" blend but it brings rum soaked goodness to the party.
Awesome! Thank you for the leads on what to try next. Pandemic spending is tricky, but I will steadily whittle away at my ever expanding wish list.
I also felt like I missed the party when I learned of Mcclelland and all that they offered. I was oddly freak accident fortunate to find a tin of Grey Havens and Frog on the bayou at a very unexpected hole in the wall smoke shop. Both are good. But neither are my favorites. Traded a YouTube pipe guy a tamper that I made for a tin of mcclelland 40th anniversary. Also great, but not my favorite. I’m in the camp of wanting things I can’t always have. I bought a lot of esoterica blends including the mentioned penzance and pembroke. Neither are my favorite. Forum rules say I’m not allowed to sell any yet though.
Thank you for sharing your take on those blends. I keep telling myself those bygone blends were probably not as profoundly amazing as I (and the Internet) have made them out to be. In fact, I found a few bulk McClelland blends at a shop in town earlier this week, and I got a couple ounces of each. Those particular blends, at least, tasted less than legendary. Also, I am steadily acquiring new tins, some of which are really good, so I’m encouraged by that.
Real, not match. McClelland No. 2030, No. 2040, and No. 2050, of those 2050 being the best imo. They also had three I didn’t buy: 615, three cherry, and Eastern Carolina Ribbon.
Two years ago we thought that by now the Deeming Regs would have already reduced the pipe tobacco landscape to a barren vista resembling the moon’s surface.
Instead, there have been many extremely good blends introduced over those 2 years. Don’t lament what you’ve missed, enjoy the selection of great blends out there now. There is an abundance.
Find your own favorites and cellar them if you can. When the regs fnally kick in there will be casualties and the antis won’t give up. You can be prepared and happy. Don’t worry about the past, it won’t change anything.
(Also, Penzance is overrated.)
Instead, there have been many extremely good blends introduced over those 2 years. Don’t lament what you’ve missed, enjoy the selection of great blends out there now. There is an abundance.
Find your own favorites and cellar them if you can. When the regs fnally kick in there will be casualties and the antis won’t give up. You can be prepared and happy. Don’t worry about the past, it won’t change anything.
(Also, Penzance is overrated.
)
My two cents is worth significantly less than most people’s on here, but I’ll spend it anyway. I’ve only been into pipes for about 2 years. I started cellaring 15 months ago.
I started out chasing all of the hard to get “unobtanium” blends. Some are fantastic, some are decent, some I don’t care for at all. Taste is supremely subjective.
As so many others have stated - you’re better off exploring the widely available blends that are still relatively quite cheap, finding 8 or 10 that you’re head over heels for, and cellaring the shit out of them. Today’s ho-hum, available everywhere online blend might just be that white hot unobtanium shit in a few years.
Moral of the story... just because it’s expensive and hard to get, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll enjoy it any more. Focus your time and money on what you can get, and you’ll thank yourself later. We’re still in a golden age, so get it while it’s hot!
I started out chasing all of the hard to get “unobtanium” blends. Some are fantastic, some are decent, some I don’t care for at all. Taste is supremely subjective.
As so many others have stated - you’re better off exploring the widely available blends that are still relatively quite cheap, finding 8 or 10 that you’re head over heels for, and cellaring the shit out of them. Today’s ho-hum, available everywhere online blend might just be that white hot unobtanium shit in a few years.
Moral of the story... just because it’s expensive and hard to get, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll enjoy it any more. Focus your time and money on what you can get, and you’ll thank yourself later. We’re still in a golden age, so get it while it’s hot!
Got Artisan’s blend in the mail this morning. Having my second bowl now. Right up my alley, so thank you. At the risk of speaking contrary to my original point, with so many options out there right now, I can say I would never have chosen this tin out of a list. Much obliged for turning me on to it. ??
Artisan’s Blend is my current favorite. If you dig that, you’d probably also enjoy Peterson’s (formerly Dunhill) Nightcap.
As I'm sure others have wisely pointed out, McClelland wasn't loved by everyone. When it was around, it had plenty of detractors. I mostly missed out on their VAs, but I did like them myself. I've only been smoking a pipe for 5 years or so, so take my thoughts with plenty of salt. The one area I do think we newer smokers are missing out on is the lack of local tobacco shops and small, house blenders. Sure, we have Peretti, Watch City and others, but I think there used to be shops like that in every major city, each with terrific blends of their own.
There are many good tobacco out there. If you're keen for top-notch VAs, check out Watch City. Just don't get crazy and buy it all, please. GL Pease makes Latakia blends that I doubt have any peer past or present. Balkan Supreme is the shit! There is plenty to enjoy.
Sure, I also wish all the classics were still around. I also wish I could fire up a pipe at a coffee shop or ballgame. Kind of the downside of picking up a tobacco hobby/habit in 2020.
Do you have any local B&Ms? Often you can find things a bit easier if you're willing to hunt the local shops. The only reason I've had Penzance is that I've found bags in stock at one of my local shops. Same with Stonehaven, and the supplies of the Gawith blends are fairly regular, too. Keep up the faith. You'll find the good stuff! It might not be the expensive or rare stuff either!
There are many good tobacco out there. If you're keen for top-notch VAs, check out Watch City. Just don't get crazy and buy it all, please. GL Pease makes Latakia blends that I doubt have any peer past or present. Balkan Supreme is the shit! There is plenty to enjoy.
Sure, I also wish all the classics were still around. I also wish I could fire up a pipe at a coffee shop or ballgame. Kind of the downside of picking up a tobacco hobby/habit in 2020.
Do you have any local B&Ms? Often you can find things a bit easier if you're willing to hunt the local shops. The only reason I've had Penzance is that I've found bags in stock at one of my local shops. Same with Stonehaven, and the supplies of the Gawith blends are fairly regular, too. Keep up the faith. You'll find the good stuff! It might not be the expensive or rare stuff either!
AAMOF, I just finished my first tin of Nightcap. ?? I guess with its high nic content, I noticed early on if I have it before bed (as the name implies), I have CRAZY and vivid dreams. Confession time: knowing that, sometimes I’ve been doing it intentionally for that very reason. Lol
I don't think chasing a white whale like Penzance is worth your time and money until you've tasted many different blends over time. Your palate develops over years and you'll find the blends that have staying power for you. At that point you may want to splurge on some pricey vintage tins and you'll know whether they are worth it to you.
I love this thread. This discussion has made me wonder, if when I die and go to the crematorium or into the ground, what kind of room note I'll leave behind when all the tobacco I don't consume with a pipe or cigar is incinerated with my body or substituted for padding in my ground box (perfectly suspending my corpse).
Regardless, I picture some gruff ol guy standing there leaning on a shovel for dirt or ash, wiping a tear. "I didn't detect/see any Lakeland or Esoterica, a life devoid of meaning and joy.
Regardless, I picture some gruff ol guy standing there leaning on a shovel for dirt or ash, wiping a tear. "I didn't detect/see any Lakeland or Esoterica, a life devoid of meaning and joy.