I was recently chatting with a forum member and we were reminiscing a bit about being able to call Patty and Craig to place orders and chat. Wondering if anyone has noticed changes in blends after the transition to Smoking Pipes? We all know crops change from time to time, but in general.. better, worse or about the same? I welcome any observations. Thanks.
C&D Old and New
- Thread starter boston
- Start date
I've been smoking mostly Derringer, Three Friars, and Bayou Morning for decades, and, if anything, they have gotten better. I haven't smoked many of the burley based blends, so I have no opinion there.
Craig used to make me pound blocks of Black Frigate minus the latakia. Great stuff!
When they updated their equipment a few years back their crumble cakes just aren't what they were. Stringy and the don't hold together well.
I only smoke burley blends (OJK, OJK Blue, Haunted Bookshop & Pegasus) and to my tastes they are better.
From a service point of view I would agree that Laudisi is much better than the prior owners. I doubt that they have much to do with the blending.
Marvelous days weren't they? Craig and company would accommodate. accommodate. I miss them.
Absolutely. They'd even press any blend they made upon request for free and only charge $28 for their one pound blocks. Not to mention how fun it was just talking to Craig and Patty.
Craig got me started on blending my own and walked me through many things pipe related over the phone. As for the blends quality, I haven’t noticed a change good or bad.
I’m at the point in my cellar where I’m smoking through 2009-2012 tins of C&D & G.L. Pease pretty regularly. I’m aware that after this era is exhausted from the cellar that it will be the end of the “fish food” cut. I probably enjoy the burn & pack qualities of the newer tins with their consistent finer ribbon, but there is just something enjoyably raw about the old Tarler cut ? From a flavor standpoint, I don’t notice that much difference excepting Jeremy’s heavy hand with the Perique barrel ? I’m a big fan of a large portion of the C&D produced portfolio and agree with some of the others that overall it took a step forward in pretty much every area from what was already an excellent reputation.
I don't know how I missed this one. Thanks for posting the link
Yeah the new cutting equipment really changed a lot of blends. I'm smoking some Opening Night cut on the older stuff and I like it more.
The cakes on the other hand.. don't care much for their structure.
Thanks this is good to know. Like you, I still have older tins to work through but would like to try the SP versions in the future.