Daughters & Ryan blends in 2026

[Dixie Piper]

Hello all, I wanted to start this thread to get advice and reccomendations on current Daughter's and Ryan blends in production.

I'm picking up some Three Sails and Windsail soon and I'm curious how long you all like to age them and if you rehydrate the D&R blends prior to aging.

I'm a piper that won't be rolling cigarettes out of these so I'm not concerned about RYO qualities they may have.

I also have some Sutliff 507c and Perique available to blend with my D&R blends.

I'm just curious what I can do and you like to do with the current D&R blends that are on today's market?

 

[JimInks]

They are meant to be dry and I've never felt the need to rehydrate them. As for age, I have aged all my D&R blends and although I don't think that they need it, they will mature within three years. My stash is older and plentiful, so mine has aged longer as a result. I've noticed a pleasant maturity after five years, but it's not a night and day difference.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Ryback is probably my favorite blend that's still in production. It's got a dark fired flavor.

Two Timer is probably my second favorite. It's a good straight burley.

I smoke out of jars are are a few years old, it all smokes just fine.

IMO D&R blends don't need to be rehydrated... but I'd pretty much never do that to a blend.

If you can find some Picayune out there you should give that a try. It's excellent stuff and there's nothing like it, as far I can tell.

I had a stash, but I sold some, gave some away, and smoked the rest. I miss it dearly.

 

[PaulRVA]

Im New to D&R but I now have Windsail, Windsail Silver and Platinum and Three Sails and I will keep Windsail and Three Sails in the Cellar going forward.
I throughly enjoyed Windsail and Three Sails. They both have enough Nic, are my preferred moisture levels straight from the bag and smoke really well.
The bonus is the cost and that they both are great pocket blends for on the go and dumping in a pouch with decent flavor on top of it.

 

[Sobrbiker]

I like Ryback, to which I’ve been adding 25% Perique.
I also like Three Sails, which I boost with little DFK and a stoved VA.

They are good on their own too, and I anticipate the Three Sails to be even better with some time.

Moisture is good for me as they come.

 

[MidnightPuff]

I also dont rehydrate them. As others have stated, you'd do well to get ahold of some ryback regular. Two timer and Rowland also have my vote. Gotta like burley though.

 

[ziv]

They are meant to be dry and I've never felt the need to rehydrate them. As for age, I have aged all my D&R blends and although I don't think that they need it, they will mature within three years. My stash is older and plentiful, so mine has aged longer as a result. I've noticed a pleasant maturity after five years, but it's not a night and day difference.

The Internet remembers.

 

[brooklynpiper]

The Internet remembers.

The pipesmagazine scandal of the year

 

[GardenStateoftheArtBriar]

They are meant to be dry and I've never felt the need to rehydrate them. As for age, I have aged all my D&R blends and although I don't think that they need it, they will mature within three years. My stash is older and plentiful, so mine has aged longer as a result. I've noticed a pleasant maturity after five years, but it's not a night and day difference.

Jim you still keep a big bag under your desk?

 

[JimInks]

The Internet remembers.

View attachment 438390

Nice try, but that was my thinking ten years ago, but not since. I knew somebody would take a stab at that.

 

[JimInks]

Jim you still keep a big bag under your desk?

I never did that. There's be no room for my legs, man. I have tobacco scattered in different places, but not there.

 

[sablebrush52]

They are meant to be dry and I've never felt the need to rehydrate them. As for age, I have aged all my D&R blends and although I don't think that they need it, they will mature within three years. My stash is older and plentiful, so mine has aged longer as a result. I've noticed a pleasant maturity after five years, but it's not a night and day difference.

You can rehydrate them if you prefer, but Mark released these blends at the level of hydration that he considered to be optimal for smoking. As he once said to me, “Why charge people for water!”

 

[JimInks]

You can rehydrate them if you prefer, but Mark released these blends at the level of hydration that he considered to be optimal for smoking. As he once said to me, “Why charge people for water!”

Very true. Mark also expected people to smoke them when they were bought. I remember at a Las Vegas show when he was asked if his blends needed hydration. After he gave the answer that you quoted, the guy asked Mark if he should age them. Mark said, "No. You can age them if you want, but they are made to be smoked now."

The last time that I saw Mark, he told he had found a five year old bag of Windsail in his office, and was surprised that much of the tobacco had turned red. He showed me the bag, and I was surprised, too. I asked if he was going to smoke it. Mark said, "Maybe. Right now I like looking at the color and trying to figure out why it turned color."

The year 2018 bag that I've been smoking isn't far from being finished. When it is, I'll move a few boxes, and get another bag. I wonder what the tobacco will look like.

 

[mortonbriar]

two timer!

 

[Dixie Piper]

Well I'm I'm a little sad I missed out on the Mark Ryan Era but I do have some Sutliff Pipe Force to try.

I do look forward to trying what we still have on the market.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

The new Ryback tastes like the old Ryback to me, FWIW.

 

[username]

The new Ryback tastes like the old Ryback to me, FWIW.

Only had the new Ryback but yeah it's a good blend. Working my way thru a bag now.

 

[Strike Anywhere]

I enjoy Two Timer, and while it might not need a little hydration, I think a small amount of distilled water really improves the flavor. Maybe it’s just my bag (my pound came in a ziplock, not the factory bag — maybe it lost a little bit and the factory bags retain ideal moisture). I agree with Jim in his two timer review. This isn’t a pot shot Jim, my opinions change over time too, but at least when you wrote this you thought a touch more hydration improves it, and I agree, even in 2025.

I, too, enjoy using it as a mixer. It’s also wonderful for breaking in new pipes. Probably my favorite blend for that, along with Granger.

 

[JimInks]

I enjoy Two Timer, and while it might not need a little hydration, I think a small amount of distilled water really improves the flavor. Maybe it’s just my bag (my pound came in a ziplock, not the factory bag — maybe it lost a little bit and the factory bags retain ideal moisture). I agree with Jim in his two timer review. This isn’t a pot shot Jim, my opinions change over time too, but at least when you wrote this you thought a touch more hydration improves it, and I agree, even in 2025.
View attachment 438673
I, too, enjoy using it as a mixer. It’s also wonderful for breaking in new pipes. Probably my favorite blend for that, along with Granger.

In those days, I wasn't a big fan of dry tobacco. D&R blends actually changed that for me, at least as far as their blends were concerned. Those who see me smoke a bowl of Three Sails when I walk every day know that. It's the easiest burning tobacco for walking because I almost never relight when I do it. I don't want to stop walking to relight my pipe. I find D&R blends burn easy and are very comfortable to smoke for that reason, not to mention the flavor of the product. Btw, I'm sure you've seen me smoke Two Timer and Two Timer Gold was well as the Penhooker blends.

I know others who disagree with me on this, but I do think that a little moisture generally helps my smoking experience. I seldom dry out tobacco that I smoke, e.g., review smokes, Stonehaven, any G&H and SG blends, etc. However, there is merit in the idea of drying out tobacco because you often tend to get more tobacco taste when you lose some of the toppings and/or casings. In my case, I prefer to smoke a blend the way the manufacturer intended with the one exception of smoking aged blends that I have cellared. You'll almost never get the same experience that you did when it was fresh.

 

[Strike Anywhere]

I do think that a little moisture generally helps my smoking experience

I’m with you on this too. I tend to smoke a little wet anyway, so I always have pipe cleaners handy. But cobs & meers are wonderful for handling moisture. I don’t like bone dry/crispy and I don’t like sipping aromatics, somewhere in the middle is ideal for me. You might get more moisture in the shank/stem/heel but you get more & often better flavor, which is the whole point for me.