Escudo new or the same?

[cigrmaster]

So last week I crack open a 10 year old tin of AC Peterson Escudo and man is it good. So I decide I need more since I am down to my last 3 and I want to age it a while. So I go on line and order 10 tins as part of an order and when it comes in I notice immediately the tin is not the same. So I go on line and find out that Stokkebye is now producing it. I open a tin and let some dry and lite it up. It tastes good, but different from my ten year old stuff obviously. So the million dollar question is do I have the same blend or is it new?

 

[ssjones]

The shop I was at yesterday (DC area) was out of OGS, but had a tin of Escudo. I bought it and smoked this blend for the first time last night. I never smoked the old stuff, but really enjoyed the smoke last night (in a small, GBD Prince). I'm finicky about my Vaper blends, but this one really smoked well. I like the coins as well, easy to rub out. I'll keep a tin of this in inventory for sure. My tin did say "Dutch" made, but I didn't read the fine print on who.

 

[pstlpkr]

These two articles may be of some assistance.

I have to admit I have never heard of "Peterson" Escudo.
Dunhill & Escudo Navy De Luxe the Same?
Dunhill & Escudo Navy De Luxe: The Verdict

 

[cigrmaster]

Lawrence, the bottom of my tins reads " Alfred&Christian Petersen Horsens" then underneath that is reads " Made in the Kingdom of Denmark"
All the Escudo I have ever bought had the same markings, but I only started buying it back in 2000.

 

[cigrmaster]

Here is a pic of one of my tins.

 

[cigrmaster]

Dave, that is what I read when I first saw it was a different tin. The tobacco looks the same other than the fact that my old stuff is darker due to age. The new one tastes great so I guess I will keep the 10 tins. I did contact smokingpipes.com where I bought them and asked if they had the older version left and they had none. I did make mention that they need to take the old picture down and put a new one up but as of yet they have not done so.

 

[ssjones]

My tin is Peter Stokkebye.

 

[cigrmaster]

Dave, where did you see someone selling these at 45? Was it Ebay?

 

[cigrmaster]

Ok guys here is the low down from Ted Swearingen Vice President, General Manager | Smokingpipes.com, he explained it to me like this.
" Orlik has been making this stuff for well over ten years and continues to make it although the parent companies involved in the branding have changed. Most recently Orlik was making it for Peter Stokkebye as A&C Petersen, but with the buy outs and the mergers that have transpired over the last couple of years Orlik is now making it for STG as Escudo in an identical tin, save a few words."
These guys were very professional and amazingly prompt in answering my questions and concerns. Just one more reason why I like giving them my business.

 

[cigrmaster]

Dave, I will definitely be smoking and aging the new stuff, it tastes great. I will hold one of my 10 year old tins for another 5-10 years before I crack it though. I wouldn't chase something that is the same blend only a different tin, besides if they are going for 45.00 like you posted earlier in the thread, I am too cheap to pay a premium for something I can age myself.

 

[bentmike]

Interesting discussion going on here. I've not tried the Escudo yet but just placed and order for 5 tins (3% discount at smokingpipes 8) ) for the cellar. As noted this one looks like a good candidate for some years of aging.

 

[cigrmaster]

bentmike, Escudo is great for aging, I hope you enjoy this classic blend.

 

[msandoval858]

I haven't had Escudo in years but I used to really enjoy it.
One more to add to the list...

 

[reichenbach]

I got my first tin of Escudo on a whim from Habana Premium in Albany, NY. I now plan on making it the cornerstone of my future cellar.
Lawrence: Thanks for your experiment. I was thinking of ordering some of the Dunhill in the experimental portion of my last stock up and I'm glad I didn't It probably would have been like when Ralphie from A Christmas Story finds out his Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring was bunk.

 

[pstlpkr]

Lawrence: Thanks for your experiment.

I would love to accept the blame... but, I cannot.

:laughat: Kevin did it. :D
::

 

[docwatson]

IMHO Escudo is the Va Per blend by which all others are compared. It has always been one of the most expensive and quality coin cut blends on the market. I still have some of the Copes Escudo and also some A&C Peterson's Escudo on hand but not much left. The currently made blend IMO is still a fantastic tobacco and would recommend anyone to cellar as much as they can because it will age beautifully and never be more affordable than it is today. Like cigrmaster says, give it five years of aging and you won't be sorry, like fine wine it just gets better.

 

[reichenbach]

Just shows how well I pay attention.
Kevin, thank you for your experiment.
Lawrence, thank you for putting it up here.

 

[cigrmaster]

dave, you really need to buy some, it will become a regular in your rotation. I checked smokingpipes yesterday and they have the new tin up on their site. They are still listing it under the AC Peterson category because they don't want people to not be able to find it, which makes sense.

 

[oldmooner]

Funny. I haven't even thought about Escudo (I have a couple old tins) in years. How long has this stuff been around? I started smoking it when I bought some in a little tobacco shop in Ampthill, U.K. I was stationed in England from 1964-67, so I know Escudo is older than some of you guys. I never thought to check who made it. This was during Prime Minister Harold Wilson's reign and, I remember, he smoked huge pipes full of Escudo.

 

[cigrmaster]

oldmooner, I just tried to research how old this blend is and I came up with nothing. I checked all the usual sources but nothing is showing when it was first blended. Maybe some of the old timers can think back like you did and come up with a date range.