Escudo

[aldecaker]

Am I the only person in the pipe smoking world that can eke ZERO flavor out of Escudo? I tried it again this afternoon, in yet another iteration- cut into approx. 1/4" strips, roughly rubbed out, and jarred in a warm shed for a couple of months. I smoked it in a Bruyere St. Claude Extra billiard, which has been a rock star with every other VaPer or VaPerCav I have smoked in it. Nothing. No results. I am starting to think I have a genetic mutation that causes Escudo to be the absolute blandest thing I've ever smoked. Even some tongue bite would be welcome, because it would break the crushing monotony I've experienced with this stuff.

 

[Perique]

Yes. You are the only person in the world with this problem.
But hey: to each his own in our wonderful hobby!
Smoke what you like, and send the Escudo to me.

 

[aldecaker]

That may wind up happening. Got anything you wanna unload? :wink:

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I don't get it. To me, escudo is simply delicious, especially with 5 or more years of age on it. Ah well, that's what makes the hobby interesting.

 

[aldecaker]

Since I tend to like VaPers as a breed, it sure boggles the hell out of me.

 

[jkrug]

......throws pipe to the floor and kicks it across the room in disgust!! :laughat:
Just having a little fun. That certainly is odd? I have not yet tried any aged Escudo but the new stuff I have smoked is very enjoyable to me. To like or dislike a blend based on taste is common but to get no taste/flavour at all is quite bizarre. I'm at a loss on this one?? ::

 

[aldecaker]

I haven't quite given up yet, but the chase is getting long! I've tried several different pipes, including cobs, and prepped it every way I know how. Believe it or not, I'm on my second tin. Tried it wet, dry, Z-fold, cubed, and rubbed out. I'm kind of running out of options, but I do hate to give up on a blend.

 

[tarak]

Yeah that is odd, because it's good stuff!

 

[sablebrush52]

It may be that you're expecting more from it than it has to give. I find Escudo very enjoyable and distinctive. I usually just set out a couple of coins to dry for about an hour and then stuff them into my pipe, reserving a little bit to rub out and sprinkle over the top. Fresh, there's a bit of pepperiness to it. After a few years it develops a fruitier flavor. I smoke Escudo very slowly, long very slow sips, and exhale through my nose.

 

[buckaroo]

I have not touched Escudo in 6 years as I had the same issue when I began to really explore vapers back then. It was one of the first one's I bought and seemed extremely mild to me. Gotta revisit the now aged stuff. So many good brands out there. Shelf it and try another.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Peck already mentioned it, and I've read several times that if you have a fresh tin it is distinctly not the same thing as an old tin.
If all the Escudo you've ever bought has tasted bland, stick it in the closet for a few years, then try it again.
It's definitely not a short term answer, but it's probably the best you'll get.

 

[jitterbugdude]

I find it very bland. Good thing I bought 38 tins of it 2 years ago

I'll try it again in a few months. Maybe a year's time has improved the flavor.

 

[ray47]

I didn't care for Escudo either, just no taste. I put it in a mason jar and will revisit it in about a year or two. I much prefer PS Luxury Bullseye Flake with the Cavendish center.

 

[deathmetal]

Va/Pers with a lot more Va than Per tend to have a gentle, hay-like, sweet taste for me. Might try drinking some strong tea beforehand without sugar to cleanse the palate. If you get those light autumn flavors when you smoke, that's what is probably there.
Then again, I've never smoked the Escudo, so maybe you just got a batch they accidentally boiled. Did it have any Nicotine effect?

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I got a slight mix of the hay and fruit flavors from the Virginias and a slight spicy peppery flavor from the Perique. Really good flavor to me. If it came in bulk no doubt it would be my favorite blend. I just roll it up into a bit of slightly broken up ball and gently pack it in the bowl.
I agree with the advice of cleansing the palate and keeping it moist, as well as retrohaling. A lot of different flavors come to light when you retrohale.

 

[aldecaker]

@Deathmetal- I didn't notice any nic difference between the Escudo and similar VaPers I've smoked. It sure didn't pack a huge wallop. I have a pretty high nic tolerance though, being a semi-reformed, backsliding cig smoker and Copenhagen chewer. After reading all these responses, I can say that if I need to age it for years in order to enjoy it, I am no longer interested in the mystique of Escudo. There are too many blends that are great out of the tin, and then, as a bonus, get better with age. For me, OGS and Bullseye Flake are both like that.

 

[deathmetal]

I haven't tried the Escudo yet. I keep meaning to, but Va-heavy blends sometimes seem insubstantial to me in general. I tried the Newminster flakes and found them highly competent but uninteresting, but when blended with other tobaccos, could bring a blend alive. I guess "sweet" for me is not really an object of my tastes. I am looking forward to someday trying the Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake and its near-cousin, the Newminster No. 403 Superior Round Slices. And the Orlik Golden Sliced of course!

 

[ember]

I have not tried Escudo yet either keep meaning to but like someone else on here said to many good baccys out there ..Right now I'm really into OGS ..Just throwing this out there a buddy of mine gave me a little Rattrays Marlin Flake to try and that was very good sweet taste

 

[Chasing Embers]

Not a fan here either. Prefer Elizabethan, Acadian Perique, and LBF.

 

[prndl]

Just goes to show...we all do things at different speeds.
Escudo, Solani 633 and Dunhill's Elizabethan are some of the "usual suspects" on my TAD orders. While I sometimes enjoy Bullseye and LNF, they seem to take the back burner here.