I’ve seen a couple forum members posting about leaving escudo in the rear-view. Had the blend changed? Prices too high now? What started this fall from grace?
Escudo?
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Nothing changed but everything changed. Typical pipe smoking band wagon love-hate-flavor of the day.
Some will say it’s nirvana, some with say cardboard.
Get a tin and find out, but be prepared to hear that only Escudo made in 1962 is the true Escudo. All others are knockoffs.
Again, typical.
Some will say it’s nirvana, some with say cardboard.
Get a tin and find out, but be prepared to hear that only Escudo made in 1962 is the true Escudo. All others are knockoffs.
Again, typical.
It simply didn’t taste good as compared to my previous experience. I didn’t find that price was an issue. Perhaps your experience will be different.
I’ve got newer stuff (2018) and like it. Therefore, I’ve outed myself as an imbecile. Pretty sure I was even reported.
I smoked a tin mid-2019 and liked it. I bought a few tin for my cellar. Will possibly smoke it again Q1 - 2021
What changed were the sources for the constituent tobaccos when STG took over manufacturing, which evidently changed again about 6-7 years ago to cheaper grades. That, plus a different pipeline using different equipment than had been designed for making Escudo back when it was THE gold standard VaPer blend.
People who never smoked actual Escudo and have only smoked the STG product may be very happy with what they smoke. besides, perception is often influenced by reputation. Put a famous label on dreck and it's suddenly no longer dreck.
Those of use who smoked the real thing know that this changeling is a poor, pale copy, the difference of which becomes much more apparent after some years of aging. Actual real Escudo, while good fresh, would transform into a deeper richer blend with great fruit from both the Virginias and especially from the grade of aged Perique. The current version does none of that. It just goes a little dull.
I've still got a few tins of the good stuff and after the disappointments of aging the current stuff, have no further use for this blend. Buy PS-LBF and put it away for at least 4 years. It won't be Escudo, but it will blossom into a richly flavorful blend.
People who never smoked actual Escudo and have only smoked the STG product may be very happy with what they smoke. besides, perception is often influenced by reputation. Put a famous label on dreck and it's suddenly no longer dreck.
Those of use who smoked the real thing know that this changeling is a poor, pale copy, the difference of which becomes much more apparent after some years of aging. Actual real Escudo, while good fresh, would transform into a deeper richer blend with great fruit from both the Virginias and especially from the grade of aged Perique. The current version does none of that. It just goes a little dull.
I've still got a few tins of the good stuff and after the disappointments of aging the current stuff, have no further use for this blend. Buy PS-LBF and put it away for at least 4 years. It won't be Escudo, but it will blossom into a richly flavorful blend.
do not resuscitate? Sorry can't help but read DNR as that. I guess some people would actually describe Escudo that way.
From what I can tell like everything it's not what it used to be. And the old stuff was so good that the new stuff can't hold a candle to it. Which I can understand but I think the new stuff is really great but haven't had the old stuff. I do know that hype can ruin what would be a decent thing. When I smoked cigs Drum got bought out and personally knowing what it used to taste like made me hate the new iteration and honestly I'd probably have thought it wasn't that bad if it was a new blend with a new name. I get the feeling that's a big part of the whole thing. That the original was sourced differently and comparing the two leaves the now current version in the dust. Now what I don't get is how passionately some people dis the people who like the current version. I mean we're burning poisonous plant leafs for fun and relaxation which doesn't seem like a good place for snobbery. Especially since people like what they like and not enjoying something isn't the mark of a better person.
It's a perfectly fine VaPer imo, but not worth the extra $$ for me. To my palate, PS LBF does the job at a much more agreeable price, and it ages very well.
I honestly enjoyed Escudo the least out of the coin cut VaPers, but that's not to say it's bad at all.
I honestly enjoyed Escudo the least out of the coin cut VaPers, but that's not to say it's bad at all.
Don't miss the old. Never had them. Tho, when I smoked DNR and Escudo about three years ago, DNR had better dark fruit notes and carried that to flavor much better. From what I understand, Peterson's version of NR is exactly the same as last DNR. Escudo was rough around the edges, tastewise. Didn't develop deep fruit notes as well as DNR.
I haven't had that one. Though one thing I have certainly noticed about pipes and pipe tobaccos is that hearing what people catch and what people don't in certain blends really makes me think that personal chemistry is a big part of what people enjoy or don't enjoy with tobacco. The go to explanation of this for me is PG doused blends. They taste weird to me even dried out a bit and there are people that swear they don't get a chemical taste from them, I believe them because if they reacted the same way as I do to such blends there is zero chance they'd not get a horrible chemical taste that ruins such blends. For me Escudo has very pronounced deep fruit notes. As does Doblone de whatever (don't feel like looking up the spelling). And some people taste marshmallows in EGR which means that it just doesn't hit them the same way.
All of my Escudo is from 2012 or earlier. My oldest is from 2001, I have some from 2008 but almost all of mine is from 2012. There was a rumor that Escudo was being discontinued so I loaded up big time. That was in 2012 and I showed no mercy . I wouldn't be surprised if the new stuff didn't age nicely and it became tasty again. I sure hope that is the case as it was an all world vaper for a long time.
It certainly was the beauty back in the day. but it hasn't been lately. I think I'd follow Sable's advice.
What year did STG take over? I probably have some older Escudo tins squirreled away from roughly 8-10 years ago.
A very interesting science article explaining why Escudo tasted better earlier.
www.elitedaily.com
The Science Behind Nostalgia And Why We're So Obsessed With The Past
Don’t you wish you could just live in the past? Curl up in it like a warm blanket, covering all the cold unknowns and unexposed realities of tomorrow. Bury yourself in its warmth, the glowing days of pure joy and limited worries. The comfort of…
I think the only real difference is that DLNR (both Dunhill and Petersons make) has a little prune-juice in the casing, which also explains the slight sweetness.
Escudo is fine. It is not my favorite, but what ever version is being made is still Escudo. As an agricultural product, the ingredients and factors tied to its cultivation usually change over time.
I've only had the latest version of Escudo. Never actually had the Cope's version. I love the current Escudo myself. I have probably 30-40 tins of it in the cellar and get through about 6 tins a year. To me it really hits its stride at about 5-8yrs age, but it's still good fresh too. It's a blend that if I visit a different B&M for whatever reason I'll grab a tin from the place as a thank you for the smoking lounge and good company.
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