Fill in the Blanks - TAD/Instant Cellar

[BarrelProof]

Oof. I'd be extra careful and check every tin when you get them. P&C is notorious for not packing their shit properly and DOA goods.

That's a very impressive list you have going on there already, but the idea of an "Instant Cellar" is a weird way on getting into pipes that often ends in burn out.

Will do, thanks for the advice! I just figure why wait on my palate to develop to start collecting? Especially if folks are buying stuff up in preparation for a possible decision on flavored tobacco. If I end up getting burnt out, I’m sure there will be an outlet for the tobacco. If I don’t, I’m slightly ahead in my collecting!

 

[BarrelProof]

Since you are considering a wide selection of tins from Pipes and Cigars, then I would strongly encourage you to take a look at their "Battle of the Blends" offerings. They basically pair up blends in either pouch, bulk, or tin formats and offer them together and a reduced price from buying each one individually. It's a very good deal and great way to get a lot of different blends and a discounted price. They have changed some of the pairings recently, but this was exactly how I started my own cellar. Of their many battle pairings, take a look at the following tins to help "fill in the blanks" on your list:

1. Louisville Slugger - Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired Flake and Orlick Dark Strong Kentucky - Old Dark Flavored is fantastic and a MUST; I haven't yet tried the Orlick, but it's supposed to be very tasty as well and a bit less strong (it's on the list for this week)
2. Fire Fight - Mac Baren HH Acadian Perique and RO Fire Storm - Both are really good Va/Per blends that are quite enjoyable
3. Saved By The Bell - Bengal Slices and SPC Plum Pudding - Not necessarily my personal favorite English blends, but really good and well-respected examples of the style - and at a GREAT combo price!
4. Heavy Weight Pugilism - Orlick Golden Sliced and Hearth & Home Slow-Aged Bright Night - The Orlick Golden is damn good; haven't tried the H&H Bright Night as this was a different combo when I got it, but the H& slow-aged stuff is supposed to be great
5. Balkan Brawl - H&H Fusilier's Ration and Captain Earle's Stimulus Package - I would HIGHLY recommend just getting the Arango Balkan Supreme (bulk) as it is my favorite Balkan-style blend, but this is a good combo pick if you also want some diversification
6. Coin Flip - Escudo Navy De Luxe and Dunhill De Luxe Navy Rolls - Can't go wrong with either of these and both with age nicely
7. Sliced & Diced - H&H Anniversary Flake and Capstan Original - I haven't had either one of these, but my neighbor LOVES the Capstan and the Anniversary Flake is well-regarded
8. Sugar Ray (Aromatics, although you already have many of them on your list) - Erinmore Flake and Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake - The vanilla is an excellent, subtle vanilla tobacco; haven't yet tried the Erinmore but it has a fruit essence

There are other combos in addition to the ones above, but I either have no personal experience with them and/or know far less about them.

Other recommendations available at P&C that you may want to investigate include:

• Cornell & Diehl Opening Night - Virginia
• Cornell & Diehl Sunday Picnic - Va/Per
• Mac Baren HH - Entire Series!
• Two Friends English Chocolate - English Aromatic

If you order from Boswell's, also consider:

• Boswell Northwoods is a favorite of their blends
• Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Bob's Chocolate Flake
• Samuel Gawith Full Virgina Flake

Other options for fantastic store blends include:

• Watch City Cigar
• Country Squire

Thank you very much. This is perfect.

 

[BarrelProof]

I'd suggest caution as well. Don't start hoarding until you have an idea what you like. Pipe blends have a lot of fanciful names that sound good but don't represent what they really taste like--just marketing nonsense. You could waste a lot of money and tobacco buying a long list like that.

I agree. In most of these cases, I just bought a couple ounces of bulk. Like I said, part of it was because my wife was involved and I figured if she had a hand in the madness, her wrath would be muted. Secondly, I also bought about a half-dozen extra cobs to have at my house to be available for when friends come over. I’m positive I won’t like everything on this list, but the diversity should be appreciated if any friends decide they want to join in during a gathering. In that event, I’ll have a pipe for them that they can either take home, or leave at my place with their name on it to enjoy in the future.

So, while I might seem like I’m throwing caution to the wind, there’s method to the madness. This, to me, is effectively one giant sampler. Once I figure out what I like, I’ll go super deep on those.

 

[alaskanpiper]

You need some more Virginias and Va/Pers. Some (Mostly) readily available good ones:

VA:
MacBaren HH Pure VA
GL Pease Union Square
Watch City Simply Red
Watch City Rhythm and Blues
Capstan Blue Flake
Astley’s No. 44
Peterson (Dunhill) Flake
Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake
Gawith Hoggarth Dark Birdseye

Va/Per:
Sutliff Match Victorian
Peterson (Dunhill) Navy Rolls
Rattray’s Marlin Flake
Rattray’s Old Gowrie
Rattray’s Hal o the Wynd
RO Firestorm
Peter Heinrich’s Curly Block
MacBaren HH Acadian Perique
Dan Salty Dogs
GL Pease Penny Farthing
GL Pease Telegraph Hill
Samuel Gawith St. James Flake
HU Louisiana Broken
HU Directors Cut
Solani 633

I’d get some MacBaren HH Burley Flake, Cornell and Diehl Briar Fox, Shepherd’s Pie and Old Toby from the Country Squire, Gawith and Hoggarth Bob’s Chocolate Flake, HU Fayyum, and some select LJ Peretti tobaccos.

The HU stuff you might hold off on until later, as they must be ordered from overseas.

 

[Spinkle]

You need some Dark Fired Kentucky in there. My suggestions would be Amphora Kentucky Blend and Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky.

 

[mso489]

Easy to miss in that long C&D list, but I like Bayou Night, Tuggle Hall, and Stratfordshire, nice sturdy English burley blends. They just have that burley "thang."

 

[supdog]

MSO will you please stop recommending Stratfordshire, it took a month for my order of Stratfordshire to arrive (out of stock) and finally get to try it. I'm just kidding, it was you who got me to try it, and I like it....... a lot. So let's keep it on the DL for now so it will be in stock when I place my next order. TIA