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travis

Lurker
Nov 29, 2014
17
53
78
I am curious about this tobacco called Va-Per. I would like to know a good brand to try my first Va-per out. I like spicy, also like the Fruity, Nutty flavor so let me have it oh wise ones!
As others have remarked, Escudo is wonderful. I'd also recommend either of the Gawith VaPers; St James Perique or Louisiana Flake. C&D Bayou blends are, IMHO, powerhouses.
 
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Rigidman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 10, 2020
298
227
60
Richmond VA. Vicinity.
I just bought some Hansom flake by Samuel Gawith to try. My advice, as I'm on the same path, what I've learned is your taste is unique to you. What someone else likes, you may not. So all you can do is try something. If you don't like it, see if someone is willing to trade.

Most importantly, don't smoke it in a pipe you've been smoking in already. Buy a Missouri meer with your tin or pouch or whatever so you know the true flavor.

From now on that's what I'm doing. Every time I buy a new tobacco to try, I get a new Missouri meer. Then I don't have to clean out a pipe because I didn't like it.

So far been doing pretty good. If I get one I don't like, I give it to my son, along with the pipe.

Just try something. Doesn't matter. Pipesandcigar has this sampler deals. Also they have Battle of the Blends. Blend your own kits, Hansom Flake is a p&C exclusive. Good luck.
 
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philobeddoe

Lifer
Oct 31, 2011
7,553
12,280
East Indiana
“Screw Escudo! I wish they'd just yank that abomination off the market. People smoking that shit made by STG is not Escudo. You're just spending money on a tin design. What is inside is not the Escudo I knew. It's not even any good now.
Sometimes I just wish they'd let a brand name die with some respect, instead of offering us packaged shit with a legendary label on it.
Three Nuns, Escudo, Balkan Sobranie, all that shit spipesmoker have longed over for all of these years... better off dead and buried with some dignity. Now people smoking that Escudo thinking, "hmmmm... this is that famous shit people been raving about for decades and decades?" It's a disgrace, an abomination, to their name. Damn the yes of these corporations making a buck on the names of legends. Damn their eyes to hell.”

Cosmic~
8E3E29BB-6C79-4C16-8B3F-B53A2386447D.jpeg
 
“Screw Escudo! I wish they'd just yank that abomination off the market. People smoking that shit made by STG is not Escudo. You're just spending money on a tin design. What is inside is not the Escudo I knew. It's not even any good now.
Sometimes I just wish they'd let a brand name die with some respect, instead of offering us packaged shit with a legendary label on it.
Three Nuns, Escudo, Balkan Sobranie, all that shit spipesmoker have longed over for all of these years... better off dead and buried with some dignity. Now people smoking that Escudo thinking, "hmmmm... this is that famous shit people been raving about for decades and decades?" It's a disgrace, an abomination, to their name. Damn the yes of these corporations making a buck on the names of legends. Damn their eyes to hell.”

Cosmic~
I totally forgot that I had posted on this thread, and I was reading Philo's post, thinking, "Hell yeh, that's exactly what I think." ha ha. I just can't believe people when they post that they've aged some of that STG shit "and it's so much better." Phhhht... lying sacks of crap!
 

Mr.Pink

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 12, 2020
139
418
Chicago IL
I totally forgot that I had posted on this thread, and I was reading Philo's post, thinking, "Hell yeh, that's exactly what I think." ha ha. I just can't believe people when they post that they've aged some of that STG shit "and it's so much better." Phhhht... lying sacks of crap!
Yep! Garbage tobacco will always be garbage. No matter the age. Probably why The prices are Higher on good aged tins VS garbage. Sorry, I am a pure VA guy.
 
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irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,275
4,093
Kansas
As others have remarked, Escudo is wonderful. I'd also recommend either of the Gawith VaPers; St James Perique or Louisiana Flake. C&D Bayou blends are, IMHO, powerhouses.
Would certainly agree Bayou Morning is a perique powerhouse. Have been smoking that as my VaPer the past few months and am thinking of choosing one lighter on the perique my next order-either Sutliff Victoria or LNF.
 
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karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
2,603
9,924
Basel, Switzerland
How Fillmore and Solani 633 compares to navy rolls? I really like navy rolls and I’m looking for other Vaper with a nice sweetness.

Don't know about GLP Fillmore but I've smoked Solani 633 and DLNRs side by side. I found them to be very similar, with DLNRs having an edge overall being sweeter.
 

B_Rock

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 11, 2020
891
16,811
65
San Jose, CA
How Fillmore and Solani 633 compares to navy rolls? I really like navy rolls and I’m looking for other Vaper with a nice sweetness.
I also am a fan of De Luxe Navy Rolls - Solani 633 is definitely sweeter with a hint of honey flavoring. Fillmore is just a stronger blend with an all around more pronounced Va/Per flavor.
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
20,981
50,230
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Screw Escudo! I wish they'd just yank that abomination off the market. People smoking that shit made by STG is not Escudo. You're just spending money on a tin design. What is inside is not the Escudo I knew. It's not even any good now.
Sometimes I just wish they'd let a brand name die with some respect, instead of offering us packaged shit with a legendary label on it.
Three Nuns, Escudo, Balkan Sobranie, all that shit spipesmoker have longed over for all of these years... better off dead and buried with some dignity. Now people smoking that Escudo thinking, "hmmmm... this is that famous shit people been raving about for decades and decades?" It's a disgrace, an abomination, to their name. Damn the yes of these corporations making a buck on the names of legends. Damn their eyes to hell.
Yeah, but how to you REALLY fell about it?

BTW, I agree with you on all points.

Germain's shitty version of Balkan Sobranie is beyond revolting and it tastes like gasoline infused puppy farts.

STG is the McDonald's of the pipe tobacco business huge and undistinguished, so their version of Escudo is a pale imitation of the original and doesn't age for shit.

If I want to smoke Three Nuns in this day and age, without getting gelded by a scalper, Savinelli Doblone d'Oro is the closest thing there is to what Three Nuns was.
 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,192
5,116
Is DNR in fact deluxe? How does it compare to the pre-gut-ment Escudo. Costs more. Worth it?
 

pantsBoots

Lifer
Jul 21, 2020
2,364
8,983
Yeah, but how to you REALLY fell about it?

BTW, I agree with you on all points.

Germain's shitty version of Balkan Sobranie is beyond revolting and it tastes like gasoline infused puppy farts.

STG is the McDonald's of the pipe tobacco business huge and undistinguished, so their version of Escudo is a pale imitation of the original and doesn't age for shit.

If I want to smoke Three Nuns in this day and age, without getting gelded by a scalper, Savinelli Doblone d'Oro is the closest thing there is to what Three Nuns was.

Man, I don't discount your opinion or experience, and I assume you are correct that it's comparatively garbage, but I like Germain's Balkan Sobranie. It bares no resemblance to the myriad BS clones out there, which all seem a variation on a theme and I understand from popular opinion that they themselves are not quite like the original, vaunted brand made by Sobranie of London. I'm new to the game and have never come across the original Original Smoking Mixture for sale, and would likely balk at the price, so I will probably never know why the original made everyone so giddy.

I think it's fair to say Germain's is being deceptive by using a famous name for a different blend altogether. Hell, you have Philistines like me out there, cash in hand - be a little honest, call that blend "Germain's Puppy Pootoline" and make the tin dayglo orange. I'll try it as I try all Balkans and as I like it for a unique twist on a Balkan blend, I'll buy more. At least they'd be honest in doing so.

All of the above makes me assume one of two cases: either nothing is ever as good as it was as we age, OR the overall quality of available pipe tobacco is diminishing. Gone is Syrian Latakia (for now), and Old Belt Virginias seem to be the subject of special releases, not widely-available as they once were. This does not appear to be happening in the cigar world. The Cubans continue to innovate and breed new tobacco strains and while a lot of the old vitolas have been discontinued for marketing reasons, I am convinced that sooner or later, the quality remains high to my taste. Same for non-Cuban blends that have been out for decades. I see no dip in availability in Fuente or Davidoff offerings, except for new, limited releases made with new tobacco strains.

It all makes me wonder whether pipe tobacco availability is truly suffering at the hands of increasing regulation, or whether it's simply a lack of interest or demand. In either case, I have hope for a rise in boutique pipe tobacco.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
20,981
50,230
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Man, I don't discount your opinion or experience, and I assume you are correct that it's comparatively garbage, but I like Germain's Balkan Sobranie. It bares no resemblance to the myriad BS clones out there, which all seem a variation on a theme and I understand from popular opinion that they themselves are not quite like the original, vaunted brand made by Sobranie of London. I'm new to the game and have never come across the original Original Smoking Mixture for sale, and would likely balk at the price, so I will probably never know why the original made everyone so giddy.

I think it's fair to say Germain's is being deceptive by using a famous name for a different blend altogether. Hell, you have Philistines like me out there, cash in hand - be a little honest, call that blend "Germain's Puppy Pootoline" and make the tin dayglo orange. I'll try it as I try all Balkans and as I like it for a unique twist on a Balkan blend, I'll buy more. At least they'd be honest in doing so.

All of the above makes me assume one of two cases: either nothing is ever as good as it was as we age, OR the overall quality of available pipe tobacco is diminishing. Gone is Syrian Latakia (for now), and Old Belt Virginias seem to be the subject of special releases, not widely-available as they once were. This does not appear to be happening in the cigar world. The Cubans continue to innovate and breed new tobacco strains and while a lot of the old vitolas have been discontinued for marketing reasons, I am convinced that sooner or later, the quality remains high to my taste. Same for non-Cuban blends that have been out for decades. I see no dip in availability in Fuente or Davidoff offerings, except for new, limited releases made with new tobacco strains.

It all makes me wonder whether pipe tobacco availability is truly suffering at the hands of increasing regulation, or whether it's simply a lack of interest or demand. In either case, I have hope for a rise in boutique pipe tobacco.
My description of BS is based on how it tastes to me. Germain's BS not a recreation, it's something different and people are paying quite a premium just to buy the tin art, but that's about it.

Tobacco is a business and like any business seeks to maximize profit. A number of factors are at play. The end of subsidies have caused a lot of growers to grow something different that's more profitable. This reduces the choices manufacturers have in making their blends. Changes in the way that tobacco is sold by growers to manufacturers have cut into returns on their crops as well. Growers are trying to cut costs, which among other things means reducing the amount of labor involved in harvesting, which in turn affects the quality of the harvest. Manufacturers are holding the line on costs, some of which involves buying cheaper substitute components for some of their blends. None of this is sudden. It's been going on for years in one fashion or another, And it doesn't mean that it's all going to hell, just some of it.

Pipe smokers who have been at it for a while are aware of the changes going on in the favored blends they have smoked year after year. I've gotten an earful of it in the last few years. Newer smokers who haven't experienced earlier iterations of available blends have no experiential basis for gauging the changes.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,835
31,575
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
man Escudo is awesome I don't care what it was it's awesome. I could smoke through that stuff really fast. All I'am hearing though is old guys with dying taste buds saying you youngers ain't allowed to have your own taste because everything used to taste better and no no it's not me getting old and lossing my senses. Love you guys but someone has to say it.