Historic tobacco blends?

[JR McDuff]

I would like to know what some of the oldest blends/recipes are and if they are still being blended and sold today. I think it would be interesting to start smoking through pipe tobacco history.
Your input would be much appreciated!

 

[hawky454]

I think Gawith would win here. As far as blends that are still being produced from the same house, Gawith!

To name a blend, I would say Grousemoore is possibly their oldest blend that is still in production today.

 

[rmbittner]

This may be overly pessimistic and not all that helpful, but even if the brand names are still in production, today’s blends will necessarily bear very little similarity to what they were decades ago. A number of tobaccos that were critical to early “classics” are either extremely rare, extremely expensive, or completely gone from the marketplace. For example, Syrian latakia used to be a staple ingredient in many classic blends; Syrian hasn’t been grown for more than a decade and seems unlikely to ever return.

It’s also important to note that a large number of once-classic blends have changed owners; many blends used to be manufactured on the English mainland—Balkan Sobranie, Three Nuns, Capstan, Dunhill’s blends—and these are now produced in Jersey (BS) and in Denmark (all of the other blends). Not only are the tobaccos handled differently than they would have been in the past, they’re different tobaccos due to what is currently available. (For example, when Dunhill blends were made by Dunhill, they featured leaf that had been aged for years; now that STG is producing those blends under the Peterson brand, that is no longer the case.)

 

[JR McDuff]

This may be overly pessimistic and not all that helpful, but even if the brand names are still in production, today’s blends will necessarily bear very little similarity to what they were decades ago. A number of tobaccos that were critical to early “classics” are either extremely rare, extremely expensive, or completely gone from the marketplace. For example, Syrian latakia used to be a staple ingredient in many classic blends; Syrian hasn’t been grown for more than a decade and seems unlikely to ever return.

 

[JR McDuff]

I appreciate this info. Just learning about the history will be adding to my appreciation of the hobby. Thanks!

 

[JR McDuff]

Hey great to know. Was there a particular cut/form of the earliest tobaccos?

 

[rmbittner]

Hey great to know. Was there a particular cut/form of the earliest tobaccos?

What do you mean by “the earliest tobaccos”? If you’re going back to the mid-1800s, there were no mixtures at all; if someone smoked a pipe, they were smoking a single leaf. Mixtures didn’t appear until around 1860-1870 (based on memory; I haven’t checked my books).

But if you mean mixtures, shag was a very popular cut by the 1880s, as were plugs and ropes, which could be cut for a pipe or cut and chewed.

You might be interested in the book Sublime Tobacco by Compton McKenzie. It’s a fascinating, detailed history of tobacco up until the 1950s (which is when it was published).

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Unfortunately, what we have to chose from are corporate offerings. I remember as a kid that the General store would have regional twists. There are very few of these left, and most are for chewing.... but can be very pleasant smokes. Twists were the easiest way for a farmer to prepare their tobaccos for market, back when they could just sell directly.
You could do a search for Cotton Boll Twist, very strong but it has cigar notes that I enjoy. This would have been the closest to pre 1860 pipe tobacco offerings in the US.

 

[JR McDuff]

What do you mean by “the earliest tobaccos”? If you’re going back to the mid-1800s, there were no mixtures at all; if someone smoked a pipe, they were smoking a single leaf. Mixtures didn’t appear until around 1860-1870 (based on memory; I haven’t checked my books).

But if you mean mixtures, shag was a very popular cut by the 1880s, as were plugs and ropes, which could be cut for a pipe or cut and chewed.

You might be interested in the book Sublime Tobacco by Compton McKenzie. It’s a fascinating, detailed history of tobacco up until the 1950s (which is when it was published).

Thank you for the book title! Sounds like it's something that would be helpful.

 

[JR McDuff]

Unfortunately, what we have to chose from are corporate offerings. I remember as a kid that the General store would have regional twists. There are very few of these left, and most are for chewing.... but can be very pleasant smokes. Twists were the easiest way for a farmer to prepare their tobaccos for market, back when they could just sell directly.
You could do a search for Cotton Boll Twist, very strong but it has cigar notes that I enjoy. This would have been the closest to pre 1860 pipe tobacco offerings in the US.

I think I heard on some PM podcast interview that tobacconists wrote their recipes down and because of that, we can experience those old(er) blends.
Even though some of the regional leaves of old aren't available today, is it safe to say that the present day blends can get the flavor within the ballpark?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I think I heard on some PM podcast interview that tobacconists wrote their recipes down and because of that, we can experience those old(er) blends.
Even though some of the regional leaves of old aren't available today, is it safe to say that the present day blends can get the flavor within the ballpark?

Sure, big cities would have had tobacconists that would make blends. I'll bet that post 1860's blends would be very close to offerings that we have now. Probably C&D would be the closest in styles of cuts and dryness also.

The reason I use 1860's as a marker is because that is when flu cured tobaccos were first discovered and made commercially available. Before that, regional burleys would have been the standard.

 

[JR McDuff]

This is great knowing that I'm in the company of some good mentors. Thanks for this short history and giving me a good start moving forward.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This is great knowing that I'm in the company of some good mentors. Thanks for this short history and giving me a good start moving forward.

Try C&D's Kelly's Coin. It isn't necessarily a vintage blend, but it can give you an idea of what the old burleys would have tasted like. Besides, it is one of my favorites.

 

[hawky454]

Sublime Tobacco by Compton McKenzie.

I was surprised to find a copy of it on Amazon. Just bought it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I was surprised to find a copy of it on Amazon. Just bought it.

Edit: Crap, nevermind... that was a bad search result. Disregard.

 

[bullet08]

Carter Hall, Prince Albert, Valvet, Half & Half.. All traditional American blends going for some time. Might have been some change.

 

[ThermionicScott]

This is a good article on the classic Dunhill blends. When they were introduced, changed, dropped, etc: DUNHILL PIPE TOBACCO: 1907 – 1990 - Pipedia - https://pipedia.org/wiki/DUNHILL_PIPE_TOBACCO:_1907_%E2%80%93_1990

 

[mawnansmiff]

This may be overly pessimistic and not all that helpful, but even if the brand names are still in production, today’s blends will necessarily bear very little similarity to what they were decades ago. A number of tobaccos that were critical to early “classics” are either extremely rare, extremely expensive, or completely gone from the marketplace. For example, Syrian latakia used to be a staple ingredient in many classic blends; Syrian hasn’t been grown for more than a decade and seems unlikely to ever return.

It’s also important to note that a large number of once-classic blends have changed owners; many blends used to be manufactured on the English mainland—Balkan Sobranie, Three Nuns, Capstan, Dunhill’s blends—and these are now produced in Jersey (BS) and in Denmark (all of the other blends). Not only are the tobaccos handled differently than they would have been in the past, they’re different tobaccos due to what is currently available. (For example, when Dunhill blends were made by Dunhill, they featured leaf that had been aged for years; now that STG is producing those blends under the Peterson brand, that is no longer the case.)

Another example of a classic blend that is now history is St. Bruno, especially their plug version.

When originally supplied from Dublin it was a blend that was admired the world over but since its removal to Poland it's a pale shadow of itself and often ridiculed on this very Forum for being nothing at all like the original.

Not being able to smoke anymore I'm pretty much out of touch with such matters, but I'm sure there are many more famous & favourite blends that exist now only in name.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[hawky454]

Another example of a classic blend that is now history is St. Bruno, especially their plug version.

When originally supplied from Dublin it was a blend that was admired the world over but since its removal to Poland it's a pale shadow of itself and often ridiculed on this very Forum for being nothing at all like the original.

Not being able to smoke anymore I'm pretty much out of touch with such matters, but I'm sure there are many more famous & favourite blends that exist now only in name.

Regards,

Jay.

Think you are talking about Condor here, no?

Btw, I hope you are doing well, Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Think you are talking about Condor here, no?

Btw, I hope you are doing well, Jay.

WOW ....of course it was CONDOR....just goes to show I've been so removed from the tobacco smoking world.

Thanks Hawky for the correction chum.

Regards,

Jay.