Interesting List

[cosmicfolklore]

Yet it's "common knowledge" that aromatics make up, what? 90% of all tobacco sales?

People who smoke aromatics are not people who squirrel away tobacco to enjoy years later, so I am not surprised that aromatics aren't on the list. However, I watch my tobacconist shove bags full of blueberry, vanilla, and cherry all day. It is the biggest seller, and people who smoke it don't cellar it, they just fill their codger jar with it and dip into it all day.

I hope that helps.
That said, this is what people are reporting on a tobacco cellar site. This is even skewed, because there are even less Virginia smokers than latakiaphiles. Cellaring is still a small nitch, of a small nitch, of a small nitch. So, cellaring reports and sales reports should show two totally different worlds, like looking at a survey of all Volkswagen bug drivers verses all car drivers, even other VW drivers.
And, not people who cellar, use this program. My tobaccos aren't listed, because I use a totally different inventory program. So, chip one more nitch off of that pie, ha ha.
Therefore, this list is relevant to nothing but people who use this one particular program. Phhht, means nothing.

 

[escioe]

I find it curious that not many people seem to be cellaring GL Pease blends.

I'm not using this app. I keep track of my inventory in a private spreadsheet. I imagine there are all kinds of GL Pease blends in cellars around the world that aren't represented, for one reason or another, on this website.
Regarding the lack of McClelland on the list, I think a couple of things could be at play here.
1. McClelland smokers are just not using the app.

2. McClelland has so many blends that individual blends don't show up in a top list.

3. For a few years now, people have been passing around Harris's list of flakes. I think too many beginners got the idea that these flakes were the ones worth starting out with, or the only ones worth smoking. That list is colored by not only someone's taste, but by a very peculiar taste that prefers toppings and eschews red Virginias. McClelland deals in tons of red Virginias and few of their straight Virginias have a topping.
Fifteen years ago, there was a very different list compiled by the inestimable Paul Szabady floating around on ASP. Here's what he had to say:

It's possible and perhaps useful to put flakes into rough strength

categories that coincide with the country of manufacture.

The Danish/Dutch/German flakes tend to be the lightest in flavor

intensity, verging on cavendish-type mildness and flavor and all are

artificially flavored to some degree. Because of this added flavoring

and their light flavor qualities, I haven't found anything from these

countries that really hit the spot. And it hasn't been from lack of

trying...
The UK/US (that is, McClelland, since they are the only US company

producing virginia flake) flakes offer a range of flavor intensity and

nicotine potency to meet my preferences more exactly. I have a core

group of 'default' tobaccos that I always keep on hand and smoke through

them as mood, pipe and season require.
They are: McClelland #2010, #22, Gawith Best Brown and Full Virginia

Flake. These are straight unflavored virginias. I also keep some default

va/perique flakes around; these are McClelland #2015, St. James Woods,

Ashton Black Parrot, Escudo and Three Nuns.
Around this core group I also smoke McClelland Dark Star, #2035, #5115,

Ashton Brindle Flake and Rattrays Brown Clunee and Hal o' the Wynd.
I've attempted to sample all of the virginia flakes on the market over

the last 20 years (an ongoing Odyssey) and am dismayed to find so many

manufacturers adding flavors to their virginias as I don't feel the

tobacco needs them: they have a range of flavor, aroma and sublety that

is only polluted by the addition of flavorings.
The third category is the UK-sourced high nicotine potency bars, twists,

ropes and plugs. These often include a goodly bit of burley to up the

nicotine level, are often flavored and sweetened heavily and while being

generally smooth and mild on the tongue, tend to simpler and more

monotone in taste than the typical bright virginia-dominated flakes.

One's tolerance of nicotine levels will be the primary determinant of

whether one enjoys these tobaccos as many smokers find them too potent

to enjoy, no matter how much they might like the flavor/aroma.
The world of virginia flake is wide and broad enough to match the taste

and strength requirements of almost all smokers, so it is merely a

matter of searching for the Goldilockian ideal 'just right' tobacco.

I've been fortunate enough to find at least 15 that really work for me..
Paul Szabady

I think if Paul Szabady or someone of his stature and taste were still roaming the internet pipe world, the list of cellared blends might look a bit different.

 

[davidintexas]

I appreciate the quote by Paul Szabady, Escioe. I for one am one who is slowing learning to appreciate straight Virginias and vapers and what they have to offer, without the added toppings. But it has taken me two years to gradually come to taste some of the subtleties of the blends. Still a newbie though