Latakia Blend Tasting Test

[FLDRD]

Did one of you just part with $300 for a 2004 tin of Krumble Kake?
Someone did...

Although I doubt anyone will "fess up". No worries.

I hope someone ENJOYS IT!

Cheers

FS: Esoterica/Smokers Haven/Mcclelland (7/14/2023) :: Tobacco Sell/Swap/Search

Here goes a fine lot of tobacco for your consideration. Open to fair offers and only PM as per usual. Shipping is $10 will ship international if willing to pay extra shipping. Thank you for looking (1) 50g tin (2004) Mcclelland "Dark Star" $100 (1) 50g tin (2004) Mcclelland "Frog Morton...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[Indygrap]

Did one of you just part with $300 for a 2004 tin of Krumble Kake?
Someone did...

Although I doubt anyone will "fess up". No worries.

I hope someone ENJOYS IT!

Cheers

FS: Esoterica/Smokers Haven/Mcclelland (7/14/2023) :: Tobacco Sell/Swap/Search

Here goes a fine lot of tobacco for your consideration. Open to fair offers and only PM as per usual. Shipping is $10 will ship international if willing to pay extra shipping. Thank you for looking (1) 50g tin (2004) Mcclelland "Dark Star" $100 (1) 50g tin (2004) Mcclelland "Frog Morton...

pipesmagazine.com

Not me, but I did drop $15 on a tin of Squadron Leader & SG 1792 that I happened to come across. Been looking for the 1792 & lucked out.

 

[PA Piper Mike]

I'll be honest, I've never heard of half of these... the 2 GLP blends and the Smokers Haven... then again, I'm still kinda new to pipes (2018).

Being a Latakia lover, I fully enjoyed all 6 of these and would stock up on all of them if they were readily available. And holy crap, I'm ecstatic that I FINALLY got to experience Syrian Latakia... and it did not disappoint!

Yeah, I did get my wish! And I have quite a bit of squadron leader in my cellar... however, Butter, am I correct in thinking they changed the cut? The SL I have is a very thin ribbon, possibly even shag cut. The SL we smoked was a fairly normal, if not a little thicker, ribbon. Also, did the 2014 version contain Syrian Latakia as well? I just hope the SL I have ages like yours did! Thanks again for doing this.

And, not gonna lie...a saved a little bit from each pouch and have a small pipe's worth of each. Whoohoo! Bet your ass I'll be savoring each one of these!

View attachment 234060

Back from Myrtle Beach, so I can finally post the comparison of Squadron Leader of today. As you can see it's a much finer cut... very thin ribbons. The cut means little to me, i just hope the favor is comparable to the SL of 2014.

 

[Mrs. Pickles]

Also on the topic of old Squadron Leader, I see there’s an old tin up for sale on Tin Bids now and I’m shocked that this isn’t listed with the claim “beat Balkan Sobraine 759 in a blind taste test”

 

[Butter Side Down]

Back from Myrtle Beach, so I can finally post the comparison of Squadron Leader of today. As you can see it's a much finer cut... very thin ribbons. The cut means little to me, i just hope the favor is comparable to the SL of 2014.

Yeah. That's pretty different all right! Also the color is much lighter in the current version. Of course that could be because VAs tend to darken as they age. Hopefully if still tastes the same! In another thread talking about blenders changing things (which I can't find now), somebody said something like "These days the only thing you can rely on is that the tin will have tobacco in it and you can smoke it."

Here's a pic of a wad of Squadron Leader from my jar (the one the sample came from). It does actually have a few thin strands, but the cut is all over the place. Some wide ribbons, some broken flake, a few scattered twigs.

 

[Scottmi]

Here's a pic of a wad of Squadron Leader from my jar (the one the sample came from). It does actually have a few thin strands, but the cut is all over the place. Some wide ribbons, some broken flake, a few scattered twigs.

View attachment 235889

yeah that looks considerably darker than my newly opened tin of 2022 Squadron Leader.

 

[LuckyGlenn]

I really enjoyed this thread. Everybody here did a great job. I haven't really tried any latakia blends, but after hearing everyone's descriptions I think that I need to try a few.

 

[Mrs. Pickles]

I really enjoyed this thread. Everybody here did a great job. I haven't really tried any latakia blends, but after hearing everyone's descriptions I think that I need to try a few.

It was a lot of fun to participate. I'd love to do another blind tasting someday and pay it forward by sharing some fancy tobaccos of my own. I'll have to work on accumulating them first.

 

[VirginiaMan]

Seems like a cool idea, excited to hear peoples thoughts. I always loved doing a blind tasting of whiskey.

 

[mingc]

Yeah. That's pretty different all right! Also the color is much lighter in the current version. Of course that could be because VAs tend to darken as they age. Hopefully if still tastes the same! In another thread talking about blenders changing things (which I can't find now), somebody said something like "These days the only thing you can rely on is that the tin will have tobacco in it and you can smoke it."

Here's a pic of a wad of Squadron Leader from my jar (the one the sample came from). It does actually have a few thin strands, but the cut is all over the place. Some wide ribbons, some broken flake, a few scattered twigs.

View attachment 235889

You were very generous with the size of your samples and I had a bit of each leftover. I happen to have some 2013 Squadron Leader so I added some to my leftover of Sample C and smoked a bowl, The funny thing is, I enjoyed it better knowing what it was than when I smoked your blind Sample C. I think I was concentrating so much on the blind sample thinking about what it tasted like that it changed my experience of the smoke. I thought after smoking Sample C that I didn't enjoy it enough to buy it, But smoking Squadron Leader knowing what it was was a completely different experience. I discovered then that I do like it like I always had. I did not expect these different experiences. It was very educational to have tasted your samples blind!

 

[JoburgB2]

F: Smokers Haven Krumble Kake (2013)

Smoker’s Haven. A National treasure in Columbus, Ohio. Kinda sorta still “going”, but so sadly missed.