Laudisi/C&D is making their play
- Thread starter BriarBrook
- Start date
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Not Rivertown but the shop I hang out at here in Tucson just restocked most of their bulk tobacco with C&D blends yesterday. It was a big time turnover for them.
Very cool. I wonder if these will become available in smaller quantities at places like SPC if they prove to be successful with blenders.
I think this is great. Thank God for the the fine folks at Laudisi. C&D, Low Country, their distribution agreements with GH and SG, GLP, and now this. I know I missed a few and they may have had a hand in getting HU across the pond. These guys consistently go the extra mile for us. Plus they are a proud sponsor of this forum through Smokingpipes.
Hopefully they'll either be available through their site or Laudisi will publish a dealer list. I'd love to try some of those.
A few weeks ago, during the zenith of the Sutliff/Mac Baren michigaas, I saw a link to Rivertown Tobacco Works on SP's bulk leaf section. There was no picture, and the link led to a nonexistent page with an error message on it, but it was there. Been a good week and change since I last saw it on there, but it makes a little more sense now in the context of this thread. Any expansion of options these days is a good thing in my eyes, so I look forward to seeing what it's all about once it's officially up and running.
I saw it also.
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Reds are going the way of the Dodo.
McC was king of them, of course, but after their passing I really did appreciate TS1R - not as exciting but solid.
Curious how I'll like this Crimson Shadow.
McC was king of them, of course, but after their passing I really did appreciate TS1R - not as exciting but solid.
Curious how I'll like this Crimson Shadow.
Why do some people keep saying this? Please explain.
they can't fly and rats discovered how tasty and available they are.
Very exciting! I'll be extremely curious to try the mass market bulk blends that C&D has come up with under the Rivertown label. It'll be especially interesting since it's probably safe to assume that most of them are really mellow aromatics ala' the Lane offerings, since those are what tend to sell best at local tobacconists, and "mellow aromatic" is a term I've never associated with C&D before.
Jeremy Reeves is one heck of a blender though, so if he set his mind to creating replacements for Sutliff's mass market bulk aromatics then I'm sure he could do it. He'll just need one seriously big tobacco steaming machine for all that Cavendish!
Jeremy Reeves is one heck of a blender though, so if he set his mind to creating replacements for Sutliff's mass market bulk aromatics then I'm sure he could do it. He'll just need one seriously big tobacco steaming machine for all that Cavendish!
It's not to say that there aren't other reds, but some brands seemed to do better with them across the board (in the statistically significant opinion of Reds appreciators, as reflected in TR for instance).
It's not very controversial to say that McC was the king of Reds. Of course there are outliers who never preferred their take, but it's obvious among those who talk tobacco that there was a widespread, dominant preference for McC reds as in their Christmas Cheer, 40th Ann, McCranies, etc.
After McC gave up the ghost, Sutliff sort of took their place among Reds appreciators with Cringle Flake for Christmas Cheer, 515 RC1 for Red Cake (although IMPO that one was a massive flop), and TS1R could be seen as a replacement for McC blending red or as a non-vinegar version of Red Cake.
With Sutliff giving up the ghost 7 years after McClelland, it feels a little like the last man standing being taken out.
C&D is fantastic for many things, but their reds have not always been received in quite the same way. Their Red VA Ribbon for instance just isn't quite as good as TS1R, to many of us (a pretty widely held opinion). Now many smokers do really like a red VaPer like Kajun Kake, granted; unfortunately, something about that one just doesn't work for me (although I used to love McC 2015, arguably similar). I was recently introduced to Interlude, and that one is worthwhile to me, granted.
The great exception with C&D is obviously their Carolina Red Flake. That one is up there with the greats. But, you know, it's a very limited release once a year, tough to get your hands on (and actually I'm not clear on its future now? Will that keep happening?)
I should admit that I haven't yet tried Edisto. Maybe that's what I'm looking for.
And I do like Capstan, but to me it's not twice as good as others so I hate spending twice as much.
Some of the others, like McConnell, etc. are just sort of weird to me.
So sure I overstated things. The point is just that, there was a time that when you thought of Reds, you thought of McC, and after them, if you thought of Reds you thought of Sutliff, and now, no single blender really stands out as the Reds specialist. That's just my sense. YMMV.
Wow, I really appreciate the insightful responce. That was awesome. For me, I didn't like the Sutliff reds that much, especially the RC-515. I just turned to C&D all out when McC tits up'd. I do like their red cavendish quite a bit. And, I hope CRF doesn't stop. I haven't seen a reason or indicator that it would.
But, I appreciate your reply.
C&D Red VA. Cavendish is a really good bulk imo. I overlooked it for quite some time until recently I ordered some on a whim. Glad I did.
One of the things I liked best about McC were their matured Reds. C&D’s CRF releases were pretty good but not as satisfying for me, just a little lacking in funk and tang.
Then I tried Sutliff’s Cringle Flake and rejoiced. Still not McC, but more in my wheelhouse, so I stocked up on it.
I was not wild about C&D, but the CRF showed real promise so I stocked up on that, as well as Yorktown and Bijou.
I’m also glad that I stocked up on McC matured Reds and other Virginias while they were available.
EDIT: Sutliff 515 RC1 was created as a blending tobacco and not intended originally as a standalone. I still think that it works best as a blending component.