Laudisi/C&D is making their play

[anotherbob]

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.

A few of their main line blends fit that label well. Mellow aromatics. Not quite like their burly forward blends or others but a few of my favorite aromatics are C&D

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!

 

[sardonicus87]

Reds are overrated anyway.

This propaganda message sponsored by them Burley Boys. Burley is the best.

 

[Zamora]

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.

We're so lucky to have a company that actually cares about pipe smokers and pipe smoking and doesn't just use it as a side hustle

 

[Zamora]

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.

Yeah I really like the Sutliff reds so I'm getting as much Crumble Kake as I can. I never got to try McClelland since I didn't start pipe smoking until 2022. Hopefully now blenders will try and fill the void for Reds, I think in general there's going to be a lot of attempts to match stuff from Sutliff and Mac Baren so it's not far fetched.

 

[chilllucky]

I would wager that the derth of red virginias of any distinct quality is much more a market supply issue than a matter of any particular blending house's techniques with the leaf.

 

[jpberg]

Is anyone going to pretend this discussion isn’t utter nonsense?
Everyone shit on Sutliff until McC closed up, even then, it took a couple years for the Sutliff VA “appreciation “ threads to show up.
All followed closely by Sutliff going tits up.
Hmmmm, maybe the exact same fucking thing will happen this time, with the difference being SP is actually owned by a tobacco guy.
You blah blah chatty guys are going to blah blah chat it to death like it makes a difference. SPOILER ALERT: It doesn’t.
People are going to buy what pipe tobacco they can, when they can.
Hey, I hear there’s a limited edition blend coming, try not to get too moist.

 

[georged]

 

[Brendan]

So bite Berg back, like I do.



Honestly though, I just ate a batch and it wasn't as smoky as previous batches.
As if it was only twice smoked, not thrice.
I did finish it mind you, but the obvious change has me feeling betrayed.
Also, please bring back the Black Forest Ham, I wish you didn't discontinue that.

 

[mingc]

Is anyone going to pretend this discussion isn’t utter nonsense?
Everyone shit on Sutliff until McC closed up, even then, it took a couple years for the Sutliff VA “appreciation “ threads to show up.
All followed closely by Sutliff going tits up.
Hmmmm, maybe the exact same fucking thing will happen this time, with the difference being SP is actually owned by a tobacco guy.
You blah blah chatty guys are going to blah blah chat it to death like it makes a difference. SPOILER ALERT: It doesn’t.
People are going to buy what pipe tobacco they can, when they can.
Hey, I hear there’s a limited edition blend coming, try not to get too moist.

It must be getting closer to closing time. All the girls are starting to look like Kate Beckinsale!

 

[jpberg]

It must be getting closer to closing time. All the girls are starting to look like Kate Beckinsale!

And you wake up in the morning with Molto Dolce.

 

[MisterDearly]

Good for them! As long as it doesn't affect the stuff I care about, I hope they have great success! C and D makes many of my favs, especially burley blends and gl pease English mixtures. I won't buy these aros, but I am Glad they will fill that void.

 

[Monssen13]

I’ll tell my B&M guys about this, sounds promising. However, I’m not sure I can smoke “Sir Vanderberry” in good conscience without feeling like a waxed mustache toting hipster. No offense to any such mustachioed hipsters.

 

[Pooh-Bah]

I’ll tell my B&M guys about this, sounds promising. However, I’m not sure I can smoke “Sir Vanderberry” in good conscience without feeling like a waxed mustache toting hipster. No offense to any such mustachioed hipsters.

"Please, I beg of you, B&M. Give Sir Vanderberry a cooler name."

I nominate uh.... Contrarian Berry. Or perhaps Smallfruit.

 

[krizzose]

I should admit that I haven't yet tried Edisto. Maybe that's what I'm looking for.

Edisto is a very solid and enjoyable red va. fresh out of the tin. It’s nothing as complex or stout as CRF, but why would it be? It has plenty of sweetness and just enough tang. It is one I have high hopes for at 5+ years of age

 

[abecox]

I’ll tell my B&M guys about this, sounds promising. However, I’m not sure I can smoke “Sir Vanderberry” in good conscience without feeling like a waxed mustache toting hipster. No offense to any such mustachioed hipsters.

None taken

 

[BayouGhost]

Edisto is a very solid and enjoyable red va. fresh out of the tin. It’s nothing as complex or stout as CRF, but why would it be? It has plenty of sweetness and just enough tang. It is one I have high hopes for at 5+ years of age

I enjoyed this one as well as Atalaya. Sort of like Yorktown with less or no bright VAs. I'm sitting on only 1 opened tin of Edisto but may have to add some more to let them sit a while. I may even blend Edisto with some of the C&D Dark Fired Kentucky and some Burley Flake #2 as a poor guess at Old Dark Fired. I'm hoping Jeremy and the fellas will roll something out that approximates ODF and maybe even makes it better.

 

[litup]

You blah blah chatty guys are going to blah blah chat it to death like it makes a difference. SPOILER ALERT: It doesn’t.
People are going to buy what pipe tobacco they can, when they can.
Hey, I hear there’s a limited edition blend coming, try not to get too moist.

Absolutely none of what we talk about on here really makes a difference . . . why try to make everyone feel about because they are talking about a niche topic on a forum specifically created for that topic?

 

[litup]

Too late to edit my typo so in case it wasn't obvious, I meant to write, "why try to make everyone feel bad"

 

[Bassman65]

I’ll tell my B&M guys about this, sounds promising. However, I’m not sure I can smoke “Sir Vanderberry” in good conscience without feeling like a waxed mustache toting hipster. No offense to any such mustachioed hipsters.

Sounds more like a breakfast cereal. On the shelf beside Booberry and Frankenberry. I’m no hipster, don’t have the head of hair or style sense for it - but I’ll probably give er’ a go!

 

[Skippy Piper]

A few of their main line blends fit that label well. Mellow aromatics. Not quite like their burly forward blends or others but a few of my favorite aromatics are C&D

Don't get me wrong, I love Cornell & Diehl, but I've yet to smoke any blend from them that I'd call "mellow". Even smoking their flagship aromatic Autumn Evening (which is 100% pure Red Virginia Cavendish) feels like Jeremy Reeves personally walked up, punched me in the throat, and called me a pussy by the time I get down to the last third of the bowl!

C'mon guys, Cavendish is supposed to be really gentle and easygoing stuff! What did they steam it with, rocket fuel? I'll always love C&D's Burley blends, and Haunted Bookshop may very well be my all time favorite pipe blend period, but I feel like they might want to leave the mass market brick and mortar bulk aromatics to Lane. They're gonna give some poor old codger who's used to smoking 1-Q a heart attack!