Looking for blends...new not vintage

[gentlemanjerry]

Hey fellow pipers!

I joined the site here about 15 or 16 years ago and haven't been too active until recently. Kinda been a lurker, lol! Between 2006 & 2012 I bought so much tobacco and cellared a great deal I'm still smoking through. Probably will be for a few more years as well. I started the pipe (Never a cig guy) in 2005 mostly with aromatics. I still enjoy some aro's but moved into English/Lat blends and the last few years I've been loving VaPers. Many, or really all the tins I put back and have opened have greatly improved with age. I wish I had put some blends back in more quantity...My question to you that are knowledgeable...I'd like to get some of the blends I like BUT can't find some of them...Sam Gawith seems hard to find now a days...St James flake...Kendal Cream...Chocolate Flake...Best Brown....Rattray's Bagpiper's Dream...and a few others. Is it just a supply chain thing? Customs? I appreciate the feedback...Thanks, Jerry

 

[VDL_Piper]

Hi @gentlemanjerry its probably a bit of all the things listed as well as the loss of a few critical blenders and tobacco’s from unique regions which made some blends special. Not sure on your location but all the blends you list are still available but seem to come through in batches/waves so be patient and accumulate when you see them become available. Good luck and happy smokes mate.

 

[gentlemanjerry]

Thanks VDL_Piper...I'm in Winchester Virginia. "Comes in waves" seems right. I notice the blends are listed but seem always "sold out" - I'll have to jump when they are stocked...

 

[paulfg]

ernie @ watch city cigar posted that they will have some tins up on there website next week,so a shipment must have landed and i guess other suppliers may well be getting some stock

 

[judcole]

It's good to remember, too, that Sam Gawith is a pretty small concern. They can't crank out product like STG can.

 

[cigrmaster]

The hard to find tins can be had if you are willing to do the leg work and go after the small mom and pop b/m's with little to no internet presence in the low tax states.

Here are some blends that are readily available at almost all the big guns.

Peterson Flake
Peterson Navy Rolls
Peterson Irish Flake
Capstan Blue and Gold Flake and Gold Ready Rubbed.
GL Pease Navigator----needs some age
Mac Baren Old Dark Fired
There are plenty of others. I would use tobaccoreviews.com
Find some people with similar tastes and try them.
I always buy a test tin and then after smoking a good amount, see if if you like it.

 

[Elric]

There are also some pretty good bulk analogs of some of the blends you mention. I'm thinking of Peter Stokkybye blends, specifically the Luxury xxx Flakes. They have some legs for aging potential while still being immediately enjoyable.

 

[mso489]

You don't say where you are located. Availability of some blends is easier in some countries than in others, and on Forums, you can't assume people are all in the U.S.

In any case, you best plan is to shop what is available. There are always some brands and blends that simply don't respond to supply and demand. I give extra points for brands that are successful with availability and distribution.

 

[gentlemanjerry]

There are also some pretty good bulk analogs of some of the blends you mention. I'm thinking of Peter Stokkybye blends, specifically the Luxury xxx Flakes. They have some legs for aging potential while still being immediately enjoyable.

I LOVE Comoy's cask 7 coins - Can't find that either! - I HAVE jarred a couple pounds of the PS Luxury Bulls Eye...Not bad out of the bag, but I'm certain this will age beautifully!

 

[gentlemanjerry]

You don't say where you are located. Availability of some blends is easier in some countries than in others, and on Forums, you can't assume people are all in the U.S.

In any case, you best plan is to shop what is available. There are always some brands and blends that simply don't respond to supply and demand. I give extra points for brands that are successful with availability and distribution.

I'm in Winchester Virginia. THAT is a great idea...maybe my local B&M will have some...duh! I do buy mostly online...My bad...

 

[gawithhoggarth]

Hey fellow pipers!

I joined the site here about 15 or 16 years ago and haven't been too active until recently. Kinda been a lurker, lol! Between 2006 & 2012 I bought so much tobacco and cellared a great deal I'm still smoking through. Probably will be for a few more years as well. I started the pipe (Never a cig guy) in 2005 mostly with aromatics. I still enjoy some aro's but moved into English/Lat blends and the last few years I've been loving VaPers. Many, or really all the tins I put back and have opened have greatly improved with age. I wish I had put some blends back in more quantity...My question to you that are knowledgeable...I'd like to get some of the blends I like BUT can't find some of them...Sam Gawith seems hard to find now a days...St James flake...Kendal Cream...Chocolate Flake...Best Brown....Rattray's Bagpiper's Dream...and a few others. Is it just a supply chain thing? Customs? I appreciate the feedback...Thanks, Jerry

Depends where you are. Readily available in the UK, a lot shipped to USA but sells out quickly, lot set to China etc.

 

[Mr_houston]

@gentlemanjerry

My pipe smoking story is similar to yours. I stopped smoking regularly for about 8 years. When I came back to it, I had some great aged blends to enjoy.

I spent the next year going through current VA and VAPers. I found that I like perique more than I used to. I also found that I don’t like dark fired Kentucky that is in so many blends now. So, I have restocked much of this for the future. Then did the same with Latakia blends.

Your only problem will be trying to restock all at once. My advice is to make a list of what you want to buy and then plan to acquire it over 1-2 years. For example, I can’t buy St. James Flake today, but I have been able to get some over time. I have also moved on to GL Pease (readily available) for many VAs and mild Latakia blends.

 

[gentlemanjerry]

Depends where you are. Readily available in the UK, a lot shipped to USA but sells out quickly, lot set to China etc.

I have noticed it sells out quickly, Lol! - I won't be denied!!! I will find and stock up on those AMAZING blends...I'm in Virginia USA...Gawith does tobacco the right way!

 

[VDL_Piper]

Hi @gentlemanjerry i see Samuel Gawith tobacco’s for sale at smoking pipes mate.

 

[cigrmaster]

The big retailers like Sp and PC and 4 noggins began putting limits on Sg tins and bulks back around 2012. I bought almost all of mine back then and bought mostly bulk as I found small mom and pops who would sell me their entire inventories when it came in, no limits and I even had a guy give me 10% off on 5 pound lots. Regular retail was 55.00 a pound, not an 8 ounce box like today. I loaded my cellar with around 40 pounds of Best Brown, Full Virginia and St James Flakes in a couple of months. Those jars have been untouched since July 2012 as I was buying aged tins for great prices and smoking those up while my bulk aged.

My last order of SG tins with no limit came from of all places JrCigars. I grabbed 25 tins of Best Brown Flake for 9 and change per tin. I refused to buy tins that had small limits like 5. I was still able to buy a few things as Orlik Dark Strong had no limit when it came back on the market in 2016,so I grabbed 100 50 gram tins for only 701. When Smoking pipes found their stash of 2013 Capstan Gold Ready Rubbed in the back of the ware house they had no limits so I grabbed 25.
I was also able to cut deals back then if I bought 50 or 100 tins of the same blend.

When St Bruno Flake came out I bought 100 tins as I felt it was going to be a great aged flake. I just checked SP and they only have 43 tins left. I had a gut feeling it would be hard to find.

I also had a feeling Savinelli Doblone d'Oro would be hard to find and when they had a sale of 15.35 for their 100 gram tins I grabbed 35 tins which was a steal.