Name A Blend That's Better Now Than In The Past

[Sicut_Incensum]

Title says it all. We constantly hear about the opposite, of course! So what's a blend that's actually improved over time, either due to the manufacturer tweaking and perfecting it themselves, or because the brand was taken over by a new manufacturer who made it better?

 

[Skyfall]

probably going to be a short forum post here boys.

 

[Bbailey324]

I think Granger got better after the transition to STD from Pinkerton. The previous version had some odd almost 'plastic' flavor notes that popped up periodically. I don't get that in the current version.

I can name several match blends that I think are/were better than the original but I don't think that is the point here.

 

[Mrs. Pickles]

Some of the C&D small batch rereleases have come out better than their earlier itierations.

I liked 2022's Carolina Red Flake better than the earlier years. Also, last year's Palmetto Balkan release with the Turkish Latakia let the character of the other orientals be more distinct.

Can anyone speak to how C&D's change to Turkish Latakia has changed GL Pease's English blends, if at all?

 

[LeafErikson]

I heard steak and shake switched from vegetable oil to beef tallow for their fries. I haven’t tried them yet but I’m assuming it’s an improvement.

 

[wyfbane]

All my examples were the H&H matches blended by Russ and sourced with mostly Sutliff... so they're extinct, or going extinct.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I try not to smoke blends that are less than 3 to 5 years old. So it's difficult to tell. I smoke straight Virginias almost exclusively. Given the crops reportedly have declined in quality, I'll hazard a guess and say none for me.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Well i guess everyone who likes the current sauce levels of GH stuff would say yes

 

[Skippy Piper]

I haven't tried the original versions myself for comparison, though I have heard a few of the old timers say that the former Pinkerton manufactured blends like Paladin Black Cherry, Velvet, and Granger have improved significantly since STG took over manufacturing them.

 

[condorlover1]

In my opinion most blends seem to have gone down hill. Nothing tastes like it used to blah blah. Strangely enough I think that the only thing that has remained constant is S&G Irish XXX since it is very difficult to change the composition of something that bad. Don't get me wrong I love the stuff but I think it would be practically impossible to produce an inferior version.

 

[Briar Lee]

Title says it all. We constantly hear about the opposite, of course! So what's a blend that's actually improved over time, either due to the manufacturer tweaking and perfecting it themselves, or because the brand was taken over by a new manufacturer who made it better?

Plain old Velvet!

But it’s a story of redemption not salvation.

When I was a little boy Velvet smelled like maple syrup and molasses and heaven in the barber shop and cafes and when I took up smoking in 1972 I loved Velvet, next only to Half and Half.

And about 2005 I bought a tub of Velvet and wound up throwing it away. I’ve never done that before or since. It was unsmokable by me, and I can smoke anything.

Velvet is back. As good as ever, maybe better.

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

Most of the blends that have just been sitting in my cellar.

Actual answer: I can't think of any that really improved. Capstan Blue stayed really consistent and was always good, god only knows if STG or Orlik can keep that up going forward. Gawith Hoggarth & Co., while less saucy, seems to be more consistent batch-to-batch but maybe that's just me.