Overrated Tobaccos

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igloo

Lifer
Jan 17, 2010
4,083
5
woodlands tx
Ok I have tried to hold it in , Hearth & Home by Blender Russ Ouellette . After trying many of his blends I just do not get it . I would rather waste my money on dried up Borkum Riff .

 

dubinthedam

Lurker
May 18, 2009
47
0
Amsterdam
FVF, and Christmas cheer, also quite a few McClellands VA blends actually. Three nuns is a superb blend but still it is overrated mainly due to it's non US distribution. Hype is always just hype.
For me Long Golden Flake deserves every bit of hype though, equally 1792 and it's a shame PA would never be hyped just because its an otc blend.

 

unclearthur

Lifer
Mar 9, 2010
6,875
6
PA is one of those great unsung heroes of the pipe world. It has been around forever and is just plain good.

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
PA is one of those great unsung heroes of the pipe world. It has been around forever and is just plain good.
I agree Arthur, but it gunks up my pipes.
If I had to choose one blend... (don't get mad guys) I'd have to nominate C&D 417P Night Train.

Then, I think, comes C&D Tuskeegee Airman.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,641
Chicago, IL
Dunhill's Standard Mixture Medium is, to me, pretty unremarkable.

FVF is very good, but I don't understand why it flies off the shelves like it does.

Ditto for Escudo -- very good, but there are several comparable roll flakes.

 

tatanka

Lurker
Jan 2, 2011
12
0
I feel a real affection for all pipe smokers, but I don't think I'll ever feel truly like "one of the gang." I think a number of things contribute to this feeling. First, like Tommy and Chero above, I just can't seem to develop an ability to taste all the nuances of flavors and different tobaccos in a blend. Perhaps my taster just is asleep. Almost all the blends mentioned on this post are unknowns to me. I keep buying blends recommended and while I try to find the magic others described, I just can't identify it. I usually end up giving up, but still keep searching and longing for one or three or five tobacco's that will give me whatever it is I'm looking for: a sweet, mild taste, and an aroma while smoking it, that makes my just love the smell. But I am thinking that if I ever find a few I love enough to settle down with just them, and stop spending my money on pots at the end of the rainbow others talk about, but which leave me un-mooved and disappointed - they will probably not be any of the great, grand, popular blends most of you seem to praise.

I must admit this poses a real frustration for me. I think since I don't get much pleasure out of a "taste", I have gravitated toward the aroma of it once smoked; and not finding that "oh, this smells great!" tobacco, I'm losing some of my enthusiasm. You guys are really fortunate to know the tastes and the great blends that give you pleasure. I think I've messed up big time trying to express my feelings and thoughts. Well, thanks for listening anyway.

 

chero

Can't Leave
Dec 25, 2010
393
1
don't feel bad tatanka there is alot of guys on here that will tell you that they all taste the same and a lot more that will tell you that they can't smell the scent while somkeing it to. most of the time i ask my wife how does this blend smell. but i only like straight tobacco with no flavors, just enjoy the smoke.
tatanka,you can be my buddy if you want.

 

menckenite

Part of the Furniture Now
Jun 21, 2010
867
3
Alabama
tatanka,
Glad you posted this and felt like sharing. You didn't ask for it but I'll share my 2 cents. Keep reading up on the hobby and tobaccos, smoke a blend through (unless you find it's really not to your taste), and just give it some time. It doesn't matter what we or anyone else thinks about a blend, it's what you find you enjoy that matters. Don't feel you're not "one of the gang" because several reputable posters or hundreds of reviewers say a particular blend is great but you don't care for it. Some are following the crowd and some make their own way. Keep smoking my friend and enjoy your own way because as long as you're here, you're one of us!

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,641
Chicago, IL
Ditto William & Chero. I for one, barely sense -- let alone luxuriate in -- the "room note" of the tobacco I'm smoking; so don't feel excluded on that count, Tatanka. Also, I don't know where smokers get the idea that there is one "go to", or signature blend that they should be able to discover and live with forever more. (I think it comes from cigarette smokers' brand identification and advertising.)
Think of your pursuit of the pipe's pleasures in epicurean terms. Would you search for one special cheese or wine to satisfy all your needs, for all time? Or would you view the sum of your experiences as a journey?
As for those blend reviews and critical analyses, employ the same analogies. Parsing the nuances of different Virginia flakes can be as interesting and challenging as explaining to someone the difference between the taste of Roquefort and Gorgonzola cheese. G.L.Pease's article, Don't Think Of A Purple Giraffe, here at PM.com is a step toward improving your discernment in these matters.
I'll let Godbee and Pease speak for themselves, but I think the whole motivation for this e-mag, and its articles, is to help pipe tobacco smokers confront the frustrations you so eloquently expressed.

 

hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,008
20,764
Chicago
Well said cortez. The trick at a buffet isn't to find one thing you like and zero in on it, its to sample and find enjoyment in a multitude of blends. Of finding and discerning what your palette enjoys. I could class the entire Va class as over rated. No matter what the blend, they just don't sing to me as much as I wish they did. McClelland's ketchup smell Va's so turn me off at the nose that I can't bring myself to smoke them but there are scores of people who relish in them and I say good for them! My palette just doesn't get it. Give me a big old punch in the face with Latakia and Smyrna and I'm a happy man but the gentle nuances of VA? I don't get it. Thank God there is a whole rainbow of tobacco colors to try in the crayola box.

 

oldjazzlover

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 4, 2011
152
0
I have to agree with you fellas. That's why I love my pipe! I can pack it with whatever I have a taste for at the time or go on a flavorful journey. "Exploring the world of flavors and aromas!" As it was stated earlier beauty is in the eye of the beauty is in the eye's of the beholder, I wouldn't look down on anyone just because their taste are different than mine. Enjoy your journy! :puffpipe:

 

yoru

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 5, 2011
585
1
Other than Dunhill and Penzance I don't even know what the "big name" blends are....
And I dunno what penzance even is heh heh.
I just order random blends based on liking the names. Not the best system, but it works for me.

 

hobie1dog

Lifer
Jun 5, 2010
6,888
236
68
Cornelius, NC
The fun for me is just the thought of finding your dream tobacco. I've not tried any Pease blends yet, but hope to try everyone of them just for the experience of it. I like trying out new things ( ask my wife ) :nana:. That's why I've owned 30 cars, 11 race karts, 14 motorcycles, and so many pairs of stereo speakers, I've lost count. Enjoy the variety of 3500 different blends that are supposedly out there. Find a new pipe smoker and give him a bunch of samples that you don't care for, so that he/she may discover their favorite blend....or put them in the box pass that comes around. :clap:

 

unclearthur

Lifer
Mar 9, 2010
6,875
6
What sucks is finding that "perfect" tobacco , and it isn't imported to the states. I LOVE the St Bruno tobaccos.

 

igloo

Lifer
Jan 17, 2010
4,083
5
woodlands tx
The fun is trying new blends and then reaching for the ones that strike your fancy when you feel like it . Sometimes Carter Hall is the ticket or maybe it is black rope . As the cellar grows every trip to it is like going to the tobacco shop .

 

yoru

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 5, 2011
585
1
unclearthur I feel the same way about Koiki brand kizami. I finally got a sample of it from a friend that happened to have some in her cellar -- can't wait for the other friend (her boyfriend actually) that will be going to Japan in just 2 weeks now. He basically has my permission to buy a case to bring back for me (told him I'd pay for as much as 200 USD worth)

 
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