Plum Pudding Special Reserve

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saintpeter

Lifer
May 20, 2017
1,158
2,636
Long ago I gave up Latakia tobaccos because the flavor seemed muddled, if you will and at odds with it's fellow components. I just opened a tin of the Plum Pudding Special Reserve. Perhaps it is the fact I have been away from this type, but the bowl full seemed alive, balanced and satisfying. Enough so that I found myself immediately concerned about running out of it. (On the first bowl of a 4 ounce tin.) What can I substitute for this when I run out?
 

creole

Might Stick Around
Jul 31, 2019
56
63
It doesn’t seem to be much of a limited run. I wonder if the supposedly small quantity of rare leaf ran out and was replaced by something less rare.
 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,454
26,081
50
Las Vegas
It's still readily available so grab a few extra cans. There's usually some good sales between now and the end of the year.

There's also the non-special reserve version.

Give C&D Dreams of Kadath a try too. It's not the same but it reminds me of the it.
 
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Casual

Lifer
Oct 3, 2019
2,579
9,444
NL, CA
I find pressed tobacco to integrate the Latakia far more completely than simple mixtures. Similar to Plum Pudding Special Reserve, I also found Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake to have a nice integrated, smooth Latakia flavour.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,610
Does this mean the tin of regular Plum Pudding I've been aging for several years is mundane by comparison? Maybe specialty blends should be given separate names so as not to downgrade the regular blends. I knew a person who used to insistently go to a barbecue restaurant and order "the good barbecue," saying she knew they served the "bad" barbecue to regular customers, but she wanted the good barbecue. The proprietor came to know her and quietly brought her a plate of the best, so she wouldn't convince the other customers of her story. Maybe I should just throw out the tin so as not to insult anyone by giving them this inferior blend. Nope, I'll smoke it. But I'm saying this isn't a good marketing plan.
 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,454
26,081
50
Las Vegas
Does this mean the tin of regular Plum Pudding I've been aging for several years is mundane by comparison? Maybe specialty blends should be given separate names so as not to downgrade the regular blends. I knew a person who used to insistently go to a barbecue restaurant and order "the good barbecue," saying she knew they served the "bad" barbecue to regular customers, but she wanted the good barbecue. The proprietor came to know her and quietly brought her a plate of the best, so she wouldn't convince the other customers of her story. Maybe I should just throw out the tin so as not to insult anyone by giving them this inferior blend. Nope, I'll smoke it. But I'm saying this isn't a good marketing plan.

The regular is no slouch. Some might even prefer it. To me, the SR is slightly sweeter and I don't know if tangier is the right word but maybe the vinegar in the BBQ sauce flavor is more noticeable?

I'm wondering if significant aging will bring the two closer together in flavor profile.

I wouldn't actually say one is better than the other, just slightly different. If you have two diamonds of the same weight, color, clarity, quality, etc. and the only difference is the cut, well then you still have two diamonds and the only real difference is a matter of personal preference.

I have both in my cellar.
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,430
43,815
Alaska
Does this mean the tin of regular Plum Pudding I've been aging for several years is mundane by comparison? Maybe specialty blends should be given separate names so as not to downgrade the regular blends. I knew a person who used to insistently go to a barbecue restaurant and order "the good barbecue," saying she knew they served the "bad" barbecue to regular customers, but she wanted the good barbecue. The proprietor came to know her and quietly brought her a plate of the best, so she wouldn't convince the other customers of her story. Maybe I should just throw out the tin so as not to insult anyone by giving them this inferior blend. Nope, I'll smoke it. But I'm saying this isn't a good marketing plan.
Absolutely NOT! The regular version is an excellent tobacco in its own right. I do prefer the SR version, but the regular version is also very very good. Many people prefer it to the SR version.
 
Jan 28, 2018
13,894
155,095
67
Sarasota, FL
The regular is decent but I think the Special Reserve is worth the additional price. This is even more true with the Mississippi River Special Reserve and regular Mississippi River. If you like Plum Pudding, you should try some of the other Seattle Pipe Club blends. They're quite good and fly a bit under the radar so they're almost always available. I think someone mentioned Dreams of Kadath. Other C&D blends with a similar taste profile are Star of the East and Sunset Harbor Flake. You should try GLP Quiet Nights, superb blend along with Abingdon and Westminster. Watch City also has a number of crumble cake blends that are great. Deluxe Crumb Cake has a sweeter profile but is great. Persian Slipper has a Oriental taste profile but isn't a crumble cake.
 

mityahicks

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 18, 2018
616
3,310
I really dig both. Reserve is a little richer. The reserve leaf is made with higher grade leaf, not necessarily less available leaf. After watching more of these great tobacco processing/growing videos that concept makes more sense
 

saintpeter

Lifer
May 20, 2017
1,158
2,636
Ive an open tin of Dreams if you want it, I am not crazy over it and its just sitting there. Pm me assuming you're in the US (likely be next week before I can send it out though)

Argh! I thank you, but I just clicked the button on some, Plum Pudding Reg., Carter Hall and three lighters.
 
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