Quality Changes With J.F. Germain & Son?

[PipeIT]

For those that have regularly been smoking J.F. Germain & Sons blends over the years, have you seen changes in the quality or their sauce as I’d call it for their Esoterica, the fermented apricot smell/taste, as well as the quality of how nice the tobacco looks?

I mentioned this below in another post, but that was titled about Ghosts with these blends. This post is about Quality Control.

I wonder if Quality Control is failing a little over at J.F. Germain & Son, because, with no disrespect to them, I just opened a tin of Tilbury from the latest drop, and this is the sorriest/scruffiest looking blend I’ve ever seen.

Lots of stems in it, lots of the cut looking like ragged hay, just a pile of mess thrown together.

Looked like some old ragged Super Value Blend for $2.99 found hanging in a plastic bad in a drugstore, is the best analogy of sorry I can describe for this. Heck, I’ve bought cheap drugstore blends that looked better than this.

Seriously, no one would of ever looked at this blend and said this is a High Standard High Quality blend. This I’m sorry to say, looked as low class and as cheap as they come, really sad.

Also, this has a pretty pungent apricot smell to it, just as strong as Dorchester and Dunbar. I smoked some Tilbury last year given to me. That was a completely different looking/smelling blend. Very nice looking, and sweet VA/Burley, and this one is not nice looking sweet smelling VA/Burley.

I just hope it smokes better than it smells and looks... hmm

So, any thoughts on Germain’s blends from one drop to the next?

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

For those that have regularly been smoking J.F. Germain & Sons blends over the years, have you seen changes in the quality or their sauce as I’d call it for their Esoterica, the fermented apricot smell/taste, as well as the quality of how nice the tobacco looks?

I mentioned this below in another post, but that was titled about Ghosts with these blends. This post is about Quality Control.

I wonder if Quality Control is failing a little over at J.F. Germain & Son, because, with no disrespect to them, I just opened a tin of Tilbury from the latest drop, and this is the sorriest/scruffiest looking blend I’ve ever seen.

Lots of stems in it, lots of the cut looking like ragged hay, just a pile of mess thrown together.

Looked like some old ragged Super Value Blend for $2.99 found hanging in a plastic bad in a drugstore, is the best analogy of sorry I can describe for this. Heck, I’ve bought cheap drugstore blends that looked better than this.

Seriously, no one would of ever looked at this blend and said this is a High Standard High Quality blend. This I’m sorry to say, looked as low class and as cheap as they come, really sad.

Also, this has a pretty pungent apricot smell to it, just as strong as Dorchester and Dunbar. I smoked some Tilbury last year given to me. That was a completely different looking/smelling blend. Very nice looking, and sweet VA/Burley, and this one is not nice looking sweet smelling VA/Burley.

I just hope it smokes better than it smells and looks... hmm

So, any thoughts on Germain’s blends from one drop to the next?

I haven't smoked any Esoterica as we don't get that in the UK but I have smoked some of their own name blends that I bought recently. They were Brown Flake and Medium Flake and I didn't notice any difference in the cut or flavour/topping.

 

[Kingsley]

I stopped buying Esoterica about a year ago. Bought a fresh bag of Stonehaven and it was golden brown in color. Barely had any Stonehaven flavor to it. Just isn’t worth it to me anymore.

 

[FurCoat]

I stopped buying Esoterica about a year ago. Bought a fresh bag of Stonehaven and it was golden brown in color. Barely had any Stonehaven flavor to it. Just isn’t worth it to me anymore.

I had the same experience with the last drop of Stonehaven. Seems to be a going theme with some of the British brands that the toppings are being lightly applied in recent supplies. I am fortunate to have older versions of these wonderful blends cellred.
@JimInks has been busy reviewing newer drops against his original reviews with interesting if not depressing results. The latest to my knowledge being Tilbury. @sablebrush52 also gave us a heads-up to quality issues with Dunbar.
Now I will say that Samuel Gawith was decent this last go around. I have been happy with Grousemoor and Cannon Plug.

 

[jeff540]

I haven't opened any recent ones yet, but in prior years I had noticed some variation between batches. These are organic (i.e., once alive) products, so just like wine, lumber, or anything else that was once a living organism, there will be variances from year to year based on a whole range of variables, many of which are beyond the control of the processor.

 

[captpat]

^^ This. I can't speak to JF Germain products but I observe the effects in other manufacturers.

 

[Andriko]

I suspect that the produce of the covid years is now coming to the market, so it doesn't surprise me thing are different; there were probably numerous issues in the supply chain and manufacturing that will have effected the output. However, if you yanks want to turn your nose up at it, that's fine. Maybe we'll be able to actually score some Germain's in the UK.

 

[JimInks]

Stonehaven has often had variable flavors over different productions.

Here are my revised reviews of Dunbar and Tilbury for those who may not have seen them.

Dunbar:
My original 10-13-2013 review: The bright and darker Virginias provide a lot of tart and tangy citrus, vegetative grass/hay, bread, a fair amount of tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, floralness, mild sugar. light sour lemon. and a touch of vinegar and acidity as the lead components. The earthy, woody perique produces a moderate amount plums, raisins, figs and pepper. It offers secondary support rather than full support. The apricot topping is very mild, and doesn’t tone down the tobaccos much. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a step below that mark. No chance of bite or harshness. Has a few rough edges. Well balanced with some richness, it burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent fruity, mildly spicy, floral, lightly sour flavor that extends to the moderately lingering, pleasant after taste. The room note is a little more potent. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Not quite an all day smoke. Four stars.

Update 12-23-2022. I have tried three samples from 2020, 2021, and 2022 drops, and the blend has been changed. The tart and tangy, more sour citrus is more dominant, and the tangy dark fruit is in the background. The sour lemon is much more obvious than before as is the acidity. That’s because there’s more bright, and the dark Virginias are cut with a lighter grade. The perique is more plummy, and not quite as sweet. Neither are the Virginias. The overall spice content is slightly stronger because of the brighter Virginias, and the perique has lost a step of potency from earlier versions. The floralness is more pronounced. Has a little more roughness, but won’t bite, though fast puffing may grant you a small harsh note. These aspects are elevated more in the 2022 productions than the previous two years, but not by much. The apricot isn’t quite as deep as before nor is the overall flavor as rich. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels remain consistent over the years. All other characteristics are the same as I noted in my original review. Two stars for the current manufactures I have experienced. My current rating reflects these years, and not the earlier years.

Tilbury:
There's a natural Virginia buttery tart and tangy citrus sweetness along with some hay/grass, a little tangy dark fruit, bread, wood and earth, and a honey note due to the expert mix of gold and dark Virginias. You get much of the full range of tastes that those Virginias usually have to offer. The burley is nutty and toast-like with an earthy, woodsy flavor that gets a little stronger as you smoke it down. The burley is almost a competitive component. The fruity smell out of the tin or bag allows you to think an apricot topping is present, and I claim it was added in the casing of the Virginia, but this varietal tastes lightly fermented in any case. The tobacco is ribbon cut and a little stringy, so it burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a very consistent sweet, nutty and woody, lightly rugged flavor from start to finish. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a step or two below that mark. Has no dull or harsh spots, and won't bite. Has a few rough edges. Leaves a little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights if you've given it a light dry time. I recommend that. Has a pleasant, lingering woody, nutty sweet after taste and stronger room note.

11-2-2022 Update: I have recently smoked several batches of Tilbury from 2019 to 2022, and have experienced a moderately stronger apricot topping every time. That subdues the tobaccos more than it did in previous productions. I'm not changing my rating, but I am recording the difference for those who read this review.

12-20-22 Update: The latest drop of Tilbury produces another change in the product. The apricot is barely noticeable. The Virginias are not sweet nor are they as complex as the pre-apricot dosed version discussed in my original review. This only has light touch of dark fruit, more tartly sour citrus,and I notice a smoke note that I never encountered in any version. There’s a little more sharpness and is mildly more sour as well. The Virginias remind me very much of those currently used in Dunbar, which are a downgrade from past manufactures. Three stars for this December 2022 version.

 

[filmguerilla]

Variation in flavor? Yes. Decline in quality? No.

 

[grimpuffer]

Variation in flavor? Yes. Decline in quality? No.

I feel like those two go hand in hand. If you can’t keep your product consistent then the quality of it isn’t that great.

Just my opinion though. Obviously doesn’t mean much when it comes to someone else’s preferences.

 

[filmguerilla]

I feel like those two go hand in hand. If you can’t keep your product consistent then the quality of it isn’t that great.

Just my opinion though. Obviously doesn’t mean much when it comes to someone else’s preferences.

Nah. They are ALWAYS fantastic. Never had a bad one. Just sometimes the sauce is bit more than others. That's it. The good folks at Gawith and Germain's work in relatively small shops compared to, say, C&D, and I don't mind the variance one bit. Cheap codger blends are ALWAYS the same and, well, you get what you get with a $5 pouch of burley...