It’s just me but, I get a slight sweetness with HOTW and MF………not so much with OG. I guess that’s the deciding factor along with the overall flavor profile
Sad but true sir. There was a certain Savinelli blend that I won’t mention the name of (it ends in Oro) that was my all time favorite several years back. Wasn’t worried about cellaring it deep because I made that mistake of assuming it would be around forever in its original formulation…….very disappointed in its current form. Sadly, I only have 3 tins of the original left?
That's funny cause with mine it's the opposite, my Brown Clunee has less spice than OG, but mine were bought in 2009 (and recently unearthed). May just be the qualities of the Virginia they have at the time.
Not to get too off topic of this thread but I'm curious to know Sable how recent tins of Wessex Campaign Dark Flake have differed from past. I am fairly new to this blend (last couple years).
Evidently, yes. I haven't bought any in years, but several peope I see on zoom calls, who dearly love the stuff were complaining about it. Evidently flavorings and components both have been changed. Some may like what it now is, I don't know, but it's significantly different.
I'm getting this on report from people I'vre known for years, and who have well developed palates. I haven't bought any since 2014. There's seems to be agreement that the components and the amounts in the blends have been subbed out. Again, you might like what being offered, but for people who like the characteristic of a favored blend, having that change is not welcome.
Unless those old timers were smoking the original Rattray's blends, in which case they'd be right. Old Gowrie, Marlin Flake, Brown Clunee & Hal O the Wynd were all straight Virginia blends, when they were blended in Perth (Scotland).
I think another factor is that the base tobaccos undergo changes in their characteristics due to variations in weather, water, farming practices, etc. that in turn will change the flavor or how it reacts to the blending process. Much like wine has good and bad vintages. I suspect this sort of change is gradual as blenders combine components to create a particular blend.
That's some of it, but blenders mix crops from different years to keep consistency in their commercial releases. Otherwise there would be even more batch to batch variation. This is different in that types of components are changing. It might be the disappearance of bright from a blend that used it, or the appearance of bright in a blend that didn't, or the sudden appearance in Cavendish in what used to be Peter Heinrich's Curly block, after STG took over manufacture of it.
K&K makes Director's Cut, which contains small coins. Peter Heinrich's Curly Block was a log, and that's still the format after STG took over production of it. A&C Petersen brought over the original Escudo equipment when they took over production from Gallaher, and it went to Orlik when they took over before going to STG, who subbed out pretty much everything in it, a couple of times now, and the current product isn't Escudo. It's something in a tin with the name Escudo on it.
I did post my revised review of this blend on this forum, and discussed the change.
Well yes but it's my understanding that logs just like these (but longer) are what the Escudo-size coins are cut from. The metal cylinders used to form them are the same.
