Should I Smoke It Or Sell It?
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+1 Harris, smoke it, with the money you would just buy new tobacco, and wonder what it would have tasted like...Forever.
Craig
Craig
I have to say for the record guys that if there was a way to get everyone together to enjoy a few bottles of Bushmills, and a pipe full of Bengal Slices I would do it in a heart beat. In fact it makes me wonder if I should save the tobacco and see if we can arrange a meet up at one of the pipe shows. Now wouldn't that be a cool experiance? It's too bad science hasn't invented a transporter yet so we could just transport over. Anyway thanks for all the feedback. I agree with all the comments. Experiances are more important than money. Too bad we just all couldn't enjoy this one together. That would make it really memorable!
Rob
Rob
Dragonslayer is right! I was in a similar dilemma not long ago. I got an unopened tin of a rare, discontinued tobacco. For just a moment, I thought, "Man, this is worth some money. Hhhmmm." But then I thought,"I always wanted to smoke this and if I sell it, I won't ever know if I liked it." I immediately opened it, filled up a bowl and never looked back. And, oh by the way, it was great! I would have missed out on a wonderful experience.
Well, after many opinions in favour of smoking the tin of Bengal Slices I poured three fingers of Blackbush my favorite whiskey with a dash of water and an ice cube, sat by the fire downstairs in my chair and popped open the nearly 20 year old tin. I have to admit it was hard to pop that seal knowing that I would never get to do this again. I selected a never before smoked John Calich 4E that was gifted to me by John the year before he passed away. I was planning on saving that pipe and never smoking it to give to my oldest son since he has started to express an interest in my pipes. Well you know what they say special tobacco calls for a special pipe. I selected two flakes and relished the aroma in the tin. Slightly leather, slightly sweet with just a hint of smoke from the latakia. The flake was too small to fold so I decided to just rub it out. The tobacco was moist but not too moist compared to some flakes I have smoked. I carefully packed the pipe noting how oily the tobacco felt in my hands. Turned a little Sinatra on the stereo and put flame to tobacco. The first thing I noticed was I was smoking an amazing pipe. The draw was incredible, the felt amazing in my hand and the bit was slightly tapered at the bit. Something I have not seen before in one of Johns pipes. The first couple of puffs were sweeter than I expected. You can tell this is a Virginia/Latakia cross over, but there was something more, a casing flavour that I could not put my finger on. The smoke was thick and white and hung in the air. I initially found the tobacco a bit hard to stay lit. Quite an oily consistancy may have made it better to dry this tobacco out for an hour before smoking... no matter I took another draw and exhaled through my nose. The Latakia was not as pronounced as I expected. The virginia really took over on the sweetness side. Not earth shattering but a pleasant smoke. Was I a little disappointed, well maybe just a little. It had so much hype I am sure it could never had fully stood up to my expectations after 20 some odd years. I suspect the Latakia has mellowed in the tin and would have been much more to my liking when it was a new tin. I found the whiskey to be a bit sweet and somewhat dulled my palate to the taste of the tobacco so I focused on my smoke and finished my whiskey after I was done. The taste didn't change too much through the bowl, a few times it would get a little bitter but quickly moved back into the sweetness again. There was no bite and no tongue burn. I was left with an oily smooth finish and a white ash with a few dark pieces at the end of the bowl. All in all I am glad I got to experiance this legendary tin but honestly would not think it could stand up to some of today's C&D blends or Mclellend blends I have tried. There are so many good tobacco's out there that this one would be relegated to legendary reputation but no legendary smoke. Sorry to disappoint those who have never tried it and expected something more. My advice is spend your money on two tins of Penzance and you will be further ahead. I think I will finish the tin though and see if drying the tobacco next time will help bold the flavour some more.
Piper, I think you were still better off to smoke the tin yourself and to build up your own experiences rather than to sell it.
I personally would not accompany it with any whiskey because it is probably far too mellow in its old age.
I find latakia blends to be too mellow after 1-2 years so I can see what you mean after 20 years have elapsed.
Still, Bengal Slices is a legend so I wish I was able to taste it both now and in its prime. Perhaps it would've been your favourite tobacco of all time when it was fresh and in full glory...
I think this is a sobering reminder to a lot of us who expect aging to deliver transcendental smokes. The aging process is ultimately the controlled decay of the tobaccco and it is a period of mellowing and maturation for the most part - especially for English blends who lose their firepower with every passing year.
Dare I say it, perhaps you should also spend a few days where you smoke nothing but Bengal Slices so that way you can tune in a bit better to the milder tastes it has to offer. If you smoke a fresh Cyprian latakia bomb on the same day, any nuances from the weaker blend won't taste like anything at all...
All the same, my friend, it sounds like you had a good little experience in the scheme of things and you christened a new and treasured pipe with a touchstone tobacco in the comfort of your own home with good music in the background. It sounds like a decent night to me!
I personally would not accompany it with any whiskey because it is probably far too mellow in its old age.
I find latakia blends to be too mellow after 1-2 years so I can see what you mean after 20 years have elapsed.
Still, Bengal Slices is a legend so I wish I was able to taste it both now and in its prime. Perhaps it would've been your favourite tobacco of all time when it was fresh and in full glory...
I think this is a sobering reminder to a lot of us who expect aging to deliver transcendental smokes. The aging process is ultimately the controlled decay of the tobaccco and it is a period of mellowing and maturation for the most part - especially for English blends who lose their firepower with every passing year.
Dare I say it, perhaps you should also spend a few days where you smoke nothing but Bengal Slices so that way you can tune in a bit better to the milder tastes it has to offer. If you smoke a fresh Cyprian latakia bomb on the same day, any nuances from the weaker blend won't taste like anything at all...
All the same, my friend, it sounds like you had a good little experience in the scheme of things and you christened a new and treasured pipe with a touchstone tobacco in the comfort of your own home with good music in the background. It sounds like a decent night to me!
Piper:
Your experience echoes mine. Here are my notes from smoking a 15-year-old tin back in 2010:
"Originally, Bengal Slices was the flake form of Balkan Sobranie, but that changed as time passed and the blend changed hands. Today, it wouldn't suggest Balkan Sobranie to anyone. But it does echo both Penzance and Germain's Special Latakia Flake. It is very smooth, without the oriental tang I so enjoy, and easily could be an all-day smoke. Time has softened the latakia."
I don't know when the blend changed from being a flaked BS, but it's possible, though maybe unlikely, that your 20-year-old tin would have been part of that particular batch.
Bob
Your experience echoes mine. Here are my notes from smoking a 15-year-old tin back in 2010:
"Originally, Bengal Slices was the flake form of Balkan Sobranie, but that changed as time passed and the blend changed hands. Today, it wouldn't suggest Balkan Sobranie to anyone. But it does echo both Penzance and Germain's Special Latakia Flake. It is very smooth, without the oriental tang I so enjoy, and easily could be an all-day smoke. Time has softened the latakia."
I don't know when the blend changed from being a flaked BS, but it's possible, though maybe unlikely, that your 20-year-old tin would have been part of that particular batch.
Bob
:
You might want to smoke it in a well broken in pipe that has been dedicated to English blends to see if you like it better.
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