SPC Plum Pudding Special Reserve, How Much Better is it?

[Milleniumsmoker]

I finally broke down and ordered a little slice of the Plum Pudding pie the other day on the recommendation of some forum members. I have read all the reviews online, but I'm wondering from our members here, how much better will the special reserve or bourbon barrel aged perform over the standard plum pudding? I don't have any expectations either way since I know I will really know once it arrives, but I am curious what I should budget for and stock up on moving forward. I also ordered both the reserve cake and the flake version. I've always been a flake man myself, I'm curious to see the differences there as well.

Thank you all for allowing me to live vicariously for the moment. Having to wait 7 weeks in-between orders so they can clear customs can be quite tiresome...

 

[kschatey]

Yes, the reserve flake is a bit better; more refined, complex, smooth. I was quite surprised. The only way to know for certain for your own preferences is to try yourself and compare though.

 

[Casual]

17.238% better, at sea level. It increases with elevation, roughly 4% per -10kpa.

Seriously, I’ve only ever had the SR. It’s quite good, if a little expensive. I’d go for the expensive one unless I wanted it every day, but that is relative to my budget, not yours.

 

[Sir Yak]

The special reserve is different from the regular. It’s assumed to be better bc it’s labeled “special”. I find the reserve to be smoother, but I feel like the regular has more/better flavor. YMMV. Both are great so I bet you’ll enjoy. I’ve never ordered the barrel aged..I’ve got a pretty good pile of the regular and reserve and just didn’t really care about trying another PP. When SPC releases yet another version..I probably won’t bother with it either.

 

[Milleniumsmoker]

The special reserve is different from the regular. It’s assumed to be better bc it’s labeled “special”. I find the reserve to be smoother, but I feel like the regular has more/better flavor. YMMV. Both are great so I bet you’ll enjoy. I’ve never ordered the barrel aged..I’ve got a pretty good pile of the regular and reserve and just didn’t really care about trying another PP. When SPC releases yet another version..I probably won’t bother with it either.

That's good to know. I saw positive reviews of regular PP so I ordered 2 8 oz tins. I don't mind a bite to my English blends, although sometimes it's nice to have something that's smoother. I will try them both when they arrive and see if I want to get more of the special reserve. It is a bit pricey but I won't smoke it all the time.

Excited to hear or try for myself the bourbon aged. If that's better than the reserve I might just cellar it and let it age on it's own in the tin or a mason jar.

I have to buy smaller quantities. It's impossible to get a large order through customs as it seems that it isn't for personal consumption.

No cigarette smokers cellar tobacco since it would just dry out so it makes sense they would take it. It just looks like you're planning to sell it if you get a ton at once. Worth it though if the blend is good.

 

[kschatey]

Also, it should be noted that the special reserve "flakes" aren't really any different than the regular blend. They are more like mini crumble cakes. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion, but just wanted to print that out since they are a bit different than the flakes people might expect.

 

[bullet08]

Personally, not impressed with PP and its assorted releases. Still stuck on a tin that I haven't finished in months.

 

[kschatey]

If I had to put a number on it, then I would say that the reserve is 40.39%-44.43% better than the regular version.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Personally, not impressed with PP and its assorted releases. Still stuck on a tin that I haven't finished in months.

Same. It's a good blend, but doesn't really do it for me. I haven't tried the various renditions of regular because i didn't care enough for the regular. Also, theres so many other great English blends out there for a better price.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I think there's a discernible difference favoring the SR version and it's even more so with the Mississippi River blend. Someone mentioned the flake which IMHO really isn't flake but more a sliced cake. Still very good but I'm not sure why they call it flake.

 

[mso489]

I have regular aging for about five years now. I like Potlatch pretty well, and have a sealed tin of it.

 

[JKoD]

The SR is more smooth but also has a muted flavor compared to the regular PP. I prefer the PP as is in original form. I’ve gone as far as doing the Bourbon Barrel, which gets it back closer to the original, but just with a little bit of a tang maybe? Regardless, the bourbon barrel aging adds a pungent tin note, but I don’t find it enhances the blend much for my buds.

I still prefer the original PP to the other variations…smooth blends are nice, but when it sacrifices flavor I’m not as intrigued by them.

 

[JimInks]

Yes, the reserve flake is a bit better; more refined, complex, smooth. I was quite surprised. The only way to know for certain for your own preferences is to try yourself and compare though.

I would have written the same thing, but you did it for me.

 

[kcghost]

This tobacco is tremendously over hyped. It's just another tobacco that some people have found enjoyable.

 

[kschatey]

This tobacco is tremendously over hyped. It's just another tobacco that some people have found enjoyable.

Is not every tobacco blend "tremendously over hyped" by those who like it?

 

[kcghost]

No, they are not.

 

[solideogloria86]

Before I lost my taste for Latakia, bourbon barrel was delicious. Regular Plum Pudding was never anything amazing to me, it was just good. Mississippi River was always my favorite SPC blend.

 

[shane1]

It’s great but I would not say it is much better. Just a little different.

 

[Milleniumsmoker]

It’s great but I would not say it is much better. Just a little different.

I might plan in that case if I like plum pudding regular to just stock up on that. It might age just fine in the tin or in a jar. I've noticed that I can't really get a handle on a blend though without smoking a few tins. I think that what we eat and a lot of other factors go into how we appreciate a blend.

That being said, there's nothing that will ever make me like certain blends. Like anything with dark-fired Kentucky. I had a little afternoon delight and no matter how often I came back to it, it just didn't work for me. It's not bad by any means, it just isn't something I liked. I bought some Sampson (now discontinued) rolling tobacco here and it had a lot of Kentucky in it. Not a great smoke in my opinion.