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[PipeIT]

One of the best tin notes I've experienced.

This is one of the worst smells and raggedy looking I’ve experienced.

I’ll keep playing with to occasionally air out and keep it in the jar awhile and hopefully it will come around.

Thanks

 

[sablebrush52]

I scored 6 bags of assorted Esoterica blends including Penzance from my local shop. I think Esoterica makes a point to focus on b and m's which is pretty nice and probably why its so hard to get it online. Im sure they could just offload their supply to 3 or 4 online stores rather than supply hundreds of shops all over the place but they choose not to.

Arango distributes the Esoterica line. The big online sellers get their cut. So does everyone else.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

What can I do? I'm just one person.

 

[sablebrush52]

Oh boy, after reading this, I immediately went and popped a October 2019 tin of Dunbar.

Boy this has some funky fermented fruit, musty smell going on, I hope this is the stink it gets with age, and ok to smoke, cause the smell isn’t that pleasant.

Maybe when I go to smoke some, if I let it dry out good, the smell will improve.

This certainly smells like some fruity topping going on. Hmm ?

It has an Apricot topping. I’ve smoked bags with 7 years of age that were perfectly fine.

 

[sablebrush52]

There’s nothing nice about this smell, I don’t think anyone would find it pleasant at all, it’s fairly disgusting.

More like rotted/fermented apricot with a twist of Moth ball and mold like going on too, but faint.

This is the worst smelling tabac I’ve had. I’ll just be sure to let it air/dry out, if I work up the nerve to smoke it.

The tabac also looks really raggedy.

Should I let it all air out a little, or from the tin, straight to jar?

Big hmm is all I got to say... hmm ?

@Zepfan84 does yours smell really bad too, how would you describe it?

I love the smell of Dunbar. Maybe these just aren’t for you.

 

[pantsBoots]

Great advice. Visited a local to see if they had anything from the recent Esoterica release. They didn't, however, I found plenty of Orlik tins at a fair price dated from 2018, so it wasn't a wasted trip at all. Unfortunately, the store has been moving towards CBD/Delta 8 and other headshoppy type of stuff.

 

[OneGoodBulldog]

Yup. I've never seen any unicorns at my local shoppe. And even OTCs are ~$50 per pouch.

Well to be fair, I have come across some great stuff in B&M's and most of the good ones carry at least Mac Baren, so it's not a total barren wasteland in that regard. I did find one shop after moving that was selling some old stock for a bit of a discount. I got some really nice 5-6 year old tins from there. And I have to admit the only way I can lay my hands on anything from either Sam Gawith or Gawith and Hoggy is by going to a B&M. But they're the snooty shop, so I don't mind not going in there and dropping a hundred bucks. I have notifications on SP.com set and if pipe smoking has taught me anything, it's the value of patience.

 

[PipeIT]

I love the smell of Dunbar. Maybe these just aren’t for you.

The smell was rancid/rotten, slightly moldy, and a hint of mothball.

I know it can be hard at times to explain things that are understandable online, but I’m trying.

Put it this way, I lived in Japan, amongst other places, and I have a Filipino wife, and let me tell you, these people make some stinky stuff, this tabac put to shame.

It’s not about what is or isn’t for me, it’s about tabac that smells like it came out of the trash.

I have been airing it out and letting it sit in the jar, and thankfully a lot of the stench is airing out.

I just question if this is how bad it smells for everyone, because most Americans don’t eat stinky food like Asians do.

 

[fireground_piper]

What kind of conditions was it sitting in? I have a bad of Cardiff from 2019 and a bag of Dorchester from mid-2020, both in jars and both are fine (I just checked them out yesterday).

 

[PipeIT]

What kind of conditions was it sitting in? I have a bad of Cardiff from 2019 and a bag of Dorchester from mid-2020, both in jars and both are fine (I just checked them out yesterday).

A Tin, and it was sealed.

I just opened it again to smell, and it’s like a cross between a chewing tobacco with rotted apricot and a slight whiff of mothball. LOL ?

Trust me when I say, there’s nothing pleasant smelling about this.

Oh well, no worries, I’ll just leave it in the jar and check it out at a later time, give it a chance to settle.

 

[Zepfan84]

There’s nothing nice about this smell, I don’t think anyone would find it pleasant at all, it’s fairly disgusting.

More like rotted/fermented apricot with a twist of Moth ball and mold like going on too, but faint.

This is the worst smelling tabac I’ve had. I’ll just be sure to let it air/dry out, if I work up the nerve to smoke it.

The tabac also looks really raggedy.

Should I let it all air out a little, or from the tin, straight to jar?

Big hmm is all I got to say... hmm ?

@Zepfan84 does yours smell really bad too, how would you describe it?

Not to parrot everyone else, but I get a really pleasant apricot smell, with maybe a hint of peach (at least that's what my nose detects). It really is one of the best tin notes out there.

 

[JKoD]

Misguided analogy.

Henry Ford introduced a new transportation product. He did not compete with black smiths and horse carriages. He made cars.

Amazon does not sell unique products that are indicative of the brand. They sell everyone's products while not paying mom and pop overhead, providing the tax benefits of local businesses, all while using Henry Ford's automated platforms and concepts to drive down prices.

Correlation does NOT equal causation.

FWIW

Data is plural and requires plural modifiers.

This is a totally non related statement, but hey, why not. A lot is written on this forum that has nothing to do with what is being discussed.

Also, FWIW, her is an object pronoun and should used after the verb in the sentence, not as a subject.

Computers don't subtract... they add negative numbers.

Anything else?

By the way, without using google, how many teaspoons in a tablespoon?

This is for everyone: Please, please, please, do America a favor, keep analogies accurate to the topic at hand.

This... After a margarita and after no drinking for a month because of this damned Kito

So, you are saying that Henry Ford’s mass-produced automobiles didn’t compete with other modes of transportation?

And, also suggesting that new innovations don’t cause a ripple effect that may touch supporting components?

 

[hawky454]

Trust me when I say, there’s nothing pleasant smelling about this.

Dude, it shouldn’t smell like that, think you got a bad tin.

 

[PipeIT]

Not to parrot everyone else, but I get a really pleasant apricot smell, with maybe a hint of peach (at least that's what my nose detects). It really is one of the best tin notes out there.

Ahh a pleasant smell.

Nope mines a nasty smell, crap I was looking forward to this blend.

Dude, it shouldn’t smell like that, think you got ah bad tin.

Zepfan84 said pleasant, this is certainly not that.

I also had an aged tin before of Pembroke that smelled and tasted like plastic, sheesh two bad tins in a row. ?

Has there ever been any issues in the past with bad blends from Esoterica, or aging bad?

Thanks

 

[Aomalley27]

Ahh a pleasant smell.

Nope mines a nasty smell, crap I was looking forward to this blend.



Zepfan84 said pleasant, this is certainly not that.

I also had an aged tin before of Pembroke that smelled and tasted like plastic, sheesh two bad tins in a row. ?

Has there ever been any issues in the past with bad blends from Esoterica, or aging bad?

Thanks

Why don’t you have someone else smell it to get their impressions. Eliminate the possibility that your sniffer is the problem.

 

[PipeIT]

Why don’t you have someone else smell it to get their impressions. Eliminate the possibility that your sniffer is the problem.

I have a very good sense of smell and taste, it also smells just like something that has been left in a musty damp cellar.

How about if you left your socks in a damp musty cellar, does that work for a descriptive? LOL ?

Thanks

P.S. Hopefully down the road I’ll be able to buy a fresh tin to compare.

 

[augiebd]

But yes, unfortunately I have been dinged by the Duty and Excise tax before when I exceeded the 50$ point, and on a per tin basis, still worked out to being about 3$ per tin cheaper than local shops.

I found this to generally be true but I can’t afford to build a cellar when I get tagged and the result is about $50CAN a tin (still less than B&M here). I have switched to buying more whole leaf. The cost once I’ve processed the leaf is more like $10 a tin. I do still support my B&Ms but it’s about 65% online and 35% B&Ms. I would like the B&Ms to survive as long as possible at the same time as I build a cellar of what I want to smoke. It’s not all price, it’s balancing that and value.

 

[RookieGuy]

There are 2 very good B&M stores close-ish to me. Sometimes I don't mind the B&M surcharge. I'll use them as a service. If I'm curious about a blend they have, I can try it out before ordering online. True, I could always toss an ounce on to my next order. But with the surcharge comes instant gratification. And in person reviews from not only the guy behind the counter, but anyone else in the room. Plus, they always smell nice. Much like what I picture JimInks must smell upon opening any door in his house.

I prefer online for big orders, for no other reasons than price and selection. Our steaks come from the chain supermarket but sometimes we treat ourselves to the local butcher's offerings, if that's a fair analogy. I'm just glad I live in a world where both are an option for me.

 

[jewman22]

I found this to generally be true but I can’t afford to build a cellar when I get tagged and the result is about $50CAN a tin (still less than B&M here). I have switched to buying more whole leaf. The cost once I’ve processed the leaf is more like $10 a tin. I do still support my B&Ms but it’s about 65% online and 35% B&Ms. I would like the B&Ms to survive as long as possible at the same time as I build a cellar of what I want to smoke. It’s not all price, it’s balancing that and value.

Haven't tried it that way yet, I'm trying to grow my own this year, But if you keep your orders to about 3 tins and choose the 8$ dollar shipping option you're generally good.

 

[That Guy]

Would love to support them if they existed in my area. Sadly they don't