The Forgotten Blends, Underrated, and Under Valued

[anotherbob]

Davidoff Flake Medallions is one of undervalued those blends. It's every bit as good (or better) than Escudo. It's way better than LBF. It has great reviews on tobaccoreviews. Even so people don't talk about it much and it doesn't get hoarded. When a vintage tin comes up on pipestud it always goes for a comparatively low price. No idea why.

I second that. It's a real treat. Reminds me of comfy leather chairs in old libraries.

 

[gervais]

My feeling is that Pease's reputation has been damaged over the past few years. Partly because of the reoccurring mold problem on his flakes and plugs. But also because he became semi-reclusive; no longer making blends for pipe shows and rarely posting, even on his own web site. While C&D's reputation has been steadily rising the last few years, Pease's has not.

Which tins have you heard of mold forming?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Yes I got a pouch just before all Hell started braking loose with the coronavirus and I'm so glad I did, Brown Flake is one of about 8 core blends I always like to have in my rotation of about 35 tobaccos.

I know Germain's Rich Dark Flake and Esoterica Stonehaven are supposed to be quite similar which got me wondering about Brown Flake, is their something along the same lines in the Esoterica range?

At least to me, the RDF is more Va forward than Stonehaven and I like it better. I don't know of any Esoterica blend even remotely close to brown flake. But i haven't smoked Peacehaven either.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

My feeling is that Pease's reputation has been damaged over the past few years. Partly because of the reoccurring mold problem on his flakes and plugs. But also because he became semi-reclusive; no longer making blends for pipe shows and rarely posting, even on his own web site. While C&D's reputation has been steadily rising the last few years, Pease's has not.

I've lost count of how many tins of Pease I've smoked and how many 8 oz cans I've opened without finding any mold. Not once. Not saying it won't ever happen because with the volume of Pease blends I have stored away, it seems likely I'll eventually encounter some mold. I find it humorous that it is mold when it is Pease or C&D, it is plume however when it is on SG flakes.

 

[shanez]

Just going to throw this out there. A blend that gets mentioned a lot, so no it's not underrated, and isn't the cheapest blend out there, so no it isn't undervalued, but I think will definitely become a mythical unicorn should it disappear is SPC Plum Pudding. Even more so for the SR version.

 

[sablebrush52]

Hearth & Home Anniversary Kake is one of those once highly popular and talked about blends that seems to go unnoticed these days.

As I have been given to understand it, most of C&D's mold issues have involved their red Virginias, and blends with a significant content of it.

The biggest problem I had with any of Greg's blends was the crappy tinning they got in the early 2000's. And I wouldn't trust Haddo's to a tin for any extended length of time, just jar it immediately and toss the crappy tins.

Other blends that Russ did, that don't get much play here are the RO Perique Series. The best of them, for me, was GP-11, which is no longer being offered. But, the other 3 blends in the series are very much worth your attention.

 

[Gubbins]

My feeling is that Pease's reputation has been damaged over the past few years. Partly because of the reoccurring mold problem on his flakes and plugs. But also because he became semi-reclusive; no longer making blends for pipe shows and rarely posting, even on his own web site. While C&D's reputation has been steadily rising the last few years, Pease's has not.

How are you measuring damage to his reputation, or a lack of rise in reputation? Did I miss a poll or survey? I'm not sure how his lesser involvement changes the fact that he has made many universally well liked blends and continues to produce well liked new blends. If he wants to spend more time pursuing other interests, it doesn't change the quality of his body of work.

You can't blame Pease for mold when C&D is the one who blends and tins it. They're using their tobacco stored at their warehouse. I've only found mold once in a Pease or C&D tin out of many dozens. And I check with a microscope, not my naked eye. The reason C&D has an issue with mold unlike most other manufacturers is because they don't load up their tobaccos with preservatives like most manufacturers do. Even Mark Ryan says that's a going to happen to a certain percentage of their blends because they don't do that either. However, D&R keeps their blends bone dry and recommends you hydrate what you want to smoke whereas C&D adds moisture to theirs so you don't have to hydrate it.

 

[Pierre1965]

I've tried quite a few of the major blenders offerings; some I've enjoyed and some have left me wondering what others taste that I don't. I'm fortunate to have a BM close by that has been in the same family for 103 years and has some really good house blends. The prices are good, no problems with avalability and if I want it tweaked with a little more of this or a little less of that all I have to do is ask. If they ever start making noise about closing shop I'll be buying my favorites by the pounds.

 

[logs]

Which tins have you heard of mold forming?

I've personally had it on Regent's Flake, but it's been a problem on several of his other flakes and plugs. Just google it.

 

[logs]

How are you measuring damage to his reputation ...

If you haven't seen a change then you haven't been paying attention. Just do some digging on any pipe site. There was tremendous enthusiasm for Pease from about 2007 to 2014, with fans ranting about how great he was. That was a peak time for his fan base. He was active on boards. He had his own column here. And now none of that happens. That fan-boy hero worship has gradually died down to the point where I almost never see it expressed online. In fact you'd be hard pressed to get him to answer an email.

If he wants to spend more time pursuing other interests, that's up to him. But his absence has had an effect. He's lost some of the reputation he worked hard to achieve, irrespective of how good his blends are. And yes, you can blame Pease for mold. It's still his company. He's still responsible for the quality of his products.

 

[pappymac]

Davidoff Flake Medallions is one of undervalued those blends. It's every bit as good (or better) than Escudo. It's way better than LBF. It has great reviews on tobaccoreviews. Even so people don't talk about it much and it doesn't get hoarded. When a vintage tin comes up on pipestud it always goes for a comparatively low price. No idea why.

Stop telling. I’m smoking my last tin of Davidoff Medallion Flake this week.

 

[anotherbob]

I've lost count of how many tins of Pease I've smoked and how many 8 oz cans I've opened without finding any mold. Not once. Not saying it won't ever happen because with the volume of Pease blends I have stored away, it seems likely I'll eventually encounter some mold. I find it humorous that it is mold when it is Pease or C&D, it is plume however when it is on SG flakes.

Or the fact that pease blends encourage you to age them. That couldn't be part of the problem.

 

[anotherbob]

If you haven't seen a change then you haven't been paying attention. Just do some digging on any pipe site. There was tremendous enthusiasm for Pease from about 2007 to 2014, with fans ranting about how great he was. That was a peak time for his fan base. He was active on boards. He had his own column here. And now none of that happens. That fan-boy hero worship has gradually died down to the point where I almost never see it expressed online. In fact you'd be hard pressed to get him to answer an email.

If he wants to spend more time pursuing other interests, that's up to him. But his absence has had an effect. He's lost some of the reputation he worked hard to achieve, irrespective of how good his blends are. And yes, you can blame Pease for mold. It's still his company. He's still responsible for the quality of his products.

I'd love to see how what sells the most and what people rave about online actually compare. I hear people rave about Pease consistently here or at least his blends. There is almost always one of his in the what blends should I try that fit "this description" threads. Not sure I'd say his image is so tarnished as much as he's now established and doesn't have to get the word out. Also I doubt anything or anyone could stay flavor of the month for seven years and then still be it for another six. And who cares about mold that much it sucks but it's a problem with our hobby, the only blends I've never heard of getting mold some of the time are all garbage that not even mold could enjoy such as Captain Black Grape.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Hardly forgotten, but perhaps under reported: The offerings of Standard Tobacco of PA. The John Cottons, Smyrna, Bengal Slices are the ones I smoke. War Horse is not in my wheel house, but many love it.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I don't know if these blends count, but Original Flake by Mc Barens(formerly known as Walnut Flake by Ogdens of Liverpool)
Condor Long Cut ,and finally Sail* regular and yellow

 

[litup]

I'd consider myself to be a GL Pease fan-boy. The man is an artist in more ways than one. Great blender, great writer, great photographer . . .

 

[logs]

I'd love to see how what sells the most and what people rave about online actually compare.

If you're curious SmokingPipes has a list ranking best sellers on their site. It changes from week to week depending on trends but there is typically at least one Pease blend in the top 10.

Best Selling Tinned Pipe Tobaccos

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[anotherbob]

If you're curious SmokingPipes has a list ranking best sellers on their site. It changes from week to week depending on trends but there is typically at least one Pease blend in the top 10.

Best Selling Tinned Pipe Tobaccos

www.smokingpipes.com

Thanks for reminding me. I've only looked at that a few times and it surprised me how little mention there are of their best sellers.

 

[anotherbob]

Thanks for reminding me. I've only looked at that a few times and it surprised me how little mention there are of their best sellers.

I checked out their section about their response to the covid 19 virus (which I have to edit in my head, because my brain really wants this to be the corvid virus), and in the picture for office staff working at home there is a white cat sitting on the chair happily behind a man who is leaning forward. Just have to say that one of the things I love about cats is no matter what else is happening they stay firmly in the category of just being a cat.

 

[logs]

Thanks for reminding me. I've only looked at that a few times and it surprised me how little mention there are of their best sellers.

There's also a link at the bottom of the page for the top 100 sellers.

What's a surprising to me is Mac Baren. ODF is their best seller and it's only #42, below Borkum Riff! Good grief.