The Forgotten Blends, Underrated, and Under Valued

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Apr 2, 2018
3,349
40,040
Idong,South Korea.
When I started smoking in 2001 Pease was the reigning prince of pipe tobacco. When he released a new blend it was like a holiday. The boards would rev with posts about his tobaccos, the stores would advertise the blend in the boldest fashion. References to his burgeoning website came fast, and his opinions on aging, especially, were gospel. His photography of pipes posted in his website was delicious.

It seemed he could do no wrong, and he didn't. But FDA did, and when deadline hits some 40% of his blends will be flushed. Think of it, to be an expert blender with a wide following, and to turn out sophisticated blend after blend and then have your earnings gutted. So if he seems quiet these days he is probably working on other ways of making money. In any case wouldn't a potentate take up a different dance when the money got bad?
I don't Know Mr. Pease personally,and I don't know his present situation, but I know his work, and it's good work so I'll give him a pass.I've never had any moldy Pease tins.Just my humble opinion.
 
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logs

Lifer
Apr 28, 2019
1,876
5,084
Me too. I stocked up on Ye Olde Signe after Dunhill died. It was easy because nobody else seemingly wanted YOS (or London Mixture for that matter). Unfortunately now I've grown a little tired of it but still have a million tins.
 

mikestanley

Lifer
May 10, 2009
1,698
1,127
Akron area of Ohio
When I started smoking in 2001 Pease was the reigning prince of pipe tobacco. When he released a new blend it was like a holiday. The boards would rev with posts about his tobaccos, the stores would advertise the blend in the boldest fashion. References to his burgeoning website came fast, and his opinions on aging, especially, were gospel. His photography of pipes posted in his website was delicious.

It seemed he could do no wrong, and he didn't. But FDA did, and when deadline hits some 40% of his blends will be flushed. Think of it, to be an expert blender with a wide following, and to turn out sophisticated blend after blend and then have your earnings gutted. So if he seems quiet these days he is probably working on other ways of making money. In any case wouldn't a potentate take up a different dance when the money got bad?

I think Greg has turned much of his attention to wine.
Mike S.
 

hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,011
20,779
Chicago
I had my first bowl of Bengal Slices today (the recreation) and I have to say I like the homage better than the current original.
 

logs

Lifer
Apr 28, 2019
1,876
5,084
Think of it, to be an expert blender with a wide following, and to turn out sophisticated blend after blend and then have your earnings gutted. So if he seems quiet these days he is probably working on other ways of making money. In any case wouldn't a potentate take up a different dance when the money got bad?

You make great points and maybe that's his thinking. The flip side is that C&D is in the same boat but have adopted a completely different tactic, which is to come out with a dozen new blends and promote the hell out of them in some splashy way. They've gotten really good at tweaking hoarder paranoia with the "buy it right now or lose out forever!" strategy. If it were just about money I don't see why Pease couldn't do the same thing with his existing blends, release Quiet Nights Limited Edition, etc. But that's not his style.
 
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saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,192
5,115
Thank you for your comments, logs.

I used to bug Pease about making a Cumberland flake, and he would say that he wanted to do something new. When that didn't fly I promoted a nearly unsmokeable plug. Communication broke down thereafter.

On the ideas that C&D probably has the quality of their advertising in hand, and that it is expensive, their only recourse is more of it, which they cannot prudently afford. Which tells me that they are bringing out new blends, as is Pease, to make something in lieu of nothing by foregoing a greater portion of the development cost.

In that vein how much does it cost to blend something? Pease used to say that most of us probably overestimated his earnings. Think of it, paying all the bills with something left over, with past earnings paying current while knowing that new earnings are projections and due to vanish, meaning that you get paid less now and nothing past deadline.

While Please may be doing this for love, sp loves differently.
 
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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,610
I know Granger has its quiet fans, but it is one of the least celebrated codger blends, now sold only in a tub, not in the traditional foil pouches. It's the old Kentucky Rough Cut, produced by the proprietorial Wellman's process, flavored with molasses such that it is identified as aromatic and non-aromatic depending on the vendor. My dad smoked it only, for about fifty years. A Forums member and I joked about how the Wellman's process was probably something like leaving the tobacco barn door open an eighth of an inch. But it's a good old blend, sturdy and well loved, with excellent tub art of a pointer dog. Can't beat that. If I were chasing embers, I'd launch this one like he boosted Black Frigate and Mixture No. 79.
 
Dec 6, 2019
5,016
23,020
Dixieland
I know Granger has its quiet fans, but it is one of the least celebrated codger blends, now sold only in a tub, not in the traditional foil pouches. It's the old Kentucky Rough Cut, produced by the proprietorial Wellman's process, flavored with molasses such that it is identified as aromatic and non-aromatic depending on the vendor. My dad smoked it only, for about fifty years. A Forums member and I joked about how the Wellman's process was probably something like leaving the tobacco barn door open an eighth of an inch. But it's a good old blend, sturdy and well loved, with excellent tub art of a pointer dog. Can't beat that. If I were chasing embers, I'd launch this one like he boosted Black Frigate and Mixture No. 79.

Im smoking some Granger right now. Is that licorice I'm tasting?
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,645
31,195
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I feel like one of the most underrated blends is Ashton Consumate Gentleman. It's very similar to Presbyterian but I find it has a touch more character. I find too that it seems to get over shadowed by Artisans Blend which is quite good, but honestly I like Consumate Gentleman more, but to be honest not in a it's a better blend but instead it's just closer to my tastes and preferences.
 

SpookedPiper

Lifer
Sep 9, 2019
2,055
10,504
East coast
Do you notice your teeth tasting like you just drank apple juice after you smoke these? I still have many tins of this set back, but that apple juice after taste has always disturbed me.
Your teeth? They taste like apples after smoking Formers? Huh, that's strange...better than grape I suppose..