The Great Escudo Scare - The Sequel

[peckinpahhombre]

On another pipe forum there is quite a lively discussion going on in recent days about this blend, with a few long-time smokers of Escudo claiming that the blend has changed in recent months and that it now may contain some form of topping (or at least has different VA or Perique components than it used to). A few who claim to have loved the blend as recently as January are now swearing off it because of the perceived changes. I was just wondering if there is any one here who shares that view or has heard anything that might enlighten us.

 

[cigrmaster]

peck, I just read that thread and you have to take into account the guy who started it. My last tin of fresh Escudo I smoked was probably from January of this year or so and it tasted like it always does. I found no topping taste what so ever. I am due to open another tin so I will grab one from my most recent purchase which was May 26th of this year. I will report back and let you know what I find.

 

[cigrmaster]

The suspense was killing me so I just opened a tin purchased from SP on May 26th. Here is the date code on the tin, 1210064519. I don't know how to read this code exactly but it is from 2012. Here are my thoughts on the tobacco, looks the same, tastes the same and is the same. There is no added topping on this at all. The guy making this claim may not be dedicating his pipes, or maybe he has some axe to grind with the company. I have smoked this stuff for years and it tastes like Escudo to me.

 

[allan]

I just popped open a tin I received about a week ago, and this time I dried it out with a hair dryer (thanks to all those who suggested it) it tastes the same to me, although I find I really like it now that I'm smoking it dry!
I cannot detect any topping or addititive whatsoever

 

[pitchfork]

I'll have to try my new tin a few more times, but it did seem "different" to me and I wondered if there was some kind of light topping and I just hadn't noticed it before. Jury's out for me.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

pitchfork, what is the date code on your tin?

 

[pitchfork]

Date Code 1210064519
I bought it in May of this year from SP.com.
It didn't have quite the same tin note that I remembered, either, but again I thought it was just me. Tastes and palates do change, so it's possible it's just me, but it's curious that someone else had the same thought.

 

[mustanggt]

I've only opened my first tin of this and it has the same code as all of you. I think it is damn fine and if they put any topping on it I like it!!! :mrgreen:

 

[pitchfork]

Just revisiting this topic... I should have been more precise about the differences I noticed -- I don't detect a "topping," but instead what might be a change to the casing used. Just to get this out of the way, almost ALL VAs are cased to some extent. For instance, here's the surprisingly extensive list of ingredients for Dunhill Navy Rolls:

I assume Escudo has a similar list. It's possible that some change has been made to the casing.
One more thing I noticed about this tin was how wet the flakes were compared to other tins I've had. Not only were they surprisingly wet, the tin note reminded me more of FVF and Best Brown Flake (I can't describe it, but anyone who's had those blends would recognize it). It just wasn't the same (to me) fresh, tomato-like scent I expect from Escudo. Instead, it was more like the aroma of fresh FVF.

 

[allan]

Pitch
I believe I'd read before that many brands have casings, but I didn't realize that propolene Glycol was used in something like DNR! Fruit juices? Licorice?
Going to guess that the % of those types of ingredients are much greater in Aro's.

 

[northernneil]

I bought 5 tins in January 2013 and they all have the exact same date code. They must have made one hell of a batch to still be selling tins with that date stamp.
As for a flavor change, I never smoked the original, so I cannot say one way or the other if there has been a change.

 

[pitchfork]

A few who claim to have loved the blend as recently as January are now swearing off it because of the perceived changes.

I find this odd. I'm certain I detect some changes in my latest tin of Escudo in terms of tin note and the appearance of the coins (more brown, less red), but in the smoke (I'm smoking it right now), I detect only the slightest hint of topping or casing, whereas I never had before.
To be clear, the difference (to me) seems very subtle. There's just a tiny bit more of that "Orlik" taste than in my previous experience. Regardless, I still find this Escudo to be wonderful stuff. The underlying tobaccos seem the same to me and I just can't imagine wanting to give up on this blend because of what to me is a very minor change in flavor profile. In fact, now that it has dried out a bit, this tin is as good as any Escudo I've smoked, just slightly different.
It's possible, and indeed likely, that whatever difference some of us seem to be noticing is entirely unintentional. Whatever the product, suppliers of base ingredients can have their own issues with consistency and quality control -- perhaps one of the ingredients in the "sauce" has changed ever so slightly, and maybe for just one batch. It's also possible that there was some irregularity in the manufacturing process at the Orlik factory.
I'd be interested to hear others weigh in on whether they've noticed any changes in Escudo purchased this year.

 

[loneredtree]

Pitchfork, how did you come bye the ingredients? I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED!
:|

 

[pitchfork]

Pitchfork, how did you come bye the ingredients? I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED!

Come again?

 

[cortezattic]

Dunhill and Escudo Navy Rolls were generally considered identical. Perhaps this is a subtle attempt

to distinguish Escudo without appreciably altering the recipe. (I dunno ...just blowin' smoke.) ::

 

[pitchfork]

Dunhill and Escudo Navy Rolls were generally considered identical.

Thanks, cortezattic. I hadn't realized how many people considered them the same or that considerable care had been taken in comparing them. So...the ingredients in DNRs is probably same or similar to Escudo (hence the comment above bout ingredients). Thanks for the link and for clearing that up. I wonder, then, if some batches (even with the same date code) simply got a little more of the "sauce" on them or had less drying time at the factory before being tinned.

The tin I have open is code 6107342104 purchased recently and like many others here I detect no difference.

Thanks, duckfat. I believe Harris/cigrmaster detected no difference, either.
I don't know the poster on the other forum who started this conversation a few days ago, but I detected a difference immediately upon opening my tin a few weeks ago. I was disappointed, actually, but after drying out a bit more it tastes more like the Escudo I'm used to smoking.

 

[pitchfork]

Pitchfork, how did you come bye the ingredients? I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED!
[:|]

OK, now I understand -- I didn't realize Deluxe Navy Rolls and Escudo were considered to be almost identical. I'll have to hunt up where I found the ingredients list, but I think it was on the Scandinavian Tobacco Group website. Another member on this or another forum posted it a while back.