The Great RYO Smoke Out!

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Mar 4, 2024
320
839
Where Texas Began
Excuses.
Clearly, your cohort was left with a demonstrably false impression of The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
I expect better of you.
"The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania"

I have not heard/seen those words in quite a while.
The first thing that comes to mind is Scrapple/Panhaas and Home Fries.


In all seriousness, The Great RYO Smoke Out concept seems like a great idea and the same goes for
The Lehigh Valley Pipe Club.
 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,912
21,599
SE PA USA
"The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania"

I have not heard/seen those words in quite a while.
The first thing that comes to mind is Scrapple/Panhaas and Home Fries.


In all seriousness, The Great RYO Smoke Out concept seems like a great idea and the same goes for
The Lehigh Valley Pipe Club.
Well, there is a lot less to be proud of in Pennsylvania these days, as it slowly gives way to the deleterious influences of New York, New Jersey, Maryland and to a lesser extent, Delaware. We are still a Constitutional open carry state, and as James Carville once negatively opined "Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Alabama in-between". It's our rural, farming heritage that helps us hold on to the last of our freedoms. Wm. Penn is no doubt rolling in his grave, jonesing for a slice of scrapple, two eggs over easy and a side of home fries.
 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,912
21,599
SE PA USA

telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
All in all, the results indicate that a case can indeed be made that RYO can be seen as a legitimate tobacco choice for anyone who either has limited access to more premium brands or is on a fixed income.

Still, if one enjoys the taste of these RYO blends, the results demonstrate that there is no reason for anyone else to look their nose down at those who enjoy them - which would be snooty to do in any case.

One thought - I would be interested in running the experiment a bit differently.

RYO Cherry flavored tested alongside Sutliff or Lane Cherry as well at G&H Black Cherry.

Don't mention that a RYO blend is in the mix. Simply have the smokers choose against the three blends.

Regardless, your experiment was set up well - I agree that the sample size was too ambitious but hey, that's what excitement does.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
20,978
50,217
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Very interesting result. Kind of makes me wonder how much of the reaction smokers experience is based on suggestion, a celebrated name for example.
I've tried to smoke the current iteration of Balkan Sobranie, but I can't get past two puffs without experiencing an urgent need to hurl, and a desire to take a flame thrower to my mouth. Yet people are shelling out some serious money for a blend that I find disgusting.
And I used to love smoking Sobranie Ltd Balkan Sobranie as well as Gallaher's version.
 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,912
21,599
SE PA USA
All in all, the results indicate that a case can indeed be made that RYO can be seen as a legitimate tobacco choice for anyone who either has limited access to more premium brands or is on a fixed income.

Still, if one enjoys the taste of these RYO blends, the results demonstrate that there is no reason for anyone else to look their nose down at those who enjoy them - which would be snooty to do in any case.

One thought - I would be interested in running the experiment a bit differently.

RYO Cherry flavored tested alongside Sutliff or Lane Cherry as well at G&H Black Cherry.

Don't mention that a RYO blend is in the mix. Simply have the smokers choose against the three blends.

Regardless, your experiment was set up well - I agree that the sample size was too ambitious but hey, that's what excitement does.
Thank you.
But these people are my friends.
Very interesting result. Kind of makes me wonder how much of the reaction smokers experience is based on suggestion, a celebrated name for example.
I've tried to smoke the current iteration of Balkan Sobranie, but I can't get past two puffs without experiencing an urgent need to hurl, and a desire to take a flame thrower to my mouth. Yet people are shelling out some serious money for a blend that I find disgusting.
And I used to love smoking Sobranie Ltd Balkan Sobranie as well as Gallaher's version.
We talked about “smoking the label” after we finished. We were all surprised that the premium blends ranked so close to the RYO’s, and how some participants preferred an RYO over the premiums.

I’m going to think about doing a similar run pitting three vaulted blends against three sleepers, all similar cuts.
 

Kilgore Trout

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 5, 2019
804
6,034
Well, there is a lot less to be proud of in Pennsylvania these days, as it slowly gives way to the deleterious influences of New York, New Jersey, Maryland and to a lesser extent, Delaware. We are still a Constitutional open carry state, and as James Carville once negatively opined "Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Alabama in-between". It's our rural, farming heritage that helps us hold on to the last of our freedoms. Wm. Penn is no doubt rolling in his grave, jonesing for a slice of scrapple, two eggs over easy and a side of home fries.
James Carville is an imbecile.
 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,912
21,599
SE PA USA
James Carville is an imbecile.
No, he is not. The man is brilliant. I just fundamentally disagree with his politics, and it pisses me off that he is so good at swaying opinion toward his client's imbecilic behavior.

@woodsroad : Wasn't PA famous for that great breakfast invention called 'Shit on a Shingle' viewed as a local delicacy by denizens of the Commonwealth of PA?
SOS: Cream Chipped Beef.
Yes, the largest manufacturer of dried chipped beef is right here in Quakertown,
 

Cobler

Lurker
Mar 3, 2024
10
27
The controls are interesting. Venguer was originally a RYO anyway, wasn't it? With the cut changed to ribbon around the same time all the others made the change due to the tax imbalance?

And is the Stokkebye Norwegian the same as the RYO pouch version, just ribbon instead of shag? Or perhaps there IS an actual difference other than the cut and numbers: 80 vs. 90?
@woodsroad : Did anyone actually roll a cigarette out of this stuff? I am told that the stuff is unpleasant as a cigarette. I have seen bags of menthol pipe tobacco and scratched my head and wondered!

About menthol -- just think of it as "New World Lakeland Essence".
 

Mrs. Pickles

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 8, 2022
272
1,258
AZ, USA
Thank you for not only creating this, but also taking the time to share it with us too.

This experiment has only just concluded and I’m already looking forward to the UK sequel. Drum, Amberleaf, and Cutter’s Choice will face off and us spectators get to rag on jellied eels, marmite and uh... John McTernan, I guess?
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,825
31,567
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Valiant effort @woodsroad !!

This kind of test would also be interesting if you smoked shag cut the week before, even once a day. At least for me, shag cut requires quite a specific puff/draw to keep it pleasant, and it always takes me a bowl to remember that. To be honest I usually only use it to blend in with something chunky or cube cut.
I had very similar thoughts. Shag is the most underrated and misunderstood of the pipe cuts. It just handles differently and when you get it down it handles like a dream but you have to handle it differently.
Including how to pack it. Ram a shag in.