The Most Disappointing Tobacco

[John_B]

What have been the most over-hyped blends that you have encountered in your pipe smoking career ?Marlin Flake is one such for me. It smells lovely and smokes reasonably well but I never seem to achieve the blissful Nirvana smokes that others get. I find it lacklustre and bitey. I really want to love it but that is not reciprocated. I have given it enough chances, but there are more fish in the sea. Germains Medium Flake is another one. I gave it away as cigarette tobacco in the end....

 

[username]

Penzance and stone haven.
Penzance tasted like a run of the mill English to me and stone haven I couldn't get any flavor out of just tasted meh to me.

 

[AroEnglish]

Escudo but that’s due to my tastes, not due it being a poor tobacco (as far as I can tell).

 

[Chasing Embers]

Stonehaven

Tastes too much like black treacle cough syrup.

 

[Coreios]

Briar Works Old Fashion Bacon.....we were lied to.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Briar Works Old Fashion Bacon.....we were lied to.

Per your post, I dug a jar out from 2015. It's improved immensely.

 

[Coreios]

Per your post, I dug a jar out from 2015. It's improved immensely.

lol Good to know, it'll be almost a decade before I dare open the lid again and attempt to smoke it.

 

[yanoJL]

Escudo but that’s due to my tastes, not due it being a poor tobacco (as far as I can tell).

Agreed. I never got the chance to sample the old versions (Cope/ACP). I'm guessing it used to be special the way its described. But the (newer) tin I purchased was, to me, underwhelming.

 

[yanoJL]

Silem's Black.
I may have received a bad batch. The blend is not adequately packaged, I think. Loose plastic wrapping in a very beautiful, but not airtight, tin. It was bone dry by the time it arrived. I liked Boswell's Northwoods, so I was looking for an Aro English. But, It didn't scratch my itch.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Penzance and stone haven.
Penzance tasted like a run of the mill English to me and stone haven I couldn't get any flavor out of just tasted meh to me.

Like it or hate it, but this is a wild statement.

 

[sablebrush52]

We just had a thread on this topic. But what the heck, why not?
Penzance, Germain’s Balkan Sobranie, and the current version of “Escudo” are disappointing, especially Balkan Sobranie, which I find utterly vile.
The more recent Esoterica blends I’ve tried, Dunbar in particular, have been disappointing. Fortunately I have older releases that are good.
I wouldn’t waste a nickel on any Esoterica made after 2020.

 

[grimpuffer]

SG Brown Sugar Flake.

To me, its smells amazing from the tin, but the taste is probably one of my least favorite of their entire line up. Glad I didnt go crazy on the latest drop.

Extremely underwhelming to the point that the name seems to be vastly misleading to the flavor profile.

 

[Chasing Embers]

but this is a wild statement.

Not really, just personal opinion. I don't favor latakia blends but found it mediocre when compared to other blends such as Peretti's Royal and Tashkent. Other than been good for trading fodder, I just didn't find Penzance to be a standout.

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

I had a bowl of GH Bright CR Flake last night, and I can't understand what all the fuss is about. A bowl of hot air is what it was. It improved towards the last quarter of the bowl, but for me, that is not enough. A disappointing tobacco, the rest will probably go in the bin, it doesn't even deserve to take up jar space.

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

I try and give blends I don't initially like a few chances because sometimes the chemistry just isn't there that day. Might feel like hot air and then another day it's blowing me away. That said.. GH&Co.'s Dark blends specifically the Dark Flakes. I tried unscented first, it was like smoking barbecued used tires. I thought maybe scented would be better but sweet jesus it was worse.

Also wasn't fond of Plum Pudding on it's own but I've grown to really like it as a blending component.

 

[Jwebb90]

I’d have to say Rouxgaroux. Not a bad blend but one that did not live up to the expectations I had for it.

 

[AroEnglish]

Silem's Black.
I may have received a bad batch. The blend is not adequately packaged, I think. Loose plastic wrapping in a very beautiful, but not airtight, tin. It was bone dry by the time it arrived. I liked Boswell's Northwoods, so I was looking for an Aro English. But, It didn't scratch my itch.

Yes that’s not how should’ve been. It should still have some moisture and be a little springy. Sorry you had a bad batch; SB is my favorite blend.

 

[fireground_piper]

Everything from KBV.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Not really, just personal opinion. I don't favor latakia blends but found it mediocre when compared to other blends such as Peretti's Royal and Tashkent. Other than been good for trading fodder, I just didn't find Penzance to be a standout.

Penzance (along with Chelsea Morning/Quiet Nights) have a distinct flavor and "texture" profile that's really not subjective.

Liking it or hating it is an opinion. But describing it as 'run of the mill' is just wrong.

 

[anotherbob]

Capstan blue. It really just never did anything for me. It was kind of blandish. It wasn't bad but of all the similarish blends I've smoked I enjoy the others so much more.