The Most Overrated Tobaccos

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
11,391
70,253
61
Vegas Baby!!!
I'm currently smoking the highly underrated FVF in a Dunhill Bulldog. If you think this tobacco is monochrome I advise you to cube cut and completely dry this blend. If it's not worth the "hassle" then maybe you're overrated as a piper and blowing bubbles is more your speed.
This is for anyone that cares. I don't think the OP does as he/she/it is MIA in this wayward overrated yet misunderstood thread.

 

jpmcwjr

Lifer
May 12, 2015
26,264
30,360
Carmel Valley, CA
Let's not be too touchy here. O/P stated he did not intend to offend.
I've heard people preface their remarks to an acquaintance by saying, " Now don't take this personally" and then ream out the person with a series of insults.
Ash- I tried blowing Bubbles, but she didn't like it at all.

 

snoopy311

Can't Leave
Dec 21, 2016
402
155
I’m late to the party but I have to laugh. Could you have picked any more popular tobaccos in the world? Oh my, takes balls.

 

catjockey

Lurker
Jan 8, 2017
46
0
Too subjective and quite honestly you're doing nobody any favors.
Tastes are as subjective as is your opinion that such discussion is of no value. People make purchasing decisions off of that very same subjectivity you say can be of no favor to anyone. Might as well as just ignore that whole tobacco review site then, or is subjectivity okay and helpful when encouraging a purchase, but not when trying to help someone not make one they might regret?
Had I personally read a thread concerning the subject of what people's *opinion* (this being a subjective, well, subject, is rather implied in that my first post contained nothing but my own opinion) was of an overhyped tobacco, versus the significant hype of some tobaccos on the review site, I might have well saved real money from not purchasing tobacco based off of the quantity of overly flowery and loquacious quite subjective reviews.
Hype and snowballing without due merit and as a matter of Human Nature is a very real thing. Not a subjective one. Nor is the tobacco world immune to it. Where that hype lies, of course, is a matter of opinion. The internet, in the last 2-3 decades, has contributed greatly to that hype (and not just in this very small segment of the general population). I'm just trying to use that same Net to share my opinion of all that on a forum. Ya know, a little Cafe on the Internet Superhighway where we all stop in and squeeze into a booth, fire up the pipes, and, well, share our very, very subjective opinions upon the subject of pipes and tobacco.
Pardon me, lol. How, umm, bold of me to share my own subjective opinions about tobacco and encourage others to share theirs on a forum about tobacco ...

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,109
553
Winnipeg, Canada
@Catjockey I totally agree with what you're saying, had I followed all of the perceived hype about Penzance or Stonehaven being the best blends ever, I would of been quite dissapointed had a shelled out the typical asking price of 80$ to 100$ just to say I tried it. Well I managed to get some for free and try both of them, and neither of them really stuck out to me, the stonehaven I did like but not to the point where I'm dissapointed I don't have any. I do find it odd the amount of shit posting that goes on here though, it's like people just post in threads just for the sake of posting something. I also find escudo to be a decent smoke but nothing that blows me away, I bought 10 tins on sale because it was the "vaper that all other vapers try to be" but honestly I don't find it much different than Peter Stokkebye's Luxury Bullseye flake, just not as sweet. But price wise I would take LBF any day over Escudo, I'm letting the Escudo age now and I'm sure it will be much better in time. I also totally agree on the internet mindset that takes over to create hype now, where well established forum members opinions are treated with "'spect" because they have to know what they're talking about, they have x many posts more than that other guy.

 

catjockey

Lurker
Jan 8, 2017
46
0
Wasn't my intention, ashdigger, nor do I think I did, quite frankly. We'll need to agree to disagree on that. I thought your comment was pretty clear - essentially, "This is too subjective of a subject for any productive discussion to take place, and it will do no good for anybody even though you specifically said that was your intent."
I'm not upset about any of that and your opinion, was merely responding to your very clear comment. And since you stated it couldn't be of any benefit to anyone, I was merely stating (not arguing) my case as to how someone could derive benefit from such opinions.
I won the Internet? Awesome. 'Bout damn time. Been trying for a quarter century, now. How much you think I should throw it on CraigsList for?
You can have the last word, if you need ...

 

catjockey

Lurker
Jan 8, 2017
46
0
Andy:
Catjockey I totally agree with what you're saying, had I followed all of the perceived hype about Penzance or Stonehaven being the best blends ever, I would of been quite dissapointed had a shelled out the typical asking price of 80$ to 100$ just to say I tried it.
First time I walked by Penzance, I bought two tins. Because I am a huge Latakia lover and connoisseur? Hell no. I smoke 85% Va & VaPer (Solani 633 will be the last bowl of the night - yummy). Just being a darn human was enough reason, having to see what the hub-bub was all about. And then, even though I still wasn't huge lover of Latakia, I bought a bag. Why? 'Cause I'm a knucklehead human that falls for hype, even if I know it is most likely over hyped and because I knew it wouldn't last on the shelves because of said hype. The scarcity of it all feeds that compulsion to buy it, as well. And the reality of it is, there are enough obstacles for supply; true Latakia aficionados don't need me buying way more of a Latakia blend than I need simply because of hype and scarcity. I think it better for me to leave the Penzance at the Tobacconist on the shelves for those who really appreciate it in the future. Just seems like an easy thing to do to try to be cool to my fellow pipe smokers, even if I never meet them.
Stonehaven I would like to try and that is one of the blends I have never seen at my Tobacconist (probably 6-8 on the shelf). But, I will lose no sleep, nor go out of my way to try it, for there are a LOT of good quality tobaccos out there today. At least for now ...

 
There's nothing wrong with not liking a prize cow. It happens, but if we are to help you pick out new tobaccos to try, you could tell us what you do like, or what you are looking for, and we can better help you find something new to try. Only a small fraction of the pipe industry ventures beyond aromatics, so it's no surprise to us that someone would hate these blends. However, if we are to seriously help you find something that you'd like, we need more information.
Many people on here hate the "hyped" tobaccos, but it's not our fault that there is hype out there. Those of us who post here make up an even smaller fraction of pipe smokers.
I can save you some time and money on Stonehaven. Don't buy it expecting BIG flavor. It's way more subtle than anything else mentioned, and it tends to disappoint many.
Your post entertained us, as it left us nothing to go on. If someone doesn't like these three blends, then good for you, but what else should we say. We are not going to try to convince you to like them. I don't use that review site much myself. I think that in the beginning any of us will use the TR site to test our own taste buds against the reviewers, but beyond that it's just interesting reading material. My own tastebuds are not in sync with the reviewers either.

 

perdurabo

Lifer
Jun 3, 2015
3,305
1,581
Ah it's alll good, Ashdigger just got some ash stuck up his ash-hole, happens from time to time. We can all be ash-holes.

 

ashdigger

Lifer
Jul 30, 2016
11,391
70,253
61
Vegas Baby!!!
Perdurabo, so because I disagree with the OP you get stupid?
Interesting thread.
Maybe I should say "I don't want to offend" before any response, that way you'll all fawn over any different opinion and then you'll think I'm edgy or brave.

 

bigpond

Lifer
Oct 14, 2014
2,019
14
Over-rated? Codger blends and goopers of any strip. Might as well stuff your pipe with a dried turd.

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,109
553
Winnipeg, Canada
@Catjockey don't get me wrong, Stonehaven is a great tobacco, and if you like Virginia then more likely then not you're going to enjoy it. I totally enjoyed it, but unless I could get an 8 ounce bag under 40$ I wouldn't get it, too many other good Va/bur blends to be had readily available. Even the new 50 gram tins of it for 15$ are too much for me

 

iamn8

Lifer
Sep 8, 2014
4,248
16
Moody, AL
had I followed all of the perceived hype about Penzance or Stonehaven being the best blends ever
I read this ALL THE TIME... the thing is nobody is saying it's the best. Review recent threads and the only thing anyone says is that it's all hype and overrated. Try to find a recent thread claiming anything otherwise. There's only LOTS of people saying it's average, below average, garbage, or hype. NOBODY is claiming it's the best ever.... nobody, yet everyone claims it's hype. Where the f is this hype beyond everyone claiming it's hype?!

 

iamn8

Lifer
Sep 8, 2014
4,248
16
Moody, AL
It's also funny that those here who claim to have purchased it always say they only bought it to trade with.VERY few people... and I mean VERY FEW claim to love it and buy it for their own consumption. There are a few, but only just.

 

cally454

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 31, 2012
205
0
The more bashing penzance and stonehaven posts the better. It's getting easier to find. We (America) do like to build things up and then tear em down.

 

murica

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 4, 2017
176
1
Bash all you want, but I buy all stonehaven I come across because it is one of my favorite tobaccos. Blah blah blah. I love the stuff. Please think its cat piss so I can buy more.

 

jeff540

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 25, 2016
518
799
Southwest Virginia
I've been smoking pipes since 1998, so not an expert but not a novice either.
I tend to agree with OPs assessment, if not quite the delivery.
FVF was once a favorite, back when it was cut really thin and average cost was $6 per tin, before it became insanely popular circa 2008. I still purchase the occasional SG tin in hopes the flakes will be cut thin again. Picked up some Best Brown last weekend - no dice. It tastes good when I get a few puffs, but it's like trying to light Scott's garden mulch. I attribute it to flakes being cut way too thick, at least for me.
For the OP to try:

One of my top VaPer's is Wessex Brigade, perfect moisture and curly coin cut.

VA Flakes - Top spots for me are Orlik Golden Slice, Rattray's HOTW, and several of McClelland (Blackwoods and Christmas Cheer especially). Another great VA flake is/was the 4th Generation 1855
As for Unicorn Tobacco, I was fortunate to try some of the latest (last 20 years) before they got popular. The only one I REALLY miss is Butera's Kingfisher. My local B&M got in a tin of Pelican a few months ago, so maybe there's still hope???

 
Status
Not open for further replies.