Three Nuns

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Scottmi

Lifer
Oct 15, 2022
3,843
55,539
Orcas, WA
Three Nuns is ringing my Bells today, just what the Puns ordered. ;-) I am loving the current MB VaBur version of this. Ordering up some more tins, and was wondering if there are any worthy clones or similarly balanced and flavored Virginia Burleys? Today's smoke from a tin opened up about 5 months ago and jarred for the last 2. Moisture level was dry and not crispy, perfect for folding a few rounds and stuffing, then stacking a few above that, and some rubbed out on top to get it all going. burned down to dry ash with maybe two relights. Thee Nuns delivered the VaBur bliss I had been seeking (and not finding with the Prince Albert/Three Sails mix I tried early in the day). 4 Stars!
 

Scottmi

Lifer
Oct 15, 2022
3,843
55,539
Orcas, WA
You could check out Savinelli Doblone D'Oro, which was originally created to match the old Va/Per Three Nuns, which it did quite well for the first several years of production. Like a lot of other current blends, it has been changed, but it might just ring some of these same bells for you.
excellent! I have two of the 100g tins in my cellar now, untasted. Sounded like something i'd like so perhaps another couple are worth collecting up. yessir, i think so...i've really only heard good things about that blend! thank you -
 

Warlee

Might Stick Around
Apr 13, 2022
80
663
Michigan
Three nuns is one of my favorites. Love the very woody DFK in it.

Solani Silver Flake is an all day any day Va/Bur for me. It’s a little lighter and more Virginia forward than three nuns.

Jackknife Plug is a good one as well. It is more of a campfire/bar-b-que/ketchup profile.

Doblone D’oro has a similar woody dfk in it but with a fairly strong perique presence. Enjoyable in its own way.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,600
'Never tried Three Nuns, but I have found that Virgnia and burley blends usually appeal to me, whichever leaf is the base or condiment. Likewise, with home mixes, that seems a combination that most often produces success.

The old, now discontinued, Nat Sherman 536 blend, a Virginia based English blend with burley as a condiment, was delicious, refined it a good way. Likewise, I enjoy GLP's Barbary Coast, based in cubed burley with Virginia as a condiment, and C&D's Tatum Hall, a burley based English blend. Lately, thanks to SBC, I've been enjoying Esoterica Tilbury, a Virginia with burley as a condiment. It's just an innately good combination when burley and Virginia get together, to my taste.

Nat Sherman 536 was the peak experience of my pilgrimage to the Nat Sherman store, now closed, on 42 St. in Manhattan, where Clyde Gold, the senior tobacconist waited on me, in a elegant suit. He sold me a large baggie of 536 which I then sat down to enjoy seated in a rocker near the door of the expansive humidor, and within people-watching distance of the conversational area that was full of talkative cigar smokers. My pipe in hand was an artisan orange stained, orange stemmed Jerry Perry bent billiard from Colfax, N.C.

The store closed a few years ago, but it was a good one.
 
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SBC

Lifer
Oct 6, 2021
1,586
7,510
NE Wisconsin
You could check out Savinelli Doblone D'Oro, which was originally created to match the old Va/Per Three Nuns, which it did quite well for the first several years of production. Like a lot of other current blends, it has been changed, but it might just ring some of these same bells for you.
Do you happen to know about when Doblone D'Oro ceased cloning original Three Nuns well?

I ask just in case I ever see an opportunity to pick up an older tin.

Always wished I could try original Three Nuns so a chance to try a good clone would be next best.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
20,485
47,980
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Do you happen to know about when Doblone D'Oro ceased cloning original Three Nuns well?

I ask just in case I ever see an opportunity to pick up an older tin.

Always wished I could try original Three Nuns so a chance to try a good clone would be next best.
Find a tin from 2014 thru 2016, possibly 2017. After that, it's not the same.
 
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orvet

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 1, 2023
238
752
Willamette Valley of Oregon
I have some open 1980s and Three Nuns but it got dried out and doesn't have nearly the flavor the original had. I have been able to recondition it and prefer it Blended with other VA/PER tobacco.
I have one large tin of Three Nuns from I believe 1989. It is still sealed, and so far I've resisted the temptation too open it!
 

coys

Can't Leave
Feb 15, 2022
337
789
Missouri
The reviews of Three Nuns are universally that the modern product is greatly inferior to the historical product. IIRC ownership of the brand had changed hands numerous times and it was changed for the worse somewhere along the way. Has something changed again?
 

LouisPiper

Lurker
Apr 26, 2022
30
147
Going by how the reviews are I think you just need to think of the old versus new as two completely different blends. I was put off trying it due to the complaining about the change but curiosity got the better of me. Quite happy I did the new blend is a solid smoke and my main go to now. It's definitely not a vaper but stands well as what it is.
 

Warlee

Might Stick Around
Apr 13, 2022
80
663
Michigan
Going by how the reviews are I think you just need to think of the old versus new as two completely different blends. I was put off trying it due to the complaining about the change but curiosity got the better of me. Quite happy I did the new blend is a solid smoke and my main go to now. It's definitely not a vaper but stands well as what it is.
Yup definitely the same for me. Never had the old version. Really enjoy the current one for what it is.
 

danish

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 12, 2017
247
498
Denmark
The present Three Nuns smells like the old, I used to smoke regularly in the 80/90ies. I guess most of the unique smell/taste is mostly from the original recipe used for casing/flavouring, which today is licensed to or bought by Harald Halberg (who also make the more heavily cased and sweetened American style inspired Mac Baren tobaccos, which are therefore usually more consistent in taste than the purer traditional English tobaccos).
 
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