***What Are You Smoking, July 2023?***

[PaulRVA]

Savinelli Bent Billiard from Bayou Tobacco (now defunct) in the NOLA French Quarter probably 20yrs ago stamped Bayou- New Orleans.
Good smoker, likes Reiner.

 

[LotusEater]

EGR in a Stanwell Bamboo

 

[Doctor Chopper]

Regent Street in my skull meer.

 

[Birddog66]

HH Balkan in a Qipeng Wei. Reading my work email outside.

I don’t know about you all, but sometimes I kind of resent these limited edition midnight drop deals. (Not talking about HH Balkan) As much as I like the companies and blenders that make them, they are praying on peoples fear of missing out and promoting hoarding. Also, I have a hard time just buying one tin when shipping is practically the cost of a second tin, so then I wind up getting 10 tins to get free shipping! You see where I’m going with this?

I’d rather see one great blend that sticks around then a series of limited editions.

I LOVE ALL THE HH blends for this reason, I just wish Rustica wasn’t a limited one. I get that if they can only get a small amount of special leaf then it has to be limited, but I can’t help but think this is a marketing gimmick to get people to hoard.

I’m curious on others thoughts on this, I am by no means an industry insider, this is just a novice consumer’s reflections.

PS: HH Balkan is one of the smoothest blends I’ve ever smoked, all the components meld perfectly. Truly an expertly crafted tobacco.

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I think they make so many blends as limited editions because FDA approval is required for a tobacco that’s put into constant production, I questioned Sutliff about this because I wanted more Uno from the Birds of a Feather series and there’s more to releasing a blend than meets the eye. Your lucky, being in the UK I have to set my alarm for 4:50 to put in a order

 

[troutface]

Starting the weekend off right with GH Dark Bird's Eye in a Wiley.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Ugh it's too hot for this shit.
Miskatonic Mix in the IRC full bent.

 

[JimInks]

Enjoyed a tasty tall stack of cinnamon raisin French toast with a sliced peach and unsalted peanuts on the side. I've about a third of a bowl left of Peretti Royal in a black sandblasted medium bend 2013 Mark Tinsky Coral 5 cherrywood with a smooth dark brown shank and bottom with a tapered black briar accented acrylic stem. Larry's espresso #9, neat, is my drink. Going to work soon.

 

[Ben.R.C]

HH Rustica in a Former. This blend has good, unique flavor and a definite kick.

 

[Ben.R.C]

I don’t resent them at all. Pipe smokers are such a small niche I’m grateful to be marketed towards. I’m somewhat surprised at the amount of choice we have and welcome more.

I especially appreciate manufacturers who take the time to source high quality single crop/vintage tobacco, like C&D does for Carolina Red Flake. One of the big reasons McClelland stopped was because they couldn’t find the quality leaf they wanted. So I am thankful there is still an effort to cultivate relationships with farmers to produce a high quality tobacco, like Jeremy Reeves does with his Perique. Would we rather not have the effort put in?

If there is not enough to make a regular blend I’ll take the limited amount I can. There are soooo many regular blends to choose from. This topic kind of ties in to Cosmic’s post about “premium”.

I can get behind your point of view. I don’t like the hoarding mindset it creates for me. Maybe it doesn’t do that for you. I have a hard time resisting spending outside of my budget because I may not have another chance to buy the blend.

 

[Birddog66]

Watching Ken Burns documentary on the American Civil War, brilliantly done just like his Vietnam one. Smoking Whimsical in this Tilshead, I was very fond of pretty much all of the BotF series by Sutliff and wished I’d gotten more of some of them, especially Uno and this Whimsical.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Doug Finlay Poker and KBV Van Gogh - only 88 degrees and done with work so out on the deck because it is breezy, lol.

 

[krizzose]

F&T Special Brown Flake in a Savinelli Punto Oro 707

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking year 2020 Mac Baren Scottish Mixture in a straight, smooth brown 1960s Lane era Charatan Special 38 bulldog with a black vulcanite saddle stem. Working and listening to Crime Classics from my radio collection. It's one of top radio series for me.

 

[warren99]

Old Jack Krantz Red Label in a Tao bent sanblast pot.

 

[Brewfan]

Another work trip in the books, relaxing at home with FVF in a 1976 Dunhill.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

I can get behind your point of view. I don’t like the hoarding mindset it creates for me. Maybe it doesn’t do that for you. I have a hard time resisting spending outside of my budget because I may not have another chance to buy the blend.

A lottery system would be preferable if there is limited supply. Sign up over a week, and find out whenever you wake up on the release date if you were lucky or not.

 

[LotusEater]

Trying Palmetto Balkan again after letting it rest for more than a year.
The pipe is a Radice rind.

 

[Ben.R.C]

I think they make so many blends as limited editions because FDA approval is required for a tobacco that’s put into constant production, I questioned Sutliff about this because I wanted more Uno from the Birds of a Feather series and there’s more to releasing a blend than meets the eye. Your lucky, being in the UK I have to set my alarm for 4:50 to put in a order

Good to know, this makes sense and maybe the it’s just how this stuff has to work. I appreciate the quality blends, that is for sure,

 

[Birddog66]

Cascadia Vertical Limit Plug in this little ‘39 or ‘40 Yello Bole bulldog with propeller logo.

 

[Birddog66]

Trying Palmetto Balkan again after letting it rest for more than a year.
The pipe is a Radice rind.
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What do you think of the Palmetto? It definitely improves with a little age but I’m very fond of it, wish I’d got more than one can actually.