I stick to the VaOriental blends. He has a great hand with these. Sakura is not bad either. But if you have smoked one Burley blend, you have smoked all bittered burley blends.
What Do You Think About Ken Byron Blends?
- Thread starter jerry
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I find it interesting that many here are attacking what they see as fake blending because he takes other blends and alters them. Isn't that was blending is??? The industry has been doing this forever. There are plenty of examples of a number of large companies taking Sutliff's Medium English and making it their on either via rebranding or by adding more of one component or another. Seems like it is "cool" to bash someone that gives us more options in a world where our options become more limited every year.
B&M house blends are often preexisting blends that they add something to to make it their own.
Or relabeled bulk blends with no changes except for the name.
How do you "put a watch" on a site? Visit it constantly?
I dont disagree with what you’re saying! I in fact totally agree! Though I feel I should clarify my position. I myself don’t take issue with using existing blends, and augmenting them, that’s great, and a great way to innovate in this climate, if done well, and I honestly think he has made some tasty stuff.
My issue is with the apparent image that is presented, which is that he is not doing that, or not adding topping to things that he is. Just embrace it I say, be mysterious but not misleading. I’m willing to admit that maybe I’m being cranky about this, because some of his blends he does proudly talk about their toppings, others he doesn’t but yet they taste topped.
His marketing seems to be growing along with his popularity and maybe this particular faux pas will be a fleeting blip! Clearly I’m still buying, trying, and enjoying his stuff... maybe with just a bit more of a critical eye, and a stronger resolve against my own TAD, and against the “buy it now or miss out forever” sales pitch.
I use an app called Web Alert. It is free and easy to use. Copy the url of the page you want to monitor and create a watch event. Set how frequently you want it to check for a change to the page and your good. I was looking to try Goblin mixture so I set the alert and it pinged me as soon as it was available.
As good or better with language and marketing as blending? Modifying and renaming existing blends much easier than blending from scratch? Standing on the shoulders of someone else's work more about revenue than anything else?
On the other hand people like his blends, and ain't that the truth.
On the other hand people like his blends, and ain't that the truth.
It’s not even a cherry blend. It has blossom which if you’ve ever smelled or tasted a cherry blossom doesn’t taste like cherry. So I find all these people saying “it’s the best cherry blend” sort of ignorant on that fact. It’s not cherry past the blooms.
You’ve just described the whole industry in a nutshell, never more true than today. What sells is “new”, “limited edition”, etc. Since the FDA won’t let us come out with blends made from new ingredients anymore, let’s double press something old, make it a cross cut crumble cake, put it in an old diesel fuel barrel, whatever.
Lucky Strikes used the advertising slogan “It’s toasted” to become a leading brand and stay there for decades. That was in 1917. Same playbook.
Sure, 'everyone does it.' In the end, if people know the truth they are better equipped to make up their own minds. Given the circumstances it's up to the individual to decide, facts in hand, whether the (aftermarket) product is consistent with the marketing and represents value from a consumer perspective. Some people, myself included, are more sensitive about re-branding than others. It's no surprise that it's so often kept a mystery in the industry.
For my part I prefer, like many consumers, to know. Seen another way, I consider a lack of disclosure a somewhat deceptive practice.
I don’t think the comparisons are apt. In the first place modifying a blend you created to launch a line extension to a brand you own is not the same as offering a blend based largely on other peoples’ work. In the second, process has always been legitimately distinct from ingredients, even before FDA constraints. When the Redstone family sold Sobranie to Gallaher two binders went with the other assets: one a “recipe” book of ingredients and proportions, the other a process book explaining exactly how the blend is made.
As usual an opinion enriched by historical reference. Solid!
Does cherry-wood taste like cherry's? If not, it's sort of ignorant to call it "cherry-wood", don't you think? tic
I have had many Japanese Bourbons that have cherry blossom. They are excellent and nuanced.
Right. It’s a floral blend.
No because it’s from a cherry tree so it’s an apt description. A proper term for the Sakura blend would be cherry blossom or floral blend. I just see people saying it’s the best cherry blend when it isn’t really what I would consider a cherry (fruit) blend.
not saying it’s bad but I like cherry blends for the most part (good ones) but dislike blossom blends like exotic passion or Sakura. I do however like Lakeland.
And? Varieties of leaf become unavailable. Or too expensive. Recipes change, even Sobranie under the Redstone family of blessed memory. Factories close. Equipment changes I doubt anyone in possession of the two binders you mention could duplicate Sobranie today.
Marketing remains. Hype will always be with us. The most proficient people hyping pipe tobacco today are doing it on social media such as Instagram. Lucky Strikes used the Saturday Evening Post. The tobacco industry and modern mass market advertising grew up together, like Siamese twins.
@saltedplug, since you say you value a “solid” historical reference, perhaps you might read The Cigarette Century by Allan Brandt.
Ken's biggest mistake was not recruiting me to be his taste tester. Sure Jiminks is a capable reviewer but he is so far out of my league his warp drive would take thousands of light years to reach me.
All Ken had to do was write the copy on each blend. I would say I wrote it and then he pays me for letting him use my name. Next to me Jiminks is a piker and the entire planet knows who I am.
Ken, better luck next time. Always go with the number one team.
All Ken had to do was write the copy on each blend. I would say I wrote it and then he pays me for letting him use my name. Next to me Jiminks is a piker and the entire planet knows who I am.
Ken, better luck next time. Always go with the number one team.
I'm not sure I follow.
Unless you're implying that Sobranie was "tweaking" a Sobranie clone.
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