Tobacco Challenge anyone

[bikedoctor]

Recently on a business trip to Baltimore I picked up 2oz of a McClelland blend, renamed as "Woodsman", from Faders. I had been in the shop for over an hour handling their pipes and felt guilty so I bought some. Low and behold I actually like the blend. Problem is none of the guys at Faders know the exact McClelland blend. So I thought it might be fun to enlist the help of the forum members to take a taste tester and vote on which McClelland blend I've been enjoying. Tobaccoreviews.com should give us all we need to narrow this mystery blend. Any takers?

[Sasquatch]

I've been surprised in my life at how UNimaginative most re-badgings are. I'd be surprised if Woodsman was Virginia Woods, to be honest.

Look to the big, "classic" McClelland bulks too - everybody in the world sells Coyote Classic, Full Dark English, the Va/Per flake, etc.

[bikedoctor]

Sas,
Don't do this to me. I was counting on you.

But you're right. Probably just a slight on the name.
Still, a blind tobacco challenge sounds like fun. Maybe Skip from The Briary can unmark something for a challenge?

[Alan L]

Problem is none of the guys at Faders know the exact McClelland blend.

Don't know the blend, my large hairy white ass. Didn't tell you because they want you to keep ordering it from them, more likely.

Back when I used to buy the loose blends from the wall-o-jars every shop always said they blended their own, each unique, each unavailable elsewhere. My nose is pretty good at picking out things, though, and I began noticing the blend I always gravitated to in those early days was always a black cavendish aromatic with a light latakia-oriental overtone. One shop called it "1896 blend," one called it "Jim's Joy," one called it Barren River Blend, and another called it "General Burnside." It was obviously the same stuff, however.

Each store swore it was their own secret recipe, and as I was on the road a lot in those days each offered to ship it to me via mail order as I moved around. Finally, one of the owners with whom I had struck up a good relationship (mostly due to petting their cat for hours on end along with several thousand dollar's worth of cigar purchases) told me when I was preparing for yet another move "Look, I don't tell everybody this, but your favorite blend is just Lane Ltd's HGL blend. I buy it by the five-pound vacuum-pack bag." The light came on!

After that last move lo those eight years ago, I went to both of the shops near my new house. One looked startled when I asked for Lane HGL, and said he didn't keep it in stock but he'd order me a jar with my name on it if I wanted; he preferred the McClelland bulks and did actually blend a little in house. The other store had it. I walked in and asked for Lane HGL. I was told they didn't use premixed bulks. I sniffed the row of jars, found one named after the owner's daughter that held what I was looking for, and said "What's this stuff then?" He sheepishly admitted to it, and as a result I bought it from him instead of just ordering it online. At least until my taste moved on to stronger stuff. I can't stand HGL now, it's too cloyingly sweet from the cavendish base! (Lane 1Q, if you're interested.)

The moral of the story? Most bulk blends are just that. Very few stores actually mix up their own. I promise you if you had asked the manager to show you the bag that "woodsman" came from, it would have a label on it with the McClelland bulk # with which you could find it online. Unless he just wanted to be a jerk about it, that is. Couldn't hurt to call 'em up and ask again, knowing what you do now.

[bikedoctor]

Alan,
I understand exactly what you're saying; not the hairy white darier thing but about shops not disclosing their "blends".
In Faders defense, the guy was pretty candid with me as I was an out of towner. Maybe more candid than with the locals but I can't blame the guy for being coy. It is his livelyhood.
I say we skip the bulk stuff and go with an unmarked tin.
I think a blind tin challenge would be fun. Maybe it's becuase Shreveport has no pipe club and this is my feeble attempt at having some fun while being exposed to new tobaccos.
Huhn what say you?

[kbadkar]

Dr. Bike, I'm not sure I understand the logistics of what you are proposing?

Aside from logistics, there sure are a lot of tobacco blends out there and I have maybe sampled 1/10th of what's available from major blenders in the non-aromatic category after 20+ years of "adventurous and curious" pipe tokin'. Basically, unless the mystery tobak is super common, it's unlikely anyone will have tried the needle in the haystack.

Perhaps a better exchange program might have the pipers send everyone else in the pool a pinch of their favorite smoke in a category, such as English blends, or something. Fellers could rate or list the mystery baccy in order of preference, then finally reveal the mystery blends.

It all sounds like a cool idea, in whatever format, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm sure I'd never follow through with it, no matter how determined and well-intentioned initially.

[bikedoctor]

kbadkar,
Funny you should post. I just left The Briary's tobacco selection and really started to feel overwhelmed. I agree. To many possiblities even if you knew the blender. I like the idea you are proposing better. BTW, I'm glad you chimed in. I didn't want to call you out but you gave me some real good tobacco suggestions earlier this year. Glad to hear from you. I need some ideas on the basic rules:

1oz of tobacco to each reviewer
no brand name listed (prevents bias)
I would think you would want to keep each review group to three but no more than four, that way your only letting go of four oz. each time a challenge goes out.
The blend reviewed must be in current production.

In the process I think we will enjoy hearing reviews of our favorite smoke from others on the board and in the process find some neat blends we would not have tried otherwise. Some of us may even have the fortune of meeting other pipers with similar tastes that will steer us to smoke we may not have found otherwise.

[Sasquatch]

Had this done to me recently. Got a baggie in the mail. "What do you think of this? It's American."

Shit is jet black. I smoke some. It's delicious. Creamy, smooth, sweet. Touch of orientals... man this is nice. Like Virginia Woods, but somehow deeper and more mysterious. Transylvania Woods.... smoke another bowl. Yes, for sure, this is a virginia blend with a beautiful oriental component, and something else giving it some bulk.... perique maybe...burley in the background maybe, maybe a little dark fired... yes, I'm near the mark now.

So I post back to this gentleman my findings, and I tell him that I think it's an early McClelland release, one of the virginia/perique mixtures perhaps, and thank you very much, my bill is in the mail.

Guy says it's "Velvet" from 25 years ago.

Still not sure if I believe it.

What you are proposing is a lot of fun.

[bikedoctor]

bikedoctor is getting excited about this. So excited bikedoctor will now refer to himself in 3rd person.... okay maybe not.

Sasquatch, I got excited reading your post about all the things you could detect and how you were able to narrow the blend down to an educated guess. I long for the day I can decipher tobacco by leaf. I think for the relative new guy like me it will expand ones knowledge and for the experienced smoker a chance to test their metal.

I say me, you and kbadkar give it a shot. I’ll pm you both.

[Sasquatch]

Yeah and with my "educated guess" and 2.50 I could get a cup of coffee. LOL

I'm in, with some qualifications which I will PM you.

[KurtHuhn]

Huhn what say you?

Forgot to respond the other day....

Anything that any of you guys want to organize in the spirit of camaraderie and community, please be my guest! Tobacco tastings, pipe trades, etc. There's a Buy, Sell, Trade section up above - feel free to make full use of it. Or, if it seems like there's a lot of community-type activity, I can even set up a new section specifically for that.

A while back I started a "pipe in the hat" thread, but I got busy and forgot about it. Something like this might be nice to do as well.

At the end of the day, you guys are the community, so feel free to grow and develop - I don't want to place any artifical limitations on that at all.

[FredS]

Yah, it's probably best if you keep your artificial inseminations to yourself.

[KurtHuhn]

Yah, it's probably best if you keep your artificial inseminations to yourself.

But, how else will I catch up to Wilt Chamberlain? I just don't have the stamina anymore....

[bikedoctor]

Yah, it's probably best if you keep your artificial inseminations to yourself.

I want to try what FredS smoken

[Nick]

I'd be up for the sniffer passer kinda thing. Too much fun.

I loved the Pipe in the hat thing we did a few years ago. That was a ball, and i got a damned nice pipe outa the deal too.

[FoxGuy]

you might try sending a sample to Russ at Pipesandcigars.com I bet he will tell you what blend it is

[kbadkar]

That'd be cheating!