What's new

Tobacquisitions - December 2020

brandaves

With a great avatar comes great misidentification
I haven't either. Maybe next summer. Let's try some age and see what happens.
That is my plan as well...I think I bought a pound of the stuff so hopefully that pays off! I love the red flake with perique so I'm sure the red flake will age well.
 
I lied when I said my last order of Rattray’s should tide me over the rest of this winter. Well, I just could not leave that well well enough alone.

After contemplating my feeble first score and an agonizing feeling that I left too much on that table I succumbed to the relentless call to get with it and finish off what I started. There just had to be another path to success so a curtain call had to be the order of the day.

For all practical purposes that second order is now water under the bridge. All things considered, it tentatively appears my roundabout approach in finally getting what I wanted in the first place may have been my best option after all considering the order “limitations.”

Leaving a fleeting discount for products on the table coupled with not getting rare products in quantities I originally coveted and then topping that all off by paying shipping charges is a disaster of epic proportions in my scheme of operating. The jury is still out on my take until I receive confirmation of my order(s.)

In any case, doubling my pleasure was the order of yesterday and today:
- Rattray’s “Bag Piper’s Dream”
- Rattray’s “Hal O’ The Wynd”
- Rattray’s “Old Gowrie”
- Rattray’s “Marlin Flake”
- Rattray’s “Exotic Passion” (indeed, a pile MORE)
 
Last edited:
I haven't either. Maybe next summer. Let's try some age and see what happens.
That is my plan as well...I think I bought a pound of the stuff so hopefully that pays off! I love the red flake with perique so I'm sure the red flake will age well.

I went out to my car to grab a Virginia smoking pipe but the AJF San Latano cigar lasted nearly the entire second half of Monday Night Football (Browns can still make the super bowl!)

It isn't amazing out today but it is warmer than it has been and sunny. I may take the dogs for a K-L-A-W. Little jerks learned what the word walk meant. So we started to spell it out, W-A-L-K. Then they figured that out. For some reason spelling it backwards tricked them up. They haven't figured that out and its been four years.
I just couldn’t leave that well well enough alone. After contemplating my feeble first score and an agonizing feeling that I left too much on that table I succumbed to the relentless call to get with it and finish off what I started. There just had to be another path to success so a curtain call had to be the order of the day.

For all practical purposes that second order is now water under the bridge. All things considered, it tentatively appears my roundabout approach in finally getting what I wanted in the first place may have been my best option after all considering the order “limitations.”

Leaving a fleeting discount for products on the table coupled with not getting rare products in quantities I originally coveted and then topping that all off by paying shipping charges is a disaster of epic proportions in my scheme of operating. The jury is still out on my take until I receive confirmation of my order(s.)

In any case, doubling my pleasure was the order of yesterday and today:
- Rattray’s “Bagpiper’s Dream”
- Rattray’s “Hal O’ The Wynd”
- Rattray’s “Old Gowrie”
- Rattray’s “Marlin Flake”
- Rattray’s “Exotic Passion” (indeed, a pile MORE)
Rattray's disappear quick from a lot of stores. Joke it and enjoy it!
 
Rattray's disappear quick from a lot of stores...
There isn’t anything I’ve come across, yet, quite like it. It is one of those tobacco’s where the term “aromatic” is tossed around freely and frequently but it is never hardly mentioned/expounded on that their blends are not what you are accustomed to/perceive them to be when you are confronted with that term “aro.”

It is possibly an oft used “misnomer” all things considered. I really do not know if that description gives Rattray’s tobacco blends any justice. Many people do love it though! Scares off many wannabees; but, I can personally live with that predicament.

In the grand scheme of things there is just more left for the LIKES of me!
 
There isn’t anything I’ve come across, yet, quite like it. It is one of those tobacco’s where the term “aromatic” is tossed around freely and frequently but it is never hardly mentioned/expounded on that their blends are not what you are accustomed to/perceive them to be when you are confronted with that term “aro.”

It is possibly an oft used “misnomer” all things considered. I really do not know if that description gives Rattray’s tobacco blends any justice. Many people do love it though! Scares off many wannabees; but, I can personally live with that predicament.

In the grand scheme of things there is just more left for the LIKES of me!
I was in that boat but now I'm trying a lot more aro's and finding them enjoyable since most are barely aromatic or not sweet or overly spiced. SG's Fire Dance Flake is an aro but its their brown flake with a blackberry liquer topping. Quite mild and quite enjoyable. Eric send a sample of one of Campbell's aromatics that I enjoyed a lot. The CD Christmas themed aros I'll enjoy a bowl or two every year. They aren't for everyone but they are nice to mix it up. The lane blend that is really close to Captain Black gets smoked every couple of years. It is sweet but not goopy to me.

And smoke what you like. We don't judge. :D
 
I was in that boat but now I'm trying a lot more aro's and finding them enjoyable since most are barely aromatic or not sweet or overly spiced.
I think that statement is the whole in a nutshell or is becoming a more formidable argument against the naysayers.

There are a couple blenders that dare to continue to go where most do/will not, concerning aromatics, and are still stubborn to retreat to a lesser quality product. These days I am sure there are those “bean counters” that would salute a change to the so called “old guard” by convincing those to capitulate to their “bottom line” approach to success.

It wasn’t that Rattray’s was not doing their type of aro blending all along during their history either. It is why they had become as popular as they were back in the day and still are today. It is their “if it ain’t broke...don’t fix it” mantra that is still working quite well in their favor even today.

Rattray’s, as well as a few other select blenders, use a higher quality leaf and refrain from burying their creations in “sauce” in order for the high quality leaf they choose to utilize to still maintain a real balance of tobacco goodness while still giving you just enough of those condiments/residuals.

You know and heard the drill... some say not enough while the other side of the equation claim way too much secret sauce! The mid ground here are where the few “others” are treading quietly. They seem to be gaining traction too as they are very possibly and unknowingly redefining the landscape they arguably created while expanding upon the current narrowly accepted term casually used today as “aro.”
 
Last edited:

brandaves

With a great avatar comes great misidentification
I think that statement is the whole in a nutshell or is becoming a more formidable argument against the naysayers.

There are a couple blenders that dare to continue to go where most do/will not, concerning aromatics, and are still stubborn to retreat to a lesser quality product. These days I am sure there are those “bean counters” that would salute a change to the so called “old guard” by convincing those to capitulate to their “bottom line” approach to success.

It wasn’t that Rattray’s was not doing their type of aro blending all along during their history either. It is why they had become as popular as they were back in the day and still are today. It is their “if it ain’t broke...don’t fix it” mantra that is still working quite well in their favor even today.

Rattray’s, as well as a few other select blenders, use a higher quality leaf and refrain from burying their creations in “sauce” in order for the high quality leaf they choose to utilize to still maintain a real balance of tobacco goodness while still giving you just enough of those condiments/residuals.

You know and heard the drill... some say not enough while the other side of the equation claim way too much secret sauce! The mid ground here are where the few “others” are treading quietly. They seem to be gaining traction too as they are very possibly and unknowingly redefining the landscape they arguably created while expanding upon the current narrowly accepted term casually used today as “aro.”
Out of the Rattray's offerings you mentioned I'd only consider Bagpipers Dream and Exotic aromatic blends. With Exotic there is no mincing words...its an aro for sure. It'll ghost with the best (worst?) of them too. That being said, it is delicious and one I have cellared deep because I like to have some occasionally. If you plan to cellar you should either unload and jar the leaf or seal the tins as the bags inside aren't sealed.

All of those you mentioned are fantastic.
 
Can’t disagree...but so will some of a lot of other blends “ghost” that would not generally speaking be considered really aromatic, but some people still will whether right or wrong, that are laced with potent leaf and the other such culinary processes that are contained in their profiles.

Not sure these days how you can/would exactly consider, define, and draw a demarcation line between those blends that are/not an aro. The term has been used so broadly now that the lines have been blurred and it is a quite a grey landscape indeed.

The point I was getting at is that Rattray’s blends are not all goopy and sloppy leaving your pipes and what have you sticky with an abundance of moisture and sugars. Their blends definitely have an aroma and flavor not unlike all the other options out there. But, theirs are scents that are more subtle and sparingly detected while smoking. Some, like Exotic, are quite powerful smelling inside the tin. On the other hand though, so is Latakia and that will ghost with the best of them too.

The “Rats” blends are also relatively dry in and out of the bag/tin and bowl while the leaf does not have the common tendency to stick together between your fingers upon applied pressure like their more common counterparts do. Rats leaf in most instances burn down to a nice, fine grey and dry ash with no goop accumulation in the bottom of the bowl comparably speaking.

I have a super sized Falcon meerschaum barrel bowl I purchased several months back just to mitigate any of these ghosting worries. I am on the fence anyway about whether or not I find the whole ghosting detrimental. Nevertheless, that humongous Falcon meerschaum barrel bowl I have now was made for just this purpose, I think.

With the Falcon stem and meerschaum bowl this pairing should make for a cool and dry ghost free smoke in my estimation.

I have vacuum sealer. Not quite sure yet how I will long term store.
 
Last edited:
December cigarbid and black Friday deals... more still to come...
4151B446-94FA-49BC-8B21-BBE977D47A73.jpeg
024B4DBB-666C-40D5-96BB-8C1A7F4B32CC.jpeg
 
Speaking of custom meerschaum Falcon bowls, last summer I bought a custom handmade meerschaum Falcon stem. Not much more expensive then some styles of regular Falcon metal stems at some retailers. The coolness factor has to account for something here! Quite a unique piece...

Handmade Meerschaum Falcon Stem
DD4E6D91-1E2B-47CC-A67E-068A23FACED0.jpeg
 
These are the two handmade block meerschaum Falcon pipe bowls I bought from Turkey last summer. I should really personally photograph these two meerschaum bowls next to each other or with some other object to aid in showing the scale and proportions between these two bowls. The whiskey barrel bowl is at least twice the size overall compared to the chimney bowl.

The chimney bowl has about a 1.1” deep bowl. Well, let’s just say the barrel bowl easily swallows up the volume of the chimney bowl and deep sixes it well into the abyss of its chamber. Probably about a 2” bowl depth on the barrel give or take a tenth. “Roll out the barrel...we’ll have a barrel of fun”...
9BC7F6DE-80B2-4151-ADE8-3885EA3F8903.jpegF89D3C1C-9FDD-487F-8C5B-651D0035EB00.jpeg
 
This is a Falcon I'd like to have.

These meerschaum stems are still available to order if you ever decide to dip your toe in the water with a Falcon meerschaum setup sometime down the road.

Probably is more than half the price off of a regular fully blown meerschaum pipe. And is just only a few dollars more for a Falcon meerschaum setup than it is for a standard Falcon set up.

This meerschaum setup really is a no-brainer considering how useful meerschaum is with certain tobacco blends. Another benefit is you can also end up with a totally unique Falcon system that nobody else owns too.

The quality of that meerschaum stem is unquestionable. It is very nice looking too considering Falcon’s can look homely to some people’s tastes.

I have even considered buying a second Falcon meerschaum stem for myself. They are not all that expensive comparing the standard to the meerschaum setups.

Free shipping from Turkey too is another credit. It does take awhile to receive though in my experience. At least my order seemed a little excessive. Makes you begin to wonder...
 
Last edited:
On another front, it looks like I may have dodged the bullet on my recent Rattray tobacco purchase because of posted order limitations. In my reasoning, the limitation statement was vague and ripe for the pickin.’ Some sellers threaten cancellation of orders. I figured a double order was the du jour of the day and worth a try.

I received the first shipment confirmation yesterday and the other shipment confirmation today bringing this order to a very successful conclusion. I figured the worst that could happen here is that they’d cancel one or the other order. Could have ended up a real PITA too depending on which order they put the kibosh to!

So, thank goodness that it appears likely I may be out of the woods and sailing home free on this order for now. We’ll see what is included in my package(s) when reckoning time comes.
 
Last edited:
SAM_1218.JPG


I ordered two boxes of Padron Panetelas which showed in stock on the computer. Got a call the next day from Hiland's saying they were out of them. Settled for the Corticos Maduros and Londres Maduros as they were not that far off in what I wanted. The cigars and free cutter/golf tool showed up the next day. Was surprised they shipped so fast and the UPS left the box without making me sign, I was napping.

So went from not great to above average in terms of service. They knocked the price down on both boxes as well. I had to look up the tool as I had no idea what it was other than the scissors. I do not golf but you never know. I was using a razor blade to cut the cigars so I guess this is a upgrade.

Any ideas on other cutters or scissors that are good if this one is not to my liking? Not sure if a single blade razor blade is really all that is needed.
 
I’m assuming they still make em, plastic davidoff zino double blade.

Have heard good things about palio cutters too.


They’re self sharpening blades. Most cigar stores I’ve been into have them for their customers to use at the check out counter
 
Top Bottom