Christmas Blends - Seasonal Treasure or Holiday Gimmick?

I'm starting to see the annual round of Christmas/Holiday blends hitting the tobacconist's shelves (virtual or otherwise). Are these worthwhile tobaccos to add to the collection, sample once a year or are these just marketing stunts to capitalize on the season?

I'm somewhat tempted to try one or two of them based on reviews I've come across online, but the premium price ($20USD for Peterson's 2015 Holiday Blend) has so far made me hold off.

Are these blends humbug or should I see if Santa can drop one or two in my stocking?

I've not much experience with others, but McC's Christmas Cheer is MORE than worth acquiring ! Get as much of it as you can and smoke some "fresh" and age some more!! It's worth the effort !!

monbla256 wrote:

I've not much experience with others, but McC's Christmas Cheer is MORE than worth acquiring ! Get as much of it as you can and smoke some "fresh" and age some more!! It's worth the effort !!

Thanks monbla. I have heard very good things about Christmas Cheer from several fellow pipers. I'll track some down!

Christmas Cheer is always enjoyable & it's worth the price of admission. Peretti's Thanksgiving Day is excellent as well, if you enjoy burley.

I'll pass on the Yankee Candle holiday aromatics.

DrumsAndBeer wrote:

Christmas Cheer is always enjoyable & it's worth the price of admission. Peretti's Thanksgiving Day is excellent as well, if you enjoy burley.

I'll pass on the Yankee Candle holiday aromatics.

The over-the-top aromatics are also not really high on my list. Of the blends I've looked at online, the Christmas Cheer is the least aromatic of the bunch.

ontariopiper wrote:

DrumsAndBeer wrote:

Christmas Cheer is always enjoyable & it's worth the price of admission. Peretti's Thanksgiving Day is excellent as well, if you enjoy burley.

I'll pass on the Yankee Candle holiday aromatics.

The over-the-top aromatics are also not really high on my list. Of the blends I've looked at online, the Christmas Cheer is the least aromatic of the bunch.

CC is NOT aromatic in ANY way ! But it is sweet which is due to the Variety of Va's used in it!!

monbla256 wrote:

ontariopiper wrote:

DrumsAndBeer wrote:

Christmas Cheer is always enjoyable & it's worth the price of admission. Peretti's Thanksgiving Day is excellent as well, if you enjoy burley.

I'll pass on the Yankee Candle holiday aromatics.

The over-the-top aromatics are also not really high on my list. Of the blends I've looked at online, the Christmas Cheer is the least aromatic of the bunch.

CC is NOT aromatic in ANY way ! But it is sweet which is due to the Variety of Va's used in it!!

Even better! I stand corrected - and relieved!

Just put in my order from 4noggins. Ho Ho Ho!!

I wholeheartedly agree with all comments above. Heck, I could care less that they call it Christmas Cheer. I smoke the stuff year round. It is my favorite blend to smoke as well as cellar!

Dutch wrote:

I wholeheartedly agree with all comments above. Heck, I could care less that they call it Christmas Cheer. I smoke the stuff year round. It is my favorite blend to smoke as well as cellar!

You're not kidding! I took a peak at your cellar listing in your signature - 13 years of Christmas Cheer down there!

Let me clarify my earlier statement so there's no confusion. Christmas Cheer - a very good seasonally available VA smoke and it's not an aromatic. Peretti Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful burley mixture with a very subtle flavoring, not at all what I would categorize as an aromatic but it does have a pleasant room note..

The holiday blends that I prefer to not take a chance on (gimmicks if you will), are the one-off aromatic types that appear one year never to return again.

Christmas Spirit by McClelland is pretty popular each year.

Yeah, Christmas Cheer is fantastic stuff. It's not really a Christmas blend beyond the name and annual release, so it strikes me as a great product that's marketed very well. For me, the holiday-themed aromatics out there have never been very enjoyable to my tastes, so those I generally stay away from.

idbowman wrote:

Yeah, Christmas Cheer is fantastic stuff.  It's not really a Christmas blend beyond the name and annual release, so it strikes me as a great product that's marketed very well.  For me, the holiday-themed aromatics out there have never been very enjoyable to my tastes, so those I generally stay away from.

This....



Cheers,

RR

Thanks for all the input, gents! It seems there are many Brothers (myself included) whose taste in tobacco leans decidedly away from aromatics. Interesting.

Simple Man wrote:

Christmas Spirit by McClelland is pretty popular each year.

I got bombed with a tin of this and am going to give it a go this winter.