Recent content by blendtobac

I'm sorry I didn't address this sooner - the Oriental in Larry's Blend is Smyrna. Russ

It got pushed back to August of 2022 because they're still trying to resolve all the issues with definitions and how they're going to regulate things. As far as the legislation going away - there is no legislation to go away. There's only regulations written by the FDA. The legislation that gave...

Unfortunately, you're correct. Last year I was informed by my daughter (who's the assistant manager of the Albany Habana Premium store) that Larry Loertzel has passed away. He had been on a slow and steady decline for some time, so the news, though sad and unwelcome, wasn't unexpected. As...

Greg isn't the only one. Due to the FDA deeming regulations, we're prohibited from making new blends and bringing them to market since 8/8/16. Anything that wasn't available on, or prior to that date can't be sold unless submitted for testing (at a very high cost) and approval. Anything that's...

I can't speak to when those blends came out, but the "drop-dead" date for blends introduced after 2/15/07 is 8/8/21, so the industry still has over three years to sell off inventory. Russ

My favorite is the B35 zulu. I have an older one from the Sterling Silver series, and it's become my favorite pipe after having the airway opened up. Russ

There are two tobaccos used in making Perique. The first is Perique, which, as noted above, is an offshoot of Burley. Mark has a number of farmers who grow it in an area called the "Golden Triangle" in St. James Parish. When processed, this is the only tobacco that can be referred to as St...

I prefer to use a silicone polishing cloth for a quick shine, or a microcrystalline wax like Paragon or Decatur No-Buff Wax. My biggest problem with beeswax is the same issue I've had with meerschaums that have a beeswax coating - the aroma really sets me off. To me, the smell of beeswax isn't...

When I saw the breakdown of the analysis of the original War Horse Bar, I was shocked. I couldn't believe that even back in the day that they would be allowed to use some of the ingredients. It was a real challenge to try to capture the essence of the original while avoiding those elements that...

On our site, it's not even close. We sell 40% Lane Limited 1-Q than the next closest blend, and it's been that was as long as I can remember. Russ

Dark Burley, dark-fired Kentucky, and cigar leaf generally have more nic than most other leaf. Virginia is primed, meaning that the leaves are harvested a bit at a time. The lowest leaves are called cutter, and generally lower in nicotine. The mid-range leaf is referred to as leaf and has a...

I've known Mike and Mary long enough to know that they wouldn't sell to anyone unless they were 100% sure that the quality wouldn't suffer. Russ

If any shop or online retailers use 5100 as a component, they can't use any other tobacco in its place. that would constitute a new blend, and no new blends can be made and sold after 8/8/2016. I suspect that the impact is going to be much wider than 5100 itself and the McClelland blends that...

If I'm going to go through a tin in a week or two, I just tightly stretch plastic wrap over the top and put the lid back on. The plastic doesn't come in contact with the tobacco and it tightens up the lid. Russ

I have a theory about this, because I have never noticed a moldy aromatic. When a top-dressing is applied, the flavor is thinned out by a carrier like PG or alcohol. My thought is that the carrier effectively kills the mold spores and bacterias that are present. This might also explain why...