'97 McClelland's Mixture #14/Best place for vintage tobacco?

[derlict311]

Boy am I amazed at what a pile of aging can do for a blend. Granted I've never smoked Mixture #14, let alone smoked a tin with so much age, but I must say that I like it! :face: Upon opening the tin, it gave off an unusual smell of stale vinegar and spices. There were crystals growing on much of the latakia and orientals.

Oriental notes dominate initially, making one wonder if the latakia pasted all over the tin is ever going to come on. It does so delicately. Maybe it's the aging process in this tin (Feb 14, 1997) that mutes the latakia so much, but I can't argue with the results. This is a very mild, real easy to smoke blend. For Oriental blends...it rocks! This is not the BEST tobacco I've ever smoke. I prefer blends with more strength. That said, the way it smoked and the age on this tin puts it in a realm of the most memorable blends I've ever had.

Thoughts on Oriental #14?

P.S. Another question to my brothers,

Where are good places to buy aged/vintage tobacco tins? Ebay, yes, I go there frequently. I bought this at pipestud.com which I find has a large, weekly selection of the old guys (still have one more tin with the same date in the cellar).

Peace,
Derek

 

[derlict311]

https://i.servimg.com/u/f35/16/65/42/83/img_0014.jpg

 

[monbla256]

Oriental #14 is NOT an "in your face" strong Latakia blend even when new, but rather a very Oriental focused Va based blend in what once was called a "Balkan" style. The smoky flavor of Latakia always melds into a background note in most blends as it ages. I've smoked #14 ever since it came out and I LOVE it! And yes it gets BETTER with some age for sure but is a good smoke even when "young" ! It and Peretti's Royal Blend are two of the BEST domestically blended Balkans IMHO

 

[Brewdude]

Where are good places to buy vintage tobacco tins? Ebay, yes, I go there frequently. I bought this at pipestud.com which I find has a large, weekly selection of the old guys (still have one more tin with the same date in the cellar).

Peace,
Derek

4 Noggins has consignment tins. Vintage is up for you to decide

http://www.4noggins.com/consignmenttins.aspx

Of course you could always post an ISO thread on the trading board if you're looking for something specific. Hey, it worked for me when I was Jones'in for Dunhill 3 Yr Matured VA.


HTH


Cheers,

RR

 

[derlict311]

The prices on 4noggins, pipesandcigars and some others aged tins I've looked into are WAY high for what you get. Might as well stalk Ebay and take you chances.

I think pipestud.com deserves his own thread in this forum. He has an sizable selection of aged tins and has ridicoulously inexpensive prices. Did I mention that his stock rotates rather quickly? I've picked up seven tins from Pipestud in the last couple weeks for a price that was, I'm guessing, half or more of what I would have paid on Ebay. I want to keep him a secret, selfishly, but so many of you are generous and open with what you know, so I thought I'd return the favor.

Do yourself a favor and check out Pipestud for aged tins at a reasonable price.

Enjoy.

 

[Brewdude]

Oriental #14 is NOT an "in your face" strong Latakia blend even when new, but rather a very Oriental focused Va based blend in what once was called a "Balkan" style. The smoky flavor of Latakia always melds into a background note in most blends as it ages. I've smoked #14 ever since it came out and I LOVE it! And yes it gets BETTER with some age for sure but is a good smoke even when "young" ! It and Peretti's Royal Blend are two of the BEST domestically blended Balkans IMHO

Even though I'm not normally a big Lat guy these days, I had a very fine bowl of this last evening and it certainly changed my thinking on this genre. Had it in my Pete "Fat Boy" Supreme and it rocked my world!

:bom:



Cheers,

RR

 

[derlict311]

Yes, OM #14 definately deserves some recognition. Wait, maybe it already has and I'm coming in the forth quarter because the team is up by five touchdowns. Whatever. Still very good.

 

[monbla256]

Yes, OM #14 definately deserves some recognition. Wait, maybe it already has and I'm coming in the forth quarter because the team is up by five touchdowns. Whatever. Still very good.

McC's Balkan/English blends are not on the "approved" BoB list so not much is spoken of them here. :twisted: I have found them to be VERY good and I've smoked this style of blend for many years now In fact many of them are equal to if not BETTER than many of the much vaunted Brit blends of this type of the past :twisted:

 

[derlict311]

Yes, OM #14 definately deserves some recognition. Wait, maybe it already has and I'm coming in the forth quarter because the team is up by five touchdowns. Whatever. Still very good.

McC's Balkan/English blends are not on the "approved" BoB list so not much is spoken of them here. :twisted: I have found them to be VERY good and I've smoked this style of blend for many years now In fact many of them are equal to if not BETTER than many of the much vaunted Brit blends of this type of the past :twisted:

My only experience with OM #14 is this fifteen year old tin (I have two left at this age, Yay for me!). I am beginning to ponder buying newer tins just to compare. I would think its worth the "experiment".

 

[Anonymous]

The best place for vintage tobacco is your own stash. Buy three of something, smoke one, put the other two back to age. By the time you're hitting the five year mark you'll be set.

And if your taste changes in the mean time, somebody else will probably be glad to trade for it.

:face: