Fillmore and Haddo's

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Aaron

Aaron

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Gents,

I ordered a tin of Fillmore and a tin of Haddo's Delight from smoking pipes and am expecting them either today or tomorrow. I saw a review of Fillmore on here but haven't been able to find anything on Haddo's. Anyone have anything they would like to share about these two tobaccos? What might I expect? I've done some research on tobaccoreviews but I like a more personal feel, basically because I trust you guys more. However, I'm sure there are of few of us on there as well, but I digress. What are your thoughts friends?

Cheers,

Aaron.
 
Aaron,

Haddos is just about the only GLP blend that doesn't impress me. I've tried it several times and it tends to smoke hot, no matter the moisture content. I enjoy just about all the rest of his blends, including Fillmore. Hope your tastes are different than mine on this one blend.

Natch
 
I've only smoked Haddo's and I must say that one tin of it (that's how much I smoked) is definitely not enough to start understanding what's in that mix... I completely don't understand it, there's a lot of different flavors that appear and disappear throughout the bowl, mostly bitter and pungent notes. I like a good nicotine kick (e.g. S.Gawith 1792 strength is fine for me) but this one is overwhelmingly strong IMHO! I can only smoke it in very small briars but then I find it doesn't have enough time to develop, especially since it burns rather quickly (thin ribbon cut). I managed to get a quite pleasant smoke in a real gourd+meerschaum calabash, it smooths the baccy a bit.
I'd like to get more of it to get to know it better but I haven't liked it enough to buy another tin.
 
Everybody has differing tastes. You may prefer both fairly young. I, and many others, find both to be astonishingly good with some age on them. Err on the loose side when packing the Haddos. You can always tighten it up with the tamper. That may help it burn cooler.
 
Thanks guys! Yeah, I have a bit of a problem, it seems I smoke too hot and I get tongue bite pretty easy. I guess I'll start packing a little less into the pipe and see if that helps. I need to work on my technique.
 
Aaron, agreed that both blends improve with age but they both can be enjoyed right from the tin. The key to both is to take your time, Fillmore especially will change from charring match to the bottom of the bowl, you will be amazed....
 
Haddo's is my go to hands down favorite. Extremly complex. I do pack it loose but in a Rad Davis large bent brandy that is dedicated to it. I also agree it is best with at least a year of age on it but I enjoy it young as well. It definitely has a bit of a kick and the perique is very evident. I think for most it is either a hate it or love it proposition. I am in the love it camp. Have about 40 tins in my cellar and still buying it.
 
Even' All, The Fillmore I'm smoking now is over two years old, what a transformation from the new aged bacy! Ken :tongue:
 
Filmore and Haddo's both become phenomenal with a couple of years on them, so if you find that they're a bit rough on you definitely do jar them well and bury them for later. Haddo's is quite unique and begs to be savored slowly, and mind the cautions to not pack too tightly, you want it to burn slow and cool.
 
You've ordered two of my absolute favorites! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do ...

Haddo's is a classic blend, although it tends to be polarizing: it seems as though it's a love-it-or-hate-it type of mixture. Some of us think its a work of absolutely unique genius, while others can't stand it. It's loaded with perique and strong virginias, with a little burley and cavendish to smooth it out. Pease also says there's some kind of secret process involved, which I believe involves a little bit of rum and stoving. It's very complex and incredibly tasty, but it's also temperamental -- take your time with it so you don't get bit! I personally find the nicotene level to be perfect, but others say it's so strong it makes them sick ... I think Haddos does best in large bowls, either a dedicated briar or a meer. If it's too strong for you, don't be shy about smoking it for a few minutes before letting it go out and then relighting it later: Haddos actually improves with DGT, I think.

Filmore is much easier to "get": It's a basic virginia/perique flake with a hint of latakia. It smokes VERY slowly and has almost no bite as long as you don't rush things. It's an interesting comparison with Haddos, actually. Haddos is relatively sweet and powerful, while Filmore is relatively sour and and far more subtle. Filmore also isn't picky about what kind of pipe you smoke it in or how large the bowl is -- I've got several pipes of different sizes dedicated to it, and it's awesome in all of them.

I can't endorse either of them enough, and I've got several pounds of each cellaring right now. Let us know what you think of them!
 
I can't even begin to describe the wonders that age does to fillmore! I opened a two ounce tin about a month ago that's about 2 1/2 years old and I was shocked at how good it is! I have an 8 oz tin from the original run and the tin top is bulging! I can't wait till its 10 years old. last summer I bought a 6 year old tin of Haddo's and it was incredibly delicious. stock up on both.
 
I am smoking some newer Fillmore as I write this.

Good stuff. Spicy, which I like, and a sweetness as well. Tobacco Reviews says there´s Latakia in it but I can hardly perceive it. The Perique is definitely the dominant "note". It´d be nice to try some of the aged stuff....

I´ll definitely Fill-more of this in my pipe! :lol:

Haddos is nice, and a long way from Fillmore. Both are tasty, but the Perique in Haddos is much more understated. Also the topping on the Haddo´s makes it a little harder to pinpoint all the components as easily. The nicotine will creep up on you so go easy!

 
Yes, age makes the difference.

I first attempted Haddo's 2 years ago after reading the rave reviews. I definitely didn't get it. Tasted like it was based on a dare. Bitter, harsh and the BITE! Gave that tin away and put one in the cellar.

But at the Pipe Club last week, a member brought a tin he's had open since late summer and I braved a return. DELISH! Had to keep myself from puffing too hard and ruining the magic. And I just sent a Brother here on the boards the cellared tin earlier this month!

I hope he enjoys it.

 
So, I finally cracked open a tin of Haddo's from 2007 and what a difference time makes. It just makes me sad that I don't have any more that is that old... I have a feeling this tin wont be around for long. Needless to say it's fantastic. I'm not even sure how to properly explain it.
 
I have an 8oz tin of Haddo's from 2008 that I'd like to trade for an eqal aged amount of Fillmore.

Let me know!
 
I don't know about the love it or hate it. To my tastes, Pease blends, including Haddos, are neither bad nor good. On my rating scale:

**** must have blend part of my permenant rotation

*** enjoyable blend that I keep around the house and smoke occasionally when the mood

** tried it and it was ok, but didn't do much for me. I'd smoke it now and then, but wouldn't stock it

* ewww

..Pease blends always seem to be a solid 2 stars.


 
It's been a while since I posted, but I couldn't resist posting on this one as these are two of my favorite tobaccos.

Haddos is the tobacco that opened my door to Vapers and pure Virginias. Before that, although they typically had great aroma, their taste always leaned toward cigarettes. Then Haddo's came along and delivered on flavor. Maybe it was just lucky timing in my natural progression. In any case, since then I've become more of a Viginia/Vaper guy versus a Latakia guy (still like those too, just not as much) and Haddos will always have that "first love" aura to it.

Since I broke through to the other side, Fillmore has taken the top spot in that category. I keep searching through contenders hoping for a new #1, but nothing yet has had the same complexity. It changes many times during the bowl, and it changes from bowl to bowl. Granted, it could be argued that complexity in the way I'm describing it = inconsistency. Personally, I find it very interesting. It reminds of a great single barrel scotch whisky in that way. I don't know exactly what to expect so I always look forward to the next session to see where it takes me. I've never had a bad bowl. I'm cellaring it more than anything else I like because compared to all of the other tobaccos I enjoy, I'm not confident that I could fill its slot in the rotation if it went away. To each their own, but I'm also amazed at the lack of acclaim Fillmore gets. I like it much more than many other famed blends such as Escudo (don't get me wrong--Escudo is a fine blend). I don't think this is a tobacco most newer smokers could fully enjoy. It's full of too many subtleties and benefits from some pacing. Of course, in my younger years, I would have taken that as a challenge, smoked it, hated it, dumped in the trash, and written a poor review on it. Aaah, the joys of getting older. I'm sure this might sound snobby, but I don't mean it that way...I think with some things, your palate just isn't ready until it's ready. For my old man palate, this stuff is fantastic!

For whatever it's worth, I find that it smokes best in a Group 3 Dunhill.
 
Haddo's is good right out of the tin, better at a year or two and sublime at 5 years of aging.
 
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