Same Blend, Different Packaging

Brothers of Briar

Help Support Brothers of Briar:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
RSteve

RSteve

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Messages
2,482
Reaction score
528
Sometimes (actually often) I wonder if Tobacco brands package the same tobacco blend as several; different name, different label.
 
It use to drive me crazy because a lot of the tobacco shops in the Phoenix area would give their own names to bulk blends from Lane, Stokkebye etc. and then try and tell you it was their own blend. One shop I knew had the "secret" list from another shop in case people would come in looking for "Joe's" shop blend xyz.
 
I must have reviewed Lane 1Q twenty times under different names. Same for some other blends by them. There are other companies who repackage as well..
 
JimInks said:
I must have reviewed Lane 1Q twenty times under different names.
Click to expand...
While I've read that 1Q is one of the most popular tobaccos in the U.S., smoking it 20 times and then feeling obligated to review it each time would feel like punishment. I wonder how many times you've lit your pipe and thought, "Oh no, not this again."
 
RSteve said:
While I've read that 1Q is one of the most popular tobaccos in the U.S., smoking it 20 times and then feeling obligated to review it each time would feel like punishment. I wonder how many times you've lit your pipe and thought, "Oh no, not this again."
Click to expand...
More often than you can imagine, man. The worst was one day, I got some tobacco in the mail from a few different people I was trading with. That day, I had three samples of 1Q under different names. That's happened with RPL-6 and HGL, too, though not in the same day.
 
I just can't get the hype over 1Q. Tried it along with RLP6. To.me both were quite bland. Not bad just not enough taste to satisfy. Found Sutliff aros much more to my liking. But now that i've discovered country squire may even drop those.
 
Speaking of CS, been reviewing their offerings. Of what I have tried so far only one I would rate less than outstanding was Cherokee. Good but pretty mild. Thus I will try Choctaw as it is supposed to be a stronger version. Question for others. Brunello gifted me some Wilke Crystal Palace which I really like. Reading reviews Shepherds Pie gets excellent reviews as does north trek? Some say it is better than Frog Morton which I love
What do you guys say about these two? Suggestions?
 
I used to buy a lot of Wilke blends when Carole Burns was blending. To the best of my knowledge or rumor, Carole didn't really smoke unless she was tasting a blend. Her palate was clean and was capable of discerning nuance. I really haven't purchased anything since John Brandt took over blending. Obviously he bought the recipes with the branding, but in the 4 years since he took over Wilke, I'm pretty certain there's been considerable tobacco stock turn. The recipes may be identical but the component tobaccos may have changed with newer crops.
 
JimInks said:
The worst was one day, I got some tobacco in the mail from a few different people I was trading with. That day, I had three samples of 1Q under different names.
Click to expand...
Now that I've crossed the line of demarcation where age 80 is closer than 70, I've calmed a bit, BUT after getting three differently named samples of 1Q, to protect my good conscience and retain whatever sanity I still have left, I'd thrown the remainder of the three into the deepest bowels of my outside trash can.
 
RSteve said:
Now that I've crossed the line of demarcation where age 80 is closer than 70, I've calmed a bit, BUT after getting three differently named samples of 1Q, to protect my good conscience and retain whatever sanity I still have left, I'd thrown the remainder of the three into the deepest bowels of my outside trash can.
Click to expand...
I smoked them just to be certain one might not been tweaked. They weren't. I had to do because I wouldn't write a review for it even knowing in advance what it was. I'd been dishonest otherwise.
 
JimInks said:
They claim it is, but it's a weaker version in all departments. It's a decent blend, but it lacks the depth and magic of the old Edgeworth Slices.
Click to expand...
Not that Brother JimInks needs me to reinforce any of his comments; but this is one subject on which I have a bit of expertise!! One of my greatest "garage sale" finds/gets was contained in the 7 oz. blue box in the below picture. 7 oz. of dry, buy perfectly preserved slices of tobacco Nirvana. I already had several more ozs. from smaller gets, so I knew how wonderful this tobacco was going to taste once re-hydrated!! What's left (probably about 8 ozs.) is in the clear glass jar. It "resurrected" beautifully; with all that spicy, molasses aroma and taste to it. I enjoy it sparingly in various clays, cherry woods, and briars. And, while I enjoy the heck out of Wessex Burley Slice; it is no where close to the Original Larus Brothers Edgeworth Sliced!!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1202[1].JPG
    IMG_1202[1].JPG
    1.7 MB · Views: 100
  • IMG_1203[1].JPG
    IMG_1203[1].JPG
    1.9 MB · Views: 102
  • IMG_1204[1].JPG
    IMG_1204[1].JPG
    1.7 MB · Views: 105
JimInks said:
I smoked them just to be certain one might not been tweaked. They weren't. I had to do because I wouldn't write a review for it even knowing in advance what it was. I'd been dishonest otherwise.
Click to expand...
I'd have reconciled with being dishonest and asked the tobacco senders why they chose to abuse me.
Who in the heck wants another review of 1Q?
 
RSteve said:
I'd have reconciled with being dishonest and asked the tobacco senders why they chose to abuse me.
Who in the heck wants another review of 1Q?
Click to expand...
I can't be dishonest, and I won't lower my integrity. The reviews have to be on the up and up, or there'd be no point in spending all those thousands of hours trying to write accurate reviews.

1Q has a lot of fans or it wouldn't be one, if not the biggest selling bulk in the marketplace. Every blend is somebody's favorite smoke, and they are entitled to enjoy what they puff on. I don't think it's my place to judge the personal taste of others. My only goal to review blends, and let those reviews be a guide for others to digest as they will.
 
Last edited:
JimInks said:
My only goal to review blends, and let those reviews be a guide for others to digest as they will.
Click to expand...
Commendable!
What befuddles me is why anyone would send you a tobacco to review that you've already reviewed.
 
RSteve said:
Commendable!
What befuddles me is why anyone would send you a tobacco to review that you've already reviewed.
Click to expand...
Maybe they didn't know those blends were 1Q. Believe me, that happens. A few years back, a guy who was a fan of my comic book work brought me a 4 ounce bag of tobacco that he got from his local pipe shop. The owner said it was the best blend they had. I looked at the bag and thought "1Q". The fellow gifting me the tobacco said, "No way this is 1Q. I know 1Q, and the owner said this was better". He believed what he was told. Of course, when I smoked a bowl, it took me two puffs to reaffirm in my mind that it was 1Q. I didn't have the heart to tell the guy because he paid a lot for it (Texas taxes), and he wanted to do something special for me because he liked my art work. This is not an unusual experience.
 
Not being made of money I would deeply resent anyone doing the old bait and switch routine with my tobacco orders. In a B&M shop you at least have a fighting chance of recognizing a tobacco. Online you only have a bad picture and a vague description to go on. Not everyone can be trusted to give an honest tobacco review like Jiminks. Anything goes to turn a fast buck these days. Bad practice in the long run? Maybe. Maybe not. After all, "Theres a sucker born every minute" seems to be the accepted business model in the 21st century.
 
Top