What in the Heck happened to C&D's cut?

[Zeno Marx]

That's fine. I think we understand supply/demand effects. What we don't seem to understand is when a blender changes something and then doesn't bother to communicate that with their customers. Cut was a choice, not a forced hand because leaf X wasn't available, or though that would seem. Tell us when you do something like that.

Or, update your friggin' pictures. Somehow. Communicate. It.

 

[monbla256]

Point taken and it's good but remember we all want their to be consistency in life and the only constant is change ! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Point taken and it's good but remember we all want their to be consistency in life and the only constant is change ! :twisted: :twisted:

I totally agree with this. Change is the only true constant.

Looks like the majority of the blends from STG. They're pretty much the big dogs in pipe tobacco. Perhaps this is a sign?

Yes, cut can really influence a blend to my tastes. Packing will be different as well.

 

[huffelpuff]

Well that would explain the tin of Maltese Falcon I opened a couple of weeks ago. Super fine cut almost like RYO and burns hot as hadies. Certainly was not what I expected but never having had it before I figured that was how it should be. Dissapointing to say the least but spot on change is the only constant. I won't be bothering to get anything but flakes from C&D from here on.

Jim

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I won't be bothering to get anything but flakes from C&D from here on.

Jim

Like wise.

Personally I think their ribbon cut blends are now being outsourced, that would be the only explanation for this. Pure speculation though.

I'd feel a lot better about them if they came clean with the skinny on this or at the very least produced a list of everything that's affected. For instance what about the tumbled Old London series stuff (Chelsea Morning, Lagonda, Meridian) from GLP that's more of a chunky broken flake/ribbon cut?

Anyway time to find solace in my cellar. This is depressing...

 

[Fight'n Hampsters]

From what I've read, Greg is out of the tobacco blending business and C&D is continuing to make and retail "his" blends which might account for some of this change. Also, there have been some changes in the tobacco industry itself with much of it focusing on the export cigarette business and with the diminishing amount of pipe smokers there is a diminishing demand for many of the varieties of leaf needed domesticallly. A sign of the changes we face in the new century ! :twisted: :twisted:

I did not know this. Any sources online? I would love to read more.

 

[GCook]

2006 tin of Laurel Heights, for reference.  It's been open a few years; I don't care for C&D virginias.  I like the tin note, though.

 

[Carlos]

I can't see the difference really. I would have to see them side by side, or in person. Probably my failing. And I am not doubting you. I experienced similar when C&D went from cutting Bayou Morning Flake with an ax or machete, to this more modern flake method. I enjoyed breaking up the big honking rough cut pieces and chunks.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

A little bird told me that they are playing with the new toys they got from McClelland.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Interesting to see a 2006 tin. I have never had one that old.

What I came to expect from Laurel Heights looked a lot more like this. Not my image, but the best that I could find in a Google search.



The biggest change in C&D's latest cut with LH is not so much the width of the strands, although the current cut is a fraction thinner, but in the texture of the mixture. The ribbons are completely rubbed out, fluffy and springy, and there are no thick chunks and therefore the burn rate is faster. Also this new cut has a lot of tiny bits and pieces, it's quite the stem clogger.

 

[huffelpuff]

A little bird told me that they are playing with the new toys they got from McClelland.

This may be truer than you'd think. Best price for scrap iron is about $260/ ton. Antique equipment sold to another company to be used would fetch at least a thousand per item if not significantly more. Mike sure as hell didn't take it home and stick it in his garage.

Jim

 

[Timbo]

I have noticed the new cut too, almost a RYO shag cut with lot's of little bit's to clog my pipe stem. First saw it in a tin of Charing Cross but thought it was normal as it was my first tin of it. Opened a tin of Westminster the other day and it's gone from being chunky ribbon to RYO which has totally altered the flavour, I can't get the depth of taste that this blend used to have for me. The room note was still delicious but the smoke tasted thin. Could explain why I could not get into the Charing Cross too, I found it to be lacking in flavour too when according to all the reviews I should've loved it.

Oh well another blender off my to buy list. Don't dick your customers around if you want to keep them.

No cheers,

Tim

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I have noticed the new cut too, almost a RYO shag cut with lot's of little bit's to clog my pipe stem. First saw it in a tin of Charing Cross but thought it was normal as it was my first tin of it. Opened a tin of Westminster the other day and it's gone from being chunky ribbon to RYO which has totally altered the flavour, I can't get the depth of taste that this blend used to have for me. The room note was still delicious but the smoke tasted thin. Could explain why I could not get into the Charing Cross too, I found it to be lacking in flavour too when according to all the reviews I should've loved it.

Oh well another blender off my to buy list. Don't dick your customers around if you want to keep them.

No cheers,

Tim

Tim, Yeah, it’s a real shame what they have done with the GLP ribbon cut blends. The chunky rough cut of Westminster made for some fantastic complexities. I mean wasn’t Greg Pease’s intent with Westminster to capture the spirit of the original London Mixture? I am sure that vision included the cut. I always viewed the cut of Westminster as the predecessor to the thicker, pressed and hand tumbled style of the three original Old London series blends, Chelsea Morning, Meridian and Lagonda. I did ask if those too were altered, but never got a reply. I can only assume that either they got tired of my inquiries, or they just didn’t know the answer. :fpalm:

 

[Fight'n Hampsters]

I don't think they are changing the cut on all of the ribbon blends. I opened a tin of Cumberland marked as made 11-17 and it had changed to the thinner cut but thankfully the flavor was not significantly altered for me. However a tin of Robusto also marked 12-17 still had the thicker cut.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I don't think they are changing the cut on all of the ribbon blends.  I opened a tin of Cumberland marked as made 11-17 and it had changed to the thinner cut but thankfully the flavor was not significantly altered for me.  However a tin of Robusto also marked 12-17 still had the thicker cut.

Fight'n, I would be left to assume that this is due to old stock of various blends that they're gradually packaging up, as I was openly told by Laudisi that all the ribbon cut blends were changing.

Notice the altering of the descriptive text on the new Billy Budd label with "rough" changing to "natural cut."

New label


New label altered


Anyway, if you're correct and only some of the blends were altered, it would be really nice if C&D would openly comment on this and provide a list of of the altered blends so we know what to expect when we make a purchase. The fact that their long time customers are left in the lurch regarding this matter is unacceptable and until I know what to expect when I open a new stock tin from them, I am done purchasing their tobacco.

 

[Timbo]

Drums,

I tried posing that question to Greg via glpease.com and the contact form there, but it insisted my valid email address wasn't, so no joy there.

I'm pretty sure this isn't switching to the new McC toys as these two were tinned in June and September 2017.

At least the flakes and plugs are safe for now.

Harrumph

Tim

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Drums,

I tried posing that question to Greg via glpease.com and the contact form there, but it insisted my valid email address wasn't, so no joy there.

I'm pretty sure this isn't switching to the new McC toys as these two were tinned in June and September 2017.

At least the flakes and plugs are safe for now.

Harrumph

Tim

With the obvious disinformation offered regarding the "delay in good red Virginia, no worries, nothing to see here, it'll be back after a while" from McClelland, it wouldn't surprise me to find out the machinery was moved from KC in late 2017. Obfuscation, Deception and silence is what we can expect. There'll only be big players in the tobacco game soon. :suspect:

 

[Timbo]

Found a fix for my flavourless Westminster, press it up for a week or two into a plug then roughly crumble it. This tastes like the Westminster I remember, so all the component tobaccos are present in the right amounts, proving to me it was the cut that changed the taste. I may just stick with Quiet Nights if I've got to go to that effort just to enjoy something I used to love straight out of the tin.

Sad C&D, sad.

Tim

 

[monbla256]

Drums,

There'll only be big players in the tobacco game soon. :suspect:

'Fraid your right there Wiz. With the costs of pipe varieties of leaf production going up, and the market getting smaller, only the big guys will stay in business. :twisted: :twisted: