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July is here! Named after Julius Caesar, being the month he was born, but previous to his impact on the world, it was Simply called “Quintilis” (quite simply the Fifth, since the Roman calendar at that time started a new year with March). It’s also the hottest month in the northern hemisphere and the coldest in the southern hemisphere as well as marking half a year gone.
June had some ups and downs for me, but it was overall a good month, I have even higher hopes for July for all of us. I was at a friends until late and just got home a little while ago and am relaxing with GH Rum Flake in a vintage Stanwell HCA.
Solani Aged Burley Flake in my estate black meerschaum with Peet's coffee. Stamping unreadable on bottom of bowl, so no idea of pipe information. Sure smokes good though!
July began ending the jar of Robert McConnell Oriental, and throwing the latest rests into my Frankenstein jar. This tin was made in 2017. I noticed some changes in this blend compared with the ones of previous years. Less Orientals and more Cavendish, so the blend has lost some of it´s Oriental character. Have any of you experienced a similar change with this blend?.
I don’t have any experience with this particular blend, but in the past ten years I have noticed that the selection of orientals in general has changed quite a bit, with some seemingly unavailable altogether now and prices have risen disproportionately on all but Izmir and Basma.
I have noticed changes in a number of the less known or promoted European produced blends over the years also. The most extreme being Peter Heinrich’s Dark Strong Flake. It’s turned into three different blends in the last decade with the most recent bearing almost no similarities at all with how it started. I can understand that if things change, a company can’t produce a blend anymore. I’m less understanding of why they come up with new versions and aren’t up front about it.
Starting the day and month smoking Capstan in my Virginia dedicated pipe. Paired with coffee. 😎 ☕
Big N Burley with a splash of Sutliff chocolate in a blast Savinelli Punto Oro 111KS.
Tasty
My tobacconists house blend a VA Flake that reminds of Orlik golden sliced. That little orange note coming through. Not bad.
Smoking my new Vauen Six 104. A rather small-ish elegant pipe. Love it.
Sounds somewhat like it. But they are like a brick n mortar store. I haven’t asked where they get their house blends from.
Wowowowowowo! Wait a minute! Is that a Vauen? What the hell they really started doing nice pipes again 🤯
Right?
Usually I tend to be like:
Vauen pipes get sold? Well, tastes differ…..
but the SIX line is a winner.
Crowley Best in a Savinelli Bordeaux 123
Love at first light. This could absolutely be an everyday. Such nice balance with burleys and latakia. Just lovely. I'll be smoking loads of this.
It seems no matter where I venture, I always end up back at Cornell & Diehl.
I’m back to my most recent PS81/Perique/Tennessee Dark Fire Cured creation today, smoking it in a TV churchwarden right now.
"Danish Fire", maybe.
Although it might be too soon considering the fires in Copenhagen recently.
Torben Dansk Orient Spezialitat with 25% Best Brown Flake. This really tastes as an Oriental.
Started July with a bowl of Evening Cordial in my Lorenzetti Augustus Caesar this morning. It is Canada's birthday today so it's time for a big-ass Romeo & Juliet in the backyard.
For those that think the band looks a bit different, it is. This is the Dominican version. Same seed and strain but grown on the next island over. Makes it a $25 cigar instead of $50.
But they have nothing in common. The flavor of a Havana cigar is so unique. If it's worth paying a fortune for it it´s another story.
Cuban cigars definitely taste different. The seed is only a small part of it. The "terroir" (it's a wine term - google it) is the over-riding factor.
That all said, I firmly believe that although Cuban cigars taste different, they're not necessarily better. In fact I tend to prefer Nicaraguan cigars. You can buy Cuban cigars in the service station here (and back home in Australia), they're not that special. I believe they have such an vaunted reputation simply because they're illegal in the USA, which makes them rare and desirable.
Imagine if for whatever reason, the USA decided to make French wine illegal. The French make some great wine, but I don't think it's necessarily "better" than anywhere else that makes good wine. If it were illegal however, and all the movie stars and gangsters were suddenly seen drinking unobtainable French wine on TV, you better believe it will quintuple in price and it's reputation as "the best you can get" will go through the roof.
You should see the film "Les triplettes de Belleville", it's a cartoon with no dialogues about gangsters from Marseille who export french wine to New York. It's very funny, and dark, it's french humour, you know...
X2 on Nicaraguan. I'd rather smoke just about anything from AJ Fernandez (or Patron for that matter).
Havana cigars are the Stonehaven or McClelland 5100 of cigars. Not disparaging Cubans at all. Fabulous cigars. But scarcity brings increased perceived value.
X2 on Nicaraguan. I'd rather smoke just about anything from AJ Fernandez (or Padron for that matter).
Havana cigars are the Stonehaven or McClelland 5100 of cigars. Not disparaging Cubans at all. Fabulous cigars. But scarcity brings increased perceived value.
Well!....didn't mean to stir up the hornet's nest with the cigar post. Let's try and clear that up a bit.
As always, taste is subjective and I'm in no way a connoisseur of fine cigars but I have been smoking them for over 40 years so what I tell people is that all I know is what I like and what I've experienced.
I was smoking R&Js back when a Cuban corona was $5 so I think I'm well aware of any differences. The Cuban version is a darker, oilier, spicier cigar but to say they are completely unalike is a bit unfair to the Dominican one. And the terroir Purple Potato speaks of is in large part responsible for the extra earthy richness of Cubans.
There are reasons I don't buy Cubans like I used to and that would be a whole other conversation but I can say that part of it is reasonable profit versus grotesque profit and where that profit is going. The people rolling them are still getting a pittance.
When you break it down we're talking about leaves rolled into a sausage. If anyone wants to pay $50-100 for that then go right ahead. For me that's just a bit ridiculous.
Having said that, if you don't buy SOMETHING then you're not smoking so I'm just a little more selective these days.
And I realize all the same principles apply to any cigar at any price but I'd rather not fill fat-cat and government coffers at a mind-numbing rate.
Bottom line; there are plenty of tasty and affordable smokes out there.
I hear pipe smoking is good bang for the buck!
Cuban cigars have experimented a terrific increase in price. The two ultra premium brands, Cohiba and Trinidad about 350%. Among the rest of Cuban brands there are quite a few that are of great quality and their prices are not as prohibitive, Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagás and maybe Romeo & Julieta and Montecristo.
What it's significative is that at the same time prices are increasing, quality control has gone down, while Dominican, Nicaraguan and rest of New Word Cigars have improved in quality control and now are of impressive good manufacturing quality.
Cuban government sells less Havana Cigars, but never earned so much money as now does.
Even more reason to be selective I guess. Cohibas are a decent smoke but in no way reflect what the price is and never have imo. I would take a Hoyo first. Now that's a nice cigar.
Also, I'm not sure people realize just how heavily taxed tobacco is in this country. Most of our tins/pouches range from $45-60 with something like 3 nuns at $70+. The Butternut Burley I just bought was $7 usd which is about $10 cdn. Same product here would be about $50.
Being taxed to death like that will make you cautious about where your money goes.
Anyway, Juan you clearly know cigars. Like I said, all I know is what I like and what I've experienced.
Btw, those prices are with duties and import taxes. There is still %13 sales tax to add yet. Just brutal....
I almost never smoke this pipe.
It was okay. 🙂
Doblone d’Oro, in a Savinelli (of course) Clark’s favourite - my favourite of the “Favorite” series.
I’m starting to fall in love with this blend! The earthy, nutty consistency provides a reassuring backdrop against which the occasional spiciness of the other varietals is contrasted. Still, the flavours intermingle and there is nuance and subtlety in every puff. A blend worth exploring and, certainly, a blend worthy of carrying the name.
Finally done for the day
That is a serious pipe. I love it!
edit: That Calabash. The other one is cool too tho.
Smoking my aromatic Frankenstein in my usual cob, paired with Mate Tea.
Carolina red flake in my peterson system. A very nice blend!
Two full lovely bowls of Best Brown Flake in a Savinelli 624 in the morning and in a Savinelli Nonpareil 9121 to end the day.
SG Full Virginia Flake in an antique French meerschaum.
Gawith Hoggarth Louisiana Flake in my Peterson Rocky 53.
Felt like breaking up my Virginia run, smoking Haunted Bookshop in a cob.
Ist like a cleansing for the taste buds every now and then.
Or maybe it just burns the sinuses free 🫣
The rest of the Big N Burley and pinch of Sutliff chocolate from the little batch I made earlier this week. I added roughly 30% Latakia. In the Mario Grandi poker
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