8 oz. Bohemian Scandal!!!

[Justpipes]

$355.00

I sit here thinking, how much Walnut would that buy!

 

[Vito]

Is there something about this tobacco that I don't know?

HD:

Bohemian Scandal is a truly one-of-a-kind weedage. Whether it's worth the kind of prices it fetches in eBay auctions is more a matter of your budget constraints than it is of any "objective" critreria.

It's not just the fact that it was made with Syrian Latakia, although the extinction of that noble tobacco (the Syrian state banned its production some years ago) makes BohScan all the more valuable for that reason alone. But the real distinction of BohScan is that it contains a particular vintage of Syrian Latweed that was unlike any other. Those of us who have a special fondness for SyriLat recognize its virtues; those who don't...well, just don't. Personal taste is just that—personal—and there's no accounting for it.

I liken Bohemian Scandal to a superb vintage of a classic wine, such as Château Lafite Rothschild. There's no bad Lafite, but some years' vintages are of transcendent quality. I once was present at a celebration where a guy wanted to open a bottle of the legendary 1982 Lafite in its release year (1985). I protested. A wine like that needs bottle time to develop into the masterpiece it eventually became. In my opinion, it's a waste to drink it so young. But my objections were overruled, and they uncorked it. Not being a fool, I let them pour some into my glass. Yes...it was good, but it was unfocused, almost confusing to the taste—good, but not yet great.

That's what Bohemian Scandal was like in its youth. Many who smoked it young weren't impressed. There was no question that it was a masterpiece of weed blendage, but the tobaccos simply hadn't had enough tin time to meld and create a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts. Now, fast forward to a gathering of weed brethren some 3 years later, when a tin of BohScan was opened with great anticipation. The stuff literally perfumed the room. In the pipe, it was glorious! Mr. Pease was there, and he was transfixed. We all were...well, except the fellow who brought the tin of BohScan. He couldn't have been less interested. As I recall, his comment was , "Not enough Latakia"...er, OK then. Not his cup of tea. There's no accounting for taste.

Are there other tobaccos that reach that level of refinement? Of course there are! They're not BohScan, but BohScan isn't them either. Cellar a tin of GLP's Embarcadero, Kensington, or Samarra, wait a few years, and the experience will be different, but no less sublime. If you want the Syrian Latweed experience, sock away some tins of MacBaren HH Vintage Syrian or McClelland Three Oaks Syrian or Rose of Latakia for 4 or 5 years. I'm not equating any of those blends to Bohemian Scandal, but I can tell you that just two years of tin time transforms HHVS from a raucous young ruffian to a smooth, graceful smoke that oozes that classic, leathery SyriLat smokiness in fine, seductive form. Give it another few years, and the stuff will approach weedic nirvana...er, for a SyriLat addict, that is. If you don't appreciate Syrian Latakia's virtues (HHVS contains ~40% SyriLat), all bets are off.

There is no more Bohemian Scandal because Greg's supply of that precious vintage of SyriLat was lost in a warehouse fire in November 2004. He can't get any more of it, and his integrity as a blendmeister precludes making a counterfeit. I appreciate that. There are many other fine blends that are also extinct because their ingredients are no longer available. But, as Greg Pease himself will tell you, their allure (and the astronomical prices they fetch in auctions) are more a result of the fact that they are made from "unobtainium" than from the fact that there aren't other blends of similar quality. Indeed, any number of Peaseweeds are still available that are masterpieces. They carry no bragging rights, but neither will they bust your budget. Besides, do you want good smokes, or do you want to prove that you have more dollars than sense?

We live in a very special time. While it's true that the increasingly rampant anti-tobacco hysteria threatens to make our gentle pastime extinct, there are still many superb blends available. Consider yourself fortunate if you ever have the opportunity to burn a bowl of BohScan, but in the meantime, grab a tin of, say, GLP's Chelsea Morning and treat yourself to some smokes of surpassing quality that are wondrous weedular creations in their own right...even though there's no unobtainium involved.

:joker:

 

[ftrplt]

Vito...Well put!! I have a nice stash of all your well-advised tins "resting" as we speak!! FTRPLT

 

[Vito]

FTRPLT: Obviously, you are a man of refined and discriminating taste!

:joker:

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Hey Vito,

It's always a treat to read your posts, so I'm glad to see you!

I beg to differ, however, on only one small point. I smoked a tin of Bohemian Scandal young and thought it was one of the best tins I'd ever smoked!

 

[scottbtdmb]

Nice post indeed Vito! I actually discovered recently that my local B & M had a bunch of old tins (2006) of HH Vintage Syrian hiding on their top shelf. I immediately bought 3 and am planning on buying the rest ASAP. I have enjoyed the stuff fresh immensely and can only imagine how good it will be with nearly 4 years of age on it!

-Scott

 

[Vito]

Signore Alfredo:

Wow...coming from a man who doesn't generally favor Latweed blends (at least, that's my recollection), that's a pretty high compliment!

Actually, it's hard to recall a great deal about the young BohScan with any precision as the experiences recede into the fog of the past. Alas, there is none to be had with which to recharge the memory cells. No matter how many tins of BohScan one has socked away, and however much one might sputter and drool at the prospect of smoking a bowl of what it has become, it is unlikely that the young BohScan will ever exist again.

I can't say it's impossible, onna counta there IS a stash of that superb SyriLat in Mike McNiel's warehouse, but I get the impression that Greg has tried everything except voodoo and offering his firstborn in sacrifice in an effort to get some...all to no avail.

Hey...long time no see, amigo. Great to see you posting again!

:joker:

 

[Justpipes]

You never know what a brother might pull out of the cellar.

 

[Vito]

...HH Vintage Syrian...I have enjoyed the stuff fresh immensely

Scott:

I agree that HHVS is eminently smokable when fresh. Like many (most?) of the Mac Baren weedages, it's best to smoke it slowly to avoid Zorch-o-Tongue<img class="emojione" alt="" title=":tm:" title=":tm:" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/emojione/assets/png/2122.png?v=2.2.7"/>, and it responds well to DGT. But overall, it's kinder to my tongue and palate than any number of other tobaccos, especially those with predominantly Virginia content.

Undoubtedly that's because of HHVS's high Latakia content (~40%). Despite its reputation as a "strong" tobacco, most Latakia (whether Cyprian or Syrian) is actually a fairly gentle smoke. You wouldn't know it unless you actually smoked some pure Latakia. I keep several varieties on hand, and treat myself to a bowl of straight Latweed occasionally. It's loaded with flavor, seldom zorches my mouthal tissues, and doesn't send me to all fours with Nico-Buzz<img class="emojione" alt="" title=":registered:" title=":registered:" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/emojione/assets/png/00ae.png?v=2.2.7"/>.

Anyhow, I'm smitten by HHVS's virtues. I've laid in an ample supply for the future, but I continue to enjoy it in the here and now. In fact, 'scuse me while I go light up...

:joker:

 

[ftrplt]

FTRPLT: Obviously, you are a man of refined and discriminating taste!

:joker:

Actually more dumb luck than anything else, but I appreciate the thought :roll: As to HHVS, my-o-my, the only MacB blend I can/will smoke (and I've tried'em all!!). I pick up several tins every time I pass thru JR Burlington. Though heavy in LatWeed, it is no Lat "Bomb." Just a darned good tobacco. Smokes well in a clay, FWIW! FTRPLT

 

[NeroWolfe]

Don't these fellows realize that as per EBAY rules, RFID tags are installed on the cans. When the tin is popped open, and tobacco consumed, this will be a violation of EBAY policy, since the sales are for collectible tins and not the tobacco. The RFID signal will go directly to the Politically Correct Police in your area, and a SWAT team will swoop down. And, the life of the RFID tag is 234 years, so don't think you can cellear the can and enjoy it 20 years from now without any consequences!!

 

[Vito]

...As to HHVS, my-o-my, the only MacB blend I can/will smoke (and I've tried'em all!!). I pick up several tins every time I pass thru JR Burlington. Though heavy in LatWeed, it is no Lat "Bomb." Just a darned good tobacco. Smokes well in a clay, FWIW! FTRPLT

FTRPLT:

I haven't tried HHVS in a clay yet, but I have a meerschaum churchwarden dedicated to it...bringing the total number of pipes dedicated to HHVS to three. I'm about to dedicate a fourth one; I'm smoking a bunch of the stuff lately. My record is five, for Raven's Wing...but alas, now that it's extinct (...well, except for the dwindling supply I'm hoarding), at least some of those pipes are now fair game for extant weedage. HHVS is at the top of the list.

Speaking of other Mac Baren blends, there's one that's (sort of) close to HHVS—The Solent Mixture. It doesn't have the Kentucky or Orientals that HHVS contains; hence, it's somewhat lighter in flavor and definitely doesn't have the same OOMPH...but it's a pleasant smoke nonetheless. It does have the advantage of NOT being cased with whatever Mac Baren uses to sauce so many of their other blends.

BTW, Scott's observation about the delights of smoking fresh HHVS is on the money. I just jarred up another pound of the stuff, and I have to wonder whether the bag was sitting around for a while. It comes packed pretty tightly, and it appears that Mac B. is slightly evacuating the bags before sealing. The stuff had a fruitier smell than the other bags I've jarred—almost as though it had started to go into anaerobic fermentation.

I just burned a bowl of it tonight, and it was luscious. YOW!


:joker:

 

[ftrplt]

Yessir!! HHVS in a meer is a pipe smoker's delight :lol: And I totally agree that HHVS smoked "young" is A-OK!! Popped my first tin without even looking at the date on the back sticker. It smoked like a dream, I was blown away!! No MacB bite, goop, etc. I'll be getting more ina week or so. :cheers: FTRPLT

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

My basic impression of young BohScan was that the base tobaccos were very adequate but what made the blend sing was the scrumptious Syrian latakia. The wine-like descriptor is my strongest recollection.