Alittle piece on Edgeworth

[monbla256]

Found this small bit of info on one of those "old fart" American tobaccos, Edgeworth. It died back in the mid seventies but I remember my next door nieghbor smoking it in his Kaywoodie when i was a kid. I can't say that I ever smoked it though it sounds like it might have been a nice smoke.

http://www.vahistorical.org/research/tacl_larus.htm

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Interesting, I love the old ads. Edgeworth the blend apparently outlasted Edgeworth the company. I have a newer (but not all that new) tub made by Lane that was given to me from the cellar of the late Bob Runowski. I still haven't brought myself to open it. I was hoping Lane would resurrect the blend with all of the restructuring going on, but I guess not.

 

[Storm_Crow]

Not tobacco related, but I always get a chuckle out of old ads or propoganda that's undergone...modern renovations.

 

[Johnny River]

It is my understanding that Laurus Bros. produced an Edgeworth flake and a ready rub (I think they for a short time produced a cavendish that came in a brown can). The ready rub was available until a few years ago from Lane. The flake was produced in the U.S. and then later in Europe for a while. The 2 Edgeworth varieties were very different from each other. I was fortunate enough to get one of the last U.S. produced tins of flake from a man who worked in the factory. The flake came in 2-3 inch slabs in light blue rectangular and later round tins. I also have several of the Lane produced Ready Rubbed 14 oz. cans (light blue and later dark blue cans). Both are a joy to smoke. The flake has an almost cinnamon flavor. The ready rubbed has a fig like taste and a consistency similar to regular Sir Walter Raleigh. To my tastes, these tobaccos which I hear referred to as "old codger" tobaccos were/are as good as the vast majority of the currently available "boutique" blends.

 

[Blackhorse]

Just before the Lane version of ERR went out of production, it was 'rumored' in reliable circles that it was going to happen...and then the announcement was made that it was gone. At the time JR's still had those big tubs for sale for a really low price...so I nailed about 10 of 'em. (heh, heh) I sold one and have given a nuber away...but I think I still have 5 or 6 down in the 'Cave of Wonders' somewhere. The last one I saw that sold on fleaBay went for a C-note.

It is, by the way, a very good smoke IMHO. In a way, it strikes me as the OTC version of Stonehaven...dark, slightly sweet, treacle flavors (raisin, molassas, etc.). But more than being a good smoke...it's a piece of the American pipe tradition. Like all pipe blends, it may or may not be something you like...but all of us share and enjoy a world that is, in part, a product of the tradition it helped to create.


BTW...if you know anyone out there who wants a tub...I'll give 'em a fat 20% discount over the current market price! (noted in paragraph one) :lol:




Hey! I gotta figure out how to repay the kitty for my recent splurge in the Buscatti cellars!

 

[user 1862]

Thank you for the generous "sample." If I'm careful and don't go on a tear, it will last me a good while. Of course, you know I'm being well behaved at this time. :roll: Sort of.

 

[DrT999]

It is my understanding that Laurus Bros. produced an Edgeworth flake and a ready rub (I think they for a short time produced a cavendish that came in a brown can). The ready rub was available until a few years ago from Lane. The flake was produced in the U.S. and then later in Europe for a while. The 2 Edgeworth varieties were very different from each other. I was fortunate enough to get one of the last U.S. produced tins of flake from a man who worked in the factory. The flake came in 2-3 inch slabs in light blue rectangular and later round tins. [snip]
The flake has an almost cinnamon flavor.

In one person's opinion (not mine, the person who posted the tobacco on tobacco reviews.com). the Sam Gawith Special Flake #5 is similar to the flake (Edgeworth Slices). And of course Altadis does a Ready Rubbed match

 

[Blackhorse]

The Altadis "match" isn't even close...and is typical Altadis fare. Cornell & Diehl tried a match - which turned into quite a disaster. Others have tried here and there as well...I've tried most of 'em and don't think much of any. But that's just me...always wanting something to taste 'good' and all. Picky, picky, picky!

 

[DrT999]

The Altadis "match" isn't even close...and is typical Altadis fare.

Might be why their Edgeworth match isn't commonly available

 

[TheSmokeamater]

Hi,

I just put up my first post on the Welcome Wagon. Greetings all!

I stumbled upon Bros of the Briar while searching the web for info re: Edgeworth RR.

The local bodega has several VERY crunchy, VERY old pouches of the stuff. I noticed them about 15 years ago when I moved into the neighborhood, and there they sit, still! I was wondering if it would be worth purchasing them. Can anyone tell me if it might be worth the cost and effort to re-hydrate the stuff? I believe they are priced at about $8 a pouch. Marked up from much less that that a few years ago!

I have two concerns. First having been so dry for so long, and having seen a complete interior remodeling of the store, I am concerned if the tobacco pieces have broken up into powder. Right there, it would be un-smokable.

Second. I wonder if anything that dry hasn't lost its "essence", that any process of re-hydration could possibly bring it back to its former glory.

Your thoughts please...

---Rich

 

[Blackhorse]

After having tried to re-hydrate a pouch or Edgeworth RR...that was exactly as you described...fugetaboutit. My attempts, via several methods that have worked well with other blends were TOTAL failures.

 

[docwatson]

Hopefully someday they will resurrect Edgeworth and hopefully it will be a faithful blending. It is truly one of the finest true American Burley blends.

 

[tiltjlp]

Hi,

I just put up my first post on the Welcome Wagon. Greetings all!

I stumbled upon Bros of the Briar while searching the web for info re: Edgeworth RR.

The local bodega has several VERY crunchy, VERY old pouches of the stuff. I noticed them about 15 years ago when I moved into the neighborhood, and there they sit, still! I was wondering if it would be worth purchasing them. Can anyone tell me if it might be worth the cost and effort to re-hydrate the stuff? I believe they are priced at about $8 a pouch. Marked up from much less that that a few years ago!

I have two concerns. First having been so dry for so long, and having seen a complete interior remodeling of the store, I am concerned if the tobacco pieces have broken up into powder. Right there, it would be un-smokable.

Second. I wonder if anything that dry hasn't lost its "essence", that any process of re-hydration could possibly bring it back to its former glory.

Your thoughts please...

---Rich

You might not have to rehydrate it, since cube cut tobacco [font="]retains inner moisture pretty well. Besides, smoke it first, you might like it dry.[/font]

 

[docwatson]

Tiltjlp that is very good advice, I agree totally. I find that tobacco that is more on the dry side smokes much better than moist baccy. If it is too dry or crunchy as they say, a breath of air into the top of the tobacco chamber after filling is all it takes to get it perfectly smokeable and burning properly. At least that works for me. I've had pouches that were very dry and as long as they were not handled too much or crushed the tobacco was fine and tasteful. Just my .02 cents worth.

 

[Blackhorse]

I'll be very interested in seeing the results of this one. It almost makes me want to put some out in the sun to dry to a nice crispy state. The stuff that I tried to work with smoked hot as a Memorial Day BBQ brickette. Trying to re-hydrate via light sprays of distilled water...light steaming in a mesh strainer...etc. Added moisture to it...but it still smoked super hot and nasty.

I've let new blends get very, very dry and had excellent luck smoking them both dry and very slightly re-hydrated. But that old Edgeworth RR looked like roasted grape nuts and tasted like creosote. But it might be an isolate circumstance...so I'll wait for the findings here with eagerness.

 

[docwatson]

I'll be very interested in seeing the results of this one. It almost makes me want to put some out in the sun to dry to a nice crispy state. The stuff that I tried to work with smoked hot as a Memorial Day BBQ brickette. Trying to re-hydrate via light sprays of distilled water...light steaming in a mesh strainer...etc. Added moisture to it...but it still smoked super hot and nasty.

I've let new blends get very, very dry and had excellent luck smoking them both dry and very slightly re-hydrated. But that old Edgeworth RR looked like roasted grape nuts and tasted like creosote. But it might be an isolate circumstance...so I'll wait for the findings here with eagerness.

Let us know how you make out BH. But any burley will burn pretty hot if you puff on it too vigorously as you already know.

 

[Blackhorse]

doc:

Let us know how you make out BH. But any burley will burn pretty hot if you puff on it too vigorously as you already know.

No, no. My attempts with the OLD DEAD ERR were years ago. Since then I was able to pick up nine big tubs from JR's right when they killed the poor old blend...so I'm good for a long, long time. And yes, I know the hot puffing routine with Burleys (actually I'm of the opinion that almost anything will do this). I have a number of highly favored Burley blends, none of which give me the slightest problem, so I'm good with technique.

I've used Father John's 'breath wetting' technique for lightly re-hydrating dry blends a number of times and it works well. I also will blow into the stem end, forcing breath into the bowl from the bottom and this also seems to work well. But I really have no problems smoking dry blends and agree totally that many, many blends do well if not better when dry...certainly John's seem to.

On a note in that arena...John's blends often arrive relatively dry which is fine. And soon I'll get to see if that's true for a couple I've never tried before...cause after years of lustfull yearnings...I finally was able to order some of his out of production blends from Rich at 'the place'...Crossroads ("An 80% mix of 3 distinctive Virginias, Turkish Izmir in a minor role, and just enough Cigar Leaf for accent.") and Oriental Dusk (Burley, Virginia, Oriental & Cigar Leaf..."Oriental and cigar leaf dominate this flavorful and hearty blend that offers just enough sweetness to avoid any bitterness."). I am 'aquiver' with anticipation.

 

[docwatson]

BH,
I use the same methods as you do when it comes to dry tobacco, and I agree that all tobacco will bite if you smoke too vigorously. Lucky and fortunate move to scoop up all the tubs you could from JR's when production ended. I was able to grab 2 tubs from a small smokeshop up here in Maine. But my lucky find was to find an old smokeshop now turned into a headshop that still had a CASE of edgeworth tobacco but all in pouches!! I ended up with 16 cartons of 6 packs each to cellar for future consumption. I was one happy camper.
I hear many pipe men say that they believe the tub packed tobacco tastes better than the packet tobacco? And that goes for all blends they say, however lucky for for me, I don't find that to be the case. Any comments on that ??
Crossroads and Oriental Dusk sound great, let is know how you enjoy them.

 

[Blackhorse]

doc...I've never had the pleasure of the pouch ERR, so no way for me to know.

I'm currently spending lots of energy defending Stonehaven against those that proclaim it to be a bad blend after trying one bowl. Go figure. My current hot flash, however, is blends that display an interplay of Turkish (or other non-latakia Orientals) and eitherPerique or Cigar Leaf against a base of either pure VA's or a VA/Burley mix. Hence the interest in Crossroads and Oreintal Dusk.

And if anyone says that reviews don't influence one in favor of certain blends...the following certainly had it's affect on me...having already packed my old dusty round toed boots, linen trousers, hooded caftan, Akubra Open Road and a .455 Webley for the trip...

"To the flavours of the orient I would add JP's Oriental Dusk. Having lived in this part of the world for almost 20 years I can attest to having smelled something very like Oriental Dusk in places as far apart as Jeddah and Jerusalem. Somehow, they all came together in Ohio. This blend achieves an amazing combination of Turkish (?), plus indefinable ingredients. I think I tasted burley, Virginia and cigar leaf -- perhaps none of them. Like the orient itself, Oriental Dusk mystifies and enthralls, occasionally, again like the orient, sharp and flagrant while at other times quiet and well behaved. I have tamed this particular blend in several pipes, and found it the most consistent of JP's blends. Sometimes the Turkish is a little stronger and comes to the fore; at others, the mystery components are more powerful. But it inevitably settles down to a kind of average of eastern variety. This is not the oriental of the Balkans; this is altogether from somewhere farther south and east, and less well-trod. Best smoked sitting on a carpet in a tent while reading Seven Pillars of Wisdom or watching Lawrence of Arabia, drinking Turkish coffee."

Be that as it may...my other recent treasures include C&D Oriental Silk (which is a stellar blend so far under the radar as to be in the sub-basement of Macy's bargain center), MacBaren HH Acadian (wherein my first outing was disappointing, but dogged persistance has paid off with the right tool resulting in a lovely time indeed), HH Old Dark Fired (having nothing whatever to do with Orientals...it's the stunning new concoction linked to Chi-town's Grandiose Pipe Festival and Parade), McConnel's Scottish Flake (I don't think they really put Havana leaf in this stuff, but it's good), C&D Sunday Picnic (though I still find this buring a bit sharply for me)...and of course others too numerous to flaunt and bore you with here.

But it's fair skies...workin' outside time...and that means smokin' weather...so that's what I'm doing. Life is good.

 

[docwatson]

BH,
Thanks for your posts. It's such a nasty lightning storm day here in Maine that I'm Sitting back checking recent posts here and thinking about your description of Oriental Dusk blend. I know you referenced John?? But don't know exactly to whom you are referring. I Love Turkish blends and that one sounds very tempting. Is it available and where if you don't mind my asking.
Presently and for some years now my favorite Turkish blend is L J Peretti's Tashkent blend. There's no cigar leaf in there and it has a bit of sweetness because of a liberal amount of fine Va but the Turkish comes through as five stars for my palate.
Regards,
Andy