Best match to Stonehaven?

[Blackhorse]

Hello, my name is Blackhorse and I'm a Stonehaven addict. I've been successfull at quitting...all 273 times. There's just something about it...maybe it's the Burley, or that succulent treacle flavoring. Whatever it is I've never found a straight VA blend to be its equal...or any other blend either.

That's where you guys come in. Has anyone found a blend they think is ringer for Stonehaven? It's so dang hard to come across anymore that I really need to find a stand-in. So, help me out.

 

[NeroWolfe]

You might try an e-mail to McClelland or C&D and see what they say. They may suggest one of their blends that is similar. C&D will do custom blending, so they may be able to put together something worth trying.

 

[djf1]

funny thing I was wondering exactly the same thing,as I type this and enjoy Stonehaven in my Castello...
Its soooo smooth that few have come close. A blend that comes close is the golden flake from Reiner. I also enjoy Mcclelands VA N0 24. Same smoothness and I'm fixing to try number 27.

 

[s.ireland]

I just jarred up a pound of Stonehaven that I found in a little shop when I was on vacation recently. I didn't want to leave it in the foil package to age.

Anyhow, there were several flakes that didn't fit so I have a little stash to enjoy in the meantime. I'm airing out a flake right now in anticipation of trying it for the first time tonight. I'll report back if I feel it is close to anything else. Hope I don't end up with a stonehaven monkey on my back!

 

[djf1]

Hope I don't end up with a stonehaven monkey on my back!

Too late! there is no turning back after stonehaven! You will become obsessed looking to find your next stonehaven stash!

 

[hobie1dog]

you had to pick an elusive blend, didn't you?

 

[Blackhorse]

Nero - been through the McBaccy and C&C lines...no matches. All MickeyB's darks are laced with katsup and C&D makes no real flakes (yeah, I know they do up the 2 new ones of Gregs, but they're really more like 'crumble-flakes'...and none of the flavors they produce do the same thing in the bowl.

djf1 - Reiner's Long Golden Flake, being a Burley based item, at least has that going for it...but little else. For me it tends to burn hot and the flavors are far away from Stonehaven.

hobie - it's for the specific reason that Stonehaven has become elusive that I need a stand-in!

As a point of interest, we all know that Germaine makes Stonehaven...right? Well they also make a flake named "Dark Flake" which is 'Stonehaven for Europe' or something like that as they distribute it over there but not here...and vice versa with Stonehaven. So if anyone has a connection across the pond, they could score that way.

So let me throw this out there: for a blend to have the same characteristics as Stonehaven, I'm thinking that it can't be straight VA. There has to be some Burley in there or those dark back-notes wouldn't be there. In addition, sadly, I think it has to be pressed for the flavors, etc. to meld. There are several blends out there that come close to 'the Stoner' (Burley blends as chance would have it) but the burn rate is way off so they smoke faster and the flavoring is different (it needs that 'treacle' flavoring...raisin/molassas/fig) in the first place.

Also...lookin' at the family tree sometimes is benificial. To ME, Stonehaven and a lot of other similar blends, derive from or are related to...Edgeworth! Again, to ME John Patton's Storm Front (a glorious mashup of 2 Burleys and cigar leaf) comes the closest in the 2nd half of the bowl. It gets very deep, lots of dark background, flavor is pretty close. But the first half is off...since it's loose it smokes faster and warmer.

I think what this town needs is a compilation of 'Stonehaven wanna-bes'...I just love basic research! So I'll entertain opinions, data, whatever that is PM'd to me...plus I'll re-visit my own cellar and go over the likely suspects again and try to note how they are similar and how they differ.

So please, PM me your picks and thought on the subject and I'll publish the results here.

Anyway, thanks for your help.

 

[Wet Dottle]

Has anyone found a blend they think is ringer for Stonehaven?

Alas, I've searched high and low to no avail. Nothing even came close enough, at least not for me. Good luck in your search, I've given up.

 

[s.ireland]

Giving this thread a bump.

Blackhorse, I've been smoking Germain's Brown Flake for the past few days... Enjoying a bowl as I type. I think it may be as close to Stonehaven as anything else I've tried. Give it a shot if you haven't already. They have their differences (less burley up front in the brown flake, more of a bright VA thing going on) but I'm talking same ballpark. It's hard for me to tell which one has more strength but they both have a similar deep, alluring flavor. In any event I'll be stocking up on both!

 

[cakeanddottle]

Tilbury is the closest in flavor profile, and a good tobacco in its own right.

 

[fishnrust]

Something must be wrong w/me, I am the only guy on the planet that doesn't seem to care for the stuff. Maybe that's a blessing?

 

[BLM25Super]

I just jarred up a pound of Stonehaven that I found in a little shop when I was on vacation recently. I didn't want to leave it in the foil package to age.

Anyhow, there were several flakes that didn't fit so I have a little stash to enjoy in the meantime. I'm airing out a flake right now in anticipation of trying it for the first time tonight. I'll report back if I feel it is close to anything else. Hope I don't end up with a stonehaven monkey on my back!

You say you are "airing it out" since i am so new to tobaccy i am wondering what proceesses i need to be aware of like what you are describing or maybe even more different processes?

 

[NeroWolfe]

BLM25Super................Some tobaccos, especially Flakes from the UK, are packaged quite moist, and are best savored if they are allowed to dry a bit (air it out). Many McClelland blends are also quite moist from the can, and benefit from an airing. A flake can be taken out of the tin, or bag, the strips separated, and placed in a wood bowl (or any kind of bowl, I happen to use a wood bowl) and allowed to air out for a day or so. Some Flakes can be aired out for a week! Other types of cuts should be spread out a bit in a bowl, and a day or so should be sufficient. But of course, monitor the process and do not let the tobacco get too dry. HOWEVER: If you are not planning on smoking the tobacco right away, and plan on cellaring it, then leave it be as it came, either as it is in the tin, or if it is bulk tobacco put it in a Mason jar, and do not air it out until you decide to smoke it.

 

[mgtarheel]

Blackhorse, don't know about a match but have a look at this. https://fujipub.com/briarpatchcigar/pipetobacco.html#virginiablends