Disappointing tobacco

[SteelyJ]

Ok, not to make a super negative post, but I’m interested to hear if anyone has ever tried a tobacco they expected to like, or saw hyped up, and just didn’t care for it.

A few years ago I bought a tin of Samuel Gawith Chocolate Flake. I didn’t enjoy it at all, it was very bland to my palate, and after about a third or more of the bowl I just dumped it. I jarred the stuff, and just a little bit ago decided to give it another go in a new little cob I picked up recently. And…. Same thing. It tastes very, very bland to me, and I’m thinking of just dumping this bowl too.

Am I smoking it wrong? I didn’t dry it that much because I hear you get more of the chocolate flavor when it’s a bit moist, but it just doesn’t taste like much of anything to me.

Anyone else have blends that let them down like this?

 

[Balisong]

I tried it a year and a half ago, couldn't stand it and dropped in in the circular file for safe keeping!

 

[ftrplt]

I'm willing to say most all pipers have experienced disappointing 'baccy at one time or the other. I've tried many tobaccos because they smelled good (Cherry Blend, anyone??), but smoked and tasted awful to me. It's just part of the learning process!!
BTW...FWIW...I generally do not enjoy aromatic tobaccos; but Bob's Chocolate Flake and The Kendal Mayor's Chocolate Flake are two that I enjoy immensely!! We all have different tastes!! FTRPLT

 

[SteelyJ]

I'm willing to say most all pipers have experienced disappointing 'baccy at one time or the other. I've tried many tobaccos because they smelled good (Cherry Blend, anyone??), but smoked and tasted awful to me. It's just part of the learning process!!
BTW...FWIW...I generally do not enjoy aromatic tobaccos; but Bob's Chocolate Flake and The Kendal Mayor's Chocolate Flake are two that I enjoy immensely!! We all have different tastes!! FTRPLT

Yeah - I really don't like aromatics either. I don't mind some flavoring added to blends - but if it's labelled as an Aromatic I'm pretty sure I will not like it at all. And I hear the chocolate flake is usually liked by non-aro smokers so thought I'd like it! If I want some of those cocoa/chocolate flavors I'll just smoke Aged Burley Flake I guess.

 

[kschatey]

Yep, I totally agree with your experience and assessment of Sam Gawith Chocolate Flake.

 

[ELJIMMY]

Ok, not to make a super negative post, but I’m interested to hear if anyone has ever tried a tobacco they expected to like, or saw hyped up, and just didn’t care for it.

A few years ago I bought a tin of Samuel Gawith Chocolate Flake. I didn’t enjoy it at all, it was very bland to my palate, and after about a third or more of the bowl I just dumped it. I jarred the stuff, and just a little bit ago decided to give it another go in a new little cob I picked up recently. And…. Same thing. It tastes very, very bland to me, and I’m thinking of just dumping this bowl too.

Am I smoking it wrong? I didn’t dry it that much because I hear you get more of the chocolate flavor when it’s a bit moist, but it just doesn’t taste like much of anything to me.

Anyone else have blends that let them down like this?

I have not had the SG Chocolate Flake but I have had the GH Bobs Chocolate Flake in both Fresh and aged/dry versions. I prefer the fresh/slightly wet version because the dry/aged version was pretty bland. I’ll have to try it again but we will see.

 

[SteelyJ]

I have not had the SG Chocolate Flake but I have had the GH Bobs Chocolate Flake in both Fresh and aged/dry versions. I prefer the fresh/slightly wet version because the dry/aged version was pretty bland. I’ll have to try it again but we will see.

This one was bland to me when fresh - so I had hoped that the flavors would have melded better over time but it was still the same to me, if not even more bland. And it's all good, I have plenty of tobacco to enjoy. I guess I'm just curious to see if anyone else has a blend out there that was a disappointment to them.

 

[Zeno Marx]

Too many to name, but I don't want to be negative. The couple of matches I've tried haven't been up to snuff.

 

[Ranger107]

I was quite disappointed in the H&H balkan series. Blackhouse, White Knight, Fuseliers Ration. Don't care how many awards they may have won BSOSM they are not. Arango Balkan Supreme is better than any of them

 

[SteelyJ]

I was quite disappointed in the H&H balkan series. Blackhouse, White Knight, Fuseliers Ration. Don't care how many awards they may have won BSOSM they are not. Arango Balkan Supreme is better than any of them

Oh man - I cracked the tin of White Knight the other day and loaded up that big Savinelli EX Bulldog. And honestly - I felt like it was pretty wispy and not really what I was expecting. I was still a bit stuffed up so I will revisit once my sinuses are fully cleared - because I think I'll pick up on more nuances, but overall I felt very meh about it.

 

[ELJIMMY]

I was quite disappointed in the H&H balkan series. Blackhouse, White Knight, Fuseliers Ration. Don't care how many awards they may have won BSOSM they are not. Arango Balkan Supreme is better than any of them

If I could do it all over again, Balkan Supreme would be all I'd have in the English/Balkan genre.

 

[Balisong]

I liked the taste of Balkan Supreme but it left too much goop in my pipes. I found G&H Balkan Mixture and G. L. Pease Charring Cross to be as good and the pipes easier to clean after a smoke.

 

[JGIORD]

I kept tasting notes from way back when I was smoking regularly. There were two blends that I just couldn't smoke.

McClelland St. James Woods - smelled like ketchup but lit my mouth up very quickly
G.L. Pease Blackpoint - immediately ignited my entire mouth. I just couldn't smoke it

There must have been something in both these blends that just didn't agree with me. Sold off both tins immediately.

 

[user 2027]

Ok, not to make a super negative post, but I’m interested to hear if anyone has ever tried a tobacco they expected to like, or saw hyped up, and just didn’t care for it.

A few years ago I bought a tin of Samuel Gawith Chocolate Flake. I didn’t enjoy it at all, it was very bland to my palate, and after about a third or more of the bowl I just dumped it. I jarred the stuff, and just a little bit ago decided to give it another go in a new little cob I picked up recently. And…. Same thing. It tastes very, very bland to me, and I’m thinking of just dumping this bowl too.

Am I smoking it wrong? I didn’t dry it that much because I hear you get more of the chocolate flavor when it’s a bit moist, but it just doesn’t taste like much of anything to me.

Anyone else have blends that let them down like this?

FVF. Just plain inconsistent to spend money on.

 

[Ranger107]

Just came across this thread. Two for me. H&H White Knight and Cult Blood Red Moon. Given the reviews and hype on both, expected something wonderful but found both not to my liking.

 

[Grt]

Just came across this thread. Two for me. H&H White Knight and Cult Blood Red Moon. Given the reviews and hype on both, expected something wonderful but found both not to my liking.

I don't know how choice of pipe tobacco can be anything but a personal choice. For example, here, I love Cult Blood Red Moon. I very much enjoy the chocolate-cherry flavor even though I understand many don't Ike its sweetness. I also strongly favor the no--bite aspects because my tongue became quite sensitive to pipe smoking heat a few years ago and besides the long term pipe smoking, I don't know why. To many others, that bite means nothing. So Blood Red Moon has become my favorite pipe tobacco, as it obviously is to many others, while not finding such favor with many others. In my view that does not make it good or bad. It just us what it is, to coin a phrase and you either like.it or you don't, based on your own personal likes and dislikes when it comes to pipe tobacco.

 

[Bob D]

I bought some Gawith & Hoggarth Perique Flake (Reunion Series) a little while ago and liked it when I lit up; but it does smoke very very wet for some reason. Having now dumped quite a few half-smoked bowls of soaking wet tobacco, I shan't be buying it again. I wonder if anyone else has had a bad experience with this blend?

 

[Ol'Dawg]

PG and me! A lot of the tobacco blends, especially aromatics, have too much PG. I can't smoke them because I get a first sweet puff then I get a metallic taste then overwhelmed I can't taste anything. It still masked to see real tobacco taste. For me are the worst are Lane's, Sutcliffe, Scotty's, Watch City's, and many Stokkebye. I had a good friend that smoked Capt. Black all the time. I still have a 30 years package and try to smoke it again but nope, not me.

If anybody knows how to remove PG, I would love to smoke some aromatics without PG.

 

[Sturdy Papa 359]

Ok, not to make a super negative post, but I’m interested to hear if anyone has ever tried a tobacco they expected to like, or saw hyped up, and just didn’t care for it.

A few years ago I bought a tin of Samuel Gawith Chocolate Flake. I didn’t enjoy it at all, it was very bland to my palate, and after about a third or more of the bowl I just dumped it. I jarred the stuff, and just a little bit ago decided to give it another go in a new little cob I picked up recently. And…. Same thing. It tastes very, very bland to me, and I’m thinking of just dumping this bowl too.

Am I smoking it wrong? I didn’t dry it that much because I hear you get more of the chocolate flavor when it’s a bit moist, but it just doesn’t taste like much of anything to me.

Anyone else have blends that let them down like this?

I don’t think you‘re smoking Samuel Gawith Chocolate Flake wrong, because I thought the same thing. Very bland and no chocolate taste. Mine had a very fine ash like powder on the flakes that I couldn’t decide if it was mold or sugar crystals. I need to check the flakes with a loupe. To be honest, I’ve never been impressed with Gawith Tobacco because of the Lakeland essence.

 

[Sturdy Papa 359]

Yeah - I really don't like aromatics either. I don't mind some flavoring added to blends - but if it's labelled as an Aromatic I'm pretty sure I will not like it at all. And I hear the chocolate flake is usually liked by non-aro smokers so thought I'd like it! If I want some of those cocoa/chocolate flavors I'll just smoke Aged Burley Flake I guess.

The current ABF is more spicy than sweet. You may want to find a vintage tin for the cocoa flavor.