Maybe more of a question for codgers - but if you could have a discontinued blend, from back in the day, brought back to life exactly the same as it was - what would you choose?. For me it would be a tough choice between two old British favourites - Ogden's 'Redbreast' Flake, or Players 'Digger' Flake. OT
Galahers Latakia mix for me, thanks. Dunhill MM10 would be okay as well. Edited to add, excellent question, Ted!
I do say! But short of that, Garfinkel's Orient #11, Gallahers Rich Dark Honeydew, State Express Roundels, or even Smokers Haven Exotique would do.
I hate to even think that Smokers Haven blends are considered "discontinued". Say, while I'm here, I never got a chance to smoke the Garfinkel's, you don't suppose I could mooch some? Yes, I know bad timing on a poor joke.
And have been for quite awhile! You can mooch some but you won't get any - at least not from me. I do not, nor do I know a soul who does, possess any of that at this point in time.
Sorry to veer off the tracks, but I just want to say if it wasn't for the 20 or so (available) blends that I could smoke happily for the rest of my life, I'd be really bummed reading this post.
I had 3 tins of the Garfinkels, but they were sold on e-bay for about $90.00 apiece. Someone in California is enjoying them. I would love to see Ogdens Redbreast Flake and Godphrey Phillips Grand flake Cut.
Damn, man, Kerr would have paid 3 times that! Too bad you didn't know the sucker him before you sold it.
I miss Amphora Red most of all. Flying Dutchman bit like a rabid ferret but I liked it anyway and I miss it. I also wish I could have had an opportunity to try 3 Nuns & the original Balkan Sobranie.
I honestly thought as soon as I read the first post, Kerr will say "Sullivan & Powell's Gentlemans's Mixture". Which is probably as good as it gets.
Well, I can list a few things I would like to have tried. Balkan Sobranie, original Dunhill (or Murrays) 965, and Three Nuns. I know those are terribly obvious, but I suppose you'll have to chalk that up to my complete and total lack of experience with the standby blends of yore.
Obvious, perhaps. Good choices, absolutely. If I were making a list of 20, all three of those would be on it.
I should have said Gallahers Rich Dark Honeydew. It's dangerous to be too predictable. But yes, the SP is the best I've had. Which makes me wonder... if the recipe is so simple (and it is), why can't someone recreate it today? The only answer I can think of is that the tobacco quality has changed... not necessarily from good to less good, but from something to a different something. Then again, it contained orientals. Who knows which ones? And by the way, it was still the best when I used to buy it fresh off the rack. Aging just makes it "more best".
I am fortunate to only have been smoking a pipe for 5 years and don't have any Blasts from the pasts. I do have some favorites now that I would miss. Hopefully I will have enough warning if they ever are discontinued to stock up. I don't like to smoke old blends that you can't get anymore for the reason that if I fall in love with it I won't be upset that I can't get anymore, so thats why I don't hunt down old blends. After tasting the new Altadis ERR clone that is one I would have missed, but I like the Altadis version so Im good to go.
