Plum Pudding & SR question

Triglide · Thu May 16, 2019 10:47 am

This week I bought a tin of Plum Pudding and a 4 oz plug of the Special Reserve. I had an open tin of PP that was around 2 1/2 years old that I’d had in a ziplock bag. It had dried a fair bit, but I smoked it last week and it was great. Thus the reorder. However, something may be wrong or I just don’t know the right thing to do. First upon opening the tins there was almost no aroma from either one. I tried some of each and I didn’t get much taste at all. I even rubbed some of each and let it dry several hours with no improvement. I cut the special reserve up and jarred it as well as the regular. So I’m mystified. Did I get bad batches or do I need to open the jars for a time so it can dry out, or what? I’ve smoked a pipe for over fifty years and I’ve not ran into this before. BTW, I’ve tried different well broken in pipes and with the same results. This is likely dumb of me to ask, but any advice is appreciated.

Middle Earth · Thu May 16, 2019 11:40 am

I have only had the Special Reserve
So far no problem like you describe
Entirely possible you got a bad batch
A call to P&C might clarify this issue

Thu May 16, 2019 11:44 am

Triglide wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 10:47 am This week I bought a tin of Plum Pudding and a 4 oz plug of the Special Reserve. I had an open tin of PP that was around 2 1/2 years old that I’d had in a ziplock bag. It had dried a fair bit, but I smoked it last week and it was great. Thus the reorder. However, something may be wrong or I just don’t know the right thing to do. First upon opening the tins there was almost no aroma from either one. I tried some of each and I didn’t get much taste at all. I even rubbed some of each and let it dry several hours with no improvement. I cut the special reserve up and jarred it as well as the regular. So I’m mystified. Did I get bad batches or do I need to open the jars for a time so it can dry out, or what? I’ve smoked a pipe for over fifty years and I’ve not ran into this before. BTW, I’ve tried different well broken in pipes and with the same results. This is likely dumb of me to ask, but any advice is appreciated.

I am not familiar with Plum Pudding or Special Reserve. I can believe that the age and the state o' hydration had something to do with the difference in taste, but the question is "how much?" There are variations in batches of leaf from year to year as well, and so maybe that was a factor.

So I guess this is a qualified "dunno." That is probably not much help.

Welcome to the forum BTW!

Houtenziel · Thu May 16, 2019 11:51 am

I wonder if it's possible that the older tins you had were the early ones made by McClelland. Sutliff took over production and has been making them ever since, so perhaps you are just noticing the change in components? This thread seems familiar..

Middle Earth · Thu May 16, 2019 12:28 pm

McCelland never made the Special Reserve

Triglide · Fri May 17, 2019 7:53 am

Thanks to all. The moisture content seems okay, I get hardly any water in my pipes. I tried a bowl of the regular plum pudding this morning and there was some taste to it. Im going to leave the jars open for a day and then close them back up and test the tobacco now and then.
As disappointing as these two are luckily my other purchase was very good. I tried some Pease Quiet Nights. I like it a lot, enough to order some more.
Thanks again.

Triglide · Fri May 17, 2019 4:25 pm

Who actually makes these two tobaccos?

Mr Beardsley · Fri May 17, 2019 4:29 pm

Triglide wrote: ↑Fri May 17, 2019 4:25 pm Who actually makes these two tobaccos?

Sutliff does the manufacturing

Triglide · Fri May 17, 2019 4:42 pm

Thanks.

kxg · Fri May 24, 2019 9:23 pm

FWIW: Last week I opened a tin of Plum Pudding Special Reserve that I bought last November. It was just fine. In fact, it was sublime. Plenty of that Plum Pudding smell and smoking goodness. And, better than the standard Plum Pudding.