Why buy from WLT?

[deluxestogie]

I recently bought a can of Rattray’s Black Virginia, and I can’t get it to dry out.

Rattray's was never like that, until the production moved out of the UK. During the 1970s, one of my favorite tobaccos was Rattray's Black Mallory. I bought a can within the past decade (can't quite remember) that was nearly unsmokable, because of its casing. I find it heartbreaking to discover these widely accepted "improvements" to old favorites. Fortunately, I can come quite close to many of those classic blends with whole leaf tobacco from WLT, and absolutely no casing.

For your current Black Virginia, try spreading the entire can onto a cookie sheet, and warming (just warming) it in a toaster oven at the lowest setting, until it is dry. Mist with water afterwards, if needed.

Bob

 

[Snowblithe]

New wrapper day! This is part of my Christmas present to myself. The corona wrapper is even prettier in person. The other is San Andreas.
Edit: I got excited and posted this in the wrong thread... I mean... buy from WLT because of these lovely wrappers...

 

[stuart1]

Nice stoogies and great thread, learning lots. What is it about PG that means it can add moisture but not cause mould to grow or the tobacco to rot? Also what is the rationale for storing dry vs some moisture to allow to age? Seems like working with much less moisture than in commercial blends is the way to go from you’ve all said above. Any further info gratefully received Thanks

 

[deluxestogie]

Propylene glycol inhibits mold growth. It is also hygroscopic.

Bob

 

[Indianapiper]

Rattray's was never like that, until the production moved out of the UK. During the 1970s, one of my favorite tobaccos was Rattray's Black Mallory. I bought a can within the past decade (can't quite remember) that was nearly unsmokable, because of its casing. I find it heartbreaking to discover these widely accepted "improvements" to old favorites. Fortunately, I can come quite close to many of those classic blends with whole leaf tobacco from WLT, and absolutely no casing.

For your current Black Virginia, try spreading the entire can onto a cookie sheet, and warming (just warming) it in a toaster oven at the lowest setting, until it is dry. Mist with water afterwards, if needed.

Bob

Hey Bob you talk about casing making it unsmokable,are you sure it’s not the toppings making it unsmokable? After reading many of the blogs on pipe magazine especially from Russ, there appears to be a significant difference between casing and the toppings that one applies on the finished product, one is much more densely applied than the other. I know every tobacco commercially in a tin is cased and topped, which can make something quite goopy.

 

[deluxestogie]

Sorry, I don't really follow the commercial pipe tobacco buzz. The only difference between casing and topping, in terms of definition, is that the latter is added at the end of the factory manipulation process.

Bob

 

[Indianapiper]

Sorry, I don't really follow the commercial pipe tobacco buzz. The only difference between casing and topping, in terms of definition, is that the latter is added at the end of the factory manipulation process.

Bob

Give me a bit and I’ll find the link. But from what I read on Russes article casings are supposed to be super lightly applied and toppings are heavily applied. He said that you’re not even supposed to notice a properly applied casing.

Edit to add. Here is the Article by Master Blender Russ Ouellette. A Tale of Two Syrups – Casings and Top Dressings | PipesMagazine.com

 

[logs]

I know every tobacco commercially in a tin is cased and topped, which can make something quite goopy.

This is not entirely true. There are many commercial blends that aren't topped, mostly non-aros. There are also commercial blends that are uncased, although this is rarer. Some of the GL Pease blends and some C&D blends are known for being uncased. I imagine there are a few others out there. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the D&R blends go uncased--but this is just a guess.

 

[Indianapiper]

This is not entirely true. There are many commercial blends that aren't topped, mostly non-aros. There are also commercial blends that are uncased, although this is rarer. Some of the GL Pease blends and some C&D blends are known for being uncased. I imagine there are a few others out there. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the D&R blends go uncased--but this is just a guess.

I didn't know that about Gl Pease and C&D, might explain why I like their english blends so much. Westminster is great, need to try gas light and charring cross. I have not had D&R but I have heard their blends come very dry, at least according to the reviews on Tobaccoreviews.

 

[Amberbeth84]

The D&R blends I've had do come very dry. Their blends have been the only ones I've smoked so far that don't need any drying down before smoking.

 

[logs]

I didn't know that about Gl Pease and C&D, might explain why I like their english blends so much. Westminster is great, need to try gas light and charring cross. I have not had D&R but I have heard their blends come very dry, at least according to the reviews on Tobaccoreviews.

I agree Westminster is a classic. Give BlackPoint a try as well.
Stratford and Union Square are the two GL Pease blends that are uncased/untopped that I know of. But even the ones with obvious casing or topping still manage to avoid goopy.

 

[Jb00]

I agree Westminster is a classic. Give BlackPoint a try as well.
Stratford and Union Square are the two GL Pease blends that are uncased/untopped that I know of. But even the ones with obvious casing or topping still manage to avoid goopy.

I think most blends by C&D have some sort of ingredient added to prevent mold, but they definitely don’t use as much as brands like Rattray, Esoterica or some of Mac Baren blends.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I watched that video from C&D (I think) and the topping vs casing thing is semantics which were applied, in my opinion, in order to differentiate minute adjustments such as acidity level, sugar level, moisture level, and minor standardizational flavor changes—all casing—from obvious flavour adjustments—topping.

Either way, they're adding something, but at the casing-only level they can contrive to say the tobacco is unflavored, even though it has had things added which alter it from its natural state that indeed are noticeable.

Edit: So the casing topping debate is essentially corporate newspeak meant to dissuade criticism of additives.

 

[deluxestogie]

Every public-facing utterance from commercial manufacturers (of anything) is advertising. Advertising may or may not be candid. But it is always aimed at promotion.

Bob

 

[Indianapiper]

I watched that video from C&D (I think) and the topping vs casing thing is semantics which were applied, in my opinion, in order to differentiate minute adjustments such as acidity level, sugar level, moisture level, and minor standardizational flavor changes—all casing—from obvious flavour adjustments—topping.

Either way, they're adding something, but at the casing-only level they can contrive to say the tobacco is unflavored, even though it has had things added which alter it from its natural state that indeed are noticeable.

Edit: So the casing topping debate is essentially corporate newspeak meant to dissuade criticism of additives.

Edit to add I removed a confrontational sentence that was not needed didn’t mean to come off like a butt.

I see nothing in the article I linked or any other article I read the suggested it’s any kind of news speak as you say.

Is it so wrong that they want to standardize their unflavored and flavored products? I mean I’ve heard of things like Burley being bitter until it’s been cased and then the negative bitterness goes away and you’re left with the base flavors minus the bitterness.

 

[Indianapiper]

Every public-facing utterance from commercial manufacturers (of anything) is advertising. Advertising may or may not be candid. But it is always aimed at promotion.

Bob

Besides mold growth inhibiting, casings were added to correct flaws in leaf. If those flowers didn’t exist they would need to case them. So why is Leaf from WLT superior in that regard? What about that leaf makes it free from the flaws that forces the commercial manufacturers to case them in the first place?

i’m not calling into question the quality of WLT, I’m just trying to understand what the manufacturing process difference is between the two types of energies that makes WLT superior and free of the defects that forces them to case it.

 

[deluxestogie]

Marketing is about differentiation.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Good reasons for casing include making each batch taste the same, & making sure it doesn't mold. I wouldn't say it's necessarily about hiding quality issues in the tobacco, although it might give them a bit of wiggle room in acquiring suitable leaf which is totally fair.

I was referring to a video that was shared in a different forum where a tobacco blender explains the difference between casing and topping.

I'm personally not against additives in commercial tobacco because I expect consistency, and non-moldy and properly hydrated tobacco if I do buy it.

It's newspeak because the word case has been used exclusively for over 300 years to refer to conditioning the moisture level of tobacco. Then, recently it became redefined as also including adjustments to other qualities.

 

[Indianapiper]

Marketing is about differentiation.

Bob

That is true, but what about the leaf itself? What sets wlt uncased apart from commercial leaf? Why does commercial have defects that need covered up with casing and wlt and homegrown does not??

 

[Indianapiper]

Good reasons for casing include making each batch taste the same, & making sure it doesn't mold. I wouldn't say it's necessarily about hiding quality issues in the tobacco, although it might give them a bit of wiggle room in acquiring suitable leaf which is totally fair.

I was referring to a video that was shared in a different forum where a tobacco blender explains the difference between casing and topping.

I'm personally not against additives in commercial tobacco because I expect consistency, and non-moldy and properly hydrated tobacco if I do buy it.

It's newspeak because the word case has been used exclusively for over 300 years to refer to conditioning the moisture level of tobacco. Then, recently it became redefined as also including adjustments to other qualities.

View attachment 35089

Now that is interesting China, I didn’t know that the word case went back to the 1600s and only usually referred to the moisture content that is fascinating thank you for sharing that.