Limited Disappointment

28th September, 2011: Posted by glpease in Tobacco, Editorial

As I write this, I’m puffing on a Castello filled with one of the two limited edition blends I did for the 2011 NASPC show. It’s the eleventh year I’ve had the privilege of doing this, and it continues to be a real honor. Working with John on the concepts and creating the blends is always fun. But, it’s not without its pitfalls. When one of the blends is particularly exciting, at least to me, knowing there will only be a couple hundred tins of it can be a little vexing. I really like this one. Of course, I’ve got a few tins of the prototype, so it’s not like I won’t be able to enjoy it for a while, and save a tin or two for years to come. So, what’s the problem?

I never really crow about these, even when I think they’re something a little special, because all that can come of it is frustration. Only a few people - those who go to the show and are quick to pick up their tins before they sell out, or those willing to pay ridiculous prices on ebay - will have the opportunity to try them. And, if the past is any indication, some of those who do get tins won’t even smoke them. (A couple years ago, the stuff showed up at auction even before the show was over, ultimately selling for five times the show price. Absurd.)

There’s a sort of built-in disappointment factor in anything as limited as these ar. And, in this case, the lion’s share of that disappointment is mine. I really like this one. A lot. What keeps me from making more, or bringing the same blend out as a regular product? It just doesn’t seem right. Why not make some small changes? It wouldn’t be the same blend. Ah, there’s the rub.

I like this one a lot, exactly as it is. I wouldn’t change anything about it. It’s not that it’s the greatest blend ever created, or the richest, or the most complex, or anything like that. It’s just really good, in the way that good chocolate ice cream is really good. I have this feeling that it’s a blend I’d be slow to grow weary of, and for someone as fickle as I am, that’s quite a statement. Very few tobaccos find themselves in that category for me, either my own, or those of others. I’m just too mercurial, and I find myself envying people who can find a blend they can live with for years on end. Even my beloved Garfinkel’s Orient Express #11 couldn’t be a daily staple for me. I like to mix things up.

Of course, I could always make a batch of this for myself, and just put it away, but that really wouldn’t be much fun. The best things in life are better when shared.

Fortunately, I’ve really been enjoying Lagonda, too, and it is not limited. But, it’s just not the same thing… See? Fickle.

-glp