Interesting Concept Regarding Tobacco Names...

[Vrbas]

This might have already been stated or follows along the lines of "blind reviews/test"... but anyways.

Too often, i think, we associate the names of tobacco with how they should taste (need i give examples?). I feel that if you have almost two identical blends in a side by side test, you'll think they taste different if they're named different.

So, what would it be like if all the names were removed from baccy and instead of, say, Trout Stream you would have "Burley 1"? Or instead of Full Virginian Flake you would have "Virginian 1"? McClelland sorta already follows this w/ their numbered series, but imagine if all the tobaccos followed suite. I believe subconsciencly our brains work to distinguish different tastes by how they are named. W/o something to associate the actual tobacco with, our brains would explode (i mean, right?).

What would it be like and do you think it would be easier or harder to pick up on the nuances of the different blends?

[lotus1972]

With a really good tobacco blend I think you can readily tell the differences. I can smoke blends heavy in Latakia and can still tell a real difference between brands. Even when the Latakia is over 50% I can pick out the oriental blends or the more English blends. When the tobacco blended is of the same type though it gets harder for me to tell. Not a big difference in PA and Carter Hall but still noticible. I stayed away from PA for over 4 years though because I thought the name and packaging was stupid so I guess Name and perception do have a place in one's perception. Put PA in a luxury tin and ship it from overseas under a different name and people would love it.

[Mad Hatter]

I'm sure it does have some effect on our perceptions. I won't buy a tobacco with a dumb name (why does "Gentleman Caller" come to mind) simply because there are enough good blends out there with good names to keep me smoking for years. I also stear clear of numbered blends with no names maybe for the same reason or maybe because numbers don't always stick with me. Anyway I do enough DGTs that I don't always know what's in my pipe but by the bottom of the bowl I usually have it figured out. Most of the blends I smoke don't really have names that carry any real connotation for me (Roll Cake, Dark Twist, Brown Flake, Silver Flake, etc) but then again I only have one or two aros that will satisfy my aro cravings for the rest of my life and that's where a lot of the fancy names come in. Aside from that, what's in a name anyway?

[Geist]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

I only have one or two aros that will satisfy my aro cravings for the rest of my life

which two would these be?

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by Geist

which two would these be?

Pete Stokkebye Vanilla Cream and Champagne

[Professor Mike]

I beleive that the name VS. our preception is purely subjective. What would you expect C&D's Crosseyed Cricket to taste like?????


Mike

[tzilt]

Well, not cricket hopefully. But I think the name is trying to conjure some fleeting feeling of old timey-ness, consarned-ness, long-in-the-toothedness, and general grizzled old bastard-ness. So its not the flavor they are trying to capture in the name, but a subset of pipesmoking demographic that enjoys those types of associations. Just a thought though.

Originally Posted by Professor Mike

I beleive that the name VS. our preception is purely subjective. What would you expect C&D's Crosseyed Cricket to taste like?????


Mike

[Professor Mike]

Originally Posted by tzilt

Well, not cricket hopefully. But I think the name is trying to conjure some fleeting feeling of old timey-ness, consarned-ness, long-in-the-toothedness, and general grizzled old bastard-ness. So its not the flavor they are trying to capture in the name, but a subset of pipesmoking demographic that enjoys those types of associations. Just a thought though.

tzilt:
Very well stated and you just described me to a "T". Still I feel its all subjective rather than definitive.

MIke