Tinder Box Special

It's not a lat-bomb, but it does have a smoky, woody Cyprian latakia presence in an important support role. The dry, woody Turkish is hardly noticable. The Virginia is slightly citrusy with some grass notes, and a hint of earthiness. It forms the base of the blend. The slightly sweet topping is minimal. Has a mild nic-hit. Won't bite. Burns fairly cool at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor, though it lacks depth. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl, and needs an average number of relights. Has a decent after taste. Can be an all day smoke. More a two and a half star mixture.

-JimInks

This should be something I like more than I do. I bought 8 oz of it two years ago, and it is almost gone. It had to be the dampest tobacco I have ever bought, and it was also the slowest drying.

To my palate this was a latakia forward nondescript blend with a Virginia base and some burley to give it some body. I am a fan of orientals and did not find them in the flavor profile.

It is OK, and I can smoke it. I think there are many better choices that come at a better price point and don't have you paying for quite so much water.

Ed Kolpin invented Special over 50 years ago. It is blended at the Santa Monica store in an old cement mixer they have in the back. Most of the older blends are still hand blended at the Santa Monica store. The other Tinder Boxes carry completely different mixtures which do a disservice to these legendary American Mixtures. Special has slightly changed throughout the years. In the 90's it had some chunk cut burley in it and they had to change the mixture and a different burley is used. i have noticed there is some cube cut burley in there. It is virginia based and has a light amount of latakia and a pinch of deer tongue. It is a classic American mixture which should only be purchased at the original Tinder-Box if you want to smoke the real deal. As the story goes James Whitmore was at a film shoot in Tucson, Arizona when filming ran over. He went to a local TB and purchased 2 lbs of Special. After he struck a match to it he immediately tossed it in the trash and called the Santa Monica store to order the original Special. James Whitmore smoked Special for 50 years...nuff said.

I went to the original Tinder Box on Wilshire, as it had been recommended over the Tinder Box chain's Special blend and boy, what a disappointment this was (along with my experience there). I walked in to what resembles a very quaint pipe museum of sorts (and if for nothing else, you should go to check it out for the history), where I was "greeted" (in the form of silence--I was the only one in the store) by a "Mr. B." (getting his name even was like pulling teeth) who acted as if my presence there was a complete nuisance. After politely asking for a few blends (all with little or no response from him) and having to endure condescending answers and snide remarks, "Mr B." made his "recommendations:" Margate (which tastes like the bottom of an ashtray), Tinderbox's Virginia (which tasted like the cardboard box an ashtray comes in) and this dried out weed which tastes like flat air that has been boiled and thrown in a dryer. It's a shame this guy even works there as the place itself is pretty neat and it's a shame their blends are just...bland. Really wanted to like this place and their tobacco but I just can't bring myself to go back as I wouldn't recommend either.

I found Special to be similar to a couple of HOW blends such as Barking Dog and Country Doctor. Latakia flavor but very light in presentation along with a very discreet sweetner. Since Lane takes care of the Tinderbox house blends I am wondering if this blend is sold at other shops around the country with a different name?

Burns easily and never bites. A sweet English (just barely), that can be enjoyed without caution.

There seems to be some confusion about this tobacco and I can see why. The brand I smoke comes from Ed's Original Tinderbox, on Whilshire in Santa Monica. This brand is excellent, it is a high bred American English, and it does contain deer tongue, I asked the boys there. It's a smooth, creamy, delightful smoke, 4 stars and one of my favorites. The Tinderbox Special sold at the Tinderbox chain stores, which Ed Klopin started, is a different animal. The guys at the Whilshire Tinderbox told a story about James Whitmore, who used to get his Special from there, when he was on location for a film in Arizona. He went to an Arizona Tinderbox, bought a can of Special, smoked one bowl and threw it away. He was on the phone to the Whilshire store and ordered a pound can of the "Real" Special and was a happy camper. Bing Crosby also smoked the real stuff.

I tried an ounce of the chain Tinderbox Special, and it is really nothing special. Can't say it's bad either. It is simply a very mild English mix and that might be your "cup of tea". To me, it just lacks the unique flavor and fullness of what I call "the real" Special. What is missing the slight vanilla flavor, nutty after taste and room note the deer tongue adds to the mix. It just has a totally different flavor. It's like ordering a Coca Cola, and getting a generic grocery store brand instead or better yet, since the real Special has a buttery taste, getting margarine instead of butter.

As one who remembers well the "Special" of three decades ago, I simply have to ask, "Why?" "Why mess with a classic?

When I fisrt discovered Tinder Box tobaccos in 1976, I was drawn by personal preference to three of their bleneds....Philosopher, Conniseuer, and Special. But I was young then, and those blends were what they were intended to be. My favorite was Conniseur...because it combined my two favorite tobaccos, Latakia and Burley. but Special had the added attraction of Deertongue. A friend of mine bought Special and added a bit of Latakia. 'Twas very heaven!

Anyone who is condemned to judge Deertongue by C&D's "Crooner" is to be pittied. Judicially applied, that rare herb is magnificient; added carelessly, it will burn your mouth out!

I do not know if any old "Special"exists...but if not...it was magnificent. As for the current iteration...it is torerable.

I stopped by the Santa Monica Tinderbox to pick up a few blending components in the hopes of evening out some of my less favorite on hand blends. When requesting a couple ounces of cube cut Burley, the shop attendant and myself began discussing C&D's Crooner, the infamous Bing Crosby Burley and Deer Tongue mixture.

The attendant informed me that this particular Tinderbox (aka Ed's Pipe Shop) served as Bing's home store, and had blended this "Special" mixture especially for him, promptly pointing to a very large, framed photograph of Bing holding an eight ounce can of tobacco emblazoned with the Ed's Pipe Shop logo. He went on to claim that the blend consists of a tiny addition of Deer Tongue, far more reserved than Crooner, and then he provided a two ounce sample.

Now, I haven't noticed any Deer Tongue, and I would even doubt that this contains any of the stuff--it's exceptionally apparent with a very distinct taste-- but regardless, this is a fantastic blend. And I must also say that I wouldn't be surprised if the shop attendant had confused this with some other house blend.

But what a ride. Such a diverse flavor that I would go so far as to say transcends any typical classification. Original, and indeed, special. In my book, anyway. It flies in the face of what I've come to expect of the Tinderbox.

In the 1970s, as a kid, I was a frequent visitor to the Tinderbox in Fresno, California, where I grew up. My dad was an avid pipe smoker and loved Tinderbox blends and I always went with him when he bought his tobaccos. Sadly there are no Tinderbox stores near me any longer. On a recent visit to Palm Springs, I visited the Tinderbox store there. They have a very nice selection of their many house blends. Special Blend is a mild, slightly sweet, English blend (almost a crossover blend). It has quite a bit of that Virginia sweetness and tanginess (faintly reminds me of the old McClelland Virginia flavor) and a light woody/smoky Latakia undertone. The Orientals are light and in the background. It is easy to light and burns clean and dry to the bottom of the bowl. Hardly any nicotine. I highly recommend this blend to folks who like light Virginia forward English tobaccos, or even English/Aromatic crossovers, or who want to dip their toes into the Latakia pool. A very nice tobacco from an iconic old tobacconist.

A great smoke that lets you know you have a Latakia presence without being submerged in the stuff. Very pleasant Tinder Box offering....one of their oldest blends. A person could have their cake (Latakia), and eat it too (no Lat-Bomb). Nice after smoke aroma travels through the room. Burns well all the way to the bottom of the bowl. A winner!