Blenders and "Blenders"

[atllogix]

Can we get some input because its a bit confusing the way we use it.

So if I choose a cigar I like and put my band on it that makes me a blender. Or I tell a master blender I want this cigar to taste like this and be this strong, that makes me a blender??

If I go to the bakery and tell them I want a cake baked with these features, does that make a baker or confectioner or whatever. If I take my car to the service center and tell them I need my oil change with a certain type of oil does it make me a mechanic?

Confused???

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[A Huge Nerd]

The answer to your question is 37.

 

[firespec35]

Well Im still new to this stuff but the way I see it is even if a blender doesnt physically touch the leaves, he still test smokes different iterations and depending on his level of involvement or expertise he will either say I want more of this and less of this or he can say use less of this leaf and more of this one and then test smoke another till he has it right where he wants it. Then he has input in the blend and that makes him a blender. If someone walks into Don Pepin Garcia's factory and says i want a cigar with my name on it and has no input in the blend then I dont think they have the right to call themselves a blender.

 

[atllogix]

Well Im still new to this stuff but the way I see it is even if a blender doesnt physically touch the leaves, he still test smokes different iterations and depending on his level of involvement or expertise he will either say I want more of this and less of this or he can say use less of this leaf and more of this one and then test smoke another till he has it right where he wants it. Then he has input in the blend and that makes him a blender. If someone walks into Don Pepin Garcia's factory and says i want a cigar with my name on it and has no input in the blend then I dont think they have the right to call themselves a blender.

Well even then at the DPG factory if they do have input. I think if were gonna call everyone a blender then maybe we should have another word for the actual blender.

I smoke many cigars, as we all do, and sometimes I think this would be better if it had more of this or less of that or maybe in a different vitola the blend would be better...does this make me a blender not in practice.

It just all seems fake, unless I'm missing something here.

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[bigbill72]

Well even then at the DPG factory if they do have input. I think if were gonna call everyone a blender then maybe we should have another word for the actual blender.

I smoke many cigars, as we all do, and sometimes I think this would be better if it had more of this or less of that or maybe in a different vitola the blend would be better...does this make me a blender not in practice.

It just all seems fake, unless I'm missing something here.

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Chill your a blender.

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[Anthony_Joseph]

If I was going to be a "blender" i would want to learn the science on growing, harvesting and processing the tobacco. I think at that point I would consider myself a "blender." The example you gave sounds more like a taste tester with influential input. By that definition, we are all blenders.

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[daleo8803]

If I was going to be a "blender" i would want to learn the science on growing, harvesting and processing the tobacco. I think at that point I would consider myself a "blender." The example you gave sounds more like a taste tester with influential input. By that definition, we are all blenders.

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I agree. Is someone just says I want the stick to taste like this but has nothing to do with the blending itself they are just a taste tester. IMO a blender is someone who understands tobacco in all its forms and KNOWS what they do together. IMO.

 

[bigbill72]

If I was going to be a "blender" i would want to learn the science on growing, harvesting and processing the tobacco. I think at that point I would consider myself a "blender." The example you gave sounds more like a taste tester with influential input. By that definition, we are all blenders.

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[ChefBoyRG54]

It's easier to be a customer. Or "customer"

 

[Stogie_Bear]

Dude. A blender is a blender. Only a blender can be a blender. All the guys that think they are blenders and are not really blending are not blenders.

There. I think that clears it up.

 

[Anthony_Joseph]

View attachment 78287

Original.

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[StogieJim]

I think you are confusing this task with the rollers. Just because a guy/gal isn't rolling the actual stick, doesn't mean they aren't a blender. It's like an executive chef. They create the menu, the line cooks cook it. A blender will create a blend through trial and error (he'll think of a formula and a roller will create it, then tweak flavor profile as needed). So in essence, the blender is the executive chef and the rollers are the line cooks.

@ssaka would be able to answer this WAY better than us "regular" guys.

 

[LBuzzer]

Can we get some input because its a bit confusing the way we use it.

So if I choose a cigar I like and put my band on it that makes me a blender. Or I tell a master blender I want this cigar to taste like this and be this strong, that makes me a blender??

Sounds to me like that only makes you a "Gringo with cash" That's all the input I have.

 

[Tobacco Giant]

So I guess the real question is...who has offended you by calling themselves a blender?

 

[Happy Idiot]

No no. You guyd nesn torreodores

 

[Rupe]

When I attended the DE cigar Safari a couple of years ago we received a crash course in the leaves and their properties from JD. We also learned more specific information about the wrappers, binders and fillers as well how they work together to form the "blend". I then devised my own blend and instructed them roll it in a 44 x 7 format with a pigtail cap similar to the Feral Flying pig. My blend included the following:

Filler: Nicaraguan
1/2 leaf- Seco Jalapa Criollo '98
1/2 leaf - Viso Drew Estate Jalapa
1/2 leaf - Viso Jalapa C '98
1 leaf - Viso Condega
1/2 leaf Ligero Ometepe
Binder: U.S. CT Habano
Wrapper: Brazillian Mata Fina

Had I just said that I wanted a "creamy cigar with notes of charred meat and cedar" I don't think that I would be considered to be a blender, rather just some guy that has an idea of what he likes. Having actually come up with the "blend" however I'm guessing that would make me an amateur blender.(even though I didn't actually roll the cigars).

Back to the cooking analogy, IMO the blender would be the person that actually comes up with the recipe rather than the person that mixes the ingredients and/or bakes the cake.

 

[sean]

When I attended the DE cigar Safari a couple of years ago we received a crash course in the leaves and their properties from JD. We learned about the properties of the wrappers, binders and fillers as well how they work together to form the "blend". I then devised my own blend and instructed them roll it in a 44 x 7 format with a pigtail cap similar to the Feral Flying pig. My blend included the following:

Filler: Nicaraguan
1/2 leaf- Seco Jalapa Criollo '98
1/2 leaf - Viso Drew Estate Jalapa
1/2 leaf - Viso Jalapa C '98
1 leaf - Viso Condega
1/2 leaf Ligero Ometepe
Binder: U.S. CT Habano
Wrapper: Brazillian Mata Fina

Had I just said that I wanted a "creamy cigar with notes of charred meat and cedar" I don't think that I would be considered to be a blender, rather just some guy that has an idea of what he likes. Having actually come up with the "blend" however I'm guessing that would make me an amateur blender.(even though I didn't actually roll the cigars).

Back to the cooking analogy, IMO the blender would be the person that actually comes up with the recipe rather than the person that mixes the ingredients and/or bakes the cake.

Rupe, for the win.

 

[3/5King]

It's simple to know what a blender is and does and how he does it. That question has a very simple answer; The blender is the person who picks out and combines the leaves to create the blend.

Who is actually blending the cigars you smoke might take a little research but I'm sure the answer can be found.

There are a lot of guys who probably request a certain blend, have in depth knowledge of tobacco and make the final decision on whether it's going to market or not but they themselves would not be the blender. Although they are the ones deciding the blends that you get to smoke.

 

[problemsolverjc]

When this question comes up, I can't help but think of conversations with @JonHuber. While Jon is incredibly proud of his brands, he is quick to point out that he isn't the master blender behind them. That Ernesto and Jaime are the real blenders behind the Crowned Heads products. That doesn't mean that Jon doesn't come up with the blend concept, what he's trying to accomplish with the blend, pick the final blend that will be used, etc.

I think often people confuse a "brand owner" or "owner of a company" with a blender. To blend a good cigar, to really blend it from the leaves on up, takes a real skill and talent. Knowing how to make that "medium strength, but full flavor smoke with a profile of XYZ takes a different level of knowledge and skill.

We have over a hundred exclusives at Famous, and I've been lucky enough to be part of some of our recent releases. I've helped pick the profile, sample the test blends, recommend changes, picked names, etc. On a project we are working on now, I actually came up with the wrapper, binder and filler components that will be used. But knowing which priming to use to get the right profile, the amount of each leaf, the crop of leaves, how they are aged, etc is all done by people much more skilled then me. They are the blenders at our partner factories and companies IMHO.

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[Hoshneer]

If you picked out the leaves and ratios you are probably a blender. If you've done it for 20 years under a super master blender, you're probably a master blender lvl 24 with - 2 resistance to flame.