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Welcome to Codger Country, the series where we'll be smoking every Codger blend — commonly found over-the-counter tobacco blends — we can find and ranking them in an effort to find the "definitive" Codger blend. From Carter Hall to Captain Black, we're giving them all a fair shake. Today, we're smoking a vintage Codger: Flying Dutchman, and as the tin says, it's a "legendary mixture."
Originally produced by Koninklijke Theodorus Niemeyer BV, Flying Dutchman would eventually be sold off to Orlik and produced in Denmark until it was discontinued around 2013/2014. I would love to tell you that this tin is from the '70s or some such but this is most likely from around 2000, though I have a hard time providing the exact date. I found this tin at an estate sale, remarkably still sealed and priced for a few dollars. Whether that was a blessing or a curse is to be determined. I can't find a lot on the history of Flying Dutchman, which means it's time to see if Flying Dutchman is a sailor's delight or will drag me to the depths of Davey Jones' locker.
Initial Impressions
Cracking open this tin feels like breaking the seal of an Egyptian Tomb, though instead of the smell of mustiness and death, it's very jammy with subtle notes of vanilla and anise. The tobacco is firm so you have to pinch it apart but it's not dry and brittle. It's not exactly moist, but it's perfectly smokeable. It's easy to pack into my Cobbit, and takes to flame easily.
Something of note about Flying Dutchman is that it has a lot more going on components-wise than most of the Codgers I've smoked so far. It's a blend made with Burley, Cavendish, Orientals, and Virginias. There's definitely a peaty taste to Dutchman, but there's also some notes of honey, vanilla, and licorice. As the bowl continues, a lot of baking spices start to emerge. I find a lot of codgers to be very sweet, but Dutchman strikes a pretty good balance.
As others before me have mentioned, this Codger burns fast and hot. If you are a fast puffing smoker, you are going to have a bad time (I learned that lesson the hard way). You need to slow down and take your time, which lends itself to be a good nightcap, in my opinion. The Burley starts to offer some wood notes toward the end, along with some hay from the Virginias. I'm shocked by how much this blend evolves through the bowl. By the end, I'm left with a hot pipe with little to no dottle.
Is It Worth Trying?
If the stars aligned under a blood moon at midnight on the 32nd of October with a flock of pigs flying over, then I would say go forth and seek a tin of Flying Dutchman to add to your collection. That said, I did enjoy this. I'm thankful for fate smiling upon me to give me this chance for a piece of smokeable history. Past reviews tend to make comments that the pouch and 14oz format were apparently a lot less kind in terms of cellaring, so if you had to go in search of the Dutchman, I would say don't settle for anything less than the tin.
There's also consideration of this being aged for 20+ years. I'm sure some folks who smoked Dutchman when it was in regular production can provide some insight on how it was to smoke with less age in the comments below. Overall, I've enjoyed Flying Dutchman. I've burned through half the tin already and will gladly smoke the second half later. As you might imagine, you will not find Flying Dutchman here. Until our R&D division finishes work on the time machine, we're gonna be out of stock.
Have you smoked Flying Dutchman? What were your thoughts? Do you miss it? Let me know in the comments below, and come back next time as we look at another discontinued blend that looks to be the perfect match for Flying Dutchman.
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Comments
I remember Flying Dutchman fondly. Those round light blue and dark blue tins. I cut my pipe smoking teeth on this blend in the 1970’s.
You are correct in that it was around in the 1970’s. It was also fine spun cut so it burned fairly quickly. Those were the Sail, Troost, Amphora, and Flying Dutchman days.
So did I my pipe smoking enthusiast. It was in fact my very first pipe tobacco purchased along with a nice basket pipe from the original Smoker's Haven Columbus ohio in September 1968. Relax...smoke a pipe.
Hotter then a firecro
Still have the better part of a 14 0z can harking back to over 3 d4cades ago.kind of strong but that's not to knock it.i like it in its proper dose like once in a great while.vividly remember same brand had a tropical blend plus a black Cavendish that was ribbon cut.j7st sweet enough didn't seem like glorified cansy.was very dismayed when those were discontinued
FD was the first tobacco I truly loved. Smoked a lot of it back in the day, and a FD magazine ad was responsible for me seeking out and acquiring my first Danish-shape pipe. Not sure it would work for me today as I'm an outdoors and activity smoker; I'd probably have a hard time with the fine cut and potential hot smoke. But do I miss it? Yeah.
Time to try Sutliff Match blend and compare it to dutchman for all the Codgers out here please.
Flying Dutchman has me puzzled. What I recall from the early 1970s was a pretty homogenous appearing blend. It was finely cut -- almost a shag -- with a light, uniform color and great tin aroma. It did smoke hot.
The appearance and tin smell of this blend from later years seems altogether different to me. The cut is coarser and the blend is darker -- mottled with the different tobaccos being obvious. Did the blend change considerably over the years? Or am I completely nuts?
Nothing much to add here- my experience with FD has been referenced here already. I buried an almost full tin if this in my Igloodor and forgot about it for 20 years. I recently purchased a C Martin Briar Cigar and decided to give the FD another chance. Early results are favorable- better than I remember.
Can you buy the Codger Country Flying Dutchman original? If so where?
Thanks