Etiquette made up by a man who sold cigars for living...
Smoke em all the way down here, no wasting, especially when some cigars change significantly in the final third
Sticks vs. Bowls
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Etiquette made up by a man who sold cigars for living...
Smoke em all the way down here, no wasting, especially when some cigars change significantly in the final third
Love the slurry!
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- #24
Ok so I bought a pipe and some Mac Baren Navy Flake today. (yeah, yeah, yeah, I should start with aromatics, blah, blah
)
And I bought a cheap briar non-branded italian pipe at a B&M as I could simply not take myself seriously smoking a corn cob pipe. No offense, I know they seem to be popular, but I just can't do it, my ego won't fit in a corn cob pipe apparently.
I'll let you guys know my experience on the dark side.
)And I bought a cheap briar non-branded italian pipe at a B&M as I could simply not take myself seriously smoking a corn cob pipe. No offense, I know they seem to be popular, but I just can't do it, my ego won't fit in a corn cob pipe apparently.
I'll let you guys know my experience on the dark side.
The navy flake is an excellent, mild side of medium smoke, It is very lightly aromatic but not so much that it gets classified as such. I think it is a fantastic choice to begin with as it burns very well, crumbles and stuffs easily, and has a pleasant room note. I never recommend the Cavendish aromatics for someone to start with. I find many to be goopy, biting messes with little flavor or satisfaction. There are several exceptions of course, but it often takes a little familiarity with the various blending houses to find 'em.
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- #26
Thanks for the vote of confidence on my first tobacco choice. As an anal retentive, I searched obsessively on http://www.tobaccoreviews.combefore purchasing. I haven't smoked it yet, I will today, but I opened the tin and MAN did that smell wonderful. I know from what I've read that tobacco doesn't always taste as it smells, but that was certainly a wonderful experience nonetheless.
I smoke my tobacco out of a pipe...when I run out of rolling papers. Though, one thing that I'm really wanting to try is dokha. Apparently, there's a fellow that sells it online, along with the type of pipe that is traditionally used for it called a medwakh. 'Course, I'm a total nicotine fiend, and enjoy my tobacco in all its many forms, including snuff, cigarettes, pipes, snus (the real Swedish kind, not that candy-flavored Camel garbage...IMO, its right up there with canned shaving cream...YUK), and the occasional U.S. moist snuff and Red Man chewing tobacco. Anyone else try any of these other varieties? I could go on all day about snuff 'n snus, though.
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- #28
First bowl of Mac Baren. Well I have to say that it wasn't quite that successful, I did keep the bowl lit intermittently for ten minutes at a clip. I REALLY enjoy the smoke though. Much better than any cigar I have had to this point. Well, I guess I am a pipe smoker then.
I tried packing the bowl 1/3 of the way (it's not seasoned yet) in order to build up some cake. So in order to do this, I split a flake in half and tried it out like that. It worked, but not very well. But I am sure that I will eventually get the hang of this and likely the pipe will smoke better once it's seasoned and has some cake built up. All in all a very pleasant experience.
Despite the amused glances from some cigar smokers who were smoking with me.
My impressions were somewhat accurate sticks vs. bowls. Cigars have a certain peppery taste to them that (at least for the one tobacco I tried) didn't have. Definitely going to smoke another bowl this weekend.
I tried packing the bowl 1/3 of the way (it's not seasoned yet) in order to build up some cake. So in order to do this, I split a flake in half and tried it out like that. It worked, but not very well. But I am sure that I will eventually get the hang of this and likely the pipe will smoke better once it's seasoned and has some cake built up. All in all a very pleasant experience.
Despite the amused glances from some cigar smokers who were smoking with me.
My impressions were somewhat accurate sticks vs. bowls. Cigars have a certain peppery taste to them that (at least for the one tobacco I tried) didn't have. Definitely going to smoke another bowl this weekend.
I use the "two finger" rule for cigars; generally smoke down to two finger widths, so not the 'nub", but certainly more than half way. Of course I do break this rule for particularly bad, or good (roach clip?), cigars. I don't know where the "etiquette" of putting them out at the halfway point came from, but I've been smoking for decades, and hadn't heard of it. It would not only waste money, and the second half of a cigar can take on an entirely different character, often better.
The easy answer is to smoke smaller cigars, but I do understand how different sizes of the same cigar can taste different.
Pipes are a different beast, and they require a learning curve, and a bit more patience. I'm relatively new to pipes, but am enjoying the world of flavorful blends available to me. Plus, if you want a shorter smoke, you can use a smaller bowl (or put less in).
The easy answer is to smoke smaller cigars, but I do understand how different sizes of the same cigar can taste different.
Pipes are a different beast, and they require a learning curve, and a bit more patience. I'm relatively new to pipes, but am enjoying the world of flavorful blends available to me. Plus, if you want a shorter smoke, you can use a smaller bowl (or put less in).
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I smoke Rothschild sized cigars. Five inches of perfect goodness for a quick smoke. I usually smoke my pipe at work, when I feel the need for a break.
+1 ... the Short Story is one of my favorites, when I can find one. I think of it as a "Car Cigar," a good smoke that won't get in your way when you're driving.
Other good cigars that come in at under 30 minutes are the Fonseca 2-2, Macanudo Caviar, and Macanudo Court (NOT the Hampton Court,) and Blondee by Drew Estates. Acid Cigars also make some delightful smaller smokes. You'll find most of these at well stocked tobacconists.
If you want a 15 minute smoke that will really knock your socks off, try a Paul Garmirian Bombone. Don't let the diminutive size and quick life-cycle fool you, this a really strong smoke, and not recommended for beginners.
The aerodynamics of a cigar's shape definitely affect the taste. If you like the taste and feel of larger cigars, but don't want to smoke the whole thing, then just smoke as much as you want, put it down, and let it go out. There's no law that says you have to consume the whole thing.
First bowl of Mac Baren. Well I have to say that it wasn't quite that successful, I did keep the bowl lit intermittently for ten minutes at a clip. I REALLY enjoy the smoke though. Much better than any cigar I have had to this point. Well, I guess I am a pipe smoker then.
I tried packing the bowl 1/3 of the way (it's not seasoned yet) in order to build up some cake. So in order to do this, I split a flake in half and tried it out like that. It worked, but not very well. But I am sure that I will eventually get the hang of this and likely the pipe will smoke better once it's seasoned and has some cake built up. All in all a very pleasant experience.
Despite the amused glances from some cigar smokers who were smoking with me.
My impressions were somewhat accurate sticks vs. bowls. Cigars have a certain peppery taste to them that (at least for the one tobacco I tried) didn't have. Definitely going to smoke another bowl this weekend.
If you haven't tried this yet, I'd suggest you rub the flake out a little and let the tobacco dry for half an hour or so on a sheet of paper. You don't want it bone dry, of course, but flakes can be too moist sometimes. I really like Mac B's Navy Flake, btw. Excellent choice. Their vanilla cream is also really nice.
-Andy
+1 rub out the flake. Then gravity fill by taking a pinch and dropping it in the bowl. Tap your finger on the side of the bowl to settle the tobacco and lightly even it out with your thumb. You want the draw to be easy but not loose so you suck tobacco through the stem.
