Smuggling daydreams into reality - A Pipe Journey

Great tobacco review.

Are you sure you're a newbie?

You wouldn't, per chance, be a writer would you?

simon1 said:

Great tobacco review.

Are you sure you're a newbie?

You wouldn't, per chance, be a writer would you?

Click to expand...

Yes I'm a newb. That's why I took such a long walk so as not to have an audience whilst fumbling to get the pipe lit!

Unfortunately I don't think that I can come up with enough jibber jabber to get published in today's society, lol. I am an engineer, so perhaps that's where the "insightfulness" comes from. I tried to approach the process as though I were to be tasting whiskey, so I guess it worked out alright.

Thanks for reading. Hopefully I'll get a chance to update every Mon-Wed-Fri as that is when I plan on taking my walks (and smokes). I can't currently smoke at home and again I feel a bit bashful when attention is directed my way. Looking forward to the exchange.

This has the makings of an awesome thread.

Well done, MrSmith - you're off to an excellent start.

Heck of a starter kit.

On the trail again ~ Day 2.

Today was another wonderful morning to be out and about. I was excited to rejoin my pipes and see what the day had in store for me. I had loaded the 3 cobs once again with 3 different tobaccos. The smaller Huck Finn with Dunhill Early Morning, the Legend with Apertif, and the Gentleman with Pembroke. I had a decent walk to start things off, but more or less my pace was quickened with anticipation and it was more of a hurry up and get there type of walk rather than a leisurely stroll. So with one mile ticked off on the odometer I started to look for a spot to settle in. I decided to go along the coast line a bit and see what I could find rather than stay along the trail, which as I knew from previous experience wouldn't yield any comfortable places to enjoy a pipe. So I veered off the trail and made my way down along strewn boulders and ancient lava flows, not focusing on the vast ocean to the West, but searching the tangled brush and growth for a promising nook. Low and behold just as the morning sun began to peak over the mountain I found the place. It was a nice clearing that led back into the thorny bushes with a large flat stone in the center of the pathway that presented itself as a welcome refuge from the sun and comfortable spot to settle in.

The Reviews:

Dunhill - Early Morning

I figured that to start with early morning would be appropriate. The char light was easy and the actual light went fine with no hiccups. The smoke was mellow and light. Not exactly what I was expecting as I had hoped for something that was spicy and somewhat vinegar. What I got was a pleasant, light smoke. If Carter hall was a plain steak, then this would be that steak with proper salt and pepper seasoning. I did find this to be a good fit to its name. It opened the palate and would easily provide for a no frills, good morning with a cup o' joe type of smoke.

The Reviews:

Esoterica - Pembroke

After the first pipe I was feeling quite cozy and thought to myself that this is going to be a 2-pipe kind of day, so I skipped the Apertif (which I'll try and get to tonight) and headed for the Pembroke. I had packed the pipe the night before and when I went to light the pipe, it wouldn't light. I had over packed the pipe. Luckily for me I had folded a piece of heavy weight paper and stuffed it into my pack just in case this situation arose. Out came the paper and pipe tool ~ And out came the tobacco from the pipe. I broke the tobacco up a little bit and fluffed it. Then I took a good pinch and rolled it lightly in my fingers until it was a good fit to go into the tobacco chamber; a light press and it was ready for a second load; another firmer press with a twist and she was ready for the heat. I added a little bit of "dottle" (not sure if that's the right term here) to the top for kindling. It took 3 good chars before I got going. Then a 4th application from the Zippo and she was smoking light a locomotive. I had very high expectations for this tobacco given its higher than average cost and reputation. I can honestly say that it did not disappoint. The smoke was thick & dense, rather cool and flavorful, a bit creamy. Could I pick out individual flavors or even the cognac notes ~ no, but the overall experience was near about perfect. About 1/3 through the bowl I hit a sweet spot that almost put me in a trance as I sat there listening to the wildlife and white noise of the ocean beyond. After a good while ~ 35-45mins I decided that it was about time to head back. I had only a single relight during the smoke and that was after I set the pipe down for a few minutes to have a drink of water and take a pic. Towards the end I started needing relights and so I figured that I was near about done with the bowl. I picked and scooped and tapped the bowl and to my horror realized that all I needed was a good tamp and I would still have another 1/3rd of the bowl left to enjoy. But what was done had been done and all I had was the mile long trek ahead of me to contemplate the goodness that I had in my ignorant ways dumped out...

Thought of the day.

I enjoyed my time with the pipe thoroughly this morning. It was a zen like moment that almost left me in a trance like state. (and no I'm not some hippy-yoga loving "far out" kind of guy, not that there's anything wrong with that if you are) It really was that comfortable and relaxing ~ to the point of complacency. So today the thoughts turned towards complacency. We strive to live our lives in a way that leaves us feeling comfortable and secure. I certainly desire my own house and car and "toys" and finer things in life ~ all of which bring a certain level of satisfaction and comfort. But comparing comfort to complacence I find myself wondering if I've become complacent? The answer is not an easy one, at least not the honest answer, because if the truth be told ~ many of the hobbies that we take up, in some ways, are a welcome distraction from reality, or at least the truth of our circumstances. Have I sought out new hobbies because I want to escape the truth of my life situation; complacent to remain distracted and abide in false comfort rather than step out and strive towards something new; to push myself to do more even when life's comfortable.... The task is more than a single pipe full can handle...

Frog Morton is very moist out of a fresh opened tin. I find if I scatter a bowl full of FM on plain white sheet of paper and let it dry for 20 minutes or so, it smokes a lot cooler with fewer re-lights. You are definitely on a good track.

Great Thread.

alpster said:

Frog Morton is very moist out of a fresh opened tin. I find if I scatter a bowl full of FM on plain white sheet of paper and let it dry for 20 minutes or so, it smokes a lot cooler with fewer re-lights. You are definitely on a good track.

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I always thought FM was just about right out of the can, but then I am comparing it to Sam Gawith tobacco.

Day 3 - Restless

So once again we find ourselves out in the open air with the world before us and the earth beneath us. I decided to light the pipe early today as to save some time since I had some work to do and I didn't want to take too long on my walk. I chose Sam Gawith FVF in the Huck Straight and had Escudo tucked away in the Gentleman Bent. The Legend Bent sat alone on the dresser back home, still filled with Apertif, still awaiting it's day in the sun. I took the path to the same spot that I had rested on Wednesday, but found myself restless and decided to continue my journey Southward along the coastline. It turned out to be a beautiful morning and I got to see a few spots that I had wanted to visit years past, but never made time to get there.

The Reviews.

Sam Gawith - Full VA Flake

As I stated above - I decided to light this on the go and have it accompany me along my walk rather than sit in the hopes of saving time. The char light went well as I had dried this one a bit more than the others the day before. The initial light took and I was content with myself for the moment. The first impression was hay. Light hay notes, clean, slightly creamy smoke. Not my preferred smoke based upon first impressions, but good nonetheless. The walk continued and I found that I needed a re-light, then another, and finally a third. By now I had covered some distance down the coastline and found a good spot to take a break and see if I could figure out what was the cause of all the relights. The culprit was that the pipe was over packed and a bit too tightly at that. I picked the tobacco loose, gave a very light tamp, a quick char and relight and was back in business. The smoke took on a slightly more complex flavor whilst still remaining simple and pure. Now the tobacco started to shine and I found that it began to show its true self and understood once again the appeal of simplicity. Simplicity a hard concept to grasp for any engineering mindset .
Thus feeling restless I took up my journey once again, quite enjoying the smoke.

The Reviews.

Escudo

With the FVF having run its course I moved onto the Escudo. I haven't really made much mention of tin notes, which is something that I should start, but this tin note was quite nice as I did pick up on the raisin and plum notes that I've heard people talk of. Learning from my previous smokes ~ I picked this one loose and re-tamped prior to the char. There is something very seductive about seeing the tobacco rise and expand when the flame is introduced. Click spoiler for slightly derailed description.
Now ~ Back to the review. Anyhow. The char light was done. The initial light took well and the journey commensed once again. I was slightly disappointed with the flavor as I had heard all of these great reviews about the raisins and plums coming through in the palate as well. The smoke was good and plentiful, but not as flavorful as I had hoped. Again - first impressions, not a trained palate. I have been trying to keep hydrated to ensure that the palate is working. The flavor was good, but not as complex as I was led to believe by the reviews I had read. All of that being said - the smoke was nice and had good flavor, a bit creamy.

Thought of the Day.

Today's thoughts aren't some philosophical rambling such as I've made the previous two posts, but settle more in line with the spirit of the brown leaf as they have to do with the art of the pipe. My journey today was unsettled. I didn't want to sit down, but rather I felt the need to be moving. I wasn't nervous, nor anxious or troubled, but simply discontent to be still. This caused me to be on the move with the pipe and my focus oddly enough was a bit more on the pipe than on anything else. My focus in turn induced an evaluation of the art of the pipe. Here are the lessons that were cultivated today.

1. An over packed pipe is a detriment to the quality and quantity of smoke.
2. The char light can be a thing of beauty and telling of the quality of smoke that you may have. If the tobacco doesn't rise, then it could be a sign that the moisture content is not quite right and also could indicate that the pipe is packed too tightly, conversely if the char doesn't take or is difficult then you may need to dry out the tobacco a bit more.
3. Generally a light tamp and well timed puff or three is all that you need to get the tobacco going again. What has worked for me is to put the tamp on the tobacco and take a long draw with light pressure on the tamp. Generally the tamp will drop down to the correct position, thus placing the ember in contact with fresh tobacco.
4. A relight is fine, except when the flame doesn't reach the tobacco because you were afraid of overfilling your zippo. Then you'll be happy that you packed that cheapo butane backup lighter! Also as an aside; I do taste the zippo fuel when lighting the tobacco and perhaps for a puff or two following, but c'est la vie.
5. I have found that tobacco needs a little time to develop in the pipe. Don't try and rush it or you may get bit.

That's all of the newbie wisdom I've got for one week. To cap it off here is a quick rundown and ranking on the tobaccos that I've tried this week.

1. Pembroke. Best smoke of the week. Creamy, slightly complex, flavorful and dense. Nice room note.
2. Frog Morton. Second best smoke of the week. Similar to the Pembroke in quality, but not as creamy and dense.
3. SG - FVF. Really developed into a nice smoke. Simplicity done right.
4. Excudo. Quite nice. The room note was decent. Quality smoke that should develop as I spend more time with it.
5. Frog Morton - Cellar. Best room note. Smoke not quite on par with the namesake. Whisky note didn't show up.
6. Dunhill - Early Morning. If I were to have a morning smoke with coffee, or otherwise, then I would certainly be reaching for this one. It seems like it would pair well with a refreshment or even during a meal if you decided to do so.
7. Carter Hall. A good introductory smoke. A palate prep smoke while your deciding on what to smoke. An every day smoke, or a smoke for when you don't care to concentrate on the pipe but upon other things, yet still want a smoke.

Day 4 - Begrudged

It's Monday once again. I had a hard time to get moving this morning. If I didn't have the Apertif waiting to be tried, then I might not have made it out of bed. The morning was excessively humid and quite warm for being overcast. My steps were heavy and forced. The trail seemed to stretch out before me, getting longer with each step as if to say "Turn back before it's too late." I pushed forward moving steadily towards my goal. Finally with much will power I arrived at my smoking nook. It felt oppressive and heavy. I broke out towards the coastline; the expansive views assuaging me.

The Reviews.

Dunhill - Apertif

This one had been awaiting it's turn and today it had provided enough motivation to get me moving on this Monday morning. The moisture level was good. I load my pipes, then cover the bowl with a large piece of masking tape to prevent the tobacco from spilling as it is jostled about during my walk. I place a smaller piece of tape (sticky side to sticky side) to the larger piece to prevent the tobacco in the bowl from sticking to the tape. It is a system that works well for me, with the added benefit of being able to write what is in the pipe on the top of the tape. The Apertif took to the flame well enough ~ no issues there. The smoke was cool and slightly dense. The flavor slightly heavy and to my taste buds a bit peppery. The blend is labeled "Apertif" which would indicate to be taken after a meal, and as such would have to be able to overcome lingering flavors from the meal. I think that the pepper note was well placed and not lost on me. For a morning smoke, maybe not the best, but perhaps following a good country breakfast might fit well. My mood was calling for SG-FVF, but the pipe had Apertif. The overall smoke was nice.

The Reviews.

Frog Morton - Cellar (2nd time)

The follow up pipe for today was a difficult decision. Do I go with Pembroke to re-affirm it as the top honor recipient? Do I choose Carter Hall to see if it could improve its ranking? Decisions, Decisions. I ended up going with the Cellar specifically because there was a yearning to see if I could get more of that whisky note. So today the Cellar was smoked in the Gentleman Bent, which if I recall correctly is the same pipe from the first go around. The bowl was packed more loosely, the tobacco dried just a touch more. The Cellar took more than a single char light, but subsequent lights were few. I think that I had 3 lights for this one, not including the char. One of the lights because I had started walking back and needed to focus on the placement of my feet more than the placement of my pipe. The smoke was creamier this time. I caught subtle whiffs of sweetness every once in a while and a different smoke flavor that I attribute to the whisky stave. I would love it if they aged the tobacco in the charred oak whisky cask. That would probably produce the flavor punch that I had hoped for. Overall a better smoke than the first time around. The tobacco still burned a bit hotter than most of the others. The ranking remains unchanged.

Thought of the day.

Patience. I find that in today's society we don't have much patience. Add to that a type A personality with a dose of Irish temperament and you find yourself wondering how you've made it thus far without turning up on the evening news.
Almost every Sunday after church my wife and son, my in-laws, and a close friend's family from church generally get together for lunch. Normally we eat out at any number of choice restaurants depending on how the mood strikes. The close friends of ours have a son and daughter. The son being about 3yrs older than my son and the daughter 2 yrs younger, so there is a bit of a gap between the three. My son is a bit big for his age, so at 3yrs old he's not much smaller than my friend's 6yr old son. They play well together, but many times end up fighting and arguing (normally about toys). My son has quite a temper that has been unchecked by the in-laws, whom double as the babysitter, and therefore this remains an issue. This weekend we spent both Saturday and Sunday with our friends and their kids as we wanted to go to the pumpkin patch together. The "hurricane" ruined the plans, but not the day as we traveled to some favorite spots and had a good weekend. All of that being said, come Sunday evening the kids had had enough play time together and started to deteriorate into arguing and whining. I am normally the one who watches our son when we are out and about, so I get to play referee and after two days I start to break down as well and get short tempered with all involved. So this morning I think about patience and the lack thereof on my part. I also think about what the bible has to say about patience. To paraphrase Romans ch 5. "We have joy during our troubles, as troubles produce patience and patience produces character, and character produces hope, and hope never disappoints." I would go on to say that the troubles that test your patience also reveal your character. A character with hope will improve in patience, yet character without hopes despairs. So when your patience has been all but exhausted ~ hold on to hope.

Monday morning pic. A picture of patience.

You need to post that spider pic in the Darkroom's pic of the day.