Not sure if the bowl size/shape is the reason, but I have also noticed a few of my blends that just shine the best in the Brebbia. I was worried that after my recommendation and your only so so thoughts on it the first bowl you had in it that you'd end up not liking it, and I'd feel bad about recommending it. Nice to see you are experiencing some of the same things I have with that model of pipe.
Smuggling daydreams into reality - A Pipe Journey
- Thread starter MrSmith
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #162
Quick Post.
Finished off the Stonehaven with a little experiment. I dried out some FVF so that it was a bit drier than the Stonehaven. I then layered the FVF at the bottom of the chamber of the Brebbia 623, then added some mixed FVF/Stonehaven and finally the rest 1/2 chamber with Stonehaven alone. I had the pipe packed to the brim!
I had forgotten how much rise this tobacco gets when taking a char light since the past 2 smokes have been in deeper chambered pipes. I had that "Oh Crap!" moment and was tamping fervently as the tobacco was leaping from the embers. I felt like I was playing out a mini game of "Whack-A-Mole" with my little tamper, LOL. 
Once the excitement was over I carefully applied heat once again and kept the tamp close to surpress any more uprisings. The smoke wasn't as developed as the first time that I smoke from this pipe, but was still tasty. The flavor profile wasn't changed much from straight Stonehaven for the first 1/3rd bowl. Around the 1/3 point I was getting a touch more Va's, similar to the aged Penzance had more Va notes than the fresh Penzance. The Halfway point was a noticeable change in profile and once I got into the "mixed" weed, then it really signaled the changing of the guard. There was still that last bit of flurry from the Burley as it rebelled against the FVF, but alas the FVF was on the rise and the Burley, as strong as they can be, was soon defeated. The FVF did take a moment to ramp up in flavor, but by the time I was into the last 1/3 of the bowl those Va's were brightening nicely. I also noticed a change in the nic hit, which surprised me a bit. I do get a bit more of a nic hit from FVF than some of the other blends, but I wasn't expecting a jump that late into the pipe.
Overall it was a nice experience, though I think that I would perhaps rather have some FVF on standby in another pipe as opposed to the layered pipe as the flavor was affected with both blends. I'd say it was a nice farewell to Stonehaven, which is now on my radar. I'm excited to get into the other samples from the Tobacco Exchange Rnd 2!
Finished off the Stonehaven with a little experiment. I dried out some FVF so that it was a bit drier than the Stonehaven. I then layered the FVF at the bottom of the chamber of the Brebbia 623, then added some mixed FVF/Stonehaven and finally the rest 1/2 chamber with Stonehaven alone. I had the pipe packed to the brim!
I had forgotten how much rise this tobacco gets when taking a char light since the past 2 smokes have been in deeper chambered pipes. I had that "Oh Crap!" moment and was tamping fervently as the tobacco was leaping from the embers. I felt like I was playing out a mini game of "Whack-A-Mole" with my little tamper, LOL. Once the excitement was over I carefully applied heat once again and kept the tamp close to surpress any more uprisings. The smoke wasn't as developed as the first time that I smoke from this pipe, but was still tasty. The flavor profile wasn't changed much from straight Stonehaven for the first 1/3rd bowl. Around the 1/3 point I was getting a touch more Va's, similar to the aged Penzance had more Va notes than the fresh Penzance. The Halfway point was a noticeable change in profile and once I got into the "mixed" weed, then it really signaled the changing of the guard. There was still that last bit of flurry from the Burley as it rebelled against the FVF, but alas the FVF was on the rise and the Burley, as strong as they can be, was soon defeated. The FVF did take a moment to ramp up in flavor, but by the time I was into the last 1/3 of the bowl those Va's were brightening nicely. I also noticed a change in the nic hit, which surprised me a bit. I do get a bit more of a nic hit from FVF than some of the other blends, but I wasn't expecting a jump that late into the pipe. Overall it was a nice experience, though I think that I would perhaps rather have some FVF on standby in another pipe as opposed to the layered pipe as the flavor was affected with both blends. I'd say it was a nice farewell to Stonehaven, which is now on my radar. I'm excited to get into the other samples from the Tobacco Exchange Rnd 2!
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You're not just a darn good writer, you're also a good mad scientist. This thread really delivers.
Speaking of nic hits, I get it from Dunhill My Mixture 965, which really bums me out because it tastes good and I want to love it.
Speaking of nic hits, I get it from Dunhill My Mixture 965, which really bums me out because it tastes good and I want to love it.
I know exactly what you mean. I have not reached the bottom of a bowl yet with MM965 where I didn't feel like I was going to be sick. And, I have a very high Nic tolerance.
Thank you. If I'm crazy then at least I have company.
many of Greg Pease's blends do the same to me; I've had to use smaller pipes or only packed them halfway to get by.
Suppressor of the Tobacco Uprisings 
I am learning to smoke the blends that make me queasy in small bowl pipes and very slowly. I will put them down and come back when I feel better.
I already smoke it in a small bowl. 
Now I think I need to mix it with something more mild and still put it down halfway through.
Now I think I need to mix it with something more mild and still put it down halfway through.- Thread starter
- #170
Man I'm slacking... It looks like I've been a solid once a week smoker for some weeks now. At least I'm in a climate that is conducive to year round smoking, so I reckon I've been fairing better than most this time of year. I do think about you poor souls risking life and limb just for a quick smoke up there in those colder climes.... I figure you're thinking that Olaf can take his flurry and stick it where ... errr, in his pipe and smoke it ?! At any rate. Tonight smoked in celebration with Pipe smokers worldwide for International Pipe Smokers Day!
Edit: Apparently I'm celebrating the EVE prior not the day of! Oh well. Here's to enjoying a pipe!
So for tonight's selection:
The Review: Bombay Court in a Morretti Morta Rhodesian
To be honest I didn't spend much time thinking about this tobacco. I didn't really take the time to smell the tobacco or look it up prior to packing a bowl tonight. I still haven't pressed my mug into the sample bag that I received via the exchange rnd 2. I simply pressed the tobacco earlier to check on moisture level. It checked out, so there it sat in a Mason jar on top of the dresser patiently awaiting it's day in the sun.... Or more accurately; Nighttime rendezvous. I packed the Morretti rather quickly using my own version of the three step method. I grabbed the Old Boy and some water and took the short walk out to my smoking spot.
The evening was picturesque: Stars littered the sky, a wisp of a breeze was blowing, the temp felt about 69F, and the air was fresh and just on the cool side of lukewarm. I settled in, made a quick tapatalk post to the IPS thread and lit my pipe. The light was perfect. A light rise from the tobacco, and light tamp, true light and smoke!
The flavor surprised me. Bam! Bright Va's and sweet! Whoa. Then here comes Mr Oriental like the horn section dropping in on a sweet number. Oh but not to be outdone, the Latakia's coming in with that methodical base note! Whew, I did not expect this. A very fine smoke indeed. The flavors gave the impression of lemon slices on the campfire grill with a brush of honey and pinch of paprika. Just a sweet medley of flavors... Yes sweet smoke indeed!
About half way through the bowl the maestro called for a number change and the Latakia began to come on a bit stronger, the orientals still present, yet not requiring a solo. The Va's brightness had dulled a bit into the background. Still a fine smoke, still sweet, but now resting under the *gravy* of the Latakia. I've had only a few smokes transform in this way, so I'm interested in trying this one out in another pipe. If it is as good in another pipe, then it will definitely find it's way onto the "shopping list".
One thing to note. The finish was a touch acrid, so I'm thinking that this is one that you'll have to agree to sacrifice the last 1/5 or so as filter material and not really suitable to be smoked clean down to white ash.
Great night for a smoke, saw three shooting stars heading from Sirius towards Orion's foot. Pure magic in the pipe tonight!
Edit: Apparently I'm celebrating the EVE prior not the day of! Oh well. Here's to enjoying a pipe!
So for tonight's selection:
The Review: Bombay Court in a Morretti Morta Rhodesian
To be honest I didn't spend much time thinking about this tobacco. I didn't really take the time to smell the tobacco or look it up prior to packing a bowl tonight. I still haven't pressed my mug into the sample bag that I received via the exchange rnd 2. I simply pressed the tobacco earlier to check on moisture level. It checked out, so there it sat in a Mason jar on top of the dresser patiently awaiting it's day in the sun.... Or more accurately; Nighttime rendezvous. I packed the Morretti rather quickly using my own version of the three step method. I grabbed the Old Boy and some water and took the short walk out to my smoking spot.
The evening was picturesque: Stars littered the sky, a wisp of a breeze was blowing, the temp felt about 69F, and the air was fresh and just on the cool side of lukewarm. I settled in, made a quick tapatalk post to the IPS thread and lit my pipe. The light was perfect. A light rise from the tobacco, and light tamp, true light and smoke!
The flavor surprised me. Bam! Bright Va's and sweet! Whoa. Then here comes Mr Oriental like the horn section dropping in on a sweet number. Oh but not to be outdone, the Latakia's coming in with that methodical base note! Whew, I did not expect this. A very fine smoke indeed. The flavors gave the impression of lemon slices on the campfire grill with a brush of honey and pinch of paprika. Just a sweet medley of flavors... Yes sweet smoke indeed!
About half way through the bowl the maestro called for a number change and the Latakia began to come on a bit stronger, the orientals still present, yet not requiring a solo. The Va's brightness had dulled a bit into the background. Still a fine smoke, still sweet, but now resting under the *gravy* of the Latakia. I've had only a few smokes transform in this way, so I'm interested in trying this one out in another pipe. If it is as good in another pipe, then it will definitely find it's way onto the "shopping list".
One thing to note. The finish was a touch acrid, so I'm thinking that this is one that you'll have to agree to sacrifice the last 1/5 or so as filter material and not really suitable to be smoked clean down to white ash.
Great night for a smoke, saw three shooting stars heading from Sirius towards Orion's foot. Pure magic in the pipe tonight!
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Lovely breakfast reading,as always.
Keep these posts coming.
And photos too.
Keep these posts coming.
And photos too.
Ok, Bombay Court sounds pretty darned good...
- Thread starter
- #173
A quick smoke, but sometimes it is enough. I had just mentioned in the Dream Pipes thread about how I hadn't gotten to smoke as nearly as often as I would like lately and thus, proffering by a fortuitous set of circumstances, I was able to sneak out for a quick smoke. The smoke was cut a touch short by my wife arriving with a "honey do" list, of which took priority over the smoke, so alas I was able to enjoy for but a short while.... making it all the more sweet.
The Review:
Butera - Pelican in a Brebbia 623
I am not sure of the vintage of this tin, so a warning label is attached as I cannot say with certainty as to whom blended this particular tin. It may or may not reflect what is available today.
The tobacco was moist, not Squadron Leader moist, but a touch on the moist side. I set it out to dry under a cfl lamp for 5 minutes or so. I packed the Brebbia and headed outside for a smoke. The char light was ok and the initial light was fair, but the tobacco was having a hard time to stay lit. I knew immediately what the culprit was... I had not checked the draw on the pipe prior to heading out and thus I had over packed the bowl with the tobacco still being a touch moister than it should have been for the pack that I did. I then tried to carefully pick the tobacco loose and tamp down, yet there just wasn't enough room in the pipe to get the tobacco loosened enough. I then did something that I would not recommend to anyone, which was to draw heavy and smoke a bit hot for a few minutes. This enabled me to further dry out the tobacco and also create enough room to allow me to pick the tobacco loose. Thus I arrived at a point where the tobacco was mounded slightly above the rim of the chamber and loose enough for a proper draw.
Ah, now that the fluid dynamics have been sorted... We can get to the all important Smells & Flavor! The smell out of the "tin" (zip lock bag) was subtle smoke, sweet plum and golden raisins & apple. The smell was quite delicious, almost a fruit cake smell now that I think about it. The smoke profile in taste was strikingly similar to the tin smell. It was sweet upfront, the orientals were the star in a complex sweet/spicy sort of way and a little smokey to round things out. I really liked the orientals in this one as they really shone through in the flavor profile. The orients were a sweet and sour type of spicy as opposed to a peppery spice. The latakia content was just right IMO as it added to the flavor without taking away from the orientals and the va's provided a bright contrasting note while offering a sweet companion to the orientals.
No finish notes as I was interrupted before really getting through the pipe. I may have smoked about 50% of the bowl before being pulled away for other tasks?
A very good medium english blend that is oriental forward. I liked this one more than Squadron Leader as far as Medium English blends go. I do however have only a very limited exposure to both.
The Review:
Butera - Pelican in a Brebbia 623
I am not sure of the vintage of this tin, so a warning label is attached as I cannot say with certainty as to whom blended this particular tin. It may or may not reflect what is available today.
The tobacco was moist, not Squadron Leader moist, but a touch on the moist side. I set it out to dry under a cfl lamp for 5 minutes or so. I packed the Brebbia and headed outside for a smoke. The char light was ok and the initial light was fair, but the tobacco was having a hard time to stay lit. I knew immediately what the culprit was... I had not checked the draw on the pipe prior to heading out and thus I had over packed the bowl with the tobacco still being a touch moister than it should have been for the pack that I did. I then tried to carefully pick the tobacco loose and tamp down, yet there just wasn't enough room in the pipe to get the tobacco loosened enough. I then did something that I would not recommend to anyone, which was to draw heavy and smoke a bit hot for a few minutes. This enabled me to further dry out the tobacco and also create enough room to allow me to pick the tobacco loose. Thus I arrived at a point where the tobacco was mounded slightly above the rim of the chamber and loose enough for a proper draw.
Ah, now that the fluid dynamics have been sorted...
We can get to the all important Smells & Flavor! The smell out of the "tin" (zip lock bag) was subtle smoke, sweet plum and golden raisins & apple. The smell was quite delicious, almost a fruit cake smell now that I think about it. The smoke profile in taste was strikingly similar to the tin smell. It was sweet upfront, the orientals were the star in a complex sweet/spicy sort of way and a little smokey to round things out. I really liked the orientals in this one as they really shone through in the flavor profile. The orients were a sweet and sour type of spicy as opposed to a peppery spice. The latakia content was just right IMO as it added to the flavor without taking away from the orientals and the va's provided a bright contrasting note while offering a sweet companion to the orientals. No finish notes as I was interrupted before really getting through the pipe. I may have smoked about 50% of the bowl before being pulled away for other tasks?
A very good medium english blend that is oriental forward. I liked this one more than Squadron Leader as far as Medium English blends go. I do however have only a very limited exposure to both.
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Don't feel bad about those of us in the cold white north, outside smoking a pipe in the bitter cold! We Like It! Makes us more of a man like our grandfathers before us who smoked a pipe outside walking to work in a blizzard, up a hill, backwards!
I was going to post this picture of me in the "Post a photo of you having a smoke..." but thought that this could be the right place for it in this instance...
I really do enjoy your reviews and writing style! Great reads. Keep 'em coming...
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- Thread starter
- #175
@NRAM That Picture is exactly how I envisioned when you have too many relights! As far as making you manly... well I'll happily keep my youthfulness, Ha 
.
On a good note, It has been less than a week since my last smoke, but alas Thursday nights seem to be my "go-to" pipe night? Tonight I revisited a blend that truthfully has gotten very little time in my pipes. I had to go all the way back to the beginning to find the review that I had done for it. You can read about it here. if you wish. I will state that my palate has opened up a bit since then and my review will differ slightly today. Going back to the beginning was a bit nostalgic, even though it has been less than 6 months since I got into pipe smoking. It feels like I've been at it longer as I have tried to soak up some knowledge and invest my time (and money) into areas that will benefit me now and in the long run.
One thing that you readers may or may not have picked up on is that I have been reviewing tobaccos from the Exchange Round 2. This particular tobacco I already had, so I will get to post a review later on the alternate that was sent to me... Oooh the anticipation!
So on with the show.
Tonight. Dunhill - Aperitif in a Savinelli bent dublin.
I had packed this pipe 2 days ago if I recall correctly? I covered with masking tape and had only loaded the chamber about half full to three quarters. The tobacco was still at a very acceptable moisture level, so grabbing a few items I ventured once again into the darkness of night to lift my spirits with a little flame and smoke. The light went swimmingly as I had intentionally left the pack a touch looser than normal. This allowed the smoke to be almost effortless, but did require a touch more activity on the tamping and a few extra relights. I varied my tempo and technique with the tobacco trying to draw as much flavor as I could and give a proper "new" review. The flavors were different than my first review and I also noticed that my vernacular was incorrect in thinking "aperitif" was an after meal thing, duh, it's a before meal item as a "digestif" would have been post meal. Grammar aside, let's get to the flavors. The smoke was medium density and very dry, like a dry wine or martini. The flavor was bright; acidic; black pepper spice; and unfortunately bitter - almost acrid. The bitter note was like biting into an under ripe orange peel. It was that sharp bitter acidic flavor that leaves you somewhat puckered with the tongue hanging out. There was also a very subdued sweetness as well, but it was transient and left me wanting, practically begging, for it to return and make lemonade from these lemons.
I was not nearly as tolerant of this tobacco as I once had been. The flavor was too sharp and the orientals only pushed the flavors more askew. This was one tobacco that seemed as though ready to bite at any moment. Sadly I'm not sure if this will stick around in my "cellar" as I couldn't finish the smoke and returned to the house unsatisfied.
I really hope that the others in the pass enjoy their sample and I am happy that it was from my own supply that I had taken from as it would not set well with me to know that I had taken a sampling from another and that the sample would most likely go to waste.
Thus tonight we end on a sad note. I am terribly sorry for this and to top it off ~ looking back at those early posts; I realize that these posts lack color (pics) in a bad way.
I will do my best to return some color and happy reviews back to this thread ASAP. Until then, may your Smokes be Cool and your Hearts be Warm!
As far as making you manly... well I'll happily keep my youthfulness, Ha .On a good note, It has been less than a week since my last smoke, but alas Thursday nights seem to be my "go-to" pipe night? Tonight I revisited a blend that truthfully has gotten very little time in my pipes. I had to go all the way back to the beginning to find the review that I had done for it. You can read about it here. if you wish. I will state that my palate has opened up a bit since then and my review will differ slightly today. Going back to the beginning was a bit nostalgic, even though it has been less than 6 months since I got into pipe smoking. It feels like I've been at it longer as I have tried to soak up some knowledge and invest my time (and money) into areas that will benefit me now and in the long run.
One thing that you readers may or may not have picked up on is that I have been reviewing tobaccos from the Exchange Round 2. This particular tobacco I already had, so I will get to post a review later on the alternate that was sent to me... Oooh the anticipation!
So on with the show.
Tonight. Dunhill - Aperitif in a Savinelli bent dublin.
I had packed this pipe 2 days ago if I recall correctly? I covered with masking tape and had only loaded the chamber about half full to three quarters. The tobacco was still at a very acceptable moisture level, so grabbing a few items I ventured once again into the darkness of night to lift my spirits with a little flame and smoke. The light went swimmingly as I had intentionally left the pack a touch looser than normal. This allowed the smoke to be almost effortless, but did require a touch more activity on the tamping and a few extra relights. I varied my tempo and technique with the tobacco trying to draw as much flavor as I could and give a proper "new" review. The flavors were different than my first review and I also noticed that my vernacular was incorrect in thinking "aperitif" was an after meal thing, duh, it's a before meal item as a "digestif" would have been post meal. Grammar aside, let's get to the flavors. The smoke was medium density and very dry, like a dry wine or martini. The flavor was bright; acidic; black pepper spice; and unfortunately bitter - almost acrid. The bitter note was like biting into an under ripe orange peel. It was that sharp bitter acidic flavor that leaves you somewhat puckered with the tongue hanging out. There was also a very subdued sweetness as well, but it was transient and left me wanting, practically begging, for it to return and make lemonade from these lemons.
I was not nearly as tolerant of this tobacco as I once had been. The flavor was too sharp and the orientals only pushed the flavors more askew. This was one tobacco that seemed as though ready to bite at any moment. Sadly I'm not sure if this will stick around in my "cellar" as I couldn't finish the smoke and returned to the house unsatisfied.
I really hope that the others in the pass enjoy their sample and I am happy that it was from my own supply that I had taken from as it would not set well with me to know that I had taken a sampling from another and that the sample would most likely go to waste.
Thus tonight we end on a sad note. I am terribly sorry for this and to top it off ~ looking back at those early posts; I realize that these posts lack color (pics) in a bad way.
I will do my best to return some color and happy reviews back to this thread ASAP. Until then, may your Smokes be Cool and your Hearts be Warm!
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- Thread starter
- #176
Alright. Back in the saddle again. Tonight I did a comparison of sorts. A triple play shootout! I had shared some Northwoods in the Tobacco Exchange and read a few reviews and one particular review caught my attention, where Ronnie had compared it to Frog Morton. I had responded that I thought that FM was sweeter, but would need to compare since I really hadn't smoked either in a while. Thus leading to tonight's smoke-off.
I had also received some SPC - Mississippi River from Ronnie (I think - there were more than several that arrived simultaneously). When I tried this last week it also reminded me of FM in that it carried a sweetness to it, so it gained a wild-card seat in the showdown.
Thus we have SPC - Miss River; Boswell NorthWoods; and McClelleand Craftsbury - FM
Here I will provide the blend and a pic of the tobacco.
Seattle Pipe Club - Mississippi River
"Rich Virginias pressed tobacco; Spiced with Oriental Leaf, Latakia, and Perique"
Style: English
Cut: Krumble Kake
Flavoring: None
Boswell - Northwoods
"...A deeply complex English but with a smooth and mild base of Latakia along with Toasted Virginias..."
Black Cavendish; Latakia; Virginia
Style: English
Cut: Ribbon
Flavoring: none; *Although I think that the Black Cavendish used here has been *artificially*? flavored prior to pressing & curing.
McClelland Craftsbury - Frog Morton
"An Exceptionally rich, smooth and dark latakia mixture for the pipe"
Latakia; Virginia
Style: English
Cut: Ribbon
Flavoring: None
Ok. So the contenders have entered the ring and they are all wearing MM - Cobbs in the Gentlemen version, Miss Rvr in a straight stem and the other two in a bent stem.
All of the tobaccos were left out under a cfl lamp for roughly 30 minutes to dry. The Mississippi River moisture was just right and ready to smoke after the 30 minutes dry time. The Northwoods and FM were both still a touch wetter than I would have preferred (and I tend to like a bit of moisture). I packed the pipes and then halted.... It ended up being three days from packing until I could smoke. No problem as I had using masking tape to "seal" the chambers and also for labeling purposes. So at the time of smoking, they all had very nice moisture levels, with the Mississippi River being a touch dryer than the other two, but not too dry.
I decided to start with Mississippi River. Good light; sweet virginias; perique and orientals adding a touch of spice; and latakia bringing a little cream and depth to the mix that was able to cut through the brightness of the virginia. The smoke was sweet (think SG FVF), but avoided being too bright and acidic by the introduction of the other components. The latakia was definitely used sparingly as it did not compete for flavor at all. It was simply enough to muddy the waters of the va. The orientals and periques were intermingled to a degree that I couldn't distinctively say that "there's an oriental; or there's the perique" again these were well used to add flavor and not get in the way of the true star, which was indeed the pressed virginia. Overall a sweet; slightly acidic; subtly bright smoke; with some light pepper and cream. Really liked this one for a sweet light smoke, although I may prefer others if I was pressed for room in the cellar.
Second to the table was Boswell Northwoods. I picked the tobacco loose as I have found that when the tobacco dries in the chamber, it compresses a bit and will be problematic with relights. The tobacco was picked loose, lightly tamped and fired up. Good on the light. The flavor was smokey and sweet. I will have to amend my brief review and state that I did detect some flavoring and it tasted a bit artificial when compared to the natural sweetness found in Mississippi River and FM. Not in your face like an aromatic, but certainly a bit candy like in nature. The smoke was still very nice, smokey latakia which had good depth due to the virginias (think a few drops of water in your whiskey to open the bouquet) and the sweetness of the cavendish being ever present, but not over powering. I still very much enjoyed this smoke and have concluded that it is decidedly a dessert type of smoke for me.
You want key lime pie? then reach for the SG FVF You in the mood for dark chocolate bark with crushed rock candy "plume", then reach for the Northwoods. Ok. ok... not exactly, but you kind of get the picture...
Lastly, but certainly not the least. McClelland Craftsbury Frog Morton. Wordy Disclaimer:
If you have followed along in my journey, you may have picked up on the fact that Frog Morton is in my "top five" tobaccos if you will, so I knew what to expect here and just smoked this one to have a contrast comparison to Mississippi River and Northwoods. You can read my lacking review of this one here. Ha. It's amazing to go back and read the early reviews and how vague they were. Let's update shall we? FM smoke is rich and hearty with the Latakia being a thick and dense flavorful smoke. Think in terms of hardwood campfire smoke with a touch of wet earth from about 3 paces away on a drizzled Saturday morning. The virginias are the dark horse star here actually. They provide depth and sweetness to this blend that awakens the palate and gets my mouth watering. The latakia as noted is ever present but rides shotgun to the virginias, never overpowering them, but sometimes taking it's turn in the conversation to remind you that they are not just arm candy, but are present in the conversation. A great smoke. I would say a Medium English blend, perhaps even a blend that lends itself well to introduce a novice to latakia.
So. There you have it folks. Hopefully you enjoyed the reviews and it inspires you to get out and enjoy a pipe of your own. Till next time... May your hearts be warm and your smokes be cool.
I had also received some SPC - Mississippi River from Ronnie (I think - there were more than several that arrived simultaneously). When I tried this last week it also reminded me of FM in that it carried a sweetness to it, so it gained a wild-card seat in the showdown.
Thus we have SPC - Miss River; Boswell NorthWoods; and McClelleand Craftsbury - FM
Here I will provide the blend and a pic of the tobacco.
Seattle Pipe Club - Mississippi River
"Rich Virginias pressed tobacco; Spiced with Oriental Leaf, Latakia, and Perique"
Style: English
Cut: Krumble Kake
Flavoring: None
Boswell - Northwoods
"...A deeply complex English but with a smooth and mild base of Latakia along with Toasted Virginias..."
Black Cavendish; Latakia; Virginia
Style: English
Cut: Ribbon
Flavoring: none; *Although I think that the Black Cavendish used here has been *artificially*? flavored prior to pressing & curing.
McClelland Craftsbury - Frog Morton
"An Exceptionally rich, smooth and dark latakia mixture for the pipe"
Latakia; Virginia
Style: English
Cut: Ribbon
Flavoring: None
Ok. So the contenders have entered the ring and they are all wearing MM - Cobbs in the Gentlemen version, Miss Rvr in a straight stem and the other two in a bent stem.
All of the tobaccos were left out under a cfl lamp for roughly 30 minutes to dry. The Mississippi River moisture was just right and ready to smoke after the 30 minutes dry time. The Northwoods and FM were both still a touch wetter than I would have preferred (and I tend to like a bit of moisture). I packed the pipes and then halted.... It ended up being three days from packing until I could smoke. No problem as I had using masking tape to "seal" the chambers and also for labeling purposes. So at the time of smoking, they all had very nice moisture levels, with the Mississippi River being a touch dryer than the other two, but not too dry.
I decided to start with Mississippi River. Good light; sweet virginias; perique and orientals adding a touch of spice; and latakia bringing a little cream and depth to the mix that was able to cut through the brightness of the virginia. The smoke was sweet (think SG FVF), but avoided being too bright and acidic by the introduction of the other components. The latakia was definitely used sparingly as it did not compete for flavor at all. It was simply enough to muddy the waters of the va. The orientals and periques were intermingled to a degree that I couldn't distinctively say that "there's an oriental; or there's the perique" again these were well used to add flavor and not get in the way of the true star, which was indeed the pressed virginia. Overall a sweet; slightly acidic; subtly bright smoke; with some light pepper and cream. Really liked this one for a sweet light smoke, although I may prefer others if I was pressed for room in the cellar.
Second to the table was Boswell Northwoods. I picked the tobacco loose as I have found that when the tobacco dries in the chamber, it compresses a bit and will be problematic with relights. The tobacco was picked loose, lightly tamped and fired up. Good on the light. The flavor was smokey and sweet. I will have to amend my brief review and state that I did detect some flavoring and it tasted a bit artificial when compared to the natural sweetness found in Mississippi River and FM. Not in your face like an aromatic, but certainly a bit candy like in nature. The smoke was still very nice, smokey latakia which had good depth due to the virginias (think a few drops of water in your whiskey to open the bouquet) and the sweetness of the cavendish being ever present, but not over powering. I still very much enjoyed this smoke and have concluded that it is decidedly a dessert type of smoke for me.
You want key lime pie? then reach for the SG FVF You in the mood for dark chocolate bark with crushed rock candy "plume", then reach for the Northwoods. Ok. ok... not exactly, but you kind of get the picture...
Lastly, but certainly not the least. McClelland Craftsbury Frog Morton. Wordy Disclaimer:
Some may ask "Why keep writing out McClelland...?" This is because when I first looked for this tobacco, I could not find it because I did not know to look for McClelleand Craftsbury. So for someone whom may be reading that is a novice (as I am), then they can benefit from this knowledge.
So. There you have it folks. Hopefully you enjoyed the reviews and it inspires you to get out and enjoy a pipe of your own. Till next time... May your hearts be warm and your smokes be cool.
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Mind if I intrude with some verbosity in your thread instead of mine? Seems appropriate for this post.
I've had some Mississippi River just waiting for me to try it for a while now, since my last order months ago. For whatever reason it just waited and waited and I never got around to it. Well, I guess I was inspired a bit; tonight I was looking to go off the beaten path and there it was, on the list of what I have that I need to try or revisit and I went straight to it, remembering that you mentioned it.
Mine was pretty much fully crumbled already. I'm not sure if it came that way or if I was too rough jamming the bag in a jar with another blend. Although tonight I found it alone in that jar I suspect it shared the jar with something else earlier.
It didn't dry for me quite as well as others have been drying lately, but then humidity is up a bit today (from 15% to 25%). My respiratory tract is thankful for it, if not my tobacco drying habit; if the trend continues I'll need to resume using a lamp or extended passive air drying. By the time I was ready to smoke I figured it was close enough so I loaded it into my MM Ozark cherry. I had a tough time lighting it and keeping it lit at first, but after a half dozen lights it started to stay lit as well as pipes have been staying lit for me lately.
I'd say a half hour went by before I could tell I was smoking anything at all. At first I found no flavor and not even a scent. It's the darnedest thing. Eventually it settled in and started making some flavor and a little bit of scent. I must have had 15 minutes with it making flavor before I started to feel a nic hit and put it down. Catching a nic hit was not entirely unexpected, in my notes I see that I got the same from the other SPC blend I've tried, Plum Pudding.
My experience with Mississippi River was pretty consistent with your description, though I wouldn't use the word "bright" at all, nor could I pick out the Virginia. For me it was a very muffled taste, dim, not merely intermingled or married but thoroughly homogenized, like when there is a blues club across the street and you mostly hear the bassist and some unintelligible vocals with occasional bits of drum and guitar. "Light pepper and cream" is definitely a great way to describe what I picked up.
I'll have to finish a bowl and give it another try or two before I am sure of my opinion, but it looks like for me it will be best used as a mostly neutral filler to stretch other blends and maybe fortify them for slightly more vitamin N content.
I've had some Mississippi River just waiting for me to try it for a while now, since my last order months ago. For whatever reason it just waited and waited and I never got around to it. Well, I guess I was inspired a bit; tonight I was looking to go off the beaten path and there it was, on the list of what I have that I need to try or revisit and I went straight to it, remembering that you mentioned it.
Mine was pretty much fully crumbled already. I'm not sure if it came that way or if I was too rough jamming the bag in a jar with another blend. Although tonight I found it alone in that jar I suspect it shared the jar with something else earlier.
It didn't dry for me quite as well as others have been drying lately, but then humidity is up a bit today (from 15% to 25%). My respiratory tract is thankful for it, if not my tobacco drying habit; if the trend continues I'll need to resume using a lamp or extended passive air drying. By the time I was ready to smoke I figured it was close enough so I loaded it into my MM Ozark cherry. I had a tough time lighting it and keeping it lit at first, but after a half dozen lights it started to stay lit as well as pipes have been staying lit for me lately.
I'd say a half hour went by before I could tell I was smoking anything at all. At first I found no flavor and not even a scent. It's the darnedest thing. Eventually it settled in and started making some flavor and a little bit of scent. I must have had 15 minutes with it making flavor before I started to feel a nic hit and put it down. Catching a nic hit was not entirely unexpected, in my notes I see that I got the same from the other SPC blend I've tried, Plum Pudding.
My experience with Mississippi River was pretty consistent with your description, though I wouldn't use the word "bright" at all, nor could I pick out the Virginia. For me it was a very muffled taste, dim, not merely intermingled or married but thoroughly homogenized, like when there is a blues club across the street and you mostly hear the bassist and some unintelligible vocals with occasional bits of drum and guitar. "Light pepper and cream" is definitely a great way to describe what I picked up.
I'll have to finish a bowl and give it another try or two before I am sure of my opinion, but it looks like for me it will be best used as a mostly neutral filler to stretch other blends and maybe fortify them for slightly more vitamin N content.
- Thread starter
- #178
Thanks for dropping in Cap'n. Normally I will literally taste the components that I write about, but occasionally a process of elimination is used to discern flavors. This might be helpful for those muddled tobaccos, as once you start to pick out the flavors that you recognize (or taste), then you can compare what's left to your knowledge base and eliminate the things that you know it isn't... Typically the components that haven't been removed from the possible choices are what make up the muddled soup that is left after you have removed the known items. Then you might recognize the muddled flavors as similar to the possible choices that are left. Sometimes you will just get "soup" and that's fine also. Hopefully that makes sense as you read it as it makes sense in this bird cage brain of mine.
Anyhow. I really just dropped in to give a quick update as it has been too long since I've posted here.
Things that have happened since I last visited:
1. Took a fantastic Weekday Date with my wife to a popular trail on the north end of Hawaii Island (Pololu Valley). I hope to get pics posted here at some point.
2. Smoked a pipe in my wife's presence (I normally smoke alone... Literally no one around).
3. Smoked a pipe in the car (wife was sitting there) and the car did not stink afterwards (open windows) and the wife approved.
4. Wife actually told me to buy a few cigars to try since I hadn't smoked one before and I just sent a box full to my dad. Reviews will be posted in a separate thread and linked here.
5. Smoked my new Radiator Pipe (Review Here)
6. Smoked a pipe on the way home today and the wife approved the "smell test" once I got home and was fine with smoking in the car.
Still getting used to smoking in visible locations (feels a bit weird knowing the typical mindset of people around here "pipe = wacky baccy"). All in all a good, but very busy past few weeks. I'll try to get back into this thread weekly again.
Happy smokes my friends.
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That's great news about wife approval!
I too am still a bit iffy about smoking pipes in visible locations. I work at a college where the wacky baccy association is even stronger, I suspect, and when I smoke visibly it's there, on my lunchbreak. I'm less worried about it while driving but not completely unconcerned.
I too am still a bit iffy about smoking pipes in visible locations. I work at a college where the wacky baccy association is even stronger, I suspect, and when I smoke visibly it's there, on my lunchbreak. I'm less worried about it while driving but not completely unconcerned.
- Thread starter
- #180
Another quick update.
Thanks to the kindness of @langlois I was able to smoke a sample of Orlick Golden Slice last night. I enjoyed it in my Radiator Pipe using the fold and stuff method. The evening was quite warm ~ perhaps 70F, but not too humid. I had been looking forward to trying this one out since it has been well regarded in general. I admit that I am always comparing and contrasting tobaccos against one another to try and simplify what I decide to purchase. This one was no exception as it naturally lends itself to go up against SG FVF.
The Review - Orlik Golden Sliced
I have found that lately my tastes have been leaning into Oriental forward Latakia based blends. This is all fine and dandy, but on occasion I find that I yearn for that clean, citrus flavor of the Virginia leaf. My go to has been SG FVF as I have found it to tick off all the right properties for a Virginia. Orlick Golden Sliced has stepped into the ring with the heaviest of heavy weights to do battle. The tin note was good, bright, basic tobacco. The moisture level was just perfect in the sample that I had; it still had some moisture, but did not leave your fingers feeling sticky after handling. I tried the fold and stuff method for this one and all went well. The flake had started to come apart a bit, but that really wasn't an issue. The flakes were folded in half lengthwise, a little extra tucked in the middle, and the bottom ends rubbed ever so slightly and then packed neatly into the bowl; a semi-firm press with the forefinger and a little "shake" added to the top for kindling and we are off to the races.
The false light was typical. The true light went well, although I did find myself having a few more relights than I normally would. Most likely poor technique on my part, but not an unpleasant smoke riddled with relights, just perhaps 4-5 relights total which is a bit high for me as I normally do one or two relights towards the last quarter / third of the pipe, unless there is a technique issue (poor cadence, poor packing, too moist, excessive wind, etc).
The flavor. I was a bit let down in this department. While the flavor was there, it wasn't as nice as FVF. The Virginia seemed a bit muted as though clouds had obscured the bright notes that I tend to associate with Virginia leaf. There was the typical grass/hay note, but it was muddled slightly. The real turn-off came unexpectedly in the form of cigarette tobacco. The smoke tasted a bit like a cigarette which is a huge turn-off for me. I tend to get a hint of cigarette with any virginia dominant blend, but this was a case of the cigarette note dominating the palette and the citrus and hay notes struggling to get through.
Overall Orlik Golden Sliced was a bit of a let down. My wife even noted at bedtime that my breath smelled bad. This was after I had showered, shaved, and brushed my teeth. I have enough left for a small bowl, which will be in the Brebbia that does so well with FVF to see how it compares. I am happy to have had the opportunity to try this one and even more so that it reaffirms my placement of SG FVF as king of the virginia leaf.
Til next time. Have a blessed resurrection day! .....
What came first ~ the bunny or the egg? Ha! Enjoy your Easter activities safely.
Thanks to the kindness of @langlois I was able to smoke a sample of Orlick Golden Slice last night. I enjoyed it in my Radiator Pipe using the fold and stuff method. The evening was quite warm ~ perhaps 70F, but not too humid. I had been looking forward to trying this one out since it has been well regarded in general. I admit that I am always comparing and contrasting tobaccos against one another to try and simplify what I decide to purchase. This one was no exception as it naturally lends itself to go up against SG FVF.
The Review - Orlik Golden Sliced
I have found that lately my tastes have been leaning into Oriental forward Latakia based blends. This is all fine and dandy, but on occasion I find that I yearn for that clean, citrus flavor of the Virginia leaf. My go to has been SG FVF as I have found it to tick off all the right properties for a Virginia. Orlick Golden Sliced has stepped into the ring with the heaviest of heavy weights to do battle. The tin note was good, bright, basic tobacco. The moisture level was just perfect in the sample that I had; it still had some moisture, but did not leave your fingers feeling sticky after handling. I tried the fold and stuff method for this one and all went well. The flake had started to come apart a bit, but that really wasn't an issue. The flakes were folded in half lengthwise, a little extra tucked in the middle, and the bottom ends rubbed ever so slightly and then packed neatly into the bowl; a semi-firm press with the forefinger and a little "shake" added to the top for kindling and we are off to the races.
The false light was typical. The true light went well, although I did find myself having a few more relights than I normally would. Most likely poor technique on my part, but not an unpleasant smoke riddled with relights, just perhaps 4-5 relights total which is a bit high for me as I normally do one or two relights towards the last quarter / third of the pipe, unless there is a technique issue (poor cadence, poor packing, too moist, excessive wind, etc).
The flavor. I was a bit let down in this department. While the flavor was there, it wasn't as nice as FVF. The Virginia seemed a bit muted as though clouds had obscured the bright notes that I tend to associate with Virginia leaf. There was the typical grass/hay note, but it was muddled slightly. The real turn-off came unexpectedly in the form of cigarette tobacco. The smoke tasted a bit like a cigarette which is a huge turn-off for me. I tend to get a hint of cigarette with any virginia dominant blend, but this was a case of the cigarette note dominating the palette and the citrus and hay notes struggling to get through.
Overall Orlik Golden Sliced was a bit of a let down. My wife even noted at bedtime that my breath smelled bad. This was after I had showered, shaved, and brushed my teeth. I have enough left for a small bowl, which will be in the Brebbia that does so well with FVF to see how it compares. I am happy to have had the opportunity to try this one and even more so that it reaffirms my placement of SG FVF as king of the virginia leaf.
Til next time. Have a blessed resurrection day! .....
What came first ~ the bunny or the egg? Ha! Enjoy your Easter activities safely.
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