Monthly Tobacco Discussion December 2014

Around Christmas time, I lean towards aromatics. A good English blend is nice too, but it's a good aro that really puts me in the mood. Vanilla/caramel/nutty flavors seem to be best, but rum is ok as well. Fruity aros don't really scream Christmas to me, but if it smells like somebody's baking cookies, it's on.

My first holiday aro was Prince Albert Soft Vanilla, and that was good. At the top of the list is Nording Hunter Labrador. That is quite possibly my favorite aromatic.

A month or two ago I order a bunch of holiday-oriented tobaccos, and I've been working on those. They are (in order of preference):
McClelland Holiday Spirit 2014
McClelland Christmas Cheer 2014
C&D Christmas Blend 2014 (We Three Kings)
C&D Christmas Blend 2013 (We Won't Go Until We Get Some)

Holiday Spirit is the best of the bunch, and similar to Labrador, but with a rum note.
Christmas Cheer is ok, but not really Christmasy, and I'm not big on pure Virginias yet.
C&D 2014 has a nice flavor but it's a very, very mild flavor. It has a higher nicotine content than I like, and really burns on the retrohale.
C&D 2013 is terrible. It has the same problems as the 2014, except the flavor isn't as mild. The tin note is nice, reminding me at various times of raisins, wine, or grape juice, but the flavor is no good.I can't even say what's wrong with it. It tastes like it should taste good, but it doesn't, if that makes any sense.

So I'll stick with my Labrador and Soft Vanilla. I'm not sure if Holiday Spirit is a different blend every year, or the same blend released seasonally. If it's the latter, I'll definitely get more. With Christmas Cheer, we'll just have to see how my taste for Virginias develops in the next year. Those two C&D blends have me pretty nervous about trying more of their stuff, especially Christmas blends.

Till, are you asking what we like to smoke around 12/25/2014?

the_edski said:

Till, are you asking what we like to smoke around 12/25/2014?

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Oh boy........here we go

the_edski said:

Till, are you asking what we like to smoke around 12/25/2014?

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You mean the 24th of December, 2014

My foray into pipe smoking is very pedestrian. A Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob and Captain Black Cherry. That is what I will go with.


And like Santa, have a good lawyer on retainer.

Prof. Moriarty said:

You mean the 24th of December, 2014

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2014-12-24. It's the only logical format.

For pipe tobacco? I turn into a latakia hound... the smokier and creamier the better.

Lately, I've been on a cigar kick as well, since it's easier to smoke a cigar when I'm chilly. With cigars, I'm craving pepper notes... especially black pepper or white pepper.

After everyone is settling down on Christmas eve (I work Christmas on shift). Ill probably settle down from homemade eggnog. To bourbon (the last of my 2013 Pappy Van Winkle 20yr and a Partagas Lusi from a 50 ct cab dated STA MAR 2009. I only smoke one or two a year from this special cab I purchased for my 30 bday in 2010.

I am not too adventurous so I keep with Prince Albert and Sir Walter plus some Cherry.

I am thinking of Sutliff Mountain Pass - it is sweet similar to Molto dolce, but it has a "custard"-like vanilla pudding flavor - it is SOOOOO delicious (wife says it smells like sugar cookies).
I have a green Xmas pipe (I think 2011 Christmas) from Peterson that I am thinking of actually using.

I thought it was 24-12-2014.

Argonaut said:

I thought it was 24-12-2014.

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Yup it is

I'm thinking some Sutliff Sunset Rum in one of the big fat pipes. Herculese or Giganti. That's the ticket.

Argonaut said:

I thought it was 24-12-2014.

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Argonaut said:

I thought it was 24-12-2014.

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But there is no 24th month of the year so how can that be?

spazchowww said:

But there is no 24th month of the year so how can that be?

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I see what you did there.


I must be going insane because lately I have only been wanting to smoke VaPers, Vas or VaBurs. I have so many English blends but am pretty much forcing myself to trudge through them.

I smoke whatever calls to me at the moment and what doesn't interest me right now is left in the cellar to age. Gotta love what yer smokin or it loses some of the joy.

the_edski said:

Till, are you asking what we like to smoke around 12/25/2014?

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Oh no! It's happening again.
(25/12/2014 - day/month/year)

Don't make me get my whooping stick out you hear me?!

And let's not even get into the metric/imperial thing. That imperial thing (in red) is a very isolated hangup from sometime back in the day.



Lucky you're all my brown leaf brothers.

I am enjoying how no one has questioned the 24th being Christmas rather than the 25th.