What are You Smoking? July 2023

Thanks, Gypo. This BBB is from the '70s and was made prior to the Codogan takeover as the stem logo is silver. Post-Codogan pipes have an engraved logo on the stem. It has a narrow bowl and the wall is a bit on the thin side from years of cleaning that requires the need to load it somewhat lightly and smoke it slowly in order to prevent overheating. The payoff is a flavorful smoke that brings out the best in a flake tobacco. I really should smoke this one more often.

Derby Club Aromatic in the LaRocca Dublin. Headed to the porch swing, with my second coffee in one hand, and the pipe in the other.

Garden boxes, pots and baskets are watered. More Haunted Bookshop in the Saturday cob.

That is a great looking pipe, Russ. If the thin walls get to be too much bother for you, I'd be willing to take on the responsibility of smoking it.

Thanks, Urb! It's seen a lot of milage since that photo was taken for the listing on smokingpipes. This pipe is half of my BBB collection. lol

In honor of Canada Day, 2012 MM965 in my 1987 Dunhill Root Briar 3109 Canadian.

Friar's Bayou in the Saturday cob x 3, this afternoon.

Hard to beat a classic shape made great British factories in their heyday.
They had some great “secret sauce” approaches in their offerings!

They add the smoking wizardry to Virginia flakes.

McClelland's Oriental Cavendish in a Lancelot Canadian. 

Trying to empty more jars and ended up with crumbs of GH Black Cherry Twist, Mixture 79 Cherry Brandy and GH Kendal Dark. I mixed them together and am smoking it in a cob. I don’t think I would ever mix this up under regular circumstances, but it’s actually pretty good.

 When you see the words " spill tray mix " in my posts, it's this kind of thing.  I have a few jars around here, filled with mixes that were born in the spill tray. For a few years I enjoyed a mix of Tom's Private Reserve and Voodoo Queen, that started with a few teaspoons in the spill-tray.
  There's aways a loser or two, but I'm a fiddler, and I fiddle up a winner now and then.

I’m smoking the last of my mix right now in the same cob. I’ve never been one to just scoop tobacco’s together and smoke the somewhat random mix. Usually when I mix tobacco I’m trying to be strategic and clever and except for a few examples, they usually turn out losing the traits about them that I enjoy and ending up muddled. I can see how this more random mix could easily lead to future experimentation, maybe I need to quit trying to be so clever about it.

Haunted Bookshop in the Saturday cob.

I’ve never tried to “fix” a blend that I didn’t like, those have always been given away to those who like them or chucked in the bin. As you say, my efforts have usually been to enhance blends I like. My most recent attempt was a great success, to me anyway. 80% Crooner, 20% Sutliff Virginia Slices. I like it more than the two components by themselves. As you mention, I occasionally add a component, but it’s usually not to create a new blend, but rather add a little something. I don’t consider that to be actually trying to create something new. A bit of dark burley in an occasional aro to kick up strength a little or C&D cigar leaf to a blend just to give it a little edge.

I’ve moved on to Scarecrow in my BC calabash.