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Post by insignia100 on Nov 19, 2018 23:06:09 GMT -5
I started this chronicle on another forum, but thought I'd share here. If it belongs in a different sub-forum, I'd be happy for the mods to move it. I've got several previous observations that I'd like to include, so this thread will have a length first few posts, then I will update as necessary going forward. 10/28/18I started this morning by getting a fire going in the chiminea on my back porch. Once that was going I made a good, simple American breakfast -- scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast, eggs topped with some Valentina hot sauce. With the fire going strong I made myself a mug of tea and got situated in front of the fire to smoke my first bowl. I started with my Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe packed with some Peterson Aran. Figuring out the appropriate technique for the charring light took a few attempts, but I think I finally got it down. I enjoyed that first pipe for a good 30 minutes before accidentally blowing through the stem and getting a nice face full of ash. I was about 2/3 of the way through, so I decided to empty it out and try my second pipe. The second pipe is a non-branded curved stem pipe made in England. Looks like briar, but who am I to say? The bowl holds about 3/4 or less that of the corn cob does. I packed this one with some Sutliff Mixture #79. My technique had significantly improved after the first pipe, and I only had to relight a few times. However, I needed to use the bathroom, and decided that 1 1/2 bowls was enough for my first outing. I followed the session up with a thorough oral rinse with water, followed up by brushing my teeth and using some mouthwash. Some observations: - I definitely see the appeal of the ritual and forced down time smoking a pipe requires.
- Having never smoked anything I wasn't sure what to expect. The smoke wasn't as harsh as I expected, but I was expecting a bit more flavor from these aromatics. Perhaps they are fairly mild? I'm generally not a fruity person, but I wonder what a cherry tobacco would be like.
- I actually enjoy relighting.
- Having never smoked, I wasn't sure what kind of nicotine "hit" I might experience. Since you don't inhale like cigarettes you aren't going to get as much nicotine, but still wasn't sure. I can't say I am experiencing anything I would attribute to nicotine, however.
- Smoking is very much like drinking bourbon or scotch. It will take some time to develop a "taste" for it and to learn to tease out all the subtle differences between tobaccos.
I'm thinking I might like to try some stronger aromatics. I've got some Lane 1-Q, Orlik Golden Sliced (non-aromatic, I know), Sutliff Burma Road, and some Peter Stokkebye English Luxury on the way to try. |
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Post by insignia100 on Nov 19, 2018 23:07:05 GMT -5
11/04/2018
A few more observations after a few more bowls Each bowl is smoking better than the last, probably due to better packing and lighting technique. Also, I'm liking each tobacco better than the last. I just finished a bowl of Peter Stokkebye English Luxury and it is the best yet. I had previously only tried aromatics, but I'm thinking English blends may be more my cup of tea. Looking forward to trying some Orlik Golden Sliced also.
I found that with English Luxury, the flavor peaked around mid-bowl, and by 3/4 it was tapering off. Near the end it got ashy, but I think I was being too aggressive with the relights.
I've got a Peterson Killarney 106 on the way that I may dedicate to English-style/non-aromatic blends.
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Post by insignia100 on Nov 19, 2018 23:07:23 GMT -5
11/11/2018
More bowls to comment on since the last observation. I've had a chance to smoke a few bowls from my Peterson Killarney 106. I'm finding that this bowl is a bit too big for me. At my current puffing rate, it was only about 1/3 down after 40 minutes of puffing on some Orlik Golden Sliced this morning. Some of the English blends that I've got seem to burn a bit quicker. Still, this is a massive bowl compared to my Missouri Meerschaum Legend (which seems to be ideal).
In terms of tobacco, I've also had a chance to try some Escudo. So far, after a few bowls of each, I think I prefer it to the Orlik Golden Sliced. Those are the only two Va/Pers I've tried so far. I've got a few non-aro blends I'm looking forward to trying: Arango Balkan Supreme, C&D Bayou Night, Sutliff Voodoo Queen, and PS English Oriental Supreme.
That being said, I think I find myself gravitating more towards the aromatics. Part of the reason is that all my previous memories of pipe smoking involved aromatic tobaccos (as I'm coming to discover). I just got 4 oz of C&D Autumn Evening, and quite enjoyed the bowl of 7 Seas Royal I smoked last week. I also find that my wife prefers the aromatics, so that makes things a bit easier.
I've got a bowl packed with Autumn Evening right now -- will report back with my observations once I've finished.
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Post by insignia100 on Nov 19, 2018 23:07:46 GMT -5
11/11/2018 (cont.)
Just finished a bowl of C&D Autumn Evening. This is one heck of an aromatic -- all maple, all the time. My palate is not sensitive enough to detect, or at least identify, any other underlying notes. I can see how some may find it overpowering. Thankfully I love maple. I packed the bowl last night, straight from the bulk baggie, and let it sit out overnight to dry in the bowl. I keep the house at 66 degrees in the winter, so it didn't dry out too much. Despite it burning very well I did have some issues. It seemed to primarily burn directly above the draft hole rather than evenly across the top. I think this was due to the cut of the tobacco (fine cube cut) as I have not had this issue with other tobaccos out of this pipe.
The "room note" (in quotations because I smoke outside) is very pleasant, and very strong. If you smoke around someone who doesn't like maple syrup, you wont make a friend. Of course, someone who doesn't like maple syrup shouldn't be trusted, so no big loss. The tobacco taste is very mild, and about half way through the bowl it got somewhat ashy and very harsh on the retrohale. I think this is due to the burning issue mentioned above so I'm not going to blame the tobacco just yet. As mentioned before this tobacco burns very well, and I only had to relight a few times. Most of those were because I needed to scoop out the column of ash out of the bowl, and even then relighting wasn't necessary every time. If I can figure out the best way to pack this tobacco I should be able to get through a bowl out of my MM Legend in 3 or less relights (which is pretty good for someone who's only been smoking a few weeks).
All in all, I really like this tobacco and it may be the perfect fall smoke if I can get the pack correct so it burns evenly. I've got 4 oz of it so I should have plenty to practice with. I hadn't realized this post would turn into a mini tobacco review, but there ya go.
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Post by insignia100 on Nov 19, 2018 23:08:25 GMT -5
11/19/2018
Gotta love Mondays off, especially when its already a short work week! I smoked about 2 1/4 bowls today -- I'll explain the quarter first.
Cornell & Diehl Bayou Night. I loaded this up into my no-name bent briar and very quickly realized that this is a bit too stout for my tastes right now. Its too heavy on what I'm assuming is the perique, which is not surprising given the name. The spiciness just seemed too harsh, and I wasn't enjoying it. That's not to say its bad, but I've bagged it up in some mylar bags (not vacuum sealed) to age for a bit. I'll see what its like in a few months.
Arango Balkan Supreme. Now this... this I liked. A very smooth smoke, no harshness at all smoked out of my Peterson Killarney 106. Seemed to burn well, and I enjoyed the flavor immensely. It had almost a creamy consistency and... well, it was just great. No perique... maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much? I could see this becoming my main smoke.
Escudo. Not my first go around with Escudo, but after the Bayou Night I wanted to confirm that it was the perique that I objected to. It seemed so, but I enjoyed the Escudo much more because it wasn't nearly as perique-forward. Previously I had cube cut the coins, but today I rubbed them out. I think I prefer it rubbed out, and will have to try the same with Orlik Golden Sliced.
Today I got the mylar bags out and bagged up the Bayou Night for a later time. I also bagged some Sutliff Mixture 79, not in an attempt to age, but to keep it from drying out. I've got other aromatics that I enjoy more for now, so I will save the 79 for later.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2018 23:13:35 GMT -5
Extremely well done.
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Screaming Jazz
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Post by Screaming Jazz on Nov 19, 2018 23:51:51 GMT -5
Good read. If you want to try a stellar cherry aromatic I would recommend Samuel Gawith Celtic Talisman. It's very good stuff! Since you seem to like aromatics I would also recommend trying Newminster Blackberry Brandy. A new favorite of mine. Keep up the writing. Look forward to reading more
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Post by unknownpipesmoker on Nov 20, 2018 0:42:57 GMT -5
The fact that you liked the Balkan Supreme makes me think that you may be headed down the road of English/Balkans/Blends with latakia in them.
You may want to give Peterson's Old Dublin a try. Nice full, rich flavour, it has a very complex, but smooth taste. For a milder English I would go ahead and give Peter Stokkybye's English Luxury a try.
As I think you are discovering, from reading this, that flavourtown is actually in the non-aro varieties
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Screaming Jazz
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Post by Screaming Jazz on Nov 20, 2018 1:10:26 GMT -5
The fact that you liked the Balkan Supreme makes me think that you may be headed down the road of English/Balkans/Blends with latakia in them. You may want to give Peterson's Old Dublin a try. Nice full, rich flavour, it has a very complex, but smooth taste. For a milder English I would go ahead and give Peter Stokkybye's English Luxury a try. As I think you are discovering, from reading this, that flavourtown is actually in the non-aro varieties The flavourtown really is outside of the aromatic genre. That isn't to say aromatics are bad. I'm a fan of them myself. Good aromatics are few and far between, though. Straight virginia is offputting to many new smokers but it contains many extroudanry tastes. |
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Post by Dramatwist on Nov 20, 2018 1:18:14 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2018 4:26:59 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing your thoughts as a new smoker. Very well written, I enjoyed the read and your new journey down a road with yet many blends for you too also try as well. Seems your genre is leaning more towards Balkan and Latakia blends. You’ll enjoy Bayou Night with some aging, watch the moisture levels on new blends, can definitely turn you away from a particular tobacco. I personally find Virginia forward blends need a minimum of one year of age. Burley forward blends a minimum of three years of aging.
Bon voyage, enjoy yourself along the way👍👍
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Post by Legend Lover on Nov 20, 2018 4:38:43 GMT -5
Really well written and excellent observations. It seems you're taking to this rightly. I've just one observation... Damn right! Also, Screaming Jazz - thanks for that recommendation. Rarely is a stellar blend recommended that I can purchase in the UK. This one has gone on my 'to buy' list. I don't know why I'd never heard of it before. |
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Post by crapgame on Nov 20, 2018 11:53:10 GMT -5
I really enjoy reading your thoughts on tobacco..you put much thought into your choices and your descriptions..well done!! Pipe smoking is truly a journey of self discovery ..you learn what tobaccos you like, you truly learn to relax and you learn that you are the only one that thinks old school is the best school (pipe smoking that is)! You can also dabble with what drinks you like while smoking what tobaccos and that can be a lot of fun too! As a person that doesn't drink I find that i prefer hot drinks in the morning and evening with my smokes and the afternoon is for cold drinks... Autumn Evening with some hot apple cider is to die for..IMHO!
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Screaming Jazz
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Post by Screaming Jazz on Nov 20, 2018 13:21:51 GMT -5
Really well written and excellent observations. It seems you're taking to this rightly. I've just one observation... Damn right! Also, Screaming Jazz - thanks for that recommendation. Rarely is a stellar blend recommended that I can purchase in the UK. This one has gone on my 'to buy' list. I don't know why I'd never heard of it before. I'm sure it's hard to hear all us Americans talk about blends you can't get. At least you can get Germain's Rich Dark Flake! Us Americans are spoiled but you have good stuff too. |
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Post by insignia100 on Nov 20, 2018 18:21:36 GMT -5
Thanks for the positive responses everyone. My journey will certainly be slow going -- I've made it a point (mostly to alleviate the concerns of my wife) to only smoke a few times a week rather than every day. I'll also be smoking primarily aromatics when my wife is around because its more pleasant for her, and any positive association with pipe smoking is welcome.
I ended up ordering some Mac Baren 7 Seas Red. My wife suspects her soccer coach growing up smoked cherry tobacco in his pipe, and that's a fond memory of hers. I'll keep the Samuel Gawith Celtic Talisman in mind, but it seems anything Samuel Gawith is on back order right now at Pipesandcigars.com. If I like cherry I might order some from Smoking Pipes.
Also heading my way is Hearth and Home Magnum Opus and El Nino, and some Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired Ready Rubbed.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2018 18:24:22 GMT -5
Thanks for the positive responses everyone. My journey will certainly be slow going -- I've made it a point (mostly to alleviate the concerns of my wife) to only smoke a few times a week rather than every day. I'll also be smoking primarily aromatics when my wife is around because its more pleasant for her, and any positive association with pipe smoking is welcome. I ended up ordering some Mac Baren 7 Seas Red. My wife suspects her soccer coach growing up smoked cherry tobacco in his pipe, and that's a fond memory of hers. I'll keep the Samuel Gawith Celtic Talisman in mind, but it seems anything Samuel Gawith is on back order right now at Pipesandcigars.com. If I like cherry I might order some from Smoking Pipes. Also heading my way is Hearth and Home Magnum Opus and El Nino, and some Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired Ready Rubbed. Order a tin of Cult Blood Red Moon from Smokingpipes. Both you and your wife won’t be disappointed.......and the journey continues 👍 |
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Post by Legend Lover on Nov 20, 2018 18:47:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the positive responses everyone. My journey will certainly be slow going -- I've made it a point (mostly to alleviate the concerns of my wife) to only smoke a few times a week rather than every day. I'll also be smoking primarily aromatics when my wife is around because its more pleasant for her, and any positive association with pipe smoking is welcome. I ended up ordering some Mac Baren 7 Seas Red. My wife suspects her soccer coach growing up smoked cherry tobacco in his pipe, and that's a fond memory of hers. I'll keep the Samuel Gawith Celtic Talisman in mind, but it seems anything Samuel Gawith is on back order right now at Pipesandcigars.com. If I like cherry I might order some from Smoking Pipes. Also heading my way is Hearth and Home Magnum Opus and El Nino, and some Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired Ready Rubbed. Order a tin of Cult Blood Red Moon from Smokingpipes. Both you and your wife won’t be disappointed.......and the journey continues 👍 +1 on this. Ted knows what he's talking about. |
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Post by roadsdiverged on Nov 21, 2018 9:06:57 GMT -5
If you're enjoying Englishes I would recommend both Peter Stokkebye Proper English and Peter Stokkebye English Oriental Supreme. But you cant go wrong if you stick with Balkan Supreme, it's a wonderful tobacco.
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Post by dervis on Nov 21, 2018 11:58:50 GMT -5
Looking forward to more updates in this thread. Interesting how many of the details mirrored my experience when I started smoking. Some different , which was nice reading it through a different perspective.
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Post by peteguy on Nov 21, 2018 13:30:45 GMT -5
Enjoyed reading this. Thanks for sharing.
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Post by insignia100 on Nov 25, 2018 18:29:45 GMT -5
11/25/2018No tobacco observations today, however Christmas did come early. One exceedingly generous member on this forum (who shall remain nameless unless they want to be mentioned) offered to send me a few tobaccos to try. What I didn't expect was a box with this many goodies: 
With my selection now more than doubled I have my work cut out for me! Many thanks, and I hope to return the favor in the future and send a new smoker a similar starter kit! I am eager to try the Plum Pudding and Mississippi River -- if the weather is nice (I smoke outside) I'll be back with some comments on one of those.
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Post by Legend Lover on Nov 25, 2018 18:35:08 GMT -5
There are some truly generous people in this place, insignia100. You've been well taken care of. |
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Post by roadsdiverged on Nov 25, 2018 21:10:07 GMT -5
That is a very nice welcome package. Looking forward to your thoughts
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Post by trailboss on Nov 25, 2018 22:15:11 GMT -5
Quite an excellent gift....you have a wonderful benefactor with a kind heart.
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Post by McWiggins on Nov 25, 2018 22:28:39 GMT -5
Nothing but greatness in both the gesture and selection.
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kirk13
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Post by kirk13 on Nov 26, 2018 6:32:52 GMT -5
This is a helluva nice community
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Post by insignia100 on Nov 26, 2018 10:07:44 GMT -5
11/26/2018
It is chilly and windy this morning out on my back deck in Knoxville. High today of 41 degrees, which will take some time getting used to since I've spent the last 4 1/2 years living in the Sonoran Desert in Tucson. Not ideal for smoking a pipe! I'd smoke in the garage but we are renting and smoking is, understandably, strictly verboten.
Last night I packed my bent basket briar with some SPC Mississippi River. On first light (and subsequent relights) the initial flavor is that of the sweet Virginias, a bit of a tangy taste especially when puffed hard. Due to the weather I was puffing more than I would have otherwise, and there was only a hint of bite after several strong puffs. I'd say the Virginias are the star of the show, with a bit of latakia and a smidge of perique giving some complexity. Apparently it has some oriental in it, but my palette hasn't learned to identify those yet. It started to gurgle about half way through the bowl. I think it was a combination of the pipe design (its the only one I've got that gurgles so far) and the air temperature causing quicker condensation.
Seems to be a nice, mild smoke. I spent the 4 years prior to my jaunt in Tucson living in Mississippi. Despite being a latakia blend, it seems pretty light, and I could see myself enjoying this even during Mississippi summers. This begs for a trip down to the river, fishing pole in hand, enjoying a nice morning on the water.
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Post by Legend Lover on Nov 26, 2018 12:00:19 GMT -5
Your reviews are so well written. I think you're having fun with this.
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Post by insignia100 on Nov 26, 2018 12:02:49 GMT -5
Thanks! I hesitate to call them reviews because reviewing something usually requires you actually knowing what you're talking about. It will be nice to look back on these impressions and compare once I've got more experience.
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Post by Legend Lover on Nov 26, 2018 12:53:14 GMT -5
Thanks! I hesitate to call them reviews because reviewing something usually requires you actually knowing what you're talking about. It will be nice to look back on these impressions and compare once I've got more experience. OK. I'll rephrase... Your thoughts are so well written. |
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