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Details
Date: 4/6/15
Name: cbr310 (Matt)
Tobacco: Orange H G&H Scotch Flake Aromatic
Pipe: mm Cob
Indoor / Outdoor: Indoor
Observations
Examination (how it looked, felt and smelled): Vacuum packed, looks like beef jerkey in the pouch, making me hungry!
Preparation (how did you prepare and pack it): Rubbed out,gravity 1/3rds till full. Opened pack up and it grew, pretty good aroma of chocolate at first smell of package
Burn: Took some flame to get going
Flavor: Chocalte, some nuttiness, mild spice
Comments and conclusion:
A nice sweet smell of chocolate right out of the gate. Rubbed the tobacco out and the smell was still there, very enjoyable. Took some flame to get it started. I taste chocolate, some nuttiness and mild level of spice. Couldnt quit taking puffs cause the flavors where there. Good amount of smoke came along with them.Thinking it might be stronger than what im used to cause after about 10 mins of puffing I could feel a head change coming on, not over powering but just what the dr. ordered for a stressful morning! with the retro-hale I feel the spiciness, and with regular ex-haul I get the chocolaty-sweet nuttiness i crave with this smoke. I cant quit puffing away like a locomotive cause the flavor rolling across my tongue is more intense with every hit. Last third of bowl the chocolate got stronger, I liked it more! My cob never really got hot just warm. All in all a great smoke with tastes I havent had before in a tobacco. Thanks for this sample and will have another few bowls before going on to the next sample. I think sample "H" meant hell yeah its a good 1!http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...c4a35f4a04.jpg
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4.6.2015
Lostmason
Sample Yellow E Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake
Short Snorter imported briar
indoors
Loose flake or partially rubbed,mostly dark with a few light strands running thru.
In the pouch has a distinct "fresh hay" odor, Reminded me more of natural untreated
tobacco,but sweeter.The feel is dry, almost twiggy.
I probably should have let this sit for a bit and air some,but it felt fairly dry so
I didn't do much for prep other than to make sure there wasn't any dottle left in my
pipe.I used the fold and stuff method and was quite pleased with the draw and the
taste before lighting,tasted like clover.
It did take a bit to light hence the above comment about letting it air,but after
a charring and a quick tamp it stayed lit fairly well.I did have to relight once
but that was to be expected.
The sweetness came out more in the room note than in the taste after lighting,the
smoke was dry but full.There was a refreshing cleanness to this tobacco,a no frills
easy draw, a simple country taste that carried me to fields and hunting.It reminded my of
chewing clover or grass stands,a sweet clean taste that refreshes you.
I didn't notice any tongue bite and the retro-hale was smooth and pleasing.Using my
Short Snorter doesn't take a lot to fill the bowl so with this tobacco it makes for
a pleasant 25-30 minute break from reality.
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Got a chance to do my first review sooner than I planned. Maybe I'll do "Pink U" tomorrow.
Details-
Date: April 06, 2015
Name: cpmcdill
Tobacco: Yellow E Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake
Pipe: BBB Superfine straight lovat
Site: Indoors
Observations-
Examination: (how it looked, felt and smelled).
Tobacco was short pressed intact flakes (tin-size, none broken or rubbed out), of a medium reddish brown color flecked with yellow. flakes are flexible and seem to have a good moisture level for smoking. The aroma of the blend was the grass/hay of Virginia and another subtly floral note which makes me wonder if this is a Lakeland. I do not suspect the presence of perique or burley. After a bit of airing the floral note seemed to fade a bit, so it may not have been a significant topping.
Preparation: (how did you prepare and pack it).
Rubbed it out and allowed it to air a few minutes before packing. Stuffed in two generous pinches and got it nicely packed while still allowing a good draw. Didn't feel like using Frank or air pocket methods.
Burn: Matches were used to light the tobacco. Took on a nice burn after the initial light-tamp-relight. Stayed lit most of the way through and burned cool with no tongue bite. Had to relight once about 85% through, when I had to dump some ashes off. After that, smoked all the way down, with minimal dottle at the end and no residual "juice" to deal with.
Flavor: Starts off with a toasty-bready flavors which broadens into a semi-sweet and complex mix of flavors I associate with Virginias, but not monochromatic. Still plenty of grass/hay, so I suspect at most a blend of several Virginia varietals and no other tobaccos. Picking up that other note again, which reminds me of tobacco in the Gawith family.
Halfway, the flavor remains much the same, but in the last quarter some bitter notes creep in. Was I being unmindful and puffing too hard? I wouldn't know, as it's still smoking rather cool. It does sort of remind me of the faint garlic chives flavor I've noticed with Bosun Cut Plug. No criticism there, as I'm still enjoying it. Toward the end that Lakeland-y character gets more pronounced, but subtle and in a good way.
Comments and conclusion:
From the very first puffs, what a delightful first impression. The taste from the first light conveyed a tobacco of high quality. Have I had this before? It's not something I have in my cellar presently, but might have gotten as a bomblet sample long ago. This was a fine smoke, and I'm thrilled I was given enough to carry me through many more enjoyable pipe sessions. I'm grateful to have this opportunity to have such a focused smoking experience, where I can put all my attention on the nuances of the tobacco.
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Date: 4/7/15
Name: cbr310 (Matt)
Tobacco: Pink E (vac) Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake
Pipe: mm cob
Outdoor
Observations/Examination : In vacuum pack looks like tree bark, once cut open aroma of I think a cherry hint. Felt stiff and didnt want to bend without spliting. Rubbed out very easy, seems ready to smoke.
Preparation: Rubbed out gravity tampered in thirds till almost full
Burn: Burned well only had a few relights
Flavor: Smelled of cherry, that was it for the cherry, like an otc cherry blend I could never taste cherry flavoring. Tasted to me like pepper. Pretty spicy especially on the retro hale, couldnt do many of that. most of the bowl was spicey and peppery. Had a strong tobacco flavor to it as well. At the end of the bowl the spiciness seemed to mellow out and ended with a decent smoke. Lots of smoke on every puff. Mild with nicotine, a slight head changer for me.
Comments and conclusion:
This tobacco would tame a crave for spicy cravings. Didnt really care for the stronger tobacco(cigarette) taste. Dont think this is a blend I would buy. I enjoy the different flavors and not so much the tobacco side. first bowl I ever smoked with only about 3 relights!http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...87ecba519d.jpg
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Fuschia A
Date 7APR15
Name Alligator Gar (Jim)
Tobacco TBA G&H Dark Sliced
Pipe Custom Bamboo Egg
Indoor / Outdoor Covered Porch
The tobacco is well packaged.
Attachment 1749
Small black dime sized disks flecked with gold.
Attachment 1750
They appear cohesive and are mixed with long strings of tobacco exhibiting the consistency of easter grass or excelsior.
Attachment 1751
You can put this in my Easter basket any day.
I'm smoking this in my "best pipe", a custom bamboo egg a friend made for me. This is the pipe that launched my journey a couple months ago and I am familiar with its smoking characteristics.
After air drying the tobacco I rubbed out the coins and dried some more. I used the progressive packing and lighting method known as The Jim System, or simply The Jim.
Damp rain slicker that caught just the sleeve on fire. Pungent fermented sweetness, a little smoked raisin smell. It has a smell I've smelled before but I can't summon the words that describe it. Very frustrating.
Dramatic rise on the char.
Attachment 1752
Tasting what I'm smelling on pre-light, a froggy must that is not terrible. Some Basalmic qualities. The tobacco occasionally fronts a sweet note that comes and goes based on how hard I'm smoking it. Retrohale is quite pleasant and sniffing the smoke off the bowl yields that same prelight scent. The ash is dark grey and sturdy and the smoke both prodigious and substantial. The mouth feel of the smoke is chewy and round with an aftertaste of toasted almond. A little gurgle is cured with a cotton Dill's. Both the cleaner and the book that suggest one could cure a gurgle mid-smoke came from Warren, so a knowing nod to him. The smoke changes to a more oily, bergamot infused experience towards the end of the bowl after my first of several late pipe relights. I am a habitually fast smoker and this tobacco will not let you oversmoke it without the usual warning signs (ringing ears, blurred vision and rectal bleeding.) It is a slow burning tobacco that wants to be smoked that way.
Since I have no reputation to stake I'll just come out and say it. This tobacco has some years on it. It has the characteristics age imparts--smooth smoke with melded flavors. It has a good strength that satisfies after dinner. I wouldn't smoke this everyday, but much like 965, there's a place for a full bodied smoke in my line up. I would not recommend this to an inexperienced smoker.
4/5 Would smoke again.
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Here's my second review of these tobacco treasures, the pink (magenta?) U:
Details-
Date: April 8, 2015
Name: cpmcdill
Tobacco: Pink U C&D Exclusive
Pipe: Marxman straight bulldog
Site: Indoors
Observations-
Examination (how it looked, felt and smelled).
Upon opening the bag (great packaging, Pete!) I took a deep whiff. WOnderful odors of at least three different tobaccos. My first guess is Virginia, Perique, and a faint smokey hint of either Latakia or dark fired Kentucky. Not sure because it's so subtle.
The tobacco is a ribbon-cut blend of yellow, medium brown, and dark brown bits, with the medium brown dominating. The moisture level seems perfect and smoke-ready.
Preparation (how did you prepare and pack it).
I did not set it out to dry, as it seems quite ready to smoke. Used the standard three-stage packing method, got plenty into the bowl, and the cold draw was fine.
Burn:
This time instead of matches I used a standard Zippo lighter. Whereas I may be inclined to use matches on flake tobacco, I find that a ribbon cut lights just fine with a lighter. After the first light and tamp, it was still burning but I touched it up anyway. Only one relight as noted below.
Flavor:
From the first light, mouthfuls of delicious smoke. Sweet, spicy, with minor bitter notes. No distinct latakia flavor, but nevertheless a subtle low end presence. At the first quarter the sweetness begins to taper, and more peppery notes step in. About 60% through and it went out due to the burden of ashes, so I dumped them and relit. Th flavors kept on as before. My mouth did start to feel dry by this point, so I sipped some lemonade from here on. In the last quarter it held the semi-sweet, peppery and slightly bitter notes, with no smokey character emerging. Some dottle at the end.
Comments and conclusion: Overall a pleasant smoke. I would definitely smoke more of this. Eager to find out what I've been smoking.
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My third review:
Details--
Date: April 08, 2015
Name: cpmcdill
Tobacco: Green J (vac) G&H Louisiana Flake
Pipe: Canterbury straight billiard
Site: Indoors
Observations--
Examination (how it looked, felt and smelled).
This blend was vacuum sealed, and appears as a slab of pressed flake tobacco, about 5" long and 7 slices thick. Colors present in the flakes are mostly yellows and medium-dark browns in equal proportion. Feels like a good moisture level, and possesses a delicious fragrance, with distinct fig and cocoa notes. My nose cannot single out any of the individual tobaccos in the flake.
Preparation (how did you prepare and pack it).
Peeled off and slightly rubbed out just enough to fill my pipe, then folded the strands into sort of a ball and stuffed it in. I guess it's a sloppy air pocket packing. On the cold draw I discover the pipe stem needs a bit of cleaning, so I run a pipe cleaner soaked with Everclear through, to freshen it up. Then, it was ready to light.
Burn:
I used matches, and found it lit up perfectly, so it was indeed at the right moisture level. Maintains a steady burn even with very light puffing. Stayed lit just fine, but had to let it go out at halfway, because I had to go add some fuel to the woodstove. On returning I lit up again.
Flavor:
The pronounced figgy/cocoa aroma of the flakes was not in evidence on first lighting, but a slight flash of Lakeland, which quickly went away, and when I slowed my puffing tempo, a sensuous chocolatey character came through. Virginia's in there, but I'm not even going to try guessing what else. It is rich, and very rewarding to a slow, mindful cadence. Even at the first quarter, I want to know what this is, so I can buy a pound or two to cellar. At 50% the flavor's stillgoing strong, but gaining in strength, with more tobacco coming through. Chocolate notes are still present. Continued right down to the bottom with no significant change, and minimal dottle.
Comments and conclusion:
This is one I enjoyed a lot. I have not had it before, but I would definitely consider adding something like this to my permanent rotation.
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My fourth and final review:
Details--
Date: April 09, 2015
Name: cpmcdill
Tobacco: Pink i (vac) G&H Brown Flake
Pipe: Dr Grabow Golden Duke Adjustomatic straight rusticated pot
Site: Indoors
Observations--
Examination (how it looked, felt and smelled).
This tobacco came vacuum-packed, and appears as an intact pressed flake, six inches long and 6 slices thick. In color it is mostly light to medium brown, with few flecks of yellow and darker brown. There's a faint glitter of sugar crystals on the surface, by which presence I infer that this flake has had some aging. It's flexible, has a good moisture level, and smells great. Sweet grassiness with a touch of raisin.
Preparation (how did you prepare and pack it).
Reamed and cleaned the pipe first. As is my preference with flakes, I pulled off just enough for a pipeful, and rubbed it out a little, then rolled it in a loose ball and stuffed it into the top, maybe allowing a little air space near the draft hole. Cold draw was fine.
Burn:
Matches are used. Took a light easily, after the initial light and tamp. With a slow and steady cadence, it burns steady and cool, and for a long time. I can tell it might bite the tongue with hard puffing. No re-lights all the way down
Flavor:
Right from the start, the sweet grassiness comes through in the smoke, and a little later some spiciness. 25% in, the sweetness has tapered and the fresh grass is more hay-like. About this point it got a gurgle (thank goodness for adjustomatic - was easy to blot the moisture). Three quarters along, and the flavors stays much the same. Good nicotine in this - I can feel it. Smoked all the way down to ash with not dottle, and no ashy flavors.
Comments and conclusion:
I found this to be a tasty flake, though I was even more impressed with the other two flakes I was given. Definitely high quality tobacco, and I wouldn't say no to more, though the others piqued my interest more strongly.
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My first review
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0ipxmnwb.jpg
Details
Date-4/9/2015
Name-George Bowman
Tobacco- A yellow G&H Dark Sliced
Pipe-smooth rhodesian basket pipe
Indoor / Outdoor-indoors
Observations
Examination
The tobacco looks to be a string cut but has some small pieces of flake. It is such a dark brown, it’s almost black. There are a few small light brown specks scattered all through out. It is a little wet. The smell is fantastic. Smells like tobacco, sweet, raisins, very dark heavy dried fruit. There is something in the smell that is a little smoky but I can’t tell what it is.
Preparation
It was a little wet, but I didn’t think too wet to smoke. I was wrong and could not get a good light. I put it on a paper plate for about 25 or thirty minutes and then gravity fed with just a little packing.
Burn
It lit well. Now I realize I packed it more than I thought or this is very dense. Probably a combination of both. Several relights are normal for me and this was no different. It burns hot to a white ash. The smoke is thick, white and abundant.
Flavor
I immediately catch a little citrus that is almost always present but will not take the lead. It’s smoky and there is a earthiness that makes me think of burley. There is a good amount of spice in the retrohale. The more I smoke, the spicier it turns, as well as smoky. It produces an oily smoky coating on my tongue and roof of my mouth. A soapy taste comes on that turns into a chemical taste and smell. The hot burn is putting a little bite on the back and outside edges of my tongue. There is something I’ve been tasting almost the whole time that I want to attribute to tonquin but am starting to think this is Lakeland Essence. A perfume taste. Toward the end of the bowl, I’m thinking it taste like oven cleaner smells.
Comments and conclusion
The tobacco smelled terrific and tasted nothing like it smelled. It is an incredibly strong tobacco. The nic hits the stomach and then the head. While it is a quality tobacco, the taste and smell are nothing I would buy.
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Details
Date: 4/9/15
BryGuySC (Bryan)
Orange A G&H Dark Sliced
Pipe: Picadilly rusticated briar
Outdoor
Observations
Examination: This tobacco is very dark, like baking chocolate with spots of lighter milk chocolate. This is a combination of what looks like flakes of sliced rope and rubbed out tobacco.
Prep: I rubbed out the “coins” and set the tobacco out to dry for about an hour.
Burn: This could do with some more drying. If I put down the pipe, even long enough to write just a few sentences, it went out.
“Tin Note”: Dusty, and smoky. A bit of “musty barn.”
Flavor: Holy cow! And I DO mean cow! This smoke absolutely smells like a barn, complete with animals, hay, and manure. It is pungent.
After the initial barn smells (which are still there), I get a quick hit of pine.
I also get hit with a strong cigar smell, rich with musty leather.
I can’t get over how much this smells like a barn! I mean, straight up cow manure.
For me, the nicotine is pretty strong. Halfway through the bowl, I can definitely feel it. (of course, I did smoke a bowl of navy flake immediately before this one)
Comments and conclusion
I don’t really like this tobacco, but it was, without doubt, the most interesting thing I’ve ever smoked.
It was exactly what it would smell like if you walked into a barn after someone smoked a cigar in it.
I didn’t hate it, and I’m glad I got to experience this tobacco. I would not buy it, but it was very interesting. I did not know tobacco could taste like this!
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My tobaccos arrived. Thank you
@NeverBend
for doing this! They made it though customs, opened, but untaxed. You have the magic touch.
I received Yellow J, Green C and Pink A.
The J and the C are both in flake form and about the size of two SG flakes put together. A is very dark and from outside the bag it looks to be either straight latakia or a lot of stove VA. Maybe a mixture of both?
The I only opened one bag and will probably smoke through a full bag before I move onto the next one. I asked the Mrs to choose one and she picked Yellow J G&H Louisiana Flake
Appearance. A very clean cut and dense flake. Dark to light brown with some strips of dark/black. It smells very chocolatey. I broke on of the flakes in half and did a fold and stuff in a Kiko African Meerschaum Dublin after letting it sit for 30 mins. Took a bit to get it going but once there was a nice even burn the flake did its magic.
Taste. Right away I noticed some Lakeland essence (not a bad thing but I'm glad i put it in one of my meers). When I first got a Custom-built pot there was a ghost of slight lakeland in that pipe. I am almost positive this was the tobacco that person smoked in it. The perfume scent isn't overbearing but subtle. I am definitely getting burley and Virginia but this is not a typical aromatic tobacco. It tastes like very high quality leaf with slight toppings of cocoa and lakeland sauce. The balance is wonderful and boy does this stuff burn slow. I mean real slow. I'm going to need some more bowls of this to give a better description but for now, it's very enjoyable.
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My second review
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/...psvhxb5rns.jpg
Details
Date-4/10/2015
Name-GWBowman
Tobacco-B yellow G&H No. 7 Broken Flake
Pipe-MM Cob Legend
Indoor / Outdoor-Indoors
Observations
Examination
This is a nice broken flake. It feels moist to the touch. The color is a mix of dark and medium brown mingled with light brown. It has a sweet smell. The background smell is tobacco. The dominant smell is flowers. Not any real flower I’m familiar with. It’s the smell we have been programmed to associate with flowers.
Preparation
I rubbed some and let it dry about 20 minutes before doing a modified Frank Method load.
Burn
It lit easily and the burn was great. The ash was light, fluffy, and white in color. There was a decent amount of smoke, but not a smoke bomb. Just about right. If smoked too fast it will nip at the tongue.
Flavor
It has a flowery taste that matches the smell, leaving a wax like coating on the tongue and roof of the mouth.
Comments and conclusion
The tobacco is a high quality offering. While the taste doesn't remind me of tobacco in any way, I enjoyed this. I will keep this in my cellar and enjoy smoking the rest of it. It is not an everyday smoke nor a every pipe smoke as I believe it will ghost.
I believe this to be Ennerdale Flake. If you've ever smoked it, you will recognize it.
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Details
04/10/15
BryGuySC
Tobacco: Yellow AA Macbaren Latakia Blend circe 2000
MM Missouri Pride
Outdoor
Observations
Examination: This is another one that looks like a combination of sliced rope and rubbed out tobacco. This tobacco is a dark walnut brown, with flecks of bright yellow. It smells sweet, like old raisins and dates. It smells and feels old.
Preparation: I rubbed out the coins and let it sit for a little over an hour.
Burn: It took a while to get it lit, but burned pretty good after that. I had a few relights, after long pauses.
Flavor: Started out pretty flat. Decent, but flat.
After about five to ten minutes, the tobacco started to liven up. I got a hint of leather, then some fruit flavors started to come through. Just as quickly, though, they dissipated. The rest of the smoke was pleasant, but didn’t change too much after that. I guess this may be some sort of a virginia/burley blend; but I’m not very good at identifying tobaccos yet.
Comments and conclusion
This smoke was pretty mellow. There were moments of unique flavors that shone through, but other than those, it was pretty straightforward. It felt like it had some age on it, so I’m attributing some of those attributes to that.
I think this one may be too subtle for me. I feel like things were hinting that they were there, but I was not skilled enough to either notice them or coax them out.
I thought this one was going to be heavy on the nicotine, but didn’t feel it at all.
I enjoyed the smoke, but struggled trying to find nuance. Future smokes will be better enjoyed because I’ll just enjoy it without trying to analyze.
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Details
4-11-15
Tobias Lutz
Yellow “T” E&C The Deerstalker circa 1982
Chacom Manet Billiard
Outdoors
Observations
This blend was a dark brown, thin sliced flake, with a spattering of unfinished maple colored notes. The flakes were caked together quite solidly (even though they weren’t vacuum packed), and they failed to remain intact when pulled apart. Under the light of my desk lamp I was able to see quite a bit of glittering sugar on the tobacco, sparkling against the espresso background. I thought it smelled like a mix of dry hay and leather- like the tack room in my aunt’s barn. It was very mellow with the slightest hint of something like sandalwood but what really stuck me was how “balanced” all the odors were; none really stood above, or under, the others.
I rubbed a chunk out to produce fine, dry, but not nimble ribbons. I packed using a three step gravity fill method.
It took me three lights to really get it underway, but then the tobacco burned steadily and stayed cool for the duration of the bowl.
The first impression I got was that of clover blossoms- light, with a faint floral sweetness. It had a dry grassiness that was similar to the experience of mowing over sun baked grass clippings. I found it to be medium strength, with qualities that reminded me of dark stoved Virginia. At the very end of the bowl I picked up a touch of citrusy “zing”.
Comments and conclusion
I thought this was a very enjoyable smoke and it reminded me of Butera Royal Vintage (though without much spice). I would prefer this later in the day, and believe it would pair particularly well with a cup of Constant Comment tea.
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Details
04/11/15
BryGuySC
Tobacco: Pink Q Balkan Sasieni
MM Eaton
Outdoor
Observations
Examination: This is a nice combination of light and dark strands of tobacco.
Preparation: Opened the package, and shoved it right in the pipe.
Burn: No burn problems at all. Lit easily and stayed lit with no problems.
Tin Note: Smokey, meaty, like a smoked jerky.
Flavor: Started out like an English, and continued to taste like an English. That being said, it was very smooth. I did get a little bit of a burn on the roof of my mouth. There is some spiciness along with the normal English smokiness.
Comments and conclusion
I’m not a huge English fan, but we’ve come to terms. I don’t have a lot of distinction of tobacco nuances, and that goes doubly (halfly?) for English blends. That being said, this reminds me of one of the Dunhill offerings, maybe Nightcap.
It is a nice, solid, smoky English.
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Details
4-12-15
Tobias Lutz
Pink “B” G&H No.7 Broken Flake
Kaywoodie Sterling billiard
Outdoors
Observations
This is an attractive, medium oak colored broken flake, sliced into medium width ribbons. It has a decent moisture consistency that only requires a bit of drying time. Rising out of the bag is a distinct floral note that I’ll call “Lakeland-light”. It is not overwhelming, but definitely present. Behind it is a mature Virginia scent of hay and moist soil.
I let the tobacco dry for about 30 minutes and then I rubbed out some of it out to create very springy ribbons that I packed using a three step gravity fill. I found that the floral essence actually abated some once the tobacco was rubbed completely.
The burn was good, requiring on two relights for the entire bowl. It left an extremely fine, white ash behind and managed to stay cool, even when puffed on while I played hopscotch with my four year-old.
I thought it began a bit mild, and it made me think of a summer walk through a field of wildflowers. The Lakeland like profile lessened greatly towards the middle of the bowl and I got distinct notes of pistachio and vanilla, dancing around among the hay. The more I smoked, the more I discovered a pleasant, honey sweetness.
Comments and conclusion
Overall, I considered this a pleasant smoke for a hot afternoon. The floral essence isn’t something that necessarily turns me off, and the fact it didn’t endure the entire bowl was interesting. I also liked the way it grew in sweetness as it progressed. I found it to be bite-proof, and the “mustache note” was pleasant.
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Details:
Date: 4/11/2015 & 4/12/2015
Name: Horsefeathers
Tobacco: C - Pink (VAC) G&H Dark Flake Unscented
Pipe: Missouri Meerschaum Huck Finn Cobb
Indoor / Outdoor: Outdoors (Garage)
Observations & Examination (how it looked, felt and smelled): The tobacco was vacuum sealed. Upon opening, it very much resembled a stick of beef jerky. Closer examination revealed it appeared to be 3 flakes firmly stuck together. I manged to free one flake, but others were too well pressed to pull apart without deconstructing the flake. The color looked dark brown, almost black until it was separated. Once separated / broken down a bit it was a mottled dark brown with small tan spots. The smell was very interesting. I was initially hit with a very strong mint odor, with a little bit of chocolate in the background (think girl scout Thin Mint Cookies). The smell didn't change much until I let it air out for a few minutes. After it aired out the chocolaty / minty flavor was still present, but a distinct barnyard aroma presented itself, along with a noticeable figgy smell.
Preparation (how did you prepare and pack it): I took the loose bits of tobacco from the vacuum seal and put those aside. Then I took the one flake I was able to separate and loosely pulled it apart / crumbled it into smaller chunky strips. I combined both the deconstructed flake and loose bits and filled the pipe with a basic three step method (which was more like two and a half due to the size of the strips). Checked the draw and noticed no interference with the air flow.
Burn: The burn was...an experience. Being a new pipe smoker I'm still feeling my way around the proper moisture level for pipe tobacco. That being said it was noticeably dryer than other tobacco I've smoked, so I thought it should be good to go. I put flame to the tobacco and it took about four lights to get a solid charing light, and I thought I was off to the races. Instead it kept going out repeatedly. I put flame to the bowl about 20 times over the course of 15-20 minutes. The bowl had only decreased about 1/8th of an inch and I decided that maybe it was just too wet (or I'm terrible at this) and I'd let it sit for a day and resume the following evening.
A little over 24 hours later and I'm back in the garage putting flame to it again. I flat out could not get it to light. I recalled that sometimes dumping the ash may be necessary when smoking so I broke up the top layer of dried ash and dumped it. Low and behold that seemed to do the trick, and at least get it going. I had much better success than the prior evening, but still had to relight about 10-12 times, also dumping the ash an additional two times. It was a fine ash all the way to the bottom of the bowl.
I will say the smoke was cool dry and I couldn't imagine this would bite your tongue, as I was really chiefing on the pipe trying to get this bowl to burn. I also smoked both times about 4-5 hours after I'd eaten lunch and before dinner, and was not affected by the nicotine in the slightest. The tobacco was paired with glass of water on both days.
Flavor: It tasted nothing like it smelled. The flavor was initially very mild, and built a bit after the repeated relights into a very perfumey floral character. The taste and smell very much reminded me of when I was a child at my grandmother's house, and after taking a bath, she would use a soft puff a dab me with a scented powder all over (I'd guess this was talcum powder, but don't really know). The retro had produced a slight tingle in the nasal cavity, and an interesting, yet fleeting, sweet bakery flavor. Sort of like an under cooked sugar cookie. I didn't taste any pepper, but my tongue had the same sensation as if I'd smoked a peppery cigar. My wife was able to confirm the scent. She was also not a fan.
Day two it was as if everything and nothing changed. The flavor on day two was just as day one, but seemed much less intense, and more harmonious, than the prior day.
Comments and Conclusion: I found the flake interesting and the "tin note" greatly enticing, but ultimately I can't say I much enjoyed the taste or the lit smell. Getting the tobacco to burn was a frustrating experience, but at this point it could be (and probably is) as much my fault as the tobacco. If a floral / perfume flavor is your thing I can't see a reason (other than possible burn issues) that this wouldn't be right in your wheelhouse. Although it's definitely not in mine it also wasn't offensive enough that I wont finish smoking the samples that have been sent to me, and will be interested to see how this may change with more drying out time / age.
P.S. I went inside and popped open a Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout right after smoking this the first night. The combination of the taste was akin to the toothpaste orange juice flavor combo. The flavor of this tobacco will ruin a good dark beer. Not recommended, hahaha.
P.P.S. Pete thanks again for the samples! I'm looking forward to reviewing the next one, which will be U - Pink, as chosen randomly by my wife.
-
Details
Date Apr. 12/2015
Name Bluenoser
Tobacco Green "O" Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake
Pipe Brindisi Briar
Indoor / Outdoor
Observations
Packed tightly into sqaures in package. Aroma seemed very familiar but couldn't %100 place it, kind of like licorice. Still new to pipe smoking and different types of tobacco but I believe this would be Flake? Great looking tobacco once pulled apart and ready to load.
Preparation
After pulling enough off of the block to load I did a noobs attempt at fold and stuff with it. Loaded into the Brindisi well, though once trying to light I noticed I had missed a "clump" and had to pull some out to rip it apart and re stuff it. Noob mistake, can't blame the baccy. The cat (Willie) always comes to supervise my loading, and he lets me know when I do it wrong...
Burn
Had alot of troubles getting this lit. I again can't entirely blame the baccy since I only smoke outside and there was a bit of wind blowing in a little rain storm as I was getting underway. Once lit it burned perfect, tamped when needed but didn't need a relight. Wasn't able to get it to the bottom of the bowl as I was rained out but I was well below the final 1/4 when I let it go out. Nice burn and didn't need to dump ash at all either so did enjoy that.
Flavor
As for flavor it seemed no two puffs were quite alike. It started out woodsy with a hint of sweetness that transitioned into an almost maple flavor with some spicy/pepperyness in the retro hale. As I moved further through the bowl it seemed to increase in spicy/peppery flavor and the sweetness cut back. There was another flavor in it though that I picked up throughout the whole bowl I couldn't quite grasp, "smoky"?. I came in craving some beef jerky so maybe a deli meat of some sort? Was enjoying a cup of coffee with it that seemed to bring it all together amazingly. I'm not usually a fan of spice/pepper but it was a rather nice smoke.
Comments and conclusion
Really looking forward to revisiting this and seeing if I can get any better read on it with another bowl. Since the rain storm was coming in fast from the west I was puffing a little faster than I'd usually prefer but this offered only a slight bite, so I look forward to, and will update this review, when I can get another go at it.
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Details
4-13-15
Tobias Lutz
Yellow “A” G&H Dark Sliced
1983 BC Millesime 368
Outdoor
Observations
This is a dark brown colored rope that is half sliced into coins, and half rubbed out. The espresso color is slightly deceiving, because when you look at the individual ribbons, they are much more of a bronze tone when the light shines through them. The moisture level feels perfect right out the bag, and the aroma is wonderful. It had a touch of fire-cured smokiness, but there was some sort of floral essence that blended with it to produce a very intriguing scent, atop the fresh hay foundation. It reminded me very much of when I was a child and would explore a relative's library, with walls of books from 1850-1950, all with a sweet mustiness, combining with the fireplace, that was anything but repugnant.
I rubbed out the coins into a nice pile of medium width ribbon that was ready to go. I used a 3 pack gravity fill and even found the cold draw to be enticing.
I had a little trouble getting this stuff going, but it eventually took and it was steady going from then on. The ash was very fine and I didn’t have to tap it once, though I did tamp once or twice after the initial char.
I found what little sweetness was in this blend was only to be had when it was gently sipped. Then it came across as a molasses like flavor that was not overly sugary. At one point I thought the blend was very earthy and savory, in some ways resembled the marks on a char grilled piece of meat. I found it to be medium/strong in regards to strength, with a touch of pepper that tickled the nose in the retrohale. It seemed that the fire cured smokiness really emerged in the second half of the bowl.
Comments and conclusion
This was a touch too bold for my tastes- I tend to prefer less stout blends, and the pepper was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. I like the spice of Perique in a good VaPer, but not when the base of the blend is so strong. It smoked fine, and for someone looking for a strapping mix I believe this would be rather popular.
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My third review
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6yd2q3rp.jpg
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/...pslkq4moeg.jpg
Details
Date 4/13/2015
Name GWBowman
Tobacco C-green G&H Dark Flake Unscented
Pipe MM Cob Legend
Indoor / Outdoor Indoors
Observations
Examination
Flake that has to be cut in half to fit in a 8 ounce jar. Dark brown with lots of light brown spots. In the jar it has a sweet barnyard smell. A little bit of old or musky. Feels fairly damp.
Preparation
I rubbed some and let it sit for a little over fifteen minutes. It rubbed out to thin strings that had a sweet hay smell.
Burn
The tobacco lit easily and burn fairly well. I had to dump off some ash and a couple of times the cob got very hot, almost uncomfortable. There was a decent amount of smoke.
Flavor
On the light, it had a waxy, musky mouth feel. The musky taste fades but the wax stays. The initial flavor is burning grass that quickly started to sweeten. The taste is strong. Through out there are sweet and sour/citrus notes that come and go, almost playing back and forth. The nicotine is strong just a short way into the bowl. There was a building menthol feel, opening the pores of my tongue, without a menthol taste. A spice/pepper taste start getting strong about half way through. Going into the second half, a slight fruityness comes and leaves.
Comments and conclusion
This is not a tobacco I would be and don’t see it as an everyday smoke. It would be of value to up the nicotine level in a milder tobacco.
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Details
Date: 4/13/15
BryGuySC
Sample “Yellow C” G&H Dark Flake Unscented
Pipe - MM Missouri Legend
Outdoors, after the rain
Observations
Examination: The flakes are dry to the touch, dense, and stuck together. They are dark and leathery. Striated dark and darker brown, mottled with light brown spots.
Preparation: Broke up the flake and dried it out for an hour or so.
Burn: Lit with one match. One match relight after letting it go out.
Tin Note: In this order. Slightly smoky, sweet, cocoa flower?
Flavor: initial light is “soapy” and something that's hard to put my finger on. I then got hints of bitterness and burnt paper. Along with this lovely aroma, I also had some waxy feeling coating my mouth. The smoke is making my mouth really dry. The retrohale is harsh and I there is also a harshness settling in the back of my throat. On occasion, I did get a few nice hints of a mild cigar. The smoke volume consistency was very nice but the burning in the back of my throat did not go away.
Comments and conclusion
I’ve heard others mention certain tobaccos reacting adversely with body chemistry. If that is true, I think this tobacco was doing that with me. It was rough.
I’m interested to learn what this is. I suspect it may be of the lakeland varieties.
Through all this, I did get a nice nic buzz, though! Not sure it was worth it.
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Date: 4/14/15
Name: Branzig
Tobacco: Orange J Vac Sealed G&H Louisiana Flake
Pipe: Capitello pot & MM General
Outdoor
http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/...pszav2aego.jpg
Observations
Examination: A lighter Va colored flake speckled with dark spots. Quite moist from the package with a light coating on it. Deep and rich chocolate smell. Very bold cocoa followed up with typical fig Va scents. No Lakeland odor whatsoever.
Preparation: Smoked 2 bowls rubbed out and 1 fold and stuff. All between 1 and 2 hours of drying time.
Burn: Very easy burning tobacco. Required little maintenance when rubbed out and burned down to a light grey ash.
Flavor: Judging from the tin note, I was really hoping to get a nice blast of cocoa and earth notes from this tobacco. That did not happen. What I did get from the initial light was the standard GH&Co Lakeland essence. Albeit very light, but it was there. As the tobacco began to heat up, the familiar tingle of spice made itself present which leads me to believe that there is some perique in this blend. Getting into the mid way point of the bowl, the floral characteristics take a back seat to the sweet Virginia leaf. The combination of light Lakeland, sweet Va, and perique make for an interesting and tasty blend. There is also a faint something else on this flake that I just can't pick up...but I am sure it has a topping of some sort other than Lakeland Snot. I just hope I didn't ghost my pipes with it!
Comments and conclusion: A great quality flake made up of some excellent leaf. I would be shocked if this wasn't a Gawith offering. Each bowl was enjoyable and I would smoke it again. The nicotine hit was light, and the flavor profiles medium, so I would classify this as a tasty morning smoke.
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Details
4-14-15
Tobias Lutz
Green “C” G&H Dark Flake Unscented
Karl Erik Freehand
Indoor (enclosed porch)
Observations
This is a flake of medium thickness, variegated brown in color, that arrived in long strips (close to 6"). It had a bit of sugar glistening on it, but one site was very shiny from being vacuum sealed against the package. It had the scent of a mature Virginia, dry hay with secondary notes that, for lack of a better example, reminded me of manure mixed in straw. Mind you, this wasn't unpleasant, just very earthy and seemingly unadulterated. There was definitely a dark sweetness to it that made it very appealing. The moisture level was pretty average- it would have rubbed out easily without crumbling if I had elected to go that route.
Instead, I decided to go with a fold and stuff method because I was smoking out a rather large pipe, with a deep bowl. I folded about a flake and a half and packed to ensure an open draw.
At first I found this blend to be fire proof- a great option for roofing material :) Once it got going, however, it was fine. It stayed cool and produced a bellowing, thick smoke with a room-note that will not be favored by the uninitiated.
There was some Lakeland essence in the beginning, but it wasn’t very strong. Frankly, it was overwhelmed by the full-bodied tobacco. At various points the blend tended to waffle between reminding me of cigar leaf, and also having faint touches of vanilla. There was a peppery grassiness in the retrohale, particularly when it really got to burning steady. Bite free, with a decent dose of nicotine, I can’t say this is something I would smoke in the mornings.
Comments and conclusion
This was a little outside my wheelhouse. I was a bit surprised by the Lakeland flavor that made it through the Virginia, but more specifically at how it then disappeared completely. I don’t believe there is any questioning the quality of this blend, but I would say it borders on being an “acquired taste”
That’s my fourth and final write up- thanks for the samples and the fun, Pete!
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Date: 4/14/2015
Name: JustTroItIn
Tobacco: Pink F Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye
Pipe: Malaga Rusticated Bent / The Doodler / 1940's Kaywoodie Supergrain smooth billiard
All smoked outdoors
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psj4ermlvk.jpg
Observations
This is a coin flake tobacco with a dark spot in the center. The bag note reminds me of raisins. I found the moisture perfect for smoking right out of the bag. I have had three bowls in three different pipes, all packed with the fold and stuff method with a bit of shredded tobacco on top. It burned very well but I had to keep a pipe cleaner on hand as it did smoke wet.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psu5bbqvo0.jpg
The taste was quite consistent throughout the entire bowl. Mellow molasses like sweetness with a light tingly spiciness on the tail end of the smoke. The taste was a bit stronger about mid bowl but still the same.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psigkvnwc3.jpg
Comments and conclusion
I have my suspicions of what this baccy may be. Either way I'm looking forward to finding out as it is simply delicious. I'm pretty confident it contains Virginia and Perique and I'm guessing Black Cavendish. This is a tobacco I would like to have in my cellar and smoke often. Thank you, Pete, for the sample!
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps077jw3ac.jpg
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Date: 4/15/15
Bum: Emperor Zurg
Sample: “Green B" Not Vac Packed” G&H No. 7 Broken Flake
Pipe: Missouri Pride
Environment: Vehicle - windows down, in traffic
Observations
Appearance: Darker brown broken flake
Preparation: Separated out the longer strands, dried for 2-3 hrs, fold and stuff, sit out overnight. Smoked it the next day.
Burn: Typical of a folded and stuffed flake; lit hard but then burned well - probably 3 relights in all.
Tin Note: Perfumey, sharp and pungent like a spray air freshener. Underlying scents of orange rind or bergamont and a touch of cinnamon or tonquin in the background.
Flavor:
Cold draw was mostly fruity with a bit of resinous orange.
Initial light was fruity and floral and a bit waxy. I thought I picked up the orange-like flavor here too but that was the last I heard from it.
True light brought out a sharp air freshener taste and smell. Fortunately, that died down, and the first quarter of the bowl was mostly fruity and floral with a light dose of pepper spice that kept it interesting. After about 1/3 to 1/2 the bowl, the topping, though still present, died way down (or I became numb to it) and light sips revealed sweet, grassy, although somewhat sharp Virginia flavors. There's an 'alcoholic extract' flavor I got once in a while during the transition that is not unlike taking a sip of pure almond extract straight from the bottle - sharp like that, but not as strong in the almond department... I can't even be sure it's almond but it is an 'extract' like flavor. I kept looking for a vanilla-like flavor because I figured the cinnamon scent in the tin was probably tonquin. I thought I picked it up once in a while but I might have imagined it too. The light pepper spice remained more or less throughout the bowl. Hours after the smoke, my mouth had a perfumy aftertaste - reinforcing the idea that the topping didn't really die down but I became numb to it after a while.
Comments and conclusion:
This tobacco wasn't nearly as horrid as the tin note led me to believe. It's not something I would smoke every day... well that goes without saying because I don't even smoke every day... it's not something I would smoke once a week or even once a month but it wouldn't be bad for a change of pace once in a while. I expected an awful soap taste but the flavors did not strike me as soapy - mostly fruity and floral... like eating a fruit salad with lilac blossoms mixed in and those edible orchids on top. It was nicer in the second half of the bowl when I could actually taste tobacco. Nic strength was about medium I'd guess because I felt a bit of a hit but it's much lower than something like 1792
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Date: 4/15/15
Name: Branzig
Tobacco: Orange X Vac Sealed G&H Curly Cut Deluxe
Pipe: Capitello billiard, MM Country Gent, Savi Alligator 1/2 bent
Outdoors
http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/...pstdw7quab.jpg
Observations
Examination: A lightly colored Virginia blend in broken flake format. Not to moist at all. The tin note is really excellent. Lots of mature Virginia tones of figs, raisins, and wet hay. Wasn't sure if I should eat it or smoke it.
Preparation: The broken pieces were not too moist at all, and could probably be smoked straight from the bag, but I am anal about my tobacco and dried all 3 bowls I smoked for varying times between 30 minutes to 2 hours. All 3 bowls I rubbed out the broken flakes to a finer consistency to make packing easier.
Burn: Smoked real easy. No issues whatsoever, except I had to relight one bowl about 5 times; but that was due to me being tired and packing like a slob. Not the tobacco's fault. All 3 times the tobacco burned down to a nice white ash with no dottle left over.
Flavor: Judging from the tin note, I was looking forward to a bold and sweet Virginia experience, and I was not let down. The charring light produced a mouthful of exquisite, sugary hay flavor immediately. The true light brought on some more of that lovely sweetness and added a great citrus like zest to the after taste. As the bowl heated up the citrus notes took over the light hay, really excellent. Moving into the half way point, the raisin flavor took over the citrus/hay, and held the overall flavor profile for the remainder of the bowl. A really thick, tasty raisin flavor. Almost like a raisin that has been dipped in sweet and spicy molasses. Really tasty. Towards the end of the bowl, the molasses flavor took on a whole new level of spiciness, which leads me to believe that a bit of perique could be in here as well. I found that the 20-30 minute drying time produced the best sweet tones for this tobacco. Really excellent stuff.
Comments and conclusion: A very nice, medium Virginia offering here. The sweetness is excellent and the overall flavor profile and complexity is great. Went perfect with my french roast coffee. The nicotine punch was none existent, but the flavors excellent. This is something that I could see myself cellaring away and having on hand at all times. It will fit the bill for when you want that sweet raisin/fig Va, and not that full bodied, date Va offering. :pipe:
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Date: 4/15/15
Bum: Emperor Zurg
Sample: “Pink K" Vac Packed G&H Glengary Flake
Pipe: Barling Canadian 5574
Environment: Vehicle - windows down, highway
Observations
Appearance: Mottled light and dark brown, sticky flake
Preparation: Cube cut right off the end of the stack of 4 flakes. Dried several hours
Burn: Steady and long burning. Burned steady and even after the false light for most of the bowl.
Tin Note: Sweet hay and figgy with citrus in the background. Smells delicious. I'm temped to try a chaw of this.
Flavor:
Cold draw was almost flavorless. I might have dried it a bit too long. Hard to tell with cubes.
Initial light was a bit woody and reminiscent of a sweet dry hay with a touch of Lakeland soap. The Lakeland went away pretty quick and may have been picked up from cutting this flake on the same card I'd used to dry the perfumey blend I tried previously. Flavor was very light at first. Once the bowl got underway the flavor intensified and I got mainly dried fruit - figs probably, maybe raisins (although the only figs I've eaten are Fig Newtons, it was sweet but not that sweet) - and a dusting of chocolate. The chocolate died out pretty quickly and after a bit the fruit began to give way to more of a floral flavor with a zing of citrus. There was light pepper on the tongue but almost no pepper on the retro. Floral / citrus and a slight touch of pepper hung on for most of the remainder of the bowl with the pepper slowly fading away to non-existent. Eventually the citrus also died out, giving way to more of a dry hay. There was a sweetness throughout the bowl that reminded me of molasses. Toward the bottom, just before it refused to stay burning, I'd describe the flavor as floral and dry hay. I didn't get much sweetness at that point, but it had been a long smoke and my sense of taste was starting to give out at that point. Regardless, I did not get a nic hit at all so I'd classify this as mild in the N department.
Comments and conclusion:
I'm pretty sure this is some kind of a hot pressed Virginia flake. There may be a bit of perique in there but if so, it's very little. It's a very nice smoke and the changing profile made for an interesting one as well. Getting it lit was an adventure as it kept wanting to erupt out the top of the pipe like one of those 'Magic Snake' pellets we used to get in the kids fireworks assortments my parents bought us around Independence Day. Sorry for the crappy pic - the phone camera insisted on focusing on the road - but you get the idea.
http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/a...psqgbrutip.jpg
Thanks to
@NeverBend
for the opportunity to try these tobaccos :)
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4/16/2015
LostMason
Sample Green G (vac) Stokkebye Virginia #701
Dr.Grabow Lark 3/4 bent
indoors
Shag cut.Fairly moist, there are some clumps but mostly loose.
In the pouch I pick up the aroma of alfalfa, a sweet pleasant
odor, refreshing.The colors are dark and medium brown.I would be
Lying if I said I could pick out the individual tobacco types,so
I wont try.I'll just say this smells natural and clean.I packed my
bowl using the 3 step method and let it rest for about an hour.
The tobacco lit up easily and burned smoothly without having to
tamp.The ash was a light grey and didn't interfear with the burn.
I didn't have any real toung bite,but I did note a dryness akin
to cotton mouth,but not intense and easily controlled by slowing
down and sipping a bit shallower.
The flavor was earthy and dry,and on the retrohale a note of
spiceyness or pepper.Not strong but noticable.This tobacco seemed
pretty straight forward,I didn't pick up any flowery or soapiness,
nor any sweetness from a topping.The sweetness in the preburn didn't
come thru in the smoke.The smoke was plentifull but thin.
Where this is a blend I would definatly want on hand for personal
reflection,it isn't one I would recomend to new pipers who are
expecting more flavor.This is a nice evening smoke with no
complications,with a mild nicotine hit.
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4/16/2015
Lostmason
Sample Pink H G&H Scotch Flake Aromatic
Dr Grabow Grand Duke straight
indoors
This one is completly new to me.Pressed flake,what others have described as
jerky.In the pouch it had a distinct cocoa smell, not sweet more like unsweetened
cooking coco powder.After pulling a single flake from the stack I then pulled rather
than rubbed it apart.The feel was just shy of tacky.I noticed long ribbons as if the
leaves had been stacked, then pressed, and then cut length wise.
I used something of a fold and stuff method and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
I should have given it about an hour to dry some, it was a devil to get lit.After
a good charring light and tamp it took off rather well,but did require s few
relights.
The initial flavors were quite subtle and dry,an earthy,wood smoke flavor.Rather
light and uneventfull.After about half to two thirds it took on a leather taste.
Unfortunatly I never picked up on anything resembling the cocoa from the pouch,
but it was enjoyable all the same.
I didn't feel anything of a nicotine boost,so I would guess this one falls into
the medium range on strength.The smoke itself was light and airy,but carried the
flavors well.On the retrohale it was smooth without the burn of spices.
On the whole this tobacco is one I would say save for when you have an hour to
fully enjoy it.I doesn't have a tongue bite that I noticed,and is quite nice for
an outdoor cookout.In a room with other smokers it would be easy to miss some
of its better qualities.
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4/17/2015
Lostmason
Sample Orange Z MacBaren Club Blend circa 2000
Dr Grabow Grand Duke straight
indoors
This sample is a dark brown ribbon cut,fairly moist.In the pouch
it has an aroma that reminds me of honey flavored cereal, Something
like Nuts&Honey but without the nuts.
Allowed to dry for an hour, and packed using 3 step method.It was still
reluctant to light and required constant attention or relights.
Right from the start and continuing thru the bowl this sample had a
constant tongue burn/bite.There was a clear taste of pepper that seemed
to overpower anything else.There was none of the sweetness and kind of
a soapy feel that made the pepper thick.The smoke was full and thick,
but the burn,even with a very shallow sip,took away from the enjoyment.
This is a tobacco I would use to cut with an over sweetened, dry blend.
While I'm greatfull for the opportunity to smoke it,this is not a blend
I will be stocking up on.
Thank You Pete for the samples,and You and Tobias for letting me join
in on the fun.With your generousity and guidence I know I am learning
from the best.
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Date 17APR15
Name Alligator Gar (Jim)
Tobacco AA Fuschia MacBaren Latakia Blend circa. 2000
Pipe Ben Wade Plateau Freehand
Indoor / Outdoor Covered Porch
Presents as small black nickel sized disks flecked with gold V shaped bits.
Attachment 1943
Think micro-celery. I believe these are slices of an experimental rope from Pete's basement. The tobacco is moist and sticky. It has strong notes of prune and raisin. Secondary molasses scent comes through under the dark fruit. I'm pairing with a Desani sparkling water with a hint of lime.
I'm smoking this in my newly acquired Ben Wade.
Attachment 1948
I have no idea how this pipe is going to smoke. It fits my hand like a .45 ACP.
Attachment 1949
The plateau top looks like a pair of sharkskin boots I once owned. After packing the shark's ass with tobacco I find I could have used twice as much as I'd dried. It has a very tall bowl that gulps tobacco. I take a test pull and am satisfied with how the pipe draws. Same fruity, sweet flavor that I smelled.
I pack with the progressive fill and tamp method and put fire to her. Tamp, light, tamp, light. Very tough keeping this stuff lit. First impression is a piney taste, progressing to a burnt cork taste and smell. I don't detect ANY sweetness in the smoke and it lets me know early on that it's a little bitey. I think this pipe has a factory char on it and may not be fully broke in, but I was too eager to smoke it to care. I'm not sure it's fair to blame the heat and bite on the tobacco.
Halfway through, the ash shows the tobacco is not being fully consumed.
Attachment 1946
When I overturn the bowl, along with the dust comes shards of black, burnt tobacco. After resting the bowl for a little and drawing it back to life without a light I detect a meaty, vinegary flavor much like Hassenpfeffer. The retrohale is satisfyingly pungent without being peppery or repellant. The smoke is very white and doesn't seem to have a lot of nicotine. The overall experience reminds me of smoking a cigarette, something I'm not the least interested in. It is now out and out biting but it's not bothering my throat. I will say once it's lit, it stays lit, allowing me to slow down and not worry about it going out. Clenching the freehand is giving me TMJ. Freehand does not equal hands free.
There aren't a lot of tasting notes in this review because I didn't taste much. I would be interested in some sort of exchange program where I surrender the rest of Fuschia AA in return for equal amounts of Fuschia A. Now that tobacco tasted like something. I'd rather that frog's bottom flavor than nothing at all.
When we are done with the reviews we should have an informal exchange, now that I think about it. We can list what we liked and what's up for swappage, and see if we can pair up. Pete was generous with the samples, might be worth $5 shipping to double down on our favorites.
3/5 Would smoke again if I was running low on the good stuff.
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Details:
Date: 4/16/2015
Name: Horsefeathers
Tobacco: U - Pink C&D Exclusive
Pipe: Neerup Bent Apple
Indoor / Outdoor: Outdoors (Garage)
http://i.imgur.com/LRtj77dl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Lkpxvhtl.jpg
Observations & Examination (how it looked, felt and smelled): The tobacco was sealed in an air tight pouch. Opening the pouch revealed a soft ribbon cut tobacco. It was mostly a medium brown color with some darker tobacco mixed throughout. The smell was fairly strong and straight forward; spot on raisins and chocolate (or the most underrated movie theater candy, raisinettes!). Letting it get some air didn't seem to affect the smell in the slightest.
Preparation (how did you prepare and pack it): The pipe was packed with my best attempt at the Frank Method. Gravity filling the bowl and then topping off with a solid pinch of tobacco. The pack passed the draw test so I proceeded with the smoke.
Burn:After the struggles I had the with the last tobacco sample I wasn't sure what to expect burn wise. Turns out this took right to the flame. After a pair of charing lights I was off to the races. Over the course of the bowl I only had 4 relights with 3 of them coming in the final 3rd of the bowl. The smoke itself was cool and one thing I noticed was that there was a distinct creaminess to the smoke directly after a relight. They also, made my throat a bit dry / scratchy. otherwise it was mostly unremarkable (not in a bad way, just indistinct).
The tobacco was paired with glass of water.
Flavor:The flavor was really interesting, dancing all over in the first third. I was initially hit with a wet hay / grassy flavor that varied in intensity. After a short time a very sugary flavor developed on the roof of my mouth. This sugary flavor would come and go throughout the first third. Somewhere in second third the hay and sugar gave way to a slight cacao. It was also at this time that a floral quality started to build. The floral / soapy flavor just continued to build through the final third until it was the primary flavor, but never really too strong or off putting. The only other thing of note would be the retro-hale which was very mild, but presented notes of baking spice. It's also the smoothest tobacco I've retro-haled. No tingle or burn what so ever.
Comments and Conclusion:This was really interesting tobacco, and to date would be the most nuanced pipe tobacco I've smoked. I really enjoyed the first two thirds or so, and the Floral / soapiness (which I now believe to be what everyone refers to lakeland essence) never got too strong, but still isn't something I think I'll go seeking out at this point. I also believe that this tobacco has far more to offer in terms of flavor than what I was able to discover. A more experienced smoker or someone with a better palate would find much I have missed I'd imagine. If what I've described in the flavor profile ticks anyone's boxes I'd have no problem recommending this to someone. Smoke this one when you have some time to set aside though as I think it would be much more rewarding that way.
Next up is D - Yellow!
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Date: 4/17/15
Name: Branzig
Tobacco: Green W Vac Sealed G&H Mixture #12
Pipe: 1940s Custombilt & 1930s Custom-bilt
Outdoors
http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/...pszrke4vhl.jpg
Observations
Examination: The tobacco is in a loose, ribbon cut. The color is of light Va and orientals mixed in with dark latakia strands. The scent is very latakia forward, bold and smokey with a hint of sweetness. A little moist out of the bag.
Preparation: Let the tobacco sit in the hot sun for about 15 minutes. Used the Frankity-Frank-Frank method of packing for both bowls.
Burn: Smoked like a champ! No need for relights, tamped real easy. Light grey ash with minimal dottle left over.
Flavor: The only word that comes to mind while I smoke this stuff is luxurious. From the charring light to the bottom of the bowl, this stuff had a great and heavy feel too it. The latakia is up front and the dominant feature of this blend. The latakia used isn't the oily variety found in some blends, but a high quality one. A great smoky and spicy profile. The Virginia's and Oriental leafs add the perfect amount of sweetness and a tiny hint of sour that is just right. The flavor profiles don't change much throughout the bowl, but that is fine because from start to finish this stuff is tasty!
Comments and conclusion: A bold and full bodied Balkan. Excellent flavor and amazing mouth feel. Smoked it along with my dark roast coffee, and the two complimented each other very well. A little bit of nicotine in this one. My only complaint is that if you aren't careful, this one can bite bit. A few times I felt that familiar sting on the tongue, but a quick cadence adjustment nipped it in the bud. My last bowl of this was on a warm sunny afternoon, and I have to admit that the flavors (almost) made me wish there was some snow on the ground. Or at least some yellow in the tree leaves. :pipe:
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Date 17APR15
Name Alligator Gar (Jim)
Tobacco C Yellow G&H Dark Flake Unscented
Pipe MM Great Dane Spindle
Indoor / Outdoor Covered Porch
I was pretty excited about this tobacco. It is in what I believe is flake form and looks good enough to eat. It was vacuum packed in a tear and seal package. The vacuum unfortunately made three flakes as one, effectively welding them together into one SuperFlake. I thought this was the stinky one out of the four, but in retrospect it was Fuschia A that was the culprit. I'm still belching that scent a week later. I paired this with some 正山小種/立山小種 (Lapsang Souchong) and orange blossom honey. The smokey sweet tea is a perfect compliment to spicy tobaccos.
I'm smoking this in my Corn Cob Great Dane.
Attachment 1954
I love this pipe because it's big, it's a sitter and because Warren gave it to me.
I peeled some threads off the nominally dry SuperFlake and rubbed in a vigorous circular manner. The tobacco fluffs up incredibly well into piles of dark brown, brown and gold flat string.
Attachment 1953
I use the pack/tamp method and end up with a plugged draw. I dig it out and try again using a lighter hand. It seems to be easy to over compress this cut because I still have a bit of a restricted draw. It may benefit from the swirly palm pack method, and now I'm wishing I knew how to do that. I soldier on and take multiple swings at getting her lit. First thing I taste is toast and caramel. I associate caramel with tobacco rich in natural sugars in the cigar world, but in the case of this blend the slight sheen of the flake tells me nature might have had some help.
Moving a little deeper into the bowl yields a floral lilac taste with low notes of soap. I'm a little shocked by this and not sure whether I'm disgusted or intrigued. Let's just say distrigued for now. This taste has the odd effect of making me salivate, which is annoying to the extreme. While listing the things that pissed me off, let me add that I could not keep this pipe lit. If I wanted to take a thirty second break I would need to relight. I lit this bowl 20 times if I lit it once. Probably my fault. I wasn't proud of the packing job, as noted previously.
The second half of the bowl transitioned to red pepper, a jarring contrast to the original floral taste. The retrohale was dandy; nice and tingly. My throat started getting tight, if you know what I mean. I actually enjoyed the pepper more than the floral arrangement. Hot embers ricocheting off the back of my throat signaled the welcome demise of this entire experience. I really appreciate the opportunity to try different blends risk free. When the big reveal comes this exercise is really going to help define my tastes. Thanks!
2.5/5 Would smoke again if I was offered a taste--just to be polite.
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Date 17APR15
Name Alligator Gar (Jim)
Tobacco Q Yellow Balkan Sasieni
Pipe MM Diplomat
Indoor / Outdoor Covered Porch
Before smoking I purged my palate with a large chocolate malt and a Fausto Lancero with water back.
This sample looked pretty ordinary. It was a big bag of black and tan.
Attachment 1955
I loaded it in a MM Diplomat. Cow head for scale.
Attachment 1957
I paired this with some Amrit tea and gall berry honey. Amrit is some weird looking tea.
Attachment 1959
The tobacco has pleasant barn scents of hay and warm critters.
A little drying made the tobacco less springy and it loaded well. Opening notes were a mid range tobacco and cream taste. Baking spice was present on the smooth retro-hale. The nose feel was actually better than the mouth feel. The ash is a clean white scalloped layer.
Attachment 1958
A little swish of tea cooled the sides of my tongue and throat.
The blend burns well and cool and profits from an occasional tamp. It never billows smoke but is very refined in how it burns. The flavor is a very mannerly spice, cream and hay. No heavy leather or earth flavors emerge, just a little umami characteristic of well aged tobacco. The room note is weedy. Yes, that kind of weedy. It is a good mild mannered experience, something along the lines of Early Morning Pipe. I would make this my first smoke of the morning, much as I do Cubans. It has some nice nutty and vegetal subtleties that would be fascinating on an unburnt palate.
I've smoked three bowls of Q since I received it and I don't have anything bad to say about it. I would recommend it to a novice smoker or someone who doesn't like getting their face melted and Nic buzz on. I suggest you try you a bowl of Q and see if you agree!
4/5 Would smoke again, wouldn't mind keeping a half pound back.
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Date: 4/18/2015
Name: JustTroItIn
Tobacco: Yellow R Dunhill #965
Pipe: 519 Seattle / Malaga / Hilson Bolero
Smoked both in and outdoors.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psfjvg4ehv.jpg
Observations
This is a mixture of light and dark brown ribbon cut tobacco. The bag note has a pleasant musty odor. No dry time was necessary before packing a bowl. I have had several bowls in three different pipes, all gravity filled and then a pinch of tobacco shoved on top. There was no gurgle inducing moisture from any of the pipes, it burned wonderfully to a fine gray ash, and left almost no dottle in the bottom of the bowl.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psntbvxvpb.jpg
The flavor is mild and produced no tongue bite. It had a very light caramel like sweetness with a touch of licorice. The taste and strength was consistent for the entire bowl.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psoczfz5bg.jpg
Comments and conclusion
I wouldn't call this a complex tobacco but a simple medley of flavors. I have no idea what this tobacco may be but it's something that can be smoked and enjoyed at anytime of day. I'm looking forward to finding out what it is.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...psim5wpawq.jpg
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Details:
Date: 4/17/2015
Name: Horsefeathers
Tobacco: D - Yellow MacBaren Virginia #1
Pipe: Missouri Meerschaum Legend
Indoor / Outdoor: Outdoors (Garage)
http://i.imgur.com/ewzY90Ml.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/42AQi21l.jpg
Observations & Examination (how it looked, felt and smelled): This tobacco was the second of three sealed in an air tight pouch. I cut open the pouch and revealed a coarse dry tobacco in large strands. While this did not arrive in a flake format the overall cut reminded me of a flake that had been lightly, but fully rubbed out. The strands were a medium brown to yellow-brown color. The intensity of the aroma was moderate revealing a wet grass and citrus smell, slightly sweet. Reminded me of pineapple upside down cake somewhat. After the tobacco aired out a bit the smell didn't change much but the scent lightened up a bit overall.
Preparation (how did you prepare and pack it): I again packed the pipe with my best attempt at the Frank Method. Due to the size of the tobacco the gravity fill step filled the bowl quickly. A solid pinch and press topped it off.
Burn:The tobacco took to flame easily, producing a nice moderate smoke. Tamping every few minutes kept it right on burning. I had no issue with relights until about the middle of the bowl where the tobacco was going out every minute or so. After about 5 relights I decided to dump the ash. After the ash dump I was right back on track to the bottom of the bowl. The tobacco burnt into a fine gray ash with the exception of a few small unburnt strands of tobacco. I would add that this was a fairly warm smoke throughout. It never caused discomfort or bit my tongue, but the smoke was noticeably warm.
Flavor: Definitely the least to say here. The flavor was that of a sweet hay and an occasional citrus note. Other than that it never really changed over the course of the whole bowl. The retrohale did produce a bit of spice, but didn't really alter the flavor. Very straight forward tobacco, which was in stark contrast to my previous review.
Comments and Conclusion:Overall not too bad. It was easy to pack, easy to light, and the flavor was good if not a bit one dimensional. I could see this being an all day smoke, and would label as a set it and forget it tobacco. Never really requiring too much attention, but still providing a bowl of satisfaction.
Next is the final blind sample up for review R - Pink!
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My fourth and unfortunately final review
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/...pssp17hw5t.jpg
Details
Date 4/19/2015
Name GWBowman
Tobacco Q-orange Balkan Sasieni
Pipe MM Cob Legend
Indoor / Outdoor Indoors
Observations
Examination
Visually it’s dark brown, medium brown and black strings intermingled in about equal portions. The tobacco has the delicious smoky smell of Latakia. It’s a little damp and clumps if squeezed together.
Preparation
Because of the moisture content, I put some out on a saucer to dry for about 30 minutes. Packed the bowl with a Frankish method.
Burn
The tobacco lights easily and burns well to a grey ash. The smoke is white and abundant.
Flavor
Latakia is the star of this show from beginning to end. There’s a sweet and sour Virginia taste that darts in and out as the bowl is smoked keeping this from being monotone in flavor.
Comments and conclusion
This is a delicious English. Definately Latakia forward without being overpowering. It’s a high quality offering that would be welcome in most cellars.
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Details:
Date: 4/18/2015
Name: Horsefeathers
Tobacco: R - Pink Dunhill #965
Pipe: Savinelli Obi-Two Billiard
Indoor / Outdoor: Outdoors (Garage)
http://i.imgur.com/dqe8UgVl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4oL4jHzl.jpg?3
Observations & Examination (how it looked, felt and smelled): This tobacco was the third of three that came sealed in an air tight pouch, and is the final tobacco up for review. Opening the pouch I was greeted with a distinct but not too strong aroma of burning wood / campfire. I felt like there was an faint underlying scent of raisins, but I'm also wondering if I just think most pipe tobacco smells like raisins...? The tobacco it self was finely cut into many small individual strands. I believe this would qualify as a shag cut. It was dry to the touch, but not so much so that it was crunchy.
Preparation (how did you prepare and pack it): For the third straight time I again packed the pipe with my best attempt at the Frank Method (and I do believe I may be getting the hang of this). I checked the draw and thought that it may be just a tad on the snug side, but decided to just forge ahead since it didn't seem to greatly impacted.
Burn: The tobacco was so small that it took 3 charring lights before I had a solid even layer of ash to tamp. Once I had it going I had no issue with the burn. I did have two relights. One being me getting distracted and talking for too long. The other was towards the bottom of the bowl. I lit and it immediately went out again. I dumped the ash and got another 5-10 minutes before I was truly to the bottom. Anecdotally, it'd be nice if all pipe tobacco burned this easily. The smoke it self was moderate and pleasant, never becoming hot or astringent. The bowl itself seemed to give off more smoke than other pipe tobacco I've smoked.
Flavor:For the second straight tobacco the flavor was pretty straight forward. There were mostly notes of soap / perfume with not much change throughout. The flavor overall stayed a a mild-medium intensity, and for me was just at the right spot for this flavor profile. Retrohaling didn't change the flavor at all, but did amp up the intensity of the flavors overall. Therefore after my second pass through the sinuses I abstained from any further attempts.
This tobacco was paired with a glass of water.
Comments and Conclusion:I feel like this is what I should have started with when doing the reviews. This had a very similar overall flavor profile to C- Pink (The dark flake), but was much milder. I'd equate this to easing into the pool over jumping straight into the deep end with C - Pink. I also didn't get much in the way of nicotine with this tobacco. I feel like anyone who likes the soapy / perfumey profile would find this a great morning smoke. I'd also say due to the over all experience would be a great into into pipe smoking for someone who was new to pipes as well.
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to review these samples, and hope these have been of some value for Pete's sake! (see what I did there, hardy-har-har)
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Deadline? Crap.
Here is your quicky review. No pics.Details
Date 4/19/2015
Name Madbricky
Tobacco D Pink MacBaren Virginia #1
Pipe MM Cob CG
Indoor / Outdoor: Indoors
Observations
Examination
Visually it’s a ready rub sliced cake just like Mclelland 5100 series.Brown and yellow pieces in a matured cake. Nice Va dried hay odor, and same aroma on cold draw.
Preparation:
Because of the moisture content, I warmed in my tin warmer and cooled to dry. Packed the bowl with pieces as they came with a Frank method.
Burn:
The tobacco lit easily and burned well with sipping to a grey dottle. The smoke is white/blue and abundant. Relights only after tamping edges down as typical for large bowl pipe.
Flavor: Started out sharp and spicy red virginia and quickly cooled down to a sweet and super mild citrus with red Va finish on back of palate. Comments/Conclusion:Yummy, just like 5100 cake with added citrus. I would cellar a couple pounds just for the lovely aromas. The simple and pleasant flavors are A+
Thanks for the sample!
Craig
