CB Pipe Tobacco Review Bombing Run Version 2.0: THE REVIEWS

[cpmcdill]

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.

[cbr310]

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!

[Alligator Gar]

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.

[cpmcdill]

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.

[cpmcdill]

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.

[cpmcdill]

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.

[GWBowman]

My first review



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.

[BryGuySC]

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!

[MrMotoyoshi]

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.

[GWBowman]

My second review



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.