And speaking of pipe tobacco...you wouldn't like mine!

[Jitterbugdude]

I've never really been a pipe smoker but find myself smoking a few bowls everyday now. I prefer cigars but man they take a long time to smoke. Anyway, the last time I bought pipe tobacco was about 12 years ago. I've been smoking my own for a few years now and thought I'd try some store bought stuff because I kinda forgot what it tasted like. I went to a tobacco shop and ordered some really aromatic pipe tobacco. All I can say is..B O R I N G!!! That stuff was so lame and tasteless. It smelled good though ( what they call room note) I felt like going back and giving the guy some of my own homegrown. Funny thing is, my pipe tobacco is nothing special, just different blends, all fermented but nothing else. Whatever I feel like mixing, maybe Virginia gold with perique and a touch of something else. So I wasted $3.00

Randy B

 

[deluxestogie]

Most of the current college-age generation of pipe smokers--and there aren't very many of them--seem to prefer aromatic tobaccos. The tobacconist across the street from Virginia Tech sells very little in the way of English or Balkan blend tobaccos (which smell like...tobacco). For some commercial tobacco blends that smell and taste like tobacco, one of my favorite sources is Cornell & Diehl. While they do carry many aromatic blends, their burley and English-style blends are impressive and pure.

Last week I fell prey to advertising from McClellan, and ordered 2 varieties of their "Grand Orientals." At a cost of about $30 (this included a 50 gram tin of Yenidje Supreme, a 50 gram tin of Yenidje Highlander and shipping), I received $9 an ounce tobacco that I could barely taste. Even worse, the aroma, when the tins of these rare oriental blends were opened, reeked of ketchup--the result of McClellan's routine chemical processing.

So $3.00 for boring sounds like a bargain. I have a custom pipe tobacco blend produced for me by Cornell & Diehl, though I've been out of it for a while. It's "Pearl of Shibam #404", and not listed on their website. Out of 16 ounces, it is comprised of 5 Virginia Bright ribbon: 3 Perique: 4 Izmir: 4 Cyprian Latakia. I can come close on everything but the Latakia, using my own tobacco.

Bob

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Bob, Was that you a while back that said he had some Yenidje seed? I'd like to grow some next year. If that wasn't you I'll have to track some down.
Randy B

 

[Ashauler]

C&D Burley flake #4 is one of my favorite tobacco's, and my goal as far as pipe tobacco is to get as close to this with my homegrown as possible.

 

[deluxestogie]

Bob, Was that you a while back that said he had some Yenidje seed? I'd like to grow some next year. If that wasn't you I'll have to track some down.
Randy B

This year, I'm attempting to grow Xanthi Yaka #18A, which is the historical "Yenidje" leaf. The seed was from GRIN (Pi552418). My germination rate was barely adequate (maybe 50%), and the seedlings have been quite sluggish. I presently have a few in the ground (fewer than half the number I had hoped to plant), and expect, if all goes well, to have seed from it available in this forum's seed bank in the fall.

Bob

 

[pastorj]

I am looking to make some home grown aromatics. Any suggestions on type of tobaccos to use for blending?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Hey pastorj.. that's always a tough question since no two people's tastes are alike.. but, I only smoke straight tobacco in my pipes. I like the following:
1. Almost any Burley (well aged and/or fermented) ... Yellow Twist Bud, White Flower etc. Burley's are good for aromatics because they can soak up a lot of sauce.
2.Virginia's: I like Virginia Gold, it has a nice sweet taste. I air cure mine because I do not like the taste of flue cured tobacco. I seem to be in the minority on that one.
3. Turkish: Usually used to blend with Virginia and or Burley. I like to smoke it straight. I like Black Sea Samsun-Maden, and Bursa. Xanthi Yaka (Yenidje) is often talked of as the holy grail of Turkish pipe tobacco. Deluxestogie grew some this year and probably donated a boatload to FmGrowit's seedbank.

Good luck.. Randy B

 

[pastorj]

jitter,

Thanks for the info... I should have included some insights as to my pallete preferences... Haven't really tried any 'English or other straight tobacco' blends.. I tend to have a very sweet pallete so those are the things I go after.

 

[Chicken]

i have a friend who is a avid pipe smoker....

his pipe collection is very nice,

i gave him some of my flavoured,,,pressed baccy,,,for his pipe usage,,,

and his review of it, was favourable,,,,

i flavoured it with,, [ BAVARIAN CHOCALATE,,CARAMEL....HAZELNUT,,,,AND ONE OTHER I CANT REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS???}

 

[SmokesAhoy]

the easiest way i found to infuse aromatics into tobacco is with the sugarless koolaid pack for $.25 at walmart. get a coffee can, add powder to bottom, paper towel on top then tobacco to fill can and seal. forget about it and when you come back to it in a few weeks-months it smells amazing

 

[Jitterbugdude]

and when you come back to it in a few weeks-months it smells amazing

But what does it taste like?

 

[pastorj]

that sounds pretty gross...

 

[Planter]

I like to smoke it straight. I like Black Sea Samsun-Maden, and Bursa.

I assume no casing? Do you sun cure or air cure your Samsun?

Pressed to a plug or do you just shred single leaves?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Just shred it and smoke it. It tastes so good all by itself there's no need to adulterate it with pressing, casing etc.

 

[Jpcouling]

I agree, cornell and Diehl is pretty good for what it's worth. I'm smoking their billy budd in an old billiard "the pipe" right now and it is good. I don't worry about additives with their English blends, at least, I don't think I should

 

[Planter]

Just shred it and smoke it. It tastes so good all by itself there's no need to adulterate it with pressing, casing etc.

How fine do you shred? (I normally press / cube cut.)

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I was using and angel hair attachment on a pasta maker. This gave a nice ribbon cut. Once I bought a Powermatic shredder I never looked back! It yields a fine shag.

 

[smokinghole]

I'm in your camp. I've smoked cigars for 12 years now and I've just recently really gotten into liking pipes. I had a few briars that I purchased 5-6 years ago when I was a cigar shop employee in college (25yo freshmen). I never really smoked them because first tried the Lane tobaccos we had on hand, all aromatics really, and didn't like the artificial taste. Then one day a cigar buddy sent me a tin of Penzance (I never ever tried an english blend at that point) and I fell in love. Now I've tried many different "straight" tobacco blends but as my tastes refined I could detect adulteration via casing/toppings and the like. That's what lead me down the road to growing some of my own with my cousin (also a cigar smoker) and my desire to blend my own stuff with WLT stock.

I've tried tobacco smoking in many ways. Hookahs were popular with my military friends due to our tendency to go to southwest Asia a lot. However all I could taste is low quality tobacco with gross sugary molasses flavorings and the flavor of the burning coal on top. I'm still mostly stuck on cigars until I think I can get some satisfactory blends with WLT leaf.

 

[deluxestogie]

smokinghole, have a look at some of the blends in this thread: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/3926-Pure-Tobacco-Pipe-Blends-You-Can-Make

Bob

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Heh I just read this old thread and can't believe I used to do that.. Ugh.

I haven't ruined good tobacco with casings of any kind much less kool aid in a very long time.