Greenmonster714's Grow Log 2017

[greenmonster714]

Plantation Evening it is. My next order I'll get some and give it a try. Thanks Bob.

 

[Charly]

Now that you discovered english blends, I encourage you to try GLPease's blends (made by C&D), there is a lot of english/balkan in his line, and many are really delicious.
The only thing is that I enjoy these blends far better after they have rested for a few month/year, sometimes, when young they are not so great...

Here are some delicious blends (just to my preferences, very subjective opinion) :
- BlackPoint
- Odysee
- Maltese Falcon
- Samarra
- Westminter ...

There are many others but I did not try them yet (I have some, but I am waiting to let them mature) :
- Chelsea Morning
- Quiet Nights
- Gas Light ....

Great green house ! And congratulations for all the transplantation !
I will update my blog to show what I did last days (busy days also)

 

[Gavroche]

. I'd probably have to buy the Latakia from WLT .

test the VA 309... WLt...! a must ! nice !

 

[DistillingJim]

Plantation Evening (on sale until the end of the month at smokingpipes.com) is (or at least was at that time) 5 parts Virginia bright leaf, 3 parts Perique, 3 parts Latakia and 5 parts Izmir. I adjusted that for my own blend to 5:3:4:4 respectively, for my Pearl of Shibam. The ratio of Virginia to Perique--5:3--turned out to perfectly eliminate the Virginia bite. 25% Latakia (4/16) is my Latakia minimum.

Bob

How did you get those ratios Bob?

 

[Gavroche]

the name of deluxestogie is Nicolas Flamel...

https://www.google.fr/search?q=Nico...l.&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[deluxestogie]

How did you get those ratios Bob?

Ah. Good question. It is entirely dependent on the characteristics of the specific batch of Perique used for blending. The balance was pH perfect on my tongue, when I tried the C&D Plantation Evening. (That is to say, I experienced zero tongue bite from the Virginia in the blend.) I've found the VA/Perique ratio of 5:3 to also be perfect when using any Louisiana Perique. BUT, it's different for home-made Perique, and has to be titrated by trial and error for any home-brew batch: more Perique with a milder variety; less with stronger Perique.

In addition to Perique's influence on the pH, it also contributes a deep, earthy, fruity, and somewhat "barnyard" aroma. And this varies significantly with the variety of tobacco used to make the Perique.

Bob

 

[greenmonster714]

Now that you discovered english blends, I encourage you to try GLPease's blends (made by C&D), there is a lot of english/balkan in his line, and many are really delicious.
The only thing is that I enjoy these blends far better after they have rested for a few month/year, sometimes, when young they are not so great...

Here are some delicious blends (just to my preferences, very subjective opinion) :
- BlackPoint
- Odysee
- Maltese Falcon
- Samarra
- Westminter ...

There are many others but I did not try them yet (I have some, but I am waiting to let them mature) :
- Chelsea Morning
- Quiet Nights
- Gas Light ....

Great green house ! And congratulations for all the transplantation !
I will update my blog to show what I did last days (busy days also)

Wow. Thanks for the info Charly. I've got a lot to learn when it comes to English blends but I gotta say I do like what I've tried so far. So letting them age is kind of like cigars. I know many folks who age cigars for months even years before they use them. I had no idea pipe tobacco should be treated the same way. Good to know.

 

[greenmonster714]

test the VA 309... WLt...! a must ! nice !

So the WLT latakia is made from VA309 leaf?

 

[Charly]

With pipe blends (the kind that uses little to no casing/flavoring), it's better to let time to allow the different type of leaves to know each others, to meld, to marry.
When the blend is young it is often raw/not harmonious/aggressive, with age, it becomes more mellow, harmonious, complexe, with subtle nuances.

And the best part is that you can actually age pipe tobacco for a long long time ! depending on the kind of leaves, it can become better and better for years/decades.
The longuest aging potential is often given for the virginias (something like 40 to 50 years before beginning to decline).
Some others are not meant to age for so long, I've read that the latakia looses too much of its flavors after 20-25 years... (if I remember correctly).

Whatever, in my little experience, some of the best smoke I had (with pipe) has been with tobacco aged for 5 to 10 year.
When you like a blend, buy two or more tins, so you can smoke it young, and aged

Of course, if the tobacco is not good to begin, it won't become stellar just with age (just like wine and alcools).

 

[deluxestogie]

So the WLT latakia is made from VA309 leaf?

WLT Latakia is from Cyprus, and is made from a variant of Basma Oriental.

With pipe blends...40 to 50 years...20-25 years...

As an alternative, you can just age yourself, rather than the tobacco, and the it will taste different.

Now that I've aged quite a bit, all sorts of tobacco tastes good.

Bob

 

[greenmonster714]

Thanks again for the info Charly. I'd be lying of I told you I could keep my hands away from good tobacco for a month let alone years..lol. I just can't wait. It's not in my vocablary. Even waiting on these plants is killing me...lol. I understand what your saying though.

 

[greenmonster714]

WLT Latakia is from Cyprus, and is made from a variant of Basma Oriental.


As an alternative, you can just age yourself, rather than the tobacco, and the it will taste different.

Now that I've aged quite a bit, all sorts of tobacco tastes good.

Bob

I thought the Latakia was made out of a oriental strain. The VA comment kinda threw me. I have been reading about it and it appears those folks over there have a monopoly on their hands. A special process not easily duplicated. Much like the guys in LA fermenting that Perique tobacco. I've also read a few threads here where ya'll chat about smoking tobacco but none have found the formula to make the Latakia. Maybe Gav meant to mix the VA 309 and Latakia together.

Aging myself is a pretty easy task to do. Much easier than putting something on the shelf and waiting. When I smoked cigars I couldn't save any of them to age. I always broke my own promises and would fire it up anyway...lol.

 

[deluxestogie]

The process of making Latakia is fairly straightforward. You heavily fire-cure some leaf (probably any variety would do) for at least 1-1/2 months. The problem with duplicating Cyprian (or Syrian) Latakia is the wood that they smolder to create the fire-curing smoke. It requires mastic wood. The incense fragrance of Latakia comes from the mastic (pistichia) combustion products. It may be possible to come close using a "neutral" wood, like maple or poplar, together with copious sprinklings onto the smoldering wood with mastic gum (the so called Tears of Chios), but it's not cheap.

Bob

 

[greenmonster714]

Whoa...just checked on my lol ones outside in that greenhose contraption I made the other day. I have lost about 20 or so plants. They must have gotten hot and melted back into the soil. I removed the lost ones and moved the rest where it stays shady most of the day and covered them up. Oh well, chaulk that up as a mistake and move on.

87degrees blue skies and a nice breeze. Had to turn on the A.C. inside for awhile. So now all the work is done. It's time to pull up a chair in the shade and have a bowl next to my rabbit poop machine. What a beauty of a day.

 

[Charly]

I think Gavroche was talking about the "VA 309" (from WLT), because this virginia is fire cured / smoked. I think he was telling you to use it instead of Latakia (I know he do not smoke latakia anymore, because he smoke too much of it and he found it disgusting now...)

Bob, you are right, you can age yourself ! Easy And with age everything changes !
I don't have experience with very old blends, but with a few years, some blends become really delicious !

Greenmonster : I have a easy solution to let tobacco age : you just have to buy/grow much more And it will age
I do not smoke a lot, and since I love tasting different tobacco, I simply buy/grow more than I smoke, so I always have some tobacco aging : easy !

 

[greenmonster714]

I think Gavroche was talking about the "VA 309" (from WLT), because this virginia is fire cured / smoked. I think he was telling you to use it instead of Latakia (I know he do not smoke latakia anymore, because he smoke too much of it and he found it disgusting now...)

Bob, you are right, you can age yourself ! Easy And with age everything changes !
I don't have experience with very old blends, but with a few years, some blends become really delicious !

Greenmonster : I have a easy solution to let tobacco age : you just have to buy/grow much more And it will age
I do not smoke a lot, and since I love tasting different tobacco, I simply buy/grow more than I smoke, so I always have some tobacco aging : easy !

I didn't know what to think about Gav's post but its good to hear I may be misunderstanding the translation. My french sucks...lol. Anyways, that probably is what he meant. Maybe he will pop on the thread and explain. I had no idea the VA 309 was a fire cured/smoked leaf. That sure sounds good. By the way Charly. Have you ordered any leaf from WLT and used it for pipe blends?

About the aging thing. That is exactly why I am growing way way more than I can consume. One reason is to have a stash to age naturally and another is to have enough seed and leaf to share with others. At some point I'd love to have a closet full of packaged aging leaf. I don't smoke my pipe all day long unless the weather outside is good. I like in a smoke free home and I like it that way. In no way would I want to harm anyone else with secondhand smoke. I am content to just take it outside. In the winter months which are not very long down here in Alabama I usually dip a little snuff. Not totally in love with the snuff but it does the trick when you want some nicotine.

 

[Charly]

Gavroche gave me some leaves of Bright Virginia and some blends he made with leaves from WLT (Va 309 was one of them, burley and Prilep), so I had the opportunity to taste it, I found it quite good, but I did not try blending a lot with it.

Here in France, we are not allowed to buy tobacco on internet (if the Customs get your package, they can destroy it, I had a bad experience with it...) so my goal is to be able to grow my own tobacco, so I don't need to rely on importing.

Gavroche told me that whole leaves are not in the same category as manufactured tobacco and thus it can be imported, I may one day take an order (I am interested in their cigar leaves and orientals...)
But my goal is to become really self-sufficient, growing my own tobacco, rolling my own cigars and blending my own pipe tobacco.

The laws become more and more stupid - it's the direction they take everywhere... - we don't know what we will still be able to do in the future... less and less liberty
So everything I can do by myself will be good.

 

[Gavroche]

wlt VA309 is no a latakia but it is firecured tabac /guéri avec la fumée d'un feu/ Nice, I like ! It is not disgusting as the latakia

 

[greenmonster714]

Gavroche gave me some leaves of Bright Virginia and some blends he made with leaves from WLT (Va 309 was one of them, burley and Prilep), so I had the opportunity to taste it, I found it quite good, but I did not try blending a lot with it.

Here in France, we are not allowed to buy tobacco on internet (if the Customs get your package, they can destroy it, I had a bad experience with it...) so my goal is to be able to grow my own tobacco, so I don't need to rely on importing.

Gavroche told me that whole leaves are not in the same category as manufactured tobacco and thus it can be imported, I may one day take an order (I am interested in their cigar leaves and orientals...)
But my goal is to become really self-sufficient, growing my own tobacco, rolling my own cigars and blending my own pipe tobacco.

The laws become more and more stupid - it's the direction they take everywhere... - we don't know what we will still be able to do in the future... less and less liberty
So everything I can do by myself will be good.

I gotta agree with ya on that one Charly. It is my opinion that government has no business controlling tobacco. I wouldn't put it past our government to try doing the same. Yes, tobacco is not good for us but that is our decision to make...not some damn politician.

wlt VA309 is no a latakia but it is firecured tabac /guéri avec la fumée d'un feu/ Nice, I like ! It is not disgusting as the latakia

Yes, we kinda figured that was what you were saying about the VA309. That smoked Virginia sounds pretty good. I see your not a fan of the Latakia. I can honestly say I don't know about my thoughts on it yet. I have not tried a Latakia heavy blend yet but the John Cotton 1&2 I got the other day has some in it and I thought the blend was rather good. I've got a lot of sampling to do before I can figure out what I like and don't like.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

wlt VA309 is no a latakia but it is firecured tabac /guéri avec la fumée d'un feu/ Nice, I like ! It is not disgusting as the latakia

Burn my eyes!