Tastes changing or tobacco smoothed out?

[greenmonster714]

Good to know. I'll have to add this to my wish list. I smoke a pipe rather slow anyway. Thanks for the info.

 

[Silverone858]

Well I received a tin of h&h vintage latakia and a couple oz of scotties pancake. I was sure I would like the pancake but not so sure about the latakia. I opened the tin (my first tin btw) and I really don't know if I like the smell but it's not as bad as Dunhill nightcap. I packed the latakia in a clean cob and know what its pretty good! It's a bit wet so I'm going to set a bowl out till after dinner and try it in a briar. I'm surprised again that it can put me off in smell but I like the smoke, now I guess I will try some other popular blends that I didn't give a chance. I probably won't be buying a lb of the stuff but maybe a few more tins to put away?
Geoff

Ps what should I do with the tin, dump it into a jar? I think it needs to dry a little bit it's a lot more so than anything else I have.

 

[greenmonster714]

The Syrian Latakia is a different smell. I think it smells like a sweet molasses horse feed and kinda smoky at the same time. I'm surprised it is a bit damp. I got the Arcadian Perique and it was rather dry. I'd just leave it in the tin open for a while but it wouldn't hurt to dump it out into a jar to dry out. I'm glad ya like it. If you try the Cyprian Latakia you may be put off by its smell as well. To me its a perfume smell but strangely it tastes good when its lit up.

Bob guided me to two of the Cyprian blends. One was John Cotton 1&2 and C&D Plantation Evening. To me they both taste and smell the same. The JC has Virginian, Oriental, Turkish, and Cyprian. The CnD has Virginian, Oriental, and some Perique. The blends are slightly different but I can't see any difference. However, they are both good. Its just something you'd have to try. I'd suggest the CnD because you can buy it in 1oz bulk @ Pipesandcigars.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Ps what should I do with the tin, dump it into a jar? I think it needs to dry a little bit it's a lot more so than anything else I have.

By all means, put it in a mason jar with a good lid. It will get better as it ages in the jar.

 

[Silverone858]

Bob guided me to two of the Cyprian blends. One was John Cotton 1&2 and C&D Plantation Evening. To me they both taste and smell the same. The JC has Virginian, Oriental, Turkish, and Cyprian. The CnD has Virginian, Oriental, and some Perique. The blends are slightly different but I can't see any difference. However, they are both good. Its just something you'd have to try. I'd suggest the CnD because you can buy it in 1oz bulk @ Pipesandcigars.

What an interesting hobby! Just because I might not like how a blend smells doesn't mean I won't like the smoke. All of the sudden I feel the weight of a million different tobaccos. Gotta try them all hahaha. I remember you saying the John cotton 1&2 was good and I meant to get a tin in this order, not to worry there's another order going out today hahaha!
Thanks for the advice guys!
Geoff

 

[Silverone858]

I am realizing that my technique is also getting better, packing and sipping rather than freight training or just not paying attention to how hot I'm smoking. I've been trying new blends like crazy and I'm able to adjust my use accordingly. I'll tell you that I am enjoying all the blends I've been trying! I'm going to order a few more since I've been getting good advice. Now I want to try a cyprian blend latakia greenmonster714 said John cotton 1&2 and maybe someone can recommend a perique heavy blend, I think after I can pick out the flavors I will be ready to try to blend my own.
Again I am very surprised at how much the actual way I use the tobacco changes the flavor so much, in effect the tobacco is only half of the equation. Now I have to figure out how to blend something with WLT and little to no additives and I will be ecstatic!
Geoff

 

[greenmonster714]

John Patton has some blends you may want to try. The Cool Hand Fluke has 40% perique and to me is delicious. I bought some from 4noggins a few weeks ago. I also pickup up some Dark Horse and Storm Front from the same brand. I put the link below. Read through some of the reviews. I do like the Dark Horse just as much as the CHF. The Storm Front which I have been puffing on all day has a little bit. Both DH and SF have cigar tobacco in the blend. The DH doesn't seem to give me a bite like SF. The DH has more variety to the blend with Turkish, Oriental Virginia, 2 burleys cigar leaf and perique. Though I do enjoy the CHF I do favor the DH more. Most of the John Patton blends appear to be rather dry but to me this is not a problem. Check out the link and look around. I doubt this brand has a bad blend. I plan on trying more soon. Cause I'm running out fast...lol.

http://www.4noggins.com/search.aspx?find=John+patton

 

[Silverone858]

Tell you what, I'm going to stop buying 2oz at a time, so far I love every thing I try. My favorites seem to change daily. I may as well buy 8oz at a time I won't have to order 2 orders lol.
Geoff

 

[greenmonster714]

Sounds like a plan..

 

[Charly]

Silverone, I am happy you improved your smoking technique to enjoy your tobacco more !
Sometimes I smoke a pipe too fast and waste tobacco and pleasure... The slower I smoke, the more pleasure I get !

 

[Silverone858]

So what the heck just happened? I was planning to get some more backy from little brown smoke shack and all their blends were gone from the website, I called and the guy told me about the new fda regs and they would have to apply as a manufacturer to blend tobacco! I read an article about this and I thought there was a grandfather clause that a blend older than 2007 would be allowed to remain.
So lame! Here in California they have been attacking my gun rights for so long I can't remember and last year they hit us hard with the ammo ban/permit system (FTW) now this?! What are they following my hobbies? SMH!
Rant paused.
Geoff
Ps yall have probably been talking about this but it's news to me! I should venture out of the pipe forum once and awhile!

 

[Jitterbugdude]

What the regs say is that if the tobacco blend was made before 2007 it is ok but if the store blends the tobaccos on site then they have to apply for a manufacturers license which runs 10's of thousands of dollars...per year!

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

What the regs say is that if the tobacco blend was made before 2007 it is ok but if the store blends the tobaccos on site then they have to apply for a manufacturers license which runs 10's of thousands of dollars...per year!

So a shop like Iwan Ries would be fine because they prepackage their blends?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

No. If they buy a 50 pound bag of Burley and a 50 pound bag of Turkish and mix the two together they are now a "manufacturer". Also, If they simply divide that 50 pound bag into 4 ounce tins they are a manufacturer. This is why so many tobacco shops have closed up within the past year.

Edit: I should note that the FDA has postponed the deadline for 3 months. Not sure why but it might have something to do with the Trump administration's plan to reduce a lot of regulations.

 

[greenmonster714]

No. If they buy a 50 pound bag of Burley and a 50 pound bag of Turkish and mix the two together they are now a "manufacturer". Also, If they simply divide that 50 pound bag into 4 ounce tins they are a manufacturer. This is why so many tobacco shops have closed up within the past year.

Edit: I should note that the FDA has postponed the deadline for 3 months. Not sure why but it might have something to do with the Trump administration's plan to reduce a lot of regulations.

With a license costing that much I can see why they'd be shutting down. Small shops can't handle that kinda expense and make a living. I hope they can modify it before we loose more.

 

[Silverone858]

Well I gave in. My budget for trying new blends is blown for a few months lol! I have tried about 20 bulk blends and really liked all but 5. I started this thread because a couple I thought I loved now seem mediocre, and 2 I didn't really think were very good are now my favorites!
So I ordered a pound of one and a half pound of the other.
A few days ago I was surprised by the fda crap so I talked to the little brown smoke shack and they still had some house blends in stock and were able to sell them.
I bought a pound of moonlight sonata and a half pound of xmas future. I'm glad I did, I have been smoking these every day since I realized how much I liked them.
If anyone has tried either of these I would love to know what you think about them. The smoke tastes so good to me, kinda in the same sense as bacon, smells good tastes good and leaves a good taste in my mouth. I wish they would reveal what's in the blends.
If you want to try them you have to call since they took all house blends off the website. For a couple bucks an ounce you can't go wrong!
THE GOBMENT MADE ME DO IT!
Geoff

 

[deluxestogie]

Since they will no longer be selling these blends, perhaps you could cajole the owner into revealing the details of the blends that you like. Then you could blend them yourself.

Bob

 

[Silverone858]

Since they will no longer be selling these blends, perhaps you could cajole the owner into revealing the details of the blends that you like. Then you could blend them yourself.

I had thought about asking but I remembered you(I think it was you) saying that shops use bulk tobacco blends to make their own blends. I thought to myself I want to use WLT to make my blends and don't want to rely on any manufacturer for components. So I will have enough to last a long time at the rate I smoke. The next order I make will likely be from the WLT store!
Geoff

 

[Silverone858]

So to follow up on my purchase of a pound of each of the blends from little brown smoke shack, I received them and put them in jars and did something dumb. I mixed the old in with the new, almost the second I put them together I remembered that I had to wait a month or more till they were dryer or combined better. Oh well I put a small amount out for a couple hours and it smoked good.
I'm starting to look at the blends I have that I don't really like for one reason or another and I think I'm going to get a small amount of latakia, perique and maybe some cigar leaf? And try to liven them up! I got 2 oz of Peter stokkebyes bullseye flake and it seems really mild so maybe I can spice it up and there's a few others in my stash.
Hope everyone has a great 3 day weekend and be safe!
Geoff

 

[Silverone858]

So here's an update on my search for a tobacco I can love all day: I bought 2 ounces of mcclelland 2015, John Patton storm front and cool hand fluke, and a tin of escudo.
I realized after that escudo and ps luxury bullseye flake are in the same vein. Man I just don't like Virginias or vapers by themselves. I thought these would be the missing piece I had been looking for but nope. I know why I don't like them and it's because I don't smoke cigarettes anymore and these leave a very Marlboro red taste feel and smell in my mouth and nose. Also they are strong too and I'm not looking for a nic hit.
So I don't want sweet and I don't want Virginia by itself. English blends are good and I am ready now to start ordering leaf, deluxestogie your latakia matrix looks great. Is the Balkan sobranie blend on WLT a cigarette only blend? I saw the contest thread to make a pipe Balkan sobranie blend and I didn't see how it ended. I did notice you(deluxestogie) had a Balkan sobranie white recipe though.
Thanks for all your help guys