What Pipe-pipe tobacco did you smoke today? (2026)

[Sid.Stavros]

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026



Here in Greece, on December 31st exactly at 12, we turn off the lights and exchange wishes-hugs-kisses among ourselves. Shortly after or the next day, on the morning of January 1st, it is customary to cut a specially made pie, the Vasilopita which has a coin inside. The name comes from Saint Basil (from Caesarea in Asia Minor, which was once a Byzantine city). First, we cut a piece for Christ, the house, the poor, the Saint and then one for each member of the family.
If the family is small, then we also cut a piece for the animal, one for the car-motorcycle, so the whole pie will finished. If the coin falls on a member of the family it brings good luck, if it falls on someone else, it is a blessing for it, this year for us it fell between the piece of Christ and our house.

PS: As you can see, the sugar powder didn't hold up well on the top of the pie, usually the top is white as snow. It doesn't matter, may we all be well and healthy this year, i wish you all health and have good smoking for all the 2026!

 

[treecutter]

Happy New Year Sid, Beautiful pictures!

 

[TigerTom]

Happy New Year!

 

[Sid.Stavros]

'Dayyy from Athens-Greece, we have sun with few clouds and 66 'F here.

On January 6, Greek people take part in various traditions and ceremonies to celebrate the Epiphany. The most important ritual on this day is the "great blessing of the waters" which is performed by a Greek Orthodox priest. The tradition is that a priest throws a special cross into the sea and many brave young men and boys dive into cold water competing eachother who would be the first which will swim faster and retrieve the cross.

 

[Sid.Stavros]

Salutes from Athens-Greece, we have sun and 60 'F here.

Jubah is getting better and has great familiarity.

 

[TigerTom]

Had the weirdest tobacco today. A local guy grew his own and I got to try some. Air cured Virginia, uncased. Smooth, easy to smoke, flavor was generally good, except it had a strange undertone of unsweet banana. Not bad, but not exactly what I was expecting from air cured Virginia.

 

[johnny108]

View attachment 58444

Had the weirdest tobacco today. A local guy grew his own and I got to try some. Air cured Virginia, uncased. Smooth, easy to smoke, flavor was generally good, except it had a strange undertone of unsweet banana. Not bad, but not exactly what I was expecting from air cured Virginia.

Any idea what variety he grew?

 

[TigerTom]

Any idea what variety he grew?

I'd have to ask. It was through a mutual friend that I was able to try it. I do know it was some kind of air cured Virginia that he then aged for some time. Beyond that, I really don't know.

It was, however, beautifully cut, had the perfect moisture content, and was a nice reddish color. The pouch aroma was very smooth and subtly sweet, as one would expect from quality Virginias. Seems he did everything right getting it to the final product.

 

[Sid.Stavros]

Greetings from Athens-Greece, we have sun with clouds and 48 'F.

Jubah with a ''Wassup dude?" look.

 

[Sid.Stavros]

Hello from Athens-Greece, we have sun with few clouds and 65 'F here.

Reiner Rot Blend 51.

 

[deluxestogie]

Hello from southwest Virginia, we have freezing rain and 9°F here.

Low Country Natural Virginia & Burley and a large, hot mug of coffee.

Bob

 

[jclif43]

Athens sounds a little better than Blacksburg today!

 

[Pasiasiainen]

Hello from Finland. It is -12°C and calm, no wind at all. Very nice weather to be outside now that the sun has finally decided to show up after weeks.
Testing my Burley-Virginia base blend with a hint of Burley Cavendish.

 

[Sid.Stavros]

'Dayyy from Athens-Greece, we have sun with few clouds here and 67 'F.

I had friendly visitors, here the sparrows nibbled on pieces of biscuit that I threw at them.

 

[DaleB]

Last night was some Balkan White. I mixed this up a couple months back as just a little test batch. Although it's virtually identical in composition to the Towers of Antioch that I usually smoke, I really haven't liked it as much although it's gotten better as it sat in the tin for a few months, Last night it hit me -- my Towers of Antioch batches have always gotten a good, long, high pressure pressing in the noodle press. It comes out quite dark. Since this little batch of Balkan White was just a test run, it got a couple days of lighter pressing. Lesson learned - like with people, it seems much of the better character traits of at least some blends are only developed under pressure.

 

[Sid.Stavros]

Good evening from Athens-Greece, we had sun and 61 C here in the morning, the photo is not good due to reflections plus i was in a hurry to take it.



I found an old advertisment with pipe smoking content.



Happy Valentine's day!

 

[vktr]

I'm not an avid pipe smoker. This will probably make the most questionable pipe smoker post ever I used to have a jar for tobacco leftovers, including the stuff you normally throw in the bin. It includes virginia, some commercial tobacco I didn't like and increasingly aztec flakes that fall from the end of cigarettes once they dry up. It makes a nice 15-20 min pipe smoke once in a while.

 

[DaleB]

Happy International Pipe Smoking Day! Celebrating with a little home blended VA/Per in the meerschaum. There may even be a little Scotch on hand.

 

[Sid.Stavros]

Good evening from Athens-Greece, we had sun and 53 'F in the morning.

I was away from the forum for a few days due to a mini-vacation, i went to my parents' house. Last Monday we had a big celebration, here we call it "Clean Monday" and we eat exclusively fasting foods. The lunch menu had: Lagana (from the ancient Greek "laganon", a flat dough made from flour and water and marking the beginning of the Lenten fast), beans, tarama, fried squid, olives, fried potatoes, halva, beets, red wine, lemon, salt and pepper.

 

[DaleB]

The pipe is a rusticated gourd calabash of unknown origin (likely a Pioneer), sporting a custom made briar bowl to replace the original meerschaum that broke. The tobacco is a new batch of my own variation of Towers of Antioch, fresh out of 10 days in the noodle press.