Favorite LOTR Themed Tobacco?
Jaynaff
Newcomer
in Tobacco Talk
I am finding more and more LOTR themed tobaccos as I dig deeper into the world wide interwebs. So far, I think Shortcut to Mushrooms from Just For Him is my favorite, but other than the Country Squire Middle Earth series I haven't tried all that many. Anyone have a favorite LOTR blend? Know of any that may not be so 'common knowledge'?
Comments
http://www.tobaccopipes.com/blog/mcclelland-craftsbury-pipe-tobaccos/
Vauen has a series of tobaccos called "Auenland - The Shire" that are LOTR inspired. They have been on my wish list, but I haven't gotten around to ordering any of them. I would be interested to hear anyone's thoughts on the blends from those who have tried them.
@KA9FFJ i suppose the frog morton series is considered a hybrid, frog morton cellar is stored in whiskey barrels to add some whiskey flavoring
http://thecountrysquireonline.com/
Hidden Wonders of the Digital World: Lord of The Rings Online
VISITING MIDDLE EARTH IS EVERY fantasy fan’s (sometimes literal) dream. To J.R.R. Tolkien, the setting and cartography of his fantasy world was as important as any of the characters—and his locations, like blasted Mordor or the idyllic Shire, have become the inspiration for just about every fantasy tale ever since, not to mention a number of direct translations of the books to movies, radio, comics, and just about every other medium including video games.
So when a game company called Turbine, Inc. released The Lord of the Rings Online(LOTRO), an open-world game that set out to create a living Middle Earth, it was no small task. They also had to do so without rights to the films or other media based on, or related to J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal works of fantasy—no visions of Frodo’s hobbit house from the movies, or a Gandalf that looked like Ian McKellen. Their source material had to be the text of the the novels and their own designs.
Somehow, though, those limitations have made LOTRO one of the most faithful visions of Tolkien’s world.
The game launched in 2007 as The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, although the latter part of the name was later dropped, and now it is simply known as The Lord of the Rings Online. An MMORPG in the vein of World of Warcraft, LOTRO received strong initial reviews that rightfully praised the title for how faithful the world was to Tolkien’s work. It even garnered a few Game of the Year honors from sites like Gamespy and MMORG.com.
Success was fleeting, however. Despite a huge boost in both membership and revenue when they moved from a subscription-based model to a free-to-play system in 2010, over the last five years, Turbine’s Middle Earth has become less and less crowded. Turbine is tight lipped about their exact number of registered users (they declined to comment on the question for this piece), but in 2015 they closed down 19 of their servers.
Even If They Come From Lothlórien (Cornell & Diehl Berries & Cream in a McQueen Wizard Churchwarden)
Erin McRoy / May 25, 2014
Even though my tobacco arrived on Tuesday, I spent a few days curled up with my Cornell & Diehl Byzantium before moving on to the aromatics. So I didn’t get around to writing this review until Sunday, and then was met with the choices of which tobacco to review. Well, I only have one Churchwarden it happened to be Churchwarden Sunday. Being a McQueen Wizard Churchwarden, I reserve it for the sweetest of aromatics, and good hobbit pipeweed, so I pulled out my three aromatic blends to compare them.
The bag note of the Berries and Cream is so sweet that I can hardly believe it is tobacco. The tobacco is a Black Cavendish and Burley blend, topped with vanilla and blackberry brandy, and they did not skimp on the casing. Being totally honest with you, I’m tired of trying to claim that I am neither a Cavendish nor a cased tobacco fan. Lately, each time I try them, they prove me to be a liar, and I find myself enjoying them. So, this time we’ll see…
Despite that, the tobacco is not too moist and has no need to be aired before packing in your pipe. The Churchwarden loads easily, and I tamp it with a wooden tamper that came with the pipe. With my limited mobility, Churchwardens are difficult for me to light, but I always enjoy a good smoke from them. This is where the title comes in. The room note of this tobacco is so pleasing, that it would impress your in-laws even if they came from Lothlórien.
And the taste? Well, let’s just say I can’t believe it’s tobacco. It tastes like candy. I can sincerely see the elves of Rivendell importing tobaccos like this from Bree and other places in and around the Shire. I wonder if this was what Tolkien was smoking as he put pen to paper to describe the various elven palaces in Middle Earth? The pipe, well, I love this particular Churchwarden to death, and it always gives me a good smoke, even if that smoke is always a dreaded aromatic. And the tobacco? Well, at least this time I’m not a liar. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to the next bowl.
The gurgle and the dottle were nowhere near as bad as I feared and the bowl smoked coolly with no need to re-light and not even a hint of tongue bite. Smooth as Irish cream, and sweet as honey nectar. The only thing that I could say that could be considered bad about this tobacco is, it’s Cavendish and Burley! In other words, though smooth and enjoyable, there’s no oomph, no power! It just doesn’t satisfy that nicotine urge! But, if you’re not hoping for that nicotine rush, this tobacco is great, and I thoroughly recommend it.
And if you’re someone who believes in fairies, be they Sidhe or Alfar, bogguns or dwarves, it can’t hurt to keep some around for offerings, and who knows? Elrond went somewhere, maybe it was to your house. It would be nice to greet him with a bowl for his pipe when he gets here wouldn’t it?