Not smoking anything right now, I am sick as a dog, and find it hard to find enough energy to even take a shower. At least in this case, I have a plausible excuse.
@xDutchx - Sorry that you are feeling sick. Hope you get better soon. Maybe call your doctor and ask him for a Z-pack which would help knock out whatever you have.
Smoking a bowl of "Cult Militia" in my H.S. Studio pipe. Love the uniqueness of this pipe. I guess it's considered a volcano shape but can't help but think the overall design makes it look otherworldly. That's why every time I photograph it I tend to pair it up with some kind of ALIEN collectible since it reminds me of the artwork of ALIEN designer H.R. Giger.
And a few words "Cult Militia". This is one of those blends I received in a large order from Pipes And Cigars many months ago. And what seems to happen when I get of big order with multiple blends is that some either get overlooked, set aside and forgotten, or in the case of Cult Militia - it was a blend I had high expectations for but was somewhat underwhelmed upon the first smoke. Had my order been much smaller, or had "Militia" been the only tin I had ordered I would have given it a few more smokes before making a final decision as to making it part of my regular rotation or relegate it to those blends I later use for blending experiments. And if memory serves me right it came with the same order as my first tin of East India Trading Company "Officer's Club" ... the blend that has become my absolute favorite. So since "Officer's Club" really struck a chord with me I kind of forgot about "Militia" and didn't give it the second or third chance that should always be given a new blend before making a final judgment. Well since the beginning of the New Year as part of my resolution to limit my tobacco purchases, I've been making a consorted effort to smoke any opened tins of tobacco I currently have in my cellar before cracking anything new. (I've really been neglecting my jarred bulk blends during this time). So about two nights ago I pulled out my tin of "Militia" and have including at least one bowl of "Militia" each evening before going off to sleep. And to my surprise it's excellent. Not really sure what it was that underwhelmed me about the blend. For the aromatic smoker I can't detectable any dominant flavor that jumps out like vanilla, chocolate, rum, maple, or fruit. If anything it might be something like a pleasant delicious note of either molasses or caramel ... nothing too sweet. For all I know it may be a combination of every flavor I mentioned - but in a nice proportion. Usually I like my tobacco to taste like some rich dessert - but "Militia" is not that kind of blend - yet it's quite satisfying. If there is a downside it's that "Militia" is one of those blends that taste great for the first two thirds of the smoke, but the closer to the bottom the less flavorful. Before I hit the bottom of the bowl I simply dump it and repack a new bowl. All and all I'm glad I decided to dig into the tobacco chest and pull out my tin of "Militia". That's something everyone should keep in mind. Give a blend a few smokes before making that final decision. Some blends take a while to grow on you.
I can relate @thebadgerpiper I keep a small space heater in my little offset in the garage. I have a padded plastic chair with a plastic side table next to a window that I crack open to ventilate. The space heater keeps me comfortable on those frigid days (St. Louis area)...
@thebadgerpiper Yeah, you being in the Windy City is probably more challenging for you. You average 3 to 6 degrees colder in the winters than we do. However, when it was 5 here 2 weeks ago with wind chill of -17, I used a blanket to capture more heat from the space heater and was able to remain toasty... I'm thinking about using pvc pipe and connectors to make a frame to lay a blanket over the heater and angling upward toward me to capture more heat when the need arises. Just push the pieces together, then disconnect and store them in a box til next time... Just thinking...
Follow up post, just tried mcclelland 40th anniversary, i smoked it "fold n stuff" it was ok, but not quite my cup of tea. im aging a couple of tins so we'll see what i think in a couple of years or so. is anybody else not the biggest fan of straight virginia blends? i think i tend more towards english blends and aromatics
Never tried Mcclelland40th anniversary,so I can't comment, same for straight Virginia blends. English blends no can do. Aromatics are the only blends I dig. Maybe mix some of the above mentioned with aromatic blends.
Comments
Not smoking anything right now, I am sick as a dog, and find it hard to find enough energy to even take a shower. At least in this case, I have a plausible excuse.
Smoking a bowl of "Cult Militia" in my H.S. Studio pipe. Love the uniqueness of this pipe. I guess it's considered a volcano shape but can't help but think the overall design makes it look otherworldly. That's why every time I photograph it I tend to pair it up with some kind of ALIEN collectible since it reminds me of the artwork of ALIEN designer H.R. Giger.
And a few words "Cult Militia". This is one of those blends I received in a large order from Pipes And Cigars many months ago. And what seems to happen when I get of big order with multiple blends is that some either get overlooked, set aside and forgotten, or in the case of Cult Militia - it was a blend I had high expectations for but was somewhat underwhelmed upon the first smoke. Had my order been much smaller, or had "Militia" been the only tin I had ordered I would have given it a few more smokes before making a final decision as to making it part of my regular rotation or relegate it to those blends I later use for blending experiments. And if memory serves me right it came with the same order as my first tin of East India Trading Company "Officer's Club" ... the blend that has become my absolute favorite. So since "Officer's Club" really struck a chord with me I kind of forgot about "Militia" and didn't give it the second or third chance that should always be given a new blend before making a final judgment. Well since the beginning of the New Year as part of my resolution to limit my tobacco purchases, I've been making a consorted effort to smoke any opened tins of tobacco I currently have in my cellar before cracking anything new. (I've really been neglecting my jarred bulk blends during this time). So about two nights ago I pulled out my tin of "Militia" and have including at least one bowl of "Militia" each evening before going off to sleep. And to my surprise it's excellent. Not really sure what it was that underwhelmed me about the blend. For the aromatic smoker I can't detectable any dominant flavor that jumps out like vanilla, chocolate, rum, maple, or fruit. If anything it might be something like a pleasant delicious note of either molasses or caramel ... nothing too sweet. For all I know it may be a combination of every flavor I mentioned - but in a nice proportion. Usually I like my tobacco to taste like some rich dessert - but "Militia" is not that kind of blend - yet it's quite satisfying. If there is a downside it's that "Militia" is one of those blends that taste great for the first two thirds of the smoke, but the closer to the bottom the less flavorful. Before I hit the bottom of the bowl I simply dump it and repack a new bowl. All and all I'm glad I decided to dig into the tobacco chest and pull out my tin of "Militia". That's something everyone should keep in mind. Give a blend a few smokes before making that final decision. Some blends take a while to grow on you.