@PappyJoe I wish I had a clay pipe but for now I will load a couple corn cob pipes to try what I have, later I will buy a clay pipe and a reamer to ream all my older pipes so I can start fresh, some of them I bought used so not sure a good cleaning is the answer, going to ream most of them out and start fresh! Was kind of thinking something was wrong with my old Grabow Briar....LOL
OK I tried all the blends I was not to happy with again with my Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob pipe, wasn't my Briar, they just didn't have a good taste to them as I thought. Now with that said I did like the Peterson's Holiday Season Limited edition and the McClelland's 2016 Edition Holiday Spirit blends! Still waiting on the back ordered Russ's Pick Sugar Plum to arrive.
So to close, I didn't like nor would I pay the high price for the Straus blends Sleepy Hollow or the Wenceslas again and hope someone wants to buy what I have left which is 4 ounces...... I will keep the Eggnog and Caramel Apple in hopes that I can mix them with something else and make something smoke able.
@PappyJoe I am now using multiple pipes for different blends, I tried all the blends again and still do not like a few of them. I have 4 ounces of Straus - Wenceslas (Christmas Special Blend) if you think you might want to try some maybe we could do some trading?
Right now my favorite aromatic is CAO Eileen’s Dream I love the stuff,my wife likes the smell so she let me smoke in the living room. I call that a win!
I haven't used my briars in awhile. Sticking mostly to cobs for convenience and laziness, lol. They're also crazy cheap. There's much to love about cobs, although there is a place for briars in my life, too. Never tried a clay, but I'd like to pick up one or two to try them.
As far as tobaccos, I've tried some of Russ's blends, and really like alot of them. However, I've made a conscious effort not to get too attached to them, as a reply from P&C recently mentioned his blends are going to be discontinued due to the recent FDA BS. Same with the Missouri Meerschaum tobaccos (I keep going back to their 'Great Dane' blend, btw). Let's hope the FDA is beaten back by all the lawsuits concerning their callous, pompous, nefarious and calculated overreach. I've also loved a few of Scotty's blends...but they sometimes go out of stock forever. I've been waiting over half a year for his 'pancake' tobacco! Seriously. P&C said they're waiting to get in one component of that particular blend that has been unavailable for awhile...so I'm *trying* to be patient.
To that end, I've developed a deep appreciation for hand-blended tobaccos from the 'regular' tobacconists. Boswell, The Country Squire, Straus, Pipeworkes and Wilke, etc. Right now I'm loving both Boswell and The Country Squire. I've found their tobacco to be higher quality, their blends to be fresher and sometimes using much less humectant, and their blends are more satisfying to me than the mass-produced tobaccos. Although I'm not knocking the mass-produced baccys because I do have some favorites among those...just preferring the hand-blending small shops over the 'big guys'.
This obviously is personal preference. I'm also on a constant 'journey' to find the best tobacco. I doubt that journey will ever end...and I'm perfectly fine with that! I also enjoy my wife's input on each new blend I try. Hey, when she's happy...I'M happy
I have always been partial to vanilla cavendish/light vanilla blends but I am expanding my aromatic horizons with a few samplers that I have ordered. I am diving into snow drift (cocoa and marshmallow with caramel undertones is what the description says) as well as candy corn (stocked up since it won't be available after Dec. 31-but it is vanilla with honey and sweetness) as well as a few ounces of spring training which supposedly is a tribute to cracker jacks and baseball. I have never really gotten into cherry tobaccos but plan to sample as many as possible once the weather warms up-it seems like cherry would make a nice summer smoke. I do keep one pipe just for aromatics (MM country gentleman) so that I don't end up with non-tobacco flavors in my other cobs.
@wolf41035 what did you think of the sugar plum? I am debating ordering some before the fda restrictions hit. I would be curious as to what you thought of the caramel apple as well
I don't know if it is an aromatic, but I really lik C&D Crooner with deer tongue. Also Two Friends English Chocolate and G L Pease new bourbon vanilla blend.
@paulwansing Good luck getting the sugar plum, I am still waiting for mine so I can't say if it is good or not. As soon as I get it I will post and let you know. I do like the Peterson's Holiday Season Limited edition and the McClelland's 2016 Edition Holiday Spirit, they are both worth getting in my opinion.
Wonder if I mixed some good Christmas blends if I could make an excellent Christmas blend, hate to do it because it could ruin two or more great blends but also could be the best ever mix.........would it be a sin to do so? LOL
To try a mix, use a small amount of tobacco, a half gram of this or that. 3 grams will fill an ordinary pipe so you can try out a mix without losing a full batch if you don't like it. If you don't have a scale, use a small measure like a half teaspoon.
As for holiday blends the only ones I currently have are Corn Cob Pipe And Button Nose, H&H Egg Nog and Sutliff Christmas Spice. Of the three I prefer Christmas Spice. But I recently discovered by mixing a 50/50 blend of Corn Cob Pipe And Button Nose with Molto Dolce you not only get a great tasting blend - but a long lasting one as well. That damn bowl took forever to smoke.
And as for my regular rotation of aromatic blends, my favorites seem to be either Sutliff blends: Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Mousse, Crème Brulee, Maple Walnut, Rum & Maple, Frosty Mint, Pumpkin Spice, and Molto Dolce - or the Russ' Monthly blends from Pipes And Cigars: Warm Up, Candy Corn, Snow Drift, Spring Training, Ice Cream Sunday, and The Taxman Cometh ... all of which will unfortunately be discontinued because of the FDA regulations so if you're interested get them quick. Warm Up is by far my favorite aromatic blend ... so when that goes the way of the dinosaur I'll be in a state of depression for the remainder of my life when my cellar runs dry.
And of the OTC aromatic blends I still have a warm spot for the Captain Black blends (with the exception of Captain Black Cherry) and Carter Hall.
Well lets see here, I finally got my Russ's Blend Sugar Plum in the mail a couple weeks ago, it is OK but not something I would buy again. Tsuge Winters Embrace is good, I think I will smoke this when it is cold outside, seems to help me get through the Winter for some reason.... I have some Tsuge First Days of Spring, I am going to wait until Spring to try it, I have a feeling it will be worth the wait and will be enjoyable to smoke while the weather warms up and everything starts turning green again. Maybe in the next week or so I will go through my stash and make a list of all the Aromatics I have and list them here....
LOL Mixing a lot of blends make them better but a few you just don't want to screw with. I would hate to mix some of the Holiday Blends because a few of them are great as is.
I've been smoking my Maple Street/Molto Dolce mixture since September and I'm not tired of it, nor looking for something else (unless, of course, someone comes up with a blend that smells like Cherry Blend and tastes like Balkan Sobranie). I'm not holding my breath waiting.....<big grin>
Glad this post popped-up again I have two others to add to the list: CAO Eileen's Dream and Out Of Office - Gone Fishing.
I'm also planning on ordering Boswell's "Christmas Cookie" and "Cupcake". Hopefully "Christmas Cookie" is something I can add to my favorite Christmas blend along with Sutliff's Christmas Spice and C&D Corn Cob Pipe And Button Nose.
@ghostsofpompeii -- It didn't just "pop-up." I went back and explore discussions from before my time here. Som ereally interesting and informative stuff gets burried. The search field at the top of each pipeline page is useful for ferreting out good stuff.
I have been meaning to stop back in this thread and add a few new blends I have tried and see what everyone else is trying, glad you pushed it back up to the top @motie2, I hate searching through old posts all the time, my eyes are not what they used to be and my fingers and wrists hurt a lot so searching sucks. Anyway the Christmas cookie sounds good what brand is it and where can you find it? I ordered CAO Eileen's Dream but it is on back order so I am sure I won't be getting my other Irish blend until the CAO is back in stock, it seems they like to hold your order until what ever is back ordered comes in, I just hope everything is in at the same time and I get it before March is over!
I enjoy Devil's Holiday for a berry aromatic and Blue Note by Dan Tobacco, C&D Autumn Evening, Sutliff's Molte Dolche, Shortcut to Mushrooms by Just for Him is very nice, Mixture Scottish and Vanilla Cream Flake by Mac Baren are enjoyable, Erik Nording's Labrador is tasty. Then all of the mainstays by Lane are good - 1Q, RLP-6, BCA.
As for holiday blends - McClelland's Holiday Spirit and Christmas Cheer are always enjoyable.
I also think that Frog Morton Cellar is a nice cross over English blend for those who like aromatics.
@Wolf41035 Christmas Cookie is a Boswell blend. Before the day is up I'll be order both it and Cupcake. I've never tried a Boswell blend but understand they make excellent aromatic blends.
Comments
Was kind of thinking something was wrong with my old Grabow Briar....LOL
Now with that said I did like the Peterson's Holiday Season Limited edition and the McClelland's 2016 Edition Holiday Spirit blends!
Still waiting on the back ordered Russ's Pick Sugar Plum to arrive.
So to close, I didn't like nor would I pay the high price for the Straus blends Sleepy Hollow or the Wenceslas again and hope someone wants to buy what I have left which is 4 ounces...... I will keep the Eggnog and Caramel Apple in hopes that I can mix them with something else and make something smoke able.
@wolf41035 what did you think of the sugar plum? I am debating ordering some before the fda restrictions hit. I would be curious as to what you thought of the caramel apple as well
Also Two Friends English Chocolate and G L Pease new bourbon vanilla blend.
I do like the Peterson's Holiday Season Limited edition and the McClelland's 2016 Edition Holiday Spirit, they are both worth getting in my opinion.
As for holiday blends the only ones I currently have are Corn Cob Pipe And Button Nose, H&H Egg Nog and Sutliff Christmas Spice. Of the three I prefer Christmas Spice. But I recently discovered by mixing a 50/50 blend of Corn Cob Pipe And Button Nose with Molto Dolce you not only get a great tasting blend - but a long lasting one as well. That damn bowl took forever to smoke.
And as for my regular rotation of aromatic blends, my favorites seem to be either Sutliff blends: Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Mousse, Crème Brulee, Maple Walnut, Rum & Maple, Frosty Mint, Pumpkin Spice, and Molto Dolce - or the Russ' Monthly blends from Pipes And Cigars: Warm Up, Candy Corn, Snow Drift, Spring Training, Ice Cream Sunday, and The Taxman Cometh ... all of which will unfortunately be discontinued because of the FDA regulations so if you're interested get them quick. Warm Up is by far my favorite aromatic blend ... so when that goes the way of the dinosaur I'll be in a state of depression for the remainder of my life when my cellar runs dry.
And of the OTC aromatic blends I still have a warm spot for the Captain Black blends (with the exception of Captain Black Cherry) and Carter Hall.
Tsuge Winters Embrace is good, I think I will smoke this when it is cold outside, seems to help me get through the Winter for some reason....
I have some Tsuge First Days of Spring, I am going to wait until Spring to try it, I have a feeling it will be worth the wait and will be enjoyable to smoke while the weather warms up and everything starts turning green again.
Maybe in the next week or so I will go through my stash and make a list of all the Aromatics I have and list them here....
Glad this post popped-up again I have two others to add to the list: CAO Eileen's Dream and Out Of Office - Gone Fishing.
I'm also planning on ordering Boswell's "Christmas Cookie" and "Cupcake". Hopefully "Christmas Cookie" is something I can add to my favorite Christmas blend along with Sutliff's Christmas Spice and C&D Corn Cob Pipe And Button Nose.
Anyway the Christmas cookie sounds good what brand is it and where can you find it?
I ordered CAO Eileen's Dream but it is on back order so I am sure I won't be getting my other Irish blend until the CAO is back in stock, it seems they like to hold your order until what ever is back ordered comes in, I just hope everything is in at the same time and I get it before March is over!