I decided to try something new tonight. I hauled out some straight tobaccos and mixed them up in a ratio that I “think” I might like. Starting from the top left and around clockwise. C&D “Dark Burley”, C&D “Izmir Turkish”, C&D “Virginia Flake” (rubbed out), C&D “White Burley”, and just for you @vtgrad2003 dead center is the C&D “Long Cut Perique” (it’s some “musty” stuff)😬. I actually added a pinch more Perique than what is pictured, an excellent decision on my part🙂. It is smoking nicely and has a plethora of flavors mingling throughout. I loaded it in a Savinelli Long John 413. I did have to swab the stem once at the midpoint, it had a slight gurgle, but otherwise “money”. This pipe has always smoked wet for me, unlike the 514 Long John I have that smokes beautifully. Interesting how the burley’s are nearly the same color after several years in mason jars. They definitely smell and taste differently though.
Decided to rotate the jars in my filing cabinet and found a full jar of Exotic Orange from before the name changed to Exotic Passion. It may have mellowed a little but is still flavorful.
@motie2 I think it depends on both the aromatic and how it is cellared. It also depends on personal taste. The Exotic Orange is the 2017 version that I jarred Jan. 2018.I think the three years in a sealed mason jar has muted the orange somewhat and made the honey more of the lead sweetness in the aroma. The age seems to let the tobacco come a little more in the forefront.
The wife did say "that's smells sweet like honey." When I told her what it was she said she couldn't really smell the orange. I could taste the orange though.
@motie2 I've never really compared the two, so I can't say.
That being said, in my opinion the main difference between U.S. made aromatics vs. European aromatics is the amount of moisture in U.S. blends seems higher. Most of the European blends seem to be about ready to smoke when first opened where the U.S. aromatics tend to need a little drying before loading.
Tonight I loaded the bent billiard pipe from the 2013 Peterson Antique Collection that I bought new back in 2015. It took awhile for me to work up the nerve too smoke them. I have only smoked since 2012, and I was worried I might screw them up. It’s loaded with the mixture I whipped up yesterday. I should have removed the stinking bowl coating, it is smoking a tad wet. I was using a softie bit so my shark teeth don’t thrash the bit, but it makes me drool😖. Someone mentioned that softie bits made them drool, and apparently they work that way for me too, oh well, teeth marks it is. A pipe really isn’t a pipe until you smoke it right? The straight billiard from the set is next in line. Oh, I’m going to remove the bowl coating from the straight billiard before I smoke it.
@RockyMountainBriar I kinda have the same issue except worse. I have a really bad gag reflex. The rubber bits make some pipe bits too thick and I'll gag. I'm having that problem with my new Charles town cobbler... Ugh. It really sucks.
Back from Vegas last night after visiting our son and his wife. Really good time. Presently enjoying some Lane RLP-6 in a Bjorne freehand while the SWMBO is making some homemade chili for tonight... Life is good...
Since @motie2 asked my opinion on US vs. European aromatics, I dug into the cellar and pulled out a tin of C&D Jolly Old St. Nicholas from 2018. The lid actually had a slight bulge in the top. The tobacco has more moisture than the jar of Rattray's Exotic Orange I opened the other day.
Loaded some Jolly Old St. Nicholas in a clay pipe for this afternoon.
@motie2 Jolly Old St. Nicholas is a good aromatic. Not as good as Exotic Passion or the European Christmas Blends in my opinion, but It's still a good smoke.
Smoking the stout little Peterson Straight Billiard from the 2013 Antique set for the first time tonight. I smoked his “bent” sibling last night. I have it loaded with C&D “Espresso”. I removed most of the dang bowl coating out of it beforehand. This is the older stuff that requires Everclear/Alcohol to remove. It makes it a dicey operation for fear of removing the finish on the outside of the bowl. The new Peterson bowl coatings come out easily with warm water, in case anyone cares. I like them better, because they do come out so easily😬. This pipe/tobacco combo is smoking nice and dry, no gurgle at all.
I’ve been at this for right at a year now. I decided to buy the first tobacco I had and break out the $18 Amazon pipe I bought. Sutliff Rum and Maple smells amazing, but is boring as all get out when smoked. I didn’t grow my winter beard last year because I had a newborn, I’m loving the way everything makes my mustache smell now.
My throat surgery this morning went well; I thank any of you here who were kind enough to send up a prayer to the Almighty on my behalf, or to any deity/deities that you believe it, or just good wishes on my behalf.
Doctor said that everything went well, that my vocal cords show no sign of cancer (which was definitely a worry I had), and that I should have the biopsy results in about two weeks. I had to be there at 5:30 this morning, eastern standard time, and I was home by 11 this morning. Nice and fast! My throat is sore and is gonna be for a few days at least - they cut into my neck to remove my lymph node on the left side of my throat and did some scrapping and/or cutting on the back of my throat for a biopsy, but it is not hurting half as bad as I thought that it would be.
To celebrate I’m gingerly smoking a pipeful of Sutliff’s Red Virginia Crumble Kake which has been one of my most favorite blends since I got to try it pre-release the first year that Sutliff had the factory tour and event for the Richmond Pipe Show. I love this blend so much that I have something like fifty tins of it and plan on getting more and more.
If any of you would be so kind as to send up a prayer on my behalf to the Lord God that my biopsy comes back negative for throat cancer I would be most appreciative!
Comments
My god, I can almost smell that crap from here!
I think it depends on both the aromatic and how it is cellared. It also depends on personal taste.
The Exotic Orange is the 2017 version that I jarred Jan. 2018.I think the three years in a sealed mason jar has muted the orange somewhat and made the honey more of the lead sweetness in the aroma. The age seems to let the tobacco come a little more in the forefront.
The wife did say "that's smells sweet like honey." When I told her what it was she said she couldn't really smell the orange. I could taste the orange though.
Do American and European aromatics differ with regard to aging?
I've never really compared the two, so I can't say.
That being said, in my opinion the main difference between U.S. made aromatics vs. European aromatics is the amount of moisture in U.S. blends seems higher. Most of the European blends seem to be about ready to smoke when first opened where the U.S. aromatics tend to need a little drying before loading.
That is just my opinion.
I totally agree.That has been my experience, too.
I have the same damn problem: Softee pipe bits make me drool.🤤🤤
I kinda have the same issue except worse. I have a really bad gag reflex. The rubber bits make some pipe bits too thick and I'll gag. I'm having that problem with my new Charles town cobbler... Ugh. It really sucks.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say.
Presently enjoying some Lane RLP-6 in a Bjorne freehand while the SWMBO is making some homemade chili for tonight...
Life is good...
The tobacco has more moisture than the jar of Rattray's Exotic Orange I opened the other day.
Loaded some Jolly Old St. Nicholas in a clay pipe for this afternoon.
Thank you for the follow up!
@Londy3
Nice stem on thatt cob…..
Jolly Old St. Nicholas is a good aromatic. Not as good as Exotic Passion or the European Christmas Blends in my opinion, but It's still a good smoke.
It's is very nice. But putting a softy bit makes the bit kinda thick.... Or maybe it's just my bad gag reflex
He did it again 🤣
May God continue guiding the hands of the doctors and nurses who are His ministers of healing on earth.
And may He grant you a complete healing of body and spirit.