So in last week's column, I said I'd be doing the four blends in the Cobblestone Indulge Series between two weeks—I covered Vanilla Custard and Walnut Maple Pie last week, and this column was going to feature Creme Brulee and Cherry Delight. Obviously, those are not the blends pictured above.

We thought we'd put the last two from Indulge on hold so we can have some more variety week to week. Instead, I chose two blends from one of the industry's most beloved manufacturers of tobacco blends—Cornell & Diehl. 

This week, I spent some time with Billy Budd and Bailey's Front Porch. I jarred up a couple ounces of each, but these blends are available in both bulk or tin. 

Billy Budd

Entry 1

As a college Sophomore handing in my final paper for 19th Century American Literature, I certainly thought I was done writing about Billy Budd. Well, seven years later and here I am. 

Of course, this Billy Budd is only named for the Melville novella. What we have here is the work of Craig Tarler—Cornell & Diehl cofounder who is responsible for some of the most treasured blends out there. Billy Budd is one of four blends in the Melville at Sea series.

This will be my first blend I've smoked for this column that I'm revisiting. I searched through past smoking journal entries to see if I wrote on it before. Whenever I write about a familiar blend for this column I think it'd be pretty cool to have some past impressions to reference and contrast with my current thoughts. I only found one for Billy Budd however, with not much to say other than it was especially pleasant in my Weber Meerschaum Poker. Well, that at least gives me a nice place to start.

My fist and, at the moment, only Meerschaum. I purchased it in October at the CORPS show here in Richmond along with a straight Longchamp billiard—my first two estate pipes (you can read my write up on that wonderful weekend here). To be honest, I don't pull this one out too often, the airway is narrow and is difficult to get even a slim cleaner through, but it's been the vehicle to wonderful smokes before, why should it not be again? 

Pre-Smoke

Before getting into the smoking, here's some of what I jotted down about the tin note and presentation—

Smells mostly of Latakia, but there's a dark leathery, woodsy scent in there that I'm supposing is from the cigar leaf. Maybe a grassy undertone too. All in all, wonderfully natural and bold. 

You can tell Latakia will play a strong role just by looking it. That is what I recall about the blend, but the prevalence of those dark brown ribbons says it plainly. 

Lighting up

This one's ready to smoke on arrival, no dry time necessary. The Latakia is upfront and immediate. Very smoky, but with a deep sweetness—a tangy barbeque note. 

To my memory, Billy Budd was a pretty heavy blend. It's certainly full bodied, but I recalled more strength. It's by no means weak, but I found it to have one of the heavier nic-hits that I'd experienced at the time and now, I would put it around medium to full. But the flavor is dense. 

The Latakia dominates, I don't pick much else out. Although, there's a dark earthiness that I think the cigar leaf is imparting. It seems the cigar leaf doesn't contrast with the Latakia so much as it melds with it for an emergent flavor that gives Billy Budd a personality beyond being any ol' Lat bomb. 

I also get a bit of nut from the Burley, not consistently, but it shines through from time to time. Although subtle in taste, the Burley certainly must be lending to the blend's significant body. 

Strength:     ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○
Taste:            ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○

It seems that sometimes strong blends have a "sharp" strength that's defined by a heavy nic-hit. So I would say Billy Budd is a good bet for anyone who loves a strong blend in all terms, robust in strength and flavor. 

Entry 2

One thing I've been enjoying about this week's blends is taking the opportunity to use this Sasieni I cleaned up a few weeks back.

A few weeks ago, I went to the antique mall hoping to walk away with a new project. The clencher that I am, I'm all about a nice petite Billiard, so this caked up pipe was calling my name. The stamp was barely legible but as I cleaned it up, a bit more definition came through. Turns out it was a Sasieni One Dot—big thanks to pipe forum friends for helping me confirm this! A pretty cool find, and a very fun restoration. 

Now, until recently, I hadn't concerned myself much with pipe dedicating. That is, keeping a pipe exclusive to one genre of blend. But I've decided to dedicate a few to the more ghost-prone flavors like heavily flavored Aromatics and Latakia.

Naturally I determined that this old London-born bloke would be a great devotee to English blends. 

This pipe has been a pleasure to smoke and Billy Budd is no exception. 

Although I'm very much enjoying this blend, I can't say much else has developed in my impression of it. It's not so complex, but that of course doesn't mean it's uninteresting or unoriginal. Again, something about the union between the Latakia and cigar leaf brings about a unique, rich profile. 

Ultimately, I think Billy Budd is fulfilling a niche perfectly. It can't be demerited for not doing what it isn't trying to; it knows what it is. And what is it? A hearty, bold tobacco blend—unsubtle, unpretentious, and tasty. 

Entry 3

I have a suspicion that this would be a great blend to age. The Latakia is so potent, I can't imagine some mellowing is going to obscure it in the mix, and it would be interesting to see how everything settles with the marrying of flavors and dimming of the dominating Latakia—what else might come through? I do have some cellared right now, but with only about two months of age. Perhaps down the road I'll revisit Billy Budd in a column and we can see how it's changed. 

Bailey's Front Porch

Entry 1 

Now onto Bailey's Front Porch from the C & D Classic Series. I have to say, already after a few smokes, this one is difficult for me to get a read on. Right now it's one of those elusive profiles. We'll see if through the week the fog is lifted but I think this may be one I keep getting familiar with. I think I may have a Burley awakening that has yet to spring. 

Pre Smoke

The tin note is pine-y and lightly smoky. It's crisp, reminds me of being in the woods on a cool morning. The appearance is similar to Billy Budd, a coarse cut with brown hues of many shades—plenty of dark strands from the Latakia and Perique. Some clumps I break up before packing. 

Lighting up

Bailey's Front Porch also comes quite dry, I just packed it up and light. Takes a flame easily. 

I packed up my Tsuge E-Star Nine 66. Bailey's is real easy to crumble. I like getting some leaf down to small particles. I know a lot of folks talk about putting the little bits on top for an easier light, which I do as well, but also will layer the shake (to borrow some green jargon) throughout stages of packing. I don't always, but I feel it helps with burn consistency, so when the leaf lends itself this much to the technique, may as well.    

Bailey's Front Porch certainly is its own blend. Latakia and Perique you never have to go looking for are nonetheless accents to the tangy, sweet, grassy Golden Virginias beneath earthy, nutty, Burley. The Perique has a dark fruit note early on. 

Here's a note I jotted down amid my first bowl—

Burley up front, dark fruit from the Perique I imagine, but not much spice, surprisingly not much nic. 

And after that bowl—

Fruitiness faded and light spice developed as the Burley strength blossomed. I didn't really notice it develop, kind of like that frog in hot water saying. I just took a puff and thought, "oh, what did I miss? When did this happen?" Not because it happened fast, but I was just at ease. Is this what it is to be on Bailey's front porch? Rocking and posing for a pastoral painting? Lovely. 

Obviously, I was feeling a little goofy. Anyway, it was a very solid first impression, but with subsequent smokes, it was a little different. That fruitiness I mention seems elusive. We'll see what happens next—I'm gonna hold off on any meters, but I'll just say strength is medium.

Entry 2

I just got in from throwing the ball with the pup (well, pup at heart), my boy Bishop. Most days we'll go out to a fenced area by my apartment—I'll have a pipe, he'll have a fetch. It's our favorite way to wind down the day. I had my headphones and a cold beer. It's March 2nd, what would be Lou Reed's 80th birthday, so I listened to his 1972 classic Transformer start to finish. 

Bish and I always have a great time out here, but something about this warm, breezy, overcast evening is especially pleasant. Why? Probably the same reason sometimes you smoke a pipe and it really sings. You can try to replicate every variable—the pipe, tobacco, location, activity—but there are no guarantees. When it's right it's right, and it's the toss up that is honestly one of my favorite things about smoking a pipe. 

That bowl of Bailey's Front Porch was an honest to goodness exceptional smoke. 

Entry 3

My sense of this blend is definitely taking some time to open up. When it's on it's on. It's the slow and steady sips that really give it room to shine and display its nuances, and I know I've sabotaged my own satisfaction a few times this week with a mindless cadence. 

My experience with Burley dominant blends is limited, and I think my palate hasn't come around to the nuance that's there. I remember a time that Virginias were like that for me, but I fell in love with a couple VaPers and straight Virginias and it's a whole new world. 

One Burley blend I enjoy is another from Cornell & Diehl, Haunted Bookshop. I remember that one "coming around" with time, so I'm going to keep puffing away on Bailey's Front Porch (if he'll have me).

Afterall, both Bailey's and Bookshop were blended by the late great Bob Runowski. As I understand it, Runowski was a master blender with an erudite knowledge of Burley. In fact, I'm packing one more now for Mr. Runowski, and await my Burley awakening the way a pipe smoker should—patiently and taking in the journey. 

Until Next Time...

I'm having a blast with these pieces and have even had some folks reach out with very kind words. I am very thankful.

Feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos? Bring em' 'ere — GregR@TobaccoPipes.com

1. Punch Clasico Maduro Elite
2. La Venga No. 37 Maduro Robusto
3. Stallone The Pony Sumatra Short Gordo
4. Casa Turrent Nicaragua Perfecto 
5. Arango Sportsman 200 Natural Lonsdale
6. Matilde Serena Corona 
7. Nicarango Natural Toro 

You don't have to break the bank to experience a  premium cigar, but it helps to know where to look. This is especially important for anyone new to cigar smoking or looking to try new things to explore their preferences without investing much in something that may not be a favorite.   

That’s why we’ve assembled a list of 7 of our favorite cigars that are as friendly to the cigar smoker’s palate as they are their wallet. Included in this list are cigars of a variety of sizes and profiles so that you can find something that speaks to your individual taste as a cigar smoker. 

Punch Clasico Maduro Elite 

They aren’t called  Punch for nothing—this staple of Honduras’s cigar legacy offers full body and flavor for an affordable price. With the Clasico Maduro, Punch takes the already largely popular Clasico series and swaps the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper for a dark Connecticut Broadleaf to offer an even bolder smoking experience. With Connecticut Shade binder and filled with fine Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican leaf, the Clasico Maduro is proof that affordable doesn’t always mean compromising quality.

La Venga No. 37 Maduro Robusto

Here’s one for the lover of a complex, premium cigar at a great price. The  La Venga no 37 is an exceptionally smooth cigar made with Nicaraguan and Honduran filler and a Nicaraguan binder. The dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper imparts a boldness. Yet at a medium strength, this is a cigar that the casual cigar smoker can enjoy any day.

Stallone The Pony Sumatra Short Gordo 

Stallone Nicaragua Cigars was founded in 2014 by Tony Barrios but only recently broke into the US market in 2020. The following year, The Pony was let out of the stable. The Pony was conceived of in collaboration with Guillermo Pena and is manufactured at his famous Las Villas cigar factory in Nicaragua.

The Short Gordo vitola offers a stubby stogie packed with flavor. Beautifully constructed, notes of pepper and cedar develop into a herbal and cocoa finish in this full flavored cigar. A perfect option for those looking for powerful taste but not too high a nic-hit. 

Casa Turrent Nicaragua Perfecto 

The Turrent’s are not only Mexico’s largest supplier of cigar tobacco, but have concocted masterful blends of their own.

The Nicaragua was released by  Casa Turrent in 2018 as part of their Orígenes series, a line of cigars inspired by modernity, departing from the company’s usual tilt toward more classic presentation. The tobacco for this series has been cured in an innovative process developed by the Turrents—tabaco quemado de toja, or pilón burnt tobacco. This gives the cigar the perfect balance of spice and sweetness.

Arango Sportsman 200 Natural Lonsdale

Arango Cigar Company has been supplying smokers of all kinds with an array of cherished pipes, pipe tobacco and premium cigars for decades as one of the largest importers/distributors in the United States. Of their vast profile, which runs the tobacciana gamut, Arango cigars is one of their most popular brands.

The Arango Sportsman has been a favorite for lovers of flavored cigars since its introduction in 1984. Lush vanilla flavor permeates the filler of Dominican and Honduran tobacco, delivering a sweet taste and heavenly aroma from light to finish, not just at the beginning.

Matilde Serena Corona

Matilde developed their Serena brand to fill out their profile with a dynamic mild strength cigar, and they certainly hit the mark with this one. Starting with more pepper and herbal flavors, the Serena mellows to embrace a sweet lilt that is creamy with undertones of raisin, followed by a nutty, honey finish. This is a cigar to take your time with, not on the pain of a strong nic buzz, but on the pleasure of experiencing each draw.

Nicarango Natural Toro

In 2018, Arango launched their value premium cigar brand,  Nicarango. The brand features hand rolled cigars with Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and binder filled with fine Nicaraguan tobacco. Like other Arango blends, the cigar is crafted at the Nicaraguan America Cigars S.A. factory in Estelí.

The Nicarango offers a consistent and delightful smoke, creamy and sweet notes with a medium body. For this price and this quality, you can’t go wrong.

Hopefully this gives you a place to start, but you can also check out our blog featuring  8 great cigars for beginners for some more recommendations. And of course, you can always reach out with any questions!

Well, hello. Back again for another What I Smoked This Week with Peterson’s Irish Whiskey and Captain Earle’s Ten Russians (European friends may know Irish Whiskey as Irish Mixture). 

This was a very enjoyable week for pipe smoking—two new tobaccos and two new pipes. Let’s get into it. 

Irish Whiskey

Entry 1

I thought I'd choose a blend with a little Irish spirit ahead of St. Paddy's next week. It actually overlaps with Purim but I don't know if any blends speak to the Book of Esther.

Pre-Smoke 

My notes for the tin aroma say "mango? orange?" I now think tangerine was what I was getting at—specifically dried tangerine. I was surprised to get a fruity note from this one. To be quite honest I don't know my spirits well. Definitely not enough to speak to any sub-varieties. So is there a fruitiness to Irish whiskey? I really couldn't say but I do love the Peterson Irish Whiskey tin note.

That said, the leaf has a soft consistency and is dry to the touch. Not overly dry, but definitely more so than you'd expect from a real flavor bomb of an Aromatic. So I figured this was a classic case of top note having a larger role in aroma than taste, which the tin description suggests. 

Lighting up

I don't doubt Irish Whiskey would smoke fine right out the tin, but as is my usual method with new blends, I give it a little time airing out. Probably 30 minutes or so. Then I pack it into my new  J. Mouton Poker. 

Let me tell you, I love this pipe. 

Mouton is a fantastic artisan pipe maker from Gueydan, Louisiana. The biography for the J. Mouton Pipes tab on the site was also the first thing I wrote when I started with TobaccoPipes.com. We carried a couple Moutons at the time, and received some more soon after. I had my eye on this one Poker, but I waited too long and missed my chance. Thankfully, we recently stocked a new run of 20 fresh J. Mouton pipes, and I knew I had to get this one. Clearly, I wasn't the only one unwilling to wait and see if the pipe calling my name was still there tomorrow—most of them went quick! As I'm writing this, there are a few left, I highly recommend you check them. An instant favorite on my rack. 

Okay back to Irish Whiskey. 

You definitely get that top flavor, but it's condimental, not dominating. And the flavor isn't exactly tangerine, it's still this very amiable dried-fruitiness—a natural sweetness, not candy sweet. It's smooth, which really brings dimension to a blend that's quite heavy. The Kentucky and Burley offer a decent nic hit and body that develops through the smoke. 

Reminds me of The Royal Yacht; lightly fruity, grassy Virginias, notable strength.  

Strength:      ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○
Taste:             ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Flavoring:     ◙◙◙○○○○○○○

Entry 2

The Virginias offer that toasty, grassy, bready sweetness that reminds me of Orlik Golden Sliced. But of course, the overall profile is powered up by the Burley and the Kentucky, which offers a little spice here and there. 

Golden Sliced being one of my favorite blends, I could see myself switching to Irish Whiskey when I want to scratch that itch with something a bit stronger. Perhaps after a meal or seeing the evening out with a smoke and a drink. 

I haven't had many blends with Dark Fired Kentucky. It's an interesting condiment I would definitely like to explore some more. 

Ten Russians 

Entry 1

I've never tried Captain Earle's before, but I do know this is supposed to be quite a heavy English.

Apparently the Captain Earle's brand was originally blended by  Cornell & Diehl for a tobacconist. Still a C&D production, the Captain is on the high seas now, bringing his blends to a port near you. 

Pre-Smoke

Have I ever mentioned how much I love a crumble cake? There's something so satisfying about breaking off a piece and rubbing it out. Anyway, I took some notes while opening this one up. 

No sweet notes in the scent, very smokey, earthy. A little musky. It paints a picture of having just entered an antique store, having rushed in to get out of the rain. Why? If only I knew. 

Beaks apart very easily as one would expect from a crumble cake. 

Ten Russians did seem to have more moisture than I expected. Not very moist, but with Cornell & Diehl non-Aromatics I guess I expect drier, like last week with Bailey's Front Porch and Billy Budd. I suppose it could be the crumble cake allowing much of the leaf to retain more moisture than is the case with ribbon. 

Lighting up 

Another new pipe this week. Well, not so much new, but I "finished" sprucing up that Kaywoodie White Briar so that's been a fun one to smoke. I put finish in quotations because I'm still debating keeping the white or just going down to briar and refinishing it. It seems the brown on the sides is from the finish wearing away, not schmutz I can wipe off. I don't mind it much, but I also wouldn't mind giving myself more work just because, well, it's fun.

Had some restoration firsts too—redoing the stem inlay and applying pipe mud. Someone who had this one before was a little aggressive with the reamer at the bottom of the bowl. But all in all it's smoking quite well. Very open, easy flow and lighter to clench than I would have thought. 

The moment you take a puff of Ten Russians, you know just what kind of smoke you're getting. Up and front, show stopping Latakia. It's Prince's guitar solo to While My Guitar Gently Weeps at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Sure, there were other people there, they've set a foundation, but their time to shine is not today—not this stage. 

I'm not sure if that's too niche a reference. But if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor. 

Basically, big Latakia. Might as well be Saint Latty's Day next week. 

Okay before my standard for what constitutes a joke finds a new low, I'll call it curtains for this entry.  

Strength:    ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○
Taste:           ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○

Entry 2

The nic hit is substantial but it's really just the collective weight of flavor, nicotine, and body. Often there might be a taming factor in a blend like this but the good cop in this good cop bad cop routine is stuck in traffic and you're getting pummeled. 

Let me be clear, if you're into the Lat bombs you'll probably love this one. The Latakia is rich and woody. Where a background singer may be able to get away with being a little flat here and there—the tension muddled in the mix—the lead has to be right on. 

I can't tell a whole lot of what's going on beyond the Latakia, but you know there is structure to the blend, and it brings out the best part of those smokey qualities.  

Entry 3

It's Friday afternoon and I just had one more smoke of Ten Russians before wrapping up on this week's column. I have to say, there's something I really like about an assertive English blend in a corn cob pipe. I don't know why exactly—just do. And the Dagner Poker from  Missouri Meerschaum is one of my favorites. 

Until next time... 

That just about does it. 

Thanks again to all those who have been reading and those who have reached out. As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—lay em on me at GregR@TobaccoPipes.com.

This week I did receive a suggestion in my inbox, and I think I'll take it. Credit to Jason for the following signoff, thanks Jason! 

...

Smoke ya' later!

(Oh yeah, I'm also entertaining the idea of closing with a fun pipe smoking picture each week. We'll see how long I can milk the public domain.) 

This week it’s all bulk, baby. Jar it and char it as I always say.

Alright, that's the first time I’ve said that but I might start.

This week I enjoyed some Newminster 403 Superior Round Slice—my dive into Dark Fired Kentucky goes on. This will be my first time with this blend, or any Newminster blend for that matter. 

I was also pleased to return to Balkan Sobranie Match—made right below my feet in the Sutliff factory. I had some Balkan Sobranie Match a few months ago. Didn’t find any journal notes of early impressions but I know I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I certainly enjoyed it this week. Both of these blends were treats.  

403 Superior Round Slice

Entry 1

Newminster is a brand brought to us by the collaboration between Villager and Mac Baren. The blends are produced in Mac Baren’s factory.

403 should be a fun blend as it’s not of a family I have a lot of experience with. In fact, component-wise, last week’s Irish Whiskey may be my closest past smoke—which had Burley and whiskey flavoring joining the Virginia and Dark-Fired Kentucky.

As I understand it, Kentucky is a powerful, little-goes-a-long-way condiment much like Latakia or Perique, though perhaps a bit overshadowed by those. Nonetheless, Kentucky is used in plenty of popular blends for that fire-cured, smoky, robust flavor. But unlike Latakia, which is the fire-cured result of nicotine-light Oriental tobacco, Kentucky brings some weight in the strength department as well. 

Pre-Smoke

Just as the chores of the day were finished and I got the opportunity to enjoy a smoke, wouldn't you know the rain ceased and I had a beautiful, warm evening to sit out with a book, a new blend, and puff away.  

A few hours earlier I had moved the coins to a jar. They had a good deal of moisture, so I rubbed a few out and let the tobacco dry for just shy of two hours or so before I moved it to a tin. I hold on to twist-tins from past mixtures as convenient, compact cases for on-the-go. 

The only other curly cut I've had is Escudo, which I loved. Escudo's coins were surprisingly pristine and neat in the tin, 403's are shaggy and some already partially rubbed out. But you would expect that from tumbling around in bulk, and besides, it wasn't the neatness that I loved about Escudo anyway. I'll sometimes roll a coin up into a sort of ball for the bottom of the chamber, and there's certainly enough of them intact to do so. 

The rope that's cut to make these coins is Dark Fired Kentucky wrapped in Virginias, so once sliced, they have a sort of bullseye look. The Kentucky makes for a dark center in an eddy of brown and reddish leaf with blonde streaks like the poor victim of an intern hair stylist (that's how I think Carrie Bradshaw would write a tobacco column. Okay I'll stick to my own voice).

From my notes on the tin note: 

Hay, grassy. Don't get too much spice. 

Lighting up

I'm all set up out in the courtyard with my Leonard Cohen poetry book and my Nuttens Bing Heritage II. Despite what any passersby may think, I am in fact fun at parties. 

(Don't mind the cacti, I assure you this is Virginia.)

Spice from the Dark Fired Kentucky is the first thing I get, right to the sinus. Not abrasive, but stimulating. It quickly evens out with a warm, honey taste. I like this, not only tasty but it has that pervasiveness of honey. Not as in the flavor is dominant, but it lands on the palate beyond the tip of the tongue—it balances out the profile. 

This mixture burns slowly but keeps lit well. Several times I think that I should give it a tamp just to find the tobacco has hardly burned down. 

The Virginia's are grassy, slightly wheat-y, with a tang that lingers below the Kentucky's spicy, olfactory presence. 

403 has a medium nicotine hit, but I'd say it has a bit more strength from the mouthfeel. It coats the palate pretty good as you go. From my notes:

The honey seemed to fade, but I had some water and a lot of the nuance came back. Remember to keep sipping for this blend. 

Strength:     ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○
Taste:            ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○

Entry 2

You have to be wary of tongue bite with Newminster 403. The bite isn't inevitable (for me anyway, but that's just my chemistry), but it cautions the tip of the tongue, gives it some warnings. That's okay, that's just the tobacco reminding you where the flavor is—in a slow, steady cadence. 

If not for avoiding tongue bite, you ought to keep that draw gentle for this blend for the taste. It's not a complex blend, and keeping consistency takes a bit of attention: tamping, cadence, drinking—all that. Aside from the potential for tongue bite, going too fast can muddle the nuance of the Virginias, but it's well worth the balancing act.

Entry 3

Had my last smoke of Westminster 403 tonight before I'll be putting the column together tomorrow. It was a very nice, mild night so I went to a friend's place to sit outside and have a few drinks. I packed my Georg Jensen Granat 78 with Superior Slices and enjoyed myself. 

My last thoughts on this one—Westminster plays the middle-ground well, which sometimes is exactly what you want. Or I know I do. Not super complex, but the flavors are mutually complimentative and contrasting. The profile still gives you something to sift through, to pull around the palate and sit with. It has strength, may not be an all day smoke, but it's not a knockout. It has flavor, but not bursting with it. All things in balance here.

Strength:       ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Taste:              ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○

I've slightly adjusted, one less for strength, one more for taste. As I got more familiar and attuned to the blend, I was getting more out of the subtle Virginia notes, and a more tame spice from the Dark Fire. 

Balkan Sobranie Match 

Entry 1

Next we have Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture Match from Sutliff. This is yet another recreation of a House of Sobranie classic by Russ Ouellette. Well, it's really a recreation of the House of Sobranie classic. The first column in this series delt with another of Ouellette's homages to Sobranie, Bengal Slices. 

Pre-Smoke

Sobranie Match has a strong Latakia tin note—it's smoky, earthy, and slightly leathery. 

The contrast between the shades of leaf is especially stark. A large portion of dark Latakia flakes against lighter browns, bright Virginias. It's dry and ready to pack. 

Although it's dry, the small ribbons are coarse and stiff, not brittle.

Lighting up

This is one of those blends that I'll give a charring light to, tamp, and pack a little more on top. Though it doesn't seem loosely packed, the stiffness of the leaf leaves more airflow, which of course you want a good deal of, but not without a little resistance. Once the leaf takes the light from the initial char, it softens and lies down. I'll give a gentle tamp and add some on top. 

This time I'm lighting up my leather-bound Longchamp straight Billiard. 

The Latakia is very of the dry, woody profile but doesn’t get too much in the sinus. The Orientals are felt there–—nutty, buttery, and quite floral. I guess this is where that distinction lies between Balkan and English, to whatever extent there is one. But I don’t know how much that’s worth dwelling on. A slight sourness from the Orientals surfaces.

Latakia covers more of the Orientals through the smoke, very campfire-y, although today I am not coming with a very fresh palate. I suspect a little more nuance, i.e. room for Virginia and Oriental subtleties to come through when my tongue is a little less affected.

Burns easily, if not a little quickly, but I think I could bear to have packed it a wee bit denser.

Entry 2

I just can’t abide an English that doesn’t have a great retrohale, and luckily, that is no worry for me with Sobranie Match. It's leathery, sort of oak-y when through the olfactory. But smooth, very smooth.

Somewhere deep and hidden in the profile I think I get an almost anise note, maybe just a bit of fruit from the Virginias interacting with the woody flavors.

I get the hint of a slight hay base from the Virginia, but it seems like most of its role may be supporting emergent flavors. Not so much differentiating itself from the Oriental and Latakia.

I notice I’ve frequently had to relight more as I get deeper down into the bowl. I think I’m very conscious of packing too tight because that was a problem for me early in my venture into pipe smoking, and now I’m having trouble judging with Sobranie Match. I started doing cold draws through the packing process, maybe each third of the way packed, and that helped get a sense of how much more I could afford to pack.

Hartwell is judging me. He never needs to relight.

Entry 3

Strength:     ◙◙◙○○○○○○○
Taste:            ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

Flavorful and dynamic. One of my favorites of this style. I’m surprised I didn’t get more after my initial run-in with Balkan Sobranie Match. I did have my first taste of Arango’s Balkan Supreme in the same haul, which I did reorder, so perhaps I just choose one as not to concentrate too narrowly. There isn’t really anything that I don’t want to try, it’s just my way. But Sobranie Match was well worth the return. 

Until Next Time... 

There's little more satisfying than an amazing bulk blend. I love a tin, there's just something classic about it. But a good blend you can get a few ounces of for a few bucks? Wonderful. And this week we had two. Good deal.

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—GregR@TobaccoPipes.com.

And remember...

Jar it and char it 

Hello, hello—What I Smoked This Week apparently is nautical themed today. Why? I'm not sure—It's Friday, I'm hours from posting the column, and I just noticed. 

At any rate, today we have Cornell & Diehl Black Frigate and Capstan Original Navy Flake. 

Black Frigate

Entry 1

So Black Frigate is actually a revisit for me, though it's been some time. From my recollection, it was one I didn't see so much as an "English," but that's how it seems to usually be categorized. With Turkish and most of all Latakia, it certainly makes sense, but I remember thinking it didn't seem to have a family. Kind of as you'd expect from the lore of an old seaman. Although at the time I last smoked Black Frigate, I didn't have experience with all that many blends, so let's see if that's changed at all. 

Pre-Smoke

I notice the rum top flavoring right away, accompanied by smoky Latakia—very much an earthy aroma. 

The crumble cake easily breaks off—I stuff it in my Molina Barasso 108 without rubbing it out, but I do break some up to layer the surface.

Lighting up

The top flavoring is immediate, but once it gets going the rum settles back and the earthy, slightly sour Orientals seem to be up front. That Latakia is there, but subtle—I can see why I didn't get an "English" sense form this one. It does have that leather and musk of English blends, which the rum is a wonderful accent to, but it isn't especially smoky. 

Well, not in flavor—in volume however, the Black Cavendish does what you'd expect and thickens the smoke very nicely over the palate. 

Not much of a nic hit here, which I guess you'd expect. Usually you're looking to the Virginias to add a little strength in the nicotine department with an English. But with the Cavendish process, much of the nicotine is reduced with the removal of the leaf's natural oils. 

But considering strength beyond nic hit, there's some weight here, and the Cavendish helps throw it around a bit. 

Strength:       ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Taste:              ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
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Entry 2

As I've continued smoking Black Frigate, I've found there's more happening at the base than previously noted. I'm getting a bit more of the Virginia Cavendish's sweet and grassy flavors. With some smokes, the rum is a bit distracting, other times, not so much and that's when I can really, get a good sense of the complexities of this one. For me, Black Frigate seems to be a blend that calls for the right pipe, so I'm changing it up quite often. 

Strength:      ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
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It seems to be a good match for my Molina Tromba 102. It's an apple shape with a decent sized chamber diameter, so perhaps that helps to not concentrate the top flavoring so much. 

This is my only pipe with very wide of a chamber, I often tell myself to find one for my next purchase but then some other thing catches my eye and well—you know how it goes. 

Entry 3

Black Frigate is an earthy blend but it's smooth, it's a topped blend but it's dynamic. Smoking this one has made me very curious about trying Blockade Runner, which is Black Frigate without the Latakia and Orientals. 

I think my week with Black Frigate was a good reminder to myself of why it's always fun to return to a blend even if it didn't become a staple in the ol' cupboard. Especially those that I had early on in my pipe smoking, when my palate definitely wasn't picking up on things like the subtle Virginia Cavendish beneath its topping. 

Original Navy Flake

Entry 1

I think the best way to enjoy a good Virginia is outside on a warm Virginia day, and that's just how I enjoyed my first bowl of Capstan. 

I had just returned from a little Saturday morning antiquing. I found a few pipes I'm excited to start working on. From left to right: Duke of Dundee, Austin, and Bertram. Hopefully I can update next week with them lookin' a little more pretty. 

Anyway, usually this is more of a ritual that pulls me toward a book, but today I'm in the mood for music. Earlier in the day I saw a Sister Rosetta Tharpe performance posted somewhere in honor of her 107th birthday. The Godmother of Rock 'n' Roll spent of few years here in Richmond. From reading her biography last year, I knew she once lived in Northside, which is where I was. Before leaving the antique store I looked it up—only a mile away.

So I thought, why not roll by. No plague or notion that a pioneer of the guitar and music in general once lived there, just someone else's house, so I roll on by like a not at all creepy person. 

This is all just to say, I got home, grabbed my headphones, pipe, and Capstan, and enjoyed my first bowl to Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Live in 1960. It was the right ambiance to find a new beloved blend. 

Pre-Smoke

The tin note is on the grassy and hay side of Virginias, not really the sweet honey, citrus you might get. I had already broken up some flakes to sit out a bit—they didn't come super moist, just about what you could expect from a flake, and they were perfect now. 

Lighting up

Original Navy Flake has a mellow sweetness, but true to the tin note, it a grassy Virginia. There's a slight tang and seems to be a hit of top flavor. Tonquin bean? It reminds me a bit of Samuel Gawith's Sam's Flake. 

It has an easy, slow burn. A few puffs in sees a dark fruit note, not on the sweet side. There's a subtle citrus that is very nice. All in all, seems to hit the notes you'd expect of a Straight Virginia, but leaning more to the earth-y darker characteristics than the sweet and fruity. Just very natural. 

I almost don't like that word—natural—as a descriptor for an overall blend. By which I mean, it lends specificity when talking about a "natural sweetness," or a "natural fruity flavor," to convey "not in a candy way." Unless talking about an Aromatic where one might expect a lack of "naturalness," it seems incredibly vague to just call a blend natural. But in this case, it really is just what comes to mind. So I'm committing to it. 

Entry 2

From a note:

Capstan has a bready-ness, but not really toasty like I find Orlik Golden Slices to be. 

I think this would be a fantastic first Virginia for a new pipe smoker looking to explore the genre. It doesn't get very hot. I mean, it's a Virginia—if you draw on it like a thick milkshake, you won't taste for a week. But it's a very gentle Virginia, you keep a decently slow cadence and you're good. My first Virginia was Mac Baren's no. 1 and oh boy, I don't know if I knew what tongue bite was before that. I do love it now, but that time I just torched that golden leaf with my Bic—many lessons were learned that afternoon (and even more brushing my teeth that evening).

Capstan has a lovely taste, but it's not heavy mouthfeel. While it doesn't have a lot of weight in body, it does interact with the whole palate. It's a light sheet, not a comforter—a dusting, not a snowstorm. 

Strength:   ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Taste:          ◙◙◙○○○○○○○
Flavoring   ◙◙○○○○○○○○

Entry 3

If you like getting creative, I think Capstan Original Navy Flake would be a great one to experiment with—I'd like to get just a little Perique and mix them up, give it a little time to marry and see what I get. I oughta keep some components handy for such tinkering. I do have some Izmir Turkish from Cornell & Diehl's Blender Series, so maybe I'll rub out a little Capstan and see what comes of those two jarred up. This is a relatively new fascination of mine, I'm still very much of the throw things at the wall, see what sticks methodology. But Capstan reminds me of vanilla ice cream. I love a sundae—some fudge, whip cream, a cherry. But I can be in heaven with straight vanilla too, and depending on what I'm in the mood for, it can be my preference. This is some good vanilla. 

I'll leave you with a note I made during my last smoke, and (I'm sorry but) one more of my silly metaphors. 

Capstan—very consistent. Throughout smokes and from smoke to smoke. It didn't show me anything new about itself through the week, but that's a nice thing. I love a wildcard friend that keeps you on your toes as much as a predictable friend that gives you something solid to hold onto. 

Until Next Time...

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—GregR@TobaccoPipes.com.

Thanks for reading, and remember...

Don't set sail without your wind cap.

We’re very excited to announce a new offering here at TobaccoPipes.com that we hope you’ll take part in—Compare & Share. An opportunity to explore different blends, engage others in the hobby, and get a good deal all at once.

Here's How Compare & Share Works

At the beginning of each month, a listing will go up on TobaccoPipes.com for that month’s two Compare & Share Mystery Blends. For $7.99, you will receive 2 bags, each containing 1 ounce of each of these blends. Everyone will receive the same two tobaccos. They'll be packaged as bulk, but these could be any blend we offer, not limited to bulk mixtures. We won’t disclose what the Mystery Blends are until the end of the month, at which time we’ll post a reveal right before the next ones drop. 

The first listing will go up April 2nd!

Our hope is that while trying these tobaccos, all who are taking part can discuss their thoughts, analyses, impressions, and whatever else on our social media pages. We’ll make an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter post that will be dedicated comment threads for Compare & Share discussions.

We think this could be a fun way to bring together two tenets that—for many—are at the core of pipe smoking: exploration and community.

Exploring New Blends

In launching our Random Tobacco Tin listing, it became clear that the intrigue of a mystery blend could be part of the fun for many pipe smokers. 

If you’re not familiar, when a tin gets dented or in some way blemished, we’ll move it out of inventory. Once these have accumulated enough, we’ll apply them to our Random Tobacco Tin listing—$4.99 for a tin of who knows what. We heard wonderful feedback on this. We all have our tastes and preferences; however, folks were not only willing to take the gamble for their mystery blend, the mystery was part of the fun too. You could get something you love, or something totally new to explore, and of course there’s the possibility you don’t get something that you’re interested in. But for such a bargain, it’s an exciting roll of the dice.

We knew we should look for more ways to engage this side of the hobby.

Embracing the Social Nature of the Pastime 

Then there’s the community side of things. We wanted to think of a way that we could spur the social side of this great hobby. 

Pipe smoking has such a strong and wide community, so much so that terms like “lifestyle” or “passion” may be more appropriate than hobby. But it’s that passion that is the strength of the community—in terms of numbers, we know pipe smoking is far from the ubiquity it once had. That’s what’s made the forums, YouTube Pipe Community, Facebook groups, and other such alternative avenues of engaging with fellow pipe smokers such a boon for this fraternity.

And as an online retailer, we place a high importance on any endeavor that can undermine the expectation of impersonalness that can be the rub of our modern, digital commerce. We think it crucial to explore more ways to fuel the kinship between folks far and wide who are bonded by a mutual affection for this tradition.

We Hope You Will Join Us

So, in the spirit of mystery, exploration, and community, we’re launching Compare & Share.

We will update this blog with a link to the listing on April 2nd!

Two great blends this week, both entirely new to me: Amphora Burley Blend and Person Elizabethan Mixture.

But first a little restoration update...

This Duke of Dundee is now restored and I'm loving it. Very light, bent—perfect clencher. I'm all about it. The other two from my haul last week are on the backburner. They each have some thinning from char around the rim of the bowl so I'd like to try and cut my teeth on reconstructing. I'm excited to expand into something new but it'll have to wait until I get some briar dust and files.

Onto the blends

Burley Blend

Entry 1

I've been interested in smoking Amphora the last few months. It's a Mac Baren brand, and when Per Jensen came in January to develop a few new mixtures for Sutliff, he was kind enough to give me some Amphora Virginia. It quickly grew on me and became a regular on my shelf, so it's about time I see what else I may be missing out on.

Pre-Smoke

It's a nice, dark ready rubbed, with some light brown strands.

The aroma is unique—cocoa and woodsy. I lay some out for about forty minutes or so to air out, but it doesn't come too moist and proves to be an easy pack.  

Lighting up

It took me a few lights to really get it started but once I did, I think I only ever lit it once or twice more down to the heel. Such an easy, cool burn. 

The Burley has a natural cocoa sweetness and bready flavor, it really translates from the bag note in a satisfying way. I don't notice much from the modest amount of Virginia included, a slight tang, but I also think that chocolaty taste might be a little bit of Virginia sweetness interacting with the toasty nutty Burley. 

It's smooth but has a slight presence in the sinus, probably that Kentucky which brings an ideal, mild spice. It has a nice and nutty end into the heel, the earthiness swells just a tad. 

Although it's a Burley focused blend, the nicotine doesn't have a great impact. Just right for this smooth, fairly straight-forward smoke. 

Strength:    ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○          
Taste:            ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○

Entry 2

My impression of Amphora Burley hasn't changed all that much over the last few days. It's very consistent and has the right amount of "other things" going on with the Dark Fire and Virginias to make it interesting, but not complicated. It's a similar fulfillment that I got from Amphora Virginia—not boring, but a blend that you can just light up and idly enjoy. 

I have noticed I especially like how Amphora Burley's profile presents in smaller bowls. I get more of a Virginia grassy note that comes through and wonderfully interacts with the earthy, nutty Burley. Pictured above, I have Amphora Burley Blend packed in my Lorenzetti Avitus 95, one of my go-to pipes when I want a smaller bowl. 

Elizabethan Mixture

Entry 1

I've featured quite a few Virginia/Kentucky blends in the weeks past—I was happy to get into a new VaPer this week! I didn't even realize my last VaPer for the column was Escudo, the very first of the series. As much as I have enjoyed getting a little more acquainted with that Dark Fired Kentucky, VaPers are sort of my bread and butter, and I've heard great things about Elizabethan. 

Pre-Smoke

I really love that Virginia hay and dried fruit aroma. It's not an unfamiliar tin note, but one I'm always happy to be reunited with. 

The ribbons are cut thin, some of them somewhat long which I quite like. For my first Elizabethan experience, I took the opportunity to smoke my recently restored Duke of Dundee. That's apropos, right? Dukes? They're some aristocracy, yeah? 

Okay, yes they are, I looked it up. Also I now know that Elizabeth I's reign ended with the Union of the Crowns, bringing England and Scotland under one monarch. Dundee is in Scotland. So I guess you could say I have my own sort of Union of the Crowns right here. 

Sorry my Early-Modern English History is lacking. My tip to monarchs (no doubt some read this column, right?) if you want to be memorable, you can't all have the same three names, it gets very confusing. Get a Ringo in there. 

Okay, I've taken this way off the rails, back to tobacco. 

Moisture is just right. The ribbon is springy so I pack a bit high, give it a char and tamp, and we're good to go. 

[Hello, I feel the need to interrupt this entry from the formatting/editing stage to acknowledge what a shame it is that I didn't feature the Mac Baren logo in my picture of my Lorenzetti. It was packed with a Mac Baren tobacco, the pipe was sitting in the Mac Baren tray! A missed opportunity. Anyway...&91;

Lighting up

A nice fruity, plum taste right away, supported by grassy, earthy notes. The spice pretty quicky starts to develop but it never gets too high. I like that. I generally expect a blend with some spice to deal it out gradually, but it's nice having a brief climb in the first 1/4 - 1/3 of the smoke, then plateauing. 

Strength:     ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Taste:             ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○

Entry 2

My impression right now is that this is the sort of blend that varies smoke to smoke. Of course all pipe tobacco is that way, what with all the factors that shape the experience, but some mixtures seem to be more inclined. Which isn’t a negative thing. I wrote last week regarding the consistency of Capstan:

I love a wildcard friend that keeps you on your toes as much as a predictable friend that gives you something solid to hold onto.

Not that I’d necessarily call Elizabethan a “wild card”, but the Perique lends a pepper quality that I seems to vary.

I should caveat however, most of my smoking opportunities have been outside battling the wind which has been a menace this week, so that could very well be the true “culprit”. Regardless, there’s only been one smoke I haven't enjoyed and that was entirely because the wind stoked that ember beyond any hope of a decent burn.

For me, lighting up Elizabethan always calls for a bottle of water on hand. I try to make a point to have water with any blend, but the peppery spice with this nasal presence, I notice that if it seems the flavor side is ebbing, a few sips of water washed over the palate can restore those more subtle notes. 

Entry 3

The wind decided to take a break for me to enjoy a nice afternoon sitting out in the sun with my pipe and sketchpad.

I loaded my Longchamp Bent Billiard and had a wonderful smoke.

I think Elizabethan is ideal for VaPer lovers who like to turn up the spice throughout the day. The Perique isn’t especially light, it’s just an amiable all-day smoke that you can trade out for that evening for a super-Perique blend if that’s your style.

Until Next Time…

Well, next time may be a bit longer than a week away. I'm not positive how long between columns yet, but releasing these weekly is a bit rushed. I'm hoping that having some more time to sit with the featured blends will make for something more thoughtful. I guess we’ll have to think of a more accurate name too! 

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—GregR@TobaccoPipes.com.

Pipe smokers will soon have the rare opportunity to try a new varietal included in some special and limited blends from the Sutliff Tobacco Company— Perique-Processed Katerini.

A high grade of the rare Oriental leaf has been anaerobically pressure fermented in barrels—the same process that Perique undergoes—resulting in an extraordinary, new (and unfortunately, finite) blending ingredient.

These blends will be included in a series of six mixtures developed by Mac Baren master blender Per Jensen. Although only two of these blends will feature Perique-Processed Katerini, each will include at least one special, scarcely utilized ingredient.

Details on the series are forthcoming, but in the meantime, we wanted to focus in on this novel varietal—what it is, how it came to be, what makes it unique. Of course, the best way to do that was to get in touch with the person responsible for the innovation. It will come as no surprise, it’s the man whose name is synonymous with Perique, Mark Ryan.

As many are familiar, Mark Ryan runs L. A. Poche—the sole operation processing Perique today. 

But first, it may be necessary to give a condensed history of this “Perique process” bringing us up to this new chapter.

A quick background on the Perique process

Perique is not so much a type of tobacco, but the result of specific tobacco undergoing a unique process of pressure fermentation. It’s that pressure fermentation that's referred to when we talk about another tobacco that has been “Perique-Processed.”

Pressure fermenting Perique involves packing the tobacco leaf tightly into used whiskey barrels where it stays under up to 30 tons of pressure for at least a year while going through anaerobic fermentation in its own juices. Every few months, the barrel will be emptied, and the tobacco will be turned and repacked.

The lore proposes that the practice of pressure fermenting tobacco was being done by the Choctaw and Chickasaw natives for centuries by packing tobacco into a hollowed-out tree trunk and weighing it down with stones (1).

It’s also been suggested that, given the similarities in tobacco and processing to the Dominican Andullo, early Spanish or French settlers may have brought Perique to Louisiana from the Caribbean. If this is the case, the innovation would likely trace back to the native inhabitants of the Dominican Republic prior to Spanish settlements on the island (1, 2).

Whatever the true origin, it was around the early 19th century that Pierre Chenet, an Acadian who settled in St James Parish, Louisiana, began the practice of pressure fermentation on the local Burley-like leaf. Though the years, many farmers and processors have kept this niche yet beloved varietal alive, but at the time that Ryan took the reins from Mr. Poche in 2005, L. A. Poche was the last active processing facility. There were still farmers growing the tobacco, but Perique has long been a collaboration between the farmer and processor.

Not only did Ryan preserve Perique, but he was the first to experiment with putting other types of tobacco through the Perique process. These innovations include:

• Acadian Black - Ryan put Dark-Fired Kentucky tobacco through the barrel fermentation process resulting in a unique condiment many may remember from two bygone blends, McClelland’s Royal Cajun Ebony and Ryan’s own mixture, Daughters & Ryan’s (D & R) Rimboché A.B. The tobacco continues to be featured in Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve cigars from Drew Estate.

• Acadian Gold - Ryan put Bright Virginias through the Perique process, resulting in Acadian Gold. It would be used in Russ Ouellette's RO Series, including one option that was 100% Acadian Gold. Unfortunately, only a few barrels were fermented and it was curtains for the malty, unique Virginia. 

And now, Perique-Processed Katerini. But like Acadian Gold, this one won't be around too long.

Perique-Processed Katerini - From idea to reality

When Ryan bought L. A. Poche in 2005, he was already running D & R. Launched in 2002, many of us recognize the brand for their popular pipe tobacco mixtures, but before their focus was on pipe blends, it was on roll-your-own. Ryan sold a majority stake of D & R to Inter-Continental Trading USA in 2020, but over the years he accumulated some very special varietals.

“We were premium, high-end, roll-your-own back in the hay day,” Ryan tells me. “I used to do exotic blends and sometimes when I would acquire some exotic inventory, I’d keep a bale or two back to do other things with other than mass blending, or I’d hold it for future blends, and I happened to have some of that super high-grade Katerini that was A B.”

A few years back, Ryan decided to see what would happen if he tried to pressure ferment this Katerini.

The challenges of Perique Processing

Fermenting a different leaf in a process like this isn’t a simple substitution. The traditional process has long been efficaciously refined, finetuned distinctly for Perique. However, physical differences between the Perique source-leaf and Katerini introduces obstacles, the chemical differences from one leaf to another will impact how each ferment. This was an experiment, by no means a guarantee. 

One such disparity, Orientals such as Katerini are significantly smaller crops, producing smaller leaves than fellow strains in the nicotiana tabacum family.

“With the tobacco that makes Perique, you frog-stem it,” Ryan explains. “You cut down about three or four inches from the tip and you remove the main rib…well with those little, tiny leaves, obviously you can’t do that.”

Usually, the larger leaves allow Ryan and his team at L. A. Poche to tie and bundle them—a great convenience as the barrel, packed with 500 lb of tobacco, is opened two or three times throughout the fermentation process to “turn” it, or reverse the order of the leaves. The petite Katerini isn’t so obliging.

“Well, we did the same thing with the Katerini except we didn’t have big leaves so we didn’t tie them to strings,” says Ryan. “We just packed it in, you know, tightly in the corners in the used-up whiskey barrels and put ‘em under pressure and they fermented.”

Being unstrung and so tightly packed, the Katerini was especially difficult to remove from the barrels to aerate and repack the leaf. “Well, the big leaves, you can grab it but with the little stuff, it’s not so easy,” Ryan says.

Processing any tobacco in this manner is always an arduous task—even the frog-stemmed and bundled Perique is labor intensive. The Katerini only proved more difficult. 

First test

When doing the final turn for the first barrels of the Perique-Processed Katerini, Ryan took about 100 lb home with him to North Carolina and sealed them in airtight bags. They were left to mature for more than a year.

“I opened one of the bags and…it did not smell right. It had the exaggeration on the dirty sock element more than anything else.”

So, after all this time and labor, it seemed the whole effort could be a bust. It’s a risk you take when trying to push the envelope, but still a tough pill to swallow. Ryan opened another bag.

“It smelled awesome, man,” he exclaims, leaning into each word as if reliving that elated relief. “It was one of the best smelling tobaccos I ever smelled, just gorgeous.”

A sweet victory but perhaps a small one…which was the fluke? With a few more bags and two barrels full, which way would they go?

Sharing at the CORPS Pipe Show

This all occurring right before the Sutliff hosted 2021 CORPS Pipe Show, Ryan headed to Richmond, Virginia with two bags—the great smelling one, and another that was still sealed. “I brought it just to show off, right?” Ryan explains, recalling the excitement of sharing his creation. “I said, ‘I don’t know if the other eight bags that I have are like this or if the two barrels [are&91; but man, I opened this, I just gotta show you guys, you’re gonna freak.’”

And the new Perique-Processed Katerini certainly did cause a stir. “People were dying for—ya know, to smell it, to get a little sample of it.”

I get the sense that this is what it’s about for Ryan. Not the praise, but the moment that the work becomes real. It’s not very often pipe smokers get to indulge in a truly new blending component, and it was there at the CORPS Pipe Show that the source of a quiet, inward excitement—a private anticipation—could be turned outward, provoking the shared elation between those who can genuinely appreciate this novelty for what it is.

That said, climbing any higher would make the fall all that more brutal if the ambrosial bag was the anomaly—if the others leaned into that “dirty sock element” like the first bag. Ryan opened the sealed bag. Another success.

Among those rejoicing were some of the folks from Sutliff. “They said, ‘well, see if the others are good and, ya know, we’ll take ‘em and do a blend,’ and sure enough I opened those bags and they were perfect, man.”

What makes Perique-Processed Katerini special

As sweet an origin story it may be, you’d probably like to know a little about this varietal’s characteristics. Let’s see if we can’t start painting a picture.

First, consider the source leaf—an Oriental. Katerini has a higher nicotine content for an Oriental, but that’s still relatively low for the overall range of nicotiana tabacum. In regard to strength, it’s more mellow than Perique. But it’s full of flavor.

Orientals are notorious for their distinct flavor. This is what made Orientals and Latakia (itself a fire-cured Oriental) especially popular is English mixtures during the era of Purity Laws when tobacconists were heavily restricted in using flavor additives, thus resorting to tobacco with naturally bold flavor (or more naturally imparted flavor, i.e., fire curing). Ryan talks about the “continuum” of Oriental profiles, “they used to be called aromatics without implying chemical flavor because they have prominent notes. And it’s a different continuum, but it’s got a sweet smell, a hay smell...”

Burleys are notorious for the body they can bring to a blend but feature a more subtle flavor profile—part of what makes them such great base components. But when a tobacco is pressed and fermented in its own juices, even a more subtle profile takes on a powerful flavor that must be used sparingly on the pain of dominating the blend, as we can see from Perique. So how has this process affected the naturally aromatic Katerini?

“It’s just stunning,” says Ryan. “It’s got this fermented fruit [flavor&91;, it’s just so remarkable.”

Here’s how Jensen describes it in his description for one of the blends in his collaboration with Sutliff:

“Katerini tobacco is an oriental tobacco growing on the mainland in Greece. For the first time in history the Katerini is fermented after the original perique recipe, the result is sublime. Katerini perique has a lighter taste than normal perique, and as an extra gain, it develops a deep raisin/fruity taste.”

It really isn’t like any tobacco I’ve ever smelled or tasted. It does have that dark fruitiness, I think even a berry taste to it, but nothing like you would find in the candy aisle. It’s natural and deep.

“It’s just a real special, exotic product,” Ryan explains. “I mean, you’re starting with stuff that you can’t get very much anymore—Orientals are hard to get.”

And that brings us to the sad reality. The blends we will soon see from Sutliff that include Perique-Processed Katerini will grace us so long as Sutliff’s stock of the tobacco lasts. But when the cask is dry, that’s it for those blends and the varietal.

Enjoy it while it lasts - Difficulties sourcing Orientals

Well, can’t more of this high-grade Katerini be obtained? Not likely. 

The term Oriental covers a continuum of different strains that grow in or around the Balkan Peninsula. Each strain is named for its native region: Xanthi, Izmir, Samsun. Katerini is a Greek municipality and native region of the eponymous strain.

Being subcategories of what we broadly call Orientals, these strains share similar attributes—compared to Virginia or Burley, one plant has far more leaves, but they are much smaller. Oriental’s have a lower nicotine content and dynamic flavor profiles. They’re noted for their spice, but sun-curing retains the leaves’ natural sugars imparting a slight sweet note. However, subtle biological differences as well as environmental differences between where the subcategories are grown, such as climate and soil, results in shades of nuance from one Oriental to another.

When a blend description lists Orientals among its ingredients, that’s probably because it’s a mix of these stains. It has become increasingly difficult to source specific Oriental varietals over the years. They are mostly sold mixed together to reflect the preferences of the majority of the market, i.e., cigarette manufacturers. It may seem counter intuitive, but the mixing is actually an effective way for cigarette manufacturers to maintain consistency.

If a blend’s “Oriental component” comes from a mix of different Orientals, the impact of losing one of the mixture’s ingredients will be far less perceptible than if one strain must be switched for another altogether.

This isn’t anything especially new, it’s been something pipe tobacco blenders have reckoned with for quite some time now. One notorious example is the legendary Balkan Sobranie, which once famously included Yenidje. Dunhill also had to contend with the dilemma, as laid out in Dunhill historian John C Loring’s article Dunhill Pipe Tobacco 1907 - 1990—

These trends have snowballed in the decades passed, especially in the twenty-first century. Shifts in attention to other crops; development of the tourism industry; young, potential laborers migrating to Western European nations; and the cessation of subsidies for tobacco from the EU constitute some of the reasons that many varietals under the Oriental banner have become increasingly difficult to source (4).

That’s not to say no strains are discretely accessible. Cornell & Diehl, for instance, use a mixture of Izmir and Basma as their standard Oriental component. This isn’t a case of buying premixed Orientals, but of creating their own Oriental component out of varietals that could be individually sourced. They also have a stock of Katerini that’s used for blends such as Bijou and Innsmouth, but this is from one large (unfortunately dwindling) stock.

“Katerini [is a&91; pretty rare tobacco to be able to find, particularly these days,” explains Cornell & Diehl head blender Jeremy Reeves. “But we have a decent stash of it and it’s all from the 2006 crop and we’ve not seen any available since that time.”

In some cases, the issue isn’t so much the availability of an individual Oriental, but the feasibility of access for smaller operations. When we’re talking in the context of the whole tobacco market, even the largest manufacturers in the pipe tobacco market are but little fish.

“Volumes are so low you can’t really put an order together because you’d be ordering enough for 10 years,” explains Ryan. “If you gotta bring in a container of Katerini, or a container of Izmir, a container of Samsun…you’re hurting man, because the volumes for sale just don’t justify that anymore. It was really unusual that I had this [Katerini&91;, particularly at that high grade.”

Putting Perique-Processed Katerini to use

Pipe smokers are no strangers to finite pleasures. From companies closing their doors, to the loss of varietals, to the recipe tweaks ushered in by the changing of hands—it’s a reality of the hobby. Frost was surely talking about Acadian Gold when he wrote that “nothing gold can stay,” right?

It’s all the more reason to enjoy what we have while we have it, and that we make the best of it. The creation of Perique-Processed Katerini just happened to coincide with this Jensen/Sutliff collaboration. Knowing that this wonderful, limited varietal could only end up in a couple blends, I was curious what Ryan thought about Jensen being the blender behind those mixtures. Did he feel the task of showcasing Perique-Processed Katerini was in the right hands?

“Oh my god, yes. He’s got a remarkable palate and if anyone can make something special it’d certainly be him. And having good ingredients does not hurt…He knows how to blend things which naturally go together, and he’s got so many years of experience.”

Here under the Sutliff roof, that’s certainly our feeling as well. More information on the series will be coming soon, but for now, we will tell you that the first blend to be released will be your first opportunity to taste Perique-Processed Katerini. Keep on the lookout for Uno.

1. Rense, W. C. (1970). The Perique Tobacco Industry of St. James Parish, Louisiana: A world monopoly. Economic Botany, 24(2), 123–130. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4253131
    
2. Allard, H. A., & Allard, H. F. (1947). Andullo and Perique—Dominican and Louisiana Tobacco. Agriculture in the Americas, VII, 123–126. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=mTRHAQAAIAAJ&pg=GBS.PA122&hl=en
    
3. Wolf, F. A. (1962). Turkish or Oriental Tobaccos: Vol. c. 1 (Duke University Press, Ed.) [E-book&91;. Durham, N. C., Duke University Press. Retrieved April 2, 2022, from https://archive.org/details/aromaticororient01wol...
    
4. Filiposki, K., Pesevski, M., Ralevic, N., & Kabranova, R. (2010). Production of Oriental Tobaccos in the Balkan Countries. Tytyh/Tobacco, 60, 94–102. http://www.tobaccobulletin.mk/pdfs/vol%2060%207-12%204..pdf

Why Cellar Tobacco Blends

How Different Blends Change

The Right Environment for Aging Tobacco

Keeping Track of your Cellar

Different Containers for Cellaring

If you’re at all like me when I was starting out, “cellaring” is something you often hear mentioned, but it carries a daunting undertone, or at least implies a prerequisite experience not yet achieved. It took me a while to even look into.

Maybe it’s something about the word “cellar,” I thought there would be a lot of investment, preparation, and finicky maintenance. I soon realized how simple it was and wished I started sooner.

Like most things in pipe smoking, you can take a meticulous approach. You can put together a spreadsheet, monitor with a hydrometer, develop a procedure for how and what you cellar, when something gets opened, etc. But you can also get by just fine, reaping the benefits of aging tobacco, with a very uncomplicated approach.

There are a lot of reasons to cellar tobacco, it’s economical, practical, and makes for some fantastic blends while letting us stroke that inclination toward curiosity and experimentation so common to pipe smokers.

Let’s start with the why and then get into the how.

Why Cellar Tobacco Blends

Economic

The unfortunate truth is tobacco isn’t getting any cheaper. This isn’t just a matter of inflation, but the threats from excise tax and regulations. By even the most sober judgment, it’s evident prices will go up as they have been. Does that mean we’re facing the “tobacco apocalypse” as some pessimistically lean to? That most of us will get priced out? No, it just means you’ll save in the long run by stocking up on some favorites.

Availability

Blends change. Blends are discontinued. Brands close their doors. Varietals become inaccessible. A sad truth but it’s the reality of things. Cellaring some favorites is a good measure of insurance that you won’t be without them, or at least not for a long time.

That also means you may end up with some aged and discontinued blends. If not for your own enjoyment, you could find yourself making a trade at a show or club meeting.

Setting aside for later

We’ve all experienced disappointment with a blend before. It’s always a good idea to put that tobacco away without just letting it dry out in a tin or trashing it.

First of all, tastes change. This is true for everyone but especially beginners who may be trying blends that, for many, are an acquired taste, such as those containing Latakia or Perique. Or maybe that Virginia causes too much tongue bite and you haven’t learned to keep a cool smoke yet. Basically, there’s a lot of reasons you might love that tobacco later. And even if you don’t, it’s worth preserving to gift to or trade with a fellow pipe smoker.

Aside from how your own tastes and experience may change your impression of a blend, the blend itself will change too.

Refined with age

Aging tobacco does wonderful things to the profile. The flavors marry and refine in interesting, complex ways. Tobacco, much like wine, “improves” with age, as it's often put. Now, I use the quotes there because it’s not quite that simple, different types of tobacco age differently and the way they change may or may not be preferable—that entirely depends on your personal taste.

How Different Blends Change

Let’s get more into the weeds on how certain tobacco ages so you can have some direction on what to expect from cellaring tobacco.

Virginias

Virginias are the most appreciated for their aging qualities, and go on refining for longer than other varietals. A general consensus is that there’s an approximate amount of time a varietal improves from aging before declining. The range in which that age is reached for each blend is of course a matter of discussion and preference. Virginia tobaccos’ potential for aging is notoriously long—they could go on developing into interesting new profiles for decades and decades. This is due to how Virginias' high sugar content affects the fermentation process.

Orientals

Over time Oriental tobaccos tend to soften, moving away from that slight spice and take on a more fruity taste. Not on the same scale as Virginias, but they too have a higher sugar content as a result of sun-curing preserving the natural sugars in the leaf.

Latakia

Latakia mellows and loses some of its robust smokiness over time. Although, as it ages with a blend and flavors are disseminated, it can impart some unique qualities to the unified mixture. So aging English and Balkan blends for too long may not be ideal for the Lat-bomb lover, but for those who appreciate Latakia’s role when used more as a team player rather than a headliner, having some years, or even months, on one of these blends can make for some great smoking experiences.

Additionally, G. L. Pease posits in his Briar & Leaf Chronicles that there is a stage after the mellowing of Latakia where it will increase in complexity and richness.

Aromatics

Aromatics are a bit of an exception. You don’t want to age Aromatic blends too long, the extra casing from the top flavoring doesn’t refine like the natural components do, arresting the aging process, and some say even tarnishing the blend. But two things to keep in mind:

1. It would likely take years of aging to have such an effect, so don’t be too worried about those Aromatics that have spent a few months or a year idling on the shelf.
    
2. What exactly makes an Aromatic isn’t so well defined. It’s understood to be a blend with top flavoring, but almost every blend is cased in at least a minor way, and many blends have top flavorings that play an accenting role, i.e., aren’t heavily coated. Peterson’s Irish Whiskey or Standard Tobacco Company’s Bengal Slices Re-Release comes to mind. I don’t imagine lighter top notes such as these would spoil a blend. It would seem to me that they would at least have a much longer shelf life than those heavily coated Aromatics.

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How to Cellar Tobacco - The Do’s and Don’ts

Cellaring tobacco is easier than you may think. There may be certain conditions that need controlling, but they are simple and far less particular than, say, aging cigars in a humidor.

What Is the Right Environment for Aging Tobacco?

Luckily, the right environment probably already exists somewhere in your home without any manipulation. Plenty of folks put their sealed jars and tins in a closet or cabinet or just some dark place and have no problem, it’s usually that simple. But of course, there are some factors that may be relevant to one cellar and not another, such as regional climate. So for good measure, we’ll cover all the bases of a proper tobacco cellar’s environment.

Temperature

You’ll hear different ideal temperature ranges. So long as your tobacco is approximately in the “room temperature” range, it shouldn’t be a problem. I’d say between 50-70 Fahrenheit is safe. Cooler is better, but do not keep your tobacco in the fridge as it’s too dry.

What’s really important is that the temperature stays relatively consistent. The seal on the jars and tins of your aging tobacco can be broken if they expand or contract too quickly from an abrupt shift in temperature.

Humidity

Then, you need to make sure there’s not too much humidity. Humidity can cause rust, corroding a jar or tin’s seal.

Getting a hydrometer is a great way to check that the humidity isn’t too high or fluctuating too much.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep your jars and tins inside of some sort of container. I especially recommend a cooler, as they’re designed to insulate, so whatever fluctuation occurs in the room will be less dramatic in the container.

Store your tobacco in a dark place

You don’t want to store tobacco in direct sunlight. You’re best off keeping your tobacco cellar in a closet or some other dark environment.

Keep Track of What You Have Cellared

It’s nice to have some sort of system in place to keep track of what you have and how much age you have on it.

Personally, I like updating a Google Spreadsheet. You absolutely don’t have to make such a song and dance of it, all you really need is a notebook and pen. I just love an excuse to make a spreadsheet.

Here's a mockup to show how I've set mine up. I've added functions so that Elapsed Time automatically updates based on the Cellar Date input. Similarly, every number I put in the Weight (oz) column automatically updates the blue cell in the top right corner with the sum of the whole column so that it displays the total weight of tobacco in my cellar. Why is this necessary? It’s not really. Spreadsheets are fun.

Finally, I use the # column to assign the corresponding jar a serial number. I’ll write the name of the blend and date on the jar as well, but putting a corresponding number on the lid just makes organization easier for me.

Again, a notepad will do you right. Heck, some people just write the sealed date on the tin or jar, stash it away, and feel it out. The only right way is the way you prefer. 

Different Containers for Cellaring Tobacco

Different styles of tins and jars come with their own implications for making a tobacco cellar. 

Jars

Jarring is necessary for cellaring tobacco that is packaged in bags (bulk) and pouches like Amphora or Captain Black—really anything not sealed airtight. Jars can also be an alternative to cellaring in the tin. I’ll go into why transferring to a jar might be ideal in the next section.

If you’re jarring tobacco, make sure the jars you’re using create a seal. This would be those with the traditional mason jar design. Notice the orange ring in the image below. It’s made of a supple compound that acts as a gasket creating a seal when the screw band presses the lid down on the rim.

By the way, this is one of my jars I have at my desk for a blend I’m currently smoking. If you’re aging, make sure the gasket is clear of debris that might obstruct a seal.

These jars are also ideal for storing your on-deck blends (those you're currently smoking). If you’re regularly opening and closing the jar, the tobacco isn’t going through the aging process, but it is a good way to keep the mixture from drying out. And hey, they look nice on a shelf.

When you do fill a jar for aging, it’s recommended that you leave some space at the top. You want a contained environment but the air in the sealed container facilitates aerobic fermentation before anaerobic.

Flat Vacuum-Sealed tins

These are the familiar twist off or coin-pop tins. It’s often said that because they are vacuum sealed, tobacco left in these will age slower than other containers as they don’t go through aerobic fermentation due to lack of oxygen.

Pop-Tops

These are those tins from Cornell & Diehl, G. L. Pease, Captain Earle’s and such. Since they aren’t vacuum sealed, but are airtight, they allow for both stages of fermentation to occur. 

Vacuum Sealed bags

This is a possible route if you want to go the extra mile for insurance, but it’s not totally necessary. The two cases that you might want to consider is with Samuel Gawith tins and Esoterica bags.

Gawith tins have been reported to sometimes fail to keep their seal for long periods of time. While the bags Esoterica comes in are sealed and fine for aging, some report that they’re easily punctured or worn down. I can’t say I have any personal experience with this but if you want to double down, you may opt to store these packages in vacuum sealed bags. That way if the seal is compromised, the tobacco will go on aging. Alternatively, you could re-seal in jars.

Jars or Tins?

Jars are your best option for cellaring bulk tobacco or anything that didn’t come in an airtight container. But when you receive a tin, it’s already aging, no need to jar, label, or any of that. Let’s wrap this up with a little on why you might prefer one or the other.

Personally, my cellar consists almost entirely of jars, even for the blends that originally came in tins. This doesn’t stem from some theory of jar supremacy regarding the aging process, but it just works best for the way I engage with pipe smoking.

Pros of rejarring

1. At this time, I’m not very repetitive about what I smoke. I have a few favorites I like to keep on hand, but I’m always smoking something new. My rotation is more wide than deep you might say. So, when I get a new tin, I generally like to split it up, having some for my current rotation and some for aging.
    
2. I like cellaring one blend in small quantities. I’ll pack multiple small jars of about 0.5 oz each so that I can try that tobacco at different intervals of aging. Remember, when that seal breaks, you can’t just take some out, seal it back up, and continue the aging process in the same way.
    
3. There's another reason I prefer cellaring in small quantities—opening an aged jar of tobacco doesn't feel like a race against time to smoke it. Once you open that jar or tin that’s been aging, disrupting the internal ecosystem, you should smoke through that tobacco relatively soon to get the most out of the qualities that aging has imparted. Because I always have quite a few tobaccos on deck, I don't want to sit on one opened blend from my cellar too long, but I also don’t want to reach for it for every smoke just because I feel I have to. So, 0.5 - 1 oz is perfect for me. It lets me keep up my preference for constant variety without losing the mature qualities for those latter bowls. 

Cons of rejarring

1. One benefit of tins that I miss out on in my rejarring is that I’m resetting the aging process on a blend that’s already been aging undisturbed, maybe for months. Some brands like G. L. Pease and Cornell & Diehl will even label the sealed date so you know exactly how much time that blend has already been aging for.
    
2. Jars are also another expense. I've actually come to enjoy the process of labeling and weighing—it's just another little pipe ritual. But it would be nice to just get the tin and stow it away. That said, I do recommend having some jars ready to transfer tin-aged blends into once opened. The airtight seal will preserve those age-imparted qualities a little longer as you smoke through the contents.
    
3. Finally, the tins are easier to store. Most jars do stack, but they’re more fragile and heavy.

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If it seems like a lot to take in, just get started and I'm sure you'll find it's not all that much.You can refine your approach as you go, or not. Just consider how you engage with pipe smoking, and find what speaks to that. But as always,  reach out with any questions and we'll be happy to help. 

So, a few weeks ago I closed What I Smoked This Week with the news that the column wouldn't be weekly any longer. Though that was three weeks ago, starting today, I’m giving bi-weekly a shot. I think this should give me a good amount of time to sit with the blends a bit more and not be so rushed.

This change posed an obvious issue with the name, and What I Smoked the Last Two Weeks doesn't exactly flow. So we now have The Tobacco Files. Short, simple, wordplay. All my boxes are ticked. 

Anyway, for the last few weeks I’ve been enjoying two blends which are brand new to me, 4th Generation’s Afternoon Melange, and G. L. Pease’s Fillmore. 

Afternoon Melange

Entry 1

Afternoon Melange is one of three blends in a series that also includes 4th Generation Morning Blend and Evening Flake. After my first smoke, I could definitely see how it’s blended as a mid-day, medium English. Melange seems to have a moderate nic hit to it, and engaging weight on the palate, but not overwhelming. While the flavor profile gives you something sift through, it’s not a Lat bomb.

Pre-Smoke

The tin note leans to the smokey side of the English continuum. It reminds me of Balkan Supreme in that way, as well as in texture—dry on arrival with a coarse consistency, seemingly brittle but you can roll it between your fingers without it turning to dust. As my nose acclimates to the forward Latakia's smokiness, a slight floral incense note comes through.

Lighting up

I pack my trusty Missouri Meerschaum Emerald Bent. Upon lighting, the Latakia is up front, smokey with a sort of buttery sweetness. The Orientals are herbaceous with a spice that’s felt in sinus—but not in a harsh way.

After that initial light and first few draws, the Latakia seems to lean and settle more toward the dry, woodsy side—or maybe it’s the tempering of the forward Latakia as the Orientals come more into resolution. I sense some dark fruit from the Virginias down there in the mix as well, and a bit of tartness. The smoke is creamy and thick. 

The Orientals are present throughout, but seem to pick up a floral, slightly sweet note further into the smoke.

Afternoon Melange is very easy to keep a steady burn going with little drawing. In fact, it stoked so easily I had to be mindful while clenching, as the light yet consistent draw began feeding the ember a bit too much. But that's alright, the Emerald's bend makes it a decent clencher, but it's still on the heavier side—my jaw thanks Melange and it's eager combustion.

When the burn is this easy and the smoke creamy, my cadence is challenged by the impulse to puff puff puff. It's just so satisfying, I had to practice restraint. 

I’d say Afternoon Melange hits that straightforward, classic, medium English profile almost right on—but that slight buttery sweet note gives it a little stamp of individuality. It’s an appreciable flourish, especially against the earthy and floral Orientals.

Strength:     ◙◙◙○○○○○○○
Taste:            ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○

Entry 2

Although I’m a Virginia guy at my core (not just geographically), I still love a good English, especially because I get to smoke my English-dedicated Sasieni, which is just a joy. 

So spending more time with Afternoon Melange, I don’t notice that sweet buttery note as much as I did with the first smoke. I get a little more Oriental spice and tang from the Virginias. I’m definitely coming to find more complexity here than my early impression let on. The Virginias also seem to surface more into the smoke—never seeming very forward, but still imparting subtle yet discrete flavors from the base. 

I feel like this would be a good blend for a pipe smoker getting a feel for the “breath method” (keeping a smoldering, consistent burn by breathing through the nose as opposed to drawing through the mouth, to put it simply).

When I started pipe smoking, this technique felt somewhat counter instinctual, but I definitely understood its merit as it helped me skirt tongue bite and find more nuance in blends. It seemed that easily stoked mixtures were most effective in making the practice less conscious, whereas blends that were more fussy about staying lit were only made more finicky by the timidity of the technique. You know those frustrating dreams where you’re trying to run and it seems you’re getting nowhere? Kinda like that. 

Entry 3 

Those incense floral qualities do a great job in this blend of giving the curious palate more to sift through than woody, smokey Latakia, they add a good deal of dynamic. The Orientals seem to produce a slight sourness, intermingling nicely with the sweet tang of Virginias on which the dynamic leads play. I think I’d boot up the taste to 6 or 7 now, I’ll say 6 to split the difference from my earlier interpretation.

Strength:     ◙◙◙○○○○○○○
Taste:            ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○

Melange is a more static blend than I initially thought. Some blends have profiles that take you on a journey through a smoke, some hold you in place. Neither is a bad thing, I imagine both have their place in most pipe smokers appreciation. But some blends have a complexity that give the impression of a changing profile, but as you experience it more, you adjust to what gets you the most out of that blend and the nuances come into resolution. The more I smoke Afternoon Melange, the less those Oriental and Virginia subtleties seem to develop, and the more it seems they are present from the onset, making for a very consistent, dynamic smoke. I guess it's like stepping out of a dark room and into bright daylight—things clear up with some time to adjust. 

Fillmore

Entry 1

Fillmore I was very excited for. I’m a big fan of what few G. L. Pease blends I’ve had, so trying new mixtures from that marquee is more than welcome. Additionally, I have a particular affinity for Virginia and VaPer blends, as you may be aware if you’ve read past columns. The addition of Latakia here piques my interest. Let’s see what Fillmore’s about.

Pre-Smoke

The tin note has that Virginia bouquet—vinous, fig, grassy, fermented. As I sit with it, a little lemon seems to arise. I can't say I make out much that I identify as the Latakia. 

Prepared as a beautiful broken flake, I barely break it up at all to pack it. I give it a charring light and it takes a flame with ease.

Lighting up 

A good VaPer on a good sunny day. Spring has sprung.

I went out with my Tsuge, my book, and my coffee this afternoon, ready for my first taste of Fillmore.

We start off with a very pleasant sweetness, almost honey-like, as the Perique spice grows and engages the olfactory above fruity, tangy, and earthy notes. The Perique presence in this blend is quite high. The balance of sweet and spice here is phenomenal. Every few draws I get an ambrosial, smooth bready note, a toasty warmth. 

The tin description doesn't lie when it says the Fillmore is a developing creamy smoke through the bowl. It's a tame burn with a dense smoke. 

Similar to Melange, Fillmore keeps a light easily, but it burns quite slow. Perhaps that's the flake cut. At any rate, this is a great blend for a long smoke, especially sitting out in the sun. Is it the combustion or time itself slowing down? I'm not sure, maybe both. 

Entry 2

This is one of the more Perique-heavy blends I've smoked. Despite that significant Perique presence, it doesn't overpower as the Virginias are vibrant with flavor. A wonderful harmony of earth and tanginess. The Virginias also seem to carry some bready notes with a hint of savoriness which I'm imagining is imparted from the small portion of Latakia.

Strength:     ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Taste:            ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

It's a blend you really want to slow smoke to get the most out of. It's not so much that it's super complex (though there is certainly complexity to it), but the way these Virginias and Perique compliment, and with the trace Latakia, you can really explore the profile, it's one to try again and again and really come to know for it's subtleties. 

It's been my experience that the spice becomes more concentrated through the smoke in a narrow bowl, but the Virginias sustain and you keep more of that dynamic through the smoke in a wider bowl. 

Entry 3

A bright and lively sweetness under the tongue, earthy spice from the Perique wades through the olfactory, everything has its place in this mix. G. L. Pease—the George Martin of pipe tobacco blending? 

I imagine you have to be a big lover of Perique for this to be an all day smoke. In fact, you likely need to be a moderate lover of the spicey varietal to tolerate it at all, but if it is your thing, this is sure to be an enjoyable experience. 

Until next time...

I think these were a great two blends for the first non-weekly column. For me, they both ended up being blends that, while very different profile wise, were similar in their moderate complexity that took a little more time to understand. I was hoping the extra week between blogs would give me the chance to dig in a little more, and that certainly was my experience with this installment. 

I'll be back in two weeks with another Tobacco File, one I'm especially excited for because it will feature a blend that is yet to be released that I've already been enjoying! 

Should I try a new sign off phrase? 

Put that in your pipe and...file it.

Too bureaucratic, I'll figure it out one of these days. Thanks for reading!  

We’re very pleased with our first month of Compare & Share! Thank you to all who participated in discussions around April’s Mystery Blends on our Instagram post, and we want to give a special thank you to our friends  smokebacca and pipesandprosthetics for continuing the conversation with their own posts!

So what were this month’s blends?

Mystery Blend #1 -  Peter Stokkebye PS 400 Luxury Navy Flake

Mystery Blend #2 -  Newminster No. 400 Superior Flake

We hope you enjoyed these great Virginia flakes—now it’s time for round two! A new listing for Compare & Share May will go live on Wednesday, May 4th. We'll update this blog with a link to the listing once it's live. We hope you’ll join us! If you’re just now finding out about Compare & Share or would like a refresher, read on for the initial announcement introducing it. 

We’re very excited to announce a new offering here at TobaccoPipes.com that we hope you’ll take part in—Compare & Share. An opportunity to explore different blends, engage others in the hobby, and get a good deal all at once.

Here's How Compare & Share Works

At the beginning of each month, a listing will go up on TobaccoPipes.com for that month’s two Compare & Share Mystery Blends. For $7.99, you will receive 2 bags, each containing 1 ounce of each of these blends. Everyone will receive the same two tobaccos. They'll be packaged as bulk, but these could be any blend we offer, not limited to bulk mixtures. We won’t disclose what the Mystery Blends are until the end of the month, at which time we’ll post a reveal right before the next ones drop. 

Our hope is that while trying these tobaccos, all who are taking part can discuss their thoughts, analyses, impressions, and whatever else on our social media pages. We’ll make an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter post that will be dedicated comment threads for Compare & Share discussions.

We think this could be a fun way to bring together two tenets that—for many—are at the core of pipe smoking: exploration and community.

Exploring New Blends

In launching our  Random Tobacco Tin listing, it became clear that the intrigue of a mystery blend could be part of the fun for many pipe smokers. 

If you’re not familiar, when a tin gets dented or in some way blemished, we’ll move it out of inventory. Once these have accumulated enough, we’ll apply them to our Random Tobacco Tin listing—$4.99 for a tin of who knows what. We heard wonderful feedback on this. We all have our tastes and preferences; however, folks were not only willing to take the gamble for their mystery blend, the mystery was part of the fun too. You could get something you love, or something totally new to explore, and of course there’s the possibility you don’t get something that you’re interested in. But for such a bargain, it’s an exciting roll of the dice.

We knew we should look for more ways to engage this side of the hobby.

Embracing the Social Nature of the Pastime 

Then there’s the community side of things. We wanted to think of a way that we could spur the social side of this great hobby. 

Pipe smoking has such a strong and wide community, so much so that terms like “lifestyle” or “passion” may be more appropriate than hobby. But it’s that passion that is the strength of the community—in terms of numbers, we know pipe smoking is far from the ubiquity it once had. That’s what’s made the forums, YouTube Pipe Community, Facebook groups, and other such alternative avenues of engaging with fellow pipe smokers such a boon for this fraternity.

And as an online retailer, we place a high importance on any endeavor that can undermine the expectation of impersonalness that can be the rub of our modern, digital commerce. We think it crucial to explore more ways to fuel the kinship between folks far and wide who are bonded by a mutual affection for this tradition.

We Hope You Will Join Us

So, in the spirit of mystery, exploration, and community, we’re launching Compare & Share.

The blends for this column was a lot of fun—a novel newcomer and a sanctified classic. I've been smoking Sutliff Uno and Presbyterian. 

For a little context, Uno is the first of a six blend series, Birds of a Feather, that will be slowly rolled out over the next year. Blended by Per Georg Jensen of Mac Baren Tobacco, each blend in this series features at least one scarcely used varietal, or in the case of Uno, never before used—Katerini Perique. 

Katerini, an Oriental sub-variety, was pressure fermented in the same process that Perique undergoes. I could go on about this fascinating innovation, but I already have! If you're interested you can read all about it here.

Sutliff Uno

Entry 1

So this will be my first time smoking Uno out of the tin. 

As a cap to Per Jensen’s visit to Sutliff in January when he composed these blends, Sutliff hosted a panel of smokers to try them and offer their feedback. I participated in the smoking with five others, although I just took notes. As Per joked before skipping over me, “Greg, you are paid to say good things.” We were all given samples of each blend to take home and seal up, allow the flavors time to marry. 

So I've been picking at that couple of ounces of Uno from time to time the last few months. But it's was pretty cool to finally see one of these blends in the tin.

Pre-Smoke

The tin note is earthy with fermented fruit and that Perique spice. I rub out some of the crumble cake and let it sit. It’s decently moist. This was in the morning, and figuring I'd smoke after lunch, I gave it a couple hours to air out. I wanted to make sure I get a good burn rate. As is likely clear from the contents, this is a complex blend. I couldn't even be bothered giving it a blend type. But this is to say, while that easy burn is always conducive to a good smoke, it seems all the more crucial when a blend is balancing a complex profile, and Uno has a little of everything.

So, I'm about to smoke a new Sutliff blend, created by Mac Baren's Per Jensen, in front of the emblems of each of these brands. I'm even in the room where the blend was composed. If that all weren't thematic enough, I have my Georg Jensen Granat 78 packed to really mark the occasion.  

Lighting up

After my char light it takes the flame easily and evenly. 

Tangy, and earthy, fermented fruit and this sort of dark berry note mingle. A spice develops with the earthiness.

In addition to the Katerini Perique, St James Perique is another rarity in this blend. Most all Perique smoked today is Acadian. The St. James leans more into the spice, and that can be felt here, but contrasting with the sweet, plummy Katerini Perique, and a light smokiness from the Latakia. A light grassiness seems to wade about somewhere in there—Bright Virginias I presume.

There's plenty going on with the bold flavors and spicey varietals, but the nic hit is pretty down the middle. 

This is one of those blends that can be defined by something as slight as where you draw the smoke. A bright citrus can be felt under the tongue. Floral accents seem to bridge the sweet and spice, the St. James lively in the sinus—bolstered by the Kentucky too I imagine. But the smoke is good and thick, likely the Black Cavendish supporting the diverse bouquet across the palate. 

Sometimes I get a concentrated, bright sweetness at the tip of the tongue. It reminds me of that blissful little drop of nectar from a honeysuckle.

Strength:      ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Taste:             ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○

Entry 2

Fortunately for me, I was treated to a couple pipes with relatively wide chambers this week (thanks Ben), so I’ve gotten to enjoy this complex blend with those. I’ve written before that I would like to have pipes that offer a little more surface area for complex blends, but my tastes generally veer toward smaller, more clench friendly pipes. So this was a very welcome surprise. My Molina Tromba has almost exclusively been the workhorse of these blends.

I’m smoking from my new Genod Bent Pot, now my widest chamber. The fruit and sweetness are a bit more subdued this time around, it seems more spice and earth present. May be the wider chamber, may have something to do with this being the Genod's christening smoke. At any rate, Uno has been a pleasurable smoke through this week and I keep finding something new about it. 

I've gotten more of a hint of that Dark-Fired Kentucky I believe, but with the fire-cured similarity of the Latakia, and the spice of the St. James, it's hard to say definitively where one varietal's attribute begins and another's ends, but the emergent profile is dynamic and rich. 

There's so much to discover in this blend, but the rich flavors are never cloying, always in balance. I think with big flavor blends are lively in different areas of a profile—sweet and spice—there can compete or they can contrast. I feel the latter in this case. 

There’s a core, notes you can look for that greet you each smoke, but something’s still a bit different each time, always something to notice. It’s like the song you’ve heard a thousand times, but then one day you hear that subtle harmony in the background of the mix, or in a lower frequency range. It’s probably brought some fullness or stability to the ensemble all along, but this is the first time you hear it discretely. 

Entry 3

Once thing I've noticed in adjusting my approach with this blend through the last two weeks—I actually enjoy it a little more moist than was my initial instinct. I think being a bit less zealous with the drying out helped keep more of the sweetness and fruitiness present. I may have been taking it too dry before, losing some of those oils which hold much of the flavor.

Uno is wonderfully aromatic in the most deep, natural way. Rich, intricate, and balanced. It's a fantastic way to introduce Katerini Perique to the world, but it won't be the only blend including it in the series. We'll have to be patient for the next one. But where Uno is a complex array of varietals, this other blend gives us the opportunity for a more focused Katerini Perique experience. These will likely be the only blends to ever feature Katerini Perique, and I think it's wonderful that we'll have it sharing the lead as well as more-or-less taking the lead. We'll get the most out of it in different contexts while it's around.   

Presbyterian 

Entry 1

We now move on to the classic Presbyterian Mixture. Now manufactured by Mac Baren, this classic has gone through a few iterations, as a blend is guaranteed to do with a history stretching back before the first World War. 

So the story goes, Presbyterian began as a names blend that the Glasgow tobacconist Alfred Gale Sr. produced for the prominent Presbyterian minister, John White. White would introduce the tobacco Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin who would dub it Presbyterian Mixture. It would go to Imperial in ‘56, to Planta in ‘81, and Mac Baren would take up the brand with the closing of Planta in 2019.

Pre-Smoke

The ribbon comes with a little moisture but not too much. The tin note is somewhat smoky, but fragrant and herbal. It has that tea note, heavy on the Oriental side I imagine. Lightly woodsy, but bright.

It’s a beautiful day, and I’m outside with my Kaywoodie White Briar and book ready to enjoy some Presbyterian Mixture.

Lighting up

Presbyterian greets with tart, grassy, and earthy notes. There is a buttery, salty tinge, with a vague smokiness. That Latakia is present, but it’s modest.

The Virginias give a hay note and are bright with a light sweetness – soft and a bit citrusy. A mellow, accenting tanginess subtly develops as the bowl burns down.

As the bouquet really comes into view I’m engrossed in this blend. Woodsy, smooth, slightly sour Orientals are prominent with a signature that may be the meeting of Oriental and Virginia – a dark bready, sort of rye note.

This seems to be an English on the mellow side, certainly not a Lat bomb. I perceived a bit more smokiness from the tin note, but that Latakia aroma has a way of asserting itself—it only lightly lingers in the taste. I do get an earthy, mustiness from the Latakia.

Strength:     ◙◙◙○○○○○○○
Taste:             ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○

Entry 2

The Virginias and Orientals are a united force bringing a fantastic, muted emergent flavor front and center. Presbyterian's profile is consistent, uncomplex, and an individual within its niche.

Tart, citrus, and floral notes are subtle, standout pitches atop a herbal, grassy, earthy foundation. 

Presbyterian is certainly an all day smoke, but it's especially lovely to lead off the day with a coffee or tea. I know, it's as obviously as it is cliché to say of a light English, but I don't often go for English in the morning. Then again, I'd just as well call this an Oriental based blend. 

Concentrating on these two blends as of late, I feel quite spoiled. With the complexity of Uno offering so much to wade through, I thought maybe I should have done a simple Straight Virginia as the second Tobacco File blend. But in addition to being my kind of English, Presbyterian has proven to be an easy smoke. Tasty, interesting, unique, but modest. Simply good flavors, no song and dance. A friend to the palate that doesn’t ask much of it.

Until next time...

Uno will be live May 10th, so if you're at all interested in trying some of that Katerini Perique, mark your calendar.

Thanks for reading!

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—gregr@tobaccopipes.com 

You may be familiar with Briarville for their pipe repair services, or perhaps their fantastic tobacco pipe cleaning solutions. Well this company that has for the past decade been a staple of the hobby is now expanding into another realm for those who appreciate tobacco in its finer forms.

TobaccoPipes.com is honored to be the exclusive carriers of a new craft line of premium cigars from our friends at Briarville. As you can see from the fantastic wrapper designs, the artistry of these cigars is one of a kind, but we assure you, there's more to Briarville Cigars that just looks.

“While crafted to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, these cigars are also quality sticks that will satisfy even the most discerning smoker,” says Briarville owner Rich Messineo.

Briarville Background

In the early 2010s, the late Joe Case was getting traction for his wonderful pipe making through the thriving YouTube Pipe Community. Seeking to engage further reaches of the industry, Case would collaborate with his brother-in-law and fellow pipe enthusiast Ric Farrah to expand Joe Case Pipes, adding a pipe repair service. Through this cross promotional venture, Farrah founded Briarville Tobacco Pipe Repair and Restoration in 2012.

Pipe repair remains the core of the Briarville operation, but there have been some expansions through the years. Rich Messineo, who began with Briarville in 2016, would buy the company in 2019 as Farrah was retiring. Messineo was Briarville’s lead technician prior to heading the company. As a retired pharmacist, he employed his chemistry background into developing solutions for pipe cleaning, such as the Briarville No Oxy Stem Oil, Stem Oxidation Remover, and Pipe Cleaner and Sweetener. 

Messineo is now calling upon another part of his professional background to expand the Briarville catalog.

“I have owned and operated several cigar shops from 1996 until 2010,” says Messineo. “Being a connoisseur of fine cigars, when I took over Briarville Tobacco Pipe Repair, I knew I wanted to carry a 'Craft' line of cigars.”

Briarville Cigars 

There’s a hesitancy to lighting a Briarville Cigar—you almost feel bad burning up such works of art. But once you do, that unease is quickly usurped by the pleasure of an incredible smoking experience. As Messineo says, he sought to create “something that would stand out, but also a very tasty and smooth stick.”

Messineo also set out to make cigars that reflected his own broad taste—profiles to satiate the palates of a diverse range of cigar lovers.

“I love all kinds of cigars, from mellow to full flavor. My 'Craft' line, I wanted to incorporate all those attributes.”

Any one Briarville cigar will feature an assortment of leaf, artistically wrapped around Nicaraguan binder for a stunning design and blend of exquisite flavors. 

“I have a company in Nicaragua hand rolling these beautiful sticks with fine tobacco from different combinations of cured leaves and wrappers depending on the pattern: Maduro, Candela, Connecticut, Seco Estelí, Viso Jalapa, Seco Ometepe.” 

Briarville Cigars are available now through TobaccoPipes.com. Treat yourself to a superior smoke, delivered to you by artisanal craft and passion. 

It all started on the first weekend of October 2021, when pipe smokers from all over descended on the Sutliff Tobacco building in Richmond, Virginia for the 33rd annual CORPS Pipe Smokers Gathering. Mark Ryan arrived with a brand new varietal to share, Katerini Perique. The short version; Ryan pressure fermented the Oriental subvariety, just as Perique is processed, resulting in a sublime new blending component (you can read all about it in our recent piece, What is Perique-Processed Katerini?)

At the event,  Sutliff Tobacco agreed to purchase the novel varietal for use in some new mixtures. Beyond the innovation of Katerini Perique, it is also special because it's in finite supply, unlikely to be produced again. This presented the Sutliff team with a difficult question—how can we make the most of the opportunity? How do we give this tobacco the showcase it deserves?

“The idea kind of took off into—well, what do we want to do and how do we want to do it?” says Sutliff’s president, Jeremy McKenna. “Well, to pay homage to the Katerini Perique or give it, you know, the proper respect and treatment, let's bring over Per.”

The concept snowballed from there. The  Mac Baren master blender Per Georg Jensen would come to Richmond to blend with the Katerini Perique. Then the thought dawned that Katerini Perique wasn’t the only novelty that needed to be made the most of. Jensen’s visit—this collaboration in itself—was a novel event. Why not develop an entire line, a Signature Series by Per Georg Jensen, from Sutliff Tobacco? Thus, the Birds of a Feather series took flight. 

A Series of Unique Tobaccos

It was decided that six blends would be created for the series. Birds of a Feather was beginning to take shape, and with each development came more aspects to consider.

“We started asking, well, what does this series look like?” explains McKenna. “As we continued down that path, outside of just saying, hey Per, we want six different blends, it was kind of, how can we theme them together? How can they all tie together in some way?”

As exciting as Katerini Perique was, focusing six blends around the ingredient seemed excessive. Additionally, the blends containing Katerini Perique would only last as long as the supply of the limited varietal. So, spreading that supply between two blends was also the more prudent option. But if not Katerini Perique, what would be that common thread running through each mixture? 

“Basically we came up with the theme ‘unique tobaccos,’” says McKenna. "The six different blends carry some unique tobaccos in them that are not widely used or widely available, so you have two with Katerini Perique, two with Rustica, two with St. James Perique, one with the Katerini Oriental.”

With that, the project had taken on a distinct shape. In one mid-January week, it would be realized. 

First, let’s take a quick detour and look at these rare birds individually.

St. James Perique

The first of our unique tobaccos is St. James Perique. Most Perique is Acadian Perique. The only difference between the two is the source-leaf that goes through the Perique process of pressure fermentation.

It was once the case that St. James Parish tobacco was the sole source-leaf for Perique. This tobacco that's specific to the Parish is a Burley variety with one of a kind characteristics, possibly imparted from the calcium rich loam in which it's cultivated. However, as far back as the early 20th century, it became clear to the farmers and processors of Perique that dependence on the St. James leaf may not be sustainable. The conditions for growing the crop are finicky—an entire season's harvest could be lost to myriad threats. As William C. Rense writes in a 1970 report:

To skirt these threats and maintain consistency in Perique’s flavor from year to year, Acadian Perique, a mixture of the St. James leaf and a second similar leaf (Kentucky Green River Burley), became the norm.

“Until we brought that to everybody’s attention I guess, folks didn’t realize that what everybody’s consumed exclusively since 1980, was the Acadian blend, because Mr. Poche was the world's only source since 1980,” says Mark Ryan, who purchased L. A. Poche in 2005. 

So we have St. James Perique and Acadian Perique. How do they differ?

“I would say the Acadian is a milder version,” Per Jensen tells me. “A lot of people describe the St. James as peppery. St. James is—oh, how should I compare it?”

If you’ve had the privilege of talking tobacco with Per Jensen, you probably know his metaphors are as artful as his blends, and I anticipate one is surfacing as he ponders the two Periques.

“If you have this rough cowboy,” he continues. “With a six-gun and everything, and you compare him with the police officer at the airport, they’re two different breeds. They do the same job but they are different…So, in St. James Perique, you have the cowboy.”

Well, I’m satisfied.

Rustica

We know of over 50 species from the Nicotiana genus, but the two with their roots entwined in the history of smoking are Nicotiana rustica and Nicotiana tabacum.

Nicotiana rustica is the species once common to North America, and it was grown in now-Virginia when settlers were introduced to the plant by natives (Ley, 89-90). It would be the species cultivated in Jamestown until around 1612 (Jeffers, 20). Tobacco smokers were far more partial to the variety from Spain, which came from the seeds of the species N. tabacum, common at the time to Central America. Nicotiana rustica has a much higher nicotine content. Techniques we would now use to tame the rough edges, such as different curing methods, were not yet developed, making N. rustica especially harsh. To capture the refining palates of tobacco smokers, John Rolfe procured seeds from Trinidad, and thus N. rustica was replaced by N. tabacum as the common smoking tobacco (Sherman, 6).

Oriental, Virginia, Burley—these are all subvarieties of N. tabacum. However, N. rustica wasn’t totally eclipsed, as varieties of this leaf have remained in cultures throughout the world—Russia’s Makhorka, Vietnam’s Thuốc Lào, or South America’s Hopi,  for example.

(Note: In contrasting the two species, I opted to use the proper binomial name. I’ll use “Rustica” going forward, speaking of the tobacco in the context of a blending varietal.)

Rustica must be tamed, but there is clearly something desirable that keeps it around. A few years back, Mac Baren set out to make snus from Rustica, and as many know from the  HH Rustica blend, Jensen is no stranger to blending with the varietal. By sun-curing the leaf, more of the natural sugars are preserved. Mellowing the harshness, we’re left with an ingredient that can bring body and strength to a mixture. The Rustica you’ll find in two blends from this series will do just that.

Katerini Perique

As was stated above, Katerini Perique is the varietal that set this whole thing in motion with Mark Ryan introducing it to his peers at the Richmond Pipe Show. Putting the Oriental subvariety, Katerini, through the Perique process of pressure fermentation results in a wonderfully complex condiment imparting earthy notes with a rich, plummy sweetness.

With the first release from the Birds of a Feather series, Uno, we had the opportunity to try both Katerini and St. James Perique side-by-side.

“We have to consider that the St. James Perique is made out of Burley and it is first air-dried meaning it has no sugar,” says Jensen, contrasting the two. “And Katerini is an Oriental, it’s sun-dried and it contains sugar. So, how they develop in the fermentation is different.”

Developing six blends in a few days is quite a feat to begin with. The task only seems more arduous when we consider Katerini Perique was an absolute stranger to Jensen. I thought he may have had the chance to try the Katerini Perique prior to his arrival—had at least some opportunity to pick through the characteristics, consider how it may interact in a blend. 

“The only thing I had until then was the noise that Jonathan [Sutliff’s VP&91; was making,” Jensen tells me, overturning my assumption. “Jonathan was praising it to the skies. And when I came I had high expectations and they were fulfilled. It was quite a unique tobacco.”

St. James Perique and Rustica may be uncommon, but they were no strangers. How does one approach blending with a new varietal for the first time?

“Ah, I would say it was extremely exciting,” Jensen explains. “First of all, to meet a new breed of tobacco—the Katerini Perique—I’ve never experienced anything like that. And then trying to learn the nature of this tobacco, and trying to compose with other elements that did not subdue it. Because you want them hand in hand, not the one in front of the other, because then it’s unbalanced. And that was my first thought, how can I mix this so it’s part of the blend? Because it would be very easy just to overpower it with the Katerini Perique, but that was not the task.”

The Balance of the Blend

In speaking to the specific approach he took to blending with the Katerini Perique, Jensen arrives at the fundamental principle at the core of his blending, no matter the prompt. 

“Basically, when I blend I have one goal that I always try to keep in mind. And that is balance.”

When it comes down to it, whether it’s the Katerini or St. James Perique, these special tobaccos are like the spices in our food—they can’t be the entire story. It’s exciting to showcase new and rare varietals, but part of that showcasing is finding how to make them sing with the mix, not despite it.

“You have to take care that you don’t spice it to the point of being too strong or monotone,” says Jensen. “For instance, chili, strong chili. If that is overdone, you can bury everything in your dish, and nobody will taste it. And that’s not how I blend.”

Rustica is perhaps the outlier of our special tobaccos in that it’s less of a condiment imparting the upfront flavors, and more relevant to the body and strength of the blend. Even still, the same call for a discerning, thoughtful application applies. Just as with HH Rustica, the taming of the stubborn herb is partially a matter of how it’s processed, but also how it's interacting with the other tobaccos.

I gather that for Jensen, crafting a great flavor profile is a matter of each component being used with purpose—balance is knowing when that purpose is met.

“[If you over-spice,&91; you can tell people whatever you want to tell them because they cannot prove otherwise. And that’s too bad. If you do something for a blend, you should be able to detect it. If you write on the label for instance, ‘contains St. James Perique,’ then the smoker should be able to pick out the spicy note from the blend.”

Per Jensen’s Visit to Sutliff

The theme of "uniqueness" is manifest in the Birds of a Feather series in ways not limited to the rare varietals used. The composing of the blends was unlike anything Jensen had undertaken before. He was developing these mixtures in less than a week, working from a predetermined arsenal of varietals and casings. While working, Jensen seemed focused and determined, but I wanted to catch up and see how he looked back on the experience a few months removed, having had the time to reflect.

“I was out of my comfort zone," he tells me. "Because normally it would take months, perhaps even up to half a year or one year, but this time I only got five days.”

Truthfully, it was more like four. 

“A few years ago on Danish television we had a broadcast called Show Me Your Fridge,” Jensen goes on. “That was where they took a master chef into someone’s house, you opened the fridge, and he had to compose a fancy meal from what’s in it. It was like opening the fridge and composing something out of what’s already in it.”

Such a challenge asks the blender to balance discipline with creativity. What good is a blend with rare ingredients if it isn’t supported by a thoughtful recipe? What fun would it be to make the same blends that are out there with one special something thrown in? The liberty to experiment is important, but with a tight deadline, one isn't afforded the creative abandon to chase down every last whim. Jensen compartmentalized each day to dedicated goals so that he could be sure each blend was coming along on schedule while earnestly exploring and developing the profiles. 

Each afternoon I would make my way to the Sutliff conference room (which you could now call the Per Jensen Pop-up Tobacco Lab) to chat and get his summary of the day's progress so that we could share updates through Sutliff's Facebook. Each afternoon he would have a word or phrase boiling down the stage in the process before expounding. 

Day 1 - Getting Acquainted Today was all about getting acquainted. With an assortment of tobaccos—some from right here at Sutliff, some brought along from Denmark—and a myriad of flavorings, Per has been busy putting his palate to work, tasting the varieties of leaf and getting a sense of their properties and how they’ll interact in a blend.  It’s a real treat to have this behind the scenes look into the process as Per develops these mixtures, too fascinating not to share, so expect some updates through the week as these blends come to life.

Day 2 - Trial and Error “Trial and error,” is how the master blender succinctly sums up day two. As yesterday’s update relayed, day one was all about getting acquainted with the cornucopia of potential ingredients. Naturally, such acquaintanceship spurs theories of how certain components may interact and from which mixtures truly special properties may emerge. Today was about putting yesterday’s intuition to the test, lunting down trails of inquiry to separate the dead ends from those warranting further exploration.

Day 3 - Excitement Excitement. It’s as simple as that. What more can be said for that moment when the idea begins to step out of the abstract and truly starts to take shape—when the imagination becomes reality?  There’s something special about each of these blends: Rustica, St. James Perique, Katerini Perique. We are not only seeing wonderful new blends come to life before our eyes, we’re seeing the craft of blending journey into new realms.

Day 4 - The Final Test   With six exciting new mixtures on the eve of their debut, Per uses this last opportunity to thoughtfully give each blend scrupulous examination. With less than a week to develop six blends from an arsenal of tobaccos that includes three unique and rare ingredients, he is resolute in assuring that each blend showcases something special. To wit, making certain the full potential of this unprecedented opportunity is realized.  Per also leads the team through a marketing exercise for theme, names, launch order, tobacco format, etc. keeping an eye on the unique tobaccos used in the blends. That is especially the case with a tobacco that two of these blends will introduce for the first time ever, Katerini Perique. After today, we’re confident that Per is doing justice to Katerini Perique with the introduction it deserves, and we’re proud to be a part of it.

Art and Naming

Day 4 highlighted yet another unique aspect of this project for the Sutliff brand. Once Jensen finalized the blends, we found ourselves in the conference room. McKenna handed us papers, on which the six tin designs pictured above were printed, though missing were the blend names. That was our first task. 

We wanted to tie the names with the theme, so we decided to embrace the inherent quirkiness of the blends.

“We basically came up with synonyms for unique in some form or fashion,” says McKenna. “Some of them are kind of a stretch but we got there.”

Then we played the matching game—configuring which art, blend, and name fit with another. It was lost on me at the time, but McKenna later pointed out how unorthodox this all was for Sutliff.

“Sutliff historically has not been good at naming, like it's just been very matter of fact. Vanilla Custard, English # 1, Medium English…Because there’s no name for Katerini Perique blended with Latakia, blended with Virginias, blended with Burleys, we went for obtuse names that stick with the theme.”

Since this series was all about standing out, the tin art also breaks tradition for Sutliff. Most tins or pouches from the brand have been similarly straight forward.

“There’s no art,” McKenna explains. “It’s design, tin design, right? Focused around logo, blend, and color scheme…It’s really nice, but it’s not art. I mean if you go back years some of our  Tobacco Galleria looked like clip art off of Windows 95.”

McKenna’s brother, Jacob McKenna, had drawn a series of birds for his son. They were bold and vibrant—but poised, not gaudy. Stoic yet vivid. It seemed they embraced the core of this series—standing out, yet balanced. Just like the blends, these pieces were inspired as a whole but still are so individual from one to the next. It's the irony of the Birds of a Feather series, the thing they have in common is how uncommon they are. 

Day 5 - The Panel

That only leaves Day 5. But Friday wasn't for blending, it was for sharing.

Another layer to the theme of uniqueness for Birds of a Feather, Sutliff hosted a panel of pipe smokers to come and enjoy these blends for the first time.

“We’ve brought in other people just in general to hang out and smoke or whatever,” McKenna tells me. “So we just posted on Facebook, hey is anyone available this day? You wanna come in? You wanna smoke? And we had plenty of volunteers and so we set up the whole room for that.”

McKenna then reached out to our friends at  Missouri Meerschaum to see if they might supply some fresh cobs for the panelists. Of course, folks used their own pipes as well, or a mix of both, but with six blends throughout the day, McKenna wanted to give the option.

“And so we just brought in a panel and paid attention and took notes and listened to what they were saying and tweaked what needed to be tweaked or left alone what needed to be left alone," says McKenna. "Then out of that came our final blends.”

I was lucky enough to join the fun. Throughout the day we tasted blend after blend, offering feedback. Or at least the other five panelists did. As Jensen joked before skipping me, "Greg, you are paid to say nice things," so I sat back with my note pad and enjoyed the tobacco and camaraderie.

Jensen also had his pipe lit most of the day, but it wasn’t with Birds of a Feather blends. At one point he is asked what he’s smoking. “ Amphora Virginia.” You could tell he took pride in the week's efforts, but after all that time in the weeds, tasting varietals, getting everything just right, I'm sure it was a comfort to return to an old faithful friend, a good straight Virginia.

The final update: 

Jensen has experience with a similar panel format in his work with Mac Baren, but it’s quite different in practice. Feedback is given from professional smokers, trained to leave their preferences at the door and offer an objective appraisal of the blend in progress. This was a far more casual affair, which suited the end of a bustling week just right. Between productive feedback was lively conversation, not limited to pipes. We were there for a purpose, but you can’t get a group of pipe smokers around a table and expect merrymaking to not ensue. And who would want any less?

When prompted to reflect upon the experience, Jensen gives a laugh and remarks, “it was great. I admire them, they’ve got iron tongues.”

One of the tasters in our midst was David Ellsworth of the Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers. His wonderful account of the experience and review of the first blend, Uno, can be found on the CORPS facebook page.

More to come... 

The first blend from the series, Uno, was released on May 10th. Of the special tobaccos, both Katerini and St. James Perique were included. Uno went pretty fast but it's shaping up to be a Whimsical late July, so look forward to trying another great blend from the Birds of a Feather series soon enough. 

Reference(s): 

1. William C. Rense,  The Perique Tobacco Industry of St. James Parish, Louisiana: A World Monopoly (1970), Economic Botany
    
2. Willy Ley,  The Healthfull Aromatick Herbe (1965), Galaxy Magazine
    
   
3.  H. Paul Jeffers,  The Perfect Pipe (1998)
    
   
4. Milton M. Sherman, All About Tobacco (1970)

Attribution(s):

1. Shakko, WW2 Makhorka (Stalin's bunker), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

There's been a lot going on the last couple weeks that's allowed me the opportunity to try some exciting blends. I'm still very much enjoying the recently released Uno which I wrote about for the last Tobacco File, and I've recently gotten to dig into the newest Joe Lankford offering from Seattle Pipe Club, Hogshead.

Additionally, the bosses and I decided it would be fun to keep me in the dark about the TobaccoPipes Compare & Share Mystery Blends so that I could join the fun in discussing those. Among all this exciting stuff, I was a bit concerned I'd have a hard time bringing myself to frequent the Tobacco File blends, but such worries were quickly dashed. Each of these mixtures grew on me quickly and I was more than happy to keep packing them up.

For this column, I've returned to Captain Earle's for a bold Oriental mixture, and ventured into my first Davidoff blend for some curly cut VaPers. 

Honor Blend

Entry 1

This will be my second run in with a Captain Earle’s blend, the first being back in March when I smoked Ten Russians alongside Peterson’s Irish Whiskey.

Ten Russians was a doozy of a mixture—bold strength and power, so I was very interested to see what the Honor Blend has in store for me.

Pre-Smoke

From the tin note I pick up the deeper, earthier side of the Virginia continuum. The barnyard hay and the dark, stewed fruit. A slight red wine, vinegar-y note behind it all.

The cake is somewhat dense but easily crumbles away. Only a little moisture, if it needs drying time, it likely won’t need much.

I opt to pack it right away this time around. Going forward, I’m making a point to try blends at varying degrees of dried, namely, drying more than is my inclination to. Last week I got a good deal out of Uno from doing that. I think I may have internalized the cliché “pack looser and dry longer” a bit too deeply and didn’t realize that was an aspect I wasn’t experimenting with much. Each blend will call for something different, so I’m gonna try to navigate that a bit more. 

Lighting up

Despite the very distinct Virginia tin note, the first smoke of Honor Blend seemed to live up to the Oriental based categorization. Upon lighting, the spice of peppery Perique is instantly noticeable, but as I acclimate to the profile I get that Oriental herbal quality with bread, wood and spice. 

Hay and dark fruit from the Virginia seem to come just behind. Although most of the Virginia I get seems of that low, deeper side of the varietal, there’s some brightness in sweet and citrus notes which seem to ride side-palate. I get a bit more of that Red Virginia raisin and tang when ever so lightly puffed.

In the simplest terms, we have an earthy profile that’s pretty consistent but has the layers to offer some intrigue and nuance. 

The earthy tones have depth. I’m not sure that’s the right way to put it (when am I ever?) but I think “earthy” can have a default association to the muted, subtle notes. To me, that’s often the case, but not as a rule. There is a lot of flavor here, even if it isn’t bright and poignant.

Strength:      ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○
Taste:             ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○

Seemed to burn a bit quickly but evenly and didn't threaten to smoke too hot. 

Entry 2

I recently got some of Cornell & Diehl’s Izmir Turkish from their Blender Series. The Oriental base in Honor Blend seems very similar. It almost certainly is the same stock, as Cornell & Diehl manufacture Captain Earle's, and head blender Jeremy Reeves has mentioned that the Oriental component they use is a mixture of Izmir and Basma. But I wouldn’t be surprised if this particular blend’s Oriental component is just the Izmir, or ratioed more in that direction.

Honor Blend has an umami savoriness to it, among the earthiness. With the pepper notes and light sweetness, the mixture has a satisfying way of touching a bit of everything palate-wise, even if gently.

As I've continued to smoke this blend, I've noticed more of the Perique's contribution. I got mostly the peppery notes before, and perhaps it was abetting the Virginias in that plummy department. But I seem to notice more of the umami side that Perique can impart. A full, not cloying flavor profile. 

I've also noticed the significant mouthfeel from this blend, there's something cool about it, like mint. Not a minty taste, but that cooling affect it has. 

Entry 3

Sometimes you want something to explore that doesn’t so neatly fit into our categories, and this is one of those. It’s interesting, not incredibly complex, and well melded and balanced. I struggle to assign the varietals with specific roles other than the obvious ones (I know it’s not Black Cavendish spicing up my nose).

It’s certainly a heavy blend but it still has a genial way that prompts me to forget that. It’s an earthy, tamed spice. It has a mouth feel that's even and not aggressive, not heavy coated. Consistent and uncomplicated, if you don't mind a bit of strength, you can float away with this one. 

Flake Medallions

Entry 1

I’m always happy to be packing some VaPer coins into a pipe, and it’s all the more fun when it’s the first foray into a new blend.

In fact this will be my first blend from Zino Davidoff’s (King of Cigars) line of pipe tobacco.

Pre-Smoke

The tin note is very much on the hay and grass side of Virginias. I get a slight sweet note but not so much that plummy, fermented fruit note.

Easily breaks down into long strands, although the bullseye stay relatively intact, so I try to crumble them a little more so that they’re distributed better.

Lighting up

Lately I’ve discovered a love for clay pipes. Of course, I've known they're popular for their neutral smoking properties, but you know, I like clenching. Clays don’t really lend themselves to clenching, so it’s taken me a while to embrace, especially considering I’m often writing/typing while smoking. But my boss threw a few my way recently and I thought, why not give it a go. I've seen the light. They really can deliver a blend with clarity—definitely part of my tasting process now.

So with my trusty clay, I get to lighting. I immediately get plum and spice from the Perique.

I had some lighting snags at the start that had me puffing a bit too energetically, but as I ease my cadence , tanginess comes into view. Maybe a bit of citrus, but not sharp…more round citrus like an orange if that makes any sense. Is it just me or is orange a “rounder” taste than, say, a lemon. I’m tempted to muse on iconicity in language so I’d better move on now.

I wrote in my notes that it’s a surprisingly full smoke. I don’t think I realized at the time that those bullseyes were Black Cavendish.

There’s significant Perique throughout the smoke but it mellowed some from the initial blossom of spice upon lighting. I get a very pleasing woodiness on the retrohale. Some bright undertones in the base—not forward but noticeable support, making the blend a bit more dynamic.

Strength:      ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Taste:             ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○

The actual nicotine hit is mild I’d say, but the spice adds a weight to the blend.

Entry 2

I’m not sure if it’s the match between this blend and this pipe or some other factor but I just had a great smoke with Davidoff Medallion Flakes in my Lorenzetti Avitus. Flavor and body were in perfect balance. I’ve certainly been enjoying this blend but if this smoke is any indication, these coins are up there among my favorites I’ve smoked for Tobacco Files.

There are those elusive smokes that simply get it right, and despite how we try to replicate each variable, we just have to wait for those stars to align again. But I’m thinking (hoping) it’s the pipe. A narrow bowl? For whatever reason, maybe that’s what makes this one sing—for me at least.

I get bready, toasty sweet notes off the bat. Dark fruit and peppery Perique in balance with the tasty Virginias.

I think taste gets a bump from my initial impression.

Strength:      ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Taste:             ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○

Nearing the end of the bowl sees more earthiness develop. Very pleasing abutting the now hay-leaning Virginias. There’s also a mellow, sweet undertone—the Black Cavendish?

Trying some unmixed Black Cavendish might actually be homework for me. I feel like I have a sense of the varietal’s role in adding to body and taking on flavors, but I don’t have much of a sense of its own flavor properties. Folks generally talk about its sweetness, which makes sense since it’s often processed from a Virginia source-leaf. 

I guess I could just pack some of these bullseyes. 

Entry 3

I gave Davidoff Medallion Flakes a try in my Molina Tromba Apple, having a much wider bowl. I imagine there was something about the narrow Avitus that brought out the sweet end of the profile, or perhaps subdued the spice and earth, because that spice and earth was exaggerated in the Tromba. Or perhaps the smaller bowl gives a more even distribution of the Black Cavendish.

I do get a very nice toasty-ness with a subtle sweetness in a wider bowl.

Whatever it might be, I enjoy this blend each time, but definitely have a preference for that dark fruit Virginia coming through.

If you’ve read a few Tobacco Files, you’ll know I don’t comment on the room note very often. To pull a quote from the second column, “tobacco reviews often talk about the room note. To be honest, I don't feel as though I have a good sense of the room note of something that I'm currently smoking. Taste and smell are so intimately coupled that I don't think I can isolate them enough to find the edges of either.”

That hasn't really changed, but sometimes it comes to me.  I jotted down a note of it,

I get a pleasing toasty, mellow scent from the bowl.

So there you have it. Room note. 

Until next time...

I'm already taking some time with one of the next columns smokes. No surprise, it's the new Seattle Pipe Club, Hogshead, mentioned at the top of the blog. Since it comes out on the 24th, I was considering getting it in this column, but didn't feel I had the time to really sift through it. Now I'll have more than enough. 

Now I should probably decide what the second one is... 

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—gregr@tobaccopipes.com

Compare & Share for June 2022 is now live!

Places to discuss:

Another fine month of mystery tobacco tasting! The blends for May 2022?

Mystery Blend #1 - Balkan Sobranie Mixture

Mystery Blend #2 - Sutliff Balkan Sobranie Original Mix Match

Thank you to all who participated! This month we also made a public Facebook group all are welcome to join to discuss the Mystery Blends. Feel free to join us for the June Compare & Share!

Past Compare & Share:

April 2022 

Mystery Blend #1 -  Peter Stokkebye PS 400 Luxury Navy Flake

Mystery Blend #2 -  Newminster No. 400 Superior Flake

We’re very excited to announce a new offering here at TobaccoPipes.com that we hope you’ll take part in—Compare & Share. An opportunity to explore different blends, engage others in the hobby, and get a good deal all at once.

Here's How Compare & Share Works

At the beginning of each month, a listing will go up on TobaccoPipes.com for that month’s two Compare & Share Mystery Blends. For $7.99, you will receive 2 bags, each containing 1 ounce of each of these blends. Everyone will receive the same two tobaccos. They'll be packaged as bulk, but these could be any blend we offer, not limited to bulk mixtures. We won’t disclose what the Mystery Blends are until the end of the month, at which time we’ll post a reveal right before the next ones drop. 

Our hope is that while trying these tobaccos, all who are taking part can discuss their thoughts, analyses, impressions, and whatever else on our social media pages. We’ll make an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter post that will be dedicated comment threads for Compare & Share discussions.

We think this could be a fun way to bring together two tenets that—for many—are at the core of pipe smoking: exploration and community.

Exploring New Blends

In launching our  Random Tobacco Tin listing, it became clear that the intrigue of a mystery blend could be part of the fun for many pipe smokers. 

If you’re not familiar, when a tin gets dented or in some way blemished, we’ll move it out of inventory. Once these have accumulated enough, we’ll apply them to our Random Tobacco Tin listing—$4.99 for a tin of who knows what. We heard wonderful feedback on this. We all have our tastes and preferences; however, folks were not only willing to take the gamble for their mystery blend, the mystery was part of the fun too. You could get something you love, or something totally new to explore, and of course there’s the possibility you don’t get something that you’re interested in. But for such a bargain, it’s an exciting roll of the dice.

We knew we should look for more ways to engage this side of the hobby.

Embracing the Social Nature of the Pastime 

Then there’s the community side of things. We wanted to think of a way that we could spur the social side of this great hobby. 

Pipe and cigars smoking has such a strong and wide community, so much so that terms like “lifestyle” or “passion” may be more appropriate than hobby. But it’s that passion that is the strength of the community—in terms of numbers, we know pipe smoking is far from the ubiquity it once had. That’s what’s made the forums, YouTube Pipe Community, Facebook groups, and other such alternative avenues of engaging with fellow pipe smokers such a boon for this fraternity.

And as an  tobacco online retailer, we place a high importance on any endeavor that can undermine the expectation of impersonalness that can be the rub of our modern, digital commerce. We think it crucial to explore more ways to fuel the kinship between folks far and wide who are bonded by a mutual affection for this tradition.

We Hope You Will Join Us

So, in the spirit of mystery, exploration, and community, we’re launching Compare & Share.

Beginner pipe kits are perfect for the newcomer learning to smoke a pipe. Along with starting you off with a great, affordable pipe, you’re set up with the accessories you need to hit the ground running. However, searching for the best pipe kits for beginners can be difficult for a new pipe smoker without a little guidance as to what you’re looking for.

Each beginner pipe kit offers something different, making some more desirable than others based on how they fit to your preferences as a new pipe smoker. Everyone's pipecraft is different, from aesthetic taste to method. For example, some pipe smokers enjoy filters, others don’t. For those who do, there are different kinds of filters. Or maybe you expect you’ll be a clencher, that is, you’ll often hold the pipe in your mouth, your jaw being the sole support. If so you may prefer a light weight pipe, or a bent that distributes the weight downward. 

These and many other factors are things you can get more into the weeds about as you try different pipes and ways of pipe smoking and refine your preferences. But even the beginner likely has some idea of what they're looking for, and what makes the best pipes for beginners are those that are not only quality pipes in general, but those that are chosen with the individual in mind.

To help you better navigate your options, we’ve assembled this list of some of the best pipe kits for beginners. For each, we’ll give a little context as to the appeal of the particular kit so that you can consider what speaks to you. We want you to make an informed decision so you can get the most of your smoking experience. 

1. Chacom Tobacco Pipe Starter Kit

Includes:

• Two Pipe Zipper Pouch
• Pipe Cleaners
• Czech Tool

This beginner pipe kit from Chacom is a great place to start. This Bent Brandy shape has a very classic look, I can certainly see it appealing to beginners fascinated by the pipe for its rich history and representation through enduring literature and film characters. It's also a perfect option for those seeking a lasting ritual from each bowl. The Brandy body offers a large bowl that affords you the time to unwind.

Why might this not be the best beginner pipe kit for you? Well, some folks recommend starting with straight pipes as they're easier to get a pipe cleaner through. Also, as you're learning to pack, a more moderate sized bowl may be ideal. These certainly don't render the Chacom a nonstarter, but they're factors to consider.

As for accessories, this beginner pipe set includes a bundle of pipe cleaners—a must for the pipe smoker's kit—and a classic 3-in-one Czech tool. While maybe not an absolute necessity, these tools offer a convenient tamper and scoop for safely excavating tobacco from the bottom of the bowl, or dottle as it's referred to. Some folks will tamp with their finger or another miscellaneous tool; you can get by fine with, say, the cap of a pen or a golf tee. But you could damage the pipe by knocking it to dislodge dottle in the bowl. Finally you have the rod which I find especially useful for beginners learning to pack well. It's easy to over-pack your pipe bowl when learning—pushing this tool down to the draft hole can open up airflow if the pull is too constricted.

Finally, we have a pipe case for carrying two pipes. Cases like these are nice, because while pipe bags will often offer protection from cosmetic damage such as scratches and scuffs, they may not have much structure to them. This set offers a good durable case for protection on the go. 

2. Vauen Intro Beginner Sets

Includes:

• Charcoal Filters
• Pipe Cleaners
• Czech Tool

Next in our selection of the best pipe kits for beginners, we have the Vauen Intro series. This is a standardized set including pipe cleaners, Czech tool, and filters, along with a selection of some of the best pipes for beginners. These are great kits because they include all the basics while giving you a few options for pipes so you can pick the one that is most to your liking. These include two finishes and two shapes, a Straight Billiard, and a Bent Brandy. 

The stand out inclusion in this set however are the Vauen Dr. Perl Junior Activated Charcoal filters. These filters were first developed by Vauen in 1934. They are meant to filter out harmful substances and reduce nicotine, as well as offer a cooler, drier smoke. If you aren’t sure if you want to use a filter or not, Vauen makes adapters for their pipes. Though sold separately, I recommend them if you are unsure what your preference is in regard to using a filter. 

3. Vauen Outdoor Set

Includes:

• Fanny Pack
• Pipe Cleaners
• Matches
• Czech Tool
• Charcoal Filters

Here’s another great offering from Vauen, one that sets you up for a bit of everything for being on the move. As you can see, along with the pipe, filters, tool, and cleaners, we also have a box of matches and a stylish, roomy fanny pack.

The Vauen Outdoor Set comes with two options for pipes. In addition to the Bent Apple pictured above, you could opt for a Straight Billiard of the same finish. 

The bag offers ample space for more than just what’s included in the set, so it will come in handy as you continue to build your kit. For extra protection, you may want to get a pipe pouch as well. The smaller ones will fit in the Vauen Outdoor Starter bag with no problem. 

4. Savinelli One 

Includes:

• Pipe Cleaners
• Czech Tool
• Balsa Filters
• Adapter

The Savinelli One is another of our best pipe kits for beginners that offers a standardized assortment of essentials with a pipe in a handful of different shape and finish options. Of these shapes we have the Bent Billiard, Straight Billiard, Zulu, and Author. Each comes in rusticated or smooth finishes, save for the Straight Billiard, which is only rusticated.

These kits stand out for two reasons. Much like the Vauen kits, these come with filters, but Savinelli have their own filters that are unique to their pipes, the Savinelli balsa system. Like charcoal filters, the balsa system is meant to reduce tar and nicotine while keeping the smoke cool and dry, mitigating tongue bite and gurgling. Some advocates for the Balsa System maintain that this filtration mechanism is especially effective in not altering or diminishing flavor.

Is one filter inherently better than another? No, but they’re worth trying to see what works for you, which may even be no filter at all That brings us to the second inclusion setting the Savinelli One series apart—the adapter.

Now, most any pipe that takes a filter can be smoked without one, but the airhole is drilled to a certain diameter with a filter in mind, usually 6 or 9 mm. So, adapters are a nice touch to narrow the airway to the dimensions one would expect from a pipe not designed to accommodate a filter. This gives newcomers a convenient opportunity to try it both with and without a filter and begin to find where their preference lies. That said, many will smoke filter pipes without the filter or adapter and find no negative impact.  

5. Molina Beginner Sets

Includes:

• Czech Tool
• Pipe Cleaners
• 9 mm Filters

Another straightforward kit with the bare essentials, the Molina Beginner Sets are certainly some of the best pipe kits for beginners.

Above we see the sandblasted Bent Billiard, but you can choose between six different pipes for this set—three finishes on either a Bent or Straight Billiard. 

My first pipe was a Molina Barasso Straight Billiard, and I think the brand offers one of the best pipes for beginners. They have a classic look and offer a great smoke affordably. Even after my initiation to pipe smoking, I've purchased another Molina and it likely won't be my last. They have a reputation for consistent quality that isn't always expected in their price range. 

Bonus: Missouri Meerschaum Bundles

These Missouri Meerschaum Bundles aren’t necessarily beginner sets, as they don’t come with the basic kit recommended for taking up pipe smoking, but I think these sets of pipes are worth mentioning for any beginner pipe smoker.

If you’re a beginner who’s done a little research into the hobby, you may be aware that it’s recommended you not over-smoke a pipe, giving it a cooling off and drying period between bowls. This makes having a few pipes convenient so that you can rotate them. Of course, if you’re trying out smoking a pipe and aren’t sure that you’ll stick with it, you probably don’t want to get more than one briar pipe before you're sure pipe smoking is something you'll continue. 

Even for the cheaper end such as Dr Grabow pipes, you don’t want to invest more than necessary until you know if it’s for you. For this reason, I’ll often suggest getting a set like one of these Missouri Meerschaum Bundles or just picking out a few non-briar wooden pipes or corn cob pipes for yourself. They’re especially affordable and can give you a good early introduction to how different materials smoke. One of the things that many pipe smokers adore about the hobby is the enigma of how one pipe to another can be so different—they are far from simple, uniform apparatuses that merely deliver our smoke.

That said, don’t feel you need to get too in the weeds on such nuances yet. I just mention it as my first two pipes were a Molina (briar pipe) and Corn Cob Legend from Missouri Meerschaum, and I remember my fascination as I started to notice how different smoking each was. But ultimately, your goal as a beginner is to enjoy your smoking experience! 

Some other advice:

• Even with one of these beginner pipe kits, I recommend grabbing a pack of pipe cleaners. It’s great that the sets start you off with a few, but if you’re using them as you should, after each smoke (and maybe even feeding one through during), you’ll probably want some more. Luckily, pipe cleaners are one of the cheaper aspects of the hobby.

• With all of these kits, except for the Vauen Outdoor set, you’ll need to get something to light your tobacco. And even with the Outdoor set, matches might be a little finicky to start, and while you’re learning proper packing/lighting, you could go through them pretty quickly with relights.
   
  It's often cautioned against, but you can get by fine with a Bic while starting off if you’re not looking to put down much more money on a hobby that you’re still unsure you’ll stick with. That said, I recommend an inexpensive pipe lighter and some premium butane. It won’t put you back much and most of these lighters have a nifty built-in pipe tool. A pipe lighter with quality butane offers a softer flame than your average gas station lighter and can get you started with a cooler smoke—especially important as you're learning to navigate the other factors that can lead to smoking too hot. 

Customize to your needs

Hopefully this list can set you on the right track to finding the kit that works for you! But of these best pipe kits for beginners, perhaps you want to put something together yourself.

Maybe you want to get all the basics you need at once, but you have your eye on another pipe that isn’t included in a set, or you would just like to pick each accessory individually. Afterall, there are many different kinds of filters, tools, and pipe cleaners to get the job done. If that’s the case, feel free to reach out and we’ll be happy to assist with navigating your preferences and curating a beginner set that is customized to you.

For this Tobacco File, we have Seattle Pipe Clubs latest, Hogshead, and Janus from the Italian pipe masters at Savinelli. 

Hogshead

Entry 1

A long anticipated inclusion to the Seattle Pipe Club offerings—a Straight Virginia from the blending expertise of Joe Lankford. The Seattle Pipe Club lineup, while featuring a diverse range of excellent blends, is distinguished for English and Balkan favorites—namely, Plum Pudding, Mississippi River, and their variations. Nonetheless, Lankford has proven to be no slouch when departing from this forte. Still, the recent arrival of Hogshead marks a milestone event, a venture into Straight Virginias.

Pre-Smoke

I don’t get a remarkably strong tin note, but it's a very nice one—mellow, toasted, malty.

Comes as a big ol’ plug, easy to break apart. 

Lighting up

It’s got some moisture so I let it sit for a bit. To be quite honest, it could have used a bit more when I inevitably packed it in my J Mouton Poker, but no harm. This is why I have two weeks to get acquainted, approaching from many angles.

First notes are bready, grassy, tangy. In the middle range, I suppose that’s what is the characteristic Orange Virginia. Not especially bright or dark. There’s that citrus, grassy tartness. The deeper tang and dark fruit as well, but mellow.

Kind of reminds me of the skin of a fruit, in that it has that fruitiness but more tart than sweet. When I really slow it down that mid range, Orange Virginia toasty bready-ness comes through.

A bit of an earth-y body to it with some spice to boot. Not a peppery spice, but has that presence in the sinus.

Strength:       ◙◙◙○○○○○○○
Taste:               ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○

Entry 2

This is certainly a unique Virginia, at least for what I've experienced. Its parts are very recognizably Virginia, but expressed in a way foreign to me. It’s deep and interesting though straightforward.

A narrower bowl seems to focus on the citrusy, higher notes—plays more on the acidic side.

Packed in something larger, more of that earthy side comes out, more rounded than sharp. In my Tsuge Bent Brandy for instance, I get more of this woody, incense, maybe cedar-like taste that I really enjoy.

Though the pipe certainly affects the way this blend presents, when the variable of chamber size is controlled for, it’s a very consistent blend, throughout the smoke and from one smoke to the next. Basically, you might get something different in a different pipe, but you’ll know exactly what to expect in that pipe next time.

For my taste, I enjoy it in a wider bowl. The high end certainly isn’t lost, but comes through more in balance to my taste. And the depth of the bready, tangy, dark Virginia is just so pleasing. 

Entry 3

Not much else to say, so I won’t try to force it. I enjoy Hogshead very much, it’s just one of those consistent blends that seems to show just what it is. Being so of its own class of Virginia to my palate, I will be very curious to see what some age brings out. 

Janus 

Entry 1

This is my first Savinelli blend. Savinelli, of course most recognizable for their long history of Italian pipe making, is another tobacco brand manufactured by the good folks at Cornell & Diehl.

Pre-Smoke

A vegetative and tangy tin note with a little spice. Maybe a hint of molasses. Very much a Virginia tin note with a personality of its own.

Though Janus is labeled as a flake, I feel you could get away with calling this one a broken flake, it's just about ready to go. I toss it a bit to get some smaller pieces but it's pretty much broken up. A little moist but I'll pack it and see what happens.

The leaf runs the spectrum of shades of brown from the yellowish bright leaf to the reds and a bit of dark Perique. 

Lighting up

Janus is somewhat fussy on the charring light, but that’s probably on me, I could have given a little drying time. Once there’s a nice even char I let it sit a couple minutes. The wisps from the charring light offer a lovely toasty, bready aroma.

No protests to the light this time.

The initial notes are grassy, lemony Virginias and earthy, herbal, vegetive Oriental. A noticeable tanginess quickly comes into resolution along with the spice from the Perique, which the Orientals are likely accomplices to. The spice is subtle, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of Perique but its presence is felt.

Janus seems to settle more into the earthy, plummy, spice side with a muted sweetness. Kind of reminiscent of the earthy quality of a strong tea, with little sweetener—a pinch of sugar. The grassy sweetness isn’t eclipsed but subtly wades beneath.

That said, I’m smoking my Rattray’s Butcher's Boy, one of my wider chambered pipes, so I’ll be interested to see how this plays in a narrower bowl. I’ve been noticing a relationship between narrower chambers and showcasing the high end of a profile lately. 

Entry 2

In a smaller bowl I do seem to get a bit more of the bright end of the profile coming through; grassy, citrus—slightly acidic. There seems to be a little more of an arc through the smoke as well. An earthier mid-bowl sees the reappearance of delightful tart and grassy notes that never totally went away, but make a victory lap. I’m cheering them on.

Trying this in a few other pipes, I think I enjoy it best in a good average sized bowl. I guess that means something different to different folks, but right now I’m enjoying it in my Kaywoodie White Briar and it perfectly balances the two faces of Janus; the earthy, figgy, spice and the bright, citrusy, grassy tartness. Very apt considering the god for which it’s named.

Even still, puffed in a good moderate cadence, these two sides are beautifully bridged by that toasty, bready flavor.

I should say that so far, I have noticed Janus to be a touch bite-y. No issue at all when you keep that cadence in check, but I get a little mindless sometimes.

Strength:      ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Taste:              ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○

Entry 3

Poking through some reviews of Janus, one stood out as describing it to have an “inner-sweetness.” I was struggling defining that sweetness in this blend as it seems fundamental to the character of the earthy profile. And that descriptor stood out, I think it’s right on. Janus has an inner-sweetness. Something I’d like to think Janus and I have in common. But I guess a self-review ain't worth much. 

Until next time...

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—gregr@tobaccopipes.com

In his 1965 book The Pleasures of Pipe Smoking, Carl Weber dedicates a chapter to the etiquette of pipe smoking, which is introduced with the following quotation:

"Too often, the word tact is used to designate what is mere diplomacy. In simple truth, tact means the practice of thoughtfulness in all relationships. All good manners derive from basic kindness and so there are, or should be, a few rules for social smoking—rules that no gentlemen, or even men, will choose to flout" (Weber, 145).

Weber's lesson is more relevant than ever considering the attitude toward smoking today. It's necessary that pipe smokers distinguish themselves as courteous and respectful. One way is to be mindful of what we're smoking in the presence of others. Assuming others have given their blessing to smoking in their company, we can answer their obliging kindness with a delightful aroma.

To many, smoking is simply smoking, and until they catch the ambrosial scent of a heavenly, smoldering mixture, every wisp may as well be the acrid eminence of burning paper left from cigarettes. Many others already distinguish between mediums of smoking, having a nostalgic romance connected to the cherry or vanilla notes that rose from a grandpa or other respected figure's pipe. 

Beyond the call to be courteous, the sweet fragrance you send to the air may even make you friends. And quite simply, that fragrance is just part of the experience.

For all these reasons, let’s look at some of the best smelling pipe tobaccos.

This list will be looking at Aromatic pipe tobaccos, which embrace the more civilian and universally appreciated aromas of the candy aisle or bakery. That said, there are certainly non-Aromatics that will delight many noses in and outside of the hobby, and that list will be coming soon. 

1. Cult Blood Red Moon 

Tobacco:

Virginia Cavendish, Burley 

Flavoring: 

Cherry, Cocoa 

Room Note

We’ll start with a modern classic with a reputation for being one of the best smelling pipe tobaccos. With Cult Blood Red Moon you get a great cherry aroma that matches the taste. If you want to give off that captivating fragrance that draws folks in, this may be the one—hopefully you’re good at taking compliments. The room note will have you harkening back to grandpa’s cherry blend, but Blood Red Moon is a modern tobacco of its own.

Smoking Characteristics

There’s a good reason this is one of the most popular Aromatic tobacco mixtures out there and is a common exception to the Aromatic discriminating palate. The cherry and chocolate top notes offer a rich and creamy fullness of flavor that doesn’t obstruct the nuances of the abutting tobacco. Sometimes with artificial cherry flavoring the taste can lean toward that medicinal quality—a tart sharpness like cough syrup. That’s not what we have here.

Cult Blood Red Moon is not your grandpa's cherry blend, but it’s not sticking its nose up at it either. It’s tradition and modernity in a delightful mixture.

2. Sutliff Barbados Plantation

Tobacco:

Virginia Cavendish, Burley

Flavoring:

Rum

Room Note

A fantastic liquor blend from the Sutliff Private Stock, Barbados Plantation is sure to fill the air with wisps of rum that will have you daydreaming of tropical repose. Enjoy a creamy lingering vanilla scent.

Smoking Characteristics

Rum and Vanilla are the forward flavors here. The Virginia and Burley are slightly noticeable at the nutty, hay, grassy base. The rum has a tropical color to it, doing justice to the name.

Though Barbados Plantation is unlikely to be the exception for the pipe smoker who isn’t a fan of Aromatics, it’s gold for those who are. Especially if you’re prone to sniffing out Aromatics that are of their own design as opposed to another take on a classic cherry or vanilla topping on a bed of Cavendish and Burley. Don't get me wrong, those have their place in my heart and on my palate, but it's exciting to try blends that may take imagination to task. 

3. Cornell & Diehl Autumn Evening

Tobacco:

Virginia, Cavendish 

Flavoring:

Maple, Rum, Vanilla, misc. 

Room Note

If you think your roommates would like to wake up to the aroma of sweet pancakes and maple syrup but you’re all out of batter, do I have the blend for you. Just remember there may be some bitter feelings when there are in fact no pancakes.

It’s Autumn Evening, a Cornell & Diehl best seller, lauded for its delightful room note. Especially one of the best smelling tobaccos to light up during the fall season.

That maple scent is undeniable, but once acclimated, you’ll likely get a little vanilla and caramel from the room note as well. 

Smoking Characteristics

This offering from Cornell & Diehl is another for the adventuresome, dynamic Aromatic lover. Autumn Evening is a flavored blend wherein the top flavorings, while bold, don’t hold dominion over the whole profile. It is its own mixture of complimenting, mingling notes.

This blend isn't going to give you a huge nic hit, but it’s not your standard light, light Aromatic either. It has a good medium dose of nicotine, something I think goes quite well in keeping one up and at 'em in the chilly months, which these flavors so wonderfully compliment.

It should come as no surprise, this rich Aromatic with a rich aroma is full in taste as well, in no way a subtle blend. Maple and vanilla are forward, with rum and other playful flavors peeking through. Tangy Red Virginias have their say as well.

4. Peterson Connoisseur's Choice

Tobacco:

Virginia, Black Cavendish

Flavoring:

Fruit, Maple, Rum, Vanilla

Room Note

The best smelling tobaccos will often have a singular, easy to identify scent, but often, they are more dynamic. You'll hear all sorts of notes thrown out there when placing Peterson Connoisseur's Choice's aroma—caramel, vanilla, tropical, chocolate...

It's a real kaleidoscope of scents and the result is lively, indistinct, and alluring. Enjoying basking in the room note is all part of enjoying a good Aromatic, and this blend is a staunch reminder of that. The room note completes the experience. 

Smoking Characteristics 

The forward flavors of Connoisseur’s Choice are just about as difficult to neatly distinguish by taste as by smell, but once again, we can justly say it's something grand. Rum, vanilla, some fruity notes all intermingle as a forward taste for this blend. A smooth and easy burn, Connoisseur's Choice is mostly defined by its Aromatic flavorings, but you will notice those Virginias peek through.

My personal suggestion, if you're a coffee drinker, Connoisseur's Choice is a great companion. 

5. Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Loose Cut

Tobacco:

Virginia, Black Cavendish, Burley

Flavoring:

Cream, Vanilla 

Room Note

Next, we have Vanilla Cream from Mac Baren. This blend gets right to the point with a fantastic vanilla aroma with a floral flourish more natural than super sweet. This blend also has a room note that, lovely as it is, isn't very dense and lingering. So, Vanilla Cream is a solid option if you'd like what scent is imparted to be an agreeable one, but without an assertive presence.

Smoking Characteristics 

Mac Baren offers a great quintessential vanilla blend with this one. The topping is center stage with a bit more creamy sweetness and molasses from the Black Cavendish. The base from the Virginia and Burley is grassy and earthy, though they only come through slightly. Mild in strength, this is a great blend to simply light, relax, and accept compliments on the ambrosial aroma.

6. CAO Eileen's Dream 

Tobacco:

Virginia, Black Cavendish, Cigar Leaf

Flavoring:

Irish Whiskey, Coconut Milk, Hazelnut, Almond, Cocoa, Vanilla 

Room Note

Eileen's Dream is a unique Aromatic from CAO, a brand that is noted for producing some of the best smelling pipe tobaccos. This mixture can't be summed up as simply a vanilla or cherry blend or some other classic pipe tobacco flavor. You'll get a creamy vanilla room note with abutting hints of chocolate and mint. 

Smoking Characteristics 

Eileen's Dream is another blend that's truly its own. Which should come as little surprise being inspired by the popular Eileen’s Dream flavored cigar. As you can probably tell from the cigar leaf and bouquet of top flavors, this isn’t a one note mixture. Eileen’s Dream also garners the honor of an exception among Aromatics.

The Virginias and Black Cavendish provide a base that is quite subtle below the flavorings, but the cigar leaf imparts its own earthy tones that perfectly mingle and contrast with the nutty, sweet, whiskey flavor. 

7. Hearth & Home Classic Burley Kake

Tobacco:

Virginia, Burley, Kentucky

Flavoring:

Anisette, Cocoa, Rum 

Room Note

It's fitting that we should get such a comforting aroma from a brand with a name like Hearth & Home. With Classic Burley Kake, you can expect a wonderful coffee and cocoa scent to hang in the room, sweet but not cloying—simply imparting warmth and comfort.

Smoking Characteristics 

With Classic Burley Kake, the top flavorings are the main event, but this is another Aromatic whose component tobaccos are doing more than just adding body and delivering the toppings. No, you'll get earth and tang from Red Virginias in this consistent blend. Those top flavorings also wonderfully compliment the nutty, slightly woodsy Burley.

That Burley and Kentucky also give us a little more of a nic hit than many traditional Aromatics. It's still not very heavy—in the medium range—but a good option for those who love a good Aromatic flavor but are looking for something with just a bit more strength.

8. Dan Tobacco Sweet Vanilla Honeydew

Tobacco:

Virginia

Flavoring:

Honey, Vanilla

Room Note

Next, we have Sweet Vanilla Honeydew from Dan Tobacco. Whoever named this really made sure there could be no doubt that an ambrosial Aromatic blend lies within the tin. I'm glad they aren't all named like this, my job here would be pretty redundant. But I can at least substantiate that the title is true to its word. An aroma of vanilla and honey sweetness with the warmth of freshly baked confections hangs aloft in the room. But this is another that is only mildly pervasive and short lived. A delightful accent, but not a dense sugar rush.

Smoking Characteristics 

Now, Sweet Vanilla Honeydew is something just a little different, an Aromatic Straight Virginia. This may perk concerns, there’s a common notion that Virginia tobacco is prone to bite. We know this is the case from Aromatics, as the top flavorings can cause the tobacco to smoke more wet. A good slow cadence is the best preventative measure to tongue bite, but it doesn't hurt (literally) that Dan Tobacco seemed to defy expectations with Sweet Vanilla Honeydew.

You still shouldn't go sipping it like a thick smoothie, but this one offers a cool smoke with a rich harmony of vanilla and honey playing off fantastic Bright Virginias offering their own sweetness, lemon grass, and hay. 

9. Lane Limited 1Q

Tobacco:

Virginia, Cavendish

Flavoring:

Vanilla 

Room Note

If any blend is a no-brainer among the best smelling pipe tobaccos, it's Lane Limited 1Q.

If English blends are the campfire of pipe tobacco aromas, then 1Q must be the roasting, golden marshmallows. This is the quintessential vanilla pipe tobacco with the quintessential vanilla room note. Rich and warm with the faint lingering of caramel that company is sure to appreciate.

Smoking Characteristics 

Despite the ubiquitous, delightful aroma, Lane 1Q isn’t actually a flavor bomb. It’s a bouquet of vanilla and caramel to be sure, but not a goopy, aggressive, cloying taste.

This one you are mostly smoking for the top note. There is a slight Virginia grassiness beneath but for the most part, there’s little tobacco taste.

10. W.O. Larsen Signature Vintage Mixture

Tobacco:

Virginia, Burley, Black Cavendish 

Flavoring:

Vanilla, Fruit, Caramel 

Room Note

A different room note emanates from the smoldering W. O. Larsen Signature Mixture than the familiar American Aromatic style mixture. I'm inclined to say it has a berry note of some sort with a flowery, creamy fragrance, but it’s one of those that is difficult to neatly sum up. This Signature Vintage develops a denser room note, perhaps best suited for when you mean to garner some attention.

Smoking Characteristics

W. O. Larsen Signature Vintage is a complex Aromatic with a changing cast of flavors. This well-balanced Danish style mixture elicits all sorts of flavor descriptions from smokers doing their best to distinguish the top notes. Vanilla, fruit, and caramel are a good approximation, but at some point, you just have to stop ruminating and enjoy this one for the enigmatic pleasure that it is.

Put the best smelling pipe tobaccos to the test

Hopefully we’ve given a decent place to get started with this list of some of the best smelling tobaccos. But there is a world of great smelling blends out there to enjoy, so if you want to explore further, feel free to reach out—we'd be happy to help you discover the tobacco blends that works right for you. 

Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to Aromatics, and we’ll soon have a list for all those natural tobacco lovers looking for the right blends to fill the air with a delightful aroma. 

Reference(s):

1. Carl Weber, The Pleasures of Pipe Smoking (1965), Bantam Books

Hello friends, welcome to another Tobacco File. Today we're exploring Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend, Two Friends Redwood, and to throw something new in the mix, the Files will now feature a cigar segment. 

HH Balkan Blend

Entry 1

I was quite surprised to realize that I haven't done a single Mac Baren blend for this column. There have been several Mac Baren manufactured blends—Presbyterian, Amphora Burley, Capstan Original Navy Flake—but not a one from the brand itself. This had to be corrected, and I thought it a great opportunity to dive into a mixture from the fabled Mac Baren brand that I've not yet experienced.

I've also gone the last two columns without any of that smoky stuff. What can I say, the heat has finally graced Richmond, Virginia and when I'm schvitzing on a rock with my feet in the James River, a Virginia blend feels right. But Redwood will satiate that just fine, so Mac Baren's HH Balkan Blend it is for our first smoke!

Pre-Smoke

Upon opening the tin, it's quintessential English topped with more English, an absolutely smoky, campfire aroma. A bit musky and leans to the BBQ side.

HH Balkan is consists of long, blonde cuts among smaller sliced ribbons. If you prefer things on the dry side, you can give it some time to sit, but it comes with an agreeable, light moisture.

I pack it up in the newest addition to the collection, my Vauen New York 3428N.

The pack is somewhat cumbersome with the long strands in this quite small chamber, but with a little finesse and attention, we’re ready to go.

Lighting up 

At the jump, HH Balkan Blend is woodsy and buttery sweet with the Latakia up front, but the smoky varietal isn’t the whole story. Herbal Orientals with a light spice back it up not far behind. Noticeable citrus and hay from the Virginias wades beneath.

Orientals begin to come even more forward, in tandem with the Latakia now—the Virginia still featuring enough to find an emergent tanginess between them and the Orientals.

Deeper into the bowl some of that buttery sweetness returns to a higher resolution, then a little more BBQ rearing its head to end things.

I can tell already there’s a complexity to this blend that I don’t think I’m getting the most from in this small bowl. My next bowl will certainly be in something larger. Right now, HH Balkan is an orca in a fish bowl. It’s got nothing to sing for. But you can tell it wants to.

Although I expect a little more from the mixture in a larger bowl, that isn’t to say it wasn’t an enjoyable smoke. In fact, I think it says something when you can tell there’s a complexity that isn’t fully realized.

Entry 2

As I’ve continued to smoke HH Balkan blend, I’ve tried to make more of a point to suss out the American expats in the English blend, Burley and Dark Fired Kentucky. I struggle to recognize the Kentucky in any isolated note, but no doubt it could be augmenting the Latakia flavor with its own brand of fire-cured smokiness.

I wasn't picking Burley out of the profile during my first few smokes, I assumed its role was in bolstering body and strength, but my last smoke in my Bruno Nuttens Heritage II had a Burley presence I was pretty excited about. I believe I've mentioned my Burley blind spot in previous columns. Which is just to say, Burley is subtle and elusive when not the substantial base of a blend, and my palate struggles to distinguish its flavor contribution to busier, less Burley-centric mixtures. Though I'd very much like it to. 

In the Nuttens pipe however, a low, nutty, buttery flavor playing so nicely around Virginia citrus and Oriental tea and floral notes really spoke to the balance and complexity of HH Balkan Blend. 

The Virginias seem very much on the bright side. I don't notice much of the dark, fermented fruit, or toasty notes associated with Red Virginias. I love my Red Virginias, but I think it suits this blend quite well. I like the way the plummy Virginia notes can mesh with the Latakia smokiness in other English blends, but there's something a bit more stratified about this that gives the smoky, woody Latakia the prominence you'd expect from such a blend without seeming overstated or devoid of nuance. 

Strength:   ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Taste:           ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○

Redwood

Entry 1

Redwood will be my first blend from Two Friends, the collaborative brand from two blending greats, G. L. Pease and the late Craig Tarler of Cornell & Diehl fame. Some of my favorite blends are from these artists’ solo productions, so it’s any wonder why I haven’t gotten around to this super group sooner but there’s no time like the present.

Pre-Smoke

Soft ribbons that are quite finely cut. Seems almost equal parts light brown leaf and dark reddish ribbons with a scattering of Black Cavendish. Spongey to the pinch, the moisture at the point of opening is much like Balkan Blend—depends on your preference but many will find it perfectly suitable to pack right away.

The tin note is woodsy, true to the name, with a cedar, incense-y aroma. A light, mellow sweetness as well. I pack up my trusty little Chacom Star. I don’t believe I’ve featured this guy since the very first Tobacco File (or, the column formerly known as What I Smoked This Week).

Lighting up

Immediate dark sweetness from Red Virginias is supported by Bright Virginia citrus, lemon-y grass notes. Somewhat woodsy with a light spice. The Perique isn’t too hidden, but its presence is minor. I don’t know that the Black Cavendish is offering a lot in flavor but I assume it deserves credit for the creamy smoke. It likely also has some relevance to the natural sweetness of the blend in tandem with the Virginias and some Perique plumy-ness.

It’s certainly a sweet blend but enough on the dark side with plum, fig, and wood that mutual compliment is paid between the sweet and earthy sides of the profile. Leaving the first third or so, Perique spice ascends a bit, still playing a modest role. The Virginias certainly are the star of this blend.

Redwood came out the gate as a sweet, fruity, earthy, Virginia dominant VaPer – right up my street. But I contend with a loss of flavor and a little bitterness down the bowl not long after the spice came into greater resolution. However, I’m not disparaging yet. This mixture seems easily stoked, and losing that smoldering burn can lead to acridity.

Is it acridness, or acridity? Do I just want the word to behave like acid? Neither is provoking my spellcheck. 

It likely doesn’t help that I have difficulty not clenching through just about the whole smoke when I’ve got such an obligingly light pipe lit. But the consistent stoking—even with the gentleness of breathing through the nose—can get a hot smoke going.

Redwood started too good for me to not believe it can stay that good. Time to figure out what makes this one sing.

I looked it up, acridness and acridity are both fine. 

Entry 2

To be clear, I love my smaller pipes. This edition of the Files might have someone thinking "Why does this guy do this to himself? Stop with the small pipes.” I assure you it is just how things are shaking out with these two blends.

Anyway, I struggled to find the right smoking apparatus to get it right but I am pleased to say we got there. 

The Tsuge E-Star 9, that was it. Sometimes I'm astounded by the versatility of that Bent Brandy, it should be my go-to pipe the second I start wrestling with a blend. 

For whatever reason, a decently wide and deep chamber is just perfect for this one—for me anyway. Usually with Virginias I’m not very particular about bowl size, I might get something different out of the blend from one to another, but it’s usually complex English blends and the like that send me on a goose chase to find the right pipe.

But Redwood was well worth it. I’ve had it a few more times in other substantial bowls and it’s just a steep rise from beautiful Virginias to a full flavor, medium strength. We’ve got stewed, plummy fruit, fermented, grassy, tart notes. A toasty undertone—a real joy.

I don’t believe there’s any topping but I get this vanilla bean hint somewhere, perhaps just how these wonderful Virginias are interacting with the caramelized sweetness of the Cavendish.

Strength:     ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Taste:             ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

Entry 3

There’s something all the more satisfying about a great blend you had to wrestle with a bit.

Today I’m spending some time at a friend’s apartment. He’s living it up in Philly and I’m on cat sitting duty. Today, I’m Uncle Greg. I pack my Duke of Dundee Bent Billiard with a bowl of Redwood while hanging with my favorite nephew, Steves, and head to the roof where there’s a common area with a beautiful view of the city. It’s a lovely sunny day here on the south side of the James and Redwood is just the right kind of fruity, bright, light VaPer to pull the whole picture together.

Oh yeah—Gumby was there too. I offered to pack him a cob I had but he stayed with Steves. 

Something new—Featured Cigar

Yes, going forward I'll include a little bit on what I've enjoyed recently cigar-wise. Love my pipes but a good cigar is always a pleasure, and I've recently found myself frequenting them a bit more. Perhaps the greater time spent outside in these warm months. 

I'll keep things brief for now and see how this section takes shape in the coming weeks and months.

Drew Estate Herrera Estelí Norteño Robusto Grande

This cigar from Drew Estate's Herrera Estelí brand is one that really stood out to me recently. The Norteño Robusto Grande was rolled and box pressed in the famed La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Estelí, Nicaragua. Released in 2016, it quickly garnered popularity and found a sweet number 7 spot on that year's Cigar Aficionado Top 25.

The Norteño offered a great, full-bodied smoking experience—earthy, vegetative, and raisin notes are present, but it's the pepper and cocoa that define this heavy profile. Especially peppery and earthy on the retrohale, which was delightful early on, but a bit too intense for me around the middle. The last third or so saw a rise in a coffee bean note as well. 

I will say, I was glad I had this one not long after lunch. I'm no stranger to bold blends, but I was certainly feeling the strength of the Norteño. 

Until next time...

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—gregr@tobaccopipes.com. 

Would especially love some cigar recommendations, help me out in my exploration!

And of course, a very happy Father's Day to all those dads out there. Hope you all find the time to treat yourself to a little relaxation with that favorite pipe or cigar blend—you deserve it.