Hello, hello! It has been a pleasant, mild October with one pleasant, mild blend and one, well, pleasant blend. I’ll be getting into Cobblestone Camping from the Outdoors series and—a bit in theme with the spooky season drawing to a close—the Lovecraft inspired Dreams of Kadath from Cornell & Diehl’s The Old Ones series.

Also, we’ll have two featured cigars this month. I usually choose one that I’ve particularly enjoyed lately—Perdomo’s 10th Anniversary Champagne Robusto in this case—but I decided to add the Cobblestone Classic Habano Toro as well. I just tried this one the other day and found it a great smoke and for a very affordable price.

Cobblestone - Camping

Entry 1

I’m excited to write about Cobblestone Camping this month. Along with the rest of the Outdoors series and Chess series from Cobblestone, it is manufactured by the German blending house Kohlhase & Kopp. I very much enjoyed Cobblestone Knight, which featured in a Tobacco File a few months back, and more recently tried Cobblestone Hiking as it was a Mystery Blend for TobaccoPipes.com’s August Compare & Share. It became a fast favorite of mine, so I’m quite eager to further explore the marque.

Pre-Smoke

I open the tin to find very dark ribbons, mostly in the dark brown to black range, mottled with scarce strands of red and gold leaf.

From the tin note I get a deep, mellow woodiness. Loamy sweetness and a floral somewhat potpourri note. Maybe a little cocoa? I imagine a very light topping is added.

The coarse leaf is quite dry right out the tin, ready to smoke right away. It’s not friable yet, I can roll it in my fingers without it breaking down, but it probably wouldn’t take too long to get there, so while I usually smoke from a freshly opened tin for a bit before transferring, I go ahead and move most of the contents to a jar so that it is airtight and doesn’t lose any more moisture.

Lighting up

I pack up my Molina Barasso 518 (my very first pipe) and give the trusty smoker a light.

The char light introduces a woody flavor and brown sugar notes expected from the significant portion of Black Cavendish. As I get to puffing I find citrus and a plummy, raisin Virginia presence.

Cobblestone Camping takes a light with ease, no surprise with the leaf moisture, but given that Black Cavendish, it keeps an easy cool burn.

While I notice some sort of topping, it’s very light, and seems to be a simple flavoring, sugar or something basic to round out the sweetness, likely bolstering the present, natural sweetness from the Cavendish process. It has that caramelized sugar sweet note, reminds me a bit of butterscotch, but has a wood and spice side to it as well. Tart citrus is consistent. 

Entry 2

One thing I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten familiar with Cobblestone Camping is the spice note in the sinus. It’s very light, this is a mild, amiable blend, and that spice is an inviting presence that adds a little intrigue in the sensory department without the “weight” of a peppery, Perique spice.

At the moment I have Camping packed in my Missouri Meerschaum Diamondback cob. The citrus is more noticeable, adding dimension against the bready Virginia and sweet Black Cavendish. The currant Virginia note really compliments the dark, woody side of the blend.

I don’t imagine I could get Camping to bite if I tried—not surprising for a blend with a good portion of Black Cavendish, which burns cooler due to having already been “toasted”.

Being consistent, uncomplicated, un-biting, I’ve especially enjoyed this as a blend while I’m occupied with something and not so much thinking of the smoking. I enjoy blends that aren't too busy for such instances and also that don’t bite if I mindlessly don’t keep a slow, steady cadence—which I have a habit of when clenching.

Cobblestone Camping certainly now has a place in my recommendations for those looking to explore outside Aromatic blends. The nice Virginia flavor showcases the natural allure of the varietal while any roughness is surely smoothed by the Black Cavendish. There’s a light top flavor playing to the natural strengths of the profile. No bite, little nic hit to deal with. We even get that meager, amiable spice in the sinus adding dynamic, yet it’s nothing even the mildest tolerance would be offended by. 

Entry 3

Consistent with little complexity but significant charm. In this way, Cobblestone Camping reminds me a good deal of Cobblestone Knight. Very different Virginias blends for sure, but I had a similar impression of here’s a simple mixture doing exactly what it means to. Straightforward and easy. 

Cornell & Diehl - Dreams of Kadath

Entry 1

Well here we go, entering the ancient city of Kadath. This is my first time smoking Dreams of Kadath, but I’ve had two others from The Old Ones series. Visions of Celephaïs wasn’t for me (very unique, but its grape topping isn’t really to my taste. I could see it being a holy grail Aromatic to the right palate). However Innsmouth I loved. Like Innsmouth, we have a special varietal in Kadath, the Oriental sub-varietal Katerini.

Pre-Smoke

Breaking the seal immediately unleashes a strong, delightful aroma. Stewed fruit, citrus, a liquor/fermented note. Even in the tin note you can tell Kadath has depth and plays boldly in both earthiness and sweetness.

And of course we must talk about this neatly cut plug, classically made up of sizable cuts of leaf. This more traditional plug is actually a first for the Tobacco Files. We’ve had plugs that are more in the realm of extra-densely pressed cakes, but you need a knife to really cut through this one. It would be easy enough to pull off a layer from the top, but given the size of the component leaf, you wouldn’t be getting the intended portion of varietals I imagine.

I forgot that I'd be dealing with a true plug but I had a box cutter here that worked well enough for taking off a corner. Each piece of leaf is still quite sizable so I break some down a little further to layer and put on top of the pack as kindling.

Something tells me a wider bowl will be more pack-friendly and offer a fuller view of this mix of myriad varietals. However, I’ve been excited to smoke this new Rossi Piccolo 313, and I’ll be trying Kadath every which way eventually, so let’s start with Rossi. 

Lighting up

Immediately it’s clear we have a rich blend in Dreams of Kadath. Earthy; grassy; tangy, fermented fruit, fig, and a bit of spice are all on display.

That liquor note I picked up on in the tin aroma certainly comes through, a brandy essence that is very pleasing. Earthy, woody notes from the Burley rise quickly to meet the array of floral and spice and contrast the sweetness in a complex dance of full body and flavor.

I certainly think this one calls for a wider bowl, but nonetheless, I’m very much enjoying it. It does ask for a mindful cadence to keep a nice tempered burn. That earthy side can go acrid and overbear the sweetness if over-stoked, but kept at a smolder and you get a wonderful spectrum of flavor.

Kadath is complex, I could probably go on about little impressions, but I feel like it’s best not to get too verbose on a first impression when things are subject to fall a bit more into place, so I’ll leave it here and hopefully have a more concise impression with a bit more familiarity. But I can say it’s a good first impression, Kadath very much has my interest. It’s one of those that you’re immediately excited for the next bowl, you know you’ve only gotten a glimpse and with every variable that comes from another pipe, who knows what will be presented.

Entry 2

After some time with Kadath in numerous pipes, I definitely find the most full range of flavor in larger chambers, but it has been a consistently pleasant smoke no matter the pipe.

With so many varietals in this mix, it can be a bit difficult to isolate the role of each component, but it’s a great blend and wading through the mystery is part of the fun for me.

The Katerini is an interesting part of the profile. Katerini is a sub-varietal of the Oriental—or Turkish—varietal family. Nowadays when we have an “Oriental” component, it is usually a mix of a few different Orientals. But here we just have that pure Grecian Katerini. There's a floral, herbal spice I imagine to be the Katerini—or perhaps emergent from the interplay between the Katerini and Kentucky. The Katerini also seems to offer that earthy, meaty, mushroom Oriental character.

We also have the top flavorings that play so nicely into the natural tobacco attributes, especially the Virginia stewed fruit.

The earthy, woody side almost has a cigar leaf character that—with the harmonious currant, spice, and smoky notes—results in a unique depth.

While it’s certainly a full-flavored blend with a good medium to full strength, the peppery spice of the Perique is palpable but unobtrusive, offering some weight without obscuring the symphony of flavors beneath.

Entry 3

Though I can’t think of a tobacco I would compare it to, there does seem to be something quintessentially C & D about Kadath. Perhaps the Burley umph, natural and woody which seems to swell as you smoke down the bowl.

Kadath certainly makes me want to make my way through the rest of the Old One’s series. 

Featured Cigars

On to the Featured Cigars, both of ‘em. As I wrote at the top of the column, I had already decided to include my notes on a Perdomo cigar I very much enjoyed before I got a great smoke from a Cobblestone Classic—my first time trying a cigar from the brand. A great smoke from an affordable brand is always a win so I figure why not include two premium cigars this time around? We’ll start with the Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne Robusto.

Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne Robusto

Wrapper  - Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder   - Nicaraguan 
Filler   - Nicaraguan
Size     - 5 X 54

First third:

• Cedar and bread are the first things I notice followed by grass notes
• Light cocoa, noticeable in the finish
• Smooth, neat burn from the start
• A nice herbal retrohale 

Second third:

• Strength at this point is between mild and medium
• I notice a light sweetness develop
• Pleasant roasted nuts
• Creamy smoke all the way through, very satisfying draw

Final Third:

• Strength takes a minor step up, around the medium mark if just shy of it
• Nuttiness rises a bit into the final third
• A slight leather note peeks at the close 
  

  ---

Cobblestone Classic Habano Toro

Wrapper  - Ecuadorian Habano
Binder   - Nicaraguan
Filler   - Nicaraguan
Size     - 6 X 50

First third:

• Starts with very nice woody and cocoa notes
• Breadiness settles in and I get some hazelnut
• A somewhat wobbly burn line evens out before requiring any touching up
• The nutty character seems most prominent with a budding toastiness

Second third:

• Medium strength settles in
• Oaky in the retrohale

Final Third:

• Nothing else to contribute really except construction held nicely to the end. Pretty much a very consistent profile with this Cobblestone Classic.
  

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Until next time...

Let’s end things with a Halloween story.

So I’m at a Halloween party the other night and as I walk into the back yard, what do I see but a farmer with a corn cob pipe? “Missouri Meerschaum!” I smile at him. Farmer turns it upside down, showing me the sticker at the base, “yeah!” with a look that said, how’d this guy know the brand of my corn cob pipe (if it wasn’t clear, my farmer friend’s pipe was simply part of his costume). “I work in pipes,” I explained, which prompted laughter from the farmer and his pals.

Not rudely, they actually thought it was a joke.

So I go digging through my backpack, pulling out my pipe bag and opening it to show them my Chacom pipe, “no really, I’m a pipe guy.” That’s usually how my friends say it, “Greg’s a pipe guy!”

I pull out my tobacco pouch—”you wanna try smoking it?”

“Yeah!...That’s actually tobacco right?”

I prompted him to smell the pouch which was filled with the honey sweet aroma of Cornell & Diehl Sun Bear. Well, I packed that farmer’s cob and pretty soon it was more than a prop.

Had to share that—thanks for reading!

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

Cavendish origins
U.S. and English Style Cavendish
Black Cavendish
How Cavendish is used in a blend
Stoved Virginia
Brown Cavendish
Unflavored Cavendish
Blend base

What is Cavendish tobacco? The first thing you’re likely to hear is that it’s not really a tobacco as much as a process. This isn’t so unusual to us  tobacco pipe smokers—only after pressure fermentation can we have Perique, and it simply isn’t Latakia if it hasn’t been fire-cured.

However, these process-specific tobaccos are also defined by the source tobacco—i.e., the varietal that undergoes the process—and we take care to denote discrepancies when they arise. For instance, Perique's source tobacco is a particular Burley cultivated in St. James Parish, Louisiana. When there was a departure from this precedent—using a mixture of the St. James with Green River Burley—we got Acadian Perique, and appropriately designated the original as  St. James Perique. We similarly differentiate Syrian and Cyprian Latakia, distinguished by the Oriental source leaf and the woods over which they’re fire-cured. 

Basically, there’s some variation, but it's all pretty tidy.

Cavendish is the wild west. Yes it’s a process, but it can refer to any tobacco that has gone through that process, and the degree to which the process is employed can vary. The terminology around Cavendish tobacco can often feel like a vernacular mare’s nest, where terms with half-baked definitions have a semantic reach that can cause confusion. And as we’ll see, the word Cavendish is sometimes used to describe tobacco that hasn't been through the Cavendish process at all. 

In this blog, I would like to explore the elusive Cavendish through its history and modern usage to make sense of the broad way we think about this important component of  pipe tobacco.

Origins of Cavendish

Like with so much tobacco history, especially concerning ways of processing or adulterating leaf, there’s some lore involved. This one goes back to the late 1500s with the travels of Sir Thomas Cavendish (sometimes spelt Candish).

Thomas Cavendish

In his voyages to the "New World," Cavendish was reported to have experimented with tobacco that he transported (which would have been  Nicotiana rustica, as John Rolfe wouldn’t introduce Nicotiana tabacum to Virginia until the early 17th century). The reports of this experimentation vary; Dale Harrison writes in "Back to Basics - Cornerstones of New World Tobacco" for Pipes and Tobaccos magazine, “some accounts that cover the period describe Cavendish applying sugar to tobacco, probably dipping the leaves in sugar water. A few suggest he either stored tobacco in rum barrels or directly applied rum to the leaves.”¹

Harrison goes on to explain that in the centuries to come, methods of flavoring tobacco expanded from Cavendish’s innovation, being hailed as one of “the most decorated U.S. agricultural products” at the 1851 World’s Fair in London.

Through the years "Cavendish" has taken on a broad definition. It's used liberally and has made friends with plenty of adjectives. Read some pipe tobacco reviews—whether authored by casual hobbyists or the cognoscenti in the Trial by Fire column of old Pipes and Tobaccos issues—you'll run into toasted Cavendish, stoved Cavendish—red, dark, (un)flavored, (un)sweetened, blonde, golden; the list goes on.

Let’s start in the simplest of terms—Cavendish usually refers to a tobacco that has been darkened through a process of steam, heat, and pressure. It is often flavored but that’s by no means a hard rule. Though less common, Cavendish may also be used to refer to a tobacco base that has not been through the Cavendish process as we understand it.

Much of the confusion arises from how different the output of this process can be based on myriad factors, and how different approaches have developed over the years. Let’s look at how some of those differences arose on both sides of the Atlantic.

US and English Style Cavendish

It seems "Cavendish" in reference to a particular process and cut of tobacco came into the lexicon around the mid-19th century. Even early on, flavoring was not requisite to Cavendish, as we see "sweetened" and "unsweetened" varieties. But from some of the earliest mentions of this style of tobacco, there seems to be distinct American and English/European approaches to Cavendish. Still today, the customs differ in how Cavendish is made. 

The American style is associated with generous top flavoring, which we often identify with  Aromatic tobacco blends. The American style is traditionally Burley based. The English Cavendish uses Virginia tobacco. Of course, there are no hard and fast rules—especially today. As we’ll see, it is not at all uncommon for American manufacturer’s to make a Virginia based Cavendish, or unflavored Cavendish. But looking back on the history gives us some insight on how these styles came to be.

English Purity Laws

We often hear of the emergence of the “English” blend genre being a result of strict purity laws that didn’t allow for added flavorings by British manufacturers. In fact,  English blends were once broadly interpreted as non-Aromatics, a more encompassing genre than the Latakia blends we apply the name to today. Well it seems such regulation may be important to this development of different Cavendishs as well. 

Notes from Parliamentary debate leading to the Tobacco Duties Bill of 1863 give us some insight into the state of UK tobacco regulation at the time and its impact. It seems that import duties on manufactured tobacco were unreasonably high, so as to stymie foreign competition and give “a monopoly to the home manufacturer."³ But this had the opposite effect in the case of Cavendish. The production of "sweetened Cavendish" was prohibited in England, and although import was also banned, that measure “did not take practical effect,” and much sweetened Cavendish was smuggled and sold in the UK. This led to a decision to lessen the import duties, as well as allowed for the domestic manufacture of sweetened Cavendish in bond.

However, this didn’t do much to promote the British manufacture of sweetened Cavendish. In his 1881 work, The Tobacconist, a Guide to the Retail Trade, William Robert Loftus writes:

By the revenue laws, manufacturers in this country are now allowed to use sweetening or flavouring matter in the preparation of Cavendish…for the purposes of imitating foreign tobaccos of the same kind ; but the manufacture must be conducted in bonded warehouses, away from their ordinary manufacturing premises, under the supervision of the Customs, and the tobacco vended in stamped and labelled packets. ⁴

It seems even after the 1863 bill, sweetened Cavendish didn’t exactly catch on in England. Most of it was imported. The existing restrictions on production likely played a role, but there's reason to believe the English palate had found fondness for other styles of blending. 

Old tin of Gallaher's Rich Aromatic Honeydew

Loftus tells us of another interesting tobacco process—Honeydew. He explains Honeydew as “cavendish without the dark colour which the great bulk of cavendish possesses, and also...without the molasses or liquorice used in the preparation of sweet cavendish.” It seems that although most sweetened Cavendish was imported, there was plenty of riffing on the process happening within the limitations placed on British manufacturing.

What does this all mean? Speculation incoming—

This history seems to lend insight into the development of the US's association with top flavor and the UK’s “brown Cavendish” as it might be called (a term we’ll be talking about a bit more below). One can also see how Virginia tobacco makes sense as the base for unsweetened Cavendish, as it has more natural sugar. Likewise, Burley—even before being made into Cavendish—is somewhat neutral and takes on flavor well, making it a practical base for flavored Cavendish.

Black Cavendish

I mentioned all these names you may hear with "Cavendish," but one title seems to dominate—so what's Black Cavendish? 

A 1903 issue of a British periodical, Truth, includes a rebuke of the War Office for mismanagement of taxpayer funds on unfavorable tobacco that was going to waste. The author claims that, although aware that the tobacco was undesirable to these young British men, the office “proceeded to make large purchases of black Cavendish tobacco in cakes in the United States.”⁵ The tobacco in question is described as “the strongest kind of American cake tobacco, which is saturated with molasses to the extent of 30 per cent or more…” 

Cornell & Diehl Black Cavendish

My guess is that Black Cavendish began as a term for the American style—generously flavored and especially dark. 

Today, Black Cavendish is any tobacco that has been put through the processes of heat, steam and pressure to the point of significant darkening. Different terms might be favored when the leaf isn’t darkened nearly black—but we’re talking about degrees of the same process.

However, within this basic criteria exists much room for variables. The type of tobacco being used in the process is of course important, but also the particulars of how the blackening of the leaf is achieved. Manufacturers will have their own methods and equipment for this process.

You’ll sometimes see Black Cavendish described as a fire-cured tobacco. While not necessarily inaccurate, this can be confusing as most of us likely associate fire-curing with a much different process—the smoking of Kentucky or Latakia. Rest assured, when used to describe Cavendish, it’s simply referencing the stoving process.

When you take a largely variable product, in an industry lacking standardized terminology, you can bet there will be plenty of opportunity for confusion. There’s a number of loosely defined terms around the process, and I’ll try to clear some of that up—but first, let’s look into why putting tobacco through the process is desirable at all.

How is Cavendish used in a blend? 

While this process and the leaf used may look quite different from one blending house to the next, heat, pressure, and steam are principal to the Cavendishing process. So why would we want to do this with the leaf?

Much of Black Cavendish’s allure has to do with its utility, you could say. For starters, Black Cavendish is almost always made from Burley or Virginia, tobaccos notoriously suited to the base of a blend. Dark leaf usually makes us think of bold condiments such as Perique or Latakia, darkened through extended pressure fermentation or fire-curing—the dark shade of Black Cavendish however belies the leaf’s exceptional mildness. The process cooks out most of the tobacco flavor, leaving a very neutral profile. This makes the leaf especially adept in taking on flavor, hence why it’s common in Aromatic mixtures.

Put simply, it’s a great vehicle for other flavors. But this neutral attribute can serve a non-Aromatic blend all the same, melding the tobacco flavors and casing.

Additionally, its mellow characteristic is often appreciated for tempering harsher attributes of the other tobaccos, “smoothing the rough edges” as it’s often put. Having already been “cooked,” it doesn’t get as hot and can facilitate an even and cool smolder of a blend.

Black Cavendish can also bring more volume to a smoke. Often we’ll hear it described as “creamy.” While this imparts a satisfying sensory experience, it also allows the flavor to better express on the full palate.

However, it’s not all about these utility or sensory contributions. Black Cavendish offers something in taste as well. Though we describe it as “neutral,” the blackened leaf isn’t totally without flavor of its own. The process caramelizes the natural sugars offering a sweet note that’s often described as brown sugar or molasses-like.

Peter Stokkebye PS 403 Luxury Bullseye Flake - Virginia Perique coins with Black Cavendish center

I’m particularly fond of its use in a number of Virginia blends such as  Davidoff Flake Medallions, Mac Baren Dark Twist, or Peter Stokkebye PS 403 Luxury Bullseye Flake. That caramelized sugar with bready Virginia seems to bring forth a delightfully toasty sensation that reminds me of a freshly baked confection. Then contrasted with some bold condiment such as Perique or Kentucky Fire-Cured, and you can get some wonderfully dynamic results.

All in all, Cavendish is an incredibly diverse tool in the blender’s arsenal.

Navigating the language

Clearly, Cavendish has many uses, but there’s a lot of variation with the product itself. Being a process, different production customs crystalize regionally, as does terminology.

Burley after sugar casing - ready to be blackened

Even narrower from regional norms, the product will vary from blending house to blending house. Every operation has their own recipe—the varietal used, grade of the leaf, if and how the leaf is cased, machinery used, and adjustments to the process, such as how long the leaf is steamed or held under pressure. Each manufacturer will have their own proprietary process, and may even employ more than one approach depending on the Cavendish’s destined mixture. Naturally, such a diverse product can spur some jargon. 

Let’s take a closer look into some of the vernacular used around the Cavendish process—

Stoved Virginia

Note: I’ll refer to Black Cavendish made with Virginia tobacco as Virginia Cavendish for brevity. I’ll do the same with Burley Cavendish.

While Virginia Cavendish is the norm in Europe, it has its place in the States as well, which brings us to our first term worth looking into. 

For a while, “Stoved Virginia” confused me. I understood that Black Cavendish was—irrespective of the source tobacco—leaf that had been through the process of heat, steam, and pressure. I thought that a Stoved Virginia then had to be something a little different, maybe a cousin to Black Cavendish with a small discrepancy or two in the process.

Chris Morgan Jackalope - Stoved Virginia Plug

No, it’s just another name for a Virginia processed into Black Cavendish. Seeing as Burley Cavendish is the traditional American method, I wonder if perhaps Stoved Virginia was adopted by US manufacturers as the name for Virginia Cavendish as means of distinguishing from Burley Cavendish. Again, I speculate. 

That said, understanding a Stoved Virginia to be no different than Virginia Cavendish may not be right in all cases. Some blending houses may have their own terminology that is standardized within their operation that distinguishes Stoved Virginia from Virginia Cavendish.

Cornell & Diehl Red Virginia Cavendish

For instance,  Cornell & Diehl offer a Red Virginia Cavendish as a blending component, but it is also used in a few of their blends such as the classic Aromatic, Autumn Evening. The tin description even reads “Cornell & Diehl’s proprietary Red Virginia Cavendish…” (emphasis added).

Cornell & Diehl Autumn Evening

However, Cornell & Diehl manufactures other blends whose descriptions reference Stoved Red Virginias, such as Star of the East, Yorktown, and  Two Friends Redwood. It seems there could be a distinction in how they treat these Reds which informs whether they’re deemed Stoved or Cavendish.

Brown Cavendish

This is another term you might hear used a few different ways.

You’ll often see it in casual discussion reflecting the apparent lightness of the leaf compared to what you’d expect Black Cavendish to be. Basically saying, this doesn’t seem to be steamed and pressed to the extent of Black Cavendish, thus modifying the name. Again, degrees of the same process. 

An example to consider is  Gawith Hoggarth & Co.'s Brown Cavendish. The description begins “a little stronger compared to black cavendish…” which certainly gives the impression that it’s been through an abbreviated Cavendish process, not blackening and mellowing the leaf to the degree that Black Cavendish is. The description also tells us the Brown Cavendish is “based on a pure burley blend…” This is interesting, because another way we hear “Brown Cavendish'' used is in reference specifically to Virginia Cavendish (European/British Cavendish you may also hear).

The swap in colors isn’t too surprising given Europe’s tradition of Virginia Cavendish. It does seem that Virginia Cavendish retains a bit lighter shade compared to Burley Cavendish. Of course, top flavoring lends to the darkness of the leaf as well, which likely factors into the association with American blending and Black Cavendish. 

Peterson My Mixture 965 

Peterson My Mixture 965 (formerly Dunhill) is the quintessential example of a Brown Cavendish English blend.

Unflavored Black Cavendish

We often see the component tobacco referred to as “unflavored Black Cavendish” in tin descriptions. Ironically, it was the straight forwardness that sent me astray when I was first getting into pipe smoking. Unflavored Black Cavendish is exactly what it sounds like. Black Cavendish that hasn’t been flavored. But then again, that’s also what Black Cavendish is.

Sutliff TS23 Black Toasted Cavendish

Though "Black Cavendish" doesn’t inherently imply flavoring, I can see why a blender or manufacturer might want to elaborate that the blend in question is not an Aromatic, given the association between the blend type and Black Cavendish.

“Toasted Black Cavendish” may also be used to mean unflavored.

Cavendish as a blend base

We come now to the other way we see the word “Cavendish” applied—essentially meaning a base tobacco blend that has not been processed as Cavendish as we know it. You may also see this called “Golden Cavendish,” but that term is also used for Cavendish processed from Bright Virginia.

Sutliff J6 Golden Cavendish - A base blend Virginia and Burley with a vanilla casing

Now, many would say that this usage is a misnomer and isn’t Cavendish at all. Maybe so, but the objective of this piece is not to prescribe—I’m wearing my descriptivist hat here.

This base that often sports the Cavendish name usually consists of Burley, Virginias—sometimes even Black Cavendish—and with some form of casing. Why might these mixtures be called Cavendish?

Well first, I wouldn’t get too hung up on the why. Without a standardized terminology, it’s likely not so calculated, but a matter of natural semantic broadening. And if you think about it, you don’t have to stretch the traditional usage too far to get there. If we were to classify Cavendish less by how it’s processed and more by its utility as a base ideal for topping with flavoring and/or condimental tobacco, it isn’t a far cry. 

Cornell & Diehl Chocolate Cavendish - Chocolate and cocoa bean flavoring atop their traditional Cavendish base

In fact, we can see a very early instance of such a broad interpretation from the 19th century UK regulations. W. A. Penn writes in The Soverane Herbe - A History of Tobacco in 1902, “as any tobacco containing sweetening comes under the Customs' designation of…cavendish, the bright-flake sweetened tobaccos, now very popular, are so-called, though they scarcely resemble true cavendish, which is very black and strong.”⁶ By this measure, Cavendish is simply a flavored tobacco blend. 

(Note: This is the second source I ran into from this period referring to the American style Cavendish as strong. Interesting, as we know Cavendish to be mild—a mellowing agent in fact. My best guess is this is in reference to the rich flavor, or perhaps the process at the time didn't steam out that nicotine quite so much. You could see then how the Burley Cavendish might be harsh to palates acclimated to the nic-light Virginia. Some things remain a mystery!)

Takeaway...

When I say "embracing ambiguity," I really mean it. As I wrote, I'm not trying to prescribe. I was not compelled to write about the Cavendish thicket because I thought I could untangle it. I just wanted to get a better look at it. I don't really think it needs correcting or tidying up. You can't tame language, but you can learn a lot from one little word. And chasing down "Cavendish" has been a fascinating voyage. 

Reference(s): 

1. Dale Harrison. “Back to Basics - Cornerstones of New World Tobacco.” Pipes and Tobaccos Magazine, Spring 2019
    
2. Mann Nephews. Tobacco Whiffs for the Smoking Carriage: Being Mainly a Reprint of Articles which Appeared in a London Daily Paper (1874)
    
3. Great Britain, Parliament. Cobbett's Parliamentary Debates, Wyman (1879)
    
4. W. R. Loftus. "The Tobacconist" - A Practical Guide to the Retail tobacco Trade in all its Branches (1881)
    
5. Truth Volume 54 (1903)
    
6. W. A. Penn. The Soverane Herbe: A History of Tobacco, Grant Richards (1901)

Attribution(s):

1. Willem and Magdalena van de Passe; The Man in Question (original uploader), Thomas Cavendish, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
    
2. Auckland Museum, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

[Sutliff Cringle Flake is set to drop Dec. 2, 2022 at midnight  EST&91;

We’re back with yet another bonus column for the Tobacco Files, which means I’ve been digging into a new, soon to be released, tobacco blend. That new blend of course is this year's Cringle Flake, the annual offering from Sutliff Tobacco. The first year, released in 2019, featured a mixture of only Red Virginias, but for the last two iterations, we've seen a mix of matured and lightly stoved Red Virginias with 2003 Perique.

It seems this year's Cringle Flake uses the same ingredients as 2021; Reds with 20+ years of age on them and that 2003 Perique, now with 19 years on it (2020 used 10-year-old Reds, it seems somewhere along the way this older stock was procured to make the annual release extra special).

Sutliff Cringle Flake 2022

Entry 1 - Pre-smoke

I’m going to do things a little differently this time around (and likely going forward) with the Tobacco Files format. Entry 1 will only contain pre-smoking information such as presentation and tin note. I’ll do my first entry actually digging into the smoking notes after having experienced Cringle Flake a few times. 

I open the tin to find some classic Sutliff cuts—sliced into thick cake-like flakes that easily crumble down.

But the first thing I notice is the tin note—I need not bring my nose to the open tin. The moment that seal was broken I could smell the fermented, vegetative, barnyard bouquet from that aged Perique. I’m sure there’s more to it than that, I think I make out some wood and acidity, but it'll likely take some time airing out for me no access what nuance might be behind the imposing Perique. 

Breaking up the flakes, you get rather long strands of the Red Virginias and a good scattering of Perique, cut quite small. I imagine it might be easy to pack this with the larger strands, neglecting to get those smaller particles that fall to the bottom, so I take care to get pinches of the fine Perique layered throughout the chamber. 

This is hardly a departure from my normal routine—anytime I have a blend that's cut somewhat thick, or that I'm packing in chunks, I like breaking down some of the leaf to smaller pieces that I'll use to fill space without tamping the larger pieces too dense, which can easily compromise a good airflow. 

On the other hand, this could be an opportunity for some to experiment with how much Perique they’d like—similar to how one might approach the concentrated center of Black Cavendish in certain coin cuts (Charatan Rolls, or McConnel Highgate, for instance). But honestly, this Perique seems so potent, it will certainly have a say in the flavor just by the marriage within the airtight tin.

Well, I have my Longchamp packed up for my first bowl.

Entry 2

From the first smoke it became clear that, while the Perique was heavily featured in the tin note, there was a lot more going on in the profile. I should also say that, having given the tin time to air out, a bit more clarity came through in the aroma; namely that vinegar note common to Sutliff Red Virginias. 

Cringle Flake greets with rich, stewed fruit. Tangy and woody with a dark, herbal spice. The profile is deep with harmonious, bold flavors. This can obstruct subtleties in the first few smokes but the more I’ve familiarized myself with Cringle Flake, the more there’s been to find. Notably a citrus, grassy, vegetative undertone—the brightness of which is a welcome contrast to the wood, dark fruit and spice that are most on show.

The Perique certainly adds a bit of pepper, somewhat lively in the sinus but not so vigorous as to turn off most smokers appreciative of a little kick. The strength seems solidly medium, but taste a step or two beyond. 

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

That vinegar note comes through subtly in the profile. It plays a nice role in drawing out the tangy Red Virginia without cutting too hard. I don’t mind when the vinegar is more generously applied, such as with Sutliff’s 515 RC-1, but the acidity can be assertive and undercut the subtleties of an otherwise dynamic mixture. This can be perfectly acceptable depending on the blend, but the cooperative, accenting role it takes here is a terrific contribution.

The burn is very agreeable. I thought it might need some dry time when I first rubbed part of a flake out, but I went ahead with it anyway despite Cringle Flake being slightly more moist than is generally my preference. I give it two charring lights, which is often how I approach larger cut leaf so as to get the surface evenly charred. From there, I get a cool, consistent, slow burn coming right from the tin each time with no threat of bite. I think the light stoving of the Virginias goes a long way in smoothing the roughness and tempering combustibility without cooking the flavor out. 

Entry 3

I don't know if it's how these Virginias have matured, the particular grade, or the light stoving process—I'm sure they all play a role—but there's a pleasing and refreshing individuality. Between the stewed fruit and figgy side and the wood and pepper, I get something like orange peel—fruity but tart and earthy. 

My preference has certainly been for at least an average size chamber for Cringle Flake. There aren’t a lot of components, but given the cut, it’s easier to get a nice balance with the larger Virginia leaf and Perique particles. My Bruno Nuttens Heritage Bing II delivered an especially wonderful smoke.

Something I’ve really grown to appreciate with Cringle Flake is its engagement with the palate. With each puff the zest eagerly expresses upon the mid and side of the tongue, with the sweet zing at the tip and pepper in the olfactory—it covers broadly without overwhelming.

And ya know, something about the herbal spice of Cringle Flake does elicit a holiday spirit. It’s not as though it's topped to specifically do so, so I’m not sure if it’s just my brain backing up the association because it’s a Christmas blend or what, but hey, it’s a pleasure to lean into the jolly nonetheless.

Until Next Time...

Next time will be quite soon as I'm finishing up the regular Tobacco Files column for the pipe blends and featured premium cigar that I've enjoyed this November. Then it's on to December, and I think I'll have something a little different for the last month of the year.  

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

Compare & Share for December is now live!

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

Mystery Blend #1 - Sutliff Christmas Spice 

Mystery Blend #2 - Cobblestone Maple Walnut 

Thank you to all who participated! We started a Facebook group where all are welcome to join to discuss the Mystery Blends. Feel free to join us for the October Compare & Share!

Past Compare & Share:

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 cigar 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 a   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.

For this month's column, we have two absolute classics that have been gracing the palates of pipe smokers for decades; more than a century for our first blend, in fact. The imitable Aromatic Virginia introduced by Dunhill in 1912, now a staple of the Peterson lineup, we have Royal Yacht. Then the maple accented roll, Mac Baren Dark Twist. 

Though it wasn't my intention when choosing these blends, I think they both are exemplar of how wonderfully a little top flavoring can enrich the natural characteristics of a great pipe tobacco blend. 

And of course, we'll bring it all together with some informal notes on one of my favorite premium cigars that I've enjoyed this month. The featured smoke for this File will be the pure Mexican leaf Casa Turrent 1880 Colorado Robusto.

Peterson Royal Yacht

Entry 1 - Pre-Smoke

So Peterson Royal Yacht is going to be another return for me. I knew it’d be quite a busy month so to carve out a little leisure where I could, I figured I’d revisit a familiar favorite.

In my pre-smoke gabbing I usually move right to the description of the leaf, but I have to say, Royal Yacht dons one of my favorite tin designs. I don’t know what it is, something's just really classic about it, and I’m not usually one for vibrant but when it works it works. And the font’s so interesting too - looks normal enough at first glance but when you keep looking it’s just a little eccentric.

Anyway, onto the stuff in the tin. It’s a thin cut ribbon with small to medium strands of light to dark brown leaf, some with a bit of a reddish tint. It’s all Virginias here, I imagine they have to be vigilant in sourcing some high nicotine grade(s) for this one, as it’s a heavy blend and it ain’t coming from any Burley.

Of course, it is topped with a fruity plum flavor and often is referred to as an Aromatic. Subjective as these categories are, I didn’t think that was so apt a label before, so we’ll see if I feel any different now. It’s certainly not apparent from the tin note. There is a light fruitiness but grass, wood, and hay are about as well. It certainly sustains a naturalness about it.

Was planning to have the inaugural smoke in about an hour so I popped the tin to take some out to dry but the moisture actually seems perfect, so I’m gonna go ahead and keep it tinned till I’m ready to pack it up.

Entry 2

Royal Yacht is a consistent joy to smoke, but it has a good deal of strength one should be mindful of.

From the start, the Virginias offer citrus, bread, and grassy notes. There is certainly a plummy, fruity note, though it's hard to know if much or any of that is the Virginia contribution or if it's all the work of the top flavoring. At any rate, it's still a natural, dark fruitiness, far from saccharine. 

There is a woody, herbal quality to the Royal Yacht. It's one of those stronger blends that feels strong. By which I mean, often that oomph comes as a developing nic-hit–mostly noticeable when the effect comes on. Royal Yacht is felt right away in the back of the mouth, up into the olfactory. 

As I remember from Royal Yacht, the flavor is very straightforward, a consistent profile that isn't complicated and doesn't surprise. It doesn't have the fermented side of some Virginias, which I think is at the root of a lot of complexity with Virginia blends. The dry, woody, floral base is even and hardy. Chamber size doesn't seem to factor into its performance, so I take the opportunity to enjoy some of my smaller pipes that often don't lend themselves so much to complex blends. My meerschaum bent Billiard of unknown origin is a favorite among them. 

Royal Yacht has a very pleasing smokiness—not in the sense of smoky, campfire flavor like Latakia, but like the spread of Black Cavendish, though I wouldn't call it dense or creamy like you get from Black Cavendish. The spread without the weight, if that makes sense. It's certainly another factor to my appreciation of Royal Yacht as a light-it-and-forget-it blend (so long as you're ready for the nic hit). 

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

Entry 3

Since Royal Yacht is a rather consistent mixture, and one I came to with prior experience, there's not much wrestling to do with it. Nothing I've uncovered since my last entry, so I'll leave it at that. As I type, I've got some Royal Yacht packed in my Missouri Meerschaum Emerald cob, enjoying the pleasure of revisiting a tried and true classic. 

Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake

Entry 1 - Pre-smoke

Next we have Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake—another historic blend that has stood the test of time.

I'm coming to Dark Twist with the prior experience of one smoke. I was generously gifted what remained of a one pound bag, which is why the above picture doesn't feature a tin as I usually have for such blends. (But for the visual effect, I did paste an image of the Dark Twist logo on the jar, then added some glare effect in a failed effort to make it look natural. This is why I don't do graphics here.)

Anyway, after that one smoke, I was enamored and knew I wanted to explore Dark Twist for a Tobacco File. 

Now, when I got the bag, it was closed but had been opened, i.e., it wasn't airtight, and I'm not sure how long it was unsealed. Feeling the coins, they're rather dry, but not totally friable. I can scrunch them up and they still have some spring, so we'll see—worst case scenario, I'll have to do a little rehydrating. 

For the cut we have these small, loosely held coins. I really like these smaller ones, they're very amenable to stacking in a moderately sized chamber. An interesting aspect of Dark Twist coins is that every third or so of them contain Kentucky.

From the tin note (it's a jar but tin note just sounds right, ya know?) I get hints of wood, birch, a warm toasty note. I pack up my Lorenzetti Avitus 49. This is a new pipe for me, though not my first from the line. I got a Lorenzetti Avitus 95 Rhodesian a year and some change ago and it's been one of my favorite smokers to accompany busy hands, i.e, a great clencher. I've been frequenting my favorite clenchers quite a bit making it difficult to give 'em a good rest after every smoke, so I thought I'd add one to the roster. 

Entry 2

From the first light I'm loving dark twist; toasty warmth like baking bread, honey sweetness, a light cocoa note. A citrus and grassy base that has a very nice way of playing against the wood and sweetness in the body. I get a bit of an herbal component, sort of green tea-like.  

However, I'm having trouble sustaining all that. It's getting pretty hot into the second third, conjuring tongue bite. Hopefully, this will just be a matter of a little rehydrating. I'm going to keep this entry brief so that I can try to rehydrate Dark Twist and give it a few proper smokes. 

Entry 3

So I spread some Dark Twist  about the edges of a Tupperware container with a small 4 oz mason jar of water in the center and left it overnight with the lid on and in the morning it was well hydrated. In fact, it was clear it would need a little drying before smoking—overnight may not have been necessary since it wasn't bone dry. At any rate, I let it sit for about 30 minutes before rubbing some coins out—perfect.  

I now get quite long strands from rolling out the coins. I guess they were a bit more friable than I realized before rehydrating. It makes sense that a portion of the ribbons, when not broken down so much, are rather long, as whole leaf is used to wrap the rope before it's sliced. You can see what I mean with a couple strands I laid straight in the above picture.

Since rehydrating, Dark Twist has been a delight—the same qualities that first grabbed my attention (and then some), without the bitey, acrid decline from dry leaf burning too hot. It was especially a joy to smoke in my most recent restoration—an Amphora X-tra 729.

Here's a little before and after—not too shabby. 

The toasty breadiness is there with a little more sweetness up front, specifically a sort of caramelized sugar from Mac Baren's proprietary Virginia-based Black Cavendish.

There's also a delightful brown sugar taste that I imagine that Cavendish is imparting, perhaps bolstered by the maple topping. I do get a hint of that topping but I'm not so sure I'd distinctly identify it as maple without prior knowledge. At any rate, the molasses sweetness and warm bready, woody flavor make for a remarkable dynamic. 

Also in that sweet ensemble is lovely honey nectar that alights vibrantly on the tip of the tongue. I know I'm prating on about the sweetness of Dark Twist, but it's not that it's so sweet, just that the sweet side offers a fantastic mélange.

I think much of the Kentucky character was also a bit hidden previously as I now notice more of a floral accent and condimental spice that offers more rewarding nuance. 

I'm certainly going to go ahead and rehydrate the rest of my Dark Twist, this is one to stock up on according to this palate! 

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

Featured Cigar

This month, the 1880 Colorado Robusto from Casa Turrent was a real winner with me. I'm lucky to have a pal/coworker here who's more conversant in the cigar end of things than yours truly. One of those friends that when they tell you they tried something and loved it, you say, well, it's going on the list. And that's just what happened here. 

Casa Turrent 1880 Colorado Robusto

Wrapper -  Negro San Andres Colorado 
Binder  -  Habano Criollo San Andres
Filler  -  Mexican
Size    -  5¼ X 55

First third:

• I'm greeted with notes of cocoa, bread, and vegetation
• Moderate pepper in the retrohale
• Light mineral earth note
• A creamy smoke—one of those that's such a satisfying draw, you gotta remember to nurse it

Second third:

• I start to notice a subtle buttery sweetness into the second third
• A nuttiness develops and the vegetative grassy notes take a higher resolution 
• Strength has stayed around a mild-medium fullness as I move into the final third 
• Consistent mild-medium in strength

Final Third:

• Pepper in the retrohale rises in last third
• A slight return to that mineral, earthiness closes the smoke

Until next time...

Thanks for reading friends—be it this column, or any of the Tobacco Files or blogs this last year! It's been a wonderful year for this hobby of ours, and in recognition, I think I'll do a slightly different Tobacco File for December to celebrate a delightfully smokey 2022. 

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

Well, it's the last Tobacco File of 2022. Being that the year is coming to a close, I thought it would be fun to do a special column—a year in review. Instead of concentrating on two tobacco blends, I’ve been revisiting a handful of releases from over the year. I'll write a bit about each brand before giving some brief smoking notes on the blend. 

I'll  make note of some of the amazing limited releases in 2022, but I’ve chosen the featured blends based on availability. Most of them are regular productions, with a few limited releases that still have stock at the time of writing.

Sutliff Tobacco Company

The folks at Sutliff Tobacco Company had a year filled with excellent new blends, both as manufacturer and under the Sutliff brand. 

A handful of these blends were the continued iterations of limited series. In 2022 we had the release of the third and fourth installations of the Barrel Aged Series. Most recently, the 2022 Cringle Flake was released, checking off a fourth year of another tradition. We were treated to other seasonal delights with Halloween Candy Apple and North Pole Peppermint Mocha.

Maybe most exciting of all has been the Birds of a Feather series. Sutliff kicked off 2022 with a January visit from their good friend Per Jensen, master blender at Mac Baren tobacco. Jensen concocted 6 blends during his visit, of which we’ve seen 3 released: Uno, Whimsical, and Aberrant (which means 3 still to go in 2023). With each mixture including at least one rare or scarcely blended varietal, it’s been an exciting series.

Limited releases are a great way to exercise more creative, niche approaches to blending that might be at odds with the contingencies of regular production, or to simply lean into the tastes and aromas we fondly associate with times of year. But it’s nice to see some regularly available blends too. In June, Sutliff expanded their Private Stock series with two such blends—Dark & Silky and Moroccan Spice.

Moroccan Spice

Type:       Aromatic
Tobacco:    Black Cavendish, Burley, Virginia
Flavor:     Spice
Cut:        Ribbon 

Moroccan Spice offers a creamy, flavorful smoke, perfect for the appreciator of Aromatic blends that still wants an interesting mélange to pick though. 

The profile has some similarities to Sutliff Christmas Spice—nutmeg and cinnamon—but leans a bit more into the spice element. I pick up on a clove note as well. A tart, woody, almond nutty ensemble almost gives the impression of Turkish tobacco. The amiable spices from the top flavoring harmonize eloquently with the nutty, woody Burley offering a rustic profile not often associated with Aromatic mixtures. 

Chris Morgan 

One of the highlights of 2022 for this pipe smoker was the introduction of Chris Morgan tobaccos, which are also brought to us from the Sutliff factory. This may be Chris Morgan’s first line of tobaccos, but his name is quite familiar to many of us in the hobby. He is responsible for the affordable and popular Morgan Bones pipes. He also carves high-grade, artisan pipes, putting those pristine blocks to good use.

As for these new pipe blends, I was especially taken with Jackalope, a Stoved Virginia plug from the Chris Morgan series. There is also the VaPer, Bayou Buck and the English mixture, White Rabbit. Since I featured Jackalope in a Tobacco File back around its release, I thought it’d be a great opportunity to return to White Rabbit.

White Rabbit

Type:       English
Tobacco:    Burley, Latakia, Oriental, Virginia
Cut:        Cake

[Note: I'd love to say it was intentional, but assembling this blog, I'm just now noticing how apt my Weber is with this blend. Kinda has a bunny look, right?&91;

White Rabbit is a fine English blend with a temperate sweetness and just the right amount of smokiness to my taste. The Latakia is up front with musk and leather that affably mingles with tangy red Virginias and floral, earthy Orientals. There’s a delightful cream note—carrying that sweetness, a lilt of caramel emerges. Very gentle, even being pulled through the sinus, you’ll get a little more dark, woodiness of the profile, but no sharpness.

The Orientals offer floral and a little herbal (not acrid) bitterness. Burleys bring some nuttiness to the base and a little oomph—not much, but enough to take this blend to medium strength, if not a smidge shy.

There's an anise note that's a delightful companion to the forward smokiness—sort of reminds me of the modern Bengal Slices. 

Seattle Pipe Club

When Joe Lankford introduced the blends that would come to be Mississippi River and Plum Pudding to his fellow Seattle Pipe Club members, there could have been no predicting where the venture would inevitably lead. The rise to prominence was meritocratic—a growing demand organically spurred by community chatter. Since these instant classic English mixtures hit the general market in the mid-2000s, the boutique has been a favorite among pipe smokers.

Though particularly praised for his English/Balkan recipes, Lankford brought us a line up of several other superb blends of various genres. However, never a straight Virginia—not until 2022. It was this year that we got two—Hogshead released in May, followed by Give Me Liberty in September. 

Regretfully, 2022 was also the year the pipe community was dealt a great loss with Lankford’s passing. We’re ever grateful to him for his unimpeachable contributions to this pastime.

Hogshead

Type:       Straight Virginia
Tobacco:    Virginia
Cut:        Plug

We aren't getting so many regular production blends these days, so even though I've featured Hogshead and Give Me Liberty in past Tobacco Files, I definitely wanted to include one on this list. And I mean, I really don't need an excuse to smoke more Hogshead, but it doesn't hurt to have one! It's been a favorite of mine since its release, so let's loop back for a little more praise. 

A depth of tang, bread, citrus, and plummy dark fruit alight on the palate, pulling this Virginia plug together. Red Virginias take the stage but are certainly not the whole story. A light vinegar note becomes noticeable. Below are fermented vegetative notes and woodiness. For all it's depth of flavor, Hogshead is well grounded in a dark, woody foundation. Even the brighter Virginia notes of citrus and grass are rounded; apparent but congruent. Everything is dynamically pulled together without forfeiting distinction.  

Especially gratifying is the slight spice you get in the sinus—I do love a dark Virginia that asks a little tolerance of you.

I get a little more citrus from the narrow bowl, but something wider expresses the nuance in the wood and earth foundation that I like and presents the fruit and fermentation a bit more vim. 

Cornell & Diehl

Cornell & Diehl certainly gave us much to appreciate this year. For one thing, there’s all the great tobaccos we saw come through the Small Batch series. Some of these kept with tradition, introducing past blends with tweaked recipes—8 State Burley, Sun Bear Flower Mountain, Carolina Red Flake. But we also saw two brand new Small Batch blends added to the line up (and perhaps will be the first editions of new recurring blends of their own?)—Folklore and Palmetto Balkan.

We also got two regular productions. One, albeit a reformatting of a classic, was Haunted Bookshop Cake. The other was very special, the 30th Anniversary VaPer—Anthology.

Anthology doesn't just mark the milestone of three decades of Cornell & Diehl history. It's also the inaugural blend to showcase the blending house's proprietary Perique. Through the collaborative efforts of head blender Jeremy Reeves and 31 Farms (that would be one farm named 31 Farms) in St. James Parish. Years of effort have culminated in the manufacture of genuine St. James Perique exclusively made for Cornell & Diehl. 

Anthology

Type:      Virginia/Perique   
Tobacco:   Perique, Virginia
Cut:       Flake

Lighting up, there's a flavor blitz of tang, dark fruit against cedar wood—floral accents abound. Tart and citrus are well represented. Genuine St. James Perique adds the perfect amount of earth and pepper without muddling the Virginias' complexity. With the rustic red Virginias bringing a depth of body and flavor, the bright Canadian Virginias offer dynamic citrus high notes. There’s a little bit of the red Virginia vinegar, but just a tinge, a light acidity. 

I feel there's something orange-y about Anthology. Not like artificial flavoring but as if you could accent a VaPer with an orange slice as you would a beer. 

G. L. Pease

G. L. Pease is a staple of the pipe tobacco community. His vast knowledge and sage understanding of tobacco shines through as much in his blends as it does in his captivating writings on all things pipe smoking. He appreciates the art with a thoughtful, scholarly, and romantic vision that’s contagious and makes many of us remember the depths of this fascination we share.

The last time we were graced with a new offering from Mr. Pease was the excellent English, Windjammer, back in February of 2021. It seemed 2022 may close on us without a new mixture from the creative virtuoso. Luckily we ended up with Bankside, the first installment of the highly anticipated Zeitgeist Collection. Bankside is a modern take on the classic VaPer profile.

Bankside

Type:      Virginia Based
Tobacco:   Kentucky, Latakia, Perique, Virginia
Cut:       Flake

This new offering from Pease is a mixture of bright and red Virginias, Kentucky, Latakia, and that proprietary Cornell & Diehl St. James Perique. 

Tart, vegetation, wood, and a tingling spice introduce this blend with a sense of immediacy and confidence. Blends often develop into themselves, slowly but surely. Like a movie, sometimes you watch a whole hour of slow burning set-up that’s well worth the pay off; sometimes the first scene puts you right in the thick of things. Either is great when executed right. Bankside puts you right in the thick of it and does it well.

Bankside plays in the middle ground—never so dark or so bright. But that metaphoric range (bright-dark) in describing taste only takes us so far, as "middle ground" certainly shouldn't be taken to mean "dim". The flavors that play in this range without crowding is truly one of Banksides great charms. Floral, woody Dark-Fired Kentucky is a compelling ambassador between the Virginia tang, citrus, and vegetation and the earthy, lightly plummy St. James Perique. The Latakia accents with woody, smokey notes and a light sweetness. 

Artfully crafted, thoughtfully balanced, it has Pease prints all over it. 

Cobblestone

Cobblestone is a relatively new brand, with blends coming both out of the Sutliff and Kohlhase & Kopp factories. The brand has continued to garner recognition, especially with the Indulge line of sweet, rich Aromatics and the Outdoor line of a more natural oriented, diverse line up (Cobblestone Hiking from the Outdoor series has especially turned some heads as another option in the Edgeworth Burley Slice style that's not as allusive as its peers.)

But this year we saw the limited release of the Aromatic Cobblestone no. 22 Crumble Cake—I believe the first blend from the brand outside of a series. 

No. 22 Crumble Cake 

Type:       Aromatic
Tobacco:    Black Cavendish, Burley, Virginia
Flavor:     Fruit, Honey 
Cut:        Cake

The slab-like crumble cakes are easy to prepare and despite the top flavoring need no drying time. From the tin note I pick up on an assortment of sweetness: vanilla cream, citrus, and a berry fruitiness I find tropical. It actually reminds me of another limited release from this year—Presbyterian Reformation. Despite the noted mocha flavor, I found it to have more of a berry taste.  

Lighting up definitely shows that fruity side, but there's more of a warm honey, caramel sweetness, as well. A butterscotch note that reminds me of Mac Baren Vanilla Cream. That berry note is certainly there, actually somewhat raspberry to my taste. 

I get some of the nutty, lightly woody Burley and grassy Virginias, though they are quite subdued by the top flavoring. Don't notice much in taste from the Black Cavendish, but would guess it's holding up much of the flavoring, and certainly lends to Cobblestone No. 2's creamy delivery.

Vauen

Vauen is best known for their pipes. The German manufacturer offers diverse designs which range from traditional to art deco to Shire-stylin’ Churchwardens (in fact, they created the pipes used in the Lord of the Rings movies.)

But they also have some great pipe blends, which are manufactured by Kohlhase, Kopp & Co., the German blending house, which famously produces such brands as Rattray’s, Ashton, Astley’s, John Aylesbury, Robert McConnell, Wessex, and more. 

Tradition No. 2

Type:       Virginia Based
Tobacco:    Kentucky, Perique, Virginia
Cut:        Ready-Rubbed/mix 

A mixture of 100 grams (about 3.53 oz) of ribbon, coin and even some cube cuts are packed in cellophane before being closed in a rectangular tin sporting the image of a classic 1920’s Vauen ad. A neat presentation to be sure, but it’s not all showmanship for the blend.

With Vauen Tradition No. 2, we have bright and red Virginias most featured with Perique and Kentucky as subtle condiments, but certainly enough to pepper in some nuance.

The brights I notice first— hay and light herbal notes, a bit of lemony grass. With the reds, a toasty breadiness emerges as well as some tart, dark fruit. Also noticeable is a floral quality that I imagine the Kentucky brings to the table, but get the sense the Virginia is supporting.

In the first few minutes the Perique seems to become more noticeable, offering more sensory than flavor aspects to the experience, but I soon pick up a little of that Perique mushroom-y, woodiness. As I further acclimate, I get more of the impression that the dark fruit is a bit of a harmony between the darker Virginias and Perique.

Until next time year...

Here's to another year of great blends, familiar and new. Hope you wrap 2022 up with all good company and good smokes. 

I'll see ya in 2023!

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

Strong pipe tobacco can be the delight of a waning evening, the punctuation to a good meal, even the coffee companion to spur on the day for some. That strength enriches a blend, accentuating how we experience the flavor profile and the sensory pleasures of pipe smoking.

When we hear of the “balance” of a blend, it’s easy to imagine that being a simple matter of what flavors are present and how they’re proportioned. But there's more that factors into the expression of a blend, and crucial to the balance is the relationship between strength and taste.

This list wasn’t assembled to be “these are the strongest tobacco blends out there, try them if you dare!” Rather, they are masterfully crafted mixtures that showcase the allure of full-strength pipe tobacco. Depending on the smoker, some may not even meet one’s criteria for “full-strength,” but I’m hoping it offers some different options for exploration of the heavier side of things.

One clarification before we get into it—strength and nicotine content are sometimes used interchangeably, but understand that "strength" here means something a bit broader. No doubt the nic-hit of a blend factors into its strength, but it's one component. The potency and boldness of a blend are also elements of strength—the body, the weight on the palate. Yeah, it’s a bit imprecise, a bit abstract, but ain’t it always with these things? 

Nonetheless, nicotine is relevant to strength and it's a good idea to come to such blends with some understanding of how to deal with nic-hit.

Mac Baren HH Bold Kentucky 

Type:        Virginia/Burley
Tobacco:     Kentucky, Virginia
Cut:         Flake

Blended by Per Jensen, each tobacco mixture in Mac Baren's HH line means to illustrate the brilliance of a particular varietal with no top flavoring and minimal casing. With HH Bold Kentucky, we have the fire-cured Burley known as Dark-Fired Kentucky on display. Of course, Kentucky is a strong, flavorful leaf that makes for a wonderful condiment. Much like Perique or Latakia, a little goes a long way. But since HH Bold Kentucky is all about showcasing the varietal, a good helping of USA and African Kentucky is blended with bright Virginias. The mixture is then hot pressed to marry the flavors and round out the rough edges.

With HH Bold Kentucky, the grass and hay of the bright Virginia gives the forward Dark-Fired a nice contrast. The overall profile has that fire-cured meatiness, tang, and fermentation notes. It doesn’t offer a complex array to sift through, but a simple, rich fullness that is very desirable when reaching for the heavy hitters.

Peterson Irish Flake

Type:        Burley Based
Tobacco:     Burley, Kentucky, Virginia
Cut:         Flake

Peterson Irish Flake is yet another stout blend that’s all about pure tobacco flavor. As per the description, we have an equal-parts mixture of Virginia, Burley, and Kentucky that has been pressed into a flake. Floral, earthy, woody and spice notes abound in the forward profile, rounded out with tart and citrus from the Virginias. This full-body blend is a force—you would do well to save it for a full stomach.

G. L. Pease JackKnife Plug

Type:        Virginia/Burley
Tobacco:     Kentucky, Virginia
Cut:         Plug

JackKnife Plug brought us the first blend in G. L. Pease’s New World Collection, a series that exclusively sticks to “new world” tobaccos, which Pease lists as “fine burleys, flue-cured virginias, perique, Carolina brights, dark-fired leaf from Kentucky, and perhaps some Maryland.” 

Pease attests that JackKnife was the answer to frequent requests that he create a plug and stronger blends—two birds, right? We have the powerful Kentucky leaf blended harmoniously with red Virginias around a golden Virginia core. 

In an effort to give the bright Virginias prominence, Pease employs a novel approach to the presentation of this blend. Only the red Virginia and Kentucky leaf are mixed before pressing, resulting in a layer of bright Virginia in the middle of the plug. With JackKnife, we are offered the complexity with the umph. It is a dark, hearty blend—wood, cocoa, and spice, with quaint accents of sweetness. While the nicotine is above average, JackKnife’s strength owes much to its full-body and potent flavors. 

War Horse Bar

Cornell & Diehl Bayou Night

Type:        English
Tobacco:     Burley, Latakia, Oriental, Perique, Virginia
Cut:         Ribbon

This list makes pretty clear, Kentucky is often king when it comes to strong blends—makes sense, it’s a great source of power and flavor without the potency of smokiness of Latakia or of spice from Perique. Or so I'm positing as an explanation, but whatever the reason, there’s a trend here, but certainly not a rule. Case and point, Bayou Night.

Cornell & Diehl Bayou Night is a modern classic from the great Craig Tarler—a varietal-party that packs the house and yet somehow all involved have the tact not to step on one another's toes. This is pipe tobacco that doesn’t shy from being as complex as it is hearty. Perique provides fig and pepper in abundance against a base of Burley and red Virginia with accents of Oriental spice and smoky Latakia, the latter quite mildly present. The "English" label here is one of those, well, close enough categorizations. Bayou Night has a style all its own. 

Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Kendal Kentucky

Type:       Burley
Tobacco:    Kentucky
Cut:        Shag

Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.'s Kendal Kentucky is a great, strong pipe blend to have on hand both to give a blend an interesting something extra, or to smoke alone. You'll certainly want to have a decent nicotine tolerance smoking this one straight, but peppering a blend one finds a bit too docile is one of the nice things about having some powerful tobacco around. Kendal Kentucky is a blend of pure Kentucky tobacco sourced from several African countries (Malawi, Uganda, and Tanzania). Woody, toasty, and nutty—Kendal Kentucky delivers full-strength and flavor with a super pack-friendly shag cut.

Cobblestone Kentucky Plug

Type:        Burley Based
Tobacco:     Kentucky, Virginia
Cut:         Cake

Quite a few of these offerings from Cobblestone have been proving to be secret gems. The rather recently established brand (manufactured at the Sutliff or Kohlhase & Kopp factories depending on the series) doesn't have the brand recognition as some of the major players out there, but blends like English Plug, Hiking, and Knight (to name a few) show they can sure hang with 'em. Kentucky Plug is certainly further evidence to the point.

High grade Virginias are mixed with a good portion of Dark-Fired Kentucky before being pressed into a cake (plug, cake—the light between these terms is ever dimming, but this is a pretty loose brick).

Floral, woody, and smoky notes take the lead, backed up by a bit of tang. Quality Virginias are blended as a base offering dark fruit and some brighter, grassy notes, playing an effective role in soothing the potential rough edges of the Kentucky without dulling the vibrancy. 

Kentucky Plug is on the strong side but it isn’t a bear, so I thought it would make a good inclusion on this list. If you’re interested in strong blends but feel unsure where your tolerance is, Cobblestone Kentucky Plug is an excellent place to test the waters. 

Rattray's Stirling Flake 

Type:        Virginia/Burley
Tobacco:     Burley, Kentucky, Virginia
Cut:         Flake

When production of Peterson pipe tobaccos moved from Kohlhase & Kopp, a handful of Rattray's blends popped up that are rumored to be reworkings of some of those Peterson tobaccos. Apparently, Stirling Flake is a tweaked version of the previously listed Irish Flake. 

This pristine flake delivers a wonderful bouquet; anise, earth, spice, smoky, a little fruit and tang from Virginia and some nuttiness from the Burley. To me, the Kentucky and Burley stand out a bit more than with Irish Flake. There's a lot of flavor but from light to finish, it's a constant, rather straightforward smoke. One that I quite enjoy for winding down the evening when my focus is elsewhere—great company to a book. 

Tabac Manil Réserve du Patron

Type:        Burley
Tobacco:     Semois Burley
Cut:         Ribbon

Tobacco has been grown in the Belgian Semois river valley since the 16th century for local consumption, but Joseph Pierret propped up cultivation in the mid-19th century, bringing Belgian tobacco to the wider pipe smoking world. However, myriad factors eroded the country's tobacco industry, and it just about ceased entirely in the mid 20th century. Of the few brands that sustained, none were widely available until recently, when journalist and pipe smoker Wil S. Hylton made a pilgrimage to Vincent Manil’s home in pursuit of the elusive tobacco he had a chance encounter with through his uncle-in-law. The New York Times article he wrote about the experience piqued the interest of the pipe smoking community and led to wide distribution of the Tabac Manil blends.

Semois tobacco is a special varietal. Resembling Burley, it is born of an environment one would assume incompatible with tobacco cultivation. Going through air and heat curing processes, the golden brown leaf imparts a brawny, natural profile. Reserve du Patron offers an earthy, floral, full-body smoking experience. Truly rustic with nuance to sift through. This uncased and dry blend is a curious delight that skirts expectations

Captain Earle's Ten Russians

Captain Earle’s Ten Russians, blended by Jay and Louise Jones and manufactured by Cornell & Diehl, is a decidedly English mixture for the Latophiles. This heady blend is no joke in its strength or smoky flavor that is tamed just enough by sweet Black Cavendish. The Oriental component offers a little spice but is a minor player, while Virginia dark fruit brings a layer of depth beyond the Latakia. 

The best strong tobacco blends are those that harness that vigor for it's balance and enrichening of the dark, low, earthy end of a profile. I hope that this piece can lead to some boldly fulfilling smokes for you, but of course, it only scratches the surface. We have plenty of wonder pipe tobacco blends and premium cigars that run that gamut of strengths. 

We are officially over the halfway point on our journey through the six Birds of a Feather blends. The collection of course features mixtures crafted by Mac Baren master blender Per Jensen here at Sutliff tobacco in January 2022. Actually, just as I’m writing this it hits me that this was an entire year ago, which I can hardly believe.

You can check out the whole story on this collection in our blog: The Making of Sutliff’s Birds of a Feather—A Signature Series by Per Georg Jensen.

But the gist is that each blend in the series includes at least one uncommon tobacco. In order of release: Uno used Katerini Perique and genuine St. James Perique, Whimsical used St. James Perique, and Aberrant used Rustica. Now, we have Eccentric. 

Sutliff - Eccentric (Birds of a Feather)

Entry 1

Eccentric is the first and only English blend in the flock. But what tobacco varietal sets it apart? That would be the Oriental component—Katerini.

As you may already know, Katerini Perique was introduced for the first release of the series, Uno. This is the Katerini Oriental that has been through the Perique process of pressure fermentation (which you can also read about in more depth on our blog). Well, Eccentric just has the Oriental leaf—not quite the rarity of a never before blended varietal, but still something special. It's difficult to source Oriental sub-varietals these days—they are most sold in mixtures of several sub-varietals. This is most often the case when we see "Orientals" listed as an ingredient. 

But let's get on to the blend. As with the others in the series, I’ve had a sample of Eccentric from Jensen’s visit, so it isn’t totally new to me. But in an effort to make that sample last, I haven’t been able to frequent it and build a familiarity until now. 

Pre-Smoke

Popping the lid, we’re met with Sutliff’s slab-like crumble cakes, quite dark with mottled blond pieces.

I find a forward woody scent backed with ripe fruit from the tin note. Not a powerful aroma that bursts at the break of the seal like a bat out of hell, but not one you need to get your nose right up to either.

The cakes rub out easily, I notice a bit more red in the broken up leaf. Moisture is alright, nearly perfect. I would usually give it a little drying time, but it’s only slightly less dry than my preference, so I’m going to go ahead with it—there’ll be time enough to adjust my approach. 

I still have some Eccentric from when it was blended last January. From the tin note and look of the blend, I can tell no difference. Although, there’s no age on the sample. I have some that’s been jarred up for about a year, but the one in front of me I’ve dipped into over the last few months. I imagine it’s only been sealed uninterrupted the past month or so.

As has become tradition, I’ll have my inaugural smoke in my Georg Jensen Granat bent Egg.

Lighting up 

The Latakia and Katerini seem to harmonize as the leads. The Latakia seems more to the musky, leather side than smoky and meaty. The Katerini for its part is floral, herbal, with a light sour note. Virginias offer fig, grass, and are slightly tart. There’s a woodiness to the blend that seems to emerge from the varietals’ common ground.

Smoking on, I notice what I associate as a bright Virginia contribution of citrus and grass notes floral. Maybe this “special” Virginia in the description? Burley seems to mostly endow strength and volume, but its nutty contribution is not totally lost in the flavor profile, and could very well factor into that aforementioned woodiness.

I notice a bit of that mineral earthiness from the Latakia that reminds me of a Balkan blend, which, being Oriental/Latakia forward, some might consider this blend to be. I wouldn't necessarily, but it certainly may pique the Balkan enthusiasts interest. 

Earthy, incense, and floral in the retrohale. Very nicely accentuates that earthy side of the profile but doesn’t rough up the sinus at all.

When I was first introduced to the blends, Eccentric was one of my favorites from the series, which is saying something as Virginia/VaPers are my bread and butter, and I must say, I have a soft spot for a thoughtfully complex “kitchen sink” blend such as Uno (which may be my favorite if I absolutely must choose. Or Anomalous, but my memory of it is fuzzy. Luckily, I’m not much a believer in favorites). 

Entry 2

Having continued to smoke Eccentric, I’ve found it most amenable in medium to larger chambers. I lit it up in my Honeybrook the other day, a recent restoration I’ve been getting a lot of joy from, but being my second narrowest chamber, it’s not every blend’s best friend. I noticed it seemed to accentuate the bitter and woody side.

Of course, “bitter” in this context is not to say ashy or acrid, it’s bitter as a herb can be, or that sharp note in anise—something I quite like in a blend balanced with sweetness. But the Virginias seem especially shy in the small chamber. Depending on whose palate its landing on, this very well may lean to a preferable flavor profile. But trying it in a few other smaller chambers, Eccentric is much more attuned to my taste in larger bowls. It really sang in my C. K. Own Make—a great bent Brandy that I’ve recently found is a Captain Kidd pipe from A. Frankau & Co. 

I thought I might notice more of the Burley component over time, but it’s not very represented in the mix, at least not on the surface. I’m sure if there were not Burley it would throw the balance of strength and volume out of whack, as Eccentric offers a nice weight on the palate and perhaps a bit more strength than your average English.

I’ve found that I do prefer Eccentric to be slightly drier than fresh out the tin, but not by much. The burn is slow and consistent and I don’t imagine it would bite no matter how aggressively puffed.

I notice that into the smoke, perhaps halfway or so, The Virginias show through more with dark fruit, and the Katerini leans to a more cedar woody note.

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

All in all, Eccentric fits well in the series, which is defined by each blend’s individuality. It is certainly an English, but with a distinct personality. It brings us back to when sub-varietals of the Turkish leaf were readily available and could be meticulously blended for their nuances.

Until next time...

I have to say, I’m especially excited for these last two in the Birds of a Feather series. They're the ones I had the smallest samples of and smoked most of that already, just saving about .5 oz of each to try leading up to the release. With that, I haven’t had either in months, probably almost a year, so it kind of does feel like I’ll be trying them for the first time.

At any rate, I’m enjoying two tobacco blends now that will be explored along with a featured premium cigar in the regular Tobacco File column at the end of January. I hope all have had a wonderful holiday season and 2023 is off to a great start!

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

We have word from the folks at Sutliff Tobacco Company that many exciting developments are on the horizon for 2023. And here to usher in these impending releases and promotions is Henri the Sutliff Sprite. Details are sparse at this time, but we do know that this fella—whose lore is steeped in generations of passion for tobacco—comes bearing gifts.

We all know that Sutliff maintains and continues to develop a large range of popular blends and holds down an admirable distribution operation, but their fealty to the world of pipe tobacco and premium cigars doesn’t end there. They’ve hosted the CORPS pipe show, factory tours, panels of pipe smokers to connect around new blends, and more. With pride in over 160 years of tobacco history, they are always eager to go beyond the business and look at how they can enrich the culture and fraternity of the hobby.

From what little we know, it seems the esteemed blending house set out to embody that Sutliff spirit in one whimsical character—an omen of good pipe and tobacco fortune to come. In what shape will it take? We’ll have to wait and see. It seems he has something in the works for St. Patrick's Day!

Read on for a little background on Henri from the Sutliff Facebook Page:

Another mid-month Tobacco File ushering in a new blend—Aberrant, from Sutliff tobacco.

This is the third installment of the Birds of a Feather Series, a collection of six special mixtures that were concocted by Mac Baren master blender Per Jensen during a week-long visit to the Sutliff factory in January 2022. That’s the short version, but you can read all about the development of these tobaccos in our blog all about the making of the Birds of a Feather series.

Each blend in this series features at least one special variental tobacco. The first release, Uno, debuted Katerini Perique. It also include genuine St. James Perique, as did the second blend to grace the flock, Whimsical. Now we move on to Aberrant, which hosts Rustica. 

The common pipe tobacco varietals we are familiar with (Virginia, Burley, etc.) are all strains of the Nicotiana tabacum species. However, Nicotiana rustica is another species within the genus. South American in origin, this was the tobacco cultivated by natives in the now eastern United States. It was cultivated by colonists until John Rolfe got a hold of N. Tabacum seed from Trinidad in the early 17th century. N. rustica's bold and harsh qualities made it no competition for N. tabacum, but this was a time when very little was known about techniques in processing to smooth the rough edges. 

With the creation of HH Rustica, Jensen was a major part of bringing Rustica into the blender's arsenal, sun-curing and hot pressing the leaf to preserve its natural sugars. The result is a powerful yet palatable varietal that brings body and earthy spice to a mixture. 

Sutliff - Aberrant (Birds of a Feather)

Entry 1

I did have the opportunity to try Aberrant during Jensen's visit. On the last day, a panel of pipe smokers got together at Sutliff to try the new blends and offer feedback, and everyone went home with a sample of each blend. I believe I smoked Aberrant a couple more times, but then sealed the remaining 0.5 oz. in a jar where it has been aging since February. 

All of this to say, I'm coming to this blend pretty fresh. Although, I did find notes I had taken while smoking a bowl in early February. I decided to wait to read those until after this inaugural smoke, but I'll be interested to see how my perception has or hasn't changed. 

Pre-smoke

Popping the tin, I'm presented with that familiar Sutliff style crumble cake, sliced into a few wide slabs as opposed to a brownie-like block. 

There seems to be a decent amount of light brown leaf here, maybe a good portion of bright Virginia? Of course we also have the darker hues from the fire-cured Kentucky leaf and the stoved and darker Virginias. 

The tin note is muted. I didn't get any unleashed aroma when breaking the seal and only upon bringing my nose to the tin do I get the very natural scent—hay and maybe a bit barnyard-y. 

The cake breaks apart easily and is quite dry. Not in a friable way, but very much smoke-ready. 

As has become tradition, my first smoke from a Birds of a Feather blend will be in my Georg Jensen Granat 78. 

Lighting up

Earth and plummy dark fruit lead the profile. There's a Virginia breadiness, a subtle grassiness in the foundation. As I smoke on I definitely start to notice a smoky accent from the Dark-Fired Kentucky. A mild pepperiness starts to rise—unmistakable in the olfactory, but not harsh—though it may be to a pipe smoker with a bent for mild blends. 

Aberrant stokes with very little effort, making it easy to keep a smolder going without needing to relight. I'm cautious not to over puff it however. 

There is a note in here that is so connected to another blend in my head and I can't think of what it is. It's eating at me like when there's a really simple word you just can't remember, and you know when you do you'll feel silly. It's something about the bread-y Virginia note mentioned, it just has a familiarity that I cannot place. Maybe it will come to me.  

Entry 2

Aberrant offers a very consistent smoke. Having tried it in several pipes now, I will say it has the sort of complexity that lends itself to medium to larger bowls for a complete view of the profile. I took a note while smoking my Rossi Piccolo 313 (one of my most narrow chambers) that I miss some of the the grass and citrus subtleties in the petite pipe, leaning more bready. Still a fine smoke, but it's a full blend offering a lot to sift through. 

Speaking of bready—Mac Baren's 3 Nuns. That's the association I couldn't place. Or Savinelli Doblone d'Oro for that matter. To my palate, it's a very similar toasty-bright-sweetness I get from those blends. To be clear, I don't find Aberrant to be all that similar to Three Nuns or d'Oro, it's just that note, this distinct point of intersection.  

Anyway, I'll add that the more I've become familiar with Aberrant, I'm noticing that Kentucky a lot more. It seems to be sparingly applied, but brings dynamic to the profile in a lovely way. Floral and smoky notes that, with the Virginia sweetness, contrast and balance very nicely with the earthy Rustica. 

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

Entry 3

Aberrant is a much different blend than the BBQ smoky HH Rustica, and with so few pipe blends out there incorporating Rustica, it's nice to have a mixture showcase it in such a different way. We will have one more Rustica blend in the Birds of a Feather series, and I'm excited to get better acquainted with the varietal through yet another mixture.

It does seem as though my initial impression washes with my experience now. Here are some of my notes from February before jarring my sample:

• Earthy fruity Virginia, warm toasty aroma
• A bit of tart and citrus
  
• I think the Virginias are the main players in the flavor profile, it’s easy to see as a bit more docile a blend till the strength develops. I don’t quite notice the dark fire

Like I said, the Kentucky became more apparent as I became more familiar, so it makes sense why it seemed so masked at the time. 

I'm tempted to open my jar of Aberrant for comparison, but with about eight months of age on it, I think I'd like to give it some more time.

But really, another wonderful blend in the series that is absolutely original. It's rich and deep in flavor and I suspect one of those blends that continues to present nuances here and there, even well after the couple weeks I've been exploring it. 

Until next time...

Three down, three to go for the Birds of a Feather series. I'll dedicate a column to the next blend in the series, Eccentric, once it comes around, and certainly will have more columns for special releases before then. And of course, I'm writing about two regularly available pipe blends and a featured premium cigar for October's Tobacco File, which I'll post near the end of the month.  

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

2023 has already been off to a fine start with January full of great releases. But we wanted to take one look back at 2022 and highlight some significant pipes, tobaccos, cigars, and accessories to hit our shelves this past year. This only scratches the surface, but here's some new releases, big and small, that we think made 2022 a great time to be in the hobby of tobacco pipes and premium cigars. 

And for a closer look at some of the great blends released in 2022, check out our end of the year Tobacco Files column.

Peterson Christmas Pipe

Since 2009, Peterson Pipes has released a line of Christmas pipes every autumn to bring in the holiday cheer with a new limited edition smoker, and 2022’s offering was as beautiful as ever. 

Each of these designs were pulled from Classic range. Smooth and rusticated finishes are complete with a dignified, warm copper army-mount making for a truly distinguished aesthetic. The first Peterson Christmas pipe to be manufactured in the Irish makers’ new factory, these elegant smokers are a reminder that our cherished traditions will come with us anywhere. Though they weren't around long but looking back on these works of art makes us all the more excited for the many seasonal pipes we'll see in 2023.

Savinelli Bing's Favorite Alligator 

Released just days before the new year, Savinelli get’s 2023 started off right with a collision of some of their most popular offerings.

Savinelli’s Bing’s Favorite line features some of the most popular pipes from the famed Italian makers. Each is characterized by its long, petite stem and shank leading to a stout, poised Billiard bowl. A classic design associated with the preferred style of Bing Crosby—hence the name. However, with this line, the repose of the Bing meets the eccentricism of Savinelli’s hallmark Alligator style. This aesthetic sees color-matching stems and bowls separated by a thin, gold band. What really draws the eye is the unique rustication and the vibrant colors used. 

Vauen Woog

Perhaps a controversial pick for the traditionalists among us, but a 3D printed pipe is certainly a novel development in the pipe world—so, in recounting 2022, it only makes sense that we look at the Vauen Woog. 

The German pipe brand is no stranger to bringing a modern art sensibility to the tobacco pipe. Vauen continues to explore in this series of two pipes, limited to 750 produced each. These intriguing instruments are made from high-quality ceramic composite, but with a briar-lined stummel, that beloved burl so ideal for pipe making isn’t totally eschewed in the Woog. 

The new age approach is complete with a new age design. The Woog’s matt black/gray stummel (the shades being all that distinguish the two models) doesn’t try to lean into familiar finishes, and its geometric bowl with its low and forward visual weight is an aesthetic all its own. If you're familiar with Vauen's white dot, you know they don't put it on just any line—it's reserved for their highest quality pipes, and it looks like the Woog made the grade. 

Diamondback Corn Cob Pipe

Look, we’re a little biased—the Diamondback cob is a collaboration between TobaccoPipes.com and our friends at Missouri Meerschaum. But I mean, having an exclusive corn cob pipe made for us by the historic company is really something special, all the more so when it looks this great. 

The Diamondback bowl is paneled and stained a rich orangish hue. It's fixed with a handsomely rustic diamond shank and stem, tapering out from the bowl and in toward the bit. Corn cob pipes have a rich history and significance in this industry and we are honored to stick our logo on this one!

Barling Ivory Meerschaum Pipes

Late in 2021, we saw the beginning of a new era for the infamous Barling trademark. The iconic brand returned with a roll out of two new styles, Trafalgar and Marylebone, but in 2022 several other lines were released. Of these, the Barling Ivory line truly stands out.

Of course, there's no actual ivory here—this line consists of stunning Meerschaum pipes. Though renowned for being one of the most prominent names in the heyday of British briar pipe carving, the Barling Ivory nods to the company's legacy in meerschaum pipe making that stretches back before the take over of briar in the mid-late 19th century.

In both smooth and rusticated finishes, each Barling Ivory mixes traditional pipe shapes and meerschaum elegance. A military mount fits the stem to the stummel with silver bands and other accents that recall Barlings jeweler origins. 

Altinay Meerschaum Bowl Filters

In 2022, we received the Altinay Meerschaum Bowl Filters from the celebrated carvers of that magnificent Turkish stone. Sometimes it’s the little things—one small piece of material with an ingenious application can make all the difference. 

These small meerschaum bits are designed to be placed at the bottom of your chamber to catch moisture and tar while creating a false bottom that reduces that leftover dottle. Lasting about 10 smokes each and fitting most any chamber, they are a great way to ensure a cool, dry smoke without obstructing airflow. 

Next to beautifully crafted pipes such as those carved by Altinay, these may seem a bit hum drum. But in this pastime of simple tools that have served pipe smokers for ages, it's fascinating to see such practicable invention still come through. 

Sutliff's Birds of a Feather Series

2022 started out with a lot of excitement in the Mac Baren USA tobacco-sphere. Master blender Per Jensen, the man behind such fantastic creations as the Mac Baren HH line and Amphora tobaccos, visited Sutliff tobacco HQ in Richmond, Virginia to create the Birds of a Feather series—six limited-production blends, each using a unique tobacco varietal. Genuine St. James Perique, Rustica, Katerini, and Katerini Perique—each mixture features at least one of these special ingredients.

So far, we’ve seen the release of four of the six blends. Uno, Whimsical, and Aberrant graced us in 2022, with Eccentric kicking off 2023 with an early January release. These have been extraordinary blends thus far and we still have two to go. 

Charatan Pipe Tobaccos

Charatan is one of the most celebrated pipe brands in the history of the hobby, but for most of us in The States, the label’s tobacco range has been out of reach. Though not exactly a new release for 2022, these wonderful blends did find their way to the US market, which has certainly been an exciting development of the year for those of us who were missing out.

These five mixtures were developed in the wake of Dunhill’s withdrawal from pipe tobacco. Tor Imports Ltd teamed up with their manufacturing partner, Kohlhase & Kopp, to offer an alternative to some of those missing gems in the Dunhill range. Lucky for us, many of the Dunhill favorites were continued under Peterson Tobacco, and we still got these great Charatan pipe tobaccos out of it. 

Briarville Cigars 

One of the most exciting things about 2022 for us at TobaccoPipes is that this was our first full year located in Richmond, Virginia. We had and still have a lot of reasons to celebrate that move, but one especially exciting opportunity it presented was the providing the space to expand our selection of premium cigars, which we had long been eager to do. You need a lot more than shelf space to keep cigars, the conditions have to be just right. We went from a modest humidor case in Florida to a whole room to fill. We relive that excitement whenever we get a new cigar in, and we’ve really taken to these multi-wrapper Briarville cigars.

These artistically crafted cigars were hand-rolled in Nicaragua and deliver flavorful smokes that are as delightful on the palate as they are on the eyes. 

Cobblestone Classic Cigars

The Cobblestone brand delivers some wonderful pipe tobacco blends and affordable accessories, but in March of 2022 they took it a step further with the release of Cobblestone Classics, a line of budget and palate friendly premium cigars. With three wrappers (Connecticut, Habano, and Maduro) and three vitolas (Robusto, Toro, and Grande) to choose from, this nine cigar lineup offers some fantastic options, especially for those starting to explore their cigar preferences. Quality sticks to traverse a range of boldness and flavor without the cost that often comes with premium cigars. 

From the continued traditions of re-released blends and seasonal pipes, to the series still rolling out, to whatever surprises are sure to pop up seemingly out of thin air, we couldn't be more excited for the year to come. 

One of the things that's so special about this hobby is how, at its core, it's the same simple pleasure known for centuries, but it keeps developing without truly feeling as though it changes. It's a joy to find new ways to engage, to fall in love with a new blend or pipe or cigar, but it still boils down to the blissful moment that we light up, reflect, and maybe even share in the company of like minded companions. 

We close the book on 2022 with many thanks for helping make this the special year it was. And whether you'll be sniffing out all the new offerings of 2023, or cruising on what you know to be tried and true, we're wishing you a blissful 2023, in each smoke and beyond. 

This blog will be updated throughout the year, tracking the progress of new products that appear or are rereleased in new editions. 

Check out our great selection of pipes, tobaccos, and premium cigars for all new and familiar favorites. 

January

Cornell & Diehl Small Batch Folklore 

Type:        Virginia Based
Tobacco:     Black Cavendish, Kasturi,  Kentucky, Perique, Virginia
Cut:         Cake

Folklore marks Cornell & Diehl's first Small Batch roll out of the year, and the first run of this blend since its introduction in Jan 2022.

See:

• Cornell & Diehl's Small Batch Series—Exploring Small Batch and Limited Release Pipe Tobaccos

Presbyterian Ordained

Type:        Straight Virginia
Tobacco:     Virginia
Cut:         Flake

Missouri Meerschaum Taste of Temptation

Type:        Aromatic
Tobacco:     Black Cavendish, Burley, Virginia
Flavoring:   Amaretto, Cherry, Vanilla, Chocolate 
Cut:         Ribbon

Taste of Temptation is a delectable limited release Aromatic from Missouri Meerschaum, the legendary makers of corn cob pipes. Made by Sutliff tobacco, this cherry and amaretto topped mixture is the perfect compliment to the season of love. Far from timid, not quite schmaltzy—it's what Valentines Day is all about. 

Savinelli 140th Anniversary

Type:        Virginia Based
Tobacco:     Kentucky, Oriental, Virginia
Flavoring:   Floral, Citrus
Cut:         Ribbon

Originally released in 2016, the Savinelli 140 was blended by Jeremy Reeves of Cornell & Diehl, where it is manufactured. 

This is a limited release, although not its first appearance, and perhaps not its last. 

Cobblestone Plum Rum

Type:        English
Tobacco:     Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Virginia
Flavoring:   Rum, Fruit
Cut:         Cake

Sutliff Eccentric (Birds of a Feather)

Type:        English
Tobacco:     Burley, Katerini (Oriental), Latakia, Virginia
Cut:         Plug

The fourth of six installments to the Birds of a Feather Series from Sutliff Tobacco, blended by Mac Baren's Per Jensen. 

See:

• The Tobacco Files - Sutliff Eccentric (Birds of a Feather)
• The Making of Sutliff's Birds of a Feather—A Signature Series by Per Georg Jensen
• What is Perique-Processed Katerini?

I will preface the list with information that I feel may be beneficial to the beginner pipe smoker looking for blends to try. However, you can skip right to the blends with the table of contents below. 

Here are the best pipe tobaccos for beginners:

1. Cobblestone Maple Walnut
2. Sutliff Z92 Vanilla Custard
3. Lane Limited 1-Q
4. Amphora English Blend
5. Newminster No.17 English Luxus
6. Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding
7. Capstan Gold Navy Flake
8. Peter Stokkebye PS 402 Luxury Twist Flake
9. Charatan Rolls
10. Mac Baren Golden Extra

With so many options and opinions, choosing the best pipe tobacco for a beginner pipe smoker can be a difficult process. Myriad factors determine one’s reaction to a blend—from personal taste right down to the chemistry of their tongue. What bites one tongue may not another, what makes a “strong” nic-hit is a personal perception. One experienced smoker’s advice might sound like a sadistic joke to another. “You recommended what?!”

No doubt, this is a symptom of what makes pipe smoking the enigmatic delight that it is—an indulgence that is boundless in exploration and personalization—one that you can bask in with others while knowing your experience is all your own. But before that enchantment touches ground, the beginner pipe smoker has some searching to do, and some technique to learn.

Every facet of pipe smoking—be it the blend, cut, or pipe shape and material—carries pros and cons in terms of new-smoker-friendliness. The most palatable blend to the new smoker might also be the one that teaches them the pain of tongue bite; the cut that’s more difficult to pack might have a more seamless burn. It’s hard to say precisely what will and won't be best for someone Learning About Pipe Smoking. But what we can do is explore the common wisdom and try to find some context for choosing the best tobacco blends to start with.

Given that no advice is sure to apply universally, this guide will make suggestions for a wide range of blends. Even though some may be a bit easier than others to work with at first, I think trying a bit of everything is important to both exploring your taste, as well as developing an adaptability to the many variables involved in pipe smoking. But we’ll definitely orient those suggestions toward those which are inviting to beginners, making recommendations that navigate the hurdles of inexperience.

Basically, I hope for this list of the best pipe tobaccos for beginners to not only help new smokers find blends that agree with them, but that can help along in the exploration of pipe smoking as well. 

Types of Tobacco Cuts

Before we get into blends, let’s have a brief overview of the different types of tobacco cuts. The cut of a blend factors into how hospitable it may be to an inexperienced pipe smoker. The suggestions in this guide will have a few different cuts so I want to make sure you have context for each.

Remember that, while you may develop a preference for certain cuts, all of these are conducive to a great smoke, some just take a little more trial and error to get right. Packing is a balancing act.

Ribbon Cut

Although I do think trying a few different cuts early on is a good idea for a beginner to get the sense of the impact each variable has on the smoking experience, ribbon-cut should probably comprise a good deal of your early blends.

Ribbon is the most common pipe tobacco cut. It often refers to a handful of other more specific cuts such as shag or broad. Much like pipe shapes, blend types, and all matter of things pipes and tobacco, there’s not really an industry standard to go by.

Due to the loose, fine cut of ribbons, they don’t inherently require any steps before packing ( Although You May Want To Let Dry For A Bit Depending On The Blend). The narrower cut varieties such as shag can be easy to pack too tight, but in general these cuts make the packing process easy and have little temperament in taking a light.

Flake

Flakes come in jerky-like slabs of tobacco that have been pressed under heat. This process leads to a mixing of flavors between the tobacco varieties.

Flake will most often be “rubbed out,” or rolled in the fingers to break up the flake into strands to be packed, but sometimes they can simply be folded into the chamber. Because flake is generally tougher, it can be finicky getting the pack just right, especially if folding it in, but it’s a rewarding cut once you get it down. Having to rub out the flake gives the smoker a lot of control over just how fine they want it. Many seasoned smokers may even strategically stratify the consistency of tobacco in their chamber. And some attest that, once you do have a better gauge for packing flake, it can offer a more controllable burn rate.

You may also see ready-rubbed as a cut. Ready-rubbed looks to be between a ribbon-cut and a flake—it’s strand-like but less fine than ribbon. This is simply flake tobacco that has been somewhat rubbed out before packaging.

There is also Coin Cut (may be referred to as medallions, rolls, or curly cut), which is a rope cut that has been severed into small discs. You can just think of coin cut as a variety of flake. Some tobaccos come unsliced in rope cut, but that’s a niche beyond what we’ll go into here. 

Cake/Plug

Crumble Cake—sometimes simply referred to as cake—is named for the legendary Krumble Kake which Sobranie House manufactured for Smoker's Haven (hence why you’ll still see that spelling, such as with Sutliff’s Crumble Kake Series or Cornell & Diehl’s Kajun Kake). 

Cake is made by putting ribbon tobacco under steam compression, pressing the tobacco into large bricks before being dissected into brownie-like blocks. These are easy to pull a piece from and, well, crumble. Sometimes they’ll be sliced thinner into slabs, flake-like but not quite as dense (Sutliff Red Virginia for example, pictured above).

Then we have Plug Cut. Cake is a little more user friendly, but plug is still nothing to be deterred by. Plug is usually denser than cake and is easiest to break down by first cutting off a section with a knife. Classically, larger pieces of leaf are pressed to make a plug, but that may not always be the case. Plugs can also sometimes be easy to pull apart like a crumble cake.

As you'll see with many aspects of the pipes and tobacco, categories aren't so neat and get us so far. Different blending houses may have their “take” on a certain way of doing things, so don't get too hung up on the jargon.

Sometimes pressed tobacco will be diced down to small cubes, essentially tiny chunks of cake with the ease of a smaller cut that asks little in terms of preparation. 

Blends

We’ll focus in on three blend families: Aromatic, English, and Virginia (with a nod to Burley). However, this is just a broad divvying up of infinite possibilities. With all the tobaccos that can be blended in different ways, these distinctions can categorize blends based on their components and star players, but there are many sub-genres within them and none of it’s standardized. They’re convenient categories for grouping blends and discussing them, but many blends challenge an easy classification. Even between these broad categories there can be plenty of overlap. Take an English, give it a top flavoring, and you would best describe it as an Aromatic English, no more one than the other.

I only belabor this point because I remember as a beginner, I was dizzyingly confused thinking I didn’t understand how it all worked, but I was really just overthinking it. I’d hear a blend categorized one way, then another, and think “which is it?” I was expecting to find some objectivity.

These are convenient ways of categorizing while we go through some different blends to try to understand why they may be right for you, but there are always exceptions.

Remember, all of the pros and cons ahead are not sure to apply to all beginners but are sourced from common experiences. Another reason to give all things a fair shake. 

Aromatics

We’ll start with Aromatics as they’re often recommended pipe tobacco blends for beginners and seem to be where many start out.

Pros

Since Aromatics feature one or more added flavorings (aside from casing which most blends have), they are often regarded as more palatable pipe tobaccos for beginners. With flavors of fruit, chocolate, Liquors, etc.—they offer a more civilian introduction. For this reason, these can also be some of the most agreeable blends for company, often emitting delightful aromas.

Other blends may impart their forward flavor through condiment tobaccos such as Perique and Latakia, often acquired tastes. Other blends may use tobaccos that aren’t exceptionally potent, the nuances being what tells the story. These may not pique the interest of a pipe smoker who has yet to pick up on the subtleties of flavor .

One other positive to Aromatics for beginner pipe smokers is that while they can be forward in flavor, they often have a good portion of Cavendish, and thus aren’t especially bold in terms of body. Cavendish is a mild tobacco (really a Virginia or Burley that has undergone a particular process). It’s a mellow varietal that takes on other flavors well, making it especially useful in Aromatic blends.

Keep in mind that really all kinds of blends that fit into other categories can be flavored and may be classified in a number of ways. This however is a benefit too. While the wealth of Cavendish Aromatic blends poses an opportunity to find pleasant-tasting, light-bodied blends, heavier blends that use flavoring with condiment tobacco are great for exploring these more robust varieties.

Cons

Aromatics are certainly inviting in their flavor and scent, but because of their heavy casing, some can be difficult for inexperienced pipe smokers to puff without getting tongue bite.

There are a lot of factors that go into what causes tongue bite. Some tobaccos are more prone to it, certain people are more susceptible. Tobaccos that smoke more wet often smoke hotter. The top-flavor on Aromatics makes them smoke more wet, thus they can be notorious deliverers of tongue bite.

As you gain more experience, you get a handle on all the little nit-picks that can keep your pipe burning cool. Beyond cadence, how you dry, pack, and light your tobacco are all relevant to controlling how hot you’re smoking.

Finally, I think the supposition that non-Aromatics will prove less palatable may be over-assumed. It’s true for some, but far from a rule. It’s Avoiding Harsh Nic-Hit that I find to be most important in these early searches (provided you aren’t coming to pipe smoking with tolerance from other mediums of nicotine use). To be fair, this point isn’t exactly a con toward Aromatics as beginner pipe blends; it makes them no less inviting that they aren’t alone in their approachability.

Aromatic Recommendations

Cobblestone Indulge Walnut Maple Pie

• Tobacco:     Burley, Virginia, Black Cavendish
• Flavoring:   Maple, Nut
• Cut:         Ribbon
• Strength:    Mild
• Packaging:   Tin

Cobblestone’s Walnut Maple Pie, part of The Indulge Series, is a great place to start for those not looking for bold tobacco flavor out of the gate and want that mild Aromatic with little nic-hit. Black Cavendish and Burley wonderfully embrace the top flavoring, the Burley offering a mild body. Maple and nut make for a great mix that isn’t syrupy-artificial tasting. Behind the top flavors, a slightly grassy sweetness from the Virginias peaks through.

Walnut Maple Pie is only one blend in the Indulge series which also includes Crème Brulee, Cherry Delight, and Vanilla Custard. If the properties of this blend seem right to you but any of these other flavors seem more up your alley, they are all excellent choices.

Hint: might smoke a little wet right out of the tin, try giving a little drying time. 

Sutliff Z92 Vanilla Custard

• Tobacco:     Black Cavendish, Burley, Cavendish
• Flavoring:   Vanilla, Cream
• Cut:         Ribbon
• Strength:    Very Mild
• Packaging:   Bulk

An absolute crowd pleaser. Sutliff’s Z92 fills the air with rich, ambrosial vanilla. The Cavendish, stoved to varying degrees, is a wonderful vehicle to the confection-like sweetness delivered in a creamy, dense smoke. Exceptionally mild, you won’t have to concern yourself with any wooz-inducing nic-hit.

This probably isn’t the one if you’re looking to branch into non-Aromatics. Though you may glean faint Burley nuttiness, you’re not getting much tobacco taste here. Z92 is simply a straight forward, true to its name, Aromatic.

Lane Limited 1-Q

• Tobacco:     Cavendish, Virginia
• Flavoring:   Vanilla
• Cut:         Ribbon 
• Strength:    Mild
• Packaging:   Bulk

Another vanilla Cavendish, Lane 1-Q is a quintessential Aromatic blend. Vanilla and caramel are in abundance here. If you enjoy the flavor of an unambiguous Aromatic, but find they can be a bit cloying for your taste, 1-Q is a good bet. Don’t get me wrong, the flavoring is most of the story here, with a bit of Virginia grassiness peeking through, but it’s not quite as rich as its peers sometimes are.

English Blends

An English Blend in the broadest terms is one that uses Latakia as the dominant flavor—often joined by Orientals (sometimes referred to as Turkish) and Virginias. When the Oriental varieties play a larger role, we’ll often hear the blend referred to as a Balkan. Remember, blends in these categories might be parsed differently depending on who is smoking them, don’t get too frustrated on the smaller details.

Pros

English blends are great for some beginners because they offer a non-Aromatic that is still rich in flavor. However, instead of the topping imparting a forward flavor, it’s the assertive Latakia—a condiment leaf that has been through a smoke curing process which gives it that smoky, campfire essence.

Anyone will pull out that distinct flavor from the jump. No doubt, there’s more complexity to find as you develop your taste—how the different tobaccos complement each other, how the ratios of the tobaccos used bring out different properties—but in the meantime, it gives the inexperienced palate something interesting and overt to grab onto while getting acquainted with all the nuances.

English blends are also generally easier to keep a moderate burn temperature on as the fire-curing process imparts a slow burning quality to Latakia.

Cons

Although English blends also offer a pronounced flavor to the beginner pipe smoker, Aromatics are often recommended for the variety and familiarity of the flavors. Aromatic flavors come in many of the same varieties as juices, candies, and liquors. It isn’t as though all Latakia tastes the same, especially when abutted by different tobaccos in a blend, but to the budding pipe smoker, much of the difference in flavor may not be so readily noticed, and the flavor that is pronounced might be an acquired taste.

However, if you have a taste for cigars, English blends may be a great place to start.

English Recommendations

Amphora English Blend

• Tobacco:     Latakia, Oriental, Virginia
• Cut:         Ribbon
• Strength:    Mild - Medium 
• Packaging:   Pouch

In the Amphora series, Mac Baren master blender Per Jensen delivers a lineup of mixtures which expertly showcase the essential character of the familiar blend families. Amphora’s English Blend is no exception.

English Blend's simple title aptly conveys that this is indeed a delightful mix of Latakia, Oriental, and Virginia tobacco that makes the case for the integrity of the format. With a strength approaching the mid-mark and a Latakia content that beautifully displays the smoky condiment without overdoing it, this mixture is a worthy companion for beginner pipe smoker’s English introduction..

Newminster No. 17 English Luxus

• Tobacco:     Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Perique, Virginia
• Cut:         Ribbon
• Strength:    Mild - Medium
• Packaging:   Bulk

Newminster’s English Luxus riffs on the English genre, forgoing the Orientals and inviting Burley, Perique and Black Cavendish to the mix. The Burley is used in decent measure here, employed beyond its function as an agent of balance. With the Virginias, it lends to the base of the blend, atop which we have smoky Latakia. Perique offers a subtle, not-too-busy addition, but adds nicely to the sensory experience.

It may seem like a busy blend with all the parts, but the condiment tobaccos are sparingly applied, not eclipsing the base. With the Black Cavendish mellow sweetness, Newminster English Luxus achieves consonance.

Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding

• Tobacco:     Black Cavendish, Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental, Perique, Virginia
• Cut:         Crumble Cake
• Strength:    Medium
• Packaging:   Tin

The sophomore hit from Seattle Pipe Club, Plum Pudding is a modern classic that beautifully displays the Oriental/Latakia weight of the Balkan niche in a unique profile. Expertly blended by Joe Lankford , the Virginia has more to say that we often get from this style. Perique offers a hint of spice and Black Cavendish smooths the edges and brings more body to this rich profile.

The Balkan distinction often seems like a playground for Sobranie matches—not that I’m complaining, those are some of my favorite English mixtures. But this fresh take is certainly worth exploring, especially if you’re interested in getting a sense of what makes a blend “complex”. Now, if it’s your first foray into Latakia, you may want to first try a milder English.

Virginias

Virginia Blends could be what we narrowly call “Virginia Based,” where the Flue-cured leaf plays a dominant role, but features other tobaccos as well. But the Virginia blend umbrella also covers straight Virginias, which, just as it sounds, don’t use other varietals. Virginias are one of the few pipe tobaccos often smoked without any other varietals. There are some straight Burleys, but most are Burley-based. Any other tobacco using one type of leaf is most likely a blending component.

Pros

A great thing about Virginias is the nuance and range of flavors you can get with them. The different varieties (Red, Stoved, Bright, etc.) are designated by how the leaf is harvested and processed. There are a lot of flavors you might get out of Virginias—hay, fruit, grass, citrus, and bread are some you’ll often hear. Their high sugar content makes them a great candidate for aging and offers a more natural sweetness than we often get with Aromatics.

Virginias are an excellent base for bringing a blend together, so there’s a lot of different things you can get under the Virginia blend umbrella. It’s a wonderful format for experiencing the different condiment tobaccos and exploring the palate.

Cons

Maybe “cons” isn’t the right word. Really, the biggest drawbacks of Virginia blends to beginner pipe smokers are sort of benefits too. You’ll see what I mean.

The first thing you’ll be told about Virginias as a beginner is to watch out for the tongue bite. Although the high sugar content of Virginia tobaccos has its benefits (aging, sweetness), it also can lead to a hot burn and some Virginias are notorious for tongue bite for the inexperienced, and even many experienced pipe smokers.

That being said, this shouldn’t be a disqualifier for a beginner. One of those straight Virginia blends notorious for tongue bite is Mac Baren Virginia No. 1, but I attribute that blend with really helping me find my cadence as its hot combustion made me all the more conscious of my pace, draw, and how I was packing the ready-rubbed leaf. So, I wouldn’t discount straight Virginias altogether as a beginner, they can be very helpful.

Another issue a beginner might have with straight Virginias—they may not seem all that flavorful at the onset the way Aromatics and English blends are. There’s a lot of nuances to their flavor and what they bring to a mix, but most Virginia varieties aren’t going to sit on show like the cherry from a top flavoring or the smokiness from Latakia. This however makes them really interesting once you’ve developed your palate a bit, because once you notice their subtlety, it can really unlock that appreciation for the nuances in all kinds of blends that use Virginias.

So, similar to the hot burning of Virginias, this is a half con half pro really. In addition, with helping my cadence, that Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 offered an early instance of picking up on discreet tastes, and I distinctly recall trying blends I had already been smoking and finding the Virginias in them in a way I hadn’t before. So once again, sometimes obstacles are a good opportunity to learn. And beyond appreciating Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 from a utilitarian standpoint, it’s a favorite straight Virginia even now.

Virginia Perique

I’ll also include as part of the Virginia blends the ever-popular Virginia Periques, usually referred to as VaPers. Perique is bold and isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. When it is, it often didn’t start that way. The condiment has a spice to it, and being made from Burley tobacco, has a high nicotine content. So, it may or may not be for you as a beginner, but Perique is a slow burning condiment tobacco that is great for taming the bite of Virginias. A VaPer that is light in the Perique might be a great way to navigate cadence without too hot-burning of a blend while also giving a palatable introduction to Perique.

Virginia Recommendations

Capstan Gold Navy Cut

• Tobacco:     Virginia
• Flavoring:   Fruit, Citrus
• Cut:         Flake / Ready-Rubbed
• Strength:    Mild - Medium
• Packaging:   Tin

As I discussed, some of the drawbacks to Virginias—especially straight Virginias—for beginners, can be positives if used as a learning opportunity. So, a good straight Virginia seems appropriate here. That said, Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 just happened to be the one I picked up, and it’s notorious for bite, even among Virginias. If I had to recommend one that can help train your cadence and develop the palate, but which offers beginners more than a lesson, that would have to be Mac Baren’s Capstan Gold Navy Cut.

Not too strong, but not totally docile, the strength is great for a beginner pipe tobacco. Capstan Gold features a good mix of Virginias, and gentle embellishments from the flavoring. While you still have to respect it on the draw, it’s not the same biter as some other straight Virginias.

I also appreciate this one for the options it presents. You can try the ready-rubbed or the flake, and there’s even Capstan Original Navy Cut, which is a good option if you want something that kicks up in strength a tad.

Peter Stokkebye PS 402 Luxury Twist Flake

• Tobacco:     Virginia
• Flavoring:   Caramel, Misc
• Cut:         Flake
• Strength:    Mild – Medium
• Packaging:   Bulk

Luxury Twist Flake from Peter Stokkebye is likely a hospitable option for anyone looking to branch out from Aromatic blends. This straight Virginia flake next to a common Aromatic is flavored mildly—but perhaps more generously than most straight Virginias. The allure of Black Cavendish in those Aromatics is its neutral profile and its adeptness at taking on top flavoring. What we have here is top flavoring that is employed as a sweet harmony to the Virginias’ melody. A sugariness with caramel depth in balance with the tangy, grassy, bready notes of the natural Virginia results in an affable, satisfying smoke.

Charatan Rolls

• Tobacco:     Cavendish, Perique, Virginia
• Cut:         Coin
• Strength:    Medium
• Packaging:   Tin

We now move into Perique territory with Charatan Rolls. This coin cut VaPer with a Cavendish center was created as an answer to the discontinuation of Dunhill’s DeLuxe Navy Rolls, now returned under the Peterson tobacco marque. Charatan made a whole line up tobaccos in Dunhill’s absence that have been enjoyed in Europe for several years now, but just some months ago, we in the States were delighted to have them join the US market.

Charatan Rolls in particular offers a fantastic introduction to the VaPer genre. Perique is a hefty varietal, with just a little bit going a long way. Like any potent seasoning, the right amount can totally enrich a flavor profile, but it’s an acquired taste for some. Chartan Rolls wonderfully delivers a mild Perique sensation, dynamically in balance with the bready, naturally sweet Virginias. The Black Cavendish center adds a creaminess and mellowing of the overall blend making this a truly approachable mixture for the Perique uninitiated.

Mac Baren Golden Extra

• Tobacco:     Burley, Virginia
• Flavoring:   Cocoa
• Cut:         Ready-Rubbed
• Strength:    Mild/Medium
• Packaging:   Tin/Bulk

Mac Baren’s Golden Extra isn’t so much a Virginia blend as a Burley blend with some Virginia, brought together with a subtle cocoa top note. I didn’t want to go too much into Burley-centered blends in this piece—it’s a varietal that is often used for its nicotine content, body, and capacity for taking on flavors. In and of itself, Burley has a mild, neutral taste, often described as imparting nutty, woody notes. This can be somewhat uninteresting to newcomers, but as the palate attunes, you realize how much nuance there is to Burley. Enriched with light cocoa notes and Virginia sweetness, Golden Extra is a great introduction to Burley beyond a varietal appreciated for its utility, but for what it can bring to a flavor profile.

Things to Keep in Mind

Here are some tips and other information to consider so that you’re making as informed a decision as possible and getting the most out of your pipecraft.

Don’t Choose the Tobacco on Smell Alone

What we call the tin note or bag note is the aroma you get right when you open that container. It’s easy to think this scent translates to the taste of the tobacco, but that isn’t always the case. In fact, it may not even be very accurate to the room note.

This cuts both ways—a wonderful aroma may not be so pleasing of a smoke, but an offensive tin note may not mean a bad smoking experience.

Starting With a Few Small Quantities of Bulk

I know bulk makes it sound like you’re buying Costco quantities, but not quite. Bulk tobaccos generally come in a range of sizes. But this usually includes a 2 oz. option, sometimes even 1 oz.

I made sure to include a number of bulk options here because (in addition to them being blends I genuinely love) they’re cheaper and perfect for exploration. You can start uncovering your taste without spending too much on something you end up disliking, then apply what you learn about your taste when you want to try some boutique blends.

Just remember, bulk usually comes in bags, which are fine as temporary storage. But you’re best off getting  some other means of storage, even if you’re not cellaring them and just using them for your current stock.

But speaking of cellaring…

Cellar What You Don’t Like

To the new pipe smoker, cellaring might sound like some real aficionado, obsessive behavior. It’s really not (I mean, it can be if you want). “Cellaring” makes the whole practice sound like a grand undertaking. It’s simply storing in airtight containers—usually unopened tins or mason jars—stowed away from sunlight in a consistent, not too humid environment. Not need to convert the basement or build a bunker. You can read our blog on the subject to learn more about cellaring tobacco.

If a blend really isn’t working for you, go ahead and start aging it. Tastes change in more ways than one, both the qualities of the tobacco will change as will the preferences of the smoker, especially if they’re new to pipe smoking and haven’t ventured much into more full-bodied blends or haven’t found the nuances in varieties like Virginias. You already bought the stuff, so what do you have to lose?

The exception however is that many Aromatic blends shouldn’t be aged long. However, if their flavor was imparted from an exposure such as barrel aging as opposed to spray casing, by all means.

Give a Little Bit of Everything a Chance

When it comes down to it, you like what you like and there is no shame in that. If you get into fruity Aromatics and that’s all you ever enjoy, well, the key word there is enjoy. You’re enjoying your Aromatics, ergo you’re enjoying a pipe. You’re doing it right in my book.

But I do encourage beginners to be curious about everything and try everything. Not only is it good for developing and navigating your preferences, but it’s good for your technique as well. One blend might work better in one pipe and then it’s a whole different experience in another. One cut might need to be packed a little bit differently than another to get it right. You like to dry out this blend for this long but when doing it with that one it’s too dry.

Learning about pipes and pipe tobacco and finding your rhythm is like stepping into another culture. It’s good to go in with some best practices, have some idea of how it all works and any self-sabotaging behaviors to avoid. But it’s engaging that truly begets clarity. It’s through osmosis that the intricacies of customs and practices start to be understood not in isolation, but in relation to a larger cooperation. 

Hopefully this guide has provided a good place to start your exploration. 

1. Daderot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
2. Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
3. National Archives at College Park, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
4. andrew welch andrewwelch3, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (thumbnail-text added to original)

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For this, the first 2023 regular installment of the Tobacco Files, I wanted to cover some classics. I also thought I’d change things up a bit and feature one of my favorite pipe tobaccos.

Usually, the featured blends in these columns are new to me. When they aren’t, my experience is limited. Part of how I wanted to format these columns was to give an account of my futzing with an unfamiliar blend—a tasting journal turned outward. That’s how I’ll keep it for the most part, but it’s fun to change things up from time to time. So this month, we’ll have  Capstan Gold Navy Cut Flake and Orlik Golden Sliced, the latter being a favorite of mine. 

For the record, the “gold” theme was unintentional, but let’s hope it’s a good omen for 2023.

And of course we’ll end things with our featured cigar—my undressed notes on a  premium cigar I particularly enjoyed this month—My Fathers Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto.

Capstan Gold Navy Cut Flake 

Entry 1

This will be my first time diving into this particular offering from  Mac Baren, though I have had an affinity for its cousin, Capstan Original Navy Cut, ever since I featured it in a Tobacco File back in March.

But for a little background, the Capstan brand goes far back, being created over a century ago by W.D. & H.O. Wills, which would become one of thirteen companies to merge into Imperial Tobacco at the turn of the century.

In 2013, as part of Mac Baren's deal with Imperial, in which they acquired the pipe tobacco division of Altadis—formerly  Sutliff, which restored its original name at this time—Mac Baren also negotiated to take over production of Capstan and Three Nuns, at the time manufactured at Orlik/STG (they would buy the brands outright from Imperial in 2015).

Not only did Mac Baren continue production, but they expanded the line to offer a second, milder version (Gold), and a ready-rubbed style of each.

Mac Baren master blender Per Jensen says of these two blends:

"The difference between Capstan Original and Capstan Gold is that many pipe smokers find the Gold version to be a bit milder and slightly sweeter, where the Capstan Blue shows the full flavor Virginias in the taste (More Virginia taste)." 

Okay, that was a longer prologue than usual, but I do love a historical detour. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Smoke

Mac Baren presses some pretty flakes, Capstan Gold is no exception.

Taking in the tin note, I get a bit of a fruity scent, apricot I want to say, with hints of bread and grass.

I’m somewhat surprised by the ease with which the flake rubs out. I feel that often when a flake is pristine like this, it’s a touch moist and takes some work to break down,  Samuel Gawith comes to mind (not a criticism, good tobacco’s worth a little prep). But Capstan Gold proved to be very accommodating and worked right down to a nice ready rubbed. It’s slightly moister than is my preference, but as seems to be my method with new tobacco nowadays, I go ahead and pack it as is, and will navigate my drying time from there.

My first smoke will be in one of my favorites, my Bushido series J Mouton Poker. This somewhat narrow, long chamber seems to be a friend to Virginias.

Lighting up

Despite being a tad moist, I get a very agreeable char light. Immediately I get bright Virginia notes of grass, citrus, and hay and a mellow honey sweetness.

I start to notice some spice and earth develop as I get into the first few minutes of the smoke. I wasn’t totally expecting it, being the alleged lighter Capstan offering. It’s not as though it’s particularly stout or anything, but some earthy expression in the sinus and a light cedar note brings something interesting to Capstan Gold. Gentle, but not without body.

Has a bit of a herbal quality I love in some bright Virginias—Orlik Golden Sliced notably one of them. Not sure to what extent it’s a feature of the leaf or maybe a common approach to casing this style of blend, but it’s right up my alley.

Entry 2

Capstan Gold has offered a very gratifying smoke the last couple weeks.

No big revelations in tasting notes. As you can imagine, it’s an honest bright-leaning straight Virginia. Uncomplex and unpretentious. Though, I have given it some miles in different pipes, and while not dramatically different, it seems to have some say in my experience.

I noted a couple days back I had Gold packed in my widest chamber, my Genod Pot, and noted—

Tart, with more of a woody, bready undertone weaving like a bass-y rhythm beneath the bright notes.

I’m currently smoking Capstan Gold in my Tsuge E-Star, which is on the wider side, and I feel I do get a woody accentuation. I’ve also taken to almost consistently folding in Gold. Which for me, means layering in some of that broken down detritus. This has become more standard to my flake packing the last couple months or so.

Another thing I noticed with the Genod was a maltiness when really nursed. Unlike my Tsuge with it’s lovely bend, the Genod isn’t much a friend to clenching, and it reminds me of how I could still stand to program myself a bit better in terms of cadence. I love a clencher, especially while typing away, but nothing reminds me that I may be stoking a bit too much than the smolder of a pipe that needs to be set down.

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

Entry 3

So, I regret not having some Capstan Original Flake freed up for a compare and contrast, but I checked the ol’ cellar spreadsheet and what do ya know, I did stow away a tin of the ready rubbed variety some months back. So for this final entry, I’m packing up some clay pipes and doing a little side by side.

Once Gold is rubbed out, I don’t find them too distinguishable in look, except Gold is perhaps a shade darker, though I’m not sure how well that picture shows it. The difference is slight, but makes sense, as pressing can have that effect. Perhaps the exposure from being broken up after pressing has lightened the ready rubbed.

Definitely closely related, but I see where Capstan Original is the "heavier" of the two—perhaps not in nic hit, so much as it leans into some darker flavors. From Original, I get more herbal notes and more tingle to the palate. Gold has an emphasis on the floral, grassy, sweet side.

My basic impression of the differences—

Capstan Original leans herbal and vegetative to Gold's grass and citrus.

Original offers more woodiness to Gold's breadiness. 

For Fans of…

• Mac Baren HH Pure Virginia
• Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake
• Sutliff 507 Virginia Slices

Orlik Golden Sliced

Entry 1

Smoked by all shrewd judges, as well as mild mannered blog writers.

Originally a pipe company founded in 1899, Orlik has a long history of tobacciana excellence. Now Golden Sliced, offered in 50g and 100g tins, is all that remains.

Like all enduring mixtures from the pantheon of classic pipe blends, Orlik Golden Sliced has changed over the years. And though I can’t speak to its greatness a century nor a decade ago, this modern iteration has been a favorite of mine since I first tried it.

Pre-Smoke

Generally, I have a fresh tin for the column, but I usually have Golden Sliced on deck. I jarred up a 100g tin some months back, so I’ll be smoking from that. It’s mostly already broken up, with a few intact flakes as you can see pictured below.

But upon opening the tin, this now broken-up flake was one long flake folded over on itself. Check out Reiner Tobacco’s flake cut for reference. I didn’t actually expect that, as I’d only had the 50g tin of Golden Sliced before, which has the pressed leaf cut and stacked in perfect rectangles. At any rate, as you can see, the aptly named flakes are golden and bright with medium brown mottled through.

Golden Sliced had me from the tin note the first time I tried it. Its herbal grassiness immediately lit up some nostalgia receptor in my brain. My mother used to use a heatable neck wrap, it had this herbal scent that was so pleasing, and taking in this tin note, I can hear the beeping microwave in the kitchen of my childhood home.

Sorry if that’s too schmaltzy, maybe I’m longing for a day when I didn’t need one of those wraps for my own sore neck.

Lighting up

I pack my  Missouri Meerschaum Let Freedom Ring cob for my first smoke. There’s a simple pleasure to a Virginia’s natural sweetness in a corn cob pipe.

Upon lighting, I am met with that familiar hay, grass, and molasses, complimented by a cane sugar sweetness, carried on a toasty bread low-end. A bit of Virginia plummy, raisin accent. There’s a consistent spice throughout, not like a peppery-perique spice, but an element of that herbal note—perhaps something to do with the casing. A distinguished floral note is there as well.

There has been much discussion in the past as to whether Golden Sliced does in fact contain perique. I believe these doubts were put to rest—it does—but it’s not hard to understand the doubt. The bold varietal’s presence is subtle, and it seems to me that it emphasizes that spice and Virginia woodiness without a lot of distinguished character of its own. Somewhat like doubling the singer on a recording—adds dynamics and weight, and would take the absence of that second track to get the full sense of what it's bringing to the mix.

Entry 2

Featuring a favorite blend spurs a departure from the investigative element of this column.

Wrestling with a blend I have little to no experience with means tracking how my impression develops with familiarity. That familiarity comes, not simply through more time smoking the blend, but in different contexts—experimenting with packing methods and smoking in pipes of different sizes, materials, etc.

I have alternated between rubbing out fully and folding in to see if I could glean some sort of distinction. I still get a consistent experience with the profile, but I prefer its slow burn rate with a fold and stuff method.

I will say, one thing that has made Golden Sliced a mainstay of my rotation is the affable smoke I get in any of my pipes. It doesn’t seem to play favorites. Sometimes I do get one of those different smokes out of it, where there’s no real rhyme or reason, and very well may be more psychological than anything, but it’s as close to perfection as life allows. But of course, we’d manifest those smokes every time if we only could.

Maybe another reason I love this blend for its straightforward consistency is because, otherwise, I smoke quite widely. There are plenty of blends I love, but the blends I have opened and on deck at any given time are mostly new to me, so even those blends I love I only come back around to so often. This is how I like things, but it’s still nice to have those few anchor blends, familiar favorites, personal classics.

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

For fans of...

• Peter Stokkebye PS 400 Luxury Navy Flake
• Reiner Long Gold Flake
• Escudo Navy De Luxe

Featured Cigar

For January, it was  My Father’s cigars that really grabbed me. I enjoyed quite a few, but the Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto was among my favorite smokes in smoke time. Blended as a tribute to Jose “Pepin” Garcia’s father, Le Bijou (French for “The Jewel”) takes the classic My Father blend and amends it, swapping the Ecuadorian wrapper for Habano Oscuro. The Torpedo vitola won Cigar Aficionados Cigar of the Year in 2015. 

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto 

Wrapper -  Habano Oscuro 
Binder  -  Nicaraguan
Filler  -  Nicaraguan
Size    -  4.5 X 50

First third:

• The first minute or so introduces rich, dark flavor: black coffee, oak, pepper, vegetation
• Plenty of spice develops, tingling the lips
• Umami, mushroom alights
• Slightest hint of citrus

Second third:

• Cocoa and that woody, oakiness seem to be forward into the second third to the halfway point
• Strength has been hugging the mild side of medium to my impression, now settles at the mid mark. 

Final third:

Kept a consistent, tight burn and flavor till the end. 

Until next time...

Last February, I was told to grab two tins and write about them under the name "What I Smoked This Week." February 18th, I posted  What I Smoked This Week 1 - Bengal Slices and Escudo Navy De Luxe. It's been a great year of sharing my exploration of these 53 blends and counting. To think, I would be at 104 if we kept to a weekly post, but I think I found a rhythm here in this monthly column. 

Thanks for reading as always. February, we explore two tobaccos blended to the style of the original Richmond recipe. 

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

A quick column today to usher in the most recent addition to the Barrel Aged Series from Sutliff Tobacco. Barrel Aged No. 5 goes live today at 6:00 PM eastern time. 

The Barrel Aged Series in a limb of Sutliff’s Crumble Kake line. Red Virginia, English # 1, and Va Perique comprise the regular production Crumble Kake blends, but every so often we get a barrel aged mixture—a limited release, each with a new recipe. Not only do the tobaccos change, but a different spirit-imbued cask is thoughtfully chosen to compliment the given blend.

The previous 4 iterations:

1. Straight Virginia; Apple brandy barrel
2. Bright Virginias and Kentucky; Cognac barrel
3. Virginia, Burley, and Black Cavendish; Bourbon barrel
4. Virginia and Burley; Bourbon barrel

And now we have Barrel Aged No. 5—a base of Burley and Virginia enhanced by the bold and uncommon Rustica leaf.

Sutliff Barrel Aged No. 5 - Rustica

Entry 1

Rustica isn’t a varietal we see very often. It’s a species of its own separate from Nicotiana tabacum (which most of our other familiar tobacco varietals belong to). Though eclipsed by N. tabacum, Rustica—a harsh and robust tobacco—has been used in certain niches, such as Makhorka in Russian or Thuóc Láo in Vietnam, but it’s seen a revival in pipe blending in recent years.

Part of what made N. tabacum superior was its comparative mildness, but with all the developments in the processing of tobacco, Mac Baren master blender Per Jensen sought to tame Rustica, mellowing it through strategic curing and pressing. No doubt, it’s still a hearty ingredient, but manageable now as a unique component to a stout blend. Jensen’s first use of the novel leaf was for the HH series, Mac Baren HH Rustica. We then saw it used in Aberrant, also blended by Jensen for Sutliff’s Birds of a Feather series (which includes one more Rustica blend yet to be released).

Pre-smoke

Breaking the seal of Rustica No. 5, I’m met with almost uniformly dark crumble cakes, with just a slight speckling of lighter leaf. The yellow mottling would be easy not to notice at all if not for the stark contrast against the brown leaf.

The tin note is stout but not loud. It doesn’t burst at the break of the seal, pervading the room like some full-flavored blends. But lean in a bit and there’s a dark, vinous richness—a tangy BBQ note, and the expected bourbon.

Breaking some up, it’s quite moist. Not surprising for a barrel aged tobacco (I know I've been accused of being a bit soppy when imbued with spirit). Things may get a little finicky but that’s alright. I pack my trusty Kaywoodie White Briar and get to smoking.

Lighting up 

Okay, "get to smoking" may be simplifying things. There have been a few char lights involved, but now we’ve got a nice consistent smolder.

I’m met with a woody, floral, incense-y forward profile. Some notes of dry fruit—figgy. It takes little time for the Rustica body to bear down. Pepper in the sinus develops as does a subtle, savory smokiness. The bourbon flavoring offers a sweet oakiness that seems to round things out a bit.

I've needed a few relights, but as I keep that smoke going, a bit of the presence in the sinus lays down, not totally docile, but settles and allows me to experience the full profile more.

I’d be interested to try Rustica in isolation. After a big meal of course. Besides its effects to the body and strength, it’s difficult to glean exactly what its flavor profile is having had it in so few blends. But from Barrel Aged 5, I get a Dark Fired Kentucky reminiscence that I also get from HH Rustica, and I wonder if there is something to Rustica that brings that on.  

Entry 2

No two smokes seem quite the same with Barrel Aged 5. Not erratic—but leans into different sides of its profile. I think experimenting with different moisture content accounts for a good deal of this. For me, airing out for a little is best. I get more of this tart, dark currant and fig. But too much may lose some of that bourbon—I may still be trying to find my sweet spot for prepping Barrel Aged No. 5.

In general, there’s more to the fruity side that seemed peripheral my first couple smokes. A consistent citrus as well that I didn’t really find before. A Burley and perhaps Virginia breadiness offers a nice warmth to the blend. At the moment, I have Barrel Aged No. 5 packed in my Missouri Meerschaum Dagner Poker, and it’s embracing a floral, woody, cigar-like forward profile.

Something about Barrel Aged no 5 I’ve enjoyed is how well it plays in that liminal space between taste and smell. It’s a floral earthiness that hangs in the back palate/sinus, conspicuous but not so imposing.

Virginia and Burley do very well to balance the mixture. I get a lot of what I consider the “sharper” Virginia notes—grass, tart, and citrus—which are nicely dulled in terms of sharpness but not the color they offer the mixture with the foundational wood and bread of the Burley, and the tangy, vegetative, dark fruity Virginia. And of course, being packed between those bourbon imbued staves has its say on the cohesion of the profile.

As for the strength, it’s certainly heavy—on the far side of medium to full. There have been a few smokes that have had those nic-hits you feel in your gut, but I admittedly didn’t exactly come prepared in those instances (i.e., I should have waited till after dinner.) Not the heaviest blend ever, but could get wobbly if not ready. 

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

Entry 3

I was gonna wrap this up with the second entry, but I decided to do a little side by side with HH Rustic so see how the two compare. I should give the caveat—the HH Rustica was jarred up about two months back after aging for a year and some change in the original sealed tin, which may have given it some time to smooth out.

They are certainly their own blends, but not without similarities. Barrel Aged No. 5 leans more into the floral and incense, with a touch more sweetness. HH Rustica seemed to express more on the tangy, vinegar side, and more of that cigar earthiness. I find the Virginia in higher resolution in HH Rustica as well.

While HH Rustica did offer a slightly smoother experience, it seemed a touch heartier.

I'll certainly set some aside for the cellar. I’m eager to see what some age will do to Barrel Aged No. 5, but I can say right now that in the months to come, when I’m yearning for that robust evening blend, I’ll be reaching for this one quite often. 

Until Next Time... 

Thanks for reading as always. I can say already that the two blends I'm smoking for February's regular Tobacco File is one of my favorites yet—both blended to the style of the original Richmond recipe.

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

Table of Contents

1. What is a pipe rotation
2. Why do tobacco pipes need rest
3. How long should a pipe rest between smokes
4. Building a pipe rotation
5. Quality and affordable briar pipes
6. Dedicating pipes

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Establishing a pipe rotation can be a confusing subject for newcomers to tobacco pipes, but it need not be. Like many aspects of the hobby, it’s a loosely defined practice that accommodates a personal approach—if one chooses to integrate the practice at all.

At its simplest, building a pipe rotation is another way we provide for the contingencies of our pipes’ health and the agreeability of each smoking experience. Some pipe smokers develop a meticulous system for these ends—others, a casual mindfulness. Here, I want to get into the reasons for and approaches toward a pipe rotation. With that knowledge, we can let preference and individuality take the reins.

What is a pipe rotation?

Common pipe smoking wisdom tells us that a smoked pipe should have time to rest. Essentially, pipe rotating is the practice of facilitating that rest without abstaining from enjoying a smoke when the desire arises by building up a collection of pipes, sometimes (but not necessarily) fixed to a regiment of use.

This usually means resting a pipe after each smoke, but for some, the idea of pipe rotating may mean that one pipe is dedicatedly packed and puffed throughout a day, to be benched and rested until its day comes again.

Though some may opt for a more established routine—such as having a pipe for each weekday, i.e., a 7 day set—many will practice pipe rotating casually. When you have a decent collection assembled, spacing out the smoking of a given pipe doesn’t take much organizing. But it can be a bit daunting for those starting out. For the beginner pipe smoker, it can seem that enjoying a smoke with some level of regularity means having to spend quite a bit on several pipes out of the gate. We’ll get into some budget friendly approaches, but first, let’s discuss why many favor resting a pipe.

Why do tobacco pipes need to rest?

Well, it’s actually wooden pipes that we are mostly concerned with here—most often briar pipes. The reason is the heat and moisture that results from smoking.

Damage to a pipe from overheating

The combustion from smoking heats the bowl, and not allowing time for the pipe to cool after smoking can cause damage to the shank, or a burn out in the bowl. This sounds scary, but I don’t want to lead you astray with horror stories—this is rare. If it’s a well crafted pipe that is cared for and isn’t disassembled while still hot, it’s very unlikely the shank will crack.

As for burnouts, they are very uncommon, but when they do occur, there’s often an underlying, unforeseen flaw in the briar. If that’s the case, the burnout is likely to develop within the first few smokes (identifiable by a localized section of char/webbing on the chamber wall), and the matter should be remedied by the manufacturer or retailer. Short of such outlying circumstances, if a pipe has been thoughtfully broken in and is well cared for (maintaining a thin cake and avoiding smoking too hot) you should have nothing to worry about.

Rotating pipes to get the most out of a smoking experience

Then there’s the quality of the smoking experience itself. Of course, this is quite subjective and there are pipe smokers who will attest to fine smokes one after another, day after day, in one pipe. But no doubt many pipe smokers have experienced acrid, harsh, and/or dull smokes from such a routine. I highly recommend G. L. Pease’s article Give it a Rest in which he relays his experiment of smoking in this manner.

Built up moisture can cause gurgling and a sour taste when smoking. Regardless of whether we plan to pack that pipe again in seven minutes, seven hours, or seven days, we should be running a pipe cleaner after each smoke to remove excess moisture and gunk. I'll even wipe down the chamber wall with paper towel or a looped pipe cleaner, such as the one pictured above. 

But even after doing this, the inner bowl feels slightly damp. I can only imagine the same is true for the rest of the internals. To once again get a really dry smoke, you just need time.

How long should a pipe rest between smokes?

24 hours. Scientifically, objectively, twenty-four hours.

Just kidding. If you’ve been a pipe smoker for five minutes you probably know nothing’s that straight forward. That said, one day is a pretty common answer to the question, and it seems like a fine place to start. I would say add a day or two if you have a few pipes to rotate, but ultimately, you’ll just let your experience be the guide from there.

There are no hard and fast rules as to the perfect time to leave your pipe at ease. Since moisture and heat are major factors, the tobacco and the pipe in question matter greatly, as does how you smoke (packing, cadence, lighting—all that business). Some tobaccos are more moist. And since the combustion allows the moisture to get into the heel of the chamber and into the airway, naturally the physics of that pipe will have their say.

And then there’s simply the palate of the beholder. If you smoke in quick succession and get a spoiled, sour blitz to the tongue, you don’t have to be the god or goddess of delicate nuance to say, “hey, that wasn’t very fun.” Then again, if you’re losing some of the subtleties of the flavor profile, you’re probably not going to feel like your grand smoking experience was harshly undercut, especially if you’re still developing a palate that recognizes such nuance.

Which is all to say, just experiment and see what works for you. But there are some factors regarding wait time we can control—a little proactivity can do you well in the long run.

Mitigating rest time

So, what can you do to be proactive against a sour pipe? Even if you don’t put any stock in a pipe rotation or resting time, the following is just good form in general. In fact, it’s all the more necessary if you aren’t going to be resting a pipe.

First off, keep that pipe clean. Run a pipe cleaner after each smoke. The sooner the better, before letting that moisture soak in and before that gunk gets more set. You’ll notice how much more dirty a cleaner is after being run through a pipe that was just smoked versus some time after the smoke, even if it hadn’t been touched since. I will usually use two pipe cleaners after a smoke; first bristled, then fluffy.

You may even want to give your pipe a run or two with a cleaner mid-smoke, especially if it’s a particularly wet tobacco.

But remember, if the pipe doesn’t pass a cleaner, i.e., you can't get one all the way through from the bit to the heel without taking the pipe apart, just get out as much as you can without any disassembly, and then separate it and run the cleaner through once it’s cooled off. Also, wipe around the base of the tenon and the sides of the mortise when they are separate, as moisture and gunk easily collect here (see illustration below). But again, wait for a while after you’ve smoked. Removing the stem before the briar has time to cool can result in a cracked shank. In fact, wait till it’s cool then wait some more.

Red areas show the easily overlooked spaces buildup occurs 

In addition to that per-smoke cleaning, periodically give the pipe a deep clean. Use a pipe cleaning solution such as BriarVille Pipe Cleaner and Sweetener with pipe cleaners and brushes to really get that residue out. Neerup offers a great assortment of brushes shaped to clean the chamber, mortise, and draft hole.

Also keep the cake nice and trim. The carbon cake in the chamber is great for insulating the briar, but it holds moisture. You may need to ream the pipe from time to time, although I recommend the aforementioned practice of wiping the chamber walls with a paper towel or twisted up cleaner after smokes, this way cake develops very slowly and evenly and there is only very occasionally any need for removing cake (though, you might want to wait until a new pipe has some cake before this becomes routine).

And if you do ream your pipe, know what you’re doing. It’s not as daunting as it’s sometimes made out to be, but the results can be devastating if not approached with some background knowledge. Remember, the more you keep on top of regular upkeep, the less demanding the occasional deep clean. There’s a big difference between trimming cake and heavy reaming.

Building a pipe rotation

How many pipes do you need for a rotation? That depends on how often you smoke, what you’re smoking, if you’re dedicating pipes (we’ll get into that), and other factors. Again, it’s just one of those things you’ll feel out. Let’s get into how you might approach putting a pipe rotation together.

Get a few corn cob pipes

There are a lot of reasons beyond affordability to have some cobs on hand, but that price point certainly helps when building a pipe rotation. In addition to having some other backups while that briar rests, you also might want some “activity” or “knock around” pipes. Sometimes we like having a smoke while taking care of the yard work or are otherwise active and don’t want to risk damaging one of our nice briars, especially if you only have one or two.

In fact, my personal approach to pipe rotating is of the casual variety. I have enough pipes I enjoy that there’s always an option while recently used pipes are given a few days rest. The exception however, is a self-assembled seven day set of corn cob pipes. I go to the dog park to play fetch with my boy Bishop just about every day. I much prefer having a trusty, cheap cob for this. And right by my door I keep an old spoon wall-mount that conveniently holds seven cobs, one for each day of the week. Those are my fetchin’ cobs.

Consider a meerschaum pipe 

Cobs are so affordable, it’s easy to get several for very cheap, but they’re also best served by having some time to dry out. However, meerschaum pipes don’t require such a rest time. Though they may not be inexpensive, one can go a long way. You can turn to that meerschaum and smoke it, smoke it, and smoke it again while the briar rests.

They’re also just gorgeous and wonderful smokers in their own right. Altinay and Rattray’s both have some great options for meerschaum pipes that aren’t too pricey.

Keep in mind, while you don’t need to rest a meerschaum pipe like a briar, the same rules apply with maintenance. Keep that smoker clean, and keep running those pipe cleaners. It’s especially a good idea to wipe down the bowl after each use, as you don’t need a layer of cake in a meerschaum pipe, and having one that builds up too much can be detrimental.

Quality and affordable briar pipes

If you are looking for some briar pipes to start filling out that rotation, here are some recommendations for inexpensive yet fine pipes. I’ll list some series that I think are great options, but I encourage you to look into the brands for a pipe that really speaks to your tastes.

And keep in mind, we regularly do brand-wide sales on our pipes. Subscribe to our email at the bottom of the Tobaccopipes.com home page or keep up with us on socials (facebook, instagram) and there’ll certainly be some opportunities for deals.

Morgan Bones

Savinelli Arcobaleno

Peterson Aran

Rossi Piccolo

Molina Tromba

Lorenzetti Avitus

Nording Compass

Dedicating pipes

Dedicating pipes is another practice you’ll hear about and it’s somewhat at odds with rotating pipes when you’re starting out. In general, I suggest beginners don't worry too much about dedicating, but you should understand what it is so you can decide if it’s something to consider now. 

Basically, dedicating is the practice of having certain pipes exclusively used for certain blend types (or even certain blends). Especially blend types that are more prone to ghosting a pipe. This refers to when a blend leaves behind flavor in a pipe and affects later smokes. This is mostly a concern with more potent varietals like Latakia or Perique, or generously flavored Aromatics.

If you do want to dedicate, keeping a few cobs exclusively for those sorts of blends is a good place to start while you build up your briar collection—meerschaum is also handy here as they’re less prone to ghosting. But again, if this seems like one more factor complicating things, don’t fret about it. Many seasoned pipe smokers don’t dedicate—you’ll figure out what works for you.

Like all things in pipes and tobacco, it's about finding your own rhythm. No one can prescribe the right approach because that's to be determined by our own developing preferences. But what I've tried to offer here is some of what works for others and (in some but not all cases) myself. Hopefully that provides some jumping off points to start uncovering what works for you. 

Figuring out the world and culture of pipe smoking can seem complex. Just like any other hobby or practice in life, the right resources make developing a meaningful connection to the activity considerably easier.

When you dig into pipe smoking, you will quickly be bombarded by a vocabulary that seems like Greek to you. Even though context clues can help a little, it's helpful to have the definition a click away.

That is why we have compiled this pipe and tobacco glossary—to make pipe smoking easier and more pleasant for you. As well as the basic definitions, there will be links to related topics we've covered in more detail.

So, whether needing a quick refresher or definition, or want to take a deep dive, this should be a great resource to get you there. 

A

Acorn/Pear

The Acorn and Pear pipe shapes are synonymous. The outside of the bowl is conical shaped, tapering towards the base. There are no hard lines or angles around the chamber of the pipe. The rounding edges are the defining feature of an Acorn shaped pipe.

Acrylic

The two most common stem materials for pipes are acrylic and vulcanite. Acrylic, which you may hear called Lucite, is a very durable plastic. It is harder than vulcanite, so may be less comfortable in the mouth to some smokers, especially those who clench often. However, it is less prone to scratches and does not oxidize as vulcanite does, making it an easily maintainable material that keeps its shine.

African Block Meerschaum

African Block Meerschaum is similar to tradition meerschaum found in Turkey. The difference is that it is slightly darker in color and heavier than tradition meerschaum. Pipes made from African block meerschaum are seldom seen today but they can still be found with a bit of effort. This material is mined from Tanzania.

Aging

Aging tobacco is the process of jarring or leaving a tobacco blend in an air-tight container to mature, what might be called "cellaring." Much like how wine ages, tobacco will develop over time. Different types of leaf age differently. 

See:  A Complete Guide to Cellaring Tobacco.

Agonya

Agonya tobacco is a strand of Kabakolak tobacco, under the umbrella of Oriental tobaccos. The sub-varietal is noted for its light and smooth body, and is cultivated near the Sea of Marmara in the region east of Kanakhale, Turkey.

Air-cured

Air-cured tobacco is the curing method most associated with Burley leaf.  As soon as the tobacco leaves are cut they are hung in a shaded place—usually a barn—that is extremely well ventilated. Over a period of a few months, the tobacco turns from brilliant green to warm yellow and finally to an earthy brown hue.  Once the tobacco leave reach the desired color, they are ready for either immediate processing or fermentation.

Amber

Before acrylic and vulcanite stems became popular in the late 19th century, amber was a common material chosen for the construction of a stem. Amber comes from the hardened resin of old trees. While the material is beautiful, it is brittle and hard. Amber stems require much more maintenance and care than the acrylic stems we see today.

American Blend

Though none of the blend types we commonly name in referring to a blend's genre are all that technical or tidy, "American" is especially vague. You may hear this term applied to a blend of Virginia, Burley, and Oriental; an English blend with a Burley base; or a Burley-based blend in the style of the classic over-the-counter (OTC) mixtures such as  Sir Walter Raleigh or Carter Hall. Alternatively, you may hear "American style" used in some way to refer to generously topped Aromatic mixtures.

Apple

Apple-shaped pipe is a rounded, more spherical version of a Billiard. Depending on the curve of the shank/stem, you may see an Apple bowl referred to as a Diplomat or Prince—more specific varieties which tell us more about the overall silhouette, not just that of the bowl. 

Army Mount

The army-mount stem is also known as the military style. These pipes are often banded with a thick metal ring of nickel or sterling silver. On an army stem there is no tenon. The entire stem is placed in the mortise, its tapered shape creating the tension holding the pieces in place. These army-mount stems can be popular for both their style and utility, as they're often said to put less pressure on the shank.

Aromatic

An aromatic tobacco is a mixture of components that have a liberal casing or top flavoring different than the natural tobacco. Typically aromatic tobaccos are sweet or fruity and have an excellent room aroma to accompany them. The top flavoring is different from "casing" which most all pipe blends have in small amounts. Some blends with more mild top flavoring may or may not be referred to as Aromatic, becoming more a matter of personal perception.

See:  Best Smelling Pipe Tobaccos (10 Aromatic Mixtures).

Author

Author pipes are known for their large bowls, in comparison to most other pipes. The large bowl attracts many smokers who love to smoke for extended periods of time. Additionally, many pipe smokers attest to the difference in how a blend performs in a wide chambered pipe. 

B

Bafra

Bafra style tobacco is the same as Samsun and is another sub-varietal under the Oriental umbrella. Often, Bafra has small red or brown smudges of color in the leaf. There is a naturally pungent odor that accompanies this tobacco. This blend has a decadently rich flavor.

Bakelite

Bakelite is a chemically complicated plastic that is a bit harder than vulcanite but is softer than a traditional plain acrylic. Technically bakelite is polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride. The material is usually an off-white or yellow color. It is a common choice for intricate bands.

Balkan blend

Another narrow blend genre with an unclear definition. Balkan most likely came into use to describe blends with a similar profile as the famous Balkan Sobranie. You'll mostly hear Balkan blends defined as a sub-genre of English blends, but with a significant ratio of Latakia or Latakia and Oriental leaf.

Band

A band is a ring of  metal, acrylic, or some other material that is bound around the shank or stem of a pipe. Often purely ornamental, it may be used to reinforce the shank from the pressure of the tenon.

Basma

Basma is a tobacco grown solely in Western Greece and is a sub-varietal of Oriental tobacco. The stems of the leaf do not extend beyond the leaf of the main stalk. 

Bead Line

A bead line is an engraved line usually running around the stummel. Bead lines are most commonly seen on bulldog and rhodesian shaped pipes, where there are two running parallel to one another. Bead lines are put into a pipe with a lathe. They were once much more popular than they are now, but are still used by some artisans.

Bent Pipe

Referring to a pipe as “bent” is a geometric phrase used to describe a pipe that has a curve or angle in the shank or stem. Sometimes a pipe may be described as full-, half-, or slight-bent depending on the significance of the curve. Bent pipes can be desirable for the downward weight distribution, often making for a more comfortable clench. However, some bent pipes are less amenable to passing a pipe cleaner.

Billiard

The Billiard shape is without a doubt the most popular tobacco pipe shape in the world.  Billiards feature a perfectly cylindrical chamber and can be found with either a bent or a straight stem. The key to a classic Billiard is a cylindrical shank equal in length to the height of the bowl.

Birdseye

Birdseye refers to a type of grain that appears on a pipe when the straight grain has been cut straight across horizontally. The effect is a gorgeous dot and bubble pattern across the cut area of the briar. Birdseye pipes are highly collectable. Only a master carver can properly bring out the beauty of the birdseye grain.

Bit

The bit refers to the to the stem or mouthpiece of a pipe, often referring specifically to the very end opposite the tenon, or the "button."

Bite

There are two different definitions of bite:

1) When a tobacco smokes harsh, it can often be said to “bite” the tongue. This is often the result of an especially hot combustion, which can be the result of stoking to much, drawing hard, or especially dry leaf. It may also result from especially moist tobacco, often from top flavoring. The chemistry of one's mouth is also a factor—the blend that bites one tongue may be harmless to another. Tongue bite often feels like burning your tongue on a hot cup of coffee. 

2) A bite, or bite zone, is the part of a stem where the teeth meets the pipe. It is generally the last quarter of the stem that goes into the smoker’s mouth.

Bloom

Also known as plume, bloom is a white colored substance that appears on the outside of aged tobaccos. There is much debate on the actually source of bloom, said to be a form of mold, crystalized sugar, or the crystallization of casing. It is often seen on cigars but also aged pipe tobacco, especially flake. If you're unsure if you should smoke tobacco that has bloom, keep in mind, if it wipes away easily it's likely bloom and if it looks more fuzzy than crystalline, it's likely mold. Ultimately, exercise your best judgement and precaution.

Blowfish

The most important feature of the Blowfish shape is the briar’s grain pattern. The sides of the bowl are large and round and will always have a birdseye grain, while the front and backside of the bowl has a straight grain running perpendicular through the tobacco chamber. To imagine a Blowfish, picture a bundle of pipe cleaners held out in front of you. The birdseye grain is the end of each cleaner, creating a popcorn style pattern, and the straight grain is the length of the cleaner running left and right of your position.

Bowl

Bowl is a loose term that may be used to describe the chamber, the part of stummel excluding the shank, or the entire stummel. 

Bowl Coating

Many pipe makers apply a material that coats the inner walls of the chamber, usually to promote smooth smoking and a proper build up of cake. The bowl coating also reduces the odds of a burnout. Whether or not to use a bowl coating is a controversial issue and there are valid opinions on each side.

See:  How to Break in a Tobacco Pipe

Brandy

The Brandy-shaped pipe was designed to look a brandy glass.  The bulging shape of this pipe makes it comfortable and easy pipe to hold in the hand. Imagine a Billiard shaped bowl, but with a sizeable chunk of briar left on the front of end of the bowl, giving it that rounded brandy glass look.

Breaking In

Breaking In is the term used to describe the process of preparing a new pipe for regular smoking.

Not all types of tobacco pipes require a break-in process. Many pipes are pre-treated. Meerschaum and clay pipes don’t need any type of breaking in. However, most pipes made of wood or corn cob should go through a break-in process.

See:  How to Break in a Tobacco Pipe

Briar

Briar is, without a doubt, the most popular choice of material for pipe makers. Technically speaking, briar is the root, or, burl, of the Erica Arborea tree, which is almost solely grown in the greater Mediterranean region. The burl of the tree are harvested when they are around 30 years old. Then, they are dried out, cut, and shipped to pipe carvers around the world. Briar is an excellent material for pipe making because it is light, durable, and less prone to burning. It also gives the stunning grain patterns cherished among pipe collectors.

Brindle

Brindle may also be referred to as cumberland-style stem. Brindle-style stems were made popular by the Cumberland line from Dunhill (hence the nelogistic name). A brindle stem is made by adding different pigments to the raw vulcanite material, leaving a beautiful multicolored design.

Brylon

Brylon is a  cheap alternative to briar which was used for pipemaking, but no companies to our knowledge continue to use it. This man-made material was invented in 1966 by S.M. Frank & Co., and was mostly used for Yello Bole and Medico pipes. The material is a mixture of sawdust, typically briar sawdust, and acrylic resin. While the end product is durable, many smokers feel that it smokes too hot and can even burn the hand.

Bullcap

The Bullcap shape is not very common, but is growing in popularity among individual artisans around the world. The largest difference between a Bullcap pipe and other pipes in the Bulldog family is the addition of a saddle bit stem, as a pure and correct Bullcap will always have the saddle stem.

Bulldog

To envision a bulldog-shaped pipe, imagine the larger sides of two cones rests on top of each other. Then, the small half of the top cone is cut off.  The twin bead lines running parallel across the bowl characterize a pure Bulldog. For a Bulldog pipe, the smooth bottom of the briar bowl always transitions to a diamond shaped shank with edges pointing up and down.

Bull Moose

The easiest way to picture a Bull Moose is to compress a Rhodesian from the top. The chamber walls are significantly larger and the chamber is shortened by as much as twenty-five percent. In addition, the shank is considerably beefed up. The length of the tapered stem is trimmed down, which makes this pipe short and fat in every aspect.

Burl

The burl is the tumor-like knot of wood that comes from the roots of the Erica Arborea shrub, what we call briar wood. The burl is cut into chunks and sold to pipe makers for carving.

See:  What is Briar Wood Used For Tobacco Pipes?

Burley

Burley is one of the most common tobaccos in the world. Used mostly for cigarette production, this component is grown almost solely in Kentucky and Tennessee. It is notoriously air-cured. Burley naturally has a low sugar content and must be sweetened to fit the needs of most blends. It imparts subtle flavors, often described as woody and nutty, brings a significant nicotine content, and takes on abutting flavors well, making it a popular candidate for stoving into Black Cavendish.

Burnout

When there is a spot of char that continues to penetrate deeper and deeper into the briar of a pipe, the result is called a burnout. Generally, when the outer layer of briar is penetrated deep, that pipe will no longer smoke properly. Some minor cases of burnout can be restored by the hands of an expert pipe restorer. Usually a burnout occurs when a smoker smokes the same pipe too hot for too long or can also occur from a natural imperfection in the pipe.

Button

The button is a raised lip at the tip of the stem. The button makes the pipe easier to hold in the teeth without it slipping out. The button receives particular attention from pipe carvers, for many this is the most crucial point of contact on the pipe.

C

Cake

Cake, or carbon cake, refers to buildup of carbon around the chamber walls of a pipe. This helps insulate pipes so they don't burn to hot or are damaged from combustion on bare briar. Not all pipes need a cake, and pipe smokers preferences vary, but if you keep a cake, it may need trimming from time to time, i.e., reaming. 

See:  How to Ream a Tobacco Pipe

Calabash

The  Calabash is a bold and eccentric pipe shape which came into popularity out of necessity during the Second Boer War in the late 19th century. The Calabash, crafter from a hollowed gourd, was a convenient alternative for the soldiers stationed in southern Africa, where the gourd pipes had existed for centuries. After the war, they became a bit of a novelty and though not especially common, remain prominent pipe shapes. These days Calabash pipes are generally carved from briar or meerschaum and feature meerschaum caps—the bowl which fits into the stummel opposite the shank-end.

Canadian

The Canadian pipe shape looks an awful lot like a Billiard going by the bowl alone, but it's the length and shape of the shank and stem that distinguish it. In order for a shape to be deemed a Canadian, the length of the shank must be at least one and a half times the height of the bowl, but cannot exceed double the length. In addition, a traditional Canadian will always have an oval shaped shank and a tapered stem.

Carnauba

Carnauba is a vegetable wax derived from the fronds of copernicia cerifera, or carnauba tree, a Brazilian native tree. Pipe makers often use this wax to coat the outside of their creations. It shines, is difficult to dull, and handles the heat of smoking well.

Casing

A casing is a spray or sauce applied to unfinished tobacco. A casing is usually used to sweeten a tobacco. In contrast, top flavor is the addition of scents and flavors to the blend at the finish. Though top flavoring is associated with Aromatic blends, casing is used in most any tobacco. It is more used to balance and sweeten the tobacco's natural taste. 

Cavalier

The Cavalier shape is unique because the air hole in the shank continues past the chamber, down into the shank extension. This feature traps the moisture of the tobacco in a cavity, which needs to be regularly cleaned. This keeps illicit moisture away from the tobacco and the smoker’s mouth. It is this moisture chamber that defines a Cavalier-shaped pipe.

Cavendish

Cavendish most traditionally is understood to be a tobacco that has gone through a process of applying steam, heat, and pressure to stove the leaf. In the States, Burley is often used, Virginia in Europe. You'll more often hear "Black Cavendish," which has been through the same process. The words are more-or-less synonymous, but perhaps one may be preferable depending on the degree to which the leaf was stoved, as the process blackens the leaf. Cavendish is a popular varietal for Aromatic blends, as the stoving caramelizes sugar and neutralizes much of the natural tobacco flavor, making it a great vehicle for toppings. It can also be a great addition for soothing the rough edges of a blend, adding body, or attenuating burn rate.

See:  Embracing Ambiguity - A Deep Dive into Cavendish Tobacco

Cellar(ing)

A pipe smoker's cellar is essentially their stash of aging tobacco. The name belies the simplicity of a "cellar," which could be as simple as a storage container of tins and/or jar kept in a closet. Pipe tobacco, unlike cigars, doesn't ask for very specific storage conditions, as long as it's kept in a dark place, at a consistent room temperature, without too much humidity, it will keep. Most pipe smokers already have such conditions in their home (though if you live in a particularly humid environment, some extra conditioning may be necessary). 

See: A Complete Guide to Cellaring Tobacco.

Chamber

The chamber is where the tobacco is placed in a pipe. The term chamber and bowl are often used interchangeably, but bowl more often will be used to refer to the entirety of the part of the stummel aside from the shank, where as chamber will more often refer to the interior. 

Char

Char is a common term and refers to the early stage of burning which blackens the wood. This usually happens along the rim of a pipe due to excessive flame from a lighter. Be sure to use a soft flame and avoid contact with the rim to prevent discoloration. 

Char light

The char light is a technique for lighting a pipe. Once packed, some recommend lighting the leaf while giving a few puffs. The leaf will likely rise to the heat. Then instead of continuing to smoke, tamp the tobacco level and wait a minute or so before relighting. This is said to facilitate a nice even burn as you smoke. 

Cherrywood

The Cherrywood and the Poker pipe are very similar, but the Cherrywood features a subtle attractive bend leading to the cylindrical, flat bottomed bowl. The shank of the Cherrywood is typically slightly shorter than the height of the bowl.

Cherry Wood

At one time the wood of a cherry tree was popular for pipe making. Since the popularity of briar has emerged, the use of cherry in pipe has decreased dramatically. Many novice carvers practice pipe making with the wood of a cherry tree.

Chimney

The  Chimney is pretty self-explanatory. The tall bowl looks like the chimney of a grand estate, especially when smoke is billowing from the chamber.

Churchwarden

The term " Churchwarden" doesn't so much refer to a pipe shape as it does to the length of the pipe. Essentially it's a long pipe which we often associate with wizards. Curiously, in The Hobbit, Gandalph's pipe is small, whereas Bilbo's pipe is described as reaching down to his hairy hobbit feet. But no doubt, modern adaptations have forever married the wizard with the long Churchwarden. The pipes used for the movies were actually crafted by Vauen, who have created their own line of Tolkien inspired pipes—the Auenland series. 

Clay

The first tobacco pipes were made from clay. There are two styles of clay pipes: hand-rolled—which are shaped by the hand of a master potter or carver—and slip cast, which are molded like plaster into a cast. Clay pipes burn hot, but are still used by many smokers today. Clay pipes are popular for historical reenactments and as “tasting” pipes, as they impart a neutral taste.

Clencher/Clenching

Clenching simply refers to the act of holding the pipe in one's mouth, keeping the hands free. With that in mind, you can probably figure out what it means for a pipe to be described as a "good clencher." This will usually be a pipe that is particularly light, has a downward weight distribution from a bend, or has a soft stem material (usually vulcanite). Basically, whatever might make the pipe more comfortable to clench. 

Coin Cut

May also be called twists, rolls, medallions, spun cut or curly cut. 

A coin is a single slice of tobacco which is cut from a twist or a rope of tobacco. In principle, a coin cut is the same as flake cut tobacco, just circular instead of rectangular and is often thinner. Sometimes the rope will be spun in layers with different tobaccos, giving the coin a bullseye of a particular varietal such as Black Cavendish or Dark-Fired Kentucky. 

Coloring Bowl

A coloring bowl refers to an auxiliary meerschaum bowl that is placed in the chamber of a meerschaum pipe to facilitate more even coloring in the pipe. As you might know, meerschaum that is made from genuine block meerschaum will take on a beautiful golden shade as it's smoked more and more—a point of pride for the owner, as a sign of all the wonderful smokes the pipe has delivered. 

Depending on the shape of the pipe and other factors we simply can't account for, meerschaum pipes will often color in concentrated areas, often the foot and the shank. Some will opt to use the  coloring bowl, as it's meant to make that patina develop more evenly. 

Combination Finish

A pipe is said to have a combination finish when it has multiple textured finishes on the stummel.

Combination Stem

This is a melding of the tapered and saddle style stems. For a combination stem, the tenon, mortise, and immediate stem shape is identical to a saddle stem. The difference is when the stem “drops” off the shape is no longer flat, instead it is tapered. The combination stem is saddle in the front, tapered in the bit.

Corn Cob Pipe

Usually referred to just as a “cob”, this is the cheapest and most available material for tobacco pipes, aside perhaps from clay. The interior of an ear of corn is hollowed out, dried, and sometimes coated in a protective resin or wax. Many smokers prefer their cobs to other pipes, claiming that they smoke dryer and cooler than all others. They also make the perfect "knock-around" pipes—those that we can use in situations where perhaps we don't want to risk a nice briar, such as yardwork or hiking. 

See:  Corn Cob Pipes: 7 Reasons to Try One

Cross Grain

A tobacco pipe with a cross grain has bird’s eye grain on the sides and a straight grain running through the top and bottom. A great example of a cross grain pipe is the blowfish shape.

Cube Cut

Cube cut is a style of cutting tobacco. The name is fairly self-explanatory, as the tobacco has a cube shape. To make cube, a cake of tobacco is diced into evenly sized chunks.

Cumberland

A Cumberland stem is one made of vulcanite or ebonite with multicolored pigment added which creates a marble-like visual texture. Modern artisans often use other vibrant colors, besides the traditional red and brown, to create this effect.

Cumberland-style stems were made popular by the Dunhill. Brindle is another name for these stems,  Cumberland being the name of the Dunhill line that popularized the style. The name stuck and while both are used today, you'll more like hear these referred to Cumberland stems, no matter the manufacturer. 

Curing

Curing is the process of drying tobacco after harvest, but there are different processes for this that will affect the chemistry of the leaf.  All tobacco must go through some form of a curing process. Tobacco can be fire-cured, flue-cured, air-cured, or sun-cured. 

Curly Cut

Another term for  Coin Cut.

Cut

Cut refers to the format of the tobacco in terms of the dimensions to which it's cut, and how it is pressed, if at all. 

There are seven common cuts for pipe tobacco. They are:

• Ribbon - By far the most popular cut, ribbon refers to small strands cut by a machine. Within ribbon there can be more descriptive labels such as shag-cut or broad cut. 

• Cake - Often called crumble cake, refers to ribbon that has been pressed into brownie-like blocks or slabs, which easily crumble apart. 

• Plug - Similar to cake, and may even be used interchangeably, depending on the manufacturer. Traditionally, plugs are more densely pressed and may be comprised of whole leaf as opposed to pre-cut ribbons. When this is the case, you'll likely want a knife to slice off a piece to prepare for packing.

• Flake - refers to slices cut from larger cakes. This cut is popular for its versatility. Straight Virginias and Virginia/Perique blends are often presented this way.

• Broken Flake - May also be referred to as ready-rubbed, this is flake that has already been partially rubbed out, so while it's not totally broken apart, the strands are loosely held. They're convenient as some prefer partially rubbing out or layering different consistencies.

• Coin - Refers to a blend that is sliced from twists, ropes, and navy plug. Coins are fairly uniform circles that can be stacked, rubbed out, or folded for packing.

• Rope - The name is apt, Ropes are long cylindrical cords that must be sliced and rubbed or folded before smoking.

Cutty

The Cutty has a conical shaped chamber and is most noted for its spur protruding at the bottom of the bowl. The largest difference between a Dublin, whose family the shape falls in, and a Cutty is that while a Dublin has evenly thick chamber walls that move down the bowl, the Cutty has more of a rounded shape. It is often associated with clay pipes, but will be made from other materials as well. 

Czech Tool

A Czech tool is the most common and generally most affordable pipe tool. A traditional Czech tool is a three-in-one piece containing a tamper, a dottle shovel, and pick for clearing the air. These tools are named so because they were once mostly made in the Czech Republic.

D

Dark Burley

Dark Burley refers to a Burley lead that is "heavier" than its counterpart, White Burley. Which is to say, Dark Burley has a higher nicotine content and bolder flavor (relative to White Burley, that is. It is still one of the more subtle varietals flavor-wise). Just like White Burley, Dark burley is air-cured but there are some differences in the process before and after curing. Dark Burley is picked from center stalk and above and is picked later in the season. It is thicker, allowing it to go through a second fermentation process. 

Dedicating

Dedicating a pipe refers to the practice of having certain pipes dedicated exclusively to certain blend types or even one particular blend. This is done to account for the ghosting of a pipe. Ghosting is when certain blends leave a leftover taste in a pipe, affecting the flavor of future smokes. This is usually attributed to flavor heavy varietals such as Latakia or Perique, or generously flavored Aromatics.

Delayed Gratification Technique

DGT is the act of smoking half, or roughly half, of a bowl of tobacco then leaving the rest to o sit for a few hours or even a few days before finishing. Many tobaccos have a slight change in flavor when allowed to sit partially smoked, and many smokers prefer to smoke their tobacco in this manner.

Derlin

Derlin is the short term for the plastic often used by pipe makers to construct the tenon. Derlin is technically polyoxymethylene, also known as acetal, polyacetal, and polyformaldehyde. This plastic material is strong, durable, has a low moisture absorption rate, and has low friction, which is quite valuable for a pipe tenon.

Devil Anse

Evolved from the Cutty shape, the Devil Anse is generally shorter and lighter and doesn't have the spur at the base. The Devil Anse is a straight-stemmed pipe which sports a forward canting bowl. The bowl is more spherical in nature than the Cutty pipe, which is quite tall.

Diplomat

To make a Diplomat, an Apple bowl is squashed, by as little as an eighth of an inch. An oval-shaped shank—roughly as long as the bowl is tall—is added. The larger size of the Diplomat bowl is what makes is the preferred pipe for smokers. The difference between the Diplomat and other Apple family pipes is that it does not have as perfect of a sphere.

Djebel

In many cases this tobacco is referred to as Xanthi-Djebel. This is another sub-varietal in the Oriental family. Djebel is used mainly for cigarette production but is often added to pipe tobacco blends. Djebel is grown near the base of the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria above the town of Xanthi. A djebel is a range of mountains or hills, and is where the name of the tobacco comes from.

Dottle

The term dottle refers to the unburnt tobacco and ash left over in the heel of the chamber after smoking a bowl of tobacco.

Draft Hole

The draft hole refers to the point where the bore of the air chamber meets the tobacco chamber of a pipe. The draft hole is usually centered at the back of the heel, but can be elevated in certain situations.

Drama

Drama is another sub-varietal in the Oriental family.  Drama is grown in Rhodope Mountains in eastern Greece, and is named after a town in the area. The tobacco is said to have an olive oil fragrance. Drama is a member of the Kabakolak variety, meaning it has wing-shaped stems on the leaf.

Dublin

The dimensional standards for a Dublin pipe are open to interpretation, making it a shape we see with endless variations. The most significant characteristic of a Dublin is the conical shaped bowl and chamber—the chamber tapers to a smaller diameter down the bore.

Duke/Don

The Duke shape has a perfectly cylindrical bowl and chamber with lines, each parallel to one another. The foot of the bowl has been cut flat at a slight angle, redistributing the weight, allowing it to sit upright effortlessly.  What separates the Duke from most other tobacco pipes is that there is no briar shank, either a vulcanite or bone two-piece stem is attached to the mortice by an inserted aluminum band.

E

Ebonite

Chemically speaking, ebonite and vulcanite are the same material—hard vulcanized rubber. Ebonite received its name from a material it was designed to replace and occasionally imitate, ebony. This stem material is often hand-cut by artisans and is used in many high level pipes. Ebonite and acrylic are probably the two most prominent materials used for stems now. Ebonite stems are softer, having more give which makes them comfortable for clenching. However, depending on their quality, ebonite amy build oxidation, unlike acrylic. 

Egg

An Egg-shaped pipe is a tall and elongated pipe. It often features a more narrow chamber than fellow pipe shapes in the Apple family. It often features an elegant, unpronounced curve you can follow from the the bottom of the pit to the fair end of the rim. 

English

There are many different opinions on what constitutes an English blend. What is agreed upon is that the blend contains a significant amount of Latakia. English blends contain varying amounts of Virginia (sometimes used as the base) and Oriental. The term “English” has its roots in the now dead Tobacco Purity Laws, the conventional wisdom being that such flavorful leaf as Latakia and Oriental (once referred to as aromatic for it's natural flavorfulness) defined English blending in the absence of other flavoring methods. 

There is an idea of an English blend being any blend that doesn't use top flavoring, but this broad definition has largely narrowed to just blends with Latakia. 

English Cavendish

English or European Cavendish differs from that which is used in the states, as it is traditionally Virginia that is used as the source leaf which goes through the Cavendishing process. When we see "Black Cavendish" from an American blending house, it is almost surely Burley based. When American blenders do use Virginia based Cavendish, it is generally referred to as a Stoved Virginia. 

See:  US and English Style Cavendish

Estate Pipe

An estate pipe is a smoked or an unsmoked pipe that has been previously owned by another pipe smoker/collector. The term estate pipe is widely used to refer to a pipe that is not purchased brand new.

F

Ferrule

The ferrule on a tobacco pipe is an ornamental material at the end of he shank. This could be bamboo, wood, horn, or some other material. This is distinct from a band in that the section doesn't fit to cover the end of the shank, it extends from it. 

Fill

Occasionally a pipe, especially a briar pipe, will have a hole or a void in the material. This is a natural and common occurrence that is purely cosmetic and doesn't affect the smoking quality. A fill is used to fill in the hole. For higher end makers or lines, the blemish would lead to sandblasting or rusticating the pipe. 

These holes are filled with a putty or some other material. These fills are for aesthetic purposes and are not detrimental to the function of a pipe.

Filter

There are many different types of filters that may be used in a tobacco pipe, which are usually meant to reduce moisture, nicotine, and tar, though the proposed benefits vary depending on the filter type. The filters are often inserts at the joint that given pipes are drilled to fit, but there are other kinds, such as those that go in the heel of the chamber. 

Many prefer not to use filters as they need to be regularly replaced or because the smoker feels they inhibit flavor. In any case, we recommend doing some research and old fashioned trial and error to find your preference. Keep in mind, pipes drilled wider for filters can also take adapters so that you can smoke without a filter without having too wide an airway. 

See: Should You Use a Filter in Your Pipe?

Finish

The finish of a tobacco pipe is any effect applied to the outside of the pipe. This can include a rustic texture, smooth texture, carved body, stain color, or added material.

Fire Cured

Fire curing is a method of imparting smoky flavor to tobacco by hanging the bundles of leaf over an open flame. Fire Curing a tobacco generally results in the tobacco retaining a rich and intense flavor. The particular woods used to produce the smoke matter greatly in imbuing the leaf with the desired flavor. Dark Fired Kentucky and Latakia tobacco are the most common fire cured tobaccos.

Flake

A popular way to package tobacco is to press it into a cube. Flake cut tobacco is just slices cut off the pressed cube. Flake tobacco usually has a concentrated flavor compared to ribbon or shag cuts. Sometimes flake will be partially rubbed out as ready-rubbed, or broken flake. 

Flame Grain

Flame grain is a style of grain in the briar similar to a straight grain. The difference with the flame grain are the angles. When the briar is cut in a certain direction some lines will be thicker than normal, much like how a square is longer when angled 45 degrees. This is a gorgeous pattern and is often accented with a bright stain and smooth finish.

Flue Cured

The main component of flue curing tobacco is subjecting the bundle to heat from a fire but directing smoke away. Flue cured tobacco goes through an intense chemical change from the dry heat. By avoiding the smoky flavors, the tobacco turns a brighter color, like yellow or orange, and the sweet flavors emerge from deep within the leaf, as flue curing results in the tobacco retaining it's natural sugars. Virginia tobacco is notoriously flue cured. 

Foot

The foot of the pipe is the bottom or base of the bowl, which contrasts the heel which is the bottom of the inside of the chamber

Freehand

The freehand style was introduced in the Danish school of pipe design. The Freehand style/category of pipe is unlike any other pipe shape. A Freehand pipe is created when an artist allows the grain to dictate the contours of the pipe, so each piece of briar will bring about something different. Of course, the artist's interpretation is also relevant, two carvers wouldn't necessarily get the same shape if somehow they were given the exact same block. 

G

Ghost

A ghost is the leftover flavor of a previously smoked tobacco. Ghosting is generally considered a negative side effect that most smokers want to avoid. A ghost is most likely to be imparted from blends with significant ratios of a potent varietal such as Latakia or Perique, or from generously topped Aromatics. For this reason, it is common for pipe smokers to dedicate pipes to certain genres of blends or even to a single blend. 

See:  Pipe Rotation - Dedicating Pipes

Gourd

The material of choice for a traditional Calabash pipe is gourd.  Usually South African gourd is preferred for pipe making. The material is cut then dried in the sun to cure. The Calabash will have a bowl insert, traditionally meerschaum. 

H

Hand

When tobacco leaves are initially cut from the plant, they are bundled and knotted up. This bundles is called a hand.

Hawkbill

The dimensions of a Hawkbill pipe are more specific than other Apple family pipes. The bowl is especially spherical, with more rounded proportions than the Tomato or Ball shape. The rounded shank begins at the base of the bowl, and has a consistent curve that rounds out and ends even with the top of the bowl. A Hawkbill maintains a smooth and even taper from the base of the shank all the way to the tip of the stem.

Heath

Heath is the tree from which burls of briar are derived. The technical name for the plant is Erica Arborea. The tree usually measures between 1-2 meters tall. It is grown almost exclusively in sandy soil of the greater Mediterranean region.

Heel

The heel of a pipe is the bottom of the inside chamber.

Horn

A Horn shape is defined by the absence of any hard lines or angles. The entire pipe is one large curving taper towards the stem. The only lines on a Horn pipe are the angles at the chamber rim.

I

Izmir

One of the more common Oriental sub-varietals, Izmir leaf is synonymous with Smyrna. Izmir is named after the region in which it is grown. Overall this tobacco has a strong flavor, but has a low nicotine content and smokes very cool. Izmir is one of the few Oriental sub-varietals obtainable as an blending component that isn't a mixture of different Orientals. Cornell & Diehl for instance offer Izmir Turkish as part of their  Blender's Series.

See:  Sourcing Orientals

J

Jatim

Jatim is a pure Indonesian tobacco. The name Jatim comes from a combination of the regions in which it is grown, Jawa Timur. Jatim is a common component in cigarette tobaccos and is sometimes used as a supplemental flavor enhancer in pipe tobacco.

Joint

Googling a phrase like tobacco pipe joint brings you to different search results than most of us want. When pipe makers refer to the joint they are talking  about one of the oldest practices in woodworking. For pipes, the joint is the point where the mortise accepts the smaller tenon.

The mortise-and-tenon joint is a common type of woodworking joint. It has been in use almost since wooden tools first began. This type of joint is created  when two pieces fit together to form one whole piece. The precision required to construct the joint is often one of the most difficult part of making a pipe.

K

Kabakolak

At the most basic level, Kabakolak is a classification or family of tobacco. It is a cross between Bali and Basma. Kabakolak is different from other tobaccos because the stem extensions that cover the natural curvature of the leaf much farther out than a regular tobacco plant.

Katerini

This component is generally used in small quantities as a flavoring component. Katerini is grown in the Greek province of Macedonia. Katerini is known for being a mild and sweet Oriental tobacco. Although the Oriental component in blends is usually a mixture, some pipe tobaccos utilize straight Katerini. Katerini was put through the Perique process for the first time to be blended into two mixtures in  Sutliff's Birds of a Feather series.

See:  What is Perique-Processed Katerini? // The Making of Sutliff's Birds of a Feather Series

Kentucky

Kentucky tobacco is usually referred to as “ Dark Fired Kentucky.” This is made by gathering a select crop of Burley, hanging it over a fire and allowing it to cure in the smoke. This gives the tobacco a smoky flavor. Like the other infamous fire-cured Latakia, Kentucky is added in small quantities to a blend, as it's a potent condiment and a little goes a long way. However, it is not fire-cured nearly as long as Latakia. 

L

Latakia

Latakia is named for the port city in Syria where it originated. Latakia is made by fire-curing Oriental tobacco over specific woods. You may hear the terms Syrian Latakia or Cyprian Latakia. All Latakia being manufactured today is Cyprian, making old tins which used the Syrian variety especially valuable. 

Liverpool

The Liverpool shape is a deviation from the Canadian and sports a shank that is one and a half to twice as long as the chamber is tall.  To separate a Liverpool from other long shanked pipes, look at the stem and shank, Liverpool’s have a round cylindrical shank and a tapered stem.

Lovat

A Lovat’s shank is roughly one and a half times longer than the height of its bowl, and is seldom longer. The Lovat originated when a pipe carver decided to extend the shank of a Billiard (into a Canadian) and give it a saddle bit stem.

Lumberman

The Lumberman is an esteemed member of the Long Shank pipe club. In order to be considered a Lumberman, the pipe must have a Billiard bowl, and then be given a shank that is one and a half to two times longer than the bowl’s height.

Lucite

Another term for  Acrylic. 

Luletasi

This is the Turkish word for “meerschaum”.

M

Mahale

Mahale is an Oriental sub-varietal. It has a fine leaf, decadent aroma, and delicious medium flavor.  

Maryland

Maryland is strand of American pipe tobacco. It is less popular than Burley or Virginia. Maryland tobacco is a very mild mixture. It is used to sweeten and add a nutty flavor to American tobacco blends. Unfortunately, due to legislation this tobacco is produced less and less in the state of Maryland.

Meerschaum

Chemically, meerschaum is a complex material. Technically this clay-like material is hydrous magnesium silicate, or sepiolite for short. Genuine meerschaum is found almost solely in Turkey near the Black Sea. When wet, meerschaum is easy to carve, which is what allows it to be the material of choice for the most meticulous carvers in the world. A meerschaum pipe is difficult to burn out, absorbs heat and oil effectively from the tobacco, and turns a beautiful brown/bronze color as it is smoked. When hot, meerschaum is extremely fragile and can easily shatter if dropped from a low height. Meerschaum means “seafoam” in German.

Melding

Melding, or "marrying," refers to the process that happens as a tobacco blend ages over time, each different component in the blend begins to take on the flavors of the others. As time goes on, the flavor in the tobacco becomes more and more consistent.

Mellowing

Mellowing is a term that refers to tobacco’s natural tendency to become less potent while aging. A mellow tobacco is a smooth tobacco.

Military Mount

Another term for  Army Mount.

Morta

Second only to briar wood, morta is the most prized wood material for tobacco pipes. Morta is harvested from trees that fell and were submerged in bogs. The wood, while being buried for around 5,000 years, becomes petrified by the acidic and anaerobic conditions of the bog. Morta is a nutrient rich material, which causes it to be quite resistant to fire. The natural dark color and magnificent grain make it a favorite of artisan pipe carves. The hardness of Morta and its propensity for imperfection make it especially difficult to master for a carver, making Morta pipes all the more special. 

Mortise

The mortise is the hole drilled in the shank to take the tenon, making the joint. 

Mouthpiece

This is a more general term than stem or bit. The name more or less describes itself, as it's the part of the pipe designed to go in the mouth of the smoker.

N

Nautilus

There are only two defining features of a Nautilus shape pipe. First of all, there can be no definitive angles or hard lines. Second, the shank must curve back and rejoin the upper half of the bowl, leaving an absence in the middle of the pipe.

Nomenclature

This term is used is many different trades and refers to the stamping, branding, or other identification mark on an object.  For a tobacco pipe this can be a logo on the stummel, a stamp on the band, a laser printed design, or other image or mark that designates the the brand and often more specific information, such as the range or shape number. For estate pipes, these markings can be useful for dating a pipe as the designs and stamping conventions can change over time. 

Non-Aromatic

Non-Aromatic tobacco blends are blends that have little-to-no topping. The lack of topping makes so the natural tobacco flavor is most prominent in the flavor profile. Naturally, the line between an "Aromatic" and "Non-Aromatic" is subjective, as there are plenty of blends which employ a top flavoring, though sparingly enough that two pipe smokers many categorize it differently.

This "top-flavoring" however is different than casing, which is usually sugar, honey, or another simple, light flavoring which smooths and balances the natural tobacco. Most all blends use some casing.

See:  Best Smelling Pipe Tobaccos (Top 10 Non-Aromatic Mixtures)

Nose Warmer

A Nose Warmer is a pipe with a short shank and stem. It is called a Nose Warmer because when lighting the heat can sometimes warm the tip of your nose. This shape-specific title of this pipe is the Stubby.

O

Olive Wood

Olive wood is experiencing something of a renaissance in  the hands of artisan carvers. The wood of the olive tree has been used for pipe construction for a long  time.

As you might guess, olive wood comes from the  wood of an olive tree. Because olives are prized for  their food value, they are not felled for lumber often. This means that olive wood pieces are usually small. They come from pruned branches, trimmings, and sometimes from damaged trees. These smallish pieces are perfect for making pipes.

Olive wood has a distinct scent.  Many pipe makers believe that the properties of the wood’s oil can add to the experience of smoking a pipe. Olive’s grain is distinct. It creates stunning pieces in the hands of talented pipe makers.

Oom-Paul

The Oom-Paul, sometimes referred to as Hungarian, is a full-bent Billiard shape. These are often appreciated for their downward weight distribution allowing them to be comfortably clenched, even with a large capacious chamber.  Oom-Pauls will also often feature a flat bottom that allows the pipe to sit without a pipe stand. 

Oriental

Oriental tobacco, or Turkish as it's often called, are generally grown in the greater Mediterranean region. Oriental tobacco is sun-cured, allowing the leaf to retain some of its natural sweetness—not as much as the flue-cured Virginia, but more than the air-cured Burley. Though all  Oriental tobaccos are similar, there are many sub-varietals that have nuanced qualities of their own. However, most often the Oriental component in a blend today is a mixture of these sub-varietals.

See: Sourcing Orientals

Oval Chamber

Where most pipes have a perfectly circular chamber, the Opera pipes, another name for the Oval, has an oval shaped chamber. This style of chamber is most often used on Churchwarden and Vest style pipes.

P

Panel

Panel shaped pipes are closely related to the Billiard. The difference between the Panel shape and Billiard shapes are the contours of the outside of the chamber and shank. A Panel will have no less than four flat sides on the bowl, and can have up to eight, all running perfectly perpendicular to the next.

Passing a Pipe Cleaner

When someone refers to a pipe's ability to pass a pipe cleaner, they meant that one can feed a pipe cleaner through the pipe in question from the slot all the way through to the chamber without taking the pipe apart. This is desirable to clean out the pipe during or immediately after a smoke, because separating the stem from the shank can be detrimental to a pipe while it is still hot. 

Perique

True Perique tobacco is grown in only one place: St. James Parish, Louisiana. However, that particular type of Burley tobacco isn't Perique until it goes through a particular process of pressure fermentation. For long periods of time the leaf is packed into barrels that are pressed with tremendous pressure. The leaf ferments in its own juices, being flipped every so often. This processes produces a full-flavored potent tobacco prized by pipe smokers.

Much of Perique today is a mixture of the St. James Parish Burley and a similar strand, Green River Burley, resulting in what is called Acadian Perique. However, some blends do still use genuine St. James Perique. 

See:  A Quick Background on the Perique Process

Pipe

For our purposes, a pipe is a tube with a small hole on one end, and a larger hole on the other end. It is used to smoke tobacco.

Pipe Cleaner

Most people know a pipe cleaner as the bendie arts and crafts material in elementary school masterpieces. Most probably don't even consider that it's name is inherited from, well, exactly what it sounds like. But the colorful art supply isn't quite what we use, even if the difference only seems to be the color at first glance. Our pipe cleaners are for feeding through the pipe to clean it out during and/or after smoking, but there are several types to accomodate different pipes and circumstances: fluffy, tapered, extra thin, extra long (for those churchwardens), bristled. 

Pot

The Pot shape is the shorter, more adaptable version of a Billiard. A Pot is born when a standard Billiard pipe loses the top section of the bowl somewhere in the area of one third the total height of the bowl. A Pot usually has a wider diameter chamber than the Billiard.

Prince

The Prince is a the longer, flattened version of an Apple. To get a Prince, take an Apple pipe, squash the bowl slightly, shorten the length of the shank—usually down to three quarters of the height of the bowl—keep the cylindrical shape of the shank, and add a lengthened slightly curved stem.

P-Lip

The P-Lip is a patented  design specific to one brand: Peterson of Dublin. A P-Lip is a stem that has an air hole on the top of the stem, rather than on the end.  This redirects the ribbon of smoke away from the tongue, which decreases tongue bite.

Plug

A plug cut and crumble cake are sometimes used interchangeably, but traditionally, a plug is made from pressing whole leaf tobacco together. Often the tobacco is aged for a period of time before packaging in this pressed brick shape. You'll generally want to have a knife to prepare a plug. With pressed ribbon, any area you pull from will have the same ratio of ingredients more-or-less, but with whole lead, you want to slice down the side, through the layers. 

That said, some tobaccos called plug today are pressed ribbon. 

Poker

The Poker pipe is the most famous and most smoked sitting pipe in the world. The outside appearance of a Poker is a perfect cylinder with a miniscule forward cant. The chamber will be cylindrical. 

R

Reaming/Reamer Tool

This is the process of removing the carbon build up, or “cake”, from the inside chamber of your pipe. Most pipe smokers opt to keep a thin cake lining their chamber of their briar pipes, but you don't want too much build up, which is where reaming comes in. 

There are several varieties of reaming tools one might use to trim the cake in their pipe. 

See:  How to Ream a Tobacco Pipe

Rhodesian

A Rhodesian traditionally has a cylindrical shaped shank. The double conical shape and twin bead lines are the same on a Rhodesian as they are on the Bulldog. A majority of the time the Rhodesian will have an eighth to a quarter bent shank and stem, but can periodically be found in a straight design.

Ribbon

The term ribbon refers to a style of cutting tobacco. Ribbon is long and thin strips of tobacco.

Room Note

The room note refers to the unique aroma that a particular tobacco emits into the room in which you are smoking.

See: Best Smelling Pipe Tobaccos -  Top 10 Aromatic Mixtures - Top 10 Non-Aromatic Mixtures

Rotation

A pipe rotation is the practice of spacing out the smoking of a pipe to make sure it gets rest time between smokes. This may be done with some sort of systematic routine, such as assembling a seven day set to have a pipe for each day of the week, or a more casual approach, of simply being cognizant of spacing out pipes between smokes without much of a structure to it. 

See:  Pipe Rotation: A Comprehensive Guide

Rubbed Out

Smokers often refer to “rubbing out” a tobacco when working with a flake, plug, cake, or coin style tobacco. A “rubbed out” tobacco is one that has been agitate with the fingers, breaking it apart into finer strands. 

Rusticated

A pipe’s surface is described as being rustic when the stummel has been given some texture other than smooth or sandblasted. Pipe makers generally go for a rusticated finish when cosmetic flaws result in a stummel not being suited for a smooth finish, and the grain orientation doesn't lend to an attractive sandblast. 

S

Saddle Bit

The saddle bit-style stem is designed to make a pipe more comfortable when being clenched in the mouth. The stem generally moves away from the joint with the same dimensions as the shank before abruptly coming together, as if pinched at the top and bottom, creating a wide, thin, flat stem down to the button. The  saddle bit is distinct from a tapered stem which will gradually taper from the joint, or slightly beyond, down to the button. 

Samsun

This Oriental tobacco is grown around the town of Samsun, Turkey. Used more often in cigarettes, this tobacco has a very low nicotine level. The Samsun tobacco plant has a famous heart shaped leaf, and when aged turns a very dark color, emitting an exotic flavor.

Sandblast

This is a process that pipe makers use to add texture to the stummel of a pipe. High speed blasts of sand or another material in a controlled environment strip away the softer layers of wood, usually briar, leaving the harder ribbons. This typically creates a beautiful wavy patterned finish.

Scottish

The term Scottish, English, and Balkan terms are quite muddled and many pipe smokers who use these distinctions will have their own interpretations. However, compared to the others, a Scottish blend contains less Latakia, a larger portion of the secondary component Virginia, and little to no Oriental, and often include Black Cavendish. However, the label can be seen applied to a vast diversity of blends with different leaf make ups. Of the narrowed English adjacent styles, Scottish seems to be the most vague. 

Screw Stem

The screw-style stem is not so much a shape or style of stem as a classification based on functionality. Many smokers love this style, because it is easy to repair--if the tenon breaks, it is easily replaced by another threaded tenon. On a screw stem, the tenon is threaded and inserts into a matching threaded mortise. The easiest way to picture this stem is as a nut and bolt.  Pipes with a screw stem can have any stem shape, tapered, saddle, or a random freeform design. A stinger is often paired with a screw stem to assist in reducing the gargle of moisture which may collect in the shank.

Seven-Day Set

A 7-Day Set is considered a complete beginner’s collection by many pipe smokers. The idea is to have a different pipe for every day of the week. This allows the smoker to rest their pipes for a full week before smoking them again.

Most modern smokers don’t consider it necessary to allow a pipe to rest for an entire week. However, it’s still a great idea if your collection is large enough to allow it.

Shag

Shag cut is a tobacco blend that has been very finely cut, even more fine than ribbon. Shag is often bought as a cigarette filler for smokers who roll their own cigarettes.

Shank

The shank is the portion of a pipe in between the bowl and the stem. It is typically made from the same solid piece as the stummel.

Shirazi

The majority of Shirazi tobacco is primarily used as a filler for cigarettes, but is quite popular in the pipe tobacco blending sphere. Shiraz tobacco was brought to Shiraz, Iran, the city it was eventually named after, from the Americas in the 16th century.

Sitter

The Sitter pipe is not so much an individual pipe shape as it is a classification for shapes. A pipe that is referred to as a Sitter is a pipe that stands upright on its own due to a flat foot or shank.

Slot

The slot is the widened air hole near the front of the stem. Generally acrylic and vulcanite stems have a bore that tapers going down towards the pipe--this is the slot. The purpose of a slot is to improve the smoothness of the air flow and make it easier to use a pipe cleaner.

Smyrna

This tobacco leaf is grown around the Izmir region, and is often called Izmir, in Indonesia. Smyrna is a naturally strong flavored tobacco, but has a low nicotine content compared to its strength. In pipe tobacco, Smyrna is typically used as a supplemental flavor enhancer, but can occasionally be found as the base tobacco in a blend. It is a very cool smoking blend.

Soppeng

Soppeng is an Indonesian tobacco and seems to be the Oriental equivalent to Cavendish.  Palm sugar is added to Soppeng to sweeten the taste, and the tobacco is then fired. Often times the finished leaf is stored in bamboo palms, which furthers the sweet flavor. Soppeng is most often smoked in cigarettes, but is commonly found in pipe blends.

Spider Webbing

Spider webbing is another not-so-consistently applied term, which can be used to describe the charred texture on the inside of a chamber that may be an early sign of burn out (such as pictured below). But you may also hear spider webbing in reference to the cracking of the (often lacquered) finish on the outside of a bowl.

Spigot

This is the name for the meeting between an army mount tenon and shank, both of which are coated in metal.

Spur

The spur is most often seen on a cutty shaped pipe and long clay pipes. These have long been a staple of clay pipes, offering a convenient place to hold the pipe, as clay easily get very hot while smoking. 

Srintil

This is a strong and potent breed of tobacco. Srintil is grown primarily in the Java region Temanggung Regency in Indonesia. To make Srintil only the top portion of the tobacco plant is harvested, the more potent and oily section of this particular plant. It is then air cured and allowed to ferment for varying times. Yearly yield is only around three tons. Srintil is most easily understood as the Asian equivalent of Perique.

Stain

A tobacco pipe's stain refers to the color of the wood after being dye or oiled to achieve the intended color. A pipe's stain can play an important role in bringing contrast to the natural beauty of briar's uniquely attractive grain. It can also add dimension to rusticated pipes, often as a contrast stain.  

Stem

A stem is the part of the pipe that you put into your mouth. It extends into the shank of the pipe.

Stinger

A stinger is commonly called a "condenser" or "metal filter." The stinger fits inside the tenon and extends into the shank of the pipe. The purpose of a stinger is to reduce the moisture when smoking. However, these are uncommon in contemporary pipe making, and are often removed from estate pipes, as modern smokers seem to place a higher importance on a pipes ability to pass a cleaner, which stingers do not allow. 

Straight

A pipe is deemed as straight when there is no bend or curve in the shank or stem of the pipe. The bowl of the pipe can have a forward or backward cant and still be deemed a straight pipe.

Straight Grain

Straight grain is just what it sounds like, when the grain on a pipe runs straight, almost parallel. It may seem as being mindful of the grain orientation when carving a pipe to achieve this, but it's not that simple. Yes, the orientation is important, but briar is a natural material, and as such, doesn't often form to our aesthetic preferences. A carver really can't be sure how that grain will be or what flaws may be waiting inside a block of briar. Although, straight grain has no affect on the smoking quality of a pipe, its rarity and dependance of both skilll and luck for the carver makes them especially valuable. 

Stubby

This pipe, which is based off of a Billiard, is a portable pipe, perfect for smoking on the go. This is because of its standard shaped bowl and relatively short stem. This pipe is often called a Nose Warmer.

Stummel

The stummel refers to the total pipe minus the attached stem. This includes the shank, bowl, chamber, and other materials that make up the end of the pipe opposite the stem.

Sun Cured

Sun curing tobacco is a method of drying tobacco after harvest which involves the leaves drying in the sunlight. Sun curing is most readily associated with Oriental tobacco. With this method, the sunlight and heat allows for a moderate retaining of the natural sugars—not as much as flue curing, but more than air curing. 

T

Tambolaka

This tobacco takes its name from the region in which it is grown, Tambolaka on Western Sumba, an island in the Indonesian archipelago. What gives this tobacco its high nicotine content, strong flavor, and potent aroma is the limestone rich soil the tobacco is grown in. What is unique about Tambolaka is that when harvested it is rolled into long sticks and stored to age for around five years.

Tamper

A tamper is a generic term used to describe a tool that a pipe smoker uses to push the burning ash downs towards the base of the chamber while smoking. This tool is necessary because the burning tobacco must be periodically pushed down so that it comes in contact with the unburning tobacco below it.

Tankard

Another pipe from the Sitter family, the Tankard shape has a slightly larger diameter at the foot than at the chamber rim, however, the chamber remains perfectly cylindrical. The base is flat so that the pipe can easily sit without a pipe stand. 

Tapered Bit

The tapered stem is one of the most common stem styles. Carvers and smokers love this stem because it is traditional, easy to make, and has the option of a large bore. A tapered stem has a tenon that is securely held in the mortise. The tapered stem is thickest where it meets the shank, and smoothly tapers narrower toward the bit. 

Tenon

The tenon is the protruding piece of the stem that is inserted into the shank or stummel of the pipe. Tenons can be made from many different materials, including metal, acrylic, vulcanite, derlin, and others. Some tenons are threaded and screw into the stummel of the pipe, but the screw style is less common in modern pipe make, save for meerschaum pipes.

Tin Note

The phrase tin note is used in reference to the specific aroma of a tobacco blend when you open the seal or lid of the tin. You may hear similar terms like "bag note" that mean the same thing, just amended depending on the packaging. 

Tomahawk

The Tomahawk shape features a pointed base of the bowl. The angle created by the point and steep bend resembles the ancient weapon. Really, these are the only defining factors of the Tomahawk.

Tomato/Ball

It is quite apparent why the Tomato is named as it is. Sometimes, when the pipe is called a Ball, it is because the spherical shape of the bowl is readily apparent, not so much that it has a different design. It is up to the artist to decide, for there is no significant difference in design.

Topping

Topping is another name for flavoring or top flavor, which is applied at the end of the blending process, mostly in the case of Aromatic blends. This is a flavoring other than the tobacco and the casing, which is a more neutral outside flavoring that is applied earlier in the process. When you have blends that tout flavors such as cherry, liquor, vanilla, and the like, that would be the "topping." Again, this is usually a process for Aromatic mixtures, but some blends have subtle top flavorings and may or may not be considered Aromatic depending on who you're asking.  

There are two homonyms for this definition that are less common, but still may be used in the tobacco and pipe world. You may hear topping in reference to the cultivation side of things—it is the  removal of the tobacco flowers before suckering  (pruning out) excess leaves.

Topping also may refer to the process of sanding down the rim of a pipe. This is done for the purpose of pipe restoration, usually when the char or thinning of the rim is so bad that some of the rim surface must be removed and leveled. This is avoided if possible—one of guiding rules for most pipe restorers is to remove as little material as possible. 

Trebizond

Another Oriental tobacco, Trebizond is grown in Turkey and resembles Samsun. Trebizond leaf is coarse in texture and light in color.

Turkish

Another term for  Oriental tobacco.

Twist

Another term for  Coin Cut.

U

Ukulele

The Ukulele—sometimes called an “Eskimo” or “Snow Cone”—may be considered part of the Bulldog family given its bowl shape. The Ukulele has the same cone shaped bowl, length, and squashed design of other members in that family, with the exception of the bead lines.

V

VaPer

VaPer refers to a combination of Virginia and Perique tobacco. It may also be referred to as a Virginia/Perique blend, but you'll most often see the abbreviated spelling. 

This combination is treasured by smokers. Like most of our pipe blend genres, there aren't hard roles, and some VaPers may contain other varietals and test the tidiness of the classification.

Vest

A Vest pipe is a unique shape that was designed for convenience. The short stem swivels, which allows the pipe to easily be stored in a pocket. The rounded base of the bowl is built to easily slide into a vest pocket for easy, safe-keeping. Finally, the short bent design of this pipe makes it easy to clench.

Virginia

Virginia tobacco is perhaps the most common varietal for pipe tobaccos. It's central to many mixtures and blend styles, and is one of the only tobaccos to be commonly used for "straight" blends—i.e., a mixture that is only different Virginias. Often called bright leaf, Virginia tobacco is famously flue cured, resulting in a higher sugar content. This high sugar content makes Virginia leaf especially appreciated for how it ages. 

You may hear the terms bright/yellow Virginia or red Virginia. These refer to the same tobacco type, but the Virginia leaf will lean into different aspects of what we might call the "Virginia flavor" depending on the lead's position on the stalk. 

Despite the name, Virginia tobacco isn't only grown in the commonwealth of Virginia—it isn't only grown in the American bright belt for that matter. 

Volcano

The Volcano shape consists of a conical shaped bowl that widens closer to the base of the pipe. The foot is either flat or rounded. Volcano pipes have a small diameter rim. Because the chamber will typically have a perfectly cylindrical shape, the chamber walls thicken from the rim down towards the foot. The Volcano will almost always have a bent stem.

Vulcanite

Vulcanite is a hardened rubber. Alongside acrylic, Vulcanite is a preferred stem material by many pipe makers. It is very soft compared to other acrylic, but may oxidize easily depending its quality. 

W

White Burley

White Burley refers to Burley leaf that is light compared to its counterpart, Dark Burley. White Burley is harvested from the central stalk and is thinner with a lighter flavor and nicotine content than the upper stalk leaves. Dark Burley's thickness also allows it to go through a second fermentation process—another difference between the two types. But like all Burley, White and Dark are air cured. 

X

Xanthi

Another of the Oriental tobacco family, Xanthi is a leaf that falls into the classification of Basma tobacco. The leaf is named after the region in which it is primarily grown in Greece. Xanthi is a tobacco that has a particularly strong and pleasant aroma.

Y

Yenidje

Yenidje is considered one of the most prized Oriental tobaccos. This leaf is named after the town Yenidje where it was once grown. This tobacco has a relatively low nicotine content and smoky flavor. Yenidje does not burn well on its own, so it is used as a supplemental flavor enhancer in blends. Most famously it was used in the notorious Balkan Sobranie. These days it is scarcely if ever seen as a discrete Oriental component in a blend. 

Z

Zebrawood

Zebrawood refers to any number of tropical tree species. This wood is defined by a light and dark striping grain, which just so happens to look like the stripes of a zebra. This material is commonly used as a band around the shank of a pipe.

Zulu

A Zulu bowl has a conical shape that tapers down to a smaller chamber diameter toward the bottom. However, the Zulu often has slightly thinner chamber walls than other pipes, giving its light design. Usually the bowl has an obvious forward cant. It is the bend of the Zulu that defines it. Unlike most bent pipes, the Zulu has a straight shank, which leads to a subtle bend in the stem. 

One aspect of pipe smoking that I was immediately drawn to is how the culture around the hobby allows for—encourages even—a certain sentimentality. Not in a cloying way, but it's something about the emphasis and appreciation for the history and the tradition shared by many who engage in the pastime. 

I can also say I have a certain romanticism about Richmond, Virginia, as many tend to feel toward their city, town community, etc. So, I thought I’d theme this Tobacco File in appreciation of the historic Edgeworth brand—the original Richmond recipe as I've heard it called. This February I’ve been smoking Sutliff Ready-Rubbed and Cobblestone Hiking, two modern mixtures blended in the likeness of the storied Edgeworth cuts. And of course, I'll wrap things up with the Featured Cigar—ADVentura The Explorer Corona Gorda. 

I'm changing things up a bit with this column, starting with a little history on the Edgeworth brand before I get into the blends.

Edgeworth Tobacco

That history begins when Charles and Herbert Larus purchased the Harris Tobacco Company in 1877 on East Franklin St. in downtown Richmond, changing the name to Larus & Brother Company. In 1897, the operation would move a few blocks southward to the now historic Tobacco Row. After a fire destroyed the building in 1911, it was rebuilt and expanded in 1916 and 1925. It's from this building (now an office complex) that a pillar still overlooks the James River with the Edgeworth name. 

A little aside—my last job was as an associate at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, right next to the Edgeworth building. The museum was once the American Tobacco Company's (ATC) Climax Warehouse. Climax was a popular plug tobacco from Lorillard, the oldest tobacco manufacturer in the US and part of the ATC until it was dissolved by the U.S. Court of Appeals, making Lorillard independent once again. But during this period of rampant monopolization in the tobacco industry, prior to the ATC's break-up, Larus & Brother were an outlier, remaining independent.

Ben Rapaport writes in An Intimate History of the Tobacco Industry, 1850-1920, “Larus & Brother Company…began manufacturing chewing tobacco and pipe tobacco in plug form, Edgeworth, then a pre-sliced pipe tobacco in 1903, believed to be the first tobacco for pipe smoker, and in 1912, it introduced ‘Edgeworth Ready-Rubbed’ as the first pipe tobacco ready for smoking…pre-sliced and rubbed" (75). 

In the decades to come, as business was lost with the trend toward cigarettes, Larus diversified into television and radio broadcasting and the charcoal industry, but by the late 60’s, they had closed their charcoal businesses and sold their television station. The Larus & Brother Company disbanded and the Larus Investment Company was established as a holding company for WRVA-Radio, WRVA-FM, and the tobacco operation. The latter was sold to Rothman’s of Canada in 1968, and would continue to operate out of Tobacco Row until closing the factory in 1974.

The New York Times reported prior to the Richmond factory closing, "[Larus & Brother president, J. A. Gauntley&91; said the company would maintain offices in Richmond to conduct future operations, which primarily will involve the licensing of Edgeworth's pipe‐tobacco brands to other manufacturers and some cigarette trademarks that mainly are sold abroad.”

I’m interested to know exactly how these two blends bumped around moving forward, but I’ve had difficulty figuring that out. Of course, Ready-Rubbed would end up at  Lane Ltd. where it would be made until 2010, only to be briefly introduced as Lane Limited Ready-Rubbed in 2015. 

As for Edgeworth Sliced, I’m unsure of the trajectory, but it too is gone. It seems production of these blends may not have stayed together. From the Winter 05 issue of Pipes and Tobaccos Magazine, William Serad offers this tidbit in the Trial by Fire column, “Thought by some to have disappeared, Edgeworth Sliced is still made in England (or the EU according to the tin) under license to the successors of the House of Edgeworth. The Edgeworth ready-rubbed is still made in the U.S.”

Anyway, I don’t have too much of a longing to try all the bygone blends I’ve missed. Don’t get me wrong, the times that the opportunity has presented itself, I've been very excited and grateful, but it’s not something I’m going out of my way for or turning at night over. The exception is Edgeworth. Okay, I’m sleeping fine, but there is a particular interest there, and it really just comes down to curiosity. Every time I see that pillar peeking above Tobacco Row, I can't help but want to try Edgeworth.

Sutliff Ready-Rubbed

Entry 1

First we have Sutliff’s Ready-Rubbed, which Carl McCallister blended as a match for the Edgeworth original. I haven't turned up a product description for this bulk offering, so we'll go right into it. 

Pre-smoke

Sutliff Ready-Rubbed is mostly in a cube cut, with some chunks that more resemble the bits you get from loosely breaking apart a crumble cake. This seems to comparable with the Edgeworth cut, going by what I’ve seen in pictures. Of course, our modern concept of a ready-rubbed cut departs from this, which most often describes a partially rubbed out—or, broken—flake.

Being a bulk blend, I jarred some up a few days ago and it’s been sealed in wait. I untwist the lid and take in the aroma.

Cocoa and molasses come through, hazelnut and wood as well.

It’s easy enough to gravity pack, which I do into my  Missouri Meerschaum Little Devil Cutty Cob. The tobacco is a bit moist, so I anticipate some relights, especially with the cubed cut, but we'll see.

Lighting up

From the beginning, the flavors are true to the tin note—molasses, nutty, cocoa.

There’s a caramelized sweet note and a light earthy, herbal quality.

I have given a few relights to get it going as I assumed may be necessary. I try to give it a nice stoke just to get some momentum, which helps. Luckily no threat of bite so far. Burley’s isn’t known for its bite, but this teeters on the edge of Aromatic, so I was a bit concerned, but I’ve got Ready-Rubbed smoldering nicely now and I’m getting plenty of flavor (which is to say, my tongue is not leather).

The wood is pine-y and I get a maple note. In some ways it reminds me of Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake, which I smoked for the  December Tobacco File.

Entry 2

Sutliff Ready-Rubbed is consistent through and through. From first light to dottle, from smoke to smoke—you know just what to expect. Though the top flavoring is important to the profile, the Burley features prominently, and I suspect there’s some Virginia mixed in. I anticipated a dimming of the top flavoring at some point into my first few smokes, but it didn’t come.

I made a note while smoking Sutliff Ready-Rubbed in my  Molina Tromba the other day that I'm notice a taste like honey graham crackers. That still seems to track as I smoke it now in my Missouri Meerschaum Legend. 

That docile nature I mention in the first smoke has also been consistent. Not even a mild pinch in the sinus, such as Hiking offers. The retrohale accentuates the woody side, but that’s about it.

Ready-Rubbed has still given me a bit of trouble getting a good light that doesn’t ask for too much relighting, but the last few smokes have been less temperamental in that regard as I’ve broken some chunks into finer pieces and set them aside to dry and then layer that throughout the pack. This seems to avoid losing much top flavoring while facilitating a consistent burn without being too finicky. 

I don't mind a few relights, but it's nice to be met halfway, especially when you have a tasty, consistent blend that is such a nice light-it-and-forget-it smoke. 

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Entry 3

Sutliff Ready-Rubbed has been a very enjoyable blend. Though it’s remained as consistent as my previous entry detailed, I have developed a preference for average to small chambers, but as a matter of capacity more than diameter. It’s a delight from the jump and doesn’t change through the smoke, but if long enough, I do. My interest flattens a bit, that’s just me, but it makes it a fantastic 45 minute to an hour or so smoke, and sometimes that’s all you need.

For fans of...

• Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake
• Hearth & Home Classic Burley Kake

Cobblestone Hiking

Entry 1

Cobblestone Hiking is a part of  the Outdoors series, and is a favorite from the somewhat green brand. Hiking has been lauded as a great option for fans of its scarcely available peers, Solani Aged Burley Flake, and Wessex Burley Sliced, the latter being a Kohlhase & Kopp production, which Hiking is as well.

This won’t be my first taste of Hiking, I’ve enjoyed it for a while, though haven’t had a bowl since it was featured as a  Compare & Share Mystery Blend.

Pre-Smoke

Here we have a flake, sliced thin in the European style. Hiking runs the gamut in shades of brown.

A natural and faint tin note offers cedar, grass, and some cocoa in a faint bouquet.

The thin flakes have a bit of a shine to them, which will sometimes give me the impression that they’ll be quite moist, but breaking down Hiking, it seems to be hydrated perfectly to go ahead and pack. 

Lighting up 

I’ve packed up a recent estate clean up, a Royal Sovereign, likely an Orlik second. It's been delivering some wonderful smokes the last few weeks, and I'm particularly fond of the stem which is more robust than it appears.

A toasty aroma wisps from the char light. Once I get going I get very natural flavors—wood, molasses, a subtle sugar note that has a bit of a caramelized warmth. A hint of cocoa, not unlike Sutliff Ready-Rubbed in taste but far more discreet.

There’s a bit of spice that plays in the sinus, but quite mellow.

Burns real well, but is one that I make a point not to clench so much while smoking. It has no problem keeping a light but can burn a little too eagerly if not mindful of a moderate pace.

I've seen some reviews positing that Cobblestone Hiking contains some Virginia and Dark-Fired. I can definitely see Virginia—Burley isn't totally without sweetness, but I’d say Hiking's (albeit, moderate) sweetness, coupled with its bready and grassy notes, implies some Virginias in the mix. Though I wouldn’t be floored to know that sweetness is more of the casing at work and the Burley is baking up some bread.

As for Dark-Fired, I can’t say I notice much Kentucky flavor, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find that tinge of spice in the olfactory isn’t coming from a moderate mix of the varietal. 

Entry 2

Looking at my tasting notes from smoking Cobblestone Hiking in several pipes or varying sizes and materials, it definitely seems my experience with the blend varies. I don't mean that negatively, there’s only been one smoke I’ve not enjoyed (which I'll explain), but it leans into different aspects of the profile with different smokes.

One thing I’ve noticed is that I don’t get as much of the cocoa topping in larger diameter bowls.

That aforementioned bad smoke came from another pipe I recently cleaned up—a Yello-Bole Burley. This is an interesting pipe, it’s made of brylon—a synthetic briar alternative that S. M. Frank developed in 1966 that was used (mostly) for select Yello-Bole and Medico series. 

I really love the look of the pipe, and it had delivered a few promising smokes when first testing it out, but the bowl gets very hot, and this last smoke went acrid fast. It couldn’t be helped, and I dumped the remainder. Hate to waste it but no sense burning out the palate on an unsatisfying smoke for principle’s sake.

I immediately packed my trusty  Chacom Star and enjoyed a wonderful smoke of Cobblestone Hiking. The Yello-Bole isn’t a lost cause, but I don’t think it will be all that versatile—I’ll have to try and find where its strengths lie.

I definitely noticed the topping better in my Chacom which is one of my more narrow chambers. Like I wrote in the last entry, the topping is lighter yet similar to Sutliff Ready-Rubbed, but Hiking has a more dynamic mélange of flavor beyond that. In addition to the flavor notes I’ve mentioned, I’ve noticed a light anise in some smokes. 

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Entry 3

It’s been a great month of smoking two wonderful Burley blends. All I can really add to my notes on Cobblestone Hiking is that I’ve come to pick out a little savoriness that hints at a Dark-Fired presence. Then again, knowing that it’s a component others find, the mind can have a way of finding what you’re looking for whether it’s there or not. Maybe it's there, but regardless, there’s more to curiosity than getting answers.

For fans of...

• Wessex Burley Slice
• Solani Aged Burley Flake no. 656

Featured Cigar

This month I tried several fine cigars from ADVentura, and I truly struggled deciding between featuring Kings Gold and The Explorer. I went with the latter, but just have to give an honorable mention to Kings Gold.

ADVentura The Explorer Corona Gorda

Wrapper -  Mexican Habano
Binder  -  Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler  -  Dominican, Ecuadorian
Size    -  5 ¾ x 46

The Explorer has a nice medium brown wrapper; a few veins but seems nicely constructed. I first notice a light body of cocoa, dark chocolate, and nut—apt for this month’s column considering the pipe tobacco blends featured. Cedar and grassy notes develop.

A light spice adds a nice dimension. I get a ginger note around halfway. Into the final third and nearing the end I find a rise in the dark chocolate, and a lean into a somewhat earthier profile. A nice even burn down to the finish. 

Until next time...

This Tobacco File was a lot of fun for me, and I'd definitely like to explore doing some other themed approaches for future columns. I always enjoy getting a bit into the weeds on the history and whatnot. Any ideas are more than welcome!

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

References 

1. Ben Rapaport. An Intimate History of the Tobacco Industry, 1850-1920. From The Briar Pipe of Saint-Claude to The Cigarette in The Trenches of World War One. Colorado, Rhodesco Print and Design, 2021.
2. William Serad. "Trial By Fire." Pipes and Tobaccos Magazine, Winter 2005
3. A Guide to the Larus & Brother Company, Richmond, Virginia, Records, 1877-1974 - Virginia Museum of History & Culture

Attributions

1. Edgeworth Building, Ak1047, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rocky Patel is one of those unlikely leaders in the premium cigars that didn’t come from a line of cigar men. In fact, he came onto the scene at a time when the field was inundated with new brands trying to cash in on the cigar boom of the 1990s. But Patel had a genuine spirit and passion for cigars. 30 years on, hindsight makes that much clear, as Rocky Patel Cigars continues to put out some incredible and inspired premium brands. One prime example is the super-premium White Label series. 

Rocky Patel White Label

The Rocky Patel team arrived at the 2021 PCA Trade Show with a lot to show off—three brand new lines. In celebration of Patel’s 60th birthday, there was the Rocky Patel 60. The company also rolled out two companion brands, the mild Connecticut Shade wrapped White Label, and its bold, hearty counterpart, Disciple.

Made in Nicaragua in Patel’s TAVICUSA factory, the cigar of mild-medium body features a U.S. grown Connecticut Shade wrapper and binder from Estelí, Nicaragua. For filler, we have a blend of Nicaraguan leaf and Honduran from the Jamastran Valley, as well as a third undisclosed filler leaf.

You can find the Rocky Patel White Label among TobaccoPipes’ selection of premium cigars in two sizes—Robusto (5X50) and Sixty (6X60).

Connecticut Shade

Especially noteworthy for the White Label is the genuine Connecticut Shade wrapper, grown in the Connecticut River Valley. Most Connecticut Shade these days comes from Connecticut seed grown in Ecuador. This alternative, sometimes preferred for its more reliable yield and inexpensiveness, still makes for a fine smoking experience, but for the quintessential, velvety smooth Connecticut character, there is only the tobacco cultivated in the southmost New England state—unlikely though it may seem.

David Savona accounts for the Connecticut River Valley’s unique character in a 1999 issue of Cigar Aficionado—

“The soil around the valley is silty, the product of glaciers that scraped the northeastern part of America as they crept down from the Arctic. People have planted Connecticut seeds in various parts of the world—Ecuador, Honduras, even Canada—but only tobacco grown in this small valley looks and tastes like true Connecticut shade.”

There’s something spectacular about a mild cigar that doesn’t compromise on dynamic flavor. At the super-premium level, a few brands have decisively occupied such a niche, notably the Montecristo White Series or Davidoff Signature No 2. At such a tier, any blend ought to be judged in context with the excellency to which it aspires. As Rocky Patel’s contender, White Label well justifies its super premium status.

Experiencing White Label

White Label comes in an elegant white leather box with rose gold trimming. 

The stick is fitted with a large band which keeps with the box's color pallet, as well as a sheen white ribbon around the foot. The light brown Connecticut wrapper is silky to the touch. 

The opening notes offer cedar wood, almond, and hay with a light citrus accent. Emphasis on a toasty nuttiness develops with a creamy note. 

There's just enough resistance on the draw—the smoke is lush and burn rate very agreeable. 

Halfway or so, sees a rise in a toasty breadiness. Nearing the last third, light pepper previously noticed in the retrohale sits a bit more forward, with just the lightest pinch in the sinus. Higher notes of citrus and grass diminish, while the cedar and nuttiness are principle throughout. The cedar woodiness darkens a bit approaching the nub. 

Overall, White Label offers a supreme smoking experience, especially for those looking for a luxury tobacco experience with an appreciation for subtlety. 

Boy have I been excited for this one, and it has not disappointed. The fifth of six in the celebrated Birds of a Feather series—created by Mac Baren master blender Per Jensen in collaboration with Sutliff tobacco—we have Anomalous. 

For the full story, you can read our piece on the making of the Birds of a Feather series, but the gist of it is Per Jensen spent a week at the Sutliff Tobacco building in January of 2022 where he developed six blends, each of which use at least one rare varietal. One of those rare varietals was used for the very first time in the first release, Uno, and now we have the second and likely last blend to ever use it—Katerini Perique.

Again, you can check out our deep dive into Katerini Perique, but in short, Mark Ryan of L.A. Poche put a high grade of Katerini—an Oriental sub-varietal—through pressure fermentation in the same way that Perique is processed. The result is something truly special. 

Sutliff - Anomalous (Birds of a Feather)

Entry 1

One thing especially exciting about Anomalous is how the Katerini Perique is highlighted. Seeing as though Anomalous and Uno will likely be the only two blends to ever include the varietal, it seems reasonable that—to make the most of the opportunity—the two blends should be quite different, giving us the chance to see it at play in different contexts. 

Uno was a fantastic mixture, but everyone was invited to that party: St James Perique, Katerini Perique, Kentucky, Latakia, Virginias, and Cavendish. Anomalous on the other hand offers the novel tobacco as the seasoning on a quintessential base of Red and Stoved Virginia and Burley. The Katerini Perique is more on display here, and we get to experience it in a whole different light. 

This won't be my first time smoking Anomalous, as I've had samples of these blends since the developing of the series, but I had a significantly smaller amount of Anomalous and Paradoxical (which will be the final release) so I wasn't able to stretch them out as far as the previous releases. 

Of course, the tin art has been a much appreciated aspect of the series, and there's something exciting about seeing that tin for the first time, even when you've smoked the blend before. 

Pre-Smoke

Popping the tin, I'm greeted by some classic Sutliff Crumble Kake style cake—slabs as a call them. 

The tin note provides a floral, herbal scent with a light vinegar and spice to it, but subtle all-in-all. Not the potent commotion that some blends expel at the break of the seal.

Rubbing out the cake, there's a significant amount of dark leaf, suggesting a decent portion of Katerini Perique and/or Stoved Virginia. It crumbles into somewhat small flakes, making for an easy gravity pack, as is generally the case with the Sutliff Crumble Kakes. 

The moisture is a bit higher than is my preference, but I go ahead and pack it and will adjust with later smokes. 

As has been my tradition with each inaugural smoke from the Birds of a Feather series, I've packed Anomalous in my Georg Jensen Granat 78.

Lighting up

I give two light-and-tamps to get a good, even char on the pack.

A floral sweetness is quickly noticeable, with citrus and Red Virginia tang. Stone fruit, currant, and dark berry are up-front. A warm baked bread and lightly grassy base. Red Virginia vinegar offers a pleasing dynamic, not especially acidic like you get from some Sutliff Red Virginias.

Anomalous expresses that direct and bright sweetness to the tip of the tongue—what I like to call the honeysuckle note, as it reminds me of that blissful bead of nectar coaxed from the shrub's flower. Though the weather doesn't seem to know it yet, we're less than a week from spring, and Anomalous has me eager for the tranquil, sunny smokes to come. 

Smoking on, I make out a bit of cedar woodiness from the Burley, though it seems the air-cured leaf is present in small measure. I get a light spice in the nose going on, but very mild. Perhaps carried by the Burley, bringing a bit of body and strength to the blend, the spice has some wood and incense, seemingly from the Katerini Perique. 

Entry 2

To my preferences, Anomalous certainly benefits from some drying time, but doesn't need too much. I give the broken up cake about 30 minutes of sitting out and get an easy, consistent smolder. With the bit of drying, it doesn't even seem moist so much as a bit oily, and I wonder if there might be a light top flavoring. If so, it'd be very light, but maybe that floral note. 

At the moment, I'm enjoying Anomalous in my Missouri Meerschaum Diamondback cob. It has proven to be a very consistent blend from pipe to pipe. It does offer a slow burn rate, so if not expecting a long smoke, I go for a more medium sized chamber so as not to waste. 

The Katerini Perique is wonderfully on display in Anomalous, and offers those dark berry, floral, incense, and herbal notes. I feel the Katerini Perique and Stoved Virginia are especially mutually complementing. 

Sutliff Stoved Virginia has a bit of an identity of its own to me—herbal, citrus, caramelized sweetness. The best highlight of this is the straight Stoved Virginia of Sutliff manufacture, Chris Morgan Jackalope. I notice a similar component in Anomalous that reminds me of Jackalope, which I appreciate. I'm not sure if it's something to do with a casing or the particular Virginia(s) used, but I get more of a complexity than I expect from Cavendish. At any rate, the Stoved Virginia and Katerini Perique seem to overlap in some qualities, which accents some of the essential parts of the profile. 

My reductionist sum-up—Anomalous is black tea with a lemon brightness.

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

It's difficult to say—I'm a big fan of Uno—but I think this is my favorite of the series. But I won't dwell on a question that doesn't need answering. That fact is I enjoy all of these blends very much and having a few tins of each put away, I'm just glad I'll get to enjoy them all for some time. 

Until next time...

That's that for this penultimate bird. Paradoxical, the final Birds of a Feather blend, will be released in May. However, Sutliff has revealed there will be another Per Jensen collaboration series to come. In April, Jensen will once again be visiting the Sutliff factory to develop a new set of blends for a second signature series. Just as last time, this will culminate in a smoking panel where guests will be given the opportunity to try all of these blends well before they're released. 

From the Sutliff Facebook page:

Maybe I'll see ya there!

Of course, I'll be back with the regular column at the end of the month, exploring two great tobacco blends and a featured premium cigar.

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