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The Pipes Magazine Radio Show

The Pipes Magazine Radio Show - Episode 35

Kevin Godbee
Thank you for joining us for The Pipes Magazine Radio Show—the only radio talk show for pipe smokers and collectors. We want to thank you for listening and being one of our loyal 15,000 weekly fans. Your host is Brian Levine and in tonight’s "Pipe Parts" segment we will recommend some specific tobaccos. Two weeks ago, Greg Pease recommended some different tobaccos in his line that represent different genres. Tonight Brian will mention some other brands and blends that are also good examples of different styles that you might want to try. Our featured guest is Pipe maker Chris Morgan. Chris makes some extremely creative high grade pipes, and he has also made name for himself with his unique "Briar Cigar".

Pipe Shows

Connecting with Chicago

E. Roberts
How does one describe the Chicago show? Superlatives are easy to pile on, and most of them try to encompass the fact that it’s big, really big. Make that really, really big. It’s awe-inspiring to see so many thousands of pipes, fresh from the maker’s hands or vintage estates; it’s heady to be surrounded by clouds of smoke from hundreds of happy puffers; and it’s just a whole lot of fun to be around folks who are as fanatical as I am about pipes and tobacciana. This was my first trip to the Big Show, and the way I’ll always think of it, the essence of it for me, is that it is all about making connections.

Pipe Tobacco Reviews

Mac Baren Burley London Blend Tobacco Review

E. Roberts
“Burley doesn’t age” is a common wisdom that any pipe enthusiast who’s begun building their cellar has certainly come across. The truth is that all tobacco will age, though differently, with the greatest flavor changes dependant mainly on the sugar content of the constituent tobacco. The noble Virginia leaf, being a sugar factory, of course ages wonderfully, and often takes all the surrounding leaf along with it for that wonderful ride. All-burley or burley-forward blends, I feel, unfairly get a bad rap for not taking on the epic qualities we often hear of in Virginia-based blends. As proof of a burley-forward blend that has the ability to age gracefully, emphatically and deliciously, I submit for your approval Mac Baren’s Burley London Blend. It is primarily a white burley that has been aged in wooden casks, along with a sprinkling of Virginia. This is a blend that, for all its inherent simplicity, is certainly memorable as a solid, tasty smoke. The review is based on a comparison of a 1980s vintage tin with a current production tin from December 2012.

Out of the Ashes

Lights, Smokes & Leaves

The Care & Feeding of the Pipeman - by G. L. Pease
Indulge me. Take a moment to close your eyes and reflect on your earliest experience as a budding pipe smoker. It could have been months ago, years, or even decades. Imagine that first bowl in as much vivid detail as you can conjure. How does the memory compare to your current experience?

Most of us, without much effort, can recall our first pipe, our first tobacco, our first smoke. For some, it was the opening of a sensory door that would lead to a wonderful new world of taste and aroma; for others, it was like entering a chamber of horrors, a dread-filled experience that, if lucidly recalled, makes us wonder why the hell we ever again chose to wander those darkly haunted halls.

Ask G. L. Pease

Ask G. L. Pease (Volume 25)

G. L. Pease
Some really interesting questions fell out of the mailbag this month, with topics ranging from humidification, to tobacco colors, to blending, to toxicity. For a change, though, it's not the toxicity of tobacco that's in question, but rather that of flavoring agents, and of different woods when used in pipe making. Some fascinating and challenging stuff. So, without further ado, grab a pipe, find a comfy spot, and let's dive in.

Eric writes: I use the small "Immerse Humidifier" in my tobacco pouch to keep the tobacco from drying up too much. It says to immerse in cold water; however, I have some Propylene Glycol solution I use for for cigar boxes and have used that to moisten the humidifier. It seems to work fine. But I have noticed you speak of PG as a agent for sweetening tobacco. Am I inadvertently sweetening my British blends? Should I just use water?

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Featured Article

Interview with Kevin Godbee, Founder of PipesMagazine.com

I've interviewed several people over the past years and decades in many different roles and endeavors, but nobody has ever interviewed me ... until now. Olie Sylvestor is an artist, graphic designer, pipe maker, father, husband, and all around really cool guy. He also has been producing the OomPaul Podcast for several years, and I was honored that he asked me to do an interview.

We mostly talk about the PipesMagazine.com business, and there are several background, behind-the-scenes stories that have never been told, which you may find interesting. At the end of the interview, Olie asked me some personal questions, and the answers may surprise you.

Featured Tobacco Review

Sutliff Private Stock Blend 5 Pipe Tobacco Review

Adam J. Smith
Tin Note: Balanced Smoking Tobacco - Cool with a rich flavour. From the Website: A robust English blend with character. Plenty of Latakia, Pressed Virginia, and Burley provide the base.

This blend surprised me - but in a very good way. With a very ambiguous tin description and a post-modern abstract label that would look at home on a cigarette package, I really wasn't sure what I was getting into when I popped this tin. Expecting a cased Burley (perhaps something minty from the "cool" descriptor used in the liner notes), I was quite taken aback when I first popped the seal and raised the tin to my nose.