Cigar Leaf: Does it belong in Pipe Tobacco?

[Akoni808]

I know this question is far less controversial than the title, but what are your thoughts on cigar leaf in pipe blends? I thoroughly enjoy smoking cigars, but what has your experience been when it’s blended into pipe tobacco?

I’ve been skeptical, so I placed an order on a blend to explore.

 

[kschatey]

Sure, why not? Lots of different varieties. Not my thing mostly because of nic strength, but that's fine.

Actually, I loved C&D Folklore and that has Kasturi leaf.

 

[crashthegrey]

I've had a few good ones and a few duds. YMMV

 

[fireground_piper]

Savinelli 140th was incredibly good and one of my absolute favorite blends.

 

[Chasing Embers]

It's the best way to enjoy cigar tobacco without looking like a bookie or a hobo.



Of course there's always this option.

 

[fireground_piper]

That saint espresso still teases me sometimes. Not something that sounds like it would be up my alley, but one of the few that still makes me ponder maybe.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

As @crashthegrey said - had a couple duds and a couple I really enjoyed. I find it odd that the cigar brand tobaccos don't actually use cigar leaf, they're just aromatics most of the time. Warped has some great blends though. They're not my go to, but good for the occasional smoke. Although honestly, if I want a cigar taste I'm just gonna smoke a cigar.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

My fave of the cigar leaf blends I’ve tried was billy budd. I bought some c&d chopped cigar leaf to try with my usual burley but I didn’t care for it , no matter the proportions I used. I do consider ordering an interesting cigar leaf or 2 from whole leaf or similar to experiment with. I smoke mainly dark burley, which is a bit cigarish, so I see possibility in that direction

 

[K.E. Powell]

I'm normally not one for cigars, but their are some pipe blends that use cigar leaf that I love. Warped King's Stride is a top 5 baccy for me. I love it.

 

[jaytex1969]

Beans: Do they belong in chili?

The eternal debates....

I do a cigar or two a month and am FAR from an expert.

My exposure to cigar leaf in pipe blends is even less.

I do have to agree with kschatey, though.

That C&D Folklore is pretty good stuff.

Y'all gonna make me ransack my cellar to find that Billy Budd can....

 

[Chasing Embers]

Beans: Do they belong in chili?

Only if you're making San Antonio style chili.

 

[Akoni808]

As @crashthegrey said - had a couple duds and a couple I really enjoyed. I find it odd that the cigar brand tobaccos don't actually use cigar leaf, they're just aromatics most of the time. Warped has some great blends though. They're not my go to, but good for the occasional smoke. Although honestly, if I want a cigar taste I'm just gonna smoke a cigar.

That was my feeling. If I wanted a cigar, I’d smoke a cigar. I was more so wondering if the combo made something new, not just a blend with a hint of cigar.

 

[Chasing Embers]

That was my feeling. If I wanted a cigar, I’d smoke a cigar. I was more so wondering if the combo made something new, not just a blend with a hint of cigar.

They're really not cigar like, the addition of cigar tobacco is more a seasoning to the blends.

 

[Chaukisch]

They sell pipe tobacco with artificial flavors or rose petals mixed in so I don't see much problem in putting some tobacco in the tobacco.

 

[mortonbriar]

I have found that a 'longer' cut of leaf can lean more towards that cigar flavour profile across a number of different leaf varieties. I have taken leaf I have grown (burley varieties for the most part) and from the same handful of leaf, from the same plant, rolled a quick cigar (which tasted like...a cigar) cut a section to smoke whole in the pipe like @Chasing Embers suggested, and rolled a tighter rope, cut some wide coins, and then thin coins and rubbed them out. The 'cigar' profile retreated further into the background the finer the cut. I have theories about what happens with flavour accumulation as you burn along the length and breadth of the leaf, but they are really just musings.

 

[Sgetz]

G L Pease Key Largo has cigar leaf. It's great

 

[ThermionicScott]

G. L. Pease Robusto has been on my list to try for a long time now. Not a very helpful post, I guess.

 

[mso489]

Cigar leaf makes a fine condiment if used properly and is good smoked neat. However, smoking cigar leaf is not like smoking a cigar,whether it is wrapper or other leaf. In a pipe, cigar leaf has its own bouquet. A cigar is assembled to give a particular smoking experience. In a pipe, it gives different experiences and, in my experience, is not much like smoking a cigar at all.

I like C&D Billy Budd with cigar leaf, and I am holding a tin of GLP Key Largo with cigar leaf. It makes good pipe tobacco, but it's no cigar. I think it widens the taste of both Virginia and burley and plays well with Latakia and Perique -- to my taste, best when all are in light doses.

 

[cigrmaster]

When I was smoking cigars and pipes at the same time I tried a few cigar leaf blends and I was not a fan. Something about the cigar leaf made the blend fairly rough.

 

[LotusEater]

I like Key Largo, Seer Sucker, Country Lawyer, Billy Budd, Robusto and others.
None of these taste like a cigar to me but the cigar leaf seems to adds a fullness to these blends. I also think that cigar blends tend to have a nice mouth feel and may produce more smoke. YMMV