Recent content by rmbittner

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  1. rmbittner

    Bengal Slices

    I find the whole Fusilier’s Ration/Bengal Slices thing bizarre, since Russ Ouellette is responsible for both of these blends. (For that reason, I won’t touch them. Too many disappointed experiences with his “blends.”) A bit of trivia: The original Bengal Slices was the flake version of the...
  2. rmbittner

    Kai Nielsen Pipes

    I have one. It’s one of the most beautiful, best-smoking pipes I own.
  3. rmbittner

    ***What Are You Smoking, April 2023?***

    Brebbia’s Preludio Mixture No. 60, in a Kai Nielsen that is probably the most beautifully grained pipe I own.
  4. rmbittner

    Home clone: Dunhill The Aperitif

    McConnell had to rename their original releases of Dunhill matches because their first choices were too close to the original Dunhill names. They probably wouldn’t be in any mood to tempt fate with another naming go-round.
  5. rmbittner

    Home clone: Dunhill The Aperitif

    Since the mid-2000s.
  6. rmbittner

    Is this Mixing or Blending?

    It’s mixing. Blenders choose the specific leaf, the specific cuts, and the appropriate processing for the results they want.
  7. rmbittner

    Burley Recommendation

    I’m with @cosmicfolklore here: In wine terms, burley is, by nature, a “dry” smoke, not a sweet one. Any sweetness will come from added flavorings/sweeteners or other leaf (such as a Virginia).
  8. rmbittner

    Cherrybomb by CAO (Lane)

    Surprised no one’s made a joke yet about how they’d “Runaway” from this one. Or am I the only one who hears the song every time I see the blend name…?
  9. rmbittner

    Took my Bruken Selecta out for a spring walk

    Glad you‘re enjoying it! But if it’s Bruken, you should get it fixed. ;)
  10. rmbittner

    Chamber size vs Tobacco Type?

    To me, it’s more about bowl width than it is whether it’s a large- or small-bowled pipe. Similarly, it’s more about the cut of the tobacco than what the constituent leaf happens to be. For example, a shag cut will fit neatly into a bowl of any size, but a chunky flake might work better in a pot...
  11. rmbittner

    ***What Are You Smoking, April 2023?***

    Given my age, I’ve decided I need to start drawing more from my cellar. Today, it’s 2006 Frog Morton Across the Pond, in a new-to-me Capitello billiard.
  12. rmbittner

    When Forced to Choose Only 4...

    Unless I was packing for six months or something, I would never travel with four different blends. Because I dedicate pipes to types of blends, that would require too many pipes for a trip. I’d pick one blend, simply choosing from among the tins I currently have open.
  13. rmbittner

    Dunhill 5 choice blend approx age

    Yes, Murray’s production, given the labeling. But I’d add that even the empty box may be collectible/resellable. I’ve never seen one like it and wasn’t aware that Dunhill had ever sold tins in prepackaged assortments quite like this. (I’ve only ever seen their Christmas samplers of mini-tins.)
  14. rmbittner

    Géométrie... How Much Did You Order?

    Completely self-imposed! :) My wife and I are saving up spending money for an upcoming return visit to London at the end of May. And depending on longevity, I may already have enough tobacco cellared for the rest of my life.
  15. rmbittner

    ***What Are You Smoking, April 2023?***

    Smoking 2022 Sun Bear in a pipe made by forum member @Puffaluffaguss. Both were generous gifts!