So today for whatever reason I decided to step outside the all too familiar comfort zone I've been living in as it relates to pipe smoking. I'll share here in the hopes of keeping some of the noobs from becoming curmudgeons earlier than they need too.
I've been in a 3 blend rotation for awhile now with an occasional swing out to something I have jarred or perhaps an already open tin but mainly it's been Dunhill's EMP, 965 and Nightcap and smoked in that order. It's all been good and maybe it's reading about folks who pack a parfait of 2 or 3 mixtures at once, ( something I've never tried,btw) I was in between chores and taking a needed break as I took a pinch of 965 and one of NC and tossed them in an empty tin and mixed it all up. I packed a favorite Italian estate and used the "screw" pack method I saw on the James Fox video (I've been liking it a lot) and had at it. I was completely taken by surprise by what I was tasting, I'm completely intimate with shat to expect from either mixture, on its own. The melded taste of the 2 together was pretty nice as well as being totally new. There was an elevated level of sweetness and smoothness that caught me off guard.
The point of all this rambling is to encourage some of you out there to mix it up a bit, do some experimenting and see if you can enhance your enjoyment in the time you have to enjoy your pipes. I'm not going to get crazy with my mix and match methodology but I've learned something here, never say never. Your palette can guide you as you voyage through the world of tobacco and all of us experience these blends in different ways. Good smoking!
I've been in a 3 blend rotation for awhile now with an occasional swing out to something I have jarred or perhaps an already open tin but mainly it's been Dunhill's EMP, 965 and Nightcap and smoked in that order. It's all been good and maybe it's reading about folks who pack a parfait of 2 or 3 mixtures at once, ( something I've never tried,btw) I was in between chores and taking a needed break as I took a pinch of 965 and one of NC and tossed them in an empty tin and mixed it all up. I packed a favorite Italian estate and used the "screw" pack method I saw on the James Fox video (I've been liking it a lot) and had at it. I was completely taken by surprise by what I was tasting, I'm completely intimate with shat to expect from either mixture, on its own. The melded taste of the 2 together was pretty nice as well as being totally new. There was an elevated level of sweetness and smoothness that caught me off guard.
The point of all this rambling is to encourage some of you out there to mix it up a bit, do some experimenting and see if you can enhance your enjoyment in the time you have to enjoy your pipes. I'm not going to get crazy with my mix and match methodology but I've learned something here, never say never. Your palette can guide you as you voyage through the world of tobacco and all of us experience these blends in different ways. Good smoking!