As this is my first post I'll briefly introduce myself. I happen to live in France, not far for Giverny for those who like the impressionism movement, but I was born in the UK not too far from Lakeland country. I ended up living in France as I'm a mad keen fisherman and used to work in the recreational fishing industry but now I teach conversational English.
I'm new to pipe smoking and the range of pipe tobacco's in France seems limited and you can't buy off the internet only through tabac's, the goverment likes to control everything over here! One of the brands available to me is Samuel Gawith and with it being a lakeland company and me being of lakeland decent where better to start?? I bought a couple of tins of flake to start with and like most will know it does verge on the damp side so I've been drying it and then rubbing it out.
Can you dry flake too much and kill the flavour?
I started with Balkan flake, the first flake I dried for a couple of hours and it was fantastic, it had a lovely smokey flavour that would intermittently change and become very sweet. I've struggled to repeat the experience but I think I've been smoking the flake too damp as I struggle to keep it lit, leading me to think I need to dry it for a wee bit longer BUT I'm worried I can over dry it and kill the taste.
I presumed the sweet taste was the virginia's, having a sweet tooth I bought FVF and dried it for several hours, no sweetness at all just a subtle hay type taste tbh a pleasant smoke. It burnt lovely all the way down with only a single religh and didn't bite. Does FVF have a sweet taste? Did I over dry it?
Lastly any suggestions for a naturally sweet tasting tobacco that isn't flavoured? Something that isn't American would be good as I can't buy American tobacco, it's the whole internet buying thing.
Thanks ::
I'm new to pipe smoking and the range of pipe tobacco's in France seems limited and you can't buy off the internet only through tabac's, the goverment likes to control everything over here! One of the brands available to me is Samuel Gawith and with it being a lakeland company and me being of lakeland decent where better to start?? I bought a couple of tins of flake to start with and like most will know it does verge on the damp side so I've been drying it and then rubbing it out.
Can you dry flake too much and kill the flavour?
I started with Balkan flake, the first flake I dried for a couple of hours and it was fantastic, it had a lovely smokey flavour that would intermittently change and become very sweet. I've struggled to repeat the experience but I think I've been smoking the flake too damp as I struggle to keep it lit, leading me to think I need to dry it for a wee bit longer BUT I'm worried I can over dry it and kill the taste.
I presumed the sweet taste was the virginia's, having a sweet tooth I bought FVF and dried it for several hours, no sweetness at all just a subtle hay type taste tbh a pleasant smoke. It burnt lovely all the way down with only a single religh and didn't bite. Does FVF have a sweet taste? Did I over dry it?
Lastly any suggestions for a naturally sweet tasting tobacco that isn't flavoured? Something that isn't American would be good as I can't buy American tobacco, it's the whole internet buying thing.
Thanks ::