Help Wanted: Tobacco by the Pound and Blending Basics

mayfair70 · Jan 21, 2016

I got into pipe smoking because it was far cheaper than the high quality cigarettes I had purchased for the past 20 years or so. I'm continuing piping because of the mindfulness of the practice and the taste. The flavors are off the charts and there is a Zen quality to sitting down with a lit pipe and my thoughts. I've decided to begin buying tobacco by the pound to blend at my own discretion. Again, it is cheaper, and will allow me to be creative and in control of my habit to a degree I have not been involved with so far. In no particular order, I plan on buying:
Latakia

Perique

Burleys (different varieties)

Golden Virginia

Red Virginia

Bright Leaf Virginia

Turkish and Orientals

Dark Fired Kentucky
I'll sample each variety as I get them to become acquainted with flavors and nicotine then start blending. I realize it may take months or years to get anything close to a good original blend. So I'll be recipe hunting and taking copious notes and documenting ratios of every experiment. I am a very good cook and have good "kitchen instincts." Not every experiment will be a success and I am keeping my expectations in check. I have tried so few actual blends, I'll likely be re-inventing formulas that have been around for decades before I come across them. As long as I like how things taste and enjoy the process, I'll consider it a success. So, are there any kinds of tobacco I should definitely get my hands on? Any generic recipes I should know about? What established blends are "must haves" by way of taste which I should have under my belt? Will Gilligan ever get off that damned island? Of course, I'll eventually need guinea pi..., er, participants down the road. Any and all comments and suggestions are welcome.

hawke · Jan 21, 2016

You've got a good list there already. You've done your homework.
Orientals give me the most trouble as there are quite a few and each tastes a little bit different. Remember that for instance, a perique from one supplier will taste different from another supplier even though they are all from Louisiana. Go figure. Another thing that enters into the mix is each year the crop can be a little different, same as wine I suppose. Christmas Cheer by McClelland for one is highly sought after during one year and yet in another year, one can still find it available. This blend is said to have had select leaves from each year put aside to make the blend. What's the difference? I can only guess its maybe the climate of the growing season that year along with other items like curing times which can be affected by the weather as well.
I really enjoy blending as I can come up with the tastes I prefer. I believe what's important is that I like it. If someone else does, that's just icing for the ego. Whatever you come up with, someone will like it, you can bet on that! LOL
PS: Click my banner below. :laughat:

mayfair70 · Jan 22, 2016

Hawke- PM sent

I appreciate the reminder about the differences between regions and seasons within the same variety. We've always had a garden and I'm used to tasting differences these can cause. I'll be labeling tobaccos as I would wines; where and when. : puffy

:

newbroom · Jan 22, 2016

Find a blending house or 3 that you can depend on and buy their bulks. Save money.

Buy your own ingredients in search of your own blend and have a great time exploring your tastes. Spend money.

It's all good!

baccyfart · Jan 22, 2016

40% VA bright + 40% VA red + 20% perique or latakia = happy pipe smoking on the cheap. i blend this and let it set for a week or two in a mason jar before consumption. but, be VERY careful with the bright 'cause it'll bite you. just smoke low and slow to bring out the sweetness of the VA's. the perique or latakia will nuance the flavor a bit, so it constantly changes...sweet, then smoke, then spice, then sweet, then sweet..... you get the idea.

mayfair70 · Jan 22, 2016

Thanks newbroom ! A regular and dependable supplier will help keep the ingredients consistent and eliminate some of the mystery of why batch X tastes different than batch Y. Duly noted sir !

Thanks for my first recipe baccyfart! (a sentence I never thought I would utter) I've been getting much better at the low and slow aspect of smoking in the past couple months. It really started with my first tin of Nightcap and "sipping" has become a good habit which improves flavors and extends the life of a bowl for me. Looking forward to it.

carbonmated · Feb 1, 2016

Mayfair, I have my first blend in the press right now. I wanted a cool smoking, mellow smoke that would provide something I could smoke several times a day. I used small quantities as test samples, keeping notes to my measurements. And when I tried it and it satisfied me I mixed a large batch and it went into the press. I won't discuss what's in it, but if it turns out ok I will send out some samples to get a few opinions.
Once you mix, put it in a bag for a few days under a book and then sample a bowl. At least the flavor can marry a little bit. I found that smoking it right away had a much different flavor profile.
I purchased some bulk blenders from 2 on line retailers, one I will continue to order from, the other never again as the tobacco was sand dry and crunchy when I got it.

deathmetal · Feb 1, 2016

Some useful information here:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/tobacco-blend-recipes

mayfair70 · Feb 1, 2016

Thanks guys !
My grandfather taught me to let ingredients "get to know each other" and that seems to be true of tobacco AND chili.

cobguy · Feb 1, 2016

I've made the move to whole leaf tobacco and can't recommend it enough.
You can pick up some really good Red Flue Cured Virginia for $13.99 a pound ... same for Burley and Oriental.
The lack of any casings at all also means you are getting way more leaf for your money.
Wholeleaftobacco.com is where I get mine and they have been great.

mayfair70 · Feb 1, 2016

@cobguy
Yes, that is the very place I'm going to order from. Great minds think alike. I may even do a bit of growing this year if we can get the garden started.

cobguy · Feb 1, 2016

Cool!

I'm doing a crop this year as well ... best of luck and keep us posted!

deathmetal · Apr 19, 2016

From another thread:

The basic recipes are something like this:
English: Virginia, optional Burley, Turkish and Latakia
Dutch/Norwegian: Virginia, Dark Fired, optional Burley, Turkish
Dark English: Virginia, Dark Fired, optional Perique
Va/Per: Virginia, optional Burley, Perique
Balkan: an English with balance shifted from Latakia to Turkish
Codger: Burley, Virginia, optional Perique, Turkish or Dark Fired
...those are the basics, if memory serves (IIRC/YMMV/TMTOWTDI/FWIW/YOLO).
Past Threads
For mixing of existing commercially available tobacco blends:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/post-your-frankenblends-november-2015

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/your-own-strange-mixtures-toaster-leavins

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/recipes-for-blending

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/what-are-your-custom-tobacco-blend-recipes

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/please-send-us-your-own-home-made-blends

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/favorite-homemade-blend-recipes
For mixing of bulk tobacco varieties:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/tobacco-blend-recipes

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/help-wanted-tobacco-by-the-pound-and-blending-basics

mayfair70 · Apr 19, 2016

@deathmetal - Thanks man! You just cut my tobacco bookmarks in half. Lots of good info on those threads. Hoping to get tomatoes and peppers in the ground this week. May not get around to planting tobacco this year. I see pounds of virginias, burleys and perique in my future though. 8)
http://wholeleaftobacco.com/Flue-Cured-Virginia-Red-Leaf-FCV1.htm

deathmetal · Apr 19, 2016

You're ahead of me. I'm still in the research stage, but I'd love to have a homegrown supply. At the rate our society is going, I'm not even counting on mail service in a decade

mso489 · Apr 19, 2016

Two useful blending tobaccos from Cornell & Diehl that smoke well all by themselves are Cigar Leaf and Turkish Izmir, available in bulk. I'd try them in in 2 or 4 ounces; you may not need a pound, depending on how much you would smoke them as single tobaccos. I'm still looking for a reasonably priced single leaf Oriental in bulk. Anyone have that source?

supdog · Apr 20, 2016

Mso, is this what you are looking for?
https://www.leafonly.com/pipe-tobacco-leaf/tobacco-leaves/oriental-turkish-tobacco-leaf-yenidje

cobguy · Apr 20, 2016

http://wholeleaftobacco.com/Flue-Cured-Virginia-Red-Leaf-FCV1.htm

I ordered 3 pounds of that one and it's really good ... similar to #5100 bulk without the casing.

Mso, is this what you are looking for?
https://www.leafonly.com/pipe-tobacco-leaf/tobacco-leaves/oriental-turkish-tobacco-leaf-yenidje

That one looks really good! Here's one for Prilep as well:
http://wholeleaftobacco.com/Turkish-Oriental-Prilep-Prilep.htm

Help Wanted: Tobacco by the Pound and Blending Basics

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