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fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Ok so a little background info first. I first smoked a pipe about 26 years ago due to a family friend smoking a pipe and I loved the smell of his aromatics. My first time lighting up I was a bit shocked to find that it didn't taste the way it smelled. I picked up pipe smoking off and on over the years and have gotten more into it in the past 2 years. I've since learned to smoke it slow/cool and now enjoy my aromatics.
I decided to branch out into Virginia's, VaPer's, English/Balkan's. I've found that I do like some English and Balkan blends but have yet to find out why people like Virginia's & VaPer's so much.
I've tried Escudo, Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake, Peterson's 3P, GL Pease's Navigator(not sure if that's an aro as it's got rum but I consider it a Virginia mix). I've also got Full Virginia Flake on the way. I'm planning on buying Wessex Brigade Campaign and Dan's Hamborger Veermaster when it becomes available on smokingpipes.com. I know it will taste much better aged and will try all of these that I have cellared again in 8 to 12 months to see the difference.
However I find no taste in any of these. Am I doing something wrong? Is it the fact that I haven't smoked enough of these yet? Are there other blends I should be trying instead?
HELP!

 
crpntr1

crpntr1

Lifer
Dec 18, 2011
1,981
156
Texas
You are trying most of my favorites, especially FVF. I had the same problem when I first started with va's, I found that I was still just drawing too hard on them. I slowed way down, and the flavors came through. When I smoke to fast FVF especially tastes ashy, when I can taste anything, slow it down and its sweet and citrusy

 
Perique

Perique

Lifer
Sep 20, 2011
4,098
3,884
www.tobaccoreviews.com
It's probably just a matter of personal taste. Though as Chris said, smoking slow will really help pull the flavors out of the VAs.
I would recommend something with some additional flavor such as GLPs Haddo's Delight. Maybe Cairo (added Orientals).

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
I'll have to try slowing down some more. I thought I was going pretty slow to begin with except that 2nd light I puff it pretty good to get it started. Maybe that's part of my problem.
Sothron, I've got GLP's Haddo's Delight on my spreadsheet of tobacco's to try. I'll definitely be ordering some in the next few weeks.

 
rmbittner

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,995
fitzy:
Full Virginia Flake is a great tobacco. It's in my top two favorites for a straight, non-matured Virginia. My second is Old Gowrie, from Rattray, a company that almost never gets mentioned here. Rattray's "Big Three" of Virginias are Old Gowrie, Hal o' the Wynd, and Marlin Flake. All are exceptional, in my opinion.
McClelland produces outstanding Virginias. One of my absolute favorites is Dark Star, a matured-Virginia flake. It is sweet, not at all bitey, but because it is a very dark (near-black) matured flake it requires a lot of work to rub out. But it will reward you with sweetness and richness if you're patient with it.
Along these same lines is Butera's Royal Vintage: Matured Flake, which is very good, well worth trying, and much easier to pack.
There are also some Virginia-based mixtures I like that also include other tobaccos (while keeping focus on the Virginias). Rattray's Jocks Mixture is a delightful VA/cavendish, with some similarities to the equally enjoyable Anniversary from McClelland.
You might also enjoy Pease's Embarcadero, a VA/oriental blend. It disappointed me a bit because the orientals are so far in the background. But it might be perfect for you.
Bob

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
rmbittner I had forgotten to mention Rattray's Hal o' the Wynd as another blend I was looking to try. I wish they made it in smaller containers as I'm worried I may not finish the 100g containers they sell.
I'll definitely have to look into the other's you've mentioned. That Dark Star sounds awesome.
Thanks everyone for the help.

 
rmbittner

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,995
I wish they made it in smaller containers as I'm worried I may not finish the 100g containers they sell.
Click to expand...
I definitely understand! You may try posting a request in the Tobacco Trades area of the forum to see if anyone would be willing to swap a sample of Hal o' the Wynd for something you have. I'd send you some myself, but I don't happen to have an open tin. . . and, unfortunately, I'm already working on seven open jars at the moment.
Bob

 
S

seamusjft

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 16, 2012
190
0
Hey I'd send you a few bowls of Hal 'o the wynd if you ŵanna try it?

Also I got some squadron leader, j.f germain 1820 and a house blend that I'm loving at the moment, gauntleys of Nottingham Bayou. It's a very stout smoke with 16% perique and very well blended. Glynn the blender states he adds Kentucky to give it a good burn rate and he's on point! It's the tobacco that kinda trained me to keep smoking without too many relights.

I Amin the uk tho so postage would e about $7/9ish. I'm happy with that though its about the same my end. Happy to do like a 10g of each trade or something? Let me know

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Thanks Seamus. I actually just got my first sample of Squadron Leader yesterday. I'm looking forward to trying it.
If you want to do a swap here's a list of what I've got. Some of it is a bit limited but I should have enough for 10G's of any of these. Sorry the spacing is kind of weird.
AC Peterson Escudo navy

CAO Moontrance

Dan Sweet Vanilla Honeydew

Dan Blue Note

Erinmore Erinmore Flake

Gawith Hoggarth Bob's Chocolate Flake

Gawith Hoggarth Rum Flake

GL Pease Navigator

Hearth & Home Classic Burley Kake

Hearth & Home Black House

JackLee Halfling Leaf

JackLee Autumn Walk

JackLee Honey Malt

JackLee Yule Pudding

JackLee Summer Sangria

Lane BCA

Lane 1Q

Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake

McClelland Frog Morton's Cellar

Nat Sherman 509

Peter Stokkbye Luxury Navy Flake

Peterson Holiday 2012

Peterson 3P Plug

Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader

Baron's Blend Miskatonic

Villiger 1888 Midday

 
S

seamusjft

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 16, 2012
190
0
This might be a first. Tottenham fan trading something other than blows with a west ham fan lol

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
I'll have to keep at it Roth. I'm hoping to try the Luxury Bullseye sometime. I'm planning on buying 4 or 5 tins of Escudo and stock them away and open one per year and see how it changes.
Seamus. I thought I'd never see the day. Just imagine if we could work out all the worlds problems over a few bowls of pipe tobacco. We'd have Israel and Palestine fixed in a day or 2.
The shipping sounds ok to me unless you find something in my stash you want to have an even trade with.

 
S

seamusjft

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 16, 2012
190
0
In my limited time smoking a pipe I've found blends kind f grow on me. Almost like I need to practice smoking them. For example the Private blend 17 I got Monday was good Monday. Today it's fantastic and every bowl I've seemed to pick out different tastes. What was pepper Monday seems to have changed to mild chilli. In a good way. It leaves a nice warm spice heat all round my mouth after smoking.

What I'm trying to get at, albeit the long way round, is give a blend a good few bowls. Unless it makes you pull a face like your sucking a lemon!

 
cigrmaster

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
fitzy, one thing that many smokers do is pack their pipes too lightly. There should be some resistance when you check your draw it should not feel like sucking air. Another thing is the pipes you are using. When I smoke my flakes, I like a group 4,5 or small 6 in size. I also prefer shapes like Dublins,Billiards, Apples, Lovats. Try the Escudo again, this time cube cut it let it dry to the proper humidity and then pick a pipe that fits in this range. Pack it tighter than you normally would( make sure you pack it in around the sides) and then see if you can get more flavor with slow smoking. If you are not getting a lot of flavor then maybe try another pipe.
Escudo has a lot of flavor in my opinion. I would not buy any more tobacco until you can get the Escudo to work for you. It may be you end up not liking that particular flavor, but you should be able to get a lot of it. The GL Pease Navigator also has a ton of flavor so I don't think it is the blends you have but the technique. Let me know how you make out after trying this.

 
billbearcat

billbearcat

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 3, 2011
126
0
I have decided that VAPERs are my favorite. I have found that if I let them dry out of 20 or 30 min then do a looser packing job I get more flavor. Also a larger bowl and small sips helps me out with getting the ever so desired sweet taste.

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Thanks for the help everyone.
Cigrmaster I've been smoking it in a small bent billiard and tried it in a small Tsuge bent bulldog. I think I'm packing it way too loose. I'll give that a shot. I've had problems getting any taste out of Mac Barens vanilla flake and Erinmore Flake as well. I think my problems with those are related to my Virginia problems

 
cigrmaster

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
fitzy, I don't know about Vanilla Cream, but Erinmore flake has a ton of flavor( actually too much for me). I think you will see a noticeable difference with the tighter pack.

 
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