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Has it been a month already? Holy crap!
A very interesting and unusual month it has been in every way, including pipe smoking to no small degree.
Ordinarily I like to mix it up a bit in various genres, though for the past few months it’s been dominated by latakia blends. But I decided I wanted to get to know what the big deal was about with VaPers. So, as a result of a forum discussion we’ve been having about VaPers, wherein it was discussed how smokers who focus on latakia blends may lose their sensitivity to the subtleties of virginias, I’ve been smoking Virginias exclusively for about two weeks now. And you know what? My experience has confirmed this observation, much to my chagrin. (I’ll discuss this in an upcoming post.)
So the past two weeks have been dominated by a single blend, Solani’s 633, a VaPer that I’ve grown fond of, but can’t say I love. However, last night I tried Escudo for the first time, and I’ll just say for now that I understand why it’s such a big deal, and it has instantly entered this month’s desert island blends.
I’ve also revisited a few other Virginias I haven’t had in a few months, or that have always left me cold, and it’s been an interesting experience with them too, especially Dark Star. Dark Star has long been one of my favorites since that first bowl — it was my first experience of just how fine an art tobacco could be, a revelation, really. That first bowl of Dark Star was one of my life’s most memorable sensual and aesthetic experiences, an experience that practically bordered the realm of something religious. But I haven’t had it for several months due to an increasingly intense and unseemly latakia binge. So my first smoke of this eminent blend was astonishingly disappointing after so long an absence, and I feared never having the same relationship with it. But, after smoking nothing but 633 for a couple of weeks, my palate must have been cleansed, for when I tried it again the other night, Dark Star’s subtle dark sweet complex sublimity all came back to me, thank Zeus.
Plus, now I think I have somewhat of an appreciation for VaPers that I intend to pursue and deepen. Last night’s experience with Escudo was very exciting. (But what will become of my latakias?!)
So there will be a couple of unusual features for me this month as I re-evaluate my tastebuds. However, I cannot not list my sacred latakia blends…
10) A & C Petersen: Escudo Navy Deluxe
9) McClelland: Mellow Mack
8) McClelland: Frog Morton on the Bayou
7) Samuel Gawith: 1792
6) Erinmore: Balkan Blend
5) G L Pease: Chelsea Morning
4) McClelland: Royal Cajun Dark
3) McClelland: Three Oaks Original
2) McClelland: Dark Star
1) McClelland: Three Oaks Syrian
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Kevin said:
I have frequently had times where a favorite tobacco will not deliver the sublime experience it did before. Sometimes it may be for the same reason you described, Garrett. Other times there are different variables effecting the experience as well.
I’m glad Dark Star came back for you eventually.
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:33 pm
sinistertopiary said:
Thanks, Kevin. Yes, I was really worried about that. But when I tried it that second time and it came back to me, I was extremely happy. So you really had it for the same reason? I find that very interesting. What do you make of it? I find it troublesome, ’cause does that mean I have to choose between latakia & virginia? I wouldn’t want to make that choice.
January 24th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Kevin said:
I think for me there can be other variables more often afoot.
Sometimes certain pipes work good with some tobaccos and not others. I think you have written about a certain pipe of yours, a Chacom, that is great with one particular tobacco only.
Earlier this week I was smoking a favorite Latakia blend, Mac Baren’s HH Vintage Syrian. I had two bowls on Thursday that were both sublime. Then on Friday I had a bowl of the same tobacco in one of my favorite pipes and it was quite a sub-par experience that left me frustrated and disappointed. It was only one day apart and a completely opposite experience.
It could be that I was stressed and hurried on Friday, and probably shouldn’t have been smoking in that state.
I was actually going to take the day off on Friday and relax reading and smoking. Suddenly I had a bunch of emails from clients, and tons of interruptions and phone calls, and then I found out about the new proposed tax increase on pipe tobacco - all this while trying to smoke and relax made me crazy and I got no enjoyment from my pipe.
What was going to be my day off turned into my busiest day of the week, and the tobacco that was great the day before tasted like crap.
January 24th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
dunendain said:
Do not worry Sinister one. I fell into the same groove. Then ,I started craving, that smokey flavor of Latakia. I believe, that if one is turned on by Latakia, when one first tries it, they will always come back.
January 24th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
Impugn My Tastebuds, Will You? | Smoldering Yens said:
[...] two? Does it mean that I must commit to one genre then cleanse my palate to appreciate the other? In responses to a previous post of mine both Kevin and dunendain admit to having had similar experiences. But now that I know I can’t [...]
February 6th, 2010 at 4:22 pm