Your Most Challenging Blend

[rakovsky]

A little challenge can be nice, fun, or entertaining. The challenge could be a difficult taste, or a quality of the blend. I have been interested in trying some of those that I've heard about.

My most challenging blend has been Cherokee Blue, a light RYO. It tastes normal, with a slight fruit topping. The smoke is fine in the mouth. But it's harsh and rough in the lungs and nose when I inhale it and retrohale it. Of course an easy solution is to try to minimize inhalation, but in practice it's hard to totally avoid it.

Another blend like this for me was Carter Hall. It had a normal tobacco smell, probably even more plain, and was very light and delicate. It was perhaps the lightest blend that I ever smoked. That part of it made it so appealing that I lit a second bowl right after I finished my first one. But it was a little rough and harsh on the lungs and nose. It was softer than Cherokee Blue, but still seriously noticeable. I am guessing that most other pipe smokers don't get this harshness from it, since C.H. is one of the most popular OTC codgers.

I hear that Haunted Bookshop has some of this type of harshness, so that some people don't like it. I am not sure if Old Joe Krantz has that issue, but I have seen it discussed together with Haunted Bookshop as a blend some pipers avoid. I never tried Haunted Bookshop or OJK, but am curious.

Another type of challenge is nicotine load. This challenge has almost only ever come from cigars. However, one time a friend gave me Indonesian Tambolaka made of N. Rustica leaf. I was scared of it, so I didn't finish my bowl. It's known to have a very powerful effect that comes suddenly after smoking it. It looks delicate and innocent enough. Mine had an extremely light and delicate smoke, even more than Carter Hall as I recall. It looked like thin strips of beef jerky, and was so appealing that I pressed it with my teeth a few times to get a taste of it. It did remind me slightly of beef jerky, with a strong black pepper taste. I can't normally recommend it because it was so strong in nicotine. Even smoking just part of the bowl gave me my fill.

One subset of blends with Latakia is a taste challenge for me. I tried Sutliff's pure Latakia. It reminded me of an cow and horse barnstall with old wood and overripe hay. My first two English blends that I tried were B&M shop house blends with that same smell and it gave me a mini crisis. I wondered why anyone would like that smell. The experience was not as extreme as eating run of the mill chitterlings. But as with chitterlings, my mouth was ghosted with the taste, real or imagined, for the rest of the day. Other blends that I tried with a similar smell are Wellauer's English Blend and Star of the East.

Bear in mind please that I have a sensitive palatte. From what I can tell, a lot of pipe smokers don't perceive that note in the smoke or else they are fine with it. In spite of the downsides, the Latakia had a musty old wood barrel side to it that I liked. I have heard of people not liking Latakia and then having a change in their tastes and liking it.

Reviewers talk about Bacon Old Fashioned in a way that reminds me of the way I perceive Sutliff's pure Latakia. The blend comes with a long chunk to represent bacon in a Bacon Old Fashioned cocktail. I never had it, but the descriptions make it appealing for me as something to sample.

Some pipers criticize Erinmore, especially Erinmore Mixture. From what I can tell from reviews, Erinmore Flake is similar but lighter than Erinmore Mixture.

I had Erinmore Flake and thought it was okay. It had maybe an old wood smell and citrus or lemon flavoring smell. It wasn't worse than plenty of other blends that I tried. The citrus flavoring part was fine. It reminded me of Royal Yacht, which I like. I think that how much I would want Erinmore Flake, like Royal Yacht, would depend on my mood because it seems a blend good for brooding and ruminating. Both I would compare to having a dark beer with lemony or citrus. This leaves me imagining that Erinmore Mixture would be okay too, but I don't know for certain.

 

[rakovsky]

I expect that I would like Erinmore Mixture because I liked Erinmore Flake and Royal Yacht fine.

I don't think I would like Haunted Bookshop or Bacon Old Fashioned because I don't like most Cherokee RYOs or straight Latakia.

What's people's complaint about OJK?

 

[sablebrush52]

A little challenge can be nice, fun, or entertaining. The challenge could be a difficult taste, or a quality of the blend. I have been interested in trying some of those that I've heard about.

My most challenging blend has been Cherokee Blue, a light RYO. It tastes normal, with a slight fruit topping. The smoke is fine in the mouth. But it's harsh and rough in the lungs and nose when I inhale it and retrohale it. Of course an easy solution is to try to minimize inhalation, but in practice it's hard to totally avoid it.

Another blend like this for me was Carter Hall. It had a normal tobacco smell, probably even more plain, and was very light and delicate. It was perhaps the lightest blend that I ever smoked. That part of it made it so appealing that I lit a second bowl right after I finished my first one. But it was a little rough and harsh on the lungs and nose. It was softer than Cherokee Blue, but still seriously noticeable. I am guessing that most other pipe smokers don't get this harshness from it, since C.H. is one of the most popular OTC codgers.

I hear that Haunted Bookshop has some of this type of harshness, so that some people don't like it. I am not sure if Old Joe Krantz has that issue, but I have seen it discussed together with Haunted Bookshop as a blend some pipers avoid. I never tried Haunted Bookshop or OJK, but am curious.

Another type of challenge is nicotine load. This challenge has almost only ever come from cigars. However, one time a friend gave me Indonesian Tambolaka made of N. Rustica leaf. I was scared of it, so I didn't finish my bowl. It's known to have a very powerful effect that comes suddenly after smoking it. It looks delicate and innocent enough. Mine had an extremely light and delicate smoke, even more than Carter Hall as I recall. It looked like thin strips of beef jerky, and was so appealing that I pressed it with my teeth a few times to get a taste of it. It did remind me slightly of beef jerky, with a strong black pepper taste. I can't normally recommend it because it was so strong in nicotine. Even smoking just part of the bowl gave me my fill.

One subset of blends with Latakia is a taste challenge for me. I tried Sutliff's pure Latakia. It reminded me of an cow and horse barnstall with old wood and overripe hay. My first two English blends that I tried were B&M shop house blends with that same smell and it gave me a mini crisis. I wondered why anyone would like that smell. The experience was not as extreme as eating run of the mill chitterlings. But as with chitterlings, my mouth was ghosted with the taste, real or imagined, for the rest of the day. Other blends that I tried with a similar smell are Wellauer's English Blend and Star of the East.

Bear in mind please that I have a sensitive palatte. From what I can tell, a lot of pipe smokers don't perceive that note in the smoke or else they are fine with it. In spite of the downsides, the Latakia had a musty old wood barrel side to it that I liked. I have heard of people not liking Latakia and then having a change in their tastes and liking it.

Reviewers talk about Bacon Old Fashioned in a way that reminds me of the way I perceive Sutliff's pure Latakia. The blend comes with a long chunk to represent bacon in a Bacon Old Fashioned cocktail. I never had it, but the descriptions make it appealing for me as something to sample.

Some pipers criticize Erinmore, especially Erinmore Mixture. From what I can tell from reviews, Erinmore Flake is similar but lighter than Erinmore Mixture.

I had Erinmore Flake and thought it was okay. It had maybe an old wood smell and citrus or lemon flavoring smell. It wasn't worse than plenty of other blends that I tried. The citrus flavoring part was fine. It reminded me of Royal Yacht, which I like. I think that how much I would want Erinmore Flake, like Royal Yacht, would depend on my mood because it seems a blend good for brooding and ruminating. Both I would compare to having a dark beer with lemony or citrus. This leaves me imagining that Erinmore Mixture would be okay too, but I don't know for certain.

Most pipe tobaccos are going to be challenging for you, since they're not meant to be inhaled.

The biggest PITA I've experienced is Germain's Stonehaven. It has a very narrow moisture range where you get the whole nine yards, the chocolate and raisins as well as the treacle and other toppings. It may taste of nothing, or one might get some percentage of what's in it, but to get that full bag or tin note it needs to fall in that narrow moisture range. When you hit it, it's really like nothing else. Otherwise it's very pedestrian.

 

[VDL_Piper]

My most challenging blend was McClelland Dark Star but once I mastered it……………my goodness what a gem it turned out to be.

 

[The Benedictine]

Took a while to get used to Five Brothers. Love it now.

 

[sunnysmokes]

Old Dark Fired was maybe the 3rd blend I ever smoked. It was so strong to me (at the time) I couldn't even finish the bowl nor do my normal breathe pipe smoking

 

[LeafErikson]

Marlin Flake for me. To use @sablebrush52 ’s wording, it has a very narrow moisture range where you get the most out of the blend.

 

[Hutch Piper]

Full Virginia Flake.

 

[Piping Abe]

Most Sutliff blends due to how wet they are. It was Sutliff Ready Rubbed match for me. Due to the cut, it really held in the moisture. Two minutes in the microwave and it still wouldn’t light.

 

[VDL_Piper]

Most Sutliff blends due to how wet they are. It was Sutliff Ready Rubbed match for me. Due to the cut, it really held in the moisture. Two minutes in the microwave and it still wouldn’t light.

Interesting as it was the microwave method that unlocked Dark Star for me. Prior to that I really battled to keep it lit.

 

[rakovsky]

"My most challenging blend has been Cherokee Blue, a light RYO. ... it's harsh and rough in the lungs and nose when I inhale it and retrohale it. Of course an easy solution is to try to minimize inhalation, but in practice it's hard to totally avoid it. Another blend like this for me was Carter Hall.... it was a little rough and harsh on the lungs and nose." ~Rakovsky

Most pipe tobaccos are going to be challenging for you, since they're not meant to be inhaled.

Sablebrush,

Generally I don't inhale even cigarettes. But since "Cherokee" Red, Blue, and Silver are RYOs, cigarette smokers typically inhale them. Reviewers complain that they are harsh, so I tried inhaling Cherokee Blue (the "Light" version of Cherokee), and I found it harsh on the lungs.

But even though I basically don't inhale pipe blends it seems that I often at some point when I pipe smoke a blend, enough of the blend goes in my throat inadvertently that a harsh one affects the lungs anyway. I'm guessing that if a lot of pipe smokers try RYOs with a reputation for harshness they will have the same effect on the lungs.

Despite smoking dozens of pipe tobacco brands, Cherokee Blue and Carter Hall are the only two that I've gotten this harshness on the lungs from.

There's also the problem that even if I totally avoid any lung inhalation from the blends, that I still get roughness on the retrohale on the nose from these two blends. I don't recall that same rough feeling on the nose from other brands that I tried.

Good job being able to get the special moisture mark on Stonehaven at least sometimes.

 

[rakovsky]

Most Sutliff blends due to how wet they are. It was Sutliff Ready Rubbed match for me. Due to the cut, it really held in the moisture. Two minutes in the microwave and it still wouldn’t light.

Piping Abe,

I ordered Ready Rub MATCH from 4Noggins in 1 oz bulk form. They sent it to me in a plastic bag. I opened the mail package and it smelled like delicious cocoa puffs. I kept the plastic bag in the open mail package in my drawer for a few months. After a while the cocoa smell dissipated. I kind of missed that smell when I smoked my first bowl of it. The cocoa smell might have still been there, but only very very faintly. It burned okay. I had to give maybe 5-7 relights.

In case it's a tough blend to light and keep lit, moisture must have evaporated between the time that Sutliff sent it to 4Noggins, 4 Noggins kept it and sent it to me, and the weeks that I had it sitting in the plastic bag.

Now that it's a discontinued brand, I've been keeping about 1/2 sitting in a jam jar as a memento.

 

[sablebrush52]

Sablebrush,

Generally I don't inhale even cigarettes. But since "Cherokee" Red, Blue, and Silver are RYOs, cigarette smokers typically inhale them. Reviewers complain that they are harsh, so I tried inhaling Cherokee Blue (the "Light" version of Cherokee), and I found it harsh on the lungs.

But even though I basically don't inhale pipe blends it seems that I often at some point when I pipe smoke a blend, enough of the blend goes in my throat inadvertently that a harsh one affects the lungs anyway. I'm guessing that if a lot of pipe smokers try RYOs with a reputation for harshness they will have the same effect on the lungs.

Despite smoking dozens of pipe tobacco brands, Cherokee Blue and Carter Hall are the only two that I've gotten this harshness on the lungs from.

There's also the problem that even if I totally avoid any lung inhalation from the blends, that I still get roughness on the retrohale on the nose from these two blends. I don't recall that same rough feeling on the nose from other brands that I tried.

Good job being able to get the special moisture mark on Stonehaven at least sometimes.

I know people who can't smoke any kind of Burley. It just tears up their throats. Others can't smoke red Virginias for the same reason, and still others do not tolerate bright Virginia. Some of what you're experiencing may be a sensitivity to certain types of tobacco or it may be caused by a lack of casing, which can contribute to harshness and bite. MacBaren was famous for its "MacBite".
If you're smoking indoors there's no way to avoid inhaling some of the smoke. It's one of the reasons why I only smoke outdoors.
Try out different blends, maybe some HU or Rattray's blends. Try orientals. And if tobaccos continue to irritate your sinuses, skip the retrohale. There's no benefit to doing it if it just increases discomfort.

 

[rakovsky]

I know people who can't smoke any kind of Burley. It just tears up their throats. Others can't smoke red Virginias for the same reason, and still others do not tolerate bright Virginia. Some of what you're experiencing may be a sensitivity to certain types of tobacco or it may be caused by a lack of casing, which can contribute to harshness and bite.

Dear Sable Brush,

I believe that the likely reason is that it hasn't been processed enough to make it soft enough to avoid harshness.

Cherokee Black (Turkish) RYO is counted as a good blend even by normal pipe blend standards. It rated as good as comparable normal pipe blends like Kendal's and Stokkebye's. Since it's Turkish, it's gone through much more processing than Cherokee Red, Blue, and Silver RYOs, which reviewers consider harsh.

I have a friend, Don, who is pretty active on the GetPiped Discord server. He likes Latakias a lot and has tried a lot of pipe blends. He said that Carter Hall stuck out at him for being like a paper bag in taste. He ascribes this to CH not being processed enough for his taste, in contrast to Latakias.

The American Spirits and Winstons that I bought in the 2000's were advertised as additive-free cigarettes and they did not give me that roughness. I've had 50+ pipe blends and only Cherokee Blue RYO and Carter Hall gave me that harsh feeling.

MacBaren was famous for its "MacBite".

When I talk about the roughness in Cherokee and Carter Hall, I don't mean tongue bite. I got the hottest mouth from hot goopy aromatics in a mini pipe or cheap non-briar wood pipe on a huffing walk.

When I and other reviewers talk about Cherokee and CH being rough and harsh, it means a scratchy or light sandpaper type feeling, and in my case it's on the lungs and nose. In case I were to totally avoid inhaling it like you mentioned, it would still be harsh on the nose. On the blend's end I ascribe it to less processing than other blends, as the processing (curing or fermenting, I suppose) would mellow the blend. On my end, I ascribe it to greater sensitivity/bodily weakness.

MacBaren was famous for its "MacBite". ... Try out different blends, maybe some HU or Rattray's blends. Try orientals.

The only Macbaren I had was Vanilla Nut Roll Cake. I recall it being thick, so maybe it was a little bitey. But I didn't notice any harshness from it. Nor have I noticed harshness from HU, Rattray's, Orientals, other burleys, or red VAs that I tried.

 

[BingBong]

Two minutes in the microwave and it still wouldn’t light.

There's your problem. Top tip: Use matches or a lighter.

 

[Sig]

There are a few blends I have issues with just because they need to be smoked VERY slowly and lightly sipped to get the best flavors. These would include the MacBaren St Bruno, C&D The Beast, and many of the lighter Virginia blends....Va#1, OGS, PS LNF.....
But the only tobacco I've never learned to master is C&D Bayou Morning. Something about it burns my sinuses like horseradish. It's not necessarily the Perique. I love The Beast which has 3x the identical Perique. I also have no issues with any other Perique blends. I have no clue, but I cannot enjoy Bayou Morning. I still have a bunch of it from 2016 if anyone has anything to trade. Not even ounce for ounce, I just want it GONE!!

 

[rakovsky]

There are a few blends I have issues with just because they need to be smoked VERY slowly and lightly sipped to get the best flavors. These would include the MacBaren St Bruno, C&D The Beast, and many of the lighter Virginia blends....Va#1, OGS, PS LNF.....
But the only tobacco I've never learned to master is C&D Bayou Morning. Something about it burns my sinuses like horseradish. It's not necessarily the Perique. I love The Beast which has 3x the identical Perique. I also have no issues with any other Perique blends. I have no clue, but I cannot enjoy Bayou Morning. I still have a bunch of it from 2016 if anyone has anything to trade. Not even ounce for ounce, I just want it GONE!!

Sig,

I never had it, so I can only make some informed guesses. Jim Inks gives some hints of challenging qualities in the blend that could be your issue:

updating via yoast

www.tobaccoreviews.com

The Nicotine level is on the medium-strong side that would increase the pepper-spice feeling from it.
I've come across at least a few pipe smokers complaining about C & D non-Oriental leaf, as if it were underprocessed or rough.
It has no topping and Jim writes that it leaves no moisture in the bowl. So perhaps it's on the dry side, and at least some overly dry blends had been overly warm in my nose.
The Perique could make any other downsides in the blend worse due to the thicker smoke.

 

[Sig]

I get more nicotene intake than 99% of the human population. I have a dip in my lip 15 hours a day.
I also smoke cigars, smoke RYO on occasion and nasal snuff occasionally.
I believe it's just some body chemical issue. I've been piping for 30+ years and this is the only blend that does this.
Ive given some to a few guys here. If they want to they can attest it's just normal BM.

 

[rakovsky]

I also smoke cigars, smoke RYO on occasion and nasal snuff occasionally.
I believe it's just some body chemical issue. I've been piping for 30+ years and this is the only blend that does this.

Here's what stuck out at me from Jim's Review:

The perique is strongly peppery... at times it has a mild harsh and dull spot or two.. it will tingle your tongue. ... Leaves almost no moisture in the bowl. The lingering after taste is spicy sweet. ... I rate it at two and a half stars because of the occasional harsh spots, mostly after the half way point as the blend picks up some strength.

The closest blend that I had to a "horseradish-like" one for me was Maltese Falcon that includes ginger. It left a spicey ginger smell that was too spicey for me, and that I didn't like very much, but I could see other people liking. Other than the ginger being too spicey, I liked Maltese Falcon.

 

[sunnysmokes]

I get more nicotene intake than 99% of the human population. I have a dip in my lip 15 hours a day.
I also smoke cigars, smoke RYO on occasion and nasal snuff occasionally.
I believe it's just some body chemical issue. I've been piping for 30+ years and this is the only blend that does this.
Ive given some to a few guys here. If they want to they can attest it's just normal BM.

Need to get some Siberia snus