A blend of my own.

[990rick]

I only started up with the pipe again recently. On my first trip to the tobacco shop I sniffed several of their open stock jars and chose three that I liked. They were IQ, a mild Burley, and Captain Black. I liked the IQ a lot, but played around with adding various amounts of the burley and the CB till I got a blend I liked better than the straight IQ. Then, a few weeks ago, I got a pound of Dunhill 965. Though I wasn't sure of it at first, I liked it by the end of the first half-bowl (that's all I smoke at any one sitting). Actually, I should say that I found it very intriguing, but it seemed to lack a little of the kind of flavor I was getting from my own mixture. So I started playing again. What I came up with is, IMHO, really great. I know this isn't true blending since I don't know what goes into the blends I've been mixing, but I really like the result. Just for discussion's sake, here's my 'recipe'. Four ounces of IQ, two of medium Burley, one half ounce of Captain Black and six and a half ounces of 965.
By the way, I haven't been able to learn from my tobacco shop just which Captain Black blend it is that they're selling in bulk. This is part of the reason I don't refer to this place as a tobacconist. But when you live way out in the sticks you have to deal with what's available.
Anyway, by following my nose and playing around I've come up with a blend of other people's blends that I like a lot.
Does anybody else play around like this?

 

[unclearthur]

I have whipped up a blend of my own a few times. Now I am too busy making pipes to mess with it . So I just enjoy what the pros come up with.

 

[lyst36]

I've toyed with some mixes of OTC stuff that I smoke when I'm just tooling around. Some I like more than others but they aren't half bad. The pros really do know what they are doing though.

 

[porshcigar]

I have not tried to make my own blends since the early 70's. Back then I would buy a number of fine blending tobaccos from Cellini in downtown Chicago. I tried quite a few times. The results were so bad I nearly quit smoking a pipe. Since then I have left the blending to the pros.

 

[puffintuff]

Even after trying different premium blends, I always go back to Prince Albert or Carter Hall mixed with black cav. Everybody's got their own taste.

 

[lonestar]

One of my favorite smokes is just a mix of Sir Walter Raleigh, and Mclellands 5100 Red Cake. I really like the slightly sour notes of SWR, and the bright flavors of the 5100.

The 5100 IMO stays the same throughout the bowl, while the SWR changes and gets more body to it about halfway through. The 5100 balances things out, while the SWR gives it a little more character throughout the bowl.

Match made in heaven !

 

[menckenite]

Bravo for attempting and blending something you enjoy.
Like the others have said, I leave it to the pros. However, I have played around with mixing blends but only twice. Only because there was something about the blend that I didn’t like and thought I could correct. I tried to pin point what I thought the problem was and then tried to compliment/balance that with another blend that I thought would make it more tolerable. With my two attempts, I’m current batting 500.

 

[marmal4de]

I have a few tins of mcclelland blending latakia that I add to things.

 

[cortezattic]

After wasting a lot of time and money I've learned to leave it to the pros.

P.A. with 5-6% McC blending Perique is as risqué as I get anymore.

.
However, I would encourage anyone who's interested in tweaking and blending.

Here's a January PipesMagazine article on adjusting a blend.

 

[pstlpkr]

I'll pack a bowl of Peterson Irish Oak and a pinch of Perique.

It works for me.

 

[bowhatchie]

1Q and Autumn Evening.... one of my favorite smokes....

 

[bubbadreier]

Hey 990rick, the 1Q and the Captain Black very well could be the same blend. Captain black line is really the OTC version of the Bulk Lane Limited blends!!
I tend to mix 50/50 1Q and BCA... I might try and throw a little Latakia in everyonce and a while!

 

[westcoastrich]

Thanks cortezattic for the link to Russ's article, this answered a lot of my questions, I also like to tweek thing just for the fun of it.

 

[twss]

I ussually only blend with something that I don't really like in order not to waste the tobacco. This ussually does work though and I've even bought more of what I don't like to create what I do. Recently, it was Balkan Sasieni with Sherlock Holmes. I know that sounds gross but they really compliment each other when blended. I love my Sherlock Sasieni.

 

[cortezattic]

twss, at first blush trying to rescue a lousy blend seems futile, but it does make some sense

-- especially with today's tobacco prices. I'll bet a lot of folks do it. McClelland's bulk 5100 Va. red cake

works very well for this sort of thing, and can lead to some pretty decent discoveries. Even Russ Ouellette

acknowledges that Perique can be great for experimentation because as he puts it, Perique is a chameleon;

it can go off in totally different directions depending on what you mix with it. So attempting to rescue a blend

is worth a try.

.
@westcoastrich, Happy to provide the link. In the relatively short time that PipesMagazine has been online,

it's grown into a rich information resource; and you can probably find at least a little info on most pipe

related topics. When issues arise, I almost always go to the "Search on site" box at the upper left of most pages.

That's why I always push for supporting this site's sponsors: we all need to keep this engine running.

 

[990rick]

I don't think the Captain Black really is the same as IQ. They smell very different to me and look different too. Anyway, I'm really happy with what I've come up with so far, but would like to learn a lot more about the individual tobaccos that are in the blends I'm reblending, so big thanks for the link to the article on tweaking blends. I picked up an ounce of Perique over the weekend and added just a pinch to a pipeful of my blend. Man, what a lovely undertone of chocolate! I'll be playing around with varying amounts of Perique over the next few days, looking to come up with a sort of special occasion blend. Something with a little extra interest for the last pipe of the day, or just for a change of pace. I'm not real big on variety for variety's sake though. I bake the same spelt bread almost all the time with only a very occasional rye or french type loaf for a picnic or party. I reckon my blending might be the same. I've been smoking my mix for several weeks now and still enjoy every bowl. I'm kind of a skinflint, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Perique might not be only for special occasions, even though it is a pretty spendy tobacco.
I just read the article and thought the part about pressing tobacco was intriguing. I vacuum-sealed about a pound each of the Dunhill 965 and my first mix (IQ, Burley, Captain Black). I only put about two ounces into each bag so they'd be good and fresh when I opened them. Now it's going to be interesting to see if they taste different than when I put them up. The fun just keeps rolling on!

 

[bubbadreier]

Well 1Q is indeed Captain Black Royal (blue) and RLP-6 is Captain Black White (white).... They are both Lane Limited products, the CB line just has more preservatives in it!

 

[jcsoldit]

Bubba is right about CB…
Now I use to mix 1Q 2/3 and BCA 1/3 for something a little different back when I mainly smoked aros.
On occasion if I have an English that just isn’t doing it for me or has dried out I’ll add a little BCA to the blend to make it palatable to me.
The rest I leave up to the Pros.

 

[hauntedmyst]

I like mixing up different blends together every now and again for something different. 1Q will fix some bland aros and adding latakia with smyrna will spice up some aros nicely.

 

[echopipe]

I've never "blended" but in my larger bowl pipes i often layer tobaccos for different reasons.. might sound odd but it works for me..I guess the next step is blending..but layering is fun because it changes it up. So I don't get bored smoking a large bowl of just 1 flavor..anyone else do that?