Another pipe dedication question.

[AngryBeaver316]

Sorry guys, I did attempt to see if someone asked this before. So Ill start by saying Ive been smoking since January.

Ive built up a nice collection of tobaccos to try and have 5 briars and 6 cobs.

My question is specifically smoking a balkan blend in a english pipe. I have a workhorse 320ks i smoke Englishs out of such as Engine 99, english oriental supreme, voodoo queen, mountain camp, quiet nights and stuff like that realm. I have two dedicated briars for vapers and vaburs.

Anyways I was wondering if I’d be harming the taste of other blends by smoking balkan supreme in the same pipe?

My other question is would it be advisable to have a separate pipe for blends that aren't heavy in lat or that are more oriental forward?

 

[bluegrassbrian]

The only way to know is to try it.
You aren't going to ruin a pipe with any one bowl of tobacco.

I seriously doubt the amount of latakia in a blend would have a significant effect for future smokes.
Latakia blends are latakia blends. They all taste like crap lol.

 

[Chasing Embers]

My question is specifically smoking a balkan blend in a english pipe.

Balkan is just a marketing term for English blends. You'll be fine.

 

[warren99]

I personally dedicate pipes to Latakia and non-Latakia blends.

 

[RookieGuy80]

Try it and see. It was only very recently I decided to dedicate a pipe to balkans. Before they I smoked them out of Latakia pipes. It was just fine.

 

[AngryBeaver316]

Appreciate the replies everyone.

Hope everyone Saturday has been well.

 

[bullet08]

Dedicate away, Angry Beaver. I never disagree with beavers of any type.

 

[Auxsender]

Sorry guys, I did attempt to see if someone asked this before. So Ill start by saying Ive been smoking since January.

Ive built up a nice collection of tobaccos to try and have 5 briars and 6 cobs.

My question is specifically smoking a balkan blend in a english pipe. I have a workhorse 320ks i smoke Englishs out of such as Engine 99, english oriental supreme, voodoo queen, mountain camp, quiet nights and stuff like that realm. I have two dedicated briars for vapers and vaburs.

Anyways I was wondering if I’d be harming the taste of other blends by smoking balkan supreme in the same pipe?

My other question is would it be advisable to have a separate pipe for blends that aren't heavy in lat or that are more oriental forward?

One never knows the kind of irreversible, permanent harm one could do by smoking the wrong blend in the wrong pipe. Could be catastrophic. Tread lightly.

 

[mso489]

A small percentage of people are gifted with exquisite taste senses which would justify designating blends in pipes by genre. I would think jiminks, our master reviewer would fall in that category. He can discern five or six or more tastes, and sometimes that is only for one tobacco in a multi-leaf blend.

But for most of us, with pretty good taste and olfactory (smell) senses, dedicating pipes isn't necessary, and this is especially true when you have a number of pipes, so they rest (dry out) between smokes.

Also, you can reduce any residual flavors and smells from carrying over by not building cake, but simply scooping out the ash and wiping out the chamber with an abrasive paper towel. This maintains the necessary thin carbon layer without losing any of the chamber diameter, and it also eliminates the need for reaming.

The only blends I would designate for specific pipes are the Lakeland aromatics that have the distinct rose geranium flavoring that is not only a strong ghost but one that is difficult to exorcise. For those blends, designate a specific pipe or pipes.

 

[proteus]

I can tell you what I do. Anything with Latakia except a Lat Aro goes in the same pipe. I have meers and briars set aside for Lat but nothing specific to a Scottish, Balkan, American, or English Latakia styles. For me, no cob ever sees Latakia.

My definitions for "English" or Latakia blends are blends comprised of the three major types, not in any order, VA, Latakia, Oriental and without most additives or flavorings. There might have been very few things that were approved but memory fails me.

My general definiton:

Balkan - Orientals play a leading role
English - Virginias play a leading role
American - Burley or Perique or both come to the VA/Lat/Orientals party in some fashion.
Scottish - Cavendish joins the trio.

I base this on the English purity laws which made processing the tobacco the way flavors were added. There is no real basis for any definition as none to date have been made official.

Burley and Perique I personally view as quintessentially American inventions with Burley starting during mid 1800s or so and "Perique" Chenet bringing an existing Native America tobacco to market in the early 1800s; both were well after Virginia came from the colonies and arrived in England.

There are other combinations which cross boundaries and then I name them accordingly like a Scottish Balkan, American Balkan, or Scottish American. But that's purely my own method. Sometimes a blend fits no pattern and works!

Latakia tends to stick around in a pipe even meers for me though some would disagree. The smokiness I can detect in small amounts anywhere.

 

[proteus]

I can tell you what I do. Anything with Latakia except a Lat Aro goes in the same pipe. I have meers and briars set aside for Lat but nothing specific to a Scottish, Balkan, American, or English Latakia styles. For me, no cob ever sees Latakia.

My definitions for "English" or Latakia blends are blends comprised of the three major types, not in any order, VA, Latakia, Oriental and without most additives or flavorings. There might have been very few things that were approved but memory fails me.

My general definiton:

Balkan - Orientals play a leading role
English - Virginias play a leading role
American - Burley or Perique or both come to the VA/Lat/Orientals party in some fashion.
Scottish - Cavendish joins the trio.

I base this on the English purity laws which made processing the tobacco the way flavors were added. There is no real basis for any definition as none to date have been made official.

Burley and Perique I personally view as quintessentially American inventions with Burley starting during mid 1800s or so and "Perique" Chenet bringing an existing Native America tobacco to market in the early 1800s; both were well after Virginia came from the colonies and arrived in England.

There are other combinations which cross boundaries and then I name them accordingly like a Scottish Balkan, American Balkan, or Scottish American. But that's purely my own method. Sometimes a blend fits no pattern and works!

Latakia tends to stick around in a pipe even meers for me though some would disagree. The smokiness I can detect in small amounts anywhere.

I will add that in a Balkan the Orientals could play duet with Virginia but Lat is always a minor player in my opinion. And with English proper Latakia can also be a partner to the Virginia in some blends.

 

[itsnotuitsme]

A small percentage of people are gifted with exquisite taste senses which would justify designating blends in pipes by genre. I would think jiminks, our master reviewer would fall in that category. He can discern five or six or more tastes, and sometimes that is only for one tobacco in a multi-leaf blend.

But for most of us, with pretty good taste and olfactory (smell) senses, dedicating pipes isn't necessary, and this is especially true when you have a number of pipes, so they rest (dry out) between smokes.

Also, you can reduce any residual flavors and smells from carrying over by not building cake, but simply scooping out the ash and wiping out the chamber with an abrasive paper towel. This maintains the necessary thin carbon layer without losing any of the chamber diameter, and it also eliminates the need for reaming.

The only blends I would designate for specific pipes are the Lakeland aromatics that have the distinct rose geranium flavoring that is not only a strong ghost but one that is difficult to exorcise. For those blends, designate a specific pipe or pipes.

Completely agree, especially for the lakelands - i have a cob just for that.

One more comment to add, i often enjoy the "mixing" of tastes via first smoking a tobacco in a pipe, cleaning it, and subsequently smoking a completely different tobacco in that same pipe - can make for some interesting combinations. Having said that, i found no tobacco - excluding lakelands - making a mentionable impression for more than 2 or maybe in the most extreme of cases 3 bowls, often it fades even in the progress of that first bowl afterwards, so i think experimenting with that can only benefit you.

 

[elvishrunes]

Since I don’t dedicate pipes at all, all I do is clean the pipe including the bowl after each smoke, I certainly wouldn’t worry about a slight variation in Lat blends…. Occasionally a sweeter blend residue may import a slight sweetness on the next bowl, is that really an issue, then it’s done after that.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

I will offer a contrasting opinion. My palate is poor, so I don't worry too much in general. I still dedicate my pipes to VA/Pers, English, and Aromatics. I have one pipe I am trying unsuccessfully so far to ghost with deer tongue.

My objection is mostly in the VA blends, which will pick up flavors from the other 2 categories. I would definitely dedicate a pipe to the VA or VA/pers class.

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

When I started out two and a half years ago, I read boards like this, and watched videos on YouTube, and attempted to dedicate a pipe each to all the major categories. Even though I didn't really know the difference between them, bar English blends, which are obvious even to the newest smoker. Once I got to know a little bit more, I realised that virginia, burley, and perique do not really ghost a pipe. For me at least, perhaps in five years time I might say something different. Now I have two pipes dedicated to English blends, two for lakelands, three for aromatics, and about five which I collectively use for virginia, virginia-perique, and virginia-burley. But, the truest words spoken on these boards are, 'your mileage may vary'. It's different for everyone I think, so you'll just have to find what works for you. But hey, that's the fun part

 

[kcghost]

Light'em up!!

 

[OzPiper]

Ive built up a nice collection of tobaccos to try and have 5 briars and 6 cobs.

It really depends on how sensitive your senses of smell and taste are.

If you are a super-taster then you may need to dedicate specific pipes to specific blends

Some don’t care overly if their pipes have a remnant of the previous smoke and are happy to ”mix&match”.
In fact a few enjoy the added “complexity“ imparted by the ghost of the previous smoke

Speaking for myself, I have pipes for aromatics, ones for Virginia/VaPers and ones for English/Balkan (English and Balkans are one and the same)

Oh, and you may want a pipe dedicated just to Lakelands

 

[JackofNone]

This is an old thread, but I wanted to weigh in briefly. I have never had crossover until yesterday. I recently picked up some aromatics based on recommendations here on the forums. Well, I enjoy vanilla, and I enjoy latakia, but I do not enjoy the vanilla 'oil' drowning out my expensive latakia blends. My pipe is meerschaum and I clean the stem and bowl after every smoke. After that experience I won't smoke Englishes and aromatics together. It ruins the fun for me.

 

[OzPiper]

This is an old thread, but I wanted to weigh in briefly. I have never had crossover until yesterday. I recently picked up some aromatics based on recommendations here on the forums. Well, I enjoy vanilla, and I enjoy latakia, but I do not enjoy the vanilla 'oil' drowning out my expensive latakia blends. My pipe is meerschaum and I clean the stem and bowl after every smoke. After that experience I won't smoke Englishes and aromatics together. It ruins the fun for me.

Crossover blends eg Sillem’s Black, if done well, can be very enjoyable.
When Sillem’s Black is fresh, you get more of the aromatics and the Latakia is somewhat subdued.
After it has been open awhile (>12 months) the aromatics subside and the Latakia become more apparent.

 

[JackofNone]

I may have misspoken. By crossover I mean the crossover of flavors from a ghosted pipe. One bowl of an aromatic drowned out my bowl of English blend in the next. It was not enjoyable.