blending at home Q and A

[locopony]

I have been thinking about doing some of my own blending. Were is a good resource on this subject? Have any of you dabbled in it with some success? I just threw together some burly (no bite) and some latakia together and was thinking some latakia and virginia bright leaf. At about 50 50. I also thought about trying to flavor some virginia with scotch or vanilla rum. Ideas and opinions please.

 

[kcvet67]

Blending your own can yield some great results but you need to start with an idea of what you want to end up with. Great blends are often a mixture of quite a few components that interact with each other. The easiest way to get started is to choose a blend that you like and add to it with a specific purpose in mind. If you like a particular blend but thing that it might be better with a little added spice, try adding spme perique. Be sure to write down what you mixing and the proportions you use. It's really frustrating to come up with the "perfect blend" and forget exactly what's in it. There are quite a few "blending components" available that are a single type of leaf. This allows you to control what you're adding, it's best not to confuse the issue by trying to make too many changes at once.

http://www.4noggins.com/blendingtobacco.aspx

 

[lordofthepiperings]

Good topic. I was kind of curious myself as to how flavor casings are added. Also I was figuring if I were to blend anything at home I'd just start with mixes of other blends I enjoy like Va/Burley/Cavendish or whatever and change the ratios around a bit or throw in some perique as mentioned. Thanks for the advice kcvet.

 

[lonestar]

Heres a great old read, you might have to tinker with the page to view it right; click the box to rotate the page, etc.

http://tobaccodocuments.org/nysa_ti_s1/TI56720085.html
And heres a forum with some info and blend "recipes"

http://tobaccoblending.com/

 

[pstlpkr]

I frequently add a pinch of Perique to a bowl of PS Luxury Bull Eye Flake, Mac Baren Plumcake Navy Blend, and my personal favorite... Peterson Irish Oak

Sometimes I'll spritz a bowl's worth of 1-Q with some Christian Brother's Brandy, let it rest for an hour or so... Mmmmm.

There are number of tins of blending tobaccos on the market. You can get Virginias, Perique, Latakia, etc.

My local B&M keeps a pretty good stock.

The only advice I can offer is: Just think about what you are attempting to achieve and read some reviews to see what is used and go for it... in small quantities at first. However; casings, and toppings is a whole-nuther can o' worms.

 

[whitebriar]

i usually enjoy Burley as it is, but on occasion i want a

"very" light ARO--

this dictates about 1 part vanilla cavendish to 4 or 5 (depending upon personal taste) parts of burley

with just a "sprinkle" of BCA added to the mix--
if i am really feeling adventurous, i will take the above and add just a

bit of latakia for a slightly sweet, smokey taste--
(i suspect this or something close is probably produced and marketed somewhere??)

 

[lordofthepiperings]

So to do your own flavor casing you just spritz something on there? Like if I wanted to I could put some Red Stag in a spritzer and add it to a blend I like? How would you do other flavors like cinnamon and vanilla and that? Do they just use oils and spray the tobacco with it or what?

 

[misterrogers]

And heres a forum with some info and blend "recipes"

http://tobaccoblending.com/

Wife Repellent

5 parts chopped cigar leaf / cheap cigar works great / premium cigar even better

5 parts latakia

3 blended turkish ribbon or flake

1 part red virginia

 

[locopony]

Cool I am going to get some elements and see what I can come up with I have some idea of what I want. Thanks guys