Blends That Are Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts

[bluegrassbrian]

Moreso your own personal blending experiences..ever been surprised by how a hastily put together blend turns out?
Something that used to be standard fare in pipe magazines were little blend recipes. Well I say if you have a personal favorite blend recipe you want to share, you're welcome to do it here.
Does anyone remember the tinned cigarettes Camel put out back in the early 00s? There was one called Dark Mint that was my favorite. Rich chocolate with a hint of mint.. well I got a blast from the past this morning with this blend..
60% McClelland 5100

25% Newminster 403

15% Mcclelland 5105
Never would have guessed that's the flavor I got from that combination but.. there it is. Somehow the spice of the Newminster dark fired burley translates to "zingy minty freshness" when combined with the Red Cake and Stoved Va.

 

[mso489]

When I mix tobaccos, I just do a few bowls at a time. A little condiment leaf or blend can make a whole new taste. Dark fired, Cavendish, cigar leaf, in addition to the usual Lat and Per -- not all at once, but usually one at a time to something else. With a little experience, you can often come up with a good, sometimes outstanding, smoke.

 

[shutterbugg]

Pretty much all blends are greater than the sum of their parts. That's the point of blending.

 

[mso489]

I admire the idea of recipe books for blends, but I doubt I'd use one. The professional blends are so widely various, I could list about thirty I think are excellent in themselves. If I kept a careful list, there are probably many more. I mix when I need a change of pace, have to use up some residual blend, have a blend with Lat or some other aspect that has gone flat, or just have a hankering for cigar leaf or some other condiment added to what I'm planning to smoke. Probably other reasons that don't occur to me. If blends become more limited in variety, I might become more methodical. As it is, mixing is an adventure, and the unscripted aspect is part of the fun.