Blends that don't play nice

[blues4goose]

Hey everyone,

I'm a relatively new pipe smoker, but I smoke a lot, and I recently discovered a love for Gawith rope and various different twists and plugs. I've started some rudimentary blending, adding some Black XX rope to all of my favorite blends to improve the burn of the XX and to add a nice oily texture to other blends, and some 18th century style American Twist to add a cigar-like quality and strength.

Since I haven't made a blend yet that I didn't think improved both of the components, I got to thinking.

What are tobaccos that don't play nice together? Besides a very strong blend overpowering a weak one, have you ever found that mixing two tobaccos you like produces a flavor you really don't? I'm looking to get a few more ropes and a bag of pure Gawith Latakia, as well as trying to source some good perique and viginia. Any blending suggestions?

My favorite so far has been Black XX cut into shag mixed 50/50 with Gawith Commonwealth, with a few un-rubbed coins of the XX layered in the bowl.

 

[pepesdad1]

I tried some McClelland 5100 with Jackknife plug...wasn't happy with the smoke...that is a start.

 

[mso489]

I enjoy mixing and am usually quite pleased with the results. It provides both variety and a bit of creativity, and also makes me appreciate what the pros do, often spending months or years perfecting a blend. However, I have certainly mixed some duds. The frequent offender is too many tobaccos. Simplicity favors success. Too many tobaccos, and worse yet flavorings, can become harsh and muddy. Keeping a few single leaf blending tobaccos on hand, like Virginia, burley, Latakia, Turkish, unflavored Cavendish, or cigar leaf, can often give a spin to an old favorite blend for a change of pace. Usually, if you keep it to a total of three or four tobaccos, it will be acceptable to very good indeed.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I have a mason jar right now that lives on my tobacco dresser simply labeled "Le Freak"
Any VA or Va/Per tobacco shreds that remain on the surface after breaking up cakes, packing bowls, cutting plugs, drying flakes, etc. get thrown in there. Every fifth bowl or so I toss in the remnants from an English blend as well. It's going to take a year to fill it up, but when it is full I will smoke it, and maybe videotape myself for science, in case I turn into anything........unnatural.
There is everything in there from Marlin Flake and Balkan Sobranie to LNF and Plum Pudding. God only knows what it will be when it is complete.
Don't worry. I am an expert blender. :lol: :crazy: ::

 

[mso489]

alaska, when I have those odds and ends rather than throwing them into a common jar, I mix them selectively in a bowl with a blend I am smoking. I'd rather do that than the "everything" blend. But do run the experiment and see how it works. You might win the lottery and find a new and better blend. I'd be interested to know how you like it.

 

[alaskanpiper]

alaska, when I have those odds and ends rather than throwing them into a common jar, I mix them selectively in a bowl with a blend I am smoking. I'd rather do that than the "everything" blend. But do run the experiment and see how it works. You might win the lottery and find a new and better blend. I'd be interested to know how you like it.

I considered this as well, but being only a once a week smoker, I would have to set aside various little baggies of odds and ends until I decided to use them on an appropriate blend to mix them with. Plus, I have only been smoking pipes for about 3 months now, so I am really focused on trying most blends in their original form for the time being. I'm hoping by the time the jar is full I will be more open to doing my own blending and at that point will begin doing exactly what you have recommended rather than starting a new Gregor Clegane zombie parts jar.
And plus, lets be honest, I was intrigued by the old "suicide" fountain soda method. :lol:

 

[nunnster]

I tend to have great luck mixing a straight va with aromatics and English/Balkan blends. However, Some of the worst is from mixing to many aromatics. Cherry, almond, nougat, chocolate and cream burle sound like they should taste great together, but it just tastes like a sweet mess...lol

 

[pepesdad1]

My "crap" jar is usually used for keeping pests out of the garden...I've smoked some of it...gak!!!

 

[tobefrank]

I personally don’t have experience with mixing different blends.
I don’t smoke often enough to experiment too much, but the way I would approach it would be to add pure blending tobacco of a certain type (virginia, burley, perique) to adjust the proportions of the blend towards something that I would think I like.
As for leftovers from drying tobacco and loading up a bowl, I just take the leftover and partially fill another pipe that I then smoke alongside the pipe I already loaded up. I’m currently breaking in a new pipe with whatever I had left over. First smoke was half a bowl of Shortcut to Mushrooms, second smoke was some leftover Irish Oak. I’m hoping the different flavours of the various blends don’t combine into a muddled or nasty ghost in the pipe. Besides smoking the leftovers, I also end up smoking pipes that I otherwise wouldn’t get round to. I’m quite happy with this little system.

 

[greeneyes]

some of the old-timers used to call that the "mundungus jar." i never did have much luck with it. seems to taste less and less interesting the more i add to it.
lately i'll add the leftover unsmoked tobacco to the bottom of a bowl and relish the transition. last time i did it was a layer of dried-out full virginia flake, with three-quarters bowl of rehydrated 60s Aperitif over it. i find the last layer is usually improved slightly by the addition of a little depth.

 

[hauntedmyst]

Latakia is the opposite of doesn't play nice. It makes everything better.

 

[condorlover1]

+1 Blues4goose. Twists can make for an interesting mix and I use it to amp up Polish Condor Plug. Brown twist does not seem to play well with milder tobacco and in my experience all you get is the taste of brown twist. I have been told it will pair off with Gold Block or St Bruno but I guess its down to personal taste.