Bone Dry Tobacco

[starrynight]

Just finished a bowl of bone dry sixpence. Not only dry but also quite a bit of dust. It was an amazing smoke. I was going to dump it because I thought maybe it was bad, but turned out to be perfect.

This tin, if I remember correctly, had something like 7-8 years on it.

It had no bite, and burned to the bottom with a wonderful white ash.

I’m wondering if this is just the way this tobacco smokes, or if there are others who prefer all their tobacco completely dry? I guess I always assumed you needed some moisture for flavor…

 

[rsshreck32]

I always dry my tobacco until it is dry and crispy before smoking. I tried smoking without drying, I got a lot of tongue bite and muted flavors. Try drying out a few more blends and see what you get. If it works for you, awesome! There are so many variables in pipe smoking, you have to do what produces the best smoke for you. I picked up the drying idea from @didimauw here on the forum.

 

[coming to_falling too]

I think drier tobacco produces a better flavor-for me at least. It depends what I'm smoking though. Some blends I dry all the way to crispy, others I dry just enough to be able to tell.

Sometimes I envy people who can smoke tobacco as is and still pick up all the nuance of a given blend.

 

[sablebrush52]

It kind of depends on the genre of blend.
Since I primarily smoke Virginias and their variants, I get the best flavors when the tobacco is very dry, not quite dry as dust, but crispy while still pliant.

 

[Waning Embers]

if there are others who prefer all their tobacco completely dry?

Absolutely

 

[Zamora]

I always dry my tobacco until it is dry and crispy before smoking. I tried smoking without drying, I got a lot of tongue bite and muted flavors. Try drying out a few more blends and see what you get. If it works for you, awesome! There are so many variables in pipe smoking, you have to do what produces the best smoke for you. I picked up the drying idea from @didimauw here on the forum.

When I try a blend for the first time I always smoke it fresh from the jar or ideally the tin. Then in subsequent smokes I'll experiment a bit with dry times and after a few bowls I'll settle for what I liked best

 

[sablebrush52]

When I try a blend for the first time I always smoke it fresh from the jar or ideally the tin. Then in subsequent smokes I'll experiment a bit with dry times and after a few bowls I'll settle for what I liked best

I do the same. Makers tin with different levels of moisture, so depending on the maker I may automatically give a blend a bit of dry time, think Samuel Gawith, and further experiment. Never was necessary with D&R blends.
English/Balkan/Oriental blends are the most forgiving. Aromatics can be tricky to get right. Virginias and their variants are best dry.

 

[Zamora]

I do the same. Makers tin with different levels of moisture, so depending on the maker I may automatically give a blend a bit of dry time, think Samuel Gawith, and further experiment. Never was necessary with D&R blends.
English/Balkan/Oriental blends are the most forgiving. Aromatics can be tricky to get right. Virginias and their variants are best dry.

I've never had any D&R but from what I've seen it's always bone dry. There's a few I always smoke straight out of the jar like PS Norwegian

 

[Briar Lee]

Just finished a bowl of bone dry sixpence. Not only dry but also quite a bit of dust. It was an amazing smoke. I was going to dump it because I thought maybe it was bad, but turned out to be perfect.

This tin, if I remember correctly, had something like 7-8 years on it.

It had no bite, and burned to the bottom with a wonderful white ash.

I’m wondering if this is just the way this tobacco smokes, or if there are others who prefer all their tobacco completely dry? I guess I always assumed you needed some moisture for flavor…

All smoking tobacco must be cured before smoking, and none is good to smoke until it’s aged (fermented) about a year, and two or more years is better.

When I married my wife 24 years ago I bought two cartons of More cigarettes for her mother, and discovered her mother smoked menthols.

I just discovered those two cartons of More cigarettes in a desk drawer as we closed my law office.

They are delicious. Likely better than in 2001.

If the essential oils do not evaporate the taste remains as good or better for many years, maybe indefinitely.

I have thirty year old pipe tobacco still good, and cigars forty years old stil tasty.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

All smoking tobacco must be cured before smoking, and none is good to smoke until it’s aged (fermented) about a year, and two or more years is better.

When I married my wife 24 years ago I bought two cartons of More cigarettes for her mother, and discovered her mother smoked menthols.

I just discovered those two cartons of More cigarettes in a desk drawer as we closed my law office.

They are delicious. Likely better than in 2001.

If the essential oils do not evaporate the taste remains as good or better for many years, maybe indefinitely.

I have thirty year old pipe tobacco still good, and cigars forty years old stil tasty.

24 years old and still good?

I've avoided stockpiling my menthols because I figured they wouldn't hold up more than a year or two.

Maybe I'll reconsider...

You ain't bullshitin us are you?

I know pipe tobacco holds up, but I figured cigarettes wouldn't.

Send me a pack and let me inspect 'em.

 

[Brendan]

On top of that, 24 years old and the year 2001 in a sentence just doesn't sound right yet.

 

[cachimbosergipano]

On top of that, 24 years old and the year 2001 in a sentence just doesn't sound right yet.

Tempus fugit!

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

It really doesn't even look like a cigarette... This is the 24 year old specimen. He hasn't agreed to send it yet though.

We're bogged down in a coversation about grade A milk and raw oysters, at the moment.

 

[proteus]

Deleted wrong thread

 

[didimauw]

Just finished a bowl of bone dry sixpence. Not only dry but also quite a bit of dust. It was an amazing smoke. I was going to dump it because I thought maybe it was bad, but turned out to be perfect.

This tin, if I remember correctly, had something like 7-8 years on it.

It had no bite, and burned to the bottom with a wonderful white ash.

I’m wondering if this is just the way this tobacco smokes, or if there are others who prefer all their tobacco completely dry? I guess I always assumed you needed some moisture for flavor…

I don't smoke moist tobacco. Ever. I dry mine for days before smoking. Some sit in crystal jars with bad seals for months just for drying purposes.

Crispy crunchy. How I like it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Dry just smokes and taste so much better to me. But, I guess if I was one of those tooty fruity aromatic guys, I probably wouldn't want those dry, as the flavor is sprayed on.

 

[sablebrush52]

I've never had any D&R but from what I've seen it's always bone dry. There's a few I always smoke straight out of the jar like PS Norwegian

About D&R, Mark said, “Why should people pay for water rather than tobacco?”

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

"Try to dry" is a rule for me...

 

[Warlee]

I like mine dry. Sometimes I’ll smoke right out of the tin if I don’t have as much time as I would like. But it’s generally a more enjoyable experience when it is very dry.

I’ll also say it took me awhile to figure this out. All of those “how to smoke a pipe” beginner videos could be condensed to “Dry the crap out of it, stuff it in a pipe and have fun. You’ll figure it out from there.”

 

[cachimbosergipano]

Dry just smokes and taste so much better to me. But, I guess if I was one of those tooty fruity aromatic guys, I probably wouldn't want those dry, as the flavor is sprayed on.

For those who like the taste of the tobacco, not chocolate, cream cheese, raspberry, crème brûlée and whatever, dry tobacco is a must.