Coffee House Special

[Edwin Weaver]

Most of my Tobacco Blend ideas come from my younger days as a young man in the late 60’s.

I have not found my “Coffee House Special” in any blend I have sampled so far, so I have had to have tobacconists make it special for me.

In the late 60’s coffee houses sprang up every where (especially in NY). You could go to them and drink coffee and listen to local musicians ‘jam’ together hoping to be discovered by CBS or Ed Sullivan. The place would be filled with the smell of tobacco and coffee beans being ground. Later in the late 90’s and first couple of years of this century while working in Bogota, Colombia the memory was rekindled walking in the southern part of Bogota where the Colombian coffee companies would roast the coffee beans. The air was full of the smell of fresh coffee beans being roasted. While walking and smoking my pipe with the smell of fresh roasted coffee beans the experience was great. The taste of the blend I was smoking along with the coffee beans was wonderful.

Now that I am longer working I have time to look for blends that will match those memories. Unfortunately no one makes them so I have had to look for a tobacconist willing to develop these blends. So I started. I found a blend that would make a good base;

Black Gold is a rich, smooth smoking marriage of Black and Aged Maduro Cavendish mixed with a light vanilla casing, mahogany colored Burley, and just the right touch of Virginia Flake for added sweetness. This blend has a pleasant room note. But the room note needed more ‘Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans’. And more coffee flavor with the blend.

So to the Black Gold blend I added a casing of ‘espresso’ flavoring without taking away from the original blend. Once that was ready, just before placing it into a bag for use, I added a topping (slightly heavy) of ‘coffee bean oil’ (from Eden Botanical). The result; when you open the bag to fill your pipe, you get the smell of the tobacco blend along with the smell of fresh roasted coffee beans. When you light the pipe the room note is very pleasant with the coffee beans added. When you draw in you get the tobacco blend with the added taste of espresso.

I hope some company will produce this special blend. Those who love smoking their pipe and love coffee would definite enjoy this blend.


Edwin

 

[captainsousie]

Ya know, it's not actually that hard or expensive to roast your own coffee. All you need is an oven, some green coffee beans and a vegetable steamer like the one shown below. A little research will give you temps and approximate timings. So, roast some coffee, smoke a known blend and viola...instant memories.



As an alternative, a coffee roasting machine can be bought for a relatively reasonable amount of money. If you or a friend is a coffee lover, you can load one of those with some beans and experiment until you find the perfect roast. As they are more portable than an oven, that would work as a device to recreate the aroma on a porch or in a garage.

Either way, I hope you can find a suitable substitute that makes you happy.

 

[Edwin Weaver]

Ya know, it's not actually that hard or expensive to roast your own coffee. All you need is an oven, some green coffee beans and a vegetable steamer like the one shown below. A little research will give you temps and approximate timings. So, roast some coffee, smoke a known blend and viola...instant memories.

View attachment 11067

As an alternative, a coffee roasting machine can be bought for a relatively reasonable amount of money. If you or a friend is a coffee lover, you can load one of those with some beans and experiment until you find the perfect roast. As they are more portable than an oven, that would work as a device to recreate the aroma on a porch or in a garage.

Either way, I hope you can find a suitable substitute that makes you happy.

captiansousie,
Thank you for input. The idea that I am aiming for is to have that 'fresh roasted coffee bean' smell as a room note when I light and smoke the pipe.

Thank you
Edwin

 

[sumusfumus]

Hello Ed.... Your special home-brewed, coffee blend pipe tobacco sound like a good smoke.

Can you share the recipe, or, give some batch proportions? Who makes/retails the Black and Gold base tobacco that you are using?

The "Espresso" and "coffee bean oil" essences used as a topping, also sounds interesting. How much do you add to your mixture? Is the mixture aged before smoking.

Many thanks for any helps, and thanks for posting.

 

[seldom]

That sounds nice. These days my favorite blend to drink with coffee is Motzek Ralf's Burley Cup. I'm in Germany so it is easy enough to get and the price is right. Although it has roasted coffee aroma added I find it to be subtle.

 

[captainsousie]

captiansousie,
Thank you for input. The idea that I am aiming for is to have that 'fresh roasted coffee bean' smell as a room note when I light and smoke the pipe.

Thank you
Edwin

Hmmm. Sounds interesting. I'll think on it and let you know if I come up with anything.

The only issue I see is that the organoleptic properties of the process required to produce the smell may not end up being entirely palatable.

 

[Edwin Weaver]

That sounds nice. These days my favorite blend to drink with coffee is Motzek Ralf's Burley Cup. I'm in Germany so it is easy enough to get and the price is right. Although it has roasted coffee aroma added I find it to be subtle.

seldom,

I have a question for you. when you light the pipe, do you smell the fresh roasted coffee beans, not taste them or coffee, just smell the fresh roasting coffee beans.
I have blends that have coffee flavor added to the blend. I have blends that go well with a cup of coffee. However, none of them have that alluring 'Fresh roasting coffee beans' when i light up the bowls and while i smoke the bowl.

greetings to Germany from
Edwin

 

[Edwin Weaver]

Hmmm. Sounds interesting. I'll think on it and let you know if I come up with anything.

The only issue I see is that the organoleptic properties of the process required to produce the smell may not end up being entirely palatable.

captainsousie,

it is palatable. The 'coffee bean oil' is only used as a "topping" not to case the tobacco. so the blend does not change, only the smell when you you first light up and for a while when you are smoking.

Edwin

 

[Edwin Weaver]

Hello Ed.... Your special home-brewed, coffee blend pipe tobacco sound like a good smoke.

Can you share the recipe, or, give some batch proportions? Who makes/retails the Black and Gold base tobacco that you are using?

The "Espresso" and "coffee bean oil" essences used as a topping, also sounds interesting. How much do you add to your mixture? Is the mixture aged before smoking.

Many thanks for any helps, and thanks for posting.

sumusfumus,

I purchase the "Black Gold" blend from Milan Tobacconist in Virginia. Their description of the blend is;
a rich, smooth smoking marriage of Black and Aged Maduro Cavendish mixed with a light vanilla casing, mahogany colored Burley, and just the right touch of Virginia Flake for added sweetness.

i do not know their proportions. I do let their blend age for about a moth after adding my extra ingredients.

I hope this will help

Edwin

 

[sumusfumus]

Edwin...thanks.

I don't think I was clear...sorry.

How much of the Milan's "Black and Gold" base tobacco do you start with? How many drops of the coffee essences do you add.... to the Black and Gold base?

For example: Do you add three drops of coffee essences to one pound of base tobacco? In other words how much tobacco do you mix at one time, and how much of the essences do you add when making a batch?

Many thanks,
Frank

 

[Edwin Weaver]

Edwin...thanks.

I don't think I was clear...sorry.

How much of the Milan's "Black and Gold" base tobacco do you start with? How many drops of the coffee essences do you add.... to the Black and Gold base?

For example: Do you add three drops of coffee essences to one pound of base tobacco? In other words how much tobacco do you mix at one time, and how much of the essences do you add when making a batch?

Many thanks,
Frank

sumusfumus;

forgive me, I though you wanted the break down of "Black Gold' blend.
I purchase 8oz of Black Gold which I 'top' with about 1ml of 'coffee bean oil' as a spray. lay out-spread out the 8oz of 'Black Gold' then spray the blend with a 'topping' of coffee bean oil (be careful, coffee bean oil has caffeine - don't use too much). Then I place all of it in an air-tight canister



and let it sit for a week or up to a month before I start using it. Of course I am finishing up the batch I already had. but when you first start, it might be hard to wait to indulge in the smell and taste.

try it, you might like it. if you like the smell of fresh coffee while you smoke and you like the caffeine while you smoke.

Edwin

 

[sumusfumus]

Perfect..... Many thanks, for the directions, etc.....and forgive MY ambiguity.

 

[Edwin Weaver]

Perfect..... Many thanks, for the directions, etc.....and forgive MY ambiguity.

sumusfumus,

Glad I could help. Sorry I misunderstood you. If I can help in any way, just ask.

Edwin

 

[seldom]

I have a question for you. when you light the pipe, do you smell the fresh roasted coffee beans, not taste them or coffee, just smell the fresh roasting coffee beans.

I can't say that is the case. Sounds like your blend is better for that. To me Ralph's Burley Cup falls more under the "tastes nice while drinking coffee" category than the "smells of roasted coffee" one.

 

[Edwin Weaver]

I can't say that is the case. Sounds like your blend is better for that. To me Ralph's Burley Cup falls more under the "tastes nice while drinking coffee" category than the "smells of roasted coffee" one.

My friend seldom, this may help even more...
Actually, “Coffee House Special” is a way to liven up any blend. You can take your favorite morning blend and liven it up with the “Coffee House Special” process. I liked smoking “Black Gold” first thing in the morning, so I used that blend to make my “Coffee House Special”.

I take 8oz of the blend and spread it out and add a “casing” of coffee or espresso flavoring (you can get the flavoring to use on tobacco at ‘Seedman’ or any other company that sell flavorings to be used on tobacco). After “casing” the tobacco well, I let it sit for at least half a day to absorb the flavoring. Then I take a pinch of the tobacco and smoke it. I take a long, slow draw allowing it to roll around in my mouth and savor the taste. I should get all the tastes of the original blend along with a taste of coffee or espresso in the background.

If you are old like me and your taste buds are not what they used to be when you were young, get someone else to sample it. If they can taste the coffee or espresso, you are ready for the next step if not you may have to add another “casing” to your tobacco and let it sit another half day to absorb the flavoring.

Everything is subjective. In the 50’s and 60’s (until I left home to live on my own) when my mother made food I did not like, she would tell me to hold my nose. It worked. Since I was not able to smell the food (okra or liver) I was able to eat it. I still did not like it, but I was able to eat it (since in those days, I could not get up until I ate everything on my plate).

The reverse is true. If something smells great, it tends to taste great. That is why I add “coffee bean oil”, as a ‘topping’ to my “Coffee House Special” (if you do not understand what I mean by ‘Casing’ and ‘topping’, go to Tobacco University for their explanations). It does not add anything to the blend. The ‘coffee bean oil’ just adds smell when you open the bag or canister (which is what I use to store my tobaccos in) and when you light the blend in the pipe it adds smell to the ‘room note’. That smell gives you the idea of fresh brewed coffee while you draw on your pipe and if you have “cased” the blend well, you will even get a subtle taste of coffee in your mouth.

Now you have turned one of your favor blends into a “Coffee House Special” morning smoke. Remember the 'coffee bean oil' has caffeine so it will add to your wake up.

I hope it works as well for you as it does for me. Enjoy!



Edwin

 

[Edwin Weaver]

Perfect..... Many thanks, for the directions, etc.....and forgive MY ambiguity.

sumusfumus,

he are more detailed instructions...
Actually, “Coffee House Special” is a way to liven up any blend. You can take your favorite morning blend and liven it up with the “Coffee House Special” process. Sort of like Cavendish is a process for individual tobacco, “Coffee House Special” is a process for blends to enhance your enjoyment.

I liked smoking “Black Gold” first thing in the morning, so I used that blend to make my “Coffee House Special”.

I take 8oz of the blend and spread it out and add a “casing” of coffee or espresso flavoring (you can get the flavoring to use on tobacco at ‘Seedman’ or any other company that sell flavorings to be used on tobacco). After “casing” the tobacco well, I let it sit for at least half a day to absorb the flavoring. Then I take a pinch of the tobacco and smoke it. I take a long, slow draw allowing it to roll around in my mouth and savor the taste. I should get all the tastes of the original blend along with a taste of coffee or espresso in the background.

If you are old like me and your taste buds are not what they used to be when you were young, get someone else to sample it. If they can taste the coffee or espresso, you are ready for the next step if not you may have to add another “casing” to your tobacco and let it sit another half day to absorb the flavoring.

Everything is subjective. In the 50’s and 60’s (until I left home to live on my own in 1969) when my mother made food I did not like, she would tell me to hold my nose. It worked. Since I was not able to smell the food (okra or liver, or something else I didn’t like at the time) I was able to eat it. I still did not like it, but I was able to eat it (since in those days, I could not get up from the table until I ate everything on my plate).

The reverse is true. If something smells great, it tends to taste great. That is why I add “coffee bean oil”, as a ‘topping’ to my “Coffee House Special” (if you do not understand what I mean by ‘Casing’ and ‘topping’, go to Tobacco University for their explanations). I add at most 1ml of coffee bean oil (I dilute it in warm distilled water, because I do not trust tap water after the problems in flint, Michigan water a few years back, if my memory serve me well – you can get the coffee bean oil at Eden Botanical in a 2ml vial) It does not add anything to the blend. After “topping the tobacco I place it in a canister and close the lid.

The ‘coffee bean oil’ just adds smell so when you open the bag or canister (which is what I use to store my tobaccos in) and when you light the blend in the pipe it adds smell to the ‘room note’. That smell gives you the idea of fresh brewed coffee while you draw on your pipe and if you have “cased” the blend well, you will even get a subtle taste of coffee in your mouth.

Now you have turned one of your favorite blends into a “Coffee House Special” morning smoke. Remember, ‘coffee bean oil’ has caffeine so this will add to your wake up.

I hope it works as well for you as it does for me. Enjoy!



Edwin