Could Ghosting Actually be a Good Thing?

[Dimitri]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

I know, how dare I, but hear me out!

Is it possible, that a certain tobacco smoked in a certain pipe, with a certain amount and certain type of ghosting could actually taste better than if it was smoked in a neutral pipe and be a match made in heaven?

Of course the tobacco wouldn't taste as the blender intended, but rather than the ghost taking away from the flavour, possibly it would actually enhance it?

Say I had a pipe heavily ghosted with latakia, there may be a tobacco out there without any latakia in the blend that would benefit from this "slight touch"


Apologies if this is a silly thread, its amazing what your mind can come up with when you're puffing away!

 

[karam]

Not a silly thread in my opinion, I do some controlled ghosting from time to time to do exactly what you're saying: give a touch I'd like to have in a blend.

 

[Casual]

I thought the practice of dedicating a pipe to your favourite blend was meant to take advantage of the ghost effect.

 

[mityahicks]

I love the way McClelland VA ghosts my pipes. It is short lived, maybe for one bowl, but it adds something I enjoy.

 

[ChickenT00th]

While trying to see which one of my pipes Telegraph Hill would smoke better in, I packed a bowl of it in my Chacom Billiard that is usually dedicated to English blends, just for the heck of it. The slight ghosting of Latakia with that bowl of Telegraph Hill was pretty nice. Made me think of adding a pinch of this Pirate Kake that I have sitting around to my jar of Telegraph Hill. Might still do it!

 

[karam]

I thought the practice of dedicating a pipe to your favourite blend was meant to take advantage of the ghost effect.

But then you won't get a ghost effect.

I like to alternate MacBaren HH Old Dark Fired with HU Makhuwa, as I like how the ODF ghost bleeds though the chocolate of Makhuwa.

 

[BROBS]

I love the way McClelland VA ghosts my pipes. It is short lived, maybe for one bowl, but it adds something I enjoy.

ADDS THAT SALTY KETCHUP

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

IMHO a whiff of floral may actually enhance plain burley blends

 

[briarbuck]

Nope, it would be like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa. I like to smoke what the blended intended.

 

[laniromee]

I thought about that one a lot. I have some Frog Morton stashed away that I was planning to smoke in a dedicated pipe to make a "Frog-Morton-ghosted" pipe for my endless enjoyment...

I believe the ghost effect can potentially add another dimension to whatever you smoke in the pipe, just like how we rub garlic on a piece of bread to make italian bruschetta. It would take someone much more competent than me to figure that one out, though.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

I thought about that one a lot. I have some Frog Morton stashed away that I was planning to smoke in a dedicated pipe to make a "Frog-Morton-ghosted" pipe for my endless enjoyment...

I believe the ghost effect can potentially add another dimension to whatever you smoke in the pipe, just like how we rub garlic on a piece of bread to make italian bruschetta. It would take someone much more competent than me to figure that one out, though.

I love the garlic bread analogy.

 

[seanv]

I agree with the idea. I have smoked some cherry blends in a Latakia pipe and enjoyed it. Some burley in a Latakia pipe has also gone well. Experimenting is fun

 

[mso489]

I suppose it is strictly a matter of opinion and personal taste. I've suggested this as an aside in past threads. I don't consider a blend sacrosanct, and even blends I like best, I might occasionally tweak with another tobacco, or not mind if a tobacco from the past surfaced during a bowl. Obviously, the ghost blend and how well you like it matters a lot. Some might always love (or hate) a Latakia ghost, or fill in the leaf or flavoring. If I had five or ten pipes, it might matter more to me, or if I smoked some of those aromatic Lakeland blends that hang around for eternity. My many pipes rest so long in rotation, they can't remember the last blend by the time they get smoked again, so that may apply.

 

[lawdawg]

Of course ghosting is neither good nor bad, depending on what you want out of your pipes. People speak critically of ghosting just because when you want to smoke one blend, you might end up tasting a bit of another. I've got a pipe I've been smoking a lot of Luxury Navy Flake with, and last night I smoked a bowl of Capstan blue out of it, and there was a spicy perique ghost in there that I enjoyed. I sometimes also enjoy smoking a burley blend (usually Carter Hall) out of one of my cobs after smoking a few bowls of something like Molto Dolce. It's like smoking a very tobacco-forward blend but with a powerful aromatic element.

 

[didimauw]

Yes there's times I've smoked a less then favorite blend, but still enjoyed it because of the past ghost of another blend.

 

[BROBS]

Yes there's times I've smoked a less then favorite blend, but still enjoyed it because of the past ghost of another blend.

so you smoked Carter Hall match and you could still taste the ghost of Carter Hall?

 

[didimauw]

so you smoked Carter Hall match and you could still taste the ghost of Carter Hall?

It's like your inside my head! Bro....whoa....

 

[anotherbob]

I know, how dare I, but hear me out!

Is it possible, that a certain tobacco smoked in a certain pipe, with a certain amount and certain type of ghosting could actually taste better than if it was smoked in a neutral pipe and be a match made in heaven?

Of course the tobacco wouldn't taste as the blender intended, but rather than the ghost taking away from the flavour, possibly it would actually enhance it?

Say I had a pipe heavily ghosted with latakia, there may be a tobacco out there without any latakia in the blend that would benefit from this "slight touch"


Apologies if this is a silly thread, its amazing what your mind can come up with when you're puffing away!

literally how ghosting was presented to me when I started smoking a pipe. That it's a matter of personal taste.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I can see how that may work but if I don’t like a blend enough for it to stand on its own, I will just smoke the blend I do like I was going to ghost the pipe with. I don’t leave a splash of high end bourbon in the glass thinking it will make the cheap crap good.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Sure it can. But most folks get the opposite effect.