First Crumble Cake

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ksman75

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 23, 2016
168
447
67
Lancaster, California
I bought a tin of Black Frigate, and wow, the aroma ?. Can't wait to try a bowl! Now the question...

It looks like I can separate it in layers, like a flake. Is there anything inherently wrong with that, or should I break off a chunk top to bottom? I'm not sure if the different tobaccos are layered, or completely mixed before pressing it into a cake.

What say the experts?
 

ksman75

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 23, 2016
168
447
67
Lancaster, California
Try it all different ways......enjoy it.
I like that blend as well and haven't had a set methodology.

Let us know how you like it and the flavors you pull from it. For me, it's interesting how people 'get a read' on tobacco..
Would love to, but...I'm still too new to pipes, such that I can tell what I like and what I don't like, but...fig, raisin, chocolate, this, that and the other, still elude me. I'm just a heathen with an undeveloped palate, lol.

What I do know, is if this smokes anything like it smells, it will go on my reorder list. I've been working on 7 various blends, and the only one I've reordered so far is the PS 38 Highland Whiskey. I can't define what I'm smelling or tasting, just that I like it!
 
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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,260
108,378
I bought a tin of Black Frigate, and wow, the aroma ?. Can't wait to try a bowl! Now the question...

It looks like I can separate it in layers, like a flake. Is there anything inherently wrong with that, or should I break off a chunk top to bottom? I'm not sure if the different tobaccos are layered, or completely mixed before pressing it into a cake.

What say the experts?
How does the skipper of the frigate prepare his? @chasingembers
Grab a corner of the cake, break it off, fully rub it out, and gravity fill.?

20190423_111415-1.jpg
 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Plug stacks whole leaf tobacco. Thus if you want to get the blend you have to break off/cut a vertical segment. I don't know if crumble cake is so constituted.

In my opinion, plug is the real deal because of the enormous pressure to which the tobacco is subjected. Pressure causes heat, increasing fermentation, and some would argue the physical proximity does the same differently, potentiating valence transfer.

In this matter crumble cake is not a player.
 

ksman75

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 23, 2016
168
447
67
Lancaster, California
If you leave it in chunks pack it a little looser than if you rub it out
Grab a corner of the cake, break it off, fully rub it out, and gravity fill.?
I've read and watched some videos showing how to pack "chunks" like folding or rolling flake. I've found that works better for me with flake, but I am starting out my first bowl with the "crumbs" from the tin, and also broke a small chunk off and rubbed it out, to go with the crumbs. That's when I noticed a layer could be peeled off of the cake, but that just didn't seem right. Rubbing it out just seems more...right.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,403
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Would love to, but...I'm still too new to pipes, such that I can tell what I like and what I don't like, but...fig, raisin, chocolate, this, that and the other, still elude me. I'm just a heathen with an undeveloped palate, lol.

What I do know, is if this smokes anything like it smells, it will go on my reorder list. I've been working on 7 various blends, and the only one I've reordered so far is the PS 38 Highland Whiskey. I can't define what I'm smelling or tasting, just that I like it!
trust me if you decide to write a review you'll taste things you never noticed before. I write reviews and rarely share them just for my own palates edification. And another thing is reviews are best when they come from different sources and not all people with the same palate education.
 

ksman75

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 23, 2016
168
447
67
Lancaster, California
trust me if you decide to write a review you'll taste things you never noticed before. I write reviews and rarely share them just for my own palates edification. And another thing is reviews are best when they come from different sources and not all people with the same palate education.
Well, the temp dropped from 100+ down to 89 and the wind was what I'd call a stiff breeze, so I decided to inaugurate my new nose warmer cob with a bowl of the BF.

Sitting in my back yard, Venus slowly dipping towards the horizon in front of me and the moon waxing gibbous over my left shoulder, one dog barking and the other howling at the sirens going by, I stoked my pipe to it's full glory.

I don't have words to describe the sensations, so I'll paraphrase from @jiminks review on tobaccoreviews.com.

Floral. The first thing I noticed was the almost (to me) overwhelming floral bouquet, somewhat reminiscent of a funerary wreath.

Simultaneous to that was the essence of spice. Along with the floral overtones, it reminded me of potpourri.

I made it about half was through the bowl, and set my pipe down, planning on giving it another try on the morrow. After about 20 minutes, I decided to finish this bowl off. Give my senses a little reprieve so to speak.

I noted in several reviews, the mention of rum. Not that I've ever tried a rum cased or topped tobacco, but to my senses, there was nothing reminiscent of rum at all. I'll chalk that up to my undeveloped palate.

To sum it up, I don't really care for this blend. I'll not give up on it. I didn't like Scotch or Bourbon the first time either, and they are both my favorite spirits now.

Now I've come to the bottom of my bowl and my tale, it's time to empty the ash and dottle and bid you, my audience a fond, heartfelt farewell.

Cheers!
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,403
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Well, the temp dropped from 100+ down to 89 and the wind was what I'd call a stiff breeze, so I decided to inaugurate my new nose warmer cob with a bowl of the BF.

Sitting in my back yard, Venus slowly dipping towards the horizon in front of me and the moon waxing gibbous over my left shoulder, one dog barking and the other howling at the sirens going by, I stoked my pipe to it's full glory.

I don't have words to describe the sensations, so I'll paraphrase from @jiminks review on tobaccoreviews.com.

Floral. The first thing I noticed was the almost (to me) overwhelming floral bouquet, somewhat reminiscent of a funerary wreath.

Simultaneous to that was the essence of spice. Along with the floral overtones, it reminded me of potpourri.

I made it about half was through the bowl, and set my pipe down, planning on giving it another try on the morrow. After about 20 minutes, I decided to finish this bowl off. Give my senses a little reprieve so to speak.

I noted in several reviews, the mention of rum. Not that I've ever tried a rum cased or topped tobacco, but to my senses, there was nothing reminiscent of rum at all. I'll chalk that up to my undeveloped palate.

To sum it up, I don't really care for this blend. I'll not give up on it. I didn't like Scotch or Bourbon the first time either, and they are both my favorite spirits now.

Now I've come to the bottom of my bowl and my tale, it's time to empty the ash and dottle and bid you, my audience a fond, heartfelt farewell.

Cheers!
nice. Rum doesn't really taste like rum in tobacco. It tastes like rum in tobacco. Whiskey is similar in that it doesn't taste of whiskey but after a few examples it is it's own distinct thing that you can easily pick out.
Sounds really good by the way.
 

ksman75

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 23, 2016
168
447
67
Lancaster, California
nice. Rum doesn't really taste like rum in tobacco. It tastes like rum in tobacco. Whiskey is similar in that it doesn't taste of whiskey but after a few examples it is it's own distinct thing that you can easily pick out.
Sounds really good by the way.
I'll have to try some different rum based tobaccos to get a feel for it. This was my first, and the floral, spiciness just overwhelmed everything else.

I'm nearing the bottom of my first bowl of Peterson's Irish Dew as I type this. I wasn't thinking I was going to like it when I opened it yesterday. It was hot, 100+, from being in the UPS truck and the odor reminded me of a compost heap, steaming away in the baking sun. After drying some out this morning, it was a different story altogether. Like the PS Highland Whiskey that I like, there's no real "taste" of the liquor, but there's just a hint of it being there. I'm quite enjoying it now.

I'm finding I like aromatics more that non aros, and have learned to get the most pleasure with no tongue bite, thanks to pointers on this forum. I'm still trying to develop a liking for the non aros, but there's so many choices, and for a beginner, it's hard to know where to start. I'm at the point now, where I need to just try each of the basic leaf types and see what does and doesn't appeal to me.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,403
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
sounds really good by the way.
I'm finding I like aromatics more that non aros, and have learned to get the most pleasure with no tongue bite, thanks to pointers on this forum. I'm still trying to develop a liking for the non aros, but there's so many choices, and for a beginner, it's hard to know where to start. I'm at the point now, where I need to just try each of the basic leaf types and see what does and doesn't appeal to me.
glad our collective wisdom has accelerated your pipe experience. Though I say no need to try each of the basic leaf types. Then again I assume that's going to happen organically. That said I see one of the secrets of pipe blends is that all the leaf types are good.
 

ksman75

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 23, 2016
168
447
67
Lancaster, California
sounds really good by the way.

glad our collective wisdom has accelerated your pipe experience. Though I say no need to try each of the basic leaf types. Then again I assume that's going to happen organically. That said I see one of the secrets of pipe blends is that all the leaf types are good.
I keep hearing, the Virginia this, the Balkan that, the Latakia the other, Perique such and such, so maybe I need to sample or all of each leaf, just so I can recognize them in a particular blend.

On the other hand, I recognize what I like and don't like, and maybe that's all that really matters. Having said that last, it may also help me eliminate ones I don't like, knowing the component leaf in the blend that may be why I don't like one over the other...who knows?
 

NomadOrb

(Nomadorb)
Feb 20, 2020
1,673
13,650
SoCal
I keep hearing, the Virginia this, the Balkan that, the Latakia the other, Perique such and such, so maybe I need to sample or all of each leaf, just so I can recognize them in a particular blend.

On the other hand, I recognize what I like and don't like, and maybe that's all that really matters. Having said that last, it may also help me eliminate ones I don't like, knowing the component leaf in the blend that may be why I don't like one over the other...who knows?
Good point. I just wanted to state that component leaf is sometime used as something you're not supposed to notice. Like Burley giving body to a blend.

So while they may taste a certain way smoked by themselves, the leaf really starts making magic when mixed with other leaf.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,403
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Good point. I just wanted to state that component leaf is sometime used as something you're not supposed to notice. Like Burley giving body to a blend.

So while they may taste a certain way smoked by themselves, the leaf really starts making magic when mixed with other leaf.
What's listed on the tin is what you're supposed to notice. The tin description isn't an ingredients list right? But more what they're advertising.