This is a follow-up smoke report to the post I put together last week, First Time Making Rope, Leaf Only, and High Nicotine Blending :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion - https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/first-time-making-rope-leaf-only-and-high-nicotine-blending.77808/#post-36153067 , summarizing how I put this together. I hadn't seen this sub prior, otherwise that post would be in here too.
The rope that I made was from whole leaf: a 50/50 blend of nicotiana rustica wrapped with dark fired. Rustica is a much thicker leaf than typical varieties.
TL;DR If I blend with rustica in the future, it will be a much lower ratio to improve burn characteristics. Tobacco should be dried thoroughly when preparing rope. Blend has the desired nicotine punch. I'll comment with an update when I have a chance to try it again a little drier.
I cut 10 of the thinnest coins I could, then rubbed into ribbons.
This yielded a perfect amount to pack my bowl. I waited about two hours between cutting and packing to let it sufficiently dry, but it probably needed longer in the humid summer air.
The initial light required several seconds to take. Between the moisture and the thickness, it was difficult to get it to light. Throughout the bowl, I had a couple of relights, but was smoking hot and sipping almost continuously.
Initial flavor and scent would be best described as campfire-like. The neutral, vegetal flavor of the rustica formed a beautiful Union with the hickory notes of the dark fired. Possibly due to moisture, the flavor became muted shortly thereafter, but the flavor would still come through on retrohaling. It remained this way to the bottom of the bowl.
The smoke was moist, not overly thick, and was much cooler than I would have expected from the heat coming through my briar.
Nicotine: this blend has it. Highest strength product I've smoked from a tin is Black XX. It was very similar in kick, despite the muted flavor. I could definitely feel the effects intensify immediately following a retrohale (retrohale was astoundingly smooth for tobacco this powerful). If sensitive to nic, treat with respect.
The rope that I made was from whole leaf: a 50/50 blend of nicotiana rustica wrapped with dark fired. Rustica is a much thicker leaf than typical varieties.
TL;DR If I blend with rustica in the future, it will be a much lower ratio to improve burn characteristics. Tobacco should be dried thoroughly when preparing rope. Blend has the desired nicotine punch. I'll comment with an update when I have a chance to try it again a little drier.
I cut 10 of the thinnest coins I could, then rubbed into ribbons.
This yielded a perfect amount to pack my bowl. I waited about two hours between cutting and packing to let it sufficiently dry, but it probably needed longer in the humid summer air.
The initial light required several seconds to take. Between the moisture and the thickness, it was difficult to get it to light. Throughout the bowl, I had a couple of relights, but was smoking hot and sipping almost continuously.
Initial flavor and scent would be best described as campfire-like. The neutral, vegetal flavor of the rustica formed a beautiful Union with the hickory notes of the dark fired. Possibly due to moisture, the flavor became muted shortly thereafter, but the flavor would still come through on retrohaling. It remained this way to the bottom of the bowl.
The smoke was moist, not overly thick, and was much cooler than I would have expected from the heat coming through my briar.
Nicotine: this blend has it. Highest strength product I've smoked from a tin is Black XX. It was very similar in kick, despite the muted flavor. I could definitely feel the effects intensify immediately following a retrohale (retrohale was astoundingly smooth for tobacco this powerful). If sensitive to nic, treat with respect.
