Havana Tobacco

[arvetus]

So...I got to talking with a friend of mine today and we discovered we have something in common that we never knew, and I learned that grows Havana tobacco in his vegetable garden. And he gave me a small bundle that I put in a jar. :D
Anyone ever tried this in a pipe? I think it might burn a little hot...I don't know. It smells amazing! It may make a better blend component than smoked straight. Anyone have any thoughts on it?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

First, Havana seed doesn't mean the tobacco will end up tasting like that grown in Cuba. Many of the major cigar companies that grow their tobacco in the DR, Honduras, Nicaragua and other places advertise Cuban seed.
In my own experience, no matter how good it was as a cigar, smoking cigar leaf in a pipe tobacco comes out differently. And not in a good way. I think blending in a small percentage can be good as some blends I like do.

 

[saltedplug]

The description for any worthy cigar always say that the tobacco was grown from Cuban seed. In fact any relationship that can be exploited establishing a tie with Cuba is sure to be mentioned. Like it or not Cuban cigars are the stereotype of excellence. Descriptions of pipes and cigars are one part description to three parts sales.
But what I've read is that the quality of Cuban cigars deteriorated with the Boom. Their cigar making traditions were trashed by the Cuban government because there was money to be made. Only a handful of brands are said to be made according to the old traditions.

 

[jjmitchem]

I'm not a tobacco farmer so take this with a grain of salt - the flavor of the tobacco come mostly from the soil in which it is grown - not the seed. So having Cuban seed tobacco wont taste like the same seed grown in Cuba or Honduras or the DR. In fact many of the big Tobacco companies in the south rotate their crops with other produce to enhance the flavors of their cigars

 

[davek]

I started smoking a pipe by smoking whole leaf cigar leaf in a pipe. It is different than in a cigar, but it is similar. I enjoyed it and still do enjoy it occasionally. You can buy whole leaf tobacco online and a lot of it has Havana seed pedigree. If you smoked cigars much you might realize that a Havana seed pedigree is not all that. There are a lot of good cigars which do not come out of Cuba. There are quality Nicaraguan, Honduran, Jamaican, etc. cigars. Many of these are grown from seed originally brought from Cuba when Castro took over anyway, but the tobacco has adapted to local conditions as plants will do. Anyway, Cuban cigars are quite good, and they are distinctive, but other cigars are just as good sometimes.
Most importantly for your situation. When you get whole leaf online it will probably come from the cigar growing country. It will be aged there, maybe fermented in piles there and it tastes like a cigar from that country mostly. The same seed grown in America will likely not get the same *processing*. I have also bought Havana from a grower in Kentucky (and gown it myself). He ages his tobacco for a couple/five years before sale. It has a very different flavor, similar, and good, but very different. I would imagine that kilning would also produce a different flavor than processing in Central America.
So, ask your friend if he ages or kilns or what. If he ferments in piles it might be like Cuban. However, if not, it might still be very good.

 

[sablebrush52]

You can't separate the seed from the soil and climate. Even in Cuba there are some regions that are considered better than others.
Of all the many Cuban cigars that I've smoked over the years, my favorite is still one that few people have heard of, the La Flor de Cano short Churchill.

 

[arvetus]

Yeah, I realize that the taste won't be the same just as coffee doesn't taste the same from Ethiopia as it does from Columbia as it does from Hawaii. Or even green beans from my home state of Michigan as they do where I live now in Texas. I was more curious about the leaf as a whole and cutting some up to smoke it in a pipe. I just thought it was cool that it was grown just down the road. I never thought of it being grown in a vegetable garden before, but it's a beautiful plant. The leaf bundle he gave me is just air cured, but he has fire cured some. I just found it fascinating is all...I didn't expect it to be the same as smoking a cigar or even for it to taste the same. Just was curious more about doing it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

First off, the OP wasn’t asking whether Cuban seed grown somewhere else would taste the same.

He asked whether we had ever smoked cigar leaf in a pipe. I have, and it makes for a great blending tobacco. It is not like smoking a cigar at all. But, it adds an oilier, chewier smoke to the mix. I suggest blending it with a light VaPer, to give it some body. But, added to any blend makes for an interesting smoke. Just don’t expect it to taste like a cigar. It has its own whole other dimension when smoked in a pipe.

 

[arvetus]

Cosmic, I was thinking about that very thing...blending it with something else... I have a couple VaPers on the shelf to try as I work my way though these tins I've bought.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Just to add... cigar leaf is merely a Burley unless he has fermented the leaf. If it is merely cured, it will just be like adding some Burley to a blend. This could be interesting. But, if he has fermented the leaf, whether in a kiln or in stacks (probably not stacks if he is growing in the garden. He wouldn’t have a large enough harvest to stack enough to ferment) it will then get that more acidic cigarlike flavor.
As a side note, Red Virginias are fermented in a similar fashion to cigar leaf. Belgian Semois is a double use cigar leaf Burley. I have been kiln curing my crop, and it already has that distinct cigar note.
It’s really cool that you have a friend that grows his own. Maybe it will inspire you to give growing tobacco a try.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Oh, and I add Madura leaf to some of my aromatics to give them more body and up the nicotine of the blend. A vanilla and Madura is a nice way to get a great room note and please the crowd, while giving you a wonderful tobacco flavor added to the mix.
Pay attention to the way the cigar leaf makes the smoke feel heavier in your mouth. But, don’t puff. It’s easy to try to smoke it like a cigar, but in a pipe it can leave your tongue feeling rough and burned.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'm not a tobacco farmer so take this with a grain of salt - the flavor of the tobacco come mostly from the soil in which it is grown - not the seed. So having Cuban seed tobacco wont taste like the same seed grown in Cuba or Honduras or the DR. In fact many of the big Tobacco companies in the south rotate their crops with other produce to enhance the flavors of their cigars

Yes, soil, climate, cultivation, feeding, harvesting, curing all make a difference, as does the seed itself.
Crop rotation is often done to replenish the soil; some crops deplete nitrogen which is essential for healthy growth. Dunno 'bout flavor enhancement, an interesting point.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

All of this speculation is interesting, but there are so many elements that can also affect flavor. The air that the leaf is cured in, or the aromas of the wood of the barns. What are the surrounding flora of the crops? The water used in cultivation, or the amount of light, or any subtle nuance that we may be overlooking. But, all in all, the OP was just asking about cigar leaf used in the pipe.
My favorite two readymade cigar blended pipe tobacco are GLPs Key Largo and Hearth andHomes Virginias Spice. They are worth a taste to see what cigar leaf can add to a pipe blend.

 

[davek]

Cigar leaf in a pipe seems more forward. When I smoked strictly whole cigar leaf from LO, I gravitated to Honduran, a fairly mellow leaf in a cigar. It was good on it's own in a pipe but I usually added about 1/3 Nicaraguan or just a touch of Dominican for a little extra oomph. Nicaraguan is spicy and a bit strong but good on it's own as well. Dominican has a *strong* cigar taste in a pipe and I basically used it as a spice. Just a touch, like 5% or less added a nice full flavor.
I actually smoked that Havana seed grown in KY. I mentioned all by itself for a couple months but my tastes are changing as I play with different things. I smoke Burley mostly now, stoved lightly and pressed with just a hint of Bright Leaf.
Smoking whole cigar leaf did give me the bad habit of puffing pretty hard for that mouth feel, a habit I'm still working on breaking.
Try some of that leaf straight, just so you can say you did. And make sure he "cured" it. It needs to be either aged or fermented. Fermenting is either in a kiln or in stacks.

 

[cohibajoe]

You can't separate the seed from the soil and climate. Even in Cuba there are some regions that are considered better than others.

As what other's said here to what makes a Cuban Cigar so special? The minerals in the soil. Just got back from a Cruise as I will be Posting my Trip to Cuba in the "Cigar Discussion". Was at the H.Upmann Factory. From the tour guide he said this factory makes H.Upmann, Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, Hoyo de Monterrey and a few others. The tobacco is sorted, Graded to each Brand for what is being made during the week. The tobacco is Touched 10+ X's...HandMade you can be sure of this. So...Using Cigar tobacco in Pipe Tobacco...Not for me.

 

[seanv]

Definitely try using it as a condiment to another blend that you feel could use a bit more. Let us know how it goes