How Many Specific Blends Do you Stay With When You Find The Perfect Combo?

[cigrmaster]

Over the years I have found the perfect pipe with the perfect blend? i know I have at least half a dozen. The rest of my tobacco gets set up with specific genres
For example:
My 2007 Esoterica goes perfect with 2 of my Rad Davis Lovats.
My 1998-2005 Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky goes perfect with my Scott Thile Bulldog and one of my Rad Davis Billiards
My Larrysson Dublin goes great with either my 2012 Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls and my 2012 Escudo.
My 2012 Mac Baren Old dark Fired goes great with my Rad Zulu

I have a number of Virginia blends that go with specific Virginia pipes. I also have other blends that are Va;per pipes and Virginia/Burley/Kentucky pipes.
I have more examples but was wondering if you guys do the same things?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My 2007 Esoterica goes perfect with 2 of my Rad Davis Lovats.

All of the Esoterica blends? It must have been an all around amazing year for that company.

Me, I don't believe in "perfect." My tastes are always changing and in flux. I have hundreds of pounds of aged blends, but I really don't think that smoking aged blends is really significantly better or makes me any more sophisticated as a smoker. But kudos for you.

I can find pleasure in a brand new tin of this or that, and then find just as much pleasure in one of my cellared 10+ years aged this or that. I just enjoy tasting different things.

 

[hugodrax]

All of my pipes are Virginia pipes. Most taste the occasional latakia or aromatic blend as well. I have only one dedicated pipe, a Bonet Mallorca bent apple, and that's only because of RB Plug's overwhelming ghost.

I like crossover tastes for the most part. I understand others don't. No worries, different strokes.

 

[woodsroad]

"Perfect Combo" doesn't exist in my world. It's not something I seek, or desire. The enjoyment of the pipe and blend in my hand is my motivating factor. Chasing "best" and "perfect" is, to me, the enemy of appreciative enjoyment.

 

[kcghost]

That's the thing that drives most of us crazy is the fact that for most of us, not all, our tastes change.

 

[warren]

I've four/five "always at hand blends". I try to keep my smoking uncomplicated and satisfying so no chasing after stuff. I load a pipe, light and go about my business.

 

[cigrmaster]

I never go specifically looking for these combos, they just happen out of the blue. I have so many pipes for so many genres that sometimes magic happens and I will continue with it to see if it was fools gold or the real thing.

I have my Rad Davis Zulu that has seen nothing in it but 2012 Mac Baren Old Dark Fired. It didn't start that way it just kind of happened and I figure why mess up a good thing.

 

[tmcg81]

I have a Tinderbox Verona bent billiard that I only smoke MacBaren Navy Flake out of. I tried a few blends when I got it and then I put Navy Flake in it and had the best smoke of my very young pipe smoking career. Like it smoked cool and dry and I tasted all the stuff I read about in reviews and had my mind truly blown. So now, the only blend that goes into that pipe is Navy Flake and I'm able to have that same experience a majority of the time.

 

[grimpuffer]

I have pipes dedicated to different types of pipe tobacco ( certain ones for english, aromatic, and then VA/VaPer) but none that match up or smoke better in one pipe or another.

All my pipes perform well for the task at hand.

I do have a "tester" pipe for new-to-me blends, but thats just to decide if I cellar or not.

 

[Architeuthis]

I have pipes dedicated to different types of pipe tobacco ( certain ones for english, aromatic, and then VA/VaPer) but none that match up or smoke better in one pipe or another.

All my pipes perform well for the task at hand.

I do have a "tester" pipe for new-to-me blends, but thats just to decide if I cellar or not.

^This

 

[simong]

"Perfect Combo" doesn't exist in my world. It's not something I seek, or desire. The enjoyment of the pipe and blend in my hand is my motivating factor. Chasing "best" and "perfect" is, to me, the enemy of appreciative enjoyment.

Bit of an austere approach, isn’t it? Like a communists guide to pipe smoking. Enjoy your pipe….but not too much! Lol
Still, you seem happy enough in your avatar with whatever combo you’ve got going on so it must work for you.
Your’e right though ‘chasing’ the best or perfect combo is a waste of time. Most of us have come across the perfect combo though, surely?
A nirvana smoke, when tobacco & pipe come together & sing like Caruso. A chance meeting between a certain pipe & blend that just tastes so much better than with previous, different encounters? I know I have. A favourite pairing or best combo for me that always seems to deliver involves the last smoke of the evening. Revor Plug in a Falcon alongside a dram of Famous Grouse whisky. Perfect combo, every time.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

I've happened upon a handful of perfect combos - maybe 4 or 5?
This was by accident. I noticed it when smoking my favorite blends. I had smoked these blends in many different pipes before with great experiences. But when smoked out of a certain pipe, it was a better experience than normal. I repeated this method with great results. I now try to pair those blends with those pipes and have been pleased.

Although unintended, it's nice when it happens.

 

[vosBghos]

3 pipes Burley
3 Pipes Va
3 pipes English
3 cobs OTC and Aro
1 clay taster
1 dress pipe dedicated to GH and SG exclusively

I’d like to start pairing pipes and favorite blends but I’m still on my journey of discovering what those are …

 

[mingc]

My 1977 Balkan Sobranie pairs perfectly with my 1963 Dunhill Bent Bulldog brindle stemmed gold spigot. They are especially exquisite with a bottle of 1955 Château de Chasselas. After a meal of poularde de Bresse en vessie stuffed with truffles and foie gras, the combination is simply divine. Of course it helps that I had the foresight to  hoard cellar 2,500 tins of the Balkan Sobranie when they were a mere shilling for a 4oz tin and 200 cases of the '55 Chasselas, the entire production that year. The root cellar of my Maison in the massif central is a perfect temperature for my wine and tobacco. Ah, the joys of a simple life. May God bless each and everyone of you!

 

[jaytex1969]

I use "zone defense" more than "man to man" defense, meaning general categories for each pipe.

One pipe handles most Lakelands, for instance.

My one exception is the Karl Erik Ball gets a diet of strictly Black Frigate with the occasional C&D Redburn.

And, one poor cob suffers through War Horse Green duty whenever self loathing overtakes me....

 

[ashdigger]

When I started I bought blends and pipes like sailors go to hookers on payday.

I ended up with around 400 blends a shit ton of cheap pipes.

I’ve narrowed it down to about 25 trustworthy and reliable blends and a much better grasp on pipes.

Do I dedicate, hell no.

Have I found perfect pipe and tobacco pairs. Nope, but I don’t even try.

My scotch/bourbon shelf has over 30 bottles.

I drink what I’m in the mood for and I smoke what I’m in the mood for.

Nothing is regular or routine in my world.

 

[hawky454]

I’ll play this another way, I love smoking in pairs and I have combos that work great for me.

Exotique Mixture in a Neerup Acorn & St. James Flake in a Stanwell Trio 29 Billiard.

Skiff Mixture in a Neerup Billiard & Condor Plug in a Stanwell Trio 88 Billiard

1792 Flake in a Rattrays Bulls & Dogs Bulldog & St. Bruno in a Stanwell Billiard (name and make escape me at the moment)

Bracken Flake in the above Bulldog pipe and/or a Prince & Dunbar/Tilbury/Dorchester in a Gamboni Rhodesian.

I can go on and on but you get the idear. I usually like an English/Balkan in one pipe with a VA based blend or a British style tobacco in another pipe, light up and rotate back and forth.

 

[vosBghos]

I use "zone defense" more than "man to man" defense, meaning general categories for each pipe.

One pipe handles most Lakelands, for instance.

My one exception is the Karl Erik Ball gets a diet of strictly Black Frigate with the occasional C&D Redburn.

And, one poor cob suffers through War Horse Green duty whenever self loathing overtakes me....



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Weird though I’m only a lowly deck swabber atm I was going to make my first dedication with a clunky old estate Dublin for the mighty Frigate.
and after my first bowl of the warhorse bar I knew that he and 1792 would need their own pipe , Brutal but lovely Tonquin bean and Anise.

But basic families for the rest myself…

 

[jaytex1969]

My first "Frigate" pipe was a lowly digital basket pipe (the Generic German #26). It served me well until the inspired replacement was found.

Nothing wrong with that approach!

Just make sure you get with the Cap'n @Chasing Embers for your allotment of cleaning fluid.

It clears the head and grants you visions!

 

[Chasing Embers]

My first "Frigate" pipe was a lowly digital basket pipe (the Generic German #26). It served me well until the inspired replacement was found.

Nothing wrong with that approach!

Just make sure you get with the Cap'n @Chasing Embers for your allotment of cleaning fluid.

It clears the head and grants you visions!

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I miss Anthony.