Indistinguishable from Magic

[admin]

Have you ever had a time where you just had the most amazing experience smoking a pipe?
How about the opposite?
Why does this happen?
G. L. Pease discusses this in his latest article, "Indistinguishable from Magic"

 

[pstlpkr]

Yet another fine read Greg.

I think you have registered a bulls-eye on a constantly moving target.

While; “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” may be true, I think if one is in conscious pursuit of, or intends to smoke that “magic” bowl of tobacco he or she is setting themselves up for disappointment.

If, on the other hand, one set’s out to enjoy a bowl of his favorite blend - stuffed into that old and familiar friend made of briar, apple, cherry or meer - in one of those comfortable and familiar, or special and unique surroundings/atmospheres… then that “magic” can and will often become manifest. You just have to let it happen.

Thanks again Greg for a most enjoyable read.

 

[cortezattic]

Mr. Pease is such a gifted and discerning writer, epicure, and as I'm coming to realize, truly Renaissance man.

My thanks to PipesMagazine.com for making his series of articles available to us. Truly edifying stuff. :clap:

My reaction to the article itself is posted in the comments there.

 

[admin]

*bump*

 

[mjtannen]

I have had the same experience. I think that time of day, size of the bowl and moisture content seems to play a role in the sheer nirvana of some smokes. I prefer Latakia blends to Virginia's. I have smoked OGS which is highly rated by most smokers and I don't enjoy it. I've also tried Marlin Flake, also a supposed outstanding tobacco and likewise I did not enjoy it. Give me Penzance, Balkan Sasieni, Black Mallory, Three Oaks Syrian, American Patriot or any other Latakia blend in a very large bowl and I'm a happy man. I find that first smoke of the day tends to be an aromatic, (a blend of BCA and Wilke's Best Make recently introduced by a friend, or a blend of McClelland Coffee/Cocoa/Pastry) and as the day progresses I build toward Sterlings 1776 Bostonian, C&D Engine 99 (sometimes with added cigar leaf) to bedtime with a stronger Latakia like GLP Odyssey or Three Oaks Syrian. I also find that a humidified blend smokes far tastier than a dry blend hands down. This morning I smoked Engine 99 in a small bowl and it was not great. Give me the same tobacco later in the day in a large bowl and it's a much better experience. Like Greg Pease, I maintain my pipes with a thin cake and they are all basically interchangeable for me. So everything being equal; freshness of the pipe, moisture content of the blend, personal taste preference of a blend etc., that the body is best equipped to "handle" stronger blends later in the day with a progression of smokes lighter to heavier as the day progresses.

 

[misterrogers]

I don't know what it is, but sometimes a blend is just perfect.
As a new pipe smoker, I don't know nearly enough about finding the right size of a bowl, or what blends are most enjoyable at what hour. But I can say, every so often, something wonderful happens. Whether it be with my corn cob pipe as I mow the lawn, or downstairs in my friends basement, conquring Europe with a fine S&R pipe, something happens.
Maybe it's the smell of fresh cut grass and Latakia, or the sounds of laughter with a mouth full of Cavendish. But either way, something happens. I see the world in a new clearity, and yet I can still ponder lifes questions with a fresh mind. As someone who does not consider themselves an intellecatal, I can say that a pipe truley brings out the best in myself.