First time poster here, but have been enjoying pipe smoking hobby for 20 years now. I have a general preference for unflavored Virginia flakes and well balanced English blends. I've lurked for a while and couldn't find the answer to a burning question (no pun intended), so I signed up this evening to throw this out for those more experienced/knowledgeable than myself: How does a pipe get and stay "sweet."
Case study: About eight years ago my lovely wife bought me a Stanwell Brazilia for Christmas from a local small town pipe shop, it's a slightly bent shape briar about a half inch longer than my other "standard" sized pipes. It was beautiful to look at, surprisingly well balanced for its length, but it smoked awfully bitter for the first two years or so. I smoked it maybe once or twice a month, but suffered through each bowl.
After two years the pipe almost shifted overnight to lend an amazingly sweet flavor to any tobacco smoked therein. Since then, it's my go-to pipe. I have a dozen or so other nice pipes, but this is the one I smoke at least once every single evening, every day with no rest. By conventional wisdom it should be getting sour and bitter with this much constant use, but it's still just as sweet. For instance, I'm currently enjoying a bowl of Rattray's Red Rapparey. In any other pipe I own it's a pretty bracing, smokey tasting and slightly bitter tobacco, but in the Brazilia it's amazingly creamy and sweet.
Is there any way to replicate this with another pipe, or is it just a freak piece of briar?
Thanks!
Jeff
(Edited title, please see rule number 9.
Thank you, Robert.)
Case study: About eight years ago my lovely wife bought me a Stanwell Brazilia for Christmas from a local small town pipe shop, it's a slightly bent shape briar about a half inch longer than my other "standard" sized pipes. It was beautiful to look at, surprisingly well balanced for its length, but it smoked awfully bitter for the first two years or so. I smoked it maybe once or twice a month, but suffered through each bowl.
After two years the pipe almost shifted overnight to lend an amazingly sweet flavor to any tobacco smoked therein. Since then, it's my go-to pipe. I have a dozen or so other nice pipes, but this is the one I smoke at least once every single evening, every day with no rest. By conventional wisdom it should be getting sour and bitter with this much constant use, but it's still just as sweet. For instance, I'm currently enjoying a bowl of Rattray's Red Rapparey. In any other pipe I own it's a pretty bracing, smokey tasting and slightly bitter tobacco, but in the Brazilia it's amazingly creamy and sweet.
Is there any way to replicate this with another pipe, or is it just a freak piece of briar?
Thanks!
Jeff
(Edited title, please see rule number 9.
Thank you, Robert.)
