Let's discuss Blend Attributes

[captainbob]

Ok, so I am age 62 and have smoked nothing but a pipe since age 12. I started with a Corn Cob and Middleton's Cherry Blend with my pant legs tied shut. Not really. But I remember my Dad telling me to do so if I really was going to smoke that corn cob! As I grew into the hobby, I recognized there were two directions. Tobacco Blending or Pipe Artisan. Of course, one can enjoy the hobby without making any significant effort in creating a blend or making pipes. I chose to study tobacco and blending and experimented continuously for many years, all while smoking every blend imaginable and studying it. You all know the rest of the story. What I want to do in this topic is hear from you about your search. What are you seeking in a blend? Are you seeking a flavor? Are you seeking absolute tobacco flavor without any specific flavoring? Do you prefer aromatics or non-aromatics? Or, do you appreciate both? I appreciate both, myself.
Keeping in mind that all tobaccos are treated to make them palatable, they all are cased with flavors to make them palatable. Then, aromatic blends are enhanced and "topped" to bring forward additional top-notes of a specific, or most often, a combination of flavors not specifically identifiable as a specific ingredient.
If you have questions about blending in this Topic, ask. If I know the answer, I will post. Or, if I don't know the answer, I will make an educated guess based on my knowledge. I will communicate with Craig or Chris Tarler of Cornell and Diehl to get an answer for you if necessary.
Have at it!

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[hanymamdouh]

Great topic Captain Bob, and thanks for sharing your great 50 years experince.
Ok, let me start by telling you exaclty what I'm looking for. Finding a tobacco that smokes very cool, a little bit dry, with falvour of toasted bread (as if you missed it in the toaster and began to form those black spots), do you know that odor? that's what I'm looking for. I've tried alot of blends, and tried to blend tobacco with each other to reach what I'm looking for, but still couldn't find it. I know flavour is different than room note, but i used to inhale a little of the smoke from my nose as well as my mouth so I can enjoy the smoke smell and flavour. I hope you help me finding my dream tobacco.

 

[brian64]

Primarily looking for the taste of tobacco, especially VA. Not a fan of the aromatics per se, but I do enjoy the addition of "condiments" such as latakia and perique...or even a light topping or "casing" such as the plum flavor on Univ. Flake. To be more specific as to exact blending recipes and nuances of flavor is difficult because the possible variations are endless and I could enjoy many of them as long as the actual tobacco taste is only enhanced or complimented, but never masked.

 

[zanthal]

You are more of a veteran pipe smoker than I realized captainbob, and I'd be proud to have my own blend like you do.
For me, I go about deciding if I like a tobacco by breaking it down into two parts. Does it have unpleasant characteristics, and does it have pleasant characteristics?
Variety is the spice of life and for me it's the same with tobacco, so I like to try many. I'm equally okay with strong flavor, and mild flavor, so long as the blend comes together avoiding the two big nasties of pipe tobacco (for me):
1) bitterness
2) bite
too much of either of those, and I move on to another tobacco.
I prefer Latakia over Virginias, I've arrived at that conclusion as well.
'condiments' or 'toppings' that add various flavors, well the jury is out on those. I'm not familiar enough with them to come to a decision about them. I'm lost wondering whether the 'topping' has caused either bitterness or bite, or whether it was the blend itself.
this is a good topic, and it needs re-visiting now and again.

 

[brian64]

Clarification to my above comments: when I said, "condiments" such as latakia and perique, I of course mean "condiment tobaccos".

 

[pawpaw]

well Mister Blender when do you consider "Cut" and how does it effect the flavor ? I love flakes, and plugs but I have rencently picked up a tin of some cube cut and I realy like the easy way it loads.

 

[captainbob]

hanymamdouh, I think I know the taste you are referring to. I have two suggestions you may want to look into.

Orlik Golden Sliced Red and Two Friends Heritage. TobaccoReviews.com will have opinions on these. Read the reviews before you invest.
pawpaw, In my experience, if you take the same exact blend and cut it differently or press and slice it, there may be a slight difference in taste. But, that has more to do with buring temperature and moisture. Depending on the cut you should adjust your draw to keep the bowl warm and not hot. Pressed tobacco is much more moist because it has to be in order to become pressed. The marriage aspect of this process can have an affect on taste, similar to aging. However, I have also had the experience of trying different cuts of a blend and not been able to discern any significant difference in taste.

 

[orionpyoung]

I've always dreamed of an "Irish Dinner Blend". Something with the ketchup smell of Frog Morton on the Bayou, the black pepper taste of Peterson's Old Dublin, a toasty roast flavor some where in there and a mild grassy favor to add the green to the blend. Is that to much to ask, perhaps not by using different cuts to control balance of the various flavors? Meal in a bowl is what I'm looking for, something heavy, hearty and complex. What can I say I'm a lush!

 

[bigvan]

I have a question, Skipper.
I've always thought that OTC blends use cheaper, lower quality leaf compared to C&D, McClellands, Hearth and Home or any other top shelf blender.
What's your opinion on the quality of tobacco leaf used by lower and higher end blends?

 

[captainbob]

orionpyoung,
Based on what you described, you might try creating your own Mixture. You could mix Frog Morton on the Bayou, Peterson's Old Dublin and perhaps Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake. You will have to determine the amount of each and adjust to taste. Here is a tip. It is called the "Volume Method". Use a shot glass and fill it with one ingredient of your mixture. You could start with a three equal part Mixture (1-shot glass of each tobacco blend). Then, mix it together in a bowl. Next, put it in a small Mason jar pressed as tight as you can to remove the air in the mix. Over night the flavors will begin to marry and you could give it a try to see how you like it the next day.
Rules to follow:
1. The volume method is great for such small amounts of initial testing as described above. But, if you find something you really like, get a digital scale to measure your portions in the mixture before doing a large bulk amount.
2. Your three blends will have different cuts. Rub out the flakes and be sure to hand mix well.
3. This is most important! Right down each formula you test. Trust me on this one. I have learned the hard way and you might think you will remember what you did, but you won't!
4. When placing each part of the tobacco mixture into the shot glass, don't pack the glass tight. Just use a very light thumb pressure so that you are getting about the same volume in each part of the mixture.
The reason a digital scale is recommended when making a large batch is because each of your blended tobaccos that form your mixture have varying moisture content. Using weight instead of volume will yield the best consistent results once you hit upon the right combination.
In the end you may end up with a formula such as 3/2/1 or something different than 1/1/1. In any case, using my method will waist the least tobacco because the volume of a shot glass is small. Yet, you will have more than a couple bowls to sample. Have fun!

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[captainbob]

bigvan,
I have always believed that tobacco manufacturers use the highest quality leaf they can possibly find to suit there blends. After all, regardless if they are big manufacturers (like Altadis) or small manufacturers (like Cornell and Diehl) the biggest problem facing them year in and year out is blend CONSISTENCY! The harvest is constantly evolving and changes from year to year. I will say that the little guys like McClelland and C&D do an outstanding job and that is not meant to take anything away from the big guns like Mac Baren or Lane.

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[orionpyoung]

Thank you very much! I think you just rounded out my next TAD, I'll post results when the experiments begin.

 

[captainbob]

zanthal,
You raise a very good question when wondering whether the 'topping' has caused either bitterness or bite, or whether it was the blend itself.
In my opinion the typical causes of "bite" are:
1. Fine (small-cut) tobacco
2. Too much moisture in a blend
3. Tobacco too dry
4. Packing the bowl too tight
5. Drawing (puffing) too hard or too fast
The "bitterness" aspect of a blend can be caused by:
1. An oversmoked uncleaned pipe not given enough rest and drying time
2. Your personal chemistry of the day including what you have put in your mouth
3. Some types of tobacco leaf can be bitter by nature and if a particular blend has a lot of it, that bitterness may not be to your liking. One example is Izmir Turkish. However, Turkish, balanced in a blend can be very good. In fact, there is 2/16ths Izmir Turkish in Captain Bob's Blend. So it's a question of ingredients and your taste preference.
Now, on the subject of "toppings" (flavor sauces applied to a blend), I do not believe that the addition of a "Top Note" by itself causes bite or bitterness. However, that being said, a heavy application on a strong aromatic blend makes the tobacco very moist. Unless you allow some drying time, it could cause both bite and bitterness as described above.
I am continuing to monitor this topic closely and as often as possible. I promise to make every effort to answer any questions you have. I do not hold myself out as an expert. I am an amateur blender and that has been a keen interest of mine throughout my 50 years of the pipe smoking hobby. And, for me, it is a hobby. Hell, it's a big part of my daily life!
I owe most of what I have learned to Craig Tarler of Cornell and Diehl. Our friendship over the years has been very rewarding because of his willingness to share his vast knowledge and love of pipe tobacco. Anything I can do to "give back", I am anxious to do. Craig set a beautiful example for me to follow.

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[cortezattic]

My tastes have changed over the course of my smoking career. I'd like to think they've evolved,

but in some instances I've rediscovered old favorites that had been neglected or abandoned. Currently

I prefer blends with noticeable sweetness and Virginia presence. For the past year or so I've been

locked into Mac Baren Virginia #1, Scottish Blend, Symphony, and Burley London Blend (for a change.)

It goes without saying, however, that I will not turn down the opportunity to sample any Va. flake.
ps. I realize that tastes vary from person to person, but it is beyond me how you could describe

Izmir (Smyrna) as bitter. I think it's one of the sweeter aromatic Orientals.

 

[captainbob]

brian64,
I want to share something with you. I also love Virginia, especially Red Virginias. I also enjoy medium-heavy Latakia blends. Now, on the subject of "Plum flavoring", that caught my eye. One of my favorite blends is Two Friends Heritage by Craig Tarler and G.L. Pease. This blend happens to be Craig Tarler's go-to blend. Even his employees swear that it is the only blend he smokes! There is no Latakia in Heritage. It is Red and Yellow Virginias, unflavored Black and Brown Cavendish and some large cut Burley leaf to give it extra body. Craig told me it has some Plum flavoring in it. Although, it is very light and smokes more like a non-aromatic. It is one of my all time favorites. You might enjoy it, too. Here is a link to read about the "Two Friends" series on the Cornell and Diehl site: http://cornellanddiehl.com/TF.htm

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[captainbob]

cortezattic,
Those blends you mentioned are a fine variety of great tobacco blends. My tastes have evolved, as well. In my case I was able to put my own specific taste and aroma requirements into a series of three blends with the help of Craig Tarler over years of experimenting. I smoke all three every day. I love the old saying "Smoke what you like and like what you smoke". I never intended to have the blends available to the public. That was Craig Tarler's idea and I will admit that my specific tastes are my own. I do not expect that the masses will ever flock to my blends in great numbers. But, isn't it wonderful that we have so many choices available from so many great sources?
And, yes I agree with you about Turkish as a wonderful element in a blend. I should have explained that my answer was really based on my having smoked singular tobacco leaf (raw) to study its characteristics. Raw tobacco is in my opinion horrible until cased and blended. Burley by itself can produce a bitterness to some smoker's taste buds, as well. Again, it is a matter of taste and preference.
I think I am caught up on answering questions to this point. But, if I do miss answering a specific question, please post or send me a personal message. I am really enjoying this discussion!

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[brian64]

@captainbob: Thank you for the tip...sounds very interesting...I will definitely put Two Friends on my TAD list!

 

[zanthal]

doh, looks like I made an off correlation. I took your condiment reference and turned it into flavoring toppings. but I digress.
and good points to consider captainbob, I hadn't really given most of those much thought, thanks and cheers to you.

 

[zanthal]

doh, looks like I made an off correlation. I took your condiment reference and turned it into flavoring toppings. but I digress.
and good points to consider captainbob, I hadn't really given most of those much thought, thanks and cheers to you.

 

[zanthal]

And I'll be helping your next TAD or PAD attack with any royalties you receive from a Captain Bob's purchase, I don't think I've tried an aromatic with latakia in it before.