Miskatonic University Blend Reviews
- Thread starter baronsamedi
- Start date
- Status
So, since Baron was kind enough to give me a baggy of his creation, I decided to sit down last night and really focus on the blend and write my first review. So here goes, be kind. ;-)
Upon opening the baggy I poked my nose in it and took a big sniff. A whiff of chocolate and vanilla greeted me, clearly interspersed with the characteristic aroma of the Oriental. Big black chunks of Cavendish and Latakia are interspersed with brown ribbons and some yellowish flakes and strings. A pinch with thumb and forefinger revealed a certain springiness, definitely not goopy and not overly moist. Given that I like my tobacco usually on the dry side, this seemed just about right. Undoubtedly the hot weather here and the less-than-perfect sealing in a ziplock baggie for the last four days have helped it lose some of its moisture.
I loaded up a medium sized bowl in a Pete 999 and checked the draw. As a smoker who has some serious challenges with Latakia, I was a bit apprehensive as I could taste the smokiness of aforementioned tobacco even when not lit. So I carefully moved the flame of my pipe lighter over the top and took little puffs to get the charring light. A little tamping, a quick relight and off to the races we were.
The initial smoke was actually quite nice. I could taste the nutty Burley mixed with a nice vanilla-like scent and taste. Not overly in-your-face vanilla like MacBaren's Vanilla cream, but a nice aroma lingering in the background. Perfectly balancing out the Burleys and Virginias, I was actually enjoying the smoke. I settled back, opened my book and slowly puffed away. The bowl progressed nicely with the occasional smokiness of the Latakia not overwhelming the experience, but I couldn't really detect much spiciness from the Perique. Burning cool and slowly, I almost forgot any Latakia was present in the mixture… until… a big whaft of smokiness filled my nostrils, my mouth went dry and the recognizable flavor of Latakia filled my mouth. "Yep, it's there all right". As some of you know I'm not a Lat fan, so it kinda caught me by surprise, but it definitely wasn't overwhelming except for when the flame found a chunk of Latakia and it lit it up like a dry pine tree.
Overall Miskatonic University blend provided me with an enjoyable 45 minutes in a Peterson 999 bowl, leaving me with nothing more than some dark grey ash and a little dottle.
In summary I found the blend to be a cool burning, quite pleasant experience. A variety of flavors came through depending on whether the mixture would hit some cavendish, burley or Latakia. Not a constant mixed flavor palate, but more similar to what one would experience carefully layering different tobaccos in one's bowl. A pleasant evening smoke, good with a book and a strong cup of Joe. Perhaps would be good with a nice Stout or Porter as well. Definitely not a Lat-bomb, but it did have enough of it present that this would probably not be a regular smoke for me. A little more Perique to amp up the spiciness and perhaps it would find its way into my rotation more easily. But overall.. nice job Baron !
Upon opening the baggy I poked my nose in it and took a big sniff. A whiff of chocolate and vanilla greeted me, clearly interspersed with the characteristic aroma of the Oriental. Big black chunks of Cavendish and Latakia are interspersed with brown ribbons and some yellowish flakes and strings. A pinch with thumb and forefinger revealed a certain springiness, definitely not goopy and not overly moist. Given that I like my tobacco usually on the dry side, this seemed just about right. Undoubtedly the hot weather here and the less-than-perfect sealing in a ziplock baggie for the last four days have helped it lose some of its moisture.
I loaded up a medium sized bowl in a Pete 999 and checked the draw. As a smoker who has some serious challenges with Latakia, I was a bit apprehensive as I could taste the smokiness of aforementioned tobacco even when not lit. So I carefully moved the flame of my pipe lighter over the top and took little puffs to get the charring light. A little tamping, a quick relight and off to the races we were.
The initial smoke was actually quite nice. I could taste the nutty Burley mixed with a nice vanilla-like scent and taste. Not overly in-your-face vanilla like MacBaren's Vanilla cream, but a nice aroma lingering in the background. Perfectly balancing out the Burleys and Virginias, I was actually enjoying the smoke. I settled back, opened my book and slowly puffed away. The bowl progressed nicely with the occasional smokiness of the Latakia not overwhelming the experience, but I couldn't really detect much spiciness from the Perique. Burning cool and slowly, I almost forgot any Latakia was present in the mixture… until… a big whaft of smokiness filled my nostrils, my mouth went dry and the recognizable flavor of Latakia filled my mouth. "Yep, it's there all right". As some of you know I'm not a Lat fan, so it kinda caught me by surprise, but it definitely wasn't overwhelming except for when the flame found a chunk of Latakia and it lit it up like a dry pine tree.
Overall Miskatonic University blend provided me with an enjoyable 45 minutes in a Peterson 999 bowl, leaving me with nothing more than some dark grey ash and a little dottle.
In summary I found the blend to be a cool burning, quite pleasant experience. A variety of flavors came through depending on whether the mixture would hit some cavendish, burley or Latakia. Not a constant mixed flavor palate, but more similar to what one would experience carefully layering different tobaccos in one's bowl. A pleasant evening smoke, good with a book and a strong cup of Joe. Perhaps would be good with a nice Stout or Porter as well. Definitely not a Lat-bomb, but it did have enough of it present that this would probably not be a regular smoke for me. A little more Perique to amp up the spiciness and perhaps it would find its way into my rotation more easily. But overall.. nice job Baron !
Also, I was present when the giant piece of Latakia fired up and almost took Mick out. I gotta say, for a guy who doesn't like Lats, he is a trooper!
One thing I did in the batch that got mailed out (I had to make more to accommodate the samples), is I cut down some of the Lat flakes so that they blend in better. That way, when they show up in the mix, it's like "Hey, a touch of Latakia." not "Holy Crap there's a burning cedar plank in my nose!"
One thing I did in the batch that got mailed out (I had to make more to accommodate the samples), is I cut down some of the Lat flakes so that they blend in better. That way, when they show up in the mix, it's like "Hey, a touch of Latakia." not "Holy Crap there's a burning cedar plank in my nose!"
Happened again last night ;-) There's really chunks of Lat in the mixture, which is OK since it's balanced out with other stuff. But I can tell though that it's in there... a little more soreness in the mouth after smoking it, but not as bad as with let's say Penzance.
Is exactly right. Overall, I think it's pretty well balanced. But of course as a Va/Per guy.. more Perique please ;-)
I just had a few puffs of this blend a moment ago... I'm not experienced enough to give a review comparable to Mick's (in fact, I haven't even read it so ... we'll see how my taste buds compare):
The prominence is definitely in the Burley and Perique, the Latakia is hardly noticeable in either tin note or taste/body. I'm not a fan of Perique-heavy blends, the spiciness doesn't do well on my palette when it's at the forefront. But this blend rounds out nicely.
I think you might be on to something, the different elements here compliment each other well, baronsamedi, and what's more, I can't recall even hearing of a blend that had Cavendish, Burley, Perique and Latakia.
It's worth a try, all. It's no aromatic but it's mild enough.
The prominence is definitely in the Burley and Perique, the Latakia is hardly noticeable in either tin note or taste/body. I'm not a fan of Perique-heavy blends, the spiciness doesn't do well on my palette when it's at the forefront. But this blend rounds out nicely.
I think you might be on to something, the different elements here compliment each other well, baronsamedi, and what's more, I can't recall even hearing of a blend that had Cavendish, Burley, Perique and Latakia.
It's worth a try, all. It's no aromatic but it's mild enough.
Thanks, zanthal! the Perique is just over 3% of the blend and the Latakia is down around 1-1/2% I actually tried an "aromatic" version with a topping, but I ultimately decided that I should just find a way to let the tobaccos flavor the blend and sent the aro version to the graveyard.
Mick, you really either love the blend or just love to suffer! your experience kind or reminds me of when I put too much wasabi on my sushi and breathe through my nose.
Mick, you really either love the blend or just love to suffer! your experience kind or reminds me of when I put too much wasabi on my sushi and breathe through my nose.
:
I'm the same way. I had to try real hard not to order a bunch of Orientals and turn it into a Balkan.
Today I checked the mailbox and received a sample of Baransamede's blend. I was interested from the little note I received with it as I am a very eclectic individual and pal around with the same sort of people.
Eclectic is the word that best describes this bacci mixture. It doesn't remind me of any blend I have had the pleasure of sampling.
The sample was warm from the Florida sun baking the mailbox. The aroma from the mailbox will linger there for a bit I think. I stuck my nose deep in the bag and smelled the perique right off. I eagerly packed my meer and took it outside (no smoking in the house). The initial light didn't give the expected sweet and spicey sent, it gave the latakia flavor and smell right away. I was thinking great another lat heavy blend that drowns the other flavors out...but I was surprised on the pure light after I let the char light go out. Wow is this a spicey mix. The first few draws were heavy in the parique flavor which intensified through the entire bowl. Now I am not a big parique lover but can enjoy it on occasion. As I got closer to the heal of the bowl I tasted more of the burley and cavandish just rounding out the spicey cyprian lat and saint james perique. Make sure you have a drink on hand it made my salavary glands go crazy.
My honest opinion is this is a good solid smoke. Just not something to consume around a bunch of people. I like it as the once in a while smoke.
My second bowl was in my Pioneer Calabash. I have second thoughts on the smoke now. The chamber gave the smoke time to congregate all the flavors and when it cooled and hit my palet. I can say this is probably the best way to enjoy the true combined flavors of this smoke.
Congrats Baron, a very nice blend. :clap:
Eclectic is the word that best describes this bacci mixture. It doesn't remind me of any blend I have had the pleasure of sampling.
The sample was warm from the Florida sun baking the mailbox. The aroma from the mailbox will linger there for a bit I think. I stuck my nose deep in the bag and smelled the perique right off. I eagerly packed my meer and took it outside (no smoking in the house). The initial light didn't give the expected sweet and spicey sent, it gave the latakia flavor and smell right away. I was thinking great another lat heavy blend that drowns the other flavors out...but I was surprised on the pure light after I let the char light go out. Wow is this a spicey mix. The first few draws were heavy in the parique flavor which intensified through the entire bowl. Now I am not a big parique lover but can enjoy it on occasion. As I got closer to the heal of the bowl I tasted more of the burley and cavandish just rounding out the spicey cyprian lat and saint james perique. Make sure you have a drink on hand it made my salavary glands go crazy.
My honest opinion is this is a good solid smoke. Just not something to consume around a bunch of people. I like it as the once in a while smoke.
My second bowl was in my Pioneer Calabash. I have second thoughts on the smoke now. The chamber gave the smoke time to congregate all the flavors and when it cooled and hit my palet. I can say this is probably the best way to enjoy the true combined flavors of this smoke.
Congrats Baron, a very nice blend. :clap:
Thanks, man. That Latakia is hard to reign in, especially when you happen to like it as much as I do.
Tolerance seems to have the same experience as me...I've been holding any more comments trying to get a consistent smoke from 2 pipes, but it seems to be a little different in every pipe...crap I'm over analyzing again. Its good stuff.
@ Dave you should have it tomorrow..
@ Dave you should have it tomorrow..
Got home from work today to find my sample waiting. I must say, I smoke mainly Blue Note with a venture to Nightcap sometimes. While I'm not good at reviewing, I'll give it a shot. I opened the bag to smell the tobacco, I thought I was smelling latakia but I see toker said he smelled perique. It could have been perique, I'm not familiar with it. I loaded up a Mastercraft and walked out to the shed. I got on the 4-wheeler and road over to the creek. I sat there on the bank and lit my pipe. Hmm, Is that spice? I tamped the tobacco and relighted. The first couple puffs I could really taste the spice. Then, I got to watching a squirrel make his way along the creek bank. The tobacco mellowed out. I was thinking of myself sitting in my study in the moonlit hours. Yep, I see what Baron was thinking. After the squirrel vanished, I rode slowly down the creek enjoying this new blend. I thought it was a good smoke. Not just for moonlit hours in the study, but also while sitting on a creek bank pondering the view. Thanks Baron. :clap:
The spice and plum/currant smell was for sure the Perique. The Cyprian Latakia was probably the source of any smokey/piney aromas. I think the smoke will be more mellow and consistent once I have a chance to let it age and "blend" a little more. As tested, it's very new and I see a common thread of it changing with the pipe and even during the smoke.
thanks for your reviews and post any new insights. This is all very helpful!
thanks for your reviews and post any new insights. This is all very helpful!
Hey baronsamedi, the sample you sent me showed up today. While I can't get into it this evening, it will be my smoke for Friday and Saturday. I'll post my thoughts this Saturday evening. On Saturdays I can have a beer with it 
Received my sample in the mail today and couldn’t wait to try it and write my first review. It must be luck that it arrived on my birthday! I enlisted my girlfriend for another person’s (layman) perspective. I’ve divided my review into sections for easy perusal:
I. Appearance/Texture: The blend was very colorful in the bag, and the different types of tobaccos really made the blend look appealing even before I loaded a pipe. The texture was rather dry, especially compared to aromatics I’ve tried.
II. Scent: I first smelled the tobacco from the mouth of the bag, and I immediately picked up on damp wood, plum, vaguely beef jerky (think Frog Morton), and vanilla notes. Once I really stuck my nose down into the bag, more sweetness became apparent. When I smelled the bag again later on after smoking, the scent was definitely sweeter.
III. Room Notes: My girlfriend and I totally agreed on the room notes. There was distinct vanilla, a wonderfully pleasant woodsy/campfire scent, and subtle sweetness. The room notes were very similar to the way the blend smelled from the mouth of the bag it was in.
IV. Tasting Notes—First Smoke: Since it was my birthday and I was given such a generous sample, I decided to try smoking the Miskatonic blend in two different pipes. The first one was a 1970s Brebbia Freehand. I first lit the pipe with a Zippo pipe lighter, and the tobacco lit easily after tamping. I was immediately impressed with the mellow coolness of the blend. The vanilla added a slight sweetness, and the woody, campfire scent I mentioned before came through well in the taste. The pine/cedar taste of the Latkia was prominent but not overwhelming (of course, I’m a fan of Latkia…). I later repacked this pipe and lit it with matches, and I seemed to get more sweetness at first and then some great waves of cedar. This may well have been because I just happened to be drawing tobacco from the bottom of the bag this time, though.
V. Tasting Notes – Second Smoke: For my second try of the Miskatonic University Blend, I used a self-assembled pipe with a full-bent Wimbledon and church warden stem and lit the tobacco with matches. I greatly preferred using this pipe, as I feel like the cooling effect it gave allowed even more flavor to come through. The hint of sweetness and fantastic campfire/cedar scent stayed, but I also detected some spice that bordered on nutmeg. The Perique came through much, much more. The aftertaste with both this pipe and the Brebbia was one of coffee and vanilla with some mild bitterness.
VI. Smoking Suggestions: I smoked this blend outside on a hot, humid day, and I felt like it was actually cooling. If nothing else, it was definitely relaxing in such miserable weather. I would recommend someone smoke this with a dark beer (a lager, stout, or Irish Red would be suitable) or perhaps with a dark rum, like the always-awesome Kraken. I prefer pairing my pipe tobaccos with complementary flavors as opposed to contrasting flavors, so I could also see smoking this blend with a coffee or White Russian.
VII. Final Impressions: Like others have said, I definitely think this blend could be improved with more Perique. However, with that said, I really enjoyed this blend and could see myself smoking it very frequently, especially during the summer months. I honestly could see this blend being sold successfully in stores (I’d buy it in a heartbeat!), and I think it would be a great addition to the box pass. Even my girlfriend—who really doesn’t like the taste of very many tobaccos—enjoyed this one. Very well done! Thank you again for sharing such a great blend with us! I have some left, and I look forward to smoking it.
P.S. My girlfriend is an English major, so she helped me write this review. I’m not quite as great with words as she is.
I. Appearance/Texture: The blend was very colorful in the bag, and the different types of tobaccos really made the blend look appealing even before I loaded a pipe. The texture was rather dry, especially compared to aromatics I’ve tried.
II. Scent: I first smelled the tobacco from the mouth of the bag, and I immediately picked up on damp wood, plum, vaguely beef jerky (think Frog Morton), and vanilla notes. Once I really stuck my nose down into the bag, more sweetness became apparent. When I smelled the bag again later on after smoking, the scent was definitely sweeter.
III. Room Notes: My girlfriend and I totally agreed on the room notes. There was distinct vanilla, a wonderfully pleasant woodsy/campfire scent, and subtle sweetness. The room notes were very similar to the way the blend smelled from the mouth of the bag it was in.
IV. Tasting Notes—First Smoke: Since it was my birthday and I was given such a generous sample, I decided to try smoking the Miskatonic blend in two different pipes. The first one was a 1970s Brebbia Freehand. I first lit the pipe with a Zippo pipe lighter, and the tobacco lit easily after tamping. I was immediately impressed with the mellow coolness of the blend. The vanilla added a slight sweetness, and the woody, campfire scent I mentioned before came through well in the taste. The pine/cedar taste of the Latkia was prominent but not overwhelming (of course, I’m a fan of Latkia…). I later repacked this pipe and lit it with matches, and I seemed to get more sweetness at first and then some great waves of cedar. This may well have been because I just happened to be drawing tobacco from the bottom of the bag this time, though.
V. Tasting Notes – Second Smoke: For my second try of the Miskatonic University Blend, I used a self-assembled pipe with a full-bent Wimbledon and church warden stem and lit the tobacco with matches. I greatly preferred using this pipe, as I feel like the cooling effect it gave allowed even more flavor to come through. The hint of sweetness and fantastic campfire/cedar scent stayed, but I also detected some spice that bordered on nutmeg. The Perique came through much, much more. The aftertaste with both this pipe and the Brebbia was one of coffee and vanilla with some mild bitterness.
VI. Smoking Suggestions: I smoked this blend outside on a hot, humid day, and I felt like it was actually cooling. If nothing else, it was definitely relaxing in such miserable weather. I would recommend someone smoke this with a dark beer (a lager, stout, or Irish Red would be suitable) or perhaps with a dark rum, like the always-awesome Kraken. I prefer pairing my pipe tobaccos with complementary flavors as opposed to contrasting flavors, so I could also see smoking this blend with a coffee or White Russian.
VII. Final Impressions: Like others have said, I definitely think this blend could be improved with more Perique. However, with that said, I really enjoyed this blend and could see myself smoking it very frequently, especially during the summer months. I honestly could see this blend being sold successfully in stores (I’d buy it in a heartbeat!), and I think it would be a great addition to the box pass. Even my girlfriend—who really doesn’t like the taste of very many tobaccos—enjoyed this one. Very well done! Thank you again for sharing such a great blend with us! I have some left, and I look forward to smoking it.
P.S. My girlfriend is an English major, so she helped me write this review. I’m not quite as great with words as she is.
This is something my hero, Russ Ouellette always does. If I had to choose between pretty and tasty, I'll go with tasty, but in this case, I agree. It's a pretty blend. The same thing with the tin (or bag) note. Russ' blends all smell so damned intriguing out of the tin. Since this was a Lovecraft-inspired blend, I wanted the element of mystery!
This is one reason I didn't sauce it and make it a full-on aro. I wanted it smokable right from the bag with no worries of goop. The only flavorings are the original casings used in the production of the Cavendish and other tobaccos.
It was born and bred in Texas! If it can smoke cool and consistent in 100+ weather and 40+ humidity, it can survive anywhere!
uh-oh. That's 3.
The original "Miskatonic" was a jar of leftovers, which not only contained some aros, but also some English and VaPer leavings. The ever-changing palate in this blend is a reflection of something I enjoyed in the original. It was one reason I equated it with Lovecraft, it was confounding at times. I like it, but part of the reason I sent out samples is to see if that factor was going to be cloying to people.
The chameleon-like nature of Magnum Opus (yes, Russ again) was what turned me into a stalwart fan of the Balkan blend, but this blend is well...different.
- Status