Baron, if I ever decide to create a Burley mixture, I'm gonna run with your theme and call it something like Eric Zahn's Mixture or Herbert West Blend 
Miskatonic University Blend Reviews
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Erik Zahn's Mixture...Must keep smoking or monsters from the void shall invade our universe...
Herbert West will be my ultra-high nicotine VA and Dark-Fired Kentucky blend! Something that will wake the dead!
Herbert West will be my ultra-high nicotine VA and Dark-Fired Kentucky blend! Something that will wake the dead!
If anyone can find any evidence that HP Lovecraft smoked a pipe, I'd love to see it. He was a man of few vices. Didn't cavort with loose women, Didn't drink alcohol or use Hasheesh (surprisingly popular in his day)and as far as I know, he was a non-smoker. He did have a gun collection and liked to plink with .22s but he sold almost all of it after he killed a squirrel and felt guilty about it. He was sort of the Yin to Edgar Allen Poe's Yang.
Baron,
You are correct H.P. Lovecraft was a man of very few vices. In fact, Lovecraft found smoking to be "horrific" and never indulged himself in it a single time (or so he claimed). So no pictures of Lovecraft with a pipe exist not even a pipe as a prop.
Nevertheless, despite him missing out on one of life's great joys he sure was a writer ahead of his time. In my opinion, writers of today are still trying to catch up with him.
Cheers! :puffpipe:
You are correct H.P. Lovecraft was a man of very few vices. In fact, Lovecraft found smoking to be "horrific" and never indulged himself in it a single time (or so he claimed). So no pictures of Lovecraft with a pipe exist not even a pipe as a prop.
Nevertheless, despite him missing out on one of life's great joys he sure was a writer ahead of his time. In my opinion, writers of today are still trying to catch up with him.
Cheers! :puffpipe:
Very true. There are a couple of his stories where a character smoked a pipe, but you're right, he usually spoke of smoke and drink with disdain. In the story The Lurking Fear the narrator smokes a pipe while waiting for the impending attack, but little is said about it other than that. If I remember right, Lovecraft was asthmatic, so the smoke may have bothered him.
Just an update on Miskatonic. I decided to have a little with some coffee today. Gotta say I'm pretty happy with the subtle changes I've made. The Virginia is a little more forward which makes he initial light sweeter and the room note a little more fragrant. The spice from the added Perique really says hello in the body of the smoke and the smooth of the uncased Black Cavendish still dominates. The biggest change I made was to half the Burley and substitute some Turkish for the missing half and that took away that acrid quality that would sometimes show up on a DGT smoke. I feel like it could use more Latakia, but that may just be the Blackblood in me and I don't want it to be a "needs more cowbell" incident. Even Mick should be safe with the amount I've used, only about 1.5%
I designed the blend to be one that could be sold in bulk and everyone could afford if it were ever picked up, but I would love to see what 2 years of tin aging could do. It's already smooth and aging would make it like a silk stocking. Smoking slow while I read HP Lovecraft stories was my inspiration and I still think a long pipe and a long read suit this blend perfectly.
The stuff I'm smoking was what was left at the bottom of the tub after sealing up 5 lbs very tightly in jars and it makes me think "the good stuff" will be even better. Come on December!
I designed the blend to be one that could be sold in bulk and everyone could afford if it were ever picked up, but I would love to see what 2 years of tin aging could do. It's already smooth and aging would make it like a silk stocking. Smoking slow while I read HP Lovecraft stories was my inspiration and I still think a long pipe and a long read suit this blend perfectly.
The stuff I'm smoking was what was left at the bottom of the tub after sealing up 5 lbs very tightly in jars and it makes me think "the good stuff" will be even better. Come on December!
I have been smoking the latest run of MU for a couple of weeks now.
I really liked the initial sample that I received around 6 months ago. I really like the new batch too.
Overall, it is just a tad sweeter than the sample. It is also a bit smoother, which I imagine is the result
of the aging. To me, I don't find the Perique or the Lat weaving in and out as much as they did in the sample
but now they seem to be in the background but always there. Not sure if this is due to the slight changes in the blend or again a result of the aging process. All in all, still a VERY tasty blend that I would not hesitate to recommend and will certainly keep in stock. Keep up the great work, Baron :clap:
I really liked the initial sample that I received around 6 months ago. I really like the new batch too.
Overall, it is just a tad sweeter than the sample. It is also a bit smoother, which I imagine is the result
of the aging. To me, I don't find the Perique or the Lat weaving in and out as much as they did in the sample
but now they seem to be in the background but always there. Not sure if this is due to the slight changes in the blend or again a result of the aging process. All in all, still a VERY tasty blend that I would not hesitate to recommend and will certainly keep in stock. Keep up the great work, Baron :clap:
I was gifted a sample of this and it is really a delicious blend. I liked it so well I ordered myself a 4oz yesterday. Not sure which batch I received the sample from but it was pulled from the box pass. It was very tasty! It is definitely worth trying. I am interested in seeing if I can see any discernible changes in the 12/21 batch. Thanks Baron!
The 12/21 batch is a good as the first. Keep up the great work Baron!! I can't wait to try D(r)agon Dark! Not sure if the "r" was omitted in the PM but from his first blend, it is something that made it to the "must try" list! Do yourself a favor if you haven't tried Miskatonic University and pick up an oz or so. You will be glad you did.
Got gifted a sample of this...I'm not sure, not enough of any one flavor to make it a true stand out but a smooth balanced smoke, with hints of different flavors running throughout the bowl, tried it in a few pipes, including a fresh cob, just to rule out ghosting. But the flavours seem to just stay out of range I can almost get the lat or is it per,wait now its almost nutty,or maybe vanilla,It's a complex smoke to say the least. Trying to pick out and concentrate on tasting any one note will most definately bring about a Lovecraftian madness. Girlfriend politely requested I not smoke it while she's around, so take that how you will on the room note. All in all I rather enjoyed the blend, though trying to pick out flavors so I could review it, drove me a bit mad.
Glad you all enjoyed it! The next one will be called "Dagon Dark" (no r) after another Lovecraft story. This one will be darker, sweeter, smokier and a bit more vitamin N than it's cousin Miskatonic. I got a few tips from Russ O about some of the particular ingredients so I should have something interesting to report soon.
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