To get a nice Burley smoke I have been mixing PS41 with Pressed Burley John Cottons .About 80% PS41. Who else does similar mixing and what are your mixes ?
Mixing Blends
- Thread starter jraggreg56
- Start date
I mix often but I'm just following my heart at the time so nothing I do the same every single time.
One of my favourite home-made blends is mixing an English with an aromatic.
My first foray into buying unknown blends over the internet was a couple of pounds of Mark Twain.
A pleasant enough aro but too moist and sticky for my tastes.
Another was London Squire, an English blend that was dry and a bit too astringent.
Nothing goes to waste here [replacement cost is $125 for 50 grams] so I started experimenting.
The Mark Twain + London Squire mix was so nice that I mixed all of it together.
A lovely all day blend.
Often I find that Virginia blends taste much better with a touch of Burley added.
Some Burley blends improve with a little Virginia.
Either way the blends become more balanced for my tastes.
Adding a little un-topped Black Cavendish also works well.
My first foray into buying unknown blends over the internet was a couple of pounds of Mark Twain.
A pleasant enough aro but too moist and sticky for my tastes.
Another was London Squire, an English blend that was dry and a bit too astringent.
Nothing goes to waste here [replacement cost is $125 for 50 grams] so I started experimenting.
The Mark Twain + London Squire mix was so nice that I mixed all of it together.
A lovely all day blend.
Often I find that Virginia blends taste much better with a touch of Burley added.
Some Burley blends improve with a little Virginia.
Either way the blends become more balanced for my tastes.
Adding a little un-topped Black Cavendish also works well.
I used to mix five brothers with a wide variety of blends, but after a while I switched mixing c&d dark burley with a bit of their white burley. That’s my everyday smoke. For variety I’ll occasionally add a touch of c&d dark and white to ramback
I do the same @chopper mix just a little latakia forward mix into some 7 seas or Captain Black, and it adds quite a bit of liveliness.
There's not a lot of 'crossover' blends [that I'm aware of at least] and wonder if it's something that a lot of pipe smokers haven't tried.
Maybe adding a bit of Latakia to an aromatic may not be something that sounds appealing to many? Idk.
Have you tried Count Pulaski?
It's a very tasty example.
I've not tried it. I'll put it on the list, thank you for the recommendation!
And have added HH Old Dark Fired to this, as well. Also have gone by to see Skip at the Briary a few times since they have "closed". It is still a pleasant experience to go in. New hours are on his website.
Yeah, occasionally.
Two very easy blends are
- Red n Black (Sutliff 515 RC and Sutliff 507 S)
and
- Half n Half (Peter Stokkebye PS 702 Burley and Sutliff 515 RC)
Both 50/50 mix.
I like to mix a little Latakia with just about any non lat blend just to see how it tastes. Lately I’ve been adding a pinch to a bowl of well rubbed out 3 Nuns and I’ve been happy with the results.
Bothy Flake
Pembroke
St. Ives
HGL
Pasha's Dream
Black Frigate
Burma Road
Cross Eyed Cricket
MB Plum Cake
MB The Solent Mixture
Lizzie's Blood Red English
Distinguished Gentleman
Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend
etc.
I will add perique to a number of blends, jar it, shake it up and leave it alone for about a month. Nothing really spectacular but a couple "this is pretty tasty" but I haven't kept any measurements or records! oh well.
I've added 5 Brothers or Perique to a blend ok occasion. I'll only do so if I find thr blend a bit boring.
"Haunted Woods" is my mix of 50/50 Haunted Bookshop and Boswell's Northwoods. The drier HB and moister Northwoods mixed together make a perfect ready to smoke dryness (imho) and burns smoothly (and much slower than just HB). The Northwoods mellows out the nic-level of the HB so I can enjoy a whole bowl without feeling like I just got back on shore after a week at sea. 
The ghost must be an olde Engish lady or dandy from way back as the mix releases an unexpected incense/perfume note about 1/3 of the way in, which I do not get from either on it's own... Like a scented powder of old... rose and sandalwood, or..? I speculate the perique is working some magic with the latakia. I can't quite put my finger on this haunting scent...
The ghost must be an olde Engish lady or dandy from way back as the mix releases an unexpected incense/perfume note about 1/3 of the way in, which I do not get from either on it's own... Like a scented powder of old... rose and sandalwood, or..? I speculate the perique is working some magic with the latakia. I can't quite put my finger on this haunting scent...
Coniston Cut Plug 50/50(eyeballed not measured accurately) with Derringer. This alters the ratio of va’s to burleys. I tend to like burley condimentaly .
i've noticed your posting on this before! I look forward to trying sometime if (when) I acquire the component parts.
I like to mix Black Cavendish into a lot of blends that aren't sweet enough for my liking. If I had to do that though I don't buy them again, but it makes it smokable to me so I don't waste it.
Just made a 2oz mix of Sutliff Match Ready Rubbed, Amphora VA and C&D Latakia. Very nice smoke.
Just smoked home blended Hobbit Weed that I pressed in a noodle press for a week. Really changes the blend.