October Tobacco Crawl with Greg L. Pease

[jpmcwjr]

OK, with limited experience in both The Crawl and in reviewing tobacco, I tried to parallel test these two blends, as I had seen a couple of posts mentioning them in the same sentence.
Here's the setup:

I tried to make the tobaccos equal in some respects to one another by air drying the same length and rubbing to somewhat the same bulk to each other, though with different cuts, that cannot be fully achieved. And the Escudo was a touch drier in the tine than Six Pence as it had been opened several weeks ago. And, no, except for the silly opening photo, pipes were not lit at the same time.
Then I used two similar Petersons, packed the same and lit and smoked under the same conditions, on the porch on a mild Fall day. Notes to follow.

 

[misterlowercase]

I decided to call the number on an unsmoked David Enrique squashed Rhodesian for this crawl.

I cube cut the SixPence as per my usual routine.

It's always good to experiment with new blends as far as prep and load,

but for my initial flight, I chose my tried-n-true preference.
Loaded to the top.

Decided to pair with Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale.

Char light.

Took to flame exceedingly well, offering a robust burst of introductory flavor. Extremely smooth with an almost prunish profile, along with a noticeable woodsy smokiness.
True light.

Continued with an enhanced robustness, full flavored, moreso akin to the raisin/dark stewed fruit profile noted upon original olfactory inspection when opening - no sign of perique spiciness, of which I am particularly sensitive. I don't smoke many VaPers because their oft peppery traits induce a "faux bite" on my palate, sort of numbing my senses - similarly, I avoid most spicy foods for the same reason, I usually prefer decadent richness over tingling spice.

SixPence produced a generous volume of smoke, and the body seemed to be on the bigger side of medium. At one early point, a slight perique influence appeared, especially on retrohale, but overall it continued with a dark and delicious fruity profile.
As I took a sip of brown ale, SixPence overpowered it, and dominated my tastebuds, giving an absolutely wonderful aftertaste which lingered and delighted.
I let it go out halfway down because I have a bad tendency to overpuff and I wanted my pipe to cool down some. I went to the loo and noted again how lovely the SixPence stuck to my palate, carrying itself at forefront, and upon re-entry of smoking room, noticed the room-note which reminded me greatly of a grand leatherbound library, in a sort of majestic presence, clinging to the atmosphere in the same way a turn of phrase from Shakespeare may haunt you.
Relight at halfpoint ushered in a slight bit of pepper, but quite subdued and only as a high-note icing on top of the fruity breadth. The topping on this stuff is fully integrated and seamlessly meshes with the tobacco to create a unified flavor field - it seems enhanced yet natural, robustly intense but somehow reserved, flagrant yet secretive.

It also seems to inhabit the old world and the new world simultaneously.
SixPence is very forgiving and refused to bite despite my manic locomotive overpuffing. Alternating between deep puff sessions and slow simmer smolder offered an expanse of differing depths. Oddly, by 3/4 down, the body had seemed to recede toward the lower end of medium, yet still gave forth an intensity of concentrated flavor, and I noticed the anise character a bit more at this stage, like a fine silk drapery, it covered a strong backbone with delicate allure - seductive and sensuous.
The bottom seemed to bring some body back, and I was feeling a bit of N impact.

Smoking the bowl felt refreshing, clean, and invigorating. There wasn't a smidgen of harshness the whole way down, it is supersmooth and retains a robust flavor throughout - amplified yet seemingly very natural at the same time.
A seductive masterpiece methinks.
Only soft ash remained,

no dense dottle at all.

All that from the first bowl and an initial impression.
Quite impressive.
Looking forward to getting to know this stuff better!

::

 

[jpmcwjr]

Nice report and great photos! I am still searching for words to complete my side-by-side.

 

[jkrug]

I don't have much to add for this first blend of the crawl. I've had a few bowls out of the tin but right now I'm dealing with a nasty cold/sinus infection so there is no real smoking joy to be had due to this. I will add though that I have been smoking SixPence for a few months and it is a blend that I really enjoy. The tin note for me is absolutely delicious. Sweet and fruity with plum/raisan like notes and sometimes a sort of saucey bbq meaty note....wonderful. The smoking experience for me is full and very well rounded/balanced, just an all around pleasant smoking experience. I don't find the nic hit bad on this blend at all. I have a few tins in the cellar to age and I look forward to trying it further down the road.
For now I'm hoping this sinus infection clears up so I can enjoy the rest of the crawl. ::

 

[swhipple]

Just a small update. I've been smoking Sixpence rubbed out and I thought I would try it cube cut to see how that would affect the smoke. For me, I found that prepared this way it seemed to push the Virginia's more into the background and highlight the perique a little more. There was less fruit notes and more of a mild peppery perique taste. About 1/2 way through the Virginias did seem to make a slight comeback but not nearly a strongly as when smoked rubbed out.

 

[brass]

Thank you all for your contributions, comments, speculations and pics. The crawl is nothing without crawlers and I'm especially happy to see so many newcomers joining us. Also, thanks to Greg for his ongoing efforts not only for our crawl but for all the wonderful blends he has created for pipe tobacco aficionados.
I've been in Charlestons, SC the last few days and was only able to smoke a bowl over the weekend. But I did smoke a couple of bowls Thursday and Friday before leaving and another while commuting this morning.
What can I say that hasn't been noted already?
I love the SixPence slices right in the tin. The aroma is fragrant of fruits and sweet syrup - in a good way. I can pick up the Virginia's from the tin and the moisture content was just right for my tastes. I'm a bit of a contrarian on this point - I prefer my tobacco to be a bit on the moist side - just a wee bit tacky to the touch. Moist blends taste deeper and richer than when too dry.
I pack flakes a bit differently than most. I take a slice or two and insert them end first into the bowl and twist the flake down until I get the proper draw. Fast, neat and works for me. I packed my first couple of bowls this way into a handmade Peder Jeppesen pot I bought just for this crawl. I love this pipe.

It took me only a charring and true light to get things going. Frankly, I believe I could have used just the charring light - not sure the true light was really necessary.
I usually first pick up the sweet Virginias with a bit of Perique in the first quarter bowl. As I approached the second half of the bowl, the Perique started dancing while the dark fire added body and base. By the end of the bowl, the dark fire and Perique seemed to dominate in the blend but all the ingredients were detectable.
There wasn't even a hint of tongue bite. If I were to compare this to a craft beer, Sixpence would be a draft Guiness stout. Plenty of body but not so thick as to to disturb the balance.
I smoked a bowl while sitting under a covered porch in Charleston, while the rain was coming down in sheets. It was a lovely smoke, absolutely perfect for the weather.
I rubbed out a bowl this morning, using the same pipe. This method seemed to accentuate even more the dark fired and Perique, especially in the second half.
The blend burns cleanly, leaving mostly fine ash, as has been pointed out.
This is an all day smoke and it reminds me of some of old fashioned American blends I smoked when I was a youngster. Sixpence is a winner.
Greg, I know you don't really a believer that a particular pipe shape is always good or bad for a particular blend style. However, have you found that Sixpence performs better in a particular size or shape of pipe?
Pax

 

[glpease]

Greg, I know you don't really a believer that a particular pipe shape is always good or bad for a particular blend style. However, have you found that Sixpence performs better in a particular size or shape of pipe?

Yeah, um, well… Ask a simple question and…
{soapbox}
For every rule that some will subscribe to, there's another opposite rule that attracts its own following. Briar is such a mysterious thing, in my experience; two nearly identical pipes can have such remarkably different characteristics that trying to make sense of it seems like folly. Some shapes seem to tend to work better with some types of blends, but there are always exceptions. Some pipes keep good company with only certain blends or styles, while others are more easy going and relaxed. Similarly, some blends are at home in just about any pipe, whilst others seem to be high-strung and finicky.
Sixpence leans a bit towards the finicky side to me. Though I've not had what I'd consider a bad experience with it in any pipe, there are some combinations that just sing, and there's been no rhyme to follow. Right now, I'm smoking it in a lovely sandblasted Posella that's got a dublin bowl, fairly tall and narrow, and slightly tapered, and it's delivering the nuances and complexity I enjoy from the blend beautifully. But, the Castello pot that I was smoking a couple days ago, shorter, broader, with a straight sided chamber, delivered an explosion of flavor that was equally satisfying. A small, old, nameless prince is also great, where as a gr3 sized Ashton canadian is pretty bland, though it's been amazing with the prototypes of the new blend I've been working on.
My guess is that if I put those four pipes into someone else's hands with the same tobacco, they might have a completely different experience. The way we each pack our pipes, the way we light them, our smoking cadence, our taste preferences, our mood, and probably even climate have more to do with what we experience than the pipes themselves, I think. And, the more a blend, or at least a blend style is smoked in a particular pipe, the more that pipe will acclimate to the tobacco, and the more it will deliver.
Which is why I don't really like or support the idea of "rules." Pipe smoking is such an individual thing, and all that matters is that we find pleasure in it. So, I always recommend trying new tobaccos in a variety of pipes, using a variety of techniques in order to explore the differences, seeking the combinations that work best for the individual, and leaving the rule books on the shelves to gather dust…
{/soapbox}

 

[jaydublin]

Smoking Sixpence this afternoon in a MM Country Gentleman straight cob. Charring light unleashed the sweetest, most luscious VA sweetness. This is something like my 9th bowl of the stuff and bam - something very different than my earlier experiences. I smoked some SG Medium Virginia Flake this morning (in a different briar pipe) - I wonder if that just more tuned me in to the VA aspect of this blend. Who knows.
Perique on the exhale is still delightful.

 

[northernneil]

Well, I have been thoroughly enjoying Six Pence!!!!
I did, however, have one more question with concern to the anise topping, for Mr. Pease.
I can only assume the beautiful "berry" aroma released from the Virginia's would not be near as strong, or enticing, if the anise topping was not present. I have experienced this similar aroma with some Germain blends, Royal Jersey Perique and Dorchester (both Va/Per's), but I find Six Pence to be more potent and complex; offering more of a wine / brandy aspect not found in the earlier example's. I guess my question is, how much of this wonderful aroma is due to the light anise topping that has been added? Would the same blend of Va/Per/Kty, minus the addition of anise, still offer a similar tin aroma?

 

[cobguy]

... offering more of a wine / brandy aspect

Same for me ... still getting an almost grape-like overtone that finally dissipates just past mid-bowl.
In fact, before it was mentioned to be Anise, I would have guessed something like Chambord Liqueur to be the topping.
Quite interesting and my brow seems to be semi-furled during the entire smoke ... which is a good thing. ::

 

[glpease]

I can only assume the beautiful "berry" aroma released from the Virginia's would not be near as strong, or enticing, if the anise topping was not present. I have experienced this similar aroma with some Germain blends, Royal Jersey Perique and Dorchester (both Va/Per's), but I find Six Pence to be more potent and complex; offering more of a wine / brandy aspect not found in the earlier example's. I guess my question is, how much of this wonderful aroma is due to the light anise topping that has been added? Would the same blend of Va/Per/Kty, minus the addition of anise, still offer a similar tin aroma?

Great question! The blend would be very different without the addition of the topping. The aroma wouldn't be the same, and even more importantly, the taste wouldn't be the same. Even at a very light application rate, there's a synergistic thing going on between the natural tobacco flavors and aromas and the sweetness of the anise liqueur, which is put on so as to be slightly above the subliminal level. A pinch of salt can enhance the taste of food; more makes it salty. The treatment I chose for Sixpence works similarly. More would have made itself known immediately, while less wouldn't have provided those subtle, additional notes. It's all part of the balancing act, and is a big part of what takes so long to for me to go from idea to finished product.
People will respond to things like this differently, too. For one, it might be an almost undetectable whisper, while for another, the blend might shout it out loudly. Of course, with a different blend underneath the topping, it would make a rather different statement. It's all part of what makes blending so much fun, and occasionally, so frustrating.

 

[misterlowercase]

Loving the Q&A,

great stuff!

::
Greg,

I always enjoy reading about your impetus and/or inspiration on the formation of a new GLP blend,

any interesting notes suchwise concerning SixPence?
-
I smoked another bowl last night.
In a well-broken in Stanwell 19,

it was a strange strategy for me to start off with an unsmoked pipe earlier,

but 6p charmed nonetheless.
With the Stanny, I rubbed out the baccy, it was more spicy right off the bat and continued that way about 1/4 down until it settled in, it was never overly spicy though and caused no fatigue nor numbing.
I would never had been able to identify anise as the topping,

it's very well integrated and utmost complimentary to the leaf.
I felt almost as if I was smoking a vintage tin, it had that vibe, a sort of funkiness of the good sort, almost like it had been stewing for quite some time, yet still tasting very fresh too, an odd dichotomy but it was that way for me.
Once the spice had settled, or my palate acclimated, I'm really unsure which, I was totally loving the dark plumminess coming forth, and dancing around the edges was a sort of soft subdued nuttiness, and that funk was still there too almost as if I had just opened an old Scottish cutter top I had somehow miraculously gotten fresh off the shelf.
6p is a unique baccy,

it rewards both sipping and puffing,

and remains quite robust and flavorful until the very ending ash.

::

 

[brass]

Smoked a bowl in my Missouri Meerschaum Freehand Cob. This is one of the best smoking pipes I own at any price. The conical shape is almost the opposite of the pot I smoked yesterday.
The flavor contour in the cob is very different than that I experienced with the briar pot. The dark fired burley dominates, with the Virginias and Perique taking a back seat. It reminded me again of some of our classic American burley blends.

I have a question for Greg, which I hope he doesn't mind answering. I'm curious as to what are some of your favorite tobaccos that are blended by others?

 

[atskywalker]

Question for Greg: For some reason, as I smoked another bowl of SixPence I realized similarity between it and Haddon's. Am I imagining things? To me, SixPence seems like a subdued cousin of Haddo's. Is there a real similarity here or am I imagining things? :lol:

 

[swhipple]

One last comment from me on the variables that always seem to haunt and delight the pipe smoker. We cooked some shrimp for dinner tonight with a good dose of Old Bay seasoning and some hot sauce to boot. After dinner I decided to smoke another pipe full of Sixpence. I'm guessing the spices from the shrimp were still lingering on my palette because, I found the Sixpence to be almost all peppery and spice. The fruit notes were completely hidden. I'd be hard pressed to tell that I was smoking the same tobacco given the difference in the experience.
I'm looking forward to the Jack Knife Plug now! Can't wait for Friday. :D

 

[jpmcwjr]

Psssssst! You can open and start smoking it right now. Just don't post about it till Friday. (That's my interpretation of the guidelines for the Crawl)
Enjoy!

 

[glpease]

I always enjoy reading about your impetus and/or inspiration on the formation of a new GLP blend,

any interesting notes suchwise concerning SixPence?

It's a very strange and twisty tale, actually. I kind of touched on it ^ up there, though I didn't mention the inspiration, and I'm still not gonna, onaccounta things went so pear shaped along the way, and I'm still intending to get closer to the original intent at some point.

I have a question for Greg, which I hope he doesn't mind answering. I'm curious as to what are some of your favorite tobaccos that are blended by others?

Since I spend so much of my smoking time exploring new blend ideas, developing them, and tasting the results, I don't tend to follow along with much of what's going on "out there."
There are a few faves that find their way into my pipes with some regularity that aren't my own, but they're vintage blends not in current production. Garfinkel's Orient Express #11 has long been my top shelf, the standard bearer, the mixture against which all other mixtures are judged. It was just that good. It was blended by Sobranie House for the Garfinkel shop in Washington DC, and I bought an alarming amount of it when it was still available. It was, to my tastes, the finest thing that ever came out of that venerable blending establishment. I do limit my consumption to a couple tins a year, and it won't last forever, but it always makes me smile.
Then, there was Ardath's State Express London Mixture. That stuff was truly special. I didn't lay in nearly as much as I wish I had, so I have to be more conservative with my small stash, but it's just brilliant stuff. Less latakia forward, and really focused on the orientals. Another one I almost hate to mention, because it's relatively obscure, and when tins do find their way to market, it would be nice to think that I might actually be able to afford a few more, but it was a flake produced by Gallaher for Benson & Hedges called OVF. In fact, all the B&H tinned tobaccos were superb, but OVF and the Finest Smoking Mixture were the two that captured most of my attention. (FSM was actually the inspiration for my own Piccadilly. I'm quite happy to report that my dwindling supply of FSM doesn't cause me nearly as many tears as it would have if Piccadilly hadn't landed quite close to the mark.) The original Bengal Slices is another one. It's a hit or miss thing, that one. Not every tin is special, but when it's on target, it's just spectacular.
The list goes on. I began cellaring and aging tobaccos back in the early 1980s before it was something that many people did. I'd buy two for every one that I'd smoke, and amassed quite a stash over a few years, and I'm glad I did. I'd never be able to afford to smoke most of what I've got if I had to buy it at the extortionate prices these things command today.

Question for Greg: For some reason, as I smoked another bowl of SixPence I realized similarity between it and Haddon's. Am I imagining things? To me, SixPence seems like a subdued cousin of Haddo's. Is there a real similarity here or am I imagining things? :lol:

Hrm. Very, VERY different blends with respect to their constituent leaf, manufacturing process, toppings and so on, but I can easily see how there might be some overlap in their respective flavor profiles. My guess is that if you smoked them back to back, they wouldn't show much similarity to each other, but separated by a day or two, who knows? I'll have to do some taste testing.

 

[dmcmtk]

I will chime in on Sixpence. I bought some on release and really liked it. On first opening the tin, the topping to me smelled like some sort of red wine reduction. My bias is that I cooked professionally for 25 years, and made a lot of sauces! I had forgotten I had an open tin, and only found the last third of the tin after a few months. To keep the wine analogy going, I found to my taste, Sixpence only got better and better as it had time to "breathe". I think I bought four tins the first time around, sent one to a friend in Canada, another to a friend in Europe to try. Bought another six tins, should buy some more, Greg, it is a wonderful tobacco! I can only seeing it getting better with age.

 

[dmcmtk]

My comment on the topping in another discussion of Sixpence elsewhere, in response to this from another smoker,

This blend is the closest I can imagine coming to smoking Cabernet Sauvignon. It is both tangy and slightly sweet. The grape-note is very strong to my palate.

I replied,

I like the idea of cabernet sauvignon, you may be on to something. Certainly when one reads wine tasting notes, the words anise, cedar, complex fruit, pencil lead, and on and on are used (is Robert Parker a pipe smoker?). As I recall, Mr. Pease appreciates fine wines... Is the topping some kind of Bordelaise reduction thinned and used? The mystery does continue, and I can understand why GLP isn't saying! I've made so many red wine sauces in my time, and making a reduction both changes and concentrates the complex flavors...I could see it.

:wink:

 

[brass]

Thanks for the reply regarding your preferred blends, Greg.
I smoked this mornings bowl of 6p in an aold Stanwell stack. I thought it would smoke similar to the MM Freehand. However, this bowl seemed to highlight the Perique.