PAX Tobacco Crawl With Russ Ouellette

[newbroom]

I've got a bowl of Fire Storm burning in my MM Diplomat. Now that I've tasted all four of the blends, I appreciate the fact that the four are distinct from each other. While El Nino and Magnum Opus contain Latakia, their flavors are individualized by their other contents.

How would I rate one 'against' the other? That's gonna be fun.

I was thinking about how when you smoke for the added reason of sharing your opinion that it puts a little 'pressure' on your brain that you might not otherwise engage. This in itself could prevent or occlude the serendipitous discoveries one has under 'normal' circumstances.

If I could afford one of these as an 'all day blend' it would have to be CBK.

Magnum Opus is what I'd call your celebration blend, or your after dinner smoke.

El Nino is another one that could easily be and all day blend.

Fire Storm...I've only smoked a couple of bowls..is exactly as Mr. Russ describes, and is exquisite in its own right. Stronger on Vit. N and flavor than the burely kake, it could still be smoked repeatedly w/o fatigue.

Russ Oulette on Fire Storm

 

[brass]

Newbroom has jumped the gun a bit but I appreciate the pre-view for the Fire Storm kickoff on Friday. I cheated a bit and got a head start with CBK. I will open my Fire Storm tin on Thursday and smoke a bowl or two so that I have something to post on Friday.
I know I'm going to hard-pressed to rank these blends, and, honestly, I sometimes hate saying one blend is better than another. Magnum Opus and CBK are so different, can you really compare them? I would say both are terrific in their class.
Using craft beer analogies, it is something like comparing ales to lagers to stouts to porters. Say you have a perfect porter vs a good stout. Some may like the stout better, even though it isn't the best in their class. My liking something better doesn't mean it is better objectively.
I love reading these reviews and the different reactions to the blends. It really does help me better appreciate a particular tobacco. I've learned more about blends from my tobacco crawl friends in the last year than I had in the previous 30 years of smoking.
But still, I like them all, at least so far. Thats's my story and I'm sticking to it. :wink:
Pax

 

[beastkhk]

Oddly enough, I found myself really craving some CBK today so I am enjoying a bowl tonight.
Perhaps it just had a little more time to air out in the jar, but I am finding the cocoa notes are not as strong as when I first had tried it. I am also definitely getting a lot more nuttiness and burley flavor tonight, so I am becoming more and more impressed with this blend.
Edit: I also think I packed it a little looser tonight and have not been tamping as frequently so that also might be slightly contributing to the difference in flavor.(I can't image all that much, but for the sake of full disclosure)

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

I have still not packed a pipe of El Niño yet. Hope to tonorrow morning before class.

 

[brass]

Question for Russ:
I've been trying to decide between a Stanwell pot. Specs are the same for each, except the walls on one is .3 inches wider and weighs 2.1 oz versus 1.6 oz on other. I gather the thicker wall will handle more cooly but would it still be a decent clencher?

 

[brass]

El Nino is one of those blends that I had to smoke multiple times before I could begin to understand it. Or at least begin to appreciate it fully.
El Nino is unique. It doesn't come from a different planet like Lakelands. But I can't say that it reminds me of any other blend I've ever smoked.
It isn't a valentine blend that brings to mind fruits and nuts or chocolate (MAYBE a touch of cocoa). It simply a good, harmonious blend of tobaccos that might very well fill a niche in your rotation.
I could see this fitting into the weekly rotation. It will fill a niche that perhaps not be occupied by any other blend. And that is saying something.
How about the rest of you guy? Can you think of another blend that reminds you of El Nino of vice versus?
Pax

 

[brass]

This is the pot I was looking at. I already ordered the poker.

 

[beastkhk]

How about the rest of you guy? Can you think of another blend that reminds you of El Nino of vice versus?

I have not had anything mainstream. The closest I can think, and I don't want this to come off the wrong way, is when I have tried blending leftovers from tins to come up with that "super blend" which has all the best characteristics of each individual blend. Mine usually result in utter failure, this blend pulls that off and is obviously well thought out and planned.(I give that example as "closest to" since the way it transitions in and out of individual leaf flavors is somewhat similar)
I think you should be able to clench that pot, the saddle bit should help. It kind of depends on how you "clench" though, if directly bite down on the stem you will likely feel that extra 1/2 once difference since majority of the weight is out by the bowl area. When I "clench" I use my bottom teeth as a fulcrum and the top teeth just kind of lock the stem in place, kind of like a variation of a dangle. In an instance like that, the leverage created by the additional forward weight actually serves to lock the pipe in more.

 

[barleynbaccy]

I get a black licorice flavor that reminds me of other blends with dark Kentucky I have had. So far I am most surprised by this blend. I will be buying more.
On the topic of the brushed black pipes. I own three of them. I clench them all the time while doing yard work, they are all light.

 

[brass]

You guys don't know how much I appreciate your feedback and participation.
To summarize for me, thus far. Magnum Opus is a Superb Lat blend, Classic Burley Kake has already become my favorite burley blend, El Nino is my favorite .... What?

 

[brass]

You guys don't know how much I appreciate your feedback and participation.
To summarize for me, thus far. Magnum Opus is a Superb Lat blend, Classic Burley Kake has already become my favorite burley blend, El Nino is my favorite .... What? It is nothing like an English blend to my taste. It certainly isn't a VaPer. The Latakia melds so well that I can barely pick it out of the stew.
Heck, even tobaccoreveiws.com simply refers to it as Virginia based. Ok, but that describes about 70% to 80% of every blend created. (I'm just pulling that figure out of the air but I don't think I'm far off)
I guess I'll just have to learn to enjoy it without a convenient peg hole to fit.
Pax

 

[blendtobac]

I'm really glad that El Nino has kept folks guessing. That was the intent, and it makes me feel good to know that you've noticed its "je ne sais quoi" character.

As far as the Brushed Black Stanwells go, I concur that the saddle-bit pot will clench easier, but for me, anything near or under 2 oz. is a clencher for me. What I can tell you, for sure, is that there's no better value in a name brand pipe than the Brushed Black and Brown pipes.
Russ

 

[barleynbaccy]

I'm going to tell on my self. I got a 1960s pete canadian from the bay. I wanted to smoke it tonight so I cracked into my fire storm. Oh man is it good.

 

[brass]

Barley isn't the only one who is sneaking into the Fire Storm tins a bit early. I think there is a LOT of cheating going on. Of course, I wouldn't do anything like that. :roll:
This crawl is educative in more than one way. I had to Google "je ne sais quoi: It is defined as a quality that cannot be described or named easily, as in "that je ne sais quoi that makes a musician not just great but a legend."
Apparently, no blend is using that name. Perhaps Russ can keep it in mind for one of his future creations.
Pax

 

[blendtobac]

Je ne sais quoi literally translates to "I don't know what". Looking at it that way, it makes sense when you just can't put your finger on something.
Russ

 

[brass]

See, I told you this thread was educative. :wink:

 

[shanelktown]

Lol I'll be honest firestorm has been on my regular rotation since I got that tin. El Niño is a very neat blend but I really can't wait to start on the topic of firestorm. So that being said it will also be fun for everyone to do the rating of why they liked best and rank them.

 

[beastkhk]

I made it this far without cracking the tin so I am going to hold tight until tomorrow. Besides, I have so much of the other tins I need to keep working through. I think tonight will be another El Nino night.

 

[brass]

While Friday is the official kickoff for trying new blends, I'll usually smoke a bowl or two Thursday, so that I have something to post on Friday.
During our first craw;s. we tried waiting until Friday evening and would try to smoke the first bowl together real time. But lots of folks have better things to do on Friday evening than sit in front of a computer. And some of us who are in front of screens all day, and aren't particularly anxious to start our weekend in front of another.
Anyway, the crawl has always been about having fun and sharing experiences and opinions. About the only thing really required is that members actually smoke the featured blends. Everything else is flexible.
I do like the idea of folks lighting up about the same time and swapping impressions real time.

 

[beastkhk]

I opened the tin this morning to let it start airing out. Man, does the tin note smell good. A sweet dried fruit tobacco smell. I was surprised though, as from how others have described the smoke I thought the tin note would have been quite a bit more pungent. I won't be able to smoke until after work tonight, but will likely pull out a couple bowls worth at lunch to start drying. I have a feeling I am going to smoking back to back bowls on this one.