Pipe Force IV a lucky break due to lack of trade interest

[Oddball]

I was rooting around my cellar a week ago and noticed I had s few Pipe Force tins, didn't have I or II but had two IV. I wasn't particularly taken with this series so I wasn't struck with the typical FOMO for small batch. Fast forward and thought it would be nice to get my hands on I and II to complete the set, pop the tins, and try them all, to get the feel for the series. Kind of like the old days where you would listen to one side of the LP/Casette then flip and hear side B to get the full progressive rock message/vibe.
Well I didn't get any bites from the forum on the trade so I decided to hell with it, pop that extra IV tin and try it.

That was a good decision.

The description reads (paraphrasing) that the blend is an Oriental forward English with some stoved Rustica and Katerini and some Red Virginia. I dug the sound of that. However, the blend, like many with Latakia or Cavendish in the list, are different in the smoke than on the label.

This is a Balkan blend by the components but the Latakia is so light that it's not an English. It's spicey, deeply flavored and just has a few of those evergreen smokey hints vs lat bombs. It's complex, strong notes from the Rustica but not in a burley umph kind of way. In fact, I kinda feel like this is a new kind of blend I hope that the remaining blenders pick up on. The Orientals and Rusticas are so nice that it feels like its more of a duty free type of blend. One you can only get in the old East.

It's one of those that turned out to be a happy accident. I still hope to get my hands on I and II but I will enjoy IV and beyond until then...


Im going to fire up this bowl I have packed up and share so more. Stand by.

 

[khiddy]

I managed to snag a full pound of unpressed PFIV from a fella and it is incredibly delicious, agreed. I’m a huge fan of Rustica and it plays so well in the PF series, especially with that stoved Katerini.

I have not had PF I or II, so when I saw your trade I was wondering if a few extra tins would surface. Good luck in your search!

 

[Sig]

I recently bought 2 tins of the PF lV.
Now im excited to try it.
I will definitely pop one as Autumn comes.

 

[Oddball]

I reread my post from last night and agree with myself in the light of day.


This blend is gentle and mild in some ways but has a working class vibe to the flavor as well. I attribute that to the Rustica, which feels harsher in other blends like HH Rustica but the stoving mellows it out I reckon. I smoked three bowls back to back last night, something i never do for any blends, and they were all good. I will likely revisit tonight around the game table.

I was smoking in a Savinelli apple/prince churchwarden and a Briarworks Prince. Two basically same shapes that I reserve for tasting new blends, typically with some Latikia in them.

Once I burn through this one, I will lay into the rest of the series as well. If anyone reads and wants to help contribute by trading for a tin of I or II, I'm down for that.