I was going to say Half & Half. But I'd have been wrong I believe. I looked it it up so I cheated, I won't post the answerCan you guess what it is?
Smoking it now though.Skippy's Blend of the Week
- Thread starter Skippy Piper
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Smoking it now though.
“Do you have _______ in a can”?
Edited to perhaps put a feline back in a sack for the enjoyment of others’ sake
Edited to perhaps put a feline back in a sack for the enjoyment of others’ sake
I did, but I already let him out... and now he's on fire, so maybe he would have been better off just staying in that can.
Have you tried SG Celtic Talisman? IMO, a great non goop cherry, only Cherry I'll smoke. I'd like to hear your thoughts.
I'd sure love to try it if I could get my hands on it, but I've never managed to find any in stock anywhere. It's an awfully rare and hard to come by blend!
Unfortunately I'm gonna need another week on the upcoming blend review due to my ongoing throat issues. I did have a doctor's appointment on Friday to get my throat checked out and the doc thinks the off and on sore throat I've had for better part of a year now is from a combination of smoking, seasonal allergies, and acid reflux; and I'm already on an acid reflux medication so I'm gonna try some allergy medicines and see if that helps things.
In the meantime I can't really tell if the sore throat I've had most of the week is from the blend of the week or other factors, so I'm gonna wait until my throat feels back to normal then try the blend of the week again to see whether it bothers my throat or not before I finish my review. Apologies for the delay!
In the meantime I can't really tell if the sore throat I've had most of the week is from the blend of the week or other factors, so I'm gonna wait until my throat feels back to normal then try the blend of the week again to see whether it bothers my throat or not before I finish my review. Apologies for the delay!
What started off as a review thread seems to have turned into more of a chronicle of my throat troubles! It's been a week and a half since I last smoked Prince Albert and my throat is still all sore and scratchy from it!
I did have a throat ultrasound done yesterday and got the results back today, and thankfully there's nothing wrong with my throat outside of a couple sore and swollen but benign lymph nodes. Those lymph nodes sure don't like any Burley other than Lane's ultra-mild steamed and candied Burleys though, and have made it abundantly clear that they do not wish to experience any more Burleys other than Lane's sugary ones.
So, while I wait for my throat to recover enough to finish the Prince Albert review I just spent the past couple weeks smoking Captain Black Original and Smoker's Pride Cherry Cavendish; which don't seem to bother me any. I did manage to get my hands on some Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Plug and Best Brown Flake, so I smoked those a few times before promptly remembering how much Virginias tend to sting the back of my sinuses at the far back of the roof of my mouth when I smoke them, and having sore inflamed sinuses to match my sore inflamed throat wasn't terribly enjoyable. So, it's just been Lane, Lane, and more Lane blends around here lately.
On the plus side, I did quite like the Lane Black Raspberry I recently tried and I've got an assortment of all the Smoker's Pride blends to try (Classic Blend, Rum Cured, Whisky, and Vanilla Cavendish) as well as some Granger coming in the mail next week. I figure they're all made by Lane so maybe my throat won't mind them. I'm just figuring out what my throat is willing to tolerate one blend at a time. I've got enough notes written from the time I did smoke Prince Albert that I think I can hammer out the review for that one this weekend, though I don't dare smoke it again after how sore it left my throat the past couple weeks even when smoked with a variety of filters.
On that note, my filter experiment ended up not working out quite as I had hoped. My ultimate findings were that even when smoked with an activated charcoal filter (9mm or 6mm) my throat still wasn't willing to tolerate Burleys other than Lane's for more than a few smokes before it started getting sore, and I didn't much care for the way the filters really muted the flavor of the tobacco and tightened up the draw of the pipe. Ultimately I decided I was better off just smoking blends my throat will tolerate without a filter. But hey, you live, you learn, and I'm still happy that I at least gave it a try.
That's probably enough rambling for one update though, and hopefully the next time I post it'll be with the overdue Prince Albert review to share.
I did have a throat ultrasound done yesterday and got the results back today, and thankfully there's nothing wrong with my throat outside of a couple sore and swollen but benign lymph nodes. Those lymph nodes sure don't like any Burley other than Lane's ultra-mild steamed and candied Burleys though, and have made it abundantly clear that they do not wish to experience any more Burleys other than Lane's sugary ones.
So, while I wait for my throat to recover enough to finish the Prince Albert review I just spent the past couple weeks smoking Captain Black Original and Smoker's Pride Cherry Cavendish; which don't seem to bother me any. I did manage to get my hands on some Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Plug and Best Brown Flake, so I smoked those a few times before promptly remembering how much Virginias tend to sting the back of my sinuses at the far back of the roof of my mouth when I smoke them, and having sore inflamed sinuses to match my sore inflamed throat wasn't terribly enjoyable. So, it's just been Lane, Lane, and more Lane blends around here lately.
On the plus side, I did quite like the Lane Black Raspberry I recently tried and I've got an assortment of all the Smoker's Pride blends to try (Classic Blend, Rum Cured, Whisky, and Vanilla Cavendish) as well as some Granger coming in the mail next week. I figure they're all made by Lane so maybe my throat won't mind them. I'm just figuring out what my throat is willing to tolerate one blend at a time. I've got enough notes written from the time I did smoke Prince Albert that I think I can hammer out the review for that one this weekend, though I don't dare smoke it again after how sore it left my throat the past couple weeks even when smoked with a variety of filters.
On that note, my filter experiment ended up not working out quite as I had hoped. My ultimate findings were that even when smoked with an activated charcoal filter (9mm or 6mm) my throat still wasn't willing to tolerate Burleys other than Lane's for more than a few smokes before it started getting sore, and I didn't much care for the way the filters really muted the flavor of the tobacco and tightened up the draw of the pipe. Ultimately I decided I was better off just smoking blends my throat will tolerate without a filter. But hey, you live, you learn, and I'm still happy that I at least gave it a try.
That's probably enough rambling for one update though, and hopefully the next time I post it'll be with the overdue Prince Albert review to share.
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I’d like to hear your black raspberry review. One of my favourites.What started off as a review thread seems to have turned into more of a chronicle of my throat troubles! It's been a week and a half since I last smoked Prince Albert and my throat is still all sore and scratchy from it!
I did have a throat ultrasound done yesterday and got the results back today, and thankfully there's nothing wrong with my throat outside of a couple sore and swollen but benign lymph nodes. Those lymph nodes sure don't like any Burley other than Lane's ultra-mild steamed and candied Burleys though, and have made it abundantly clear that they do not wish to experience any more Burleys other than Lane's sugary ones.
So, while I wait for my throat to recover enough to finish the Prince Albert review I just spent the past couple weeks smoking Captain Black Original and Smoker's Pride Cherry Cavendish; which don't seem to bother me any. I did manage to get my hands on some Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Plug and Best Brown Flake, so I smoked those a few times before promptly remembering how much Virginias tend to sting the back of my sinuses at the far back of the roof of my mouth when I smoke them, and having sore inflamed sinuses to match my sore inflamed throat wasn't terribly enjoyable. So, it's just been Lane, Lane, and more Lane blends around here lately.
On the plus side, I did quite like the Lane Black Raspberry I recently tried and I've got an assortment of all the Smoker's Pride blends to try (Classic Blend, Rum Cured, Whisky, and Vanilla Cavendish) as well as some Granger coming in the mail next week. I figure they're all made by Lane so maybe my throat won't mind them. I'm just figuring out what my throat is willing to tolerate one blend at a time. I've got enough notes written from the time I did smoke Prince Albert that I think I can hammer out the review for that one this weekend, though I don't dare smoke it again after how sore it left my throat the past couple weeks even when smoked with a variety of filters.
On that note, my filter experiment ended up not working out quite as I had hoped. My ultimate findings were that even when smoked with an activated charcoal filter (9mm or 6mm) my throat still wasn't willing to tolerate Burleys other than Lane's for more than a few smokes before it started getting sore, and I didn't much care for the way the filters really muted the flavor of the tobacco and tightened up the draw of the pipe. Ultimately I decided I was better off just smoking blends my throat will tolerate without a filter. But hey, you live, you learn, and I'm still happy that I at least gave it a try.
That's probably enough rambling for one update though, and hopefully the next time I post it'll be with the overdue Prince Albert review to share.
I'll most certainly give Lane Black Raspberry a review! It's one of those rare aromatics that really tastes like it smells and absolutely nails the raspberry flavor in my opinion. Plus it's a blend that doesn't seem to bother my throat, which is an even rarer commodity these days!
Hey @Chasing Embers - we have another convert! That makes three of us!I'll most certainly give Lane Black Raspberry a review! It's one of those rare aromatics that really tastes like it smells and absolutely nails the raspberry flavor in my opinion. Plus it's a blend that doesn't seem to bother my throat, which is an even rarer commodity these days!
Lane Black Raspberry is about the only goopy aro I like (as in will actually enjoy a bowl about once or twice a year).Hey @Chasing Embers - we have another convert! That makes three of us!
@Skippy Piper, have you ever had DAN Devil’s Holiday? It’s like Lane Black Raspberry but fir men that actually like tobacco.
That blend doesn’t make it up north. Have a hell of a time even getting Black Raspberry.
FOUR!Hey @Chasing Embers - we have another convert! That makes three of us!
4
IV
I know, Iknow - sounds like I am playing golf, but... hey - swing the club with Raspberry in the bowl. It COULD improve my game! or least make it more fun...
What started off as a review thread seems to have turned into more of a chronicle of my throat troubles! It's been a week and a half since I last smoked Prince Albert and my throat is still all sore and scratchy from it!
I did have a throat ultrasound done yesterday and got the results back today, and thankfully there's nothing wrong with my throat outside of a couple sore and swollen but benign lymph nodes. Those lymph nodes sure don't like any Burley other than Lane's ultra-mild steamed and candied Burleys though, and have made it abundantly clear that they do not wish to experience any more Burleys other than Lane's sugary ones.
So, while I wait for my throat to recover enough to finish the Prince Albert review I just spent the past couple weeks smoking Captain Black Original and Smoker's Pride Cherry Cavendish; which don't seem to bother me any. I did manage to get my hands on some Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Plug and Best Brown Flake, so I smoked those a few times before promptly remembering how much Virginias tend to sting the back of my sinuses at the far back of the roof of my mouth when I smoke them, and having sore inflamed sinuses to match my sore inflamed throat wasn't terribly enjoyable. So, it's just been Lane, Lane, and more Lane blends around here lately.
On the plus side, I did quite like the Lane Black Raspberry I recently tried and I've got an assortment of all the Smoker's Pride blends to try (Classic Blend, Rum Cured, Whisky, and Vanilla Cavendish) as well as some Granger coming in the mail next week. I figure they're all made by Lane so maybe my throat won't mind them. I'm just figuring out what my throat is willing to tolerate one blend at a time. I've got enough notes written from the time I did smoke Prince Albert that I think I can hammer out the review for that one this weekend, though I don't dare smoke it again after how sore it left my throat the past couple weeks even when smoked with a variety of filters.
On that note, my filter experiment ended up not working out quite as I had hoped. My ultimate findings were that even when smoked with an activated charcoal filter (9mm or 6mm) my throat still wasn't willing to tolerate Burleys other than Lane's for more than a few smokes before it started getting sore, and I didn't much care for the way the filters really muted the flavor of the tobacco and tightened up the draw of the pipe. Ultimately I decided I was better off just smoking blends my throat will tolerate without a filter. But hey, you live, you learn, and I'm still happy that I at least gave it a try.
That's probably enough rambling for one update though, and hopefully the next time I post it'll be with the overdue Prince Albert review to share.
I, too, am excited for the Granger review. Also excited for the PA review, especially after learning how hard-earned it is going to have been. Thanks for the hard work and sacrifice to bring us these good good reviews @Skippy Piper
Could it be that after three months of delays I'm finally posting my Prince Albert review? It's a Christmas miracle, Charlie Brown! 
Blend of the Week #35: Prince Albert
The exact contents of Prince Albert are a little bit mysterious. It's well known to be a Burley blend with a light cocoa topping, but what else may or may not be in the mix is a touch difficult to pin down. I've heard some say that there is Black Cavendish in it, though I sure can't see any, and others have said it contains Virginia Cavendish which seems more plausible though I'm still not entirely sure this isn't just straight Burley. I've also seen it purported to contain bourbon whiskey, rum, molasses, or licorice depending on who you ask; but as far as I can tell what we have here is just a very simple and straightforward Burley with a very light cocoa topping; and if there is anything else in there then I sure don't know what it is since I can't see, smell, or taste it.
Prince Albert is a very lightly topped blend, such that I would not consider it an "aromatic" blend in the traditional sense, and it can be very difficult to tell where the tobacco ends and the toppings begin based on the flavor of the smoke. There is definitely a mild and relatively unsweetened cocoa topping, but plain unadulterated Burley often has a bit of a cocoa note so when smoking Prince Albert it can be a bit hard to tell whether the occasional hint of cocoa you're tasting is coming from the topping or just the tobacco itself. I just get natural Burley flavor notes with a slight hint of what may or may not be a little extra unsweetened cocoa.
The room note tells another story though, as everyone I smoked Prince Albert around during the review period thought it smelled great; which is a reaction I've never gotten from a Burley blend before. The other members of my household typically find Burley to smell like cigarettes, and Burley blends don't tend to generate any positive comments from passerbys either, but everyone seemed really enjoy the aroma of Prince Albert so that's a definite win in my book! This is probably about as close as you can get to a natural tasting Burley blend that non-smoking company will enjoy too.
Perhaps even more astonishing is that Prince Albert actually makes a fantastic cigarette. While doing some reading up on the history of Prince Albert I discovered that for a good 30 years or so before the widespread availability of pre-rolled packed cigarettes in the early 20th century Prince Albert was by far the most popular tobacco to hand roll cigarettes with throughout much of America; and it's popularity as a rolling tobacco persisted throughout Appalachia for a good long while after that.
Seeing as how the recipe for Prince Albert has remained more or less unchanged since it's introduction in 1907 I figured I'd give it a try, and I'll be darned if it didn't roll up into possibly the tastiest hand rolled unfiltered cigarette I've ever smoked! It burned cool, smooth, and evenly; and that little cocoa note gave it a far more enjoyable flavor than any cigarette I've had in memory. Initially I was a little concerned that it's moisture content might make it difficult to keep lit or cause it to burn unevenly when rolled into a cigarette, but those concerns ended up being unfounded since Prince Albert really does make a top notch cigarette and I can certainly see why it was so popular as both a pipe and cigarette tobacco for so many decades!
As far as the mechanics when smoked in a pipe go the only complaints I could really make about Prince Albert are that the retrohale—while initially fairly smooth—can get more than a little stingy on the sinuses as the bowl goes along, and the smoke does have a tendency to turn a bit harsh and prickly on the mouth when you get down to the last quarter of the bowl; though it is a fairly well behaved blend otherwise. The nicotine content hovers around the lower end of medium and should be pleasantly relaxing for those who enjoy a bit of Vitamin N but of no significant concern for the uninitiated.
Tidying up the review with my personal thoughts on the blend, I can certainly see why Prince Albert is a classic that has endured and remained popular for well over 100 years, but as with many Burley based blends that haven't been heavily topped with something sweet this one really irritated the ever living daylights out of my throat; and the week of smoking it for the review left me with sore throat that persisted for what felt like almost as long as Prince Albert has been around! It took me over a month to recover from and really put me off trying new blends for a couple months, so I've spent the time since the majority of this review was originally written back in October just smoking familiar mild aromatics that I know won't bother my throat.
I have missed writing pipe blend reviews though, and I recently found a few new-to-me blends that I've been enjoying immensely and would like to smoke at greater length and talk about for a bit, so I think it's time to finally get back in the saddle! Next week's blend of the week is...
Sutliff - Rum & Maple (Original Sutliff Production)
Blend of the Week #35: Prince Albert
The exact contents of Prince Albert are a little bit mysterious. It's well known to be a Burley blend with a light cocoa topping, but what else may or may not be in the mix is a touch difficult to pin down. I've heard some say that there is Black Cavendish in it, though I sure can't see any, and others have said it contains Virginia Cavendish which seems more plausible though I'm still not entirely sure this isn't just straight Burley. I've also seen it purported to contain bourbon whiskey, rum, molasses, or licorice depending on who you ask; but as far as I can tell what we have here is just a very simple and straightforward Burley with a very light cocoa topping; and if there is anything else in there then I sure don't know what it is since I can't see, smell, or taste it.
Prince Albert is a very lightly topped blend, such that I would not consider it an "aromatic" blend in the traditional sense, and it can be very difficult to tell where the tobacco ends and the toppings begin based on the flavor of the smoke. There is definitely a mild and relatively unsweetened cocoa topping, but plain unadulterated Burley often has a bit of a cocoa note so when smoking Prince Albert it can be a bit hard to tell whether the occasional hint of cocoa you're tasting is coming from the topping or just the tobacco itself. I just get natural Burley flavor notes with a slight hint of what may or may not be a little extra unsweetened cocoa.
The room note tells another story though, as everyone I smoked Prince Albert around during the review period thought it smelled great; which is a reaction I've never gotten from a Burley blend before. The other members of my household typically find Burley to smell like cigarettes, and Burley blends don't tend to generate any positive comments from passerbys either, but everyone seemed really enjoy the aroma of Prince Albert so that's a definite win in my book! This is probably about as close as you can get to a natural tasting Burley blend that non-smoking company will enjoy too.
Perhaps even more astonishing is that Prince Albert actually makes a fantastic cigarette. While doing some reading up on the history of Prince Albert I discovered that for a good 30 years or so before the widespread availability of pre-rolled packed cigarettes in the early 20th century Prince Albert was by far the most popular tobacco to hand roll cigarettes with throughout much of America; and it's popularity as a rolling tobacco persisted throughout Appalachia for a good long while after that.
Seeing as how the recipe for Prince Albert has remained more or less unchanged since it's introduction in 1907 I figured I'd give it a try, and I'll be darned if it didn't roll up into possibly the tastiest hand rolled unfiltered cigarette I've ever smoked! It burned cool, smooth, and evenly; and that little cocoa note gave it a far more enjoyable flavor than any cigarette I've had in memory. Initially I was a little concerned that it's moisture content might make it difficult to keep lit or cause it to burn unevenly when rolled into a cigarette, but those concerns ended up being unfounded since Prince Albert really does make a top notch cigarette and I can certainly see why it was so popular as both a pipe and cigarette tobacco for so many decades!
As far as the mechanics when smoked in a pipe go the only complaints I could really make about Prince Albert are that the retrohale—while initially fairly smooth—can get more than a little stingy on the sinuses as the bowl goes along, and the smoke does have a tendency to turn a bit harsh and prickly on the mouth when you get down to the last quarter of the bowl; though it is a fairly well behaved blend otherwise. The nicotine content hovers around the lower end of medium and should be pleasantly relaxing for those who enjoy a bit of Vitamin N but of no significant concern for the uninitiated.
Tidying up the review with my personal thoughts on the blend, I can certainly see why Prince Albert is a classic that has endured and remained popular for well over 100 years, but as with many Burley based blends that haven't been heavily topped with something sweet this one really irritated the ever living daylights out of my throat; and the week of smoking it for the review left me with sore throat that persisted for what felt like almost as long as Prince Albert has been around! It took me over a month to recover from and really put me off trying new blends for a couple months, so I've spent the time since the majority of this review was originally written back in October just smoking familiar mild aromatics that I know won't bother my throat.
I have missed writing pipe blend reviews though, and I recently found a few new-to-me blends that I've been enjoying immensely and would like to smoke at greater length and talk about for a bit, so I think it's time to finally get back in the saddle! Next week's blend of the week is...
Sutliff - Rum & Maple (Original Sutliff Production)
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I've been missing your reviews, too - and really appreciate the trouble you go to for our benefit. And at last! A Burley blend Mrs. B. won't complain about! Good on ya, SkippyCould it be that after three months of delays I'm finally posting my Prince Albert review? It's a Christmas miracle, Charlie Brown!
Blend of the Week #35: Prince Albert
Good to see you back on here. Going to get so PA and give it a try, as you say it has been around forever for a reason. Thanks!
I've been missing your reviews, too - and really appreciate the trouble you go to for our benefit. And at last! A Burley blend Mrs. B. won't complain about! Good on ya, Skippy
Thanks you two, it's really good to be back! I was still smoking a pipe just about every day during my absence, just sticking to mellow Lane aromatics that I knew wouldn't bother my throat since it took so darn long to recover. I was still finding that my throat was getting a little irritated if I smoked a pipe more than once a day even with the really mild aros though, so I decided to give them a try with a 9mm filtered pipe and a 9mm charcoal filter and that finally solved the problem!
For the past month or so I've been smoking a pipe 2 or 3 times a day, and as long as I smoke a fairly mild aromatic and use a 9mm filter I have zero throat discomfort whatsoever no matter how many pipes I puff away on over the course of the day. So hooray! I finally figured out how to enjoy a pipe as often as I want without aggravating my throat that's so oversensitive from nearly 30 years of pack-a-day cigarette smoking.
Now I've only got two problems when it comes to pipe smoking. The first is that I've been abusing the heck out of my poor Molina Barasso (104) Sandblasted Black pipe smoking it several times a day every day like an old codger who only has one pipe, since it's the only 9mm filtered pipe I currently own, so last week I went through my modest collection of a dozen or so pipes and sold off all the unfiltered and 6mm filtered ones that I hadn't smoked much and didn't have sentimental value. I took the money from those sales and used it to pick up a couple more 9mm filtered pipes, a Savinelli Siena (207) and a Molina Barasso (108) Smooth Natural, that should arrive in the mail in a few days; and I've been eyeballing a Peterson Dublin Filter (120) Rusticated Fishtail that I'm gonna pick up next week when finances allow.
With the matter of giving my poor over-smoked Molina pipe a much needed break fairly well sorted, my only other problem now is that I've been getting a little bored of my rotation of Lane blends. Thankfully I recently discovered that Sutliff and Peter Stokkebye aromatics are just as easy and comfortable on my throat as Lane's when smoked with 9mm filter, and while Sutliff aros are unfortunately very hard to come by now I've been picking up and trying to trade for the ones I can when I come across them. Adding a little variety to my smoking rotation that won't bug my throat is certainly worth spending a bit extra for.
So, that's where I'm at now! It took a few months of trial and error (admittedly mostly error) but I finally figured out what works for me when it comes to pipe smoking and won't bother my throat: Mild aromatics with a 9mm charcoal filter. I'll probably get bored of aros eventually and still need to smoke something non-aromatic that my throat will be less happy about from time to time just for a change of pace, but using a filter definitely helps reduce the irritation from non-aromatic blends too so it shouldn't be too bad. It doesn't solve the problem entirely with non-aromatics, but it does lessen the impact on my throat a great deal.
The important part though is that I'm a happy smoker and know how to enjoy pipe smoking without discomfort now. Finally!