Some Ghosts are not so Friendly!

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Sep 18, 2015
3,253
42,050
So, over the years I’ve found lots of different ghosts that play quite nicely with my chosen tobaccos, however every once in a while I find one that does NOT!
For about the past year or so my afternoon drive smoke has been one flavor or another of GH&CO Lakeland in a German made bent pot. Last week I felt like something different might be nice and loaded up some Black Twist, by the time I got home I had pretty much decided that the Twist wasn’t gonna make the drive time rotation and dug out a jar of old faithful Curly Cut Deluxe, today was the third day of the CCD and I can still taste the BT. It’s not a pleasant experience, if it doesn’t start to dissipate soon I’m gonna have to break out the exorcism kit!
Just curious to see what some of y’alls flops have been?
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,853
31,604
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
worst ghost I've gotten is from mixture 79. It just brings out the worst in some other blends. Thankfully I never got a serious ghost from that but it's the only blend I smoke regularly that I am attentive to how frequently I've smoked it in a certain pipe. Also it seems to be easy to excorcise but it's bad enough that I practice a care I never have before. Actually thought of dedicating a pipe to it.
 
G

Gimlet

Guest
Anything with strong latakia in it. I've got one pipe I'll smoke a latakia blend in. I've cleaned it with alcohol but looks like it's going to be a latakia pipe forever.
Smoking Petersons 965 in it at the moment and I won't be smoking it in anything else. Should be said, perhaps, that the 965 is the only blend I smoke that contains latakia. If more of my regular blends featured it I suppose I'd get away with it.


I've tried GH cut black twist and it does ghost. But in my case it wore off quicker than latakia.
 

vosBghos

Lifer
May 7, 2022
1,632
3,588
Idaho
Odd man out probably but I bought a new Peterson Christmas spigot last year and twas the season so I loaded it with C&D we three kings and I hated it. As I have posted so many times about suffering from Covid lack of taste I figured it was just my palate playing tricks on me so I tried it maybe two more times. Nope, dont like it so I figured a few bowls of Five Brothers would work it out nope OJK, nope, okay I'll just turn it into a Lakeland Pipe nope, the We Three Kings topping cuts through everything , gonna have to start all over with the sea salt and Vodka. Hoping to designate it for some Christmas Cheer this year as it's a mighty fine pipe actually.
 

LeafErikson

Lifer
Dec 7, 2021
2,282
20,059
Oregon
Odd man out probably but I bought a new Peterson Christmas spigot last year and twas the season so I loaded it with C&D we three kings and I hated it. As I have posted so many times about suffering from Covid lack of taste I figured it was just my palate playing tricks on me so I tried it maybe two more times. Nope, dont like it so I figured a few bowls of Five Brothers would work it out nope OJK, nope, okay I'll just turn it into a Lakeland Pipe nope, the We Three Kings topping cuts through everything , gonna have to start all over with the sea salt and Vodka. Hoping to designate it for some Christmas Cheer this year as it's a mighty fine pipe actually.
Wow that's interesting how bad the ghost was for you. I'm a big fan of that blend. It's probably the spices that are sticking around. That would make sense.
 

RudyG

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 25, 2023
100
273
71
New York
Long time ago I got ghosted by mix 79. The pipe was incurable.

After that I designated a single pipe for the tobaccos that can raise the dead like Mix 79,Ennerdale, Grousemoore etc. The ghosts seem to get along with each other and I rarely smoke this type of baccy anyway.

Those types of tobacco should have a "Ghost" notice along with the nicotine warning.

I also keep my oriental and latakia pipes separated as Lat bomb blends can also ghost a pipe.
 

Bbailey324

Lifer
Jun 29, 2023
2,128
28,084
Austin, TX
Rattray's Exotic Passion was one of the worst for me. In a absent minded moment one evening I smoked a bowl in an otherwise Va flake dedicated pipe. Maybe 10 or so bowls in after two iterations of salt and alcohol and I can still taste that neroli/orange perfume note. Anything floral Lakeland is pretty rough too.
 

FurCoat

Lifer
Sep 21, 2020
10,253
96,604
North Carolina
Rattray's Exotic Passion was one of the worst for me. In a absent minded moment one evening I smoked a bowl in an otherwise Va flake dedicated pipe. Maybe 10 or so bowls in after two iterations of salt and alcohol and I can still taste that neroli/orange perfume note. Anything floral Lakeland is pretty rough too.
I have a pipe dedicated to EO and it s severely ghosted. I could smoke Pirate Kake through it and swear it was EO. It's a full blown possession.
 
Sep 18, 2015
3,253
42,050
I’ve got a pair of pipes I got from an ol boy that I haven’t been able to get the aro ghost out of, I’ve reamed and sanded to bare wood and done several salt treatments with everclear, I have no idea what he smoked but EVERYTHING I try to burn in these taste like Juicy fruit gum. It’s so bad that I can’t even bring myself to finish a bowl.
 

RookieGuy80

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 6, 2023
734
2,716
Maryland, United States
I had half a bowl of Blood Red Moon to remind myself why I don't smoke cherry blends. I had it in a Medico Standard Brylon pipe. The next several bowls of Bow Legged Bear tasted like cherry Lifesaver candies. I think it's gone now, but that was ghosting brylon, which I was told wouldn't happen.
 

Dreadlock Holmes

Might Stick Around
Aug 11, 2023
54
198
Long time ago I got ghosted by mix 79. The pipe was incurable.

After that I designated a single pipe for the tobaccos that can raise the dead like Mix 79,Ennerdale, Grousemoore etc. The ghosts seem to get along with each other and I rarely smoke this type of baccy anyway.

Those types of tobacco should have a "Ghost" notice along with the nicotine warning.

I also keep my oriental and latakia pipes separated as Lat bomb blends can also ghost a pipe.

Can you ghost meerschaum? What about clay pipes?
 
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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,357
Humansville Missouri
As counterintuitive as it may seem, I’m convinced my porous, spongy, butter soft Algerian briar Marxman and other Algerian pipes are nearly ghost proof.

Or maybe it’s because I love ‘em and baby em and clean em so much.

But they don’t give off a pipey smell like other pipes, sitting in a box.

Why, I can’t explain. You’d think a softer, more porous pipe would suck up ghosts and not let ‘em go very easily, but my experience is the reverse.
 
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Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,637
2,722
42
United States Of America
I like Black Twist. The only ghost I can't stand is anything cherry. I occasionally once in a blue moon or Cult Blood Red Moon enjoy a cherry blend. But I rarely smoke it, so everytime I'm in the mood I'm like nah man it's gonna ruin sipping a good Virginia and even and english blend. Which I mostly smoke. I've dedicated a cob to that blend. I haven't really cared about most other blends they wear off too me.
 

Peterson314

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 13, 2019
549
4,622
Atlanta, GA
Autumn Evening for me as well.

At the time, my Peterson 314 (<--That one) was my aromatic pipe. I had one bowl and dumped it halfway through. I filled the bowl with something neutral, like 1Q or MacB Mixture, and I couldn't get through that bowl either. Everything was candy-coated with gas-station tier maple syrup. I cleaned that pipe for an hour and decided that I would audition all future aromatics in a cob. The next day, I bought my first cobs. I exorcised the ghost, and now that Peterson is dedicated to black cavendish.

I jarred up Autumn Evening anyway and tried it again about three years later. In a cob. It mellowed, and I could at least see why people like it. I do not. I gave it a new home.
 
G

Gimlet

Guest
I like Black Twist. The only ghost I can't stand is anything cherry. I occasionally once in a blue moon or Cult Blood Red Moon enjoy a cherry blend. But I rarely smoke it, so everytime I'm in the mood I'm like nah man it's gonna ruin sipping a good Virginia and even and english blend. Which I mostly smoke. I've dedicated a cob to that blend. I haven't really cared about most other blends they wear off too me.
I used to smoke GH Exc. black cherry in a Rattrays Sanhaim bent billiard. I'd bought the pipe with that blend in mind for it but was never entirely convinced they were suited to each other. I persevered out of habit until I bought some best brown unscented and couldn't think which pipe to try it in (I've only got ten pipes). The Sanhaim had had a bit of a rest because I'd been trying new blends, so I tried it with the best brown and haven't looked back. There was a bit of BC ghosting but it smoked the best brown so well I got stuck in to a deep clean with the reamer, and whisky soaked cotton bubs which killed it off. It's since become my go-to Ennerdale flake pipe which smokes like a dream in it and all memories of Exc black cherry have gone.

I still smoke Ex BC but in a Molina with a wider, slightly shallower bowl which seems to suit it better. Exclusive black cherry has become my driving home from work blend. Don't know why but it seems to suit the occasion.
 

Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,637
2,722
42
United States Of America
I used to smoke GH Exc. black cherry in a Rattrays Sanhaim bent billiard. I'd bought the pipe with that blend in mind for it but was never entirely convinced they were suited to each other. I persevered out of habit until I bought some best brown unscented and couldn't think which pipe to try it in (I've only got ten pipes). The Sanhaim had had a bit of a rest because I'd been trying new blends, so I tried it with the best brown and haven't looked back. There was a bit of BC ghosting but it smoked the best brown so well I got stuck in to a deep clean with the reamer, and whisky soaked cotton bubs which killed it off. It's since become my go-to Ennerdale flake pipe which smokes like a dream in it and all memories of Exc black cherry have gone.

I still smoke Ex BC but in a Molina with a wider, slightly shallower bowl which seems to suit it better. Exclusive black cherry has become my driving home from work blend. Don't know why but it seems to suit the occasion.
You can sun dry cobs. To me its just easier, and they smoke great.
 
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G

Gimlet

Guest
You can sun dry cobs. To me its just easier, and they smoke great.
I intend to try a cob at some time. I just need to find one I like. They're not such a tradition in the UK and the choice is a bit limited. When I find one that grabs me I'll be adding one to the collection.
Seen a few beauties on here but they seem to be a bit of an afterthought on UK retailer's sites.