Taming the War Horse

[kanse]

Lately I've been smoking my War Horse Red. It's been one of the hardest tobacco I've had to figure out so hard. I usually don't bother with smoking blends I do not enjoy right off the bat, but this one I took personally, it did cost me some good money, after all.
I tried cutting it into thicker chunks and smoking it that way, which did reduce the roughness that was bothering me by a significant bit.
Is there anything else I should watch out for to get the most out of it?

 

[cobguy]

Crumbling the whole bar and putting it into a jar for a week or three -occasionally opening it - helps with many blends.

 

[kanse]

cobguy

It's been in a Jar for a couple of months now I think.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've been thinking about crumpling a bar onto a cookie sheet and then let it set in the oven set really low for a while to burn off some of that flavoring. It's a good flavor, just way too much of it.

 

[kanse]

Cosmic

I've been wanting to try baking tobacco for a while now, I think WarHorse is gonna get that.
I just don't know what to seal it in first.

 

[papipeguy]

I would recommend rubbing out and, most important, pack is loosely. Too tight a pack will have you sitting there for days.

 

[hawky454]

Pitchfork (a forum member here) was just talking about cutting his War Horse with Samuel Gawith's Lakeland Dark. That won't cut down on the nicotine but it should help calm down the excessive topping that I get from the rereleased War Horse Bars. Maybe Pitchfork will weigh in.

 

[papipeguy]

That's an interesting combination, hawky. I'll have to experiment with some combos even though I'm fine with the Bar as is.

 

[kanse]

I put the remaining bar I had in an Irish Flake tin, since I had throw away the War Horse one.
Baked it for an hour at 100C. God damn, what came out is this one of the most delicious smelling tobacco I've sniffed. The residual scent from Irish Flake had some effect on it too. Going to smoke it this evening.

 

[condorlover1]

Now I know how Willy Wonka felt about people trying to steal the secrets to his Ever Lasting Gob Stopper! Actually I find mixing it with either finely cut XXX Black Twist or Condor Plug seems to add something to the smoking experience, to amp it down a little I find mixing it with some Warrior Plug does the trick. Turning the War Horse Bar into a sort of brownie with out the addition of cannaboids sounds like sacrilege. :rofl:

 

[jvnshr]

is this about taming the strenght, or a obtrusive flavouring?

He just wants to fill his pipe, light and enjoy (I guess).

 

[kanse]

jvnshr

I just noticed Deniz's question.
I did not like the bitterness of tobacco combined with the flavoring. I am not sure if it is bitterness at all, I just do not enjoy getting that rough tobacco flavor on my tongue when the scenting makes you expect something a lot milder/smoother.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"It's a good flavor, just way too much of it."
Michael, the War Horse Green and War Horse Red you sent me I put into small ziplock bags then I put those bags into two small square tins (Mac Baren HH size) and left them in my kitchen.
Four or five months on, everytime I enter my kitchen I am greeted with that distinct stench aroma!
Regards,
Jay.

 

[kanse]

deniz

This is not set in stone, there are many variations of temperature/duration you can use.
It can be done with any cut of tobacco, but it's more commonly done on sealed tins, and Virginia blends.

I've heard of people getting good results with Erinmore and Royal Yacht, and Virginia blends in general, too.
I just improvised with my open Warhorse bar because I could not find a better use for it. You might want to read the tin baking bit from Fred Hanna's book.
Also, I did smoke the baked warhorse just now, I like it better this way, it tastes like an actual tobacco. Might have cooked it a bit less to keep some of that topping.

 

[pitchfork]

kanse, I'm not sure why the War Horse is coming off rough or harsh. For me, it's almost too smooth. I originally toned down the flavor of the Green with some Lakeland Dark, but today I'm smoking it with some Brown Bogie which makes it a bit more stout and, I suppose, rough. I kinda like it that way. I never smoked the original War Horse, so I have no idea how the remake compares.

 

[pitchfork]

condorlover, I know you've smoked the original War Horse -- was it as smooth as the remake?

 

[kanse]

deniz



I don't think Mac Baren HH blends need any further tinkering, especially not BK.
I plan to do this with most blends that I find unpleasant, rather than throw them away or let them lay around.

 

[pitchfork]

kanse, it must be a body chemistry thing, because almost any MacBaren blend (except for Golden Extra) bites the hell out of me.

 

[sablebrush52]

I like the stuff just as it is. Not that much of a Nic hit, which is surprising as I'm such a Nic wimp. I also only smoke it in the small bowls of 19th century pipes.

 

[mso489]

One way to tame an aromatic to taste (and if you don't need it tamed don't do it) is to take two or three bowls and put them in a pottery or cereal bowl and let it dry out and vent its flavoring, and smoke it for a few days and see when it tastes best. Over time, most aros lose some of their flavoring in the jar, but it takes a while.