The First Pax Virtual Tobacco Crawl - Virginia Burleys

[brass]

To summarize thus far:
A tobacco crawl is similar to a pub crawl. Others compare it to a book club. The general idea is that the crawlers agree on a tobacco theme that they would like to explore. The August tobacco crawl will be on Virginia Burleys. We'll select up to 4 different VaBurs and members will explore a different blend each week.
In the future, we'll explore different themes, maybe some by brands like Boswell, others by blend types - the possibilities are limited only by your imagination and interests. In some cases, the theme guide might be a blender - perhaps Greg from GLP could be enticed to walk us through his favorite blends. (Greg, are you there?)
We'll then share our opinions, reviews, comparisons and philosophy online at pipesmagazine.com, using this thread. New themes can be explored each month.
Each user will buy their own blends from their favorite source. In some cases, the crawler will already have the blend in their celler. Unlike a box pass, no shipping and handling will be needed, no inventory will be at risk, since your tobacconist will ship to you.
There are no unbreakable rules except keep it fun. Anyone is free at anytime to organize their own tobacco crawl and make up own procedures.
The first crawl is schedule for August. Additional details will be provided as they develop.

Founding Tobacco Crawlers are:

misterlowercase

cmdrmcbragg (Commander, you expressed interest. I think you're on board? If not, my apologies)

thesmokingtexan
Anyone else can join in at anytime, just by saying I'm in.
The tobacco menu for the month of August follows:
Week 1: Mac Barren's Old Dark Fired - a PM forum favorite

Week 2: 3 Nuns - one of old classics. Maybe misterlowercase can find us an old tin to share. Know some exist)

Week 3: GL Pease Jackknife Plug

Week 4:
Week 4 is for nominations. Next new member gets the choice. What you like to try?
Guidelines

1. If possible, smoke 3 or more bowls a week
   

Post your reviews, comments, pipes tried, comparisons with other blends you are smoking or have smoked,in this thread.
Minimum number of participants to start a crawl: Two
Order your tobacco from whatever source you wish but I'll find at least one source for your consideration and convenience.
A real time smoke-in is optional,e g., members agree on time and date to smoke a bowl and chat or post their comments, shoot the breeze and build up their BOTL relationships. Maybe best way to handle is for any participant to post an announcement on the thread, stating the time that you'll be smoking a bowl, and leaving an open invitation for others to join in.
We are in it for fun, so ok to drop in late, drop out early. We're winging it anyway, so these guidelines are flexible and will almost certainly change as we get experience. let's see where we go.
Who knows, a few years from now, you might be able brag that you were one of the first tobacco crawlers.
One question for all: My preference is to taste 4 blends a month. Is that too much?
Any other suggestions welcome.

 

[lincolnsbark]

I really like this idea and would like to be in as well. I would suggest the addition of GL Pease Jackknife plug for either week 3 or 4 (mostly because I just bought a tin of this...).

 

[catyrpelius]

This sounds like it could be alot of fun, so count me in.
A tobacco that would fit into this theme that I've always wanted to try is Peterson 3 P's Perfect Plug.
Now I'm off to try and find some Three Nuns!

 

[brass]

Welcome to the First Pax Tobacco Crawl, catyrpelius. Peterson's Perfect Plug it is. This completes the August Crawl Menu. More crawlers are welcome. To join, just say you're in.
Week 1: Mac Barren's Old Dark Fired - a PM forum favorite

Week 2: 3 Nuns - one of old classics. Maybe misterlowercase can find us an old tin to share. Know some exist)

Week 3: GL Pease Jackknife Plug

Week 4: Peterson's Perfect Plug
Founding Tobacco Crawlers thus far:

1. misterlowercase
   
   cmdrmcbragg
   
   thesmokingtexan
   
   lincolnsbark
   
   catyrpelius
   

BTW, it appears that at least one vendor, I believe a PM sponsor, may be willing to offer crawl members free shipping if you buy the entire menu from them. Will advise as I learn more.

 

[puffdoggie]

Count me in. I have DF and Three Nuns is o its' way. I'll have to order the Jackknife Plug. How about adding MacBaren Symphony to the list? It has VA & Burley but it does add some Cav. Hope that's OK.
C u all week of 8/1! :puffpipe:

 

[catyrpelius]

Thats great to hear Brass, if it becomes an option I'll definatly take advantage of that in the coming months.
3 Nuns is avalible from Cup O' Joes if anyone is looking for it.

 

[brass]

Welcome puffdoggie. This months menu is full but we'll add Mac Barren Symphony to the list for another crawl, maybe in September.
Founding Pax Tobacco Crawlers thus far:
misterlowercase

cmdrmcbragg

thesmokingtexan

lincolnsbark

catyrpelius

puffdoggie
The August Menu

Week 1: Mac Barren's Old Dark Fired - a PM forum favorite

Week 2: 3 Nuns - one of old classics. Maybe misterlowercase can find us an old tin to share. Know some exist)

Week 3: GL Pease Jackknife Plug (I LOVE this blend)

Week 4: Peterson's Perfect Plug
Thinking ahead to September, I was thinking of a Newbie tour, introducing the basic foundation tobaccos and blends. Perhaps a straight Virginia; a Burley,(and I believe Syphony is considered a burley blend), maybe a VaPer and and English. If the demand was there, we could extend the crawl through October, trying other blends, e.g., cigar blends, an aromatic, etc. Lots of ways to organize it and lots of opinions but I think getting familiar with Virginians and burleys, before moving on to VaPers and Lats, helps new smokers understand the more complex blends more quickly, since they can now appreciate the foundations.
But this is just my opinion. There are many more experienced than I on PM, and suggestions are welcome.

 

[catyrpelius]

There are a ton of different themes you could use.

Thinking ahead to September, I was thinking of a Newbie tour, introducing the basic foundation tobaccos and blends. Perhaps a straight Virginia; a Burley,(and I believe Syphony is considered a burley blend), maybe a VaPer and and English. If the demand was there, we could extend the crawl through October, trying other blends, e.g., cigar blends, an aromatic, etc. Lots of ways to organize it and lots of opinions but I think getting familiar with Virginians and burleys, before moving on to VaPers and Lats, helps new smokers understand the more complex blends more quickly, since they can now appreciate the foundations.

Honestly you could devote a month to each of those blends on their own.

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

Ugh, I am not a MacBaren fan. I haven't found a blend I like from them. That and at $13 a tin I'm not a fan of the price either. I'm putting in an order this next week so I'll be on board. Just keep everyone posted about possible changes. I already have Three Nuns and actually have a very small amount (like 3 bowls probably) of 10+ year a old Three Nuns.

 

[brass]

Reviews and Info on the tobaccos selected for the August crawl, from tobacco reviews.com.
The August Menu
Week 1: Mac Barren's Old Dark Fired - a PM forum favorite Flake or Ready Rubbed

A bold flake of dark-fired burleys in a well balanced unity with Flue-cured Virginias. This flake is Hot Pressed, meaning that during the pressing, heat is added by steam to the tobaccos which causes the tobacco to intensify the marrying process giving us a bolder tobacco. The robust, earthly flavour of the dark-fired burleys shines through in the taste, and you will experience a deeply satisfying smoke indeed.
Notes: One of the most fascinating parts about this tobacco that will be sure to confuse a lot of American pipe smokers is that, despite the fact that HH Old Dark Fired contains zero Latakia, Mac Baren still considers it an English because of the method used in its production, specifically the steam press.
Full Review: http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/5214/mac-baren-hh-old-dark-fired
Week 2: 3 Nuns - one of old classics

A blend of dark fired and sun cured tobaccos mixed with the finest Brazilian Lights to produce the unique flavor and mellow smoking characteristics for which Three Nuns is famous.
Notes: The Three Nuns coin tobacco was originally a creation of J & F Bell, dating back to the 19th century. A favorite of British authors (and friends) C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien.
In the formula from Imperial Tobacco, Three Nuns was a VaPr mixture.
Pipe Tobacco Hall of Fame Inductee.
Full review: http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/1259/bells-three-nuns
Week 3: GL Pease Jackknife Plug



JackKnife Plug - dark-fired Kentucky leaf and ripe red Virginia tobaccos, with their deep, earthy flavors, are layered on a central core of golden flue-cured for a hint of bright sweetness, then pressed and matured in cakes, and finally cut into 2oz blocks. Slice it thick and rub it out for a ribbon cut, thin for a shag, or chop it into cubes. The choice is yours.
Notes: The first blend in the New World Series - JackKnife Plug was introduced in January, 2011.
From GL Pease: This one has been a long time coming. I’ve had more requests than I can count to make a plug, and to make some stronger blends. There’s something about playing with the tobacco, cutting it, rubbing it out, preparing it for smoking, that connects us more closely with the whole process. A plug like this can be sliced thick or thin, so the smoker gains complete control over the way it will pack and burn. It’s quite rewarding.
My favorite approach with JackKnife has been to slice it very thin, about 1/32″, and rub it completely into a fine shag. Filling the pipe carefully, not packing too tightly, results in a wonderful, cool, effortless smoke, and the fine cut seems to enhance the sweetness of the virginias and bring out the subtle, natural perfume of the dark-fired Kentucky leaf.
Full Review:

http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/4195/g-l-pease-jackknife-plug
Week 4: Peterson's Perfect Plug

(I wouldn't have picked this blend. It is made from Virginias and Burleys but since it is lightly cased, tobacco reviews classifies it as an aromatic. But one of the benefits of the tobacco crawl is to be introduced to tobaccos that you aren't familiar with. I look forward to trying it out. -Pax)
This excellent plug tobacco comprises selected Virginia leaf from Africa and Brazil blended with Burley leaf from Malawi. The tobaccos are lightly cased before drying and pressing and then are heated and stored for 2 weeks before cutting. The result is a full bodied yet fruity blend, sure to appeal to the experienced pipesmoker.
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/3526/peterson-petersons-perfect-plug

 

[brass]

From Cmdrmcbragg:

Ugh, I am not a MacBaren fan. I haven't found a blend I like from them. That and at $13 a tin I'm not a fan of the price either. I'm putting in an order this next week so I'll be on board. Just keep everyone posted about possible changes. I already have Three Nuns and actually have a very small amount (like 3 bowls probably) of 10+ year a old Three Nuns.

As we said, everything is flexible. Feel free to skip the Mac Barren or join in. Your company and expertise will be welcomed. And who know, someone else may love the Mac Barren and be willing to trade or otherwise take it off your hands.
BTW, would you happen to know where we could score a tin of aged 3 nuns?

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

I'll try it because it is a Va flake, but I'm not holding my breath is all. It's on the list for next week. I've never had a GLP, so I'm looking forward to that and I'm in a VA/VaPer mode right now after finding my way out if aros, so I'm on board, plus I have Three Nuns already.
I was given a sample by another PM member, and I believe that was a tin he was able to buy from someone else.

 

[brass]

From catyrpelius

Honestly you could devote a month to each of those blends on their own.

You're exactly right and I expect we will. It could also be tough picking just one straight virginian, one VaPer, etc.
The thought was to methodically sample blend foundations, then later explore each of the blend types in depth. No hurry. But it was just my idea and something I found useful in my own explorations. If the members come to a consensus on another approach, super, I'm in. And if you don't get your preference one month, we can always try another month.

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

What about two blends a month? I think one blend would be too boring for an entire month, plus what more would we have to say after the first week or so? That's just my two cents.
I personally like to really get to know a blend so I usually only have a couple tins open at a time because that's all I really have time for. I can't be like @JimInks and smoke 8-9 different blends a day during daylight hours.
Currently I have been smoking Escudo and Three Nuns, and I smoke an aro blend in the car/at work (which I don't count because that tin only lasts a month or two tops and is usually something I am very familiar with).

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

Also the cost of buying four tins a month (if you don't have them already) is in the $30-$40 a month range if we are looking for consistent full participation of most. This next month works fine for myself because I was planning to order next week and the selection is in my wheelhouse.

 

[brass]

Good points
How about recommending four blends a month and members choose to purchase as many or few as they like? We wouldn't want to pressure anyone into buying a blend they're not interested in. And offering 4 means a better chance of a blend being included that you really want to try.
I may not have the time or budget to smoke 4 new blends every month myself.

 

[catyrpelius]

From brass:

You're exactly right and I expect we will. It could also be tough picking just one straight virginian, one VaPer, etc.
The thought was to methodically sample blend foundations, then later explore each of the blend types in depth. No hurry. But it was just my idea and something I found useful in my own explorations. If the members come to a consensus on another approach, super, I'm in. And if you don't get your preference one month, we can always try another month.

I see where your going with this, make sense and works for me.
As far as the number of tins a month goes though, maybe thats something we could talk more about halfway through August? See how the first month goes and then work from there.
I've never had 3 Nuns but it's what I'm most excited about trying from the list.

 

[smokeybear]

Being i already have all these in my cellar and believe it or not have yet to try 3 of the 4 i will be joining in on this as well. I just made some tobacco journal entry pages in dying to try out if any one wants to use this method here is the link to the pages. feel free to use or modify it as you like.
Tobacco Journal Entry Pages

 

[brass]

Welcome, SmokeyBear:
I looked at your link to the journal entry pages. Very cool. Apparently, it is an image file. Did you do it in Word or or some other shareable file type? Don't know if it would print well as an image.
I was originally thinking that members would order 4 tins a month and that we might get a shipping discount. But it is becoming apparent that most members will already have at one of the selected blends in their cellar, if not more.
Founding Pax Tobacco Crawlers thus far:

1. misterlowercase
   
2. cmdrmcbragg[/*]
   
3. thesmokingtexan[/*]
   
4. lincolnsbark[/*]
   
5. catyrpelius[/*]
   
6. puffdoggie[/*]
   
7. smokeybear[/*]

The August Menu

Week 1: Mac Barren's Old Dark Fired - a PM forum favorite

Week 2: 3 Nuns - one of old classics. Maybe misterlowercase can find us an old tin to share. Know some exist)

Week 3: GL Pease Jackknife Plug (I LOVE this blend)

Week 4: Peterson's Perfect Plug

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

@caterpylius, I can dig that. I'm willing to go on and buy all four for August.
Another idea that just cropped up is what about we pitch in to buy a tin of each and divide it amongst those participating for the month? Cheaper than everybody buying an entire tin plus shipping a few small baggies in a small padded envelope isn't awfully expensive, a few bucks at least.
Everybody pays up a week or two before the next month (their share of tins + shipping), someone can be in charge of collecting, ordering and disbursement. So instead of 6 of us paying $210 +shipping all together for our own tins, we could divvy up the four tins 6 ways for $5.80 a share + individual shipping. So , like less than $10 each.
Or make it an even $12 gets the month's sampler and the person in charge keeps the change?
Obviously we would have to buy more depending on how many bowls we smoke of each blend and if we added more folks. We could all get at least 3 decent bowls each out of splitting a tin 6 ways.