the Navy blend?

[atjurhs]

Is there a general description of what's to be considered a "Navy Blend" kind of like what defines a VaPer or Kentucky?
Maybe an easier way to define, is what's a classic "Navy" blend?

 

[ashdigger]

Here's a link to a thread with a lively discussion. Hope it helps.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/what-defines-the-navy-flake

 

[philobeddoe]

Generally a Rum casing....could be a straight Virginia, could contain Burley, Perique, Latakia, various Orientals, really no hard definition other than a rum casing. However the classic Navy tobacco would be a stoved Virginia with rum.

 

[jvnshr]

I guess there is no general description. When you say navy blend, it just reminds me the navy cut. Here is what I found:

NAVY CUT: Originally the tobacco was favored by sailors. They would put it in a long thin canvas tube and twist it tight. When taken out it was a thick rope of tobacco that they could carry in their pocket. They could cut off a plug to chew or slice it to smoke in a pipe. Escudo, Three Nuns Slices and Bengal Slices are types of sliced plug. Normally it is a slow burning tobacco fitting with its sailing origins. Navy blends are often steeped in Rum as this what sailors used to to do.

LINK

 

[Chasing Embers]

Navy is a very loose designation. Can have rum, but doesn't have to. Can be almost any cut. It's almost as bad as trying to define the difference between English, Scottish, and Balkan blends.

 

[pappymac]

That was an interesting video posted on doing a "perique" twist but now I'm curious about how that came to be called a perique. I ask because I've been on a tour of the Perique factory in St. James Parish and they tell a different story about how Perique is made and how it was named.

 

[cranseiron]

Pappymac, I've been thinking of going down to St. James Parish and tour the facility, also. Do they have scheduled tours or do you just phone them and say you'd like to drop by?

 

[mso489]

The word "navy" in the name of blend just means that you should read the rest of the description on the blend; the word "navy" doesn't mean a lot. The rum casing keeps the nomenclature honest, to a point, but mostly read about the other constituent tobaccos to see what you're getting. I like a number of Mac Baren blends but they used to make something called "Navy Mixture," that was supposed to have some large number (thirty maybe) kinds of tobacco. It bit like a junk yard dog. If there was any rum, it was lost in the confusion. Really not good, to me. I like strong blends; this was less strong and more harsh.

 

[pappymac]

Cranse - You need to call them. I don't know if they do regular tours. I went on one set up by the New Orleans Pipe Club.

 

[toobfreak]

I tried some Mac Barens Navy Flake years ago and was not impressed nor did it have any rum flavor that I could discern. Not much flavor to speak of at all, just pricey.

 

[ophiuchus]

"I always smoke 'ship's' myself," I answered.

 

[aldecaker]

I always love a good Arthur Conan Doyle reference. Does my heart good.

 

[cranseiron]

Pappymac-- thanks!