The VaPerO -- Home Blending Revelation

[pitchfork]

I mentioned this earlier ( http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/anyone-tried-ashton-pebble-cut-or-campd-red-carpet ), but I just wanted to reiterate how wonderful Virginia mixed with Izmir and Perique is.
Roughly speaking, I used:
7 parts rubbed out 2012 Christmas Cheer (pure VA),
1 part Izmir, plus
Perique to taste (not a ton of Perique, but enough to notice).
I tell you, it is amazing stuff. I find CC 2012 just a little bit watery/flat, but this combination is a full-on frontal assault of well-structured flavor. It's sort of like a VaPer, but different, and much more complex. I get flavors of coconut, butter, nuts, spice (cinnamon, allspice) and a bit of floral taste as you would expect from Izmir.
I'm going to eventually order some Ashton Pebbel Cut and C&D Red Carpet (which have similar formulas), but I really like this combination.

 

[cortezattic]

You've been reading too many of Roth's posts. :lol:
ps. I like the combo too! :wink:

 

[pitchfork]

Ha! Too funny. Do you mix your own or have you tried some of the retail blends?

 

[pitchfork]

Yep, I use C&D bulk Turkish (Izmir). Not a fan of their bulk VA's, but the Izmir is really good stuff.
http://www.smokingpipes.com/tobacco/by-maker/cornell-diehl/bulk/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=79412

 

[pitchfork]

The Ashton Pebble Cut uses "Macedonian" leaf rather than Izmir. Roth, have you found much variation in taste from the use of different Orientals in these blends (home and retail)?

 

[kashmir]

Your use of Izmir as an oriental component, reminds me that I like to mix Drama Reserve with almost anything to bump up the Orientals. Good stuff!

 

[pitchfork]

I had forgotten, but I've had the Drama Reserve before -- very unique flavor. Almost olive-like, but fragrant. I should mix that with some Perique, perhaps.
Anyone who's had one of these VaPerO's before, would you consider it its own, distinct category of blends? I'm partial to doing that, based on what I've found with Izmir, but would be interested to hear others' thoughts.

 

[pitchfork]

Actually, all or most of the Grand Orientals series would be a good candidate for a VaPerO blend.
As for Yenidje/ Yenice, here's a company selling whole leaf for just 30 bucks a pound, but I wonder if it's genuine Yenidje or not, or perhaps a low-quality version. The Yenidje I've had in Ouallette's Magnum Opus is amazing -- positively incense-like. Seeing as these leaves are meant for cigarettes, I'm just skeptical of the quality, I guess.
http://www.leafonly.com/oriental_tobacco_leaves_yedidje.php

 

[hfearly]

In my book that just counts as an Oriental blend. You can't smoke most Oriental leaf on its own anyways, the leafs are tiny, and burn really badly if at all. The use of a second tobacco to provide the ember for the Oriental leaf has been done since ... well forever. The most common combos are VA + Oriental (for that tangy zing) and Burley + Oriental (for that buttery creamy yum). I think Pipeworks and Wilke mix some Oriental blends with VA, Turkish and Perique, High Hat and #78 come to my mind (both of which are spectacular).

 

[pitchfork]

Interesting. Thanks, hfearly.
EDIT: BTW, I just checked out Carole's site and all of those blends have Latakia in them, which in my experience totally changes the flavor profile to the "English blend" part of the spectrum. They look tasty, though. I'm still looking to try the Wilke blends...in due time.

 

[tjameson]

Does the addition of Izmir ghost a pipe? Could I add it to a VA or VAPer and use it in my VAPer/ VA pipe?

 

[bobpnm]

What is the Basma(?) that MC puts into FM On The Town?

 

[romeowood]

If you want a VaPerO created by the deft hand of a master blender, try the NY Pipe Club Bedloe's Island. It's another product of Russ Ouellette's genius, and it's seriously in my top 5 of any genre. I started on it again at the Chicago show and have blown through a tin already--I love this stuff, and it's aging fantastically--my first tins have just over a year on them now.

 

[pitchfork]

Thanks, romeowood. I remember reading about Bedloe's Island a while back, but "VaPerO" wasn't on my radar back then. In that review, cortezattic even refers to it as a VaperO.
And I find it intriguing that you notice an allspice flavor in the smoke, something I noticed in my little home-brew experiment. Sometime I plan to try Bedloe's Island along with Red Carpet and Ashton Pebble Cut. Bring on the VaPerO's!

 

[mso489]

I don't have your exact Va, but I have the other ingredients, so I may mix up a bowl and give it a go. Sounds good.

I don't think of these as blends, since they aren't aged or put under pressure, but a nice mix gives some great

smokes. I may try this with Va Red Cake as the base. Cavendish tames it nicely too.

 

[pitchfork]

mso489, go for it and see how it turns out. I think any red VA, especially a McClelland, would work well.

 

[romeowood]

And I find it intriguing that you notice an allspice flavor in the smoke, something I noticed in my little home-brew experiment.

It's that Izmir leaf, and Russ sure used the best he had in our blend. If you've ever been to the tropics and smelt the allspice trees in bloom, it's ethereal. I've found it fleetingly in other blends as well, notably some Pease concoctions, but all club-affiliated hyperbole aside, Bedloe's is a truly tasty blend that makes the Turk sing.

 

[cortezattic]

I don't do much tinkering, but Roth motivated me to start mixing Izmir with Mac Baren Virginia #1. I had a bunch of C&D's Izmir, but I don't recall from whom I bought it -- probably PipesAndCigars.com.
The stuff I wrote on NYPC's Bedloe's Island, in the article cited by Romeo, was written in response to a blind taste test challenge by Romeo. I was more focused on trying to pick out the components than I was in doing a standard review. Had I known it was going into a product announcement I would have been much more effusive in my praise. I actually thought Romeo and maybe a few of the guys had "tossed together" something they all enjoyed (though I couldn't understand how they produced a crumble cake.) I thought, gee, for a club blend it shows real clarity and polish. I half jokingly referred to it as Russ Ouellette's Louisiana Red with Izmir. Imagine how surprised I was to learn that he had blended it! I love the stuff and recommend it to anyone looking for an Izmir-forward treat.
@bobpnm:

Milton M Sherman, in his book All About Tobacco says

The important Greek tobaccos, used in the United States, are

Basmas, Katerini (Samsun Seed) and Bashi Bagli.
Basma tobacco is considered by the experts to be the finest

aromatic tobacco in the world. They refer to it as "the king

of tobaccos." Grown exclusively in Greece, and principally

in Western Greece, it accounts for approximately 35 % of the

country's tobacco crop. The word Basma comes from the

Turkish word meaning "to compress."

...and...

The major groups of aromatic Turkish tobaccos, as stated

by Frederick A. Wolf, of Duke University, are:
1. Xanthi

2. Kavalla

3. Smyrna or Izmir

4. Samsun

[emphases mine]

 

[redbeard]

Wow I think I have learned all the different tobacco types and yet there are more, and more, and variances of more!! AHHHH!! My head is going to explode! :nana:

 

[redbeard]

Also, what does the Izmir taste like?