Tobacco Sandwich

[tolstoyevsky]

Newbie, enthusiastically trying to reinvent the wheel, and open to kind correction.

I have some basic Virginia; suitable for mixing perhaps, but not much fun on its own. Trying a new technique:

Small layer at the bottom. Then my desired smoke. Then a small topping. Rationale: It burns quicker at the top, helping ignite the desired blend. It'll absorb and help burn the stuff at the bottom, especially if I'm doing an aromatic.

Don't cigars follow a similar reasoning? Rather than mixing leaf, they layer? Thanks y'all.

 

[Auxsender]

Yes. Do it.
Then report back here.

 

[Zamora]

What's the VA blend? The first straight VA I had was Sutliff Sweet Virginia, I found it rather dull but I do have a few jars in my cellar because I'm curious to see how it ages. I've combined that with straight burley and it's a pretty good smoke.

 

[OzPiper]

Called a parfait

With a cigar, the different leaves are burnt together.
Rather than in layers

 

[tolstoyevsky]

What's the VA blend? The first straight VA I had was Sutliff Sweet Virginia, I found it rather dull but I do have a few jars in my cellar because I'm curious to see how it ages. I've combined that with straight burley and it's a pretty good smoke.

Local tobacconist (Riegel's; great guys). Calls it Virginia Long Cut.

 

[proteus]

Pipe tobacco needs to "marry" and blends take time, temperature and pressure to do that. The flavor and fragrance compounds in the tobacco come from esters formed when the plant grew. Some are good and some not so good. Time temperature and pressure degrade existing esters which alter flavors from young tobacco to older tobacco. Anaerobic and aerobic fermentations further create new esters as well. The process of marrying and curing tobacco makes it taste like pipe tobacco. The interplay between tobacco types and aging add texture and character to a blend. I'm not so sure tobacco can be blended in the pipe without these processes.

Nevertheless report back and let's us all know. Experimentation leads to new methods...

 

[Hillcrest]

I mix blends frequently. Some transition well one to another and others simply stop and the other tobacco takes over. It all depends on what your mixing. I particularly like a little Lane 1-Q in the bottom of the bowl and the rest of the bowl virginia. It adds a bit of sweetness and cuts the acidity.

 

[badbriar]

Worth a try. Be forewarned that you need to draw slowly to avoid the dreaded tongue bite with straight Virginias.

 

[tolstoyevsky]

Worth a try. Be forewarned that you need to draw slowly to avoid the dreaded tongue bite with straight Virginias.

yikes. Tell me about it. It's why I'm gravitating towards burleys and non-aromatics (ODF is my present main squeeze). But if I can find Virginias that won't behave like they're an ex-wife, I could live happy.

 

[Auxsender]

There are more VA pipe tobacco blends than grains of sand on the world’s beeches.* Buy and smoke as much as you care to because the only way to learn technique and preference is by smoking.





*This statement is pure hyperbole and completely untrue.

 

[Sigmund]

Some bowls will be repeats and good. Some you may want to dump. Give it a try and party on.

 

[Jacob74]

With luxury bullseye flake I like to take the cavendish center out, then rub the rest of the coins out, load the bowl and put the cavendish chunks on last.

 

[anotherbob]

Newbie, enthusiastically trying to reinvent the wheel, and open to kind correction.

I have some basic Virginia; suitable for mixing perhaps, but not much fun on its own. Trying a new technique:

Small layer at the bottom. Then my desired smoke. Then a small topping. Rationale: It burns quicker at the top, helping ignite the desired blend. It'll absorb and help burn the stuff at the bottom, especially if I'm doing an aromatic.

Don't cigars follow a similar reasoning? Rather than mixing leaf, they layer? Thanks y'all.

it's commonly mentioned to use a shag or other easy to burn tobacco on the top of a not so easy to burn blend. I've done a few experiments with layers including the half and half, the surprise aromatic when you put a layer of an aromatic in a blend randomly somewhere in the middle, the alternator when each layer is alternated to work sort of like a blend.

 

[anotherbob]

yikes. Tell me about it. It's why I'm gravitating towards burleys and non-aromatics (ODF is my present main squeeze). But if I can find Virginias that won't behave like they're an ex-wife, I could live happy.

What I took from this your ex can be sweet and charming but if you piss her off by touching her hair trigger she stuff hornets in your mouth.

 

[Snook]

An interesting concept... it just might be crazy enough to work!

Though I think it's too much work for my liking. Still curious to hear how it turns out.

 

[tolstoyevsky]

An interesting concept... it just might be crazy enough to work!

Though I think it's too much work for my liking. Still curious to hear how it turns out.

Starting to do it more and more, and it's making more sense. I get the blending/marrying concept and will probably soon resume smoking cigars. But the parfait thing seems to be working.

 

[Sigmund]

This thread has me thinking. I think in the morning I will try to mix my salty dogs with my rum infused burley. They are both rum blends but the salty dogs is a vaper.

 

[Choatecav]

Damn...... y'all make this pipe smoking thing complicated.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Called a parfait

This

Sweet Virginia parfait :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

Posted this in "What are you smoking," but may be of enough interest to some that I didn't want to just bury it there. Been playing with an in-the-bowl layering combination that is fascinating me right now. Newminister 403 Superior Round Slice starts it, followed by pinch of Sutliff Sweet...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[ak2000]

Definitely experiment as you wish. A lot of pipers mix tobaccos frequently. I'll layer a bowl with a couple of different tobaccos, but far more often, I'll mix different blends more to my liking or for a change of pace. I'm smoking a 50/50 mix of GH Kendall No 7 and C&D Ribbon Cut Burley right now.