Hey New-newish Pipe smokers out there. I wanted to share a recent experience I had with a blend that I thought would be good to share with smokers that don't have a millennia of experience.
The other night I dug through my cellar, trying to find the right blend to pack up. I finally settled on Sam Gawith: St. James Flake. A popular blend for good reason, this is well known. I had bought a tin at the Muletown pipe show a couple of years ago. I opened it sometime last year, smoked some and jarred it. It was one of those brass looking tins, so by the time I opened it, it had a couple years on it at least. The flakes were typical aged Gawith. Dark, stiff, thick, and covered in those crystal things. It's one of those blends that you have to work on the tobacco, especially when it has some age, to get it ready to smoke.
Well two years in the jar didn't change any of that, maybe more crystals.
I packed up a large diameter bowl, deep, and when to smoking. And I smoked.... and smoked. There wasn't any flavor. A whisp here and there but for the first 15-30 minutes, It was just a struggle to taste. About the time I was going to scrape it out and grab some ribbon blend, I told myself to chill, get a beverage and relight. Then I had a truly delicious smoke after that. For the next 45 minutes it was some of the sweetest and spiciest smokes I've ever had. I was so glad I relaxed and went back in for more...
Fast Forward to last night's pipe club. It's the last bowl of the night, number four I believe, so my mouth is pretty torched. However I have time and stamina enough for one more bowl. I decided, since I had brought that jar of St. James Flake, to give it another shot. This time in a large handmade I have but with a tall narrow bowl.
The flavor from this smoke was instant from the first match, all the way down to the ash. I marveled at this phenomenon. The guy beside me said two words that's opened my eyes as I was sharing my experience the last time I smoked that blend: "Different Pipe?"
I was floored. So simple, something I knew, I have tasting pipes i reserve for initial smokes, I have done my research, etc. Now I'm going to try those much loved blends that didn't hit for me, I'm looking at you Haunted Bookshop Cake, to see if it was just the pipe I tried them in first. I am not under an illusion that this method will change blends all together, but it's worth a shot to see if I can taste more good stuff from them vs always moving their jar out of the way...
Time will tell but this tale is to encourage you to try it again, maybe just in a different pipe.
I hope this helps one or two out there.
The other night I dug through my cellar, trying to find the right blend to pack up. I finally settled on Sam Gawith: St. James Flake. A popular blend for good reason, this is well known. I had bought a tin at the Muletown pipe show a couple of years ago. I opened it sometime last year, smoked some and jarred it. It was one of those brass looking tins, so by the time I opened it, it had a couple years on it at least. The flakes were typical aged Gawith. Dark, stiff, thick, and covered in those crystal things. It's one of those blends that you have to work on the tobacco, especially when it has some age, to get it ready to smoke.
Well two years in the jar didn't change any of that, maybe more crystals.
I packed up a large diameter bowl, deep, and when to smoking. And I smoked.... and smoked. There wasn't any flavor. A whisp here and there but for the first 15-30 minutes, It was just a struggle to taste. About the time I was going to scrape it out and grab some ribbon blend, I told myself to chill, get a beverage and relight. Then I had a truly delicious smoke after that. For the next 45 minutes it was some of the sweetest and spiciest smokes I've ever had. I was so glad I relaxed and went back in for more...
Fast Forward to last night's pipe club. It's the last bowl of the night, number four I believe, so my mouth is pretty torched. However I have time and stamina enough for one more bowl. I decided, since I had brought that jar of St. James Flake, to give it another shot. This time in a large handmade I have but with a tall narrow bowl.
The flavor from this smoke was instant from the first match, all the way down to the ash. I marveled at this phenomenon. The guy beside me said two words that's opened my eyes as I was sharing my experience the last time I smoked that blend: "Different Pipe?"
I was floored. So simple, something I knew, I have tasting pipes i reserve for initial smokes, I have done my research, etc. Now I'm going to try those much loved blends that didn't hit for me, I'm looking at you Haunted Bookshop Cake, to see if it was just the pipe I tried them in first. I am not under an illusion that this method will change blends all together, but it's worth a shot to see if I can taste more good stuff from them vs always moving their jar out of the way...
Time will tell but this tale is to encourage you to try it again, maybe just in a different pipe.
I hope this helps one or two out there.
Last edited:
This good be a great pitch for a pipe salesman. Dont like your tobacco? Buy another pipe! In all seriousness though, is there any common denominators out there for finding a pipe for a blend or is it just gonna be the fun of experimenting?
