***What Are You Smoking, August 2024?***

[Skink]

C&D Billy Budd Blonde in a Barling Benjamin Ye Olde Wood (1814) with a cup of Black tea.

 

[keith929]

C&D Carolina Red Flake w/Perique in a Peterson SH Meerschaum.

 

[ukbob]

OGS in a Bekler Meer.

 

[Seeleybc1]

Quiet nights in the anything with Latakia designated Dunhill. Great smoke this morning watching my two young goons roll around in the yard and pick raspberries.

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking year 2021 Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation Evening Flake in a smooth medium bend 2021 Peterson Ebony POTY 4AB No. 422/500 military mount with a silver cap and a tapered black vulcanite AB stem. Molly Danger has wanted extra attention from me for several days now, much more than before Sam and the scampers were here. Guess it's reassurance she needs as much as affection, and she's getting both.

 

[JimInks]

Unfortunately I am not able to answer this question with conviction. It is true that my first tin of Dorchester was smoked fresh and this one with 3 years of age. Having said that to me it tastes about the same. I do think I may have forgotten a little on how exactly a fresh tin of Dorchester tasted.

And @Scottmi I would like to point out that the tin cshubhra has is the last year of the old Dorchester. The Virginias have been changed since then, and not for the better. I don't trust any Esoterica blends made after 2021.

As an illustration of that comment, here is my updated Dorchester review:
Original review: 9-15-2012: When I first opened the 8 oz. bag, I was greeted with the deep sweet smell of raisins, figs, plums, and apricots. The very sweet tart and tang citrusy, grassy, mildly woody and earthy, slightly tart and tangy dark fruity, lightly sugary Virginias are a touch understated than the actual smell of the tobacco out of a bag or tin. Has a very light buttery quality at times. The tongue tingly spicy, stewed fruity (raisins, dates, figs) perique is a strong supporting player, but I have had a couple bags where it was a bit lighter on that varietal. The apricot topping adds to the experience and doesn't sublimate the tobaccos. The nic-hit is a couple of steps the center of mild to medium. The strength is almost medium, while the taste is medium. This deeply rich blend burns cool, clean, and slightly slow to a dark gray ash with a mostly consistent tangy, spicy sweet flavor, though it slightly loses just a tad of it in the last quarter of the experience. May need a light dry time as the tobacco is a little moist. Leaves very little dampness in the bowl, and requires some relights if not dried. No chance of tongue bite or harshness. Has a pleasant, lightly lingering after taste and room note. An all day smoke with a fair amount of richness.

Update 12-22-2023: I have tried two samples from 2022 and 2023. The blend has been changed. The tart and tangy, more sour citrus is more dominant, and the tangy dark fruit is in the background. The sour lemon is much more obvious than before as is the acidity. That’s because there’s more bright, and the dark Virginias are cut with a lighter grade of orange Virginias. The Virginias are less sweet than before, and are lightly astringent now. The perique still has some spice, but it’s less sweet and more plummy. The apricot topping is a little less obvious. Two stars for the current version.

Check the review section of this forum for my revised Tilbury, Dunbar and Stonehaven reviews if you want to know the differences as well.

 

[Sobrbiker]

More of my Dark Sails mix in the Pete 87 shorty.
I’d love to see the Sportsman lineup come back…

 

[BrightDarkEyes]

Haunted Bookshop in an Eltang.

 

[PrivatePiping]

Warped Saint Espresso in a cob. Getting my son packed up to take him back to school tomorrow 300 miles away. It's going to be a long next 3 days.

 

[JimInks]

The rain stopped, and I did a set of walking reps except that I cut it one lap short as it started sprinkling during the last one I did. At least I got some of it in, and Harry the Hairy was happy to walk with me for a few minutes, so it wasn't a total loss. I'm near the last quarter of this bowl of year 2015 D&R A.B. Rimboche in an undated slight bend, smooth flame grain Wessex Standard egg with a brown accent on the black vulcanite saddle stem. Ice water and bergs is my drink.

 

[xrundog]

5 O’Clock Shadow in an early 20th century meerschaum bulldog with a later Bakelite stem.

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking year 2013 Capstan Blue Flake in a post 2007 Castello straight brown Sea Rock KK US made in Cantu (Kimo) apple with a tapered black acrylic stem.

 

[dublinpiper90]

cabbies mixture in a Peterson Irish whiskey 03 with PLip

 

[JimK]

Good day all! Started with Peterson Royal Yacht in a Tilshead smooth Billiard with sleight-bent saddle stem. Afternoon bowl of GH Dark Flake Aromatic in a wee Tilshead smooth Dublin with canted rim and flattened shank with matching eighth-bent tapered stem size 3.

 

[PaulRVA]

Capstan Blue in a Kai Nielsen Bulldog

 

[Sobrbiker]

Match Victorian. Headed home.

 

[FurCoat]

SW again in the same cob as last time

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking KBV Dread Planet 2023 in a straight smooth brown 1920s (Comoy’s) Lions Head 123 pot with a black tapered vulcanite stem. Just finished cleaning a few pipes. Sleepy Suzy supervised the process.

 

[cshubhra]

Esoterica Dorchester from May 2021 in a Sasieni Four Dot Viscount Lascelles S

 

[Tongue-Fried]

For everyone’s information: C&D Sun Bear Black Locust 2024 is now available.