I’m having a bowl of the Hermit Tobacco 2007 Party Blend in a bent ‘22 Masta. This stuff is incredible, I imagine it’s what Gaslight would taste like if put away for ten+ years.
Never mind a long story as long as it’s entertaining...your’s was & thanks.?️Hello brothers in smoke. Today I am having Tabak Kontor no 8, one of the houseblends of the store with the same name, located in the city of Leipzig in Germany, once belonged in the East part of the country, when it was divided, after the war.
This is a tobacco I like very much and with your permission (which I take by myself) I will tell you the small story, how I got to know about it.
Some years ago, while I was new to this beautiful world and journey of pipe smoking (although not young at age), and having tested until then only OTC blends I found in the local market, I learned that the next professional congress would be held in the city of Leipzig. I asked in the Internet forum of my pipeclub for tips and advices. I received enough and among them, I noticed one about "Kontor", because it was close to the hotel I would stay. Indeed I went to Leipzig and one afternoon, in my free time, I went to the store which is located in the historical center of the city. I picked some tins I wanted but the seller insisted on trying the own blends and he gave me samples (German tobacco stores usually give free samples, which is a very good thing). He particularly mentioned no 8 as probably the best among them, so I bought a tin. The gap between the tobaccos I had until then tried and these ones was amazing. I haven't imagined such quality difference could exist in pipe tobaccos. And yes, the seller was right, I liked no 8 especially. So I developed a sentimental bond with this blend and I keep it always in my small cellar. Same thing happened with the city of Leipzig which I visited again after this time. Nice city, great history, many things to see e.g. the buildings with the characteristic style of the "Eastern" era, an enormous central train station, a nice zoo, but also many monuments in the historical center. For example, very close to the Tabak Kontor shop is the famous church of Saint Thomas, where for many years, the chief musician was Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750), and his remains are buried there. (I believe that when God listens to music, He listens to J.S. Bach). Also very close is the tavern Auerbach's Cellar where a frequent customer was the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832) and therefore a whole scene of his famous work Faust, the one with the Devil, takes place there... So, if you ever visit Leipzig, now you also have some tips...
I smoke Tabak Kontor no 8 in a "GL" pipe, made in Greece, by Mr George Leousis.
Pardon me for the long post. Have a good week, good people.
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This is a lousy photograph of it, but here it is. The pipe is lighter than the photo shows. I'm going to redo it one of these days. It's not as good a smoker as a few of my other Dunhills, but it is a very good pipe.How do you like the fit and finish of a 1985 Dunhill Chestnut, Jim? I'd love to see a photo.
I started the morning with a bowl of KBV Burley Morning PIpe in an MM Elf Cobbit, then had a bowl of KBV Burley Morning Pipe in an MM Dwarf Cobbit, and now I'm finishing up the morning with a bowl of KBV Burley Morning PIpe in a Boswell's Bulldog.