***What Are You Smoking, July 2025?***

[Eireprof]

Red Rapparee in a Pete SH Strand. Heritage finish.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Interesting to read your comments on McClelland 2000. I have an unopened jar from 2012 where I added some 2000 right on top of an equal amount of 5115 with no piece of paper nor plastic separating them. I figured whenever I eventually opened the jar, I'd be getting pinches of 2000 until about mid-jar, then I'd be getting pinches of the mixture until I reached the bottom half where I'd be getting pure 5115. Some might ask "Why bastardize the two?" But they're both classic McClelland, both now gone forever, so I'll SAVOR every pinch. And I'm getting close to opening the jar to see what 13 years of age has done. Putting up some McClelland was (in hindsight) a great decision.

I wonder what they'll taste like.

Keep up posted when you crack the jar.

 

[BlueRidge]

Dark Bird’s Eye in a Peterson x105

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking Watch City Simply Gold beta in a 1986 three quarter bend Bacchus face CAO meer with a tapered dark tortoise shell colored acrylic stem. Watching the second game of the Orioles-Mets double header, and reviewing. Also feeding ferals all afternoon when they come in.

 

[das3353]

KBV Red Line in a Castello Old Antiquari 65

 

[TN Jed]

Jed, that is a beautiful pipe. I don't own a SJ pipe but some day plan to.

Thank you sir! They were on my bucket list for a couple of years. This one sat in my cart for a few months. The July 4th sale came and decision was made.

 

[TN Jed]

View attachment 403789View attachment 403790View attachment 403792Cologne has some great tobacco choices at decent prices. Smoking some now.

Some tuff decisions to be made.

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking straight Oriental in a smooth straight 1950s Kaywoodie Colt Dublin meer with a black vulcanite saddle stem.

 

[TN Jed]

overtake the thread or cause concern

You have also reinforced my aversion to estate pipes.

 

[TN Jed]

Windjammer in the Ser Jac. A fine smoker.

 

[Choatecav]

I almost forgot how much I love Wessex Virginia plug. It is best when smoked really slow, but the sweet and grassy hay flavors are just sublime....
Or maybe I've been inhaling so much hay of late, it is magnified. Oh well, it's good.
This little Barling 4389 does a great job with it, too.
Sparkling water to drink.

 

[PaulRVA]

Kramer‘s Father Dempsey in a Peterson Deluxe System B42 and Gatorade on the side. Change up tonight after spending a few hours on the weed eater. Hit a cold shower and now catching up on the Orioles-Mets and Yankees-Mariners ️ games.

 

[Skink]

Sutliff Birds of a Feather Paradoxical in a Riberg Grandfather's Gun with a cup of black tea.

 

[Benedict Munsinger]

Gasparini + Robert McConnell Shakespeare from the Heritage line is a classic straight Virginia blend — bright and red leaf, with notes of hay, citrus, and gentle bready sweetness. No topping, just clean, honest tobacco flavor. Burns cool and dry with proper cadence, and develops nicely with some age. A solid choice for lovers of pure Virginia blends.

 

[Carol]

You take care, now, y'hear? Opposite problem here. Seems spring still hasn't arrived and everything is wet and cold. Not even mosquitoes. The Luftwaffe ain't yet arrived.

When all else fails, try some SWR as a chew. Spitting the juice like a grasshopper can give some psychological benefits.

With all due respect and thanks for the concern, sir, I'll pass. Chawin' tobacco is definitely not my thing.

 

[Steddy]

GL Pease Cumberland in a dedicated Chacom. This is a blend that is hard for me to tell what’s in it. I think it’s a VaPer with Kentucky but I don’t think I’d guess that blind. Anyway, it’s a great natural flavor, maybe it has a really slight flavoring added? Anybody know? Bueller?

 

[Pipesandbourbon]

2020 abingdon in a Boswell poker

 

[JimInks]

Relaxing after a wonderful salad, chicken legs and snow peas dinner with strawberries for dessert. Hope I can go off my diet tomorrow. I'm smoking year 2020 Mac Baren Scottish Mixture in a straight, smooth brown 1960s Lane era Charatan Special 38 bulldog with a black vulcanite saddle stem. Community Coffee, neat, is my drink. Gettng ready to watch the Braves-A's game. Going to clean a few pipes.

 

[gord]

First, my last night's final smoke, then in "Skippable Drivel" I'll let you know what's going on - will be of some interest I think. Let's call them "growing pains."

Finished up the evening with my Mr. Brog Nosewarmer, rusticated black, with it's first dedicated smoke, my homemix "Basic English." This pipe will be used only for English style Lats, which I enjoy especially in the afternoon. It has previously been broken in with five smokes, three with Captain Black Dark, and two with Borkum Riff Black Cavendish. It was ready for the "baptism of dedication." Excellent results!

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Skippable Drivel: Thinking "when given a lemon, make lemonade." Being on some heavy meds over the last two months, and an especially aggressive antibiotic for bladder infection since my operation almost 3 weeks ago, I've had to do a changeup, that has worked for the better.

My original 4th of July celebration was going to be a pigout of my 7 favourite tobaccos, which I'd mothballed for over 2 months in anticipation. These included Mad Fiddler, Savinelli 140, Steamworks, Black Frigate, et al.

It's amazing how negative circumstances can lead to a positive, and that's what's happened here. There is no sense at all in smoking these great and complex tobaccos with wasting their excellence on a temporarily limited sense of taste, so I'm continuing to keep them in mothballs until "the day."

In the meantime, I've concentrated on a group of tobaccos that I have in abundance, and frankly have neglected, the monochromatics, straightforward fodder like Black Cavendishes, basic Englishes, codgers and other such offerings that don't have much in the way of complexity, but have a lot to offer in basic substance.

Yes, I don't yet taste their fullness, but I do taste their substance and a couple of them, like Borkum Riff Dark, Captain Black Dark, Smokers' Pride Black Cavendish, TobaccoBarn's Basic English, Brigham's English Mix and of course, basic and cheap flavoured cigars, have not only risen in my estimation but if I could smoke ONLY them, I would still remain in the pipe tribe quite happily. And a few of them (those highlighted in bold) have ascended into the realm of my most favourite tobaccos, period.

So until the 'buds return, and I'm confident they will, I'll concentrate on breaking in pipes that still need the process, and fine tuning my collection.

I'm writing this, frankly, because there are many of you who will go through the same thing that I've been experiencing, (it's called life, eh?) and will get frustrated and depressed. Just letting you know, rather than that, get on with it, accept it, and turn the lemon you've been given into a fine lemonade. That's what I've done, and I assure you, it's a win-win!

For the next while, I'll be keeping you abreast of my break-in proceedures (six pipes in progress), and the fine tuning of my stable.

Cheers 'till tonight!

 

[cshubhra]

Two cigar day:

Oliva Serie V Melanio in the morning
Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary now