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Cloozoe

Lifer
Sep 1, 2023
1,047
20,973
All packed up and ready for the great Semois experiment: bone dry on the right, lightly hydrated on left. I'll report back.

View attachment 296651

To begin, the differences were very subtle; I likely wouldn't have noticed were I not comparing them side by side as well as being in an analytical mode as opposed to just smoking my pipe mode.

The hydrated batch took a little edge/roughness off, particularly during the light and just after.

The base note of barnyard funk was ever so slightly more in the forefront in the "wet" batch (I'm tired of typing "hydrated"; it was actually about the perceived moisture level of, say, Three Sails.)

However the funk (which if you dislike you won't enjoy this tobacco wet or dry) was probably accentuated because the top note--floral-- was slightly suppressed. The dry batch was overall a bit brighter, the wet batch darker.

Additionally, there was sort of a chest-nutty middle note in the dry batch I didn't notice in the wet. Interesting and pleasant, perhaps the biggest plus for the dry.

On balance I've got to go with Sammy Hagar; it's better bone dry. More complex, better balanced...at least provisionally, based on one casual experiment. And you can't roll a decent cigarette out of it and it's a tobacco that works great as a cigarette. Think Gauloise.

This, of course, begs the question: is there something specific about Semois, or would everything taste better dry? There are people who think so, but in any case I won't be taking on that experiment.

To close non sequiturially:

Triple Play in a small pipe.

IMG_6813.jpeg
 
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AroEnglish

Rehabilitant
Jan 7, 2020
5,150
15,139
#62
‘19 Astley’s No. 44 in an estate Radice clear billiard newly arrived from Italy this afternoon. Wonderful grain and a lovely decorative silver faux army mount with Cumberland ebonite stem. It’s even better in person… really a stunning pipe, by my standards.

View attachment 296568
Clearly a fake and defective. You can throw it in with the the Wicklow 53 and mail it to me.
 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
64,374
643,374
A third of a bowl left of year 2020 Watch City Rouxgaroux in a smooth medium bend 2021 Peterson POTY Natural 4AB No. 6/500 military mount with a silver cap and a tapered black vulcanite AB stem. Enjoyed a chat with my friend Pete, who owns over 2,000 pipes.
4AB_Nat_left.jpg


I got a spam call from “James Taylor” today. I picked up the phone and started singing:
In my mind I’ve always hated spammers
I’m from Alabamar
On your face I’ll use a hammer…
The person on the other line started laughing and hung up. :)
 
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