A little trip down memory lane tonight. I was going through some jars in my cellar and found a 4oz jelly jar labeled "Shelby Foote 2/20". My bastardized version of Mr. Foote's homemade blend was equal parts C&D Pegasus and Edward G. Robinson. The jar was full to the brim, so I reckon I stashed it away with plans to smoke it after a month or two... and here we are 5 years later.
I went to my closet and dug out the second briar I ever bought, a Savinelli Porto Cervo 673 KS. This was the first pipe I saw and bought on impulse, just from the looks of it. I didn't know anything about Savinelli, hardly anything about pipe smoking at all really. But I knew what I liked. A little over 6 years and around 40 pipe purchases and trades later, I still have that briar -- although I hardly smoke it any more -- and I thought it fitting to use it for the maiden voyage of "Shelby Foote 2/20".
I'm more than pleased with the results. Sweet, nutty, a little hint of Latakia, whisps of fruitiness. Much more smooth and mellow than I remember Pegasus or EGR being individually. I packed lightly and puffed greedily, but didn't suffer any tongue bite that usually comes from such an overeager pace.
I think I'll be smoking from this jar for the next few days, as a nice break from the Virginia/Kentucky blends I've been abusing lately. I have a few tins of EGR in the cellar, was sad to learn it's out of production from the Sutliff closure. I have no definite plans for it, but it's comforting to know it's there in case I want to put another batch of this stuff together.