***What Are You Smoking, Sept. 2022?***

[Chaukisch]

Sounds good ; is the Gold Lemon Virginia for the "Clay King "???

If it turns out even half as good as I imagine, absolutely!

OT:
This is going to be another long one, I hope you can enjoy my drunken greenhorn concocter ramblings.
My jar of Burley/VA mix is getting a might shallow and I wanted to fill it up. This mix was heavy on Burley and got me closer to it but I was kinda fed up and wanted something else.
I introduce to you from left to right:
Bright and thick leafed Kentucky, paper thin Burley and thick but bright Latakia VA.



Once again I plucked off the unpleasant parts and ripped the rest into rough shreds by hand.
My last pilseners died during this mission. When I was done plucking I felt plenty buzzed and decided to make my first aromatic. Funny how things can turn out.

I roasted a few wild hazelnuts and added what we Northern Germans call "Kluntje", nicely shaped lumps out of flavorless sugar, so the taste of the tea doesn't get soiled. Just some of their dust, not whole pieces.
After caramelization I added some Chantré,
a German brandy with the same light touch as a German Jazz band. Of course I'm kidding, it's plenty smooth.



I also added some roasted coffee beans, additional raw sugar cane sugar and, may the Gods forgive me, vanillin infused sugar. I didn't have real vanilla. I replaced brandy as it cooked off.



The leftovers will be a nice snack for later.



I've read that Burley is great for soaking up flavors. So I took an already moist Burley and thoroughly mixed it with the sauce, everything soaked well and got pretty wet and sticky. I used a cheap pan that I never used for anything but tobacco toasting and slowly heated the Burley up, with a lid on, until it was rather crisp.
It kinda smells like a dark roasted nutty caramel popcorn with a little punch of spirit.



I mixed it with the other tobac and put it in a jar. I will leave this until whenever.
I definitely want moisture and flavor to settle evenly because I still have to "refine" the tobacco. It still must be plucked into smaller parts and rubbed. Every. Single. Strip. By hand.



So far this was another two hours of (jolly drunk) work. I think I used way too much sugar.
Anyway, my main jar is still quite a might shallow... Mission accomplished, objective failed?!
I also think this might need some fruit, something bright and acidic. At least a tart berry.

 

[mso489]

SG&Co Squadron Leader in a Nording signature freehand, a sturdy Va/Per blend in an ample chamber.

 

[dunnyboy]

MacBaren 7 Seas Regular in a Castello 75th Anniversary Canadian.

 

[JimRoseLV]

Just got word there's a can of SPC Give Me Liberty sitting on my doorstep. C'mon 5 o'clock!

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Now to get a bit more Old Toby down my throat!

No reenactment necessary!

 

[Chasing Embers]

At work with King Cake.

 

[Tom Sawtooth]

Before I hit the sack Solani - ABF in a Dagner Cob and a Cup of Tea on the side.

 

[JimInks]

Did a second set of walks reps, and smoked a bowl of year 2016 D&R Two Timer Gold in a 1982 smooth straight Sasieni Ivory 105 Apple with a black vulcanite stem.

 

[UB 40]

If it turns out even half as good as I imagine, absolutely!

OT:
This is going to be another long one, I hope you can enjoy my drunken greenhorn concocter ramblings.
My jar of Burley/VA mix is getting a might shallow and I wanted to fill it up. This mix was heavy on Burley and got me closer to it but I was kinda fed up and wanted something else.
I introduce to you from left to right:
Bright and thick leafed Kentucky, paper thin Burley and thick but bright Latakia VA.

View attachment 171859

Once again I plucked off the unpleasant parts and ripped the rest into rough shreds by hand.
My last pilseners died during this mission. When I was done plucking I felt plenty buzzed and decided to make my first aromatic. Funny how things can turn out.

I roasted a few wild hazelnuts and added what we Northern Germans call "Kluntje", nicely shaped lumps out of flavorless sugar, so the taste of the tea doesn't get soiled. Just some of their dust, not whole pieces.
After caramelization I added some Chantré,
a German brandy with the same light touch as a German Jazz band. Of course I'm kidding, it's plenty smooth.

View attachment 171865

I also added some roasted coffee beans, additional raw sugar cane sugar and, may the Gods forgive me, vanillin infused sugar. I didn't have real vanilla. I replaced brandy as it cooked off.

View attachment 171867

The leftovers will be a nice snack for later.

View attachment 171866

I've read that Burley is great for soaking up flavors. So I took an already moist Burley and thoroughly mixed it with the sauce, everything soaked well and got pretty wet and sticky. I used a cheap pan that I never used for anything but tobacco toasting and slowly heated the Burley up, with a lid on, until it was rather crisp.
It kinda smells like a dark roasted nutty caramel popcorn with a little punch of spirit.

View attachment 171868

I mixed it with the other tobac and put it in a jar. I will leave this until whenever.
I definitely want moisture and flavor to settle evenly because I still have to "refine" the tobacco. It still must be plucked into smaller parts and rubbed. Every. Single. Strip. By hand.

View attachment 171871

So far this was another two hours of (jolly drunk) work. I think I used way too much sugar.
Anyway, my main jar is still quite a might shallow... Mission accomplished, objective failed?!
I also think this might need some fruit, something bright and acidic. At least a tart berry.

Sort of alchemistic experience, I suppose.

 

[Severus]

Wilke’s Rum Cake in a cob

 

[The Clay King]

@

If it turns out even half as good as I imagine, absolutely!

OT:
This is going to be another long one, I hope you can enjoy my drunken greenhorn concocter ramblings.
My jar of Burley/VA mix is getting a might shallow and I wanted to fill it up. This mix was heavy on Burley and got me closer to it but I was kinda fed up and wanted something else.
I introduce to you from left to right:
Bright and thick leafed Kentucky, paper thin Burley and thick but bright Latakia VA.

View attachment 171859

Once again I plucked off the unpleasant parts and ripped the rest into rough shreds by hand.
My last pilseners died during this mission. When I was done plucking I felt plenty buzzed and decided to make my first aromatic. Funny how things can turn out.

I roasted a few wild hazelnuts and added what we Northern Germans call "Kluntje", nicely shaped lumps out of flavorless sugar, so the taste of the tea doesn't get soiled. Just some of their dust, not whole pieces.
After caramelization I added some Chantré,
a German brandy with the same light touch as a German Jazz band. Of course I'm kidding, it's plenty smooth.

View attachment 171865

I also added some roasted coffee beans, additional raw sugar cane sugar and, may the Gods forgive me, vanillin infused sugar. I didn't have real vanilla. I replaced brandy as it cooked off.

View attachment 171867

The leftovers will be a nice snack for later.

View attachment 171866

I've read that Burley is great for soaking up flavors. So I took an already moist Burley and thoroughly mixed it with the sauce, everything soaked well and got pretty wet and sticky. I used a cheap pan that I never used for anything but tobacco toasting and slowly heated the Burley up, with a lid on, until it was rather crisp.
It kinda smells like a dark roasted nutty caramel popcorn with a little punch of spirit.

View attachment 171868

I mixed it with the other tobac and put it in a jar. I will leave this until whenever.
I definitely want moisture and flavor to settle evenly because I still have to "refine" the tobacco. It still must be plucked into smaller parts and rubbed. Every. Single. Strip. By hand.

View attachment 171871

So far this was another two hours of (jolly drunk) work. I think I used way too much sugar.
Anyway, my main jar is still quite a might shallow... Mission accomplished, objective failed?!
I also think this might need some fruit, something bright and acidic. At least a tart berry.

@Chaukisch Looks like you're really getting into blending; please will you keep me informed as to your progress with the "Clay King" and how it turns out?
I think you agree with my specification for "Clay King" as a mix of Sweet Lemon Virginia & Black Cavendish, with the Virginia as the main ingredient - it sounds good to me!
I don't imagine "Clay King" containing Burley or Latakia though
Keep up the good work!

 

[The Clay King]

Newbold (Littlemoor) Co-Op in Chesterfield still sells St Bruno Ready Rubbed.
I've smoked a few packets in my clay pipes and will have to get another pouch to practice / improve my slow smoking times. St Bruno is a classic English blend that's well suited to clay pipes; it burns cool and slow (even in a clay) so not suited to smoking too fast!

 

[JimInks]

About a third of a bowl left of Watch City Old Dominion Flake 25th Anniversary in a late 50s, early 60s Comoy’s straight smooth dark brown Deluxe 20 billiard with a silver cap military mount and a tapered black vulcanite stem. Ice water and bergs is my drink.

 

[cshubhra]

Cornell & Diehl Anthology in a La Savinelli Giubileo D’Oro 320KS Author

 

[JimInks]

Part way through this bowl of year 2016 Sutliff 507-C Slices in a black sandblast PSB medium bend 2021 Peterson POTY 4AB No. 228/500 military mount with a silver cap and a tapered black vulcanite AB stem.

 

[das3353]

Regents Flake in a Cavicchi

 

[Akoni808]

Irish flake in a Rossi 8320. While not as nice to look at this 8320 actually smokes better than my Savinelli 320.

 

[Chaukisch]

Looks like you're really getting into blending; please will you keep me informed as to your progress with the "Clay King" and how it turns out?

I said so and I'll do so!

I think you agree with my specification for "Clay King" as a mix of Sweet Lemon Virginia & Black Cavendish, with the Virginia as the main ingredient - it sounds good to me!
Keep up the good work!

Don't think, know! That visual gold/black tobacco contrast is, in my humble opinion, unbeatable.
I'll make sure to come up with something good.

Sort of alchemistic experience, I suppose.

Absolutely, but first and foremost satisfying. It doesn't really matter if I end up spending hours of "work", energy and days of waiting for something that turns out to be absolute crap.
I'm learning and enjoying, combine those two simple ingredients and they will always produce an utmost satisfying and benefiting experience.

OT:
I brought forth my first VA twists and packed them into my newly and finally finished cob. I scraped out all the little pieces of husks (cornflakes?) that were stuck in those cavities.
Fired, sanded, fired, sanded. I prefer a dark pipe although the mouthpiece doesn't quite fit in now.

The first VA twists have really mellowed down by now, it's been around 70 hours of rest for 'em.
My palate is still not very bright or broad but to me this has become an exceptionally good smoke.
I tell you, it's just like an Oriental and I'm as happy as this little cookie!!



I can't wait to remember and taste my current batch of VA twists. Not to mention that aromatic.
Still gotta come up with something that fills my currently used jar...
Good chance to buy a commercial pipe tobacco, I really want to revisit Clan.

Whatever, drunken stumblebum over and out for now.
Smell y'all t'morrow!

 

[Tabacco]

(Charatan 323 DC)

 

[AJL67]

Have been smoking a lot of straight Virginia lately, needed something to break up the sweetness so going with some plum pudding special reserve in a Rossi 606.