What To Smoke Out Of An XL90

[mtwaller]

I’ve taken a liking to an XL90, which is outside my normal realm of pipes. My collection consists mainly of small, straight billiards. I’m curious to know what you all smoke out of them?

I’m wondering if it would be good for straight VA’s? The chamber is pretty large by my standards, so it definitely wouldn’t be ideal for super strong blends, at least for me. Seems like a big, long smoke would be good with lower nicotine blends. Also, the bowl has nice chunky walls to help with heat, and it seems like a number of straight VA’s can burn warmer than other blends.

Anyway, that’s my logic. Commence shooting it full of holes!

 

[cshubhra]

1. Macbaren HH Rustica
2. Samuel Gawith Best Brown No 4
3. Gawith Hoggarth & Co Dark Flake

?

 

[JimInks]

A Virginia blend is as good idea as any, but if the bowl is as big as you say, use a ribbon cut instead of a flake. Unless you want long smoke, in which case, you already know what to do.

 

[craig61a]

Well I enjoy smoking Orlik Golden Sliced in one of mine... HU Director’s Cut in a 9BC, and the other one I’ve never smoked yet...

 

[cornedbeef]

Old Gowrie perhaps. ?

A Virginia blend is as good idea as any, but if the bowl is as big as you say, use a ribbon cut instead of a flake. Unless you want long smoke, in which case, you already know what to do.

 

[JimInks]

Old Gowrie perhaps. ?

That's a good one to try.

 

[mikethompson]

I would suggest anything you really like, as those bowls are big!

 

[workman]

I have found when I smoke flakes in larger chambers I need to rub them out really good. I can't get a decent ember with fold and stuff unless the chamber is on the narrower side.
Aside from that, smoke what you want to. The pipe itself doesn't favor one leaf over the other.

 

[ssjones]

The XL90 is on the larger size. I smoke MM965 out of mine, a Supreme.

 

[mtwaller]

@cshubhra you’re some kind of mad man! I have a wee tiny Ashton X Apple for all of those blends lol.

 

[mtwaller]

@ssjones that one is stunning. The grain and finish are right up my alley. Lovely!

 

[mtwaller]

And speaking of XL90’s, Haddocks Pipe Shop has this absolute unit available for the low, low price of €480 ?

 

[mikethompson]

Oh, are we showing off our XL90s? Here is (one of) my beautiful Tara's:

 

[paulfg]

I just aquired this XL90 spigot.requires cleaning but it wont have as nice a grain as the haddock one above

 

[paulfg]

The XL90 is on the larger size. I smoke MM965 out of mine, a Supreme.

thats a beauty

 

[mso489]

Most should own a large pipe for long contemplative smokes or bowls that are smoked intermittently all day or over two days. You can't always pair a pipe with a blend, and opinion on how to pair leaf and pipe varies widely. For my purposes, big deep broad chambers do special favors for blends with five or six tobaccos, which would include many blends, but examples are SPC Potlatch and PC Midtown series Chestnut. I opine this is a good pairing because it allows more different tobaccos to be fully included in the ember at a time. That's my theory, and it seems to taste true. Another good use of a large pipe is for dry tobaccos that burn fairly quickly, like Five Brothers or Semois. A deeper bowl provides for more leaf and gives a longer smoke. But a large pipe can be used for all or most blends, and I would (and do) certainly enjoy any blend you like and see how it compares to those blends in any other pipes. For other reasons I would also recommend small chamber pipes which have their own good uses. If you own more than five or six pipes, you do well to add a large and a small pipe or three.

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

Well, this thread blows me away! The only XL90 I've been aware of was a small point-and-shoot digital Pentax camera I used to have (and may still have it in a box somewhere?).

 

[mtwaller]

I smoke complex English/Balkan blends way more than I smoke VA’s, that’s for sure. I already have 5 or 6 pipes for English blends... but if I do get an XL90, it might just end up being yet another such pipe.

 

[mtwaller]

@paulfg that is the exact pipe I have been contemplating, you have great taste! I better check on the one I’ve been eyeballing and make sure you didn’t snag it ?

 

[paulfg]

@paulfg that is the exact pipe I have been contemplating, you have great taste! I better check on the one I’ve been eyeballing and make sure you didn’t snag it ?

It was a buy it now on fleabay UK purchased yesterday