Years ago when I was just a college student, I picked up the pipe for myself. My childhood friend, Steve Metz, had started smoking a pipe, a Dr. Grabow. He loaded it with Captain Black and smoked it in the Student Lounge every day when we met. He complained about tongue bite and I shared with him a little about my dad's tobaccos and pipes. We went on over to John Dengler in Saint Charles, Missouri where we talked to John about pipes and tobaccos. I came home with a CAO Meerschaum and a basket pipe along with some tobacco John shared with us.
There was a Tinder Box near the college - heck, they were everywhere back then - and we both started smoking Crown Royal. It became our favorite. However, I disliked not purchasing my tobacco from John and I asked him to help me develop a similar blend that he could sell me. Little did we know that Crown Royal was really nothing more than Peter Stokkebye Vanilla Creme. Regardless, John worked and worked on several various custom blends for me - he did this for 1000s of customers (that number isn't made up).
We finally hit upon a blend that I thought was just right. It wasn't exactly Crown Royal but it was more subtle, drier, and less sweet.
Forty years later and I am still smoking that custom blend, purchasing it from John's son-in-law, Larry, who has taken over the business with his now deceased wife, John's daughter. Although I now know what constitutes that blend and am able to purchase the components directly for myself on line from other retailers, I don't. Steve's local Tinder Box doesn't carry Crown Royal so he now smokes their Sunset blend.
My question to everyone is this: Do you have a favorite custom blend of tobacco that is either made for you or is one that you have worked together that you have been smoking for years? What is it about that blend that you enjoy and how does it reflect. your own taste in pipe smoking?
I look forward to reading your replies.
