Working on a New Blend to be Called 73's

[telescopes]

As some of you know, I have my own blend that I have smoked for some 40 years, named appropriately enough, Telescopes, under my own brand name of KBN-3989. All the names of my various blends are found on our families QSL Card from the early 60s. Along with Telescopes, I also have a Lazy Bones, EZ1, EZ2, EZ3 as well as The Doctor's Own Blend.

Lazy Bones is a mix of Lane RLP-6, Maryland, Turkish, and Sutliff Black Cherry, #23. The newest blend I am working on is a mix of Telescopes (heavy on BCA) and my Doctor's Own Blend, which adds Latakia and Perique in the same proportions as John Dengler's Black Maria.

For my newest blend, I am proposing the following:

4 oz Lane RLP-6. 25%
4 oz BCA. 25%
1 oz Maryland. 6%
1 oz Turkish. 6%
4 oz Latakia. 25%
2 oz Perique. 12%

I would very much like to hear your thoughts and suggestions. My focus area is increasing the amount of Virginia and possibly decreasing the BCA and replacing it with Green River Cavendish. But I am uncertain where to cut or add. Your experienced thoughts are welcomed. Thank you.

 

[didimauw]

What's a family QSL card?

And explain KBN-3989?

 

[TheIronMonkey]

What's a family QSL card?

And explain KBN-3989?

QSL card

Ham radio operators and people with CB radios used to mail these cards as confirmation of have made contact with each other. The KBN-3989 were call letters associated with one’s radio license. I got mine in the mid-’70s, but had KAZP as my first four letters (I suspect three letter combos ran out by the time I applied for my license). I used to trade cards around the world for a short time.

 

[telescopes]

What's a family QSL card?

And explain KBN-3989?

QSL card

Ham radio operators and people with CB radios used to mail these cards as confirmation of have made contact with each other. The KBN-3989 were call letters associated with one’s radio license. I got mine in the mid-’70s, but had KAZP as my first four letters (I suspect three letter combos ran out by the time I applied for my license). I used to trade cards around the world for a short time.

Yes, that is exactly with it is.A facsimile of the card is on my jar pictured above. I simply circle the words of the blend that is kept in the jar and add a date and I then know which blend is in the jar. My father's blend is Lazy Bones - seen on the other side of the jar (not pictured here). My mother was EZ1. For the Doctor's Own Blend, I simply circle my name.

These blends are all family blends that have been smoked by my family for decades - using the QSL card was a way to combine memories.

The two pictures above are of my dad - a long time pipe smoker and a CB enthusiast from way back. If the background to the right of his radio, a blue face Pacer, are some of the many QSL cards he received in the mail. The last picture is him, in our family home in 1963, smoking his pipe with his dog, Sparky, on his leg. He still uses the same ashtray pictured in the picture with his radio. I have the table lamp and radio.

 

[huntertrw]

Sparky looks like a fine dog!

73s is ham radio shorthand for something akin to "best regards" or "best to you," and is added at the end of a conversation.

 

[huntertrw]

...to the right of his radio, a blue face Pacer...

Was the Pacer manufactured by Metrotek?

 

[telescopes]

Was the Pacer manufactured by Metrotek?

View attachment 330816

Yes it was. All tubes

 

[telescopes]

I am considering limiting the BCA and adding Green River with Cherry as a supplement. My dad's original formula had Green River with Cherry as an ingredient. Thoughts?

 

[telescopes]

My tobaccos for my newest blend arrived. 73’s is now a reality. The blend uses a base of RLP-6 and BCA with Latakia and Perique taking a forward part backed by Smyrna and Turkish followed by Dark Cavendish Cherry and some Maryland. It will need time to blend together, but a preliminary smoke is indicative of a mild English-American blend reminiscent of Seattle Plum Pudding.

 

[Roach1]

I think I will try to create a new blend with three tobaccos and call it 3 Element Yagi. I like the radios here is my current setup

 

[BingBong]

I have gone no further than Ogden's Dipole.

OT, sort of, but what would you use a miniature shrouded yagi for? In my area, baffling mystery.

 

[telescopes]

Our last set up used a CLR2

 

[telescopes]

The blend has been completed and jar aged for a week. Impressions: Latakia is forward but behind it the Virginias and Perique play equal measure. The back ground is definitely burley and cavendish. A hint of cherry runs through the blend.

I am using a Dr Grabow Royalton Bulldog - it has a small bowl. Thankfully, the proportions of various tobaccos seem to compliment each other.

When creating a blend, I use a formula that dictates proportions. I developed this formula myself and it is representative of how a musical chord is constructed. The basic formula could be roughly described as 4:1.5:1:1.5 or 5:2:1.

The first part is the foundation, the second is the Latakia, the third is Perique and the fourth is a burly cavendish flavor note. The proportions can change depending on what you are using, but I have had a lot of luck using this set of ratios.

 

[telescopes]

I forgot about the small bit of Maryland and various Turkish and Orientals added to it.

 

[telescopes]

I jarred the 73s. I have now mixed the following: 507C Virginia Slices and 515RC Red Virginia with Smyrna and some Turkish Bending tobacco followed with White Burley, Black Cherry, and a bit of Maryland.

This is a Virginia/Oriental blend with a nice room note from the black cherry.

The first smoke from the raw mix indicates my experiments leading up to this blend showed I was on the correct path.

This will be the blend that will become 88s.

I put this together this blend to be a diversion from my standard aromatic Cavendish bend, Telescopes and Lazy Bones as well as something different than the English blends like Black Maria, The Doctors Own Blend, and 73s.

 

[telescopes]

The latest blend I have been working on is tentatively called PMP or Poor man’s Penzance. This one has caused me to get quite a bit of flack from some people -Penzance can’t be recreated and so on. After some conversations and stumbling on a recipe for balkans by Ernie, I realized the back door I was looking for. While I can never truly know which leaf Germaine’s uses or the processes they utilize, finding a proportion that worked as a base was my first step. Then, I kept seeing where cavendish was thought to be in the mix. Sure enough, adding some Green River with just the right flavor note took the Balkan I was working on to the next level. I have used cavendish in prior recipes to enhance flavor notes and I saw how easily it worked here. Now I can focus on playing with various Virginia Tobaccos as well as trying different cavendish recipes.

 

[LotusEater]

I jarred the 73s. I have now mixed the following: 507C Virginia Slices and 515RC Red Virginia with Smyrna and some Turkish Bending tobacco followed with White Burley, Black Cherry, and a bit of Maryland.

This is a Virginia/Oriental blend with a nice room note from the black cherry.

The first smoke from the raw mix indicates my experiments leading up to this blend showed I was on the correct path.

This will be the blend that will become 88s.

I put this together this blend to be a diversion from my standard aromatic Cavendish bend, Telescopes and Lazy Bones as well as something different than the English blends like Black Maria, The Doctors Own Blend, and 73s.

I believe I have sampled this one and really enjoyed it.
@telescopes - I appreciate your having sent me a sample I’ll send you my (long overdue) tasting notes tomorrow.

 

[telescopes]

Thanks Mark.

 

[Auxsender]

Yes, that is exactly with it is.View attachment 330802A facsimile of the card is on my jar pictured above. I simply circle the words of the blend that is kept in the jar and add a date and I then know which blend is in the jar. My father's blend is Lazy Bones - seen on the other side of the jar (not pictured here). My mother was EZ1. For the Doctor's Own Blend, I simply circle my name.

These blends are all family blends that have been smoked by my family for decades - using the QSL card was a way to combine memories.View attachment 330808View attachment 330810

The two pictures above are of my dad - a long time pipe smoker and a CB enthusiast from way back. If the background to the right of his radio, a blue face Pacer, are some of the many QSL cards he received in the mail. The last picture is him, in our family home in 1963, smoking his pipe with his dog, Sparky, on his leg. He still uses the same ashtray pictured in the picture with his radio. I have the table lamp and radio.

This is fantastic. I love your close ties to your past. I wish I had more of my own. Thanks for sharing.

 

[khiddy]

The latest blend I have been working on is tentatively called PMP or Poor man’s Penzance. This one has caused me to get quite a bit of flack from some people -Penzance can’t be recreated and so on. After some conversations and stumbling on a recipe for balkans by Ernie, I realized the back door I was looking for. While I can never truly know which leaf Germaine’s uses or the processes they utilize, finding a proportion that worked as a base was my first step. Then, I kept seeing where cavendish was thought to be in the mix. Sure enough, adding some Green River with just the right flavor note took the Balkan I was working on to the next level. I have used cavendish in prior recipes to enhance flavor notes and I saw how easily it worked here. Now I can focus on playing with various Virginia Tobaccos as well as trying different cavendish recipes.

Any updates on your testing of your PMP blend? I am not one to pooh-pooh the effort to create something that hits the same notes, even if the constituent parts are not the same as the OG.

You used an example in another thread about the competing Mai Tai recipes, and I thought that was an excellent reference story that explains the goal of home blending - recreate the flavor, if not the precise tobaccos. I applaud your continuing to work on it, and try to do the same in my own home blending/mixing.