A Bakker's Dozen

[AimlessWanderer]

So . . . a question. Can a pipe be "wet"? Allow me to explain . . .

Put two bowls through my new calabash pipe last yesterday. I was somewhat surprised that both bowls ended up with thick "resin-like" cake on the walls of the bowl. A finger swiped round the inside came away coated in what looked like black ink. Both times, to slightly varying degrees. I chalked this up to not allowing the aromatic blends smoked to dry much, if at all, before smoking them, and thought little more of it. Just now, I finished another bowl of aromatic in the same pipe and, again, a very thick residue showed up on the pipe cleaner I ran round the inside of the bowl, and I noticed a "wet" spot at the bottom. This time, the tobacco has been sitting in a non-airtight tin for a couple of days, so it cannot still be too moist, can it?

There was a distinct gurgle towards the end of the bowl, but only once. I am just wondering if it's possible for a pipe design to actually collect/cause moisture, or if it is more just the nature of aromatics to require significant drying before use.

Even with drying, you'll find Cavendish heavy aromatics to smoke dirtier and wetter than other blends. Also, every new briar I've smoked tends to smoke a little wetter than when it's broken in. The cake that you haven't built yet will take care of some of it, drying the tobacco will take care of some more, but it will never be eliminated completely with a Cavendish blend.

 

[Bakker1964]

Thanks, Al.

 

[steveclarkus]

Broke it up by hand, pulling the flake apart. Tore the long strands into smaller ones and stuffed it into the bowl. Tamped it down just enough to clear the rim and fired it up.

The Zulu Dog is now a "Kentucky/Burley" pipe.

Dry, the ODF smells like a peated scotched aged in sherry casks. There is a raisin and plum fruitiness under the smoky aroma. No saltiness like I have smelled in English blends, though.
Smoking, I get no "room note" which is standard for me. What I did get was some very strong flavours, likely because this smoke barely warmed the bowl, despite a few extra relights. Flake will take some adjustment on that score. I noted very light sugars from the stem, and a slow build of white pepper spiciness as I got further into the bowl. The smoke very thick and wafting. The overall flavour was a nutty quality, very much like some young bourbons.

Sorry if this sounds like a booze review (I used to write them as a hobby), but I thoroughly enjoyed this smoke, and it's the first time I have been able to say more about a Blend than "I liked it".

There will be more tins of this purchased in the future for aging, though it is likely not going to be an every day smoke. Nothing untoward, but I am starting to feel a bit of a nicotine rush. That, too, is something I will need to get used to.

Dark Fired KY is one of the higher on the Nic scale. I tend to stick with lower nicotine tobaccos for that reason. I "buzzed" my way through college. Can't do that any more.

 

[Bakker1964]

Smoked some Amphora English and came back in to this. Upgraded pipe sock for my Bones. More to come for the pipes that do not have them, and to replace the chintzy one that Savinelli provides.

 

[RookieGuy]

That's pretty! I like that pipe sock!

 

[Bakker1964]

It seems the Missus is bored during lay-off. Came home to a half dozen new pipe socks yesterday . . . LOL. Fortunately, it will allow me to "colour coordinate" the pipes I have dedicated to particular blend types. I'll post a picture of them all later, as I only have 5 that have been firmly tasked to date.

Now, if only the manufacturers didn't include socks with their pipes, we could have a side hustle here.

 

[Bakker1964]

Speaking of "dedicated pipes", here is the listing so far . . .

Burley Blends > Morgan Bones Zulu Dog and Lorenzetti Augustus Caesar. Polished bent traditional looking pipe and the Morgan make a nice contrast in styles. Slightly different bowls, too.

English Blends > Brigham Type 84 and my Savinelli III (on the way). Similar shapes, but different looks overall.

Codger Blends > Savinelli 320 KS Marron Glace. I figure the codgers are going to see the most action, so I want to have my nicest pipe for the purpose. Also, it allows me to change it up, if a NEW pipe catches my eye.

Also, I have the Calabash for Aromatics, and my Cobs for Virginias (VaPers). The Churchwarden might go to Codger blends, but I am not certain yet.

 

[RookieGuy]

Bakker, at some point you have to try a codger in a cob. Most codgers work very well with most cobs.

 

[Bakker1964]

Bakker, at some point you have to try a codger in a cob. Most codgers work very well with most cobs.

Noted.

 

[Bakker1964]

Also . . . as I plan for my two cobs to be Virginia and VaPer, codgers won't interfere with that.

 

[Bakker1964]

So . . . Field and Stream is listed as an aromatic. Was I mistaken in thinking it was a "codger blend"? Or is this a case like some of the other codgers (ie, "technically" an aromatic, but not REALLY)?

 

[RookieGuy]

I always understood it to be when it came out, it wasn't an aromatic. But then the lines of what is and isn't an aromatic slowly shifted to now it falls just within the bounds of aro. I maybe a crossover?

But it definitely has an the codger hallmarks. It's easy to smoke, used to be available everywhere. It was President Ford's blend (brought up for aging reference).

 

[brandaves]

The line between aro and codger can be pretty narrow. In the case of F&S I'd say it has more to do with a pleasant room note then it's components. It's Burley with a casing just like every other codger that's been around.

That said, it probably wasn't as prevalent as what we would call a codger blend. Certainly not as much as PA or SWR.

 

[Bakker1964]

Well, recognizing that some of the aroma is lost when smoking next to a fire . . . I think I am going to list it as a "codger" unless subsequent bowls reveal something else. Was not nearly as "fragrant" as some of the others I have tried to date (small sample size notwithstanding).

 

[steveclarkus]

The line between aro and codger can be pretty narrow. In the case of F&S I'd say it has more to do with a pleasant room note then it's components. It's Burley with a casing just like every other codger that's been around.

That said, it probably wasn't as prevalent as what we would call a codger blend. Certainly not as much as PA or SWR.

Interesting. Your supposition is supported by the codger blends still available in their original form and they are few - Half & Half, SWR, PA, CH and Velvet. Two iterations of Edgeworth which I have a hard time considering a true Codger blend. I didn’t actually ever meet an actual codger that regularly smoked Field & Stream although I’m sure they were out there - Gerald Ford for one. In the end, only the ones that had a strong following survived so I suppose you can look at them as the best of the best. I expect SWR, PA and CH and perhaps Velvet are in for the long haul. I certainly hope SWR stays and if not there is a Match produced.

 

[Bakker1964]

Going to need more time, but while the Ready Rubbed is a fine blend, I think the Field & Stream is probably more my speed. It's kind of funny because the one smokes easier, while the other has more "flavor". So far, neither is displacing Half and Half or the Carter Hall, so who knows? What I really need is more pipes so that I can load and smoke them all back to back for a real comparison.


Yeah . . . I'm sure that will work on SWMBO.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm finding that I'm not getting caught up in the minutiae of blend differences. A blend either works for me, or it doesn't. So long as I know whether or not to buy it again, I'm happy

I'm not searching for the various elements of the smoke either, and for the most part a smoke is letting my mind wander, rather than holding it captive, so to speak. So much so, I can easily forget what I'm smoking, and just know I'm enjoying it.

As such, I don't think I'm going to end up too blend focussed. I think I'll be content so long as I know there's three or four tins of any given type in the drawer, without being too caught up in which blends I have or haven't got ageing. I'll probably be true to my screen name and wander aimlessly amongst the tobaccos, rather than settle and stock up on any particular one.

 

[Bakker1964]

I do note that there are many different "labels" featuring the same mixture of strains. While I am prepared to stipulate that a mix of 75/15/10 (Virginia/Burley/Perique) will be different in taste from one that is 10/75/15, I am starting to wonder how many folks have a refined enough palate to discern the difference if those numbers are closer together (like say 40/30/30 vs 35/35/30).

I'm just trying to figure out which of each type I like best so as to stock up on some aging material (w/o hoarding).

 

[RookieGuy]

I'm finding that I'm not getting caught up in the minutiae of blend differences. A blend either works for me, or it doesn't. So long as I know whether or not to buy it again, I'm happy

I'm not searching for the various elements of the smoke either, and for the most part a smoke is letting my mind wander, rather than holding it captive, so to speak. So much so, I can easily forget what I'm smoking, and just know I'm enjoying it.

I think there's room for both, in my cellar anyways. Sometimes it's fun to pick apart components. Or to pull something apart to see what it is I like or dislike. Other times, yeah, I don't want to think about it.

 

[steveclarkus]

If you are looking to get that deep into it, I would suggest blending your own to find out what suits you. Personally, I like to keep pipe smoking as simple as possible. Fiddling around, constantly searching for something “better” or whatever would ruin the whole experience for me. I smoke simple burley blends easily available mostly in bulk. My criteria are, is it full flavor with modest nicotine, is it always available, is it affordable in quantity,is it easy to load and smoke? When I buy one of those little tins to try a different blend, 90% of the time I am disappointed so I rarely do it any more. My favorites are blends that have been around fifty to a hundred years and they are still around because they are good time tested blends. I just want a good smoke not variety. Due to the fewer and fewer pipe smokers, tobacco marketing is fierce. There is a lot of crap out there in-cute tins with cool and exotic names so just be aware. Best keep it simple and consistent until you really know how to smoke a pipe; it isn’t an overnight skill.