Anyone make their own custom blends of purchased tobacco? Recipe thread.

[JCinPA]

I'm not talking about stocking raw ingredients, aging, pressing, cutting, and so forth that the commercial blenders do. I'm talking about playing around with the stuff you buy, mixing them in various ratios to get some 'in-betweeners'.

I remember doing this in college, and keeping a notebook with my experiments and favorite recipes. Maybe it was a 70's thing, maybe it was because I was a cocky college guy and thought I was sophisticated, maybe it was a fad ... but it was fun. I haven't read that here, or elsewhere, for that matter. If you do this, how about posting your favorite custom mixes?

I don't have my old notebook, of course, but here is my first one I made for my son, which I mailed to him today. He is just starting with the pipe and I wanted to give him something lighter, but not too over-the-top sweet, and with a taste of some real English in it. He already enjoys a cigar now and then. My first stab at it was 3-to-1 Captain Black (white bag) to Dunhill Standard Mixture Mellow. I am anxious to hear how he likes it.

If you've tried this post your favorite recipe. If not, why not give it a whirl? It's really fun, although it may not replace your personal favorite ready-made blend.

thoughts?

 

[zatopus]

Mixed Boswells raspberry cream and Grousemoor together once. an even 50/50 mix. It wasn't great but strangely addictive.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Mixed Boswells raspberry cream and Grousemoor together once. an even 50/50 mix. It wasn't great but strangely addictive.

Well, it does have Grousemoor in it. I think crack may be involved

 

[Commander Quan]

Mixture 79 and 5 Bros mixed 1:1 I passed out and crapped myself. Or maybe that was the mezcal and 151.

 

[Stevew443]

I took equal amounts of Admiral's Choice Gold Burley and McClelland 5100 Red Cake ... mixed well and added 10% perique. This gave me what I named Cajun Half and Half. It was a hit with almost everyone who tried it.

 

[SALBONE]

I passed out and crapped myself.

That should have been your custom title!

 

[COHunter]

You can always just make a parfait bowl. Just load up 2 or 3 different layers, or you can give them a bit of a twist together to try out. Somtimes an aro that is on the strong/sickly sweet side can be mellowed out with something like a straight burley like Prince Albert.

 

[JCinPA]

You can always just make a parfait bowl. Just load up 2 or 3 different layers, or you can give them a bit of a twist together to try out. Somtimes an aro that is on the strong/sickly sweet side can be mellowed out with something like a straight burley like Prince Albert.

Yikes! Parfait bowl? Not sure I'd like that, mixing them up into a blend sounds better to me. I don't want a bowl wandering all over the place on me. To each his own!

 

[Stevew443]

You can always just make a parfait bowl. Just load up 2 or 3 different layers, or you can give them a bit of a twist together to try out. Somtimes an aro that is on the strong/sickly sweet side can be mellowed out with something like a straight burley like Prince Albert.

I love making parfaits, but since about the only thing I smoke are VaPers the parfaits usually work out very well.

 

[JCinPA]

Hmmmm. Maybe I should try it. It just sounded odd at first.

 

[Argonaut]

I have a couple of Frankenstien blends in a jar or two, mostly made up of blends I didn't care for and wouldn't throw away.

 

[du52]

Sometimes I put something sweet like my local shops White Russian flavor under Dunhill London Mixture in the bowl. I like it.

 

[Kentos]

I am really digging scented Dark Flake rubbed out with a pinch of autumn evening.

 

[Blackbeard's Delight]

Since I started pipe smoking at the end of April I have wondered about this... I managed to have many pouches of bacci that wouldn't fill a bowl, but I kept anyway wondering what I would do with them. I can just take all of it and make a 'bottom of the barrel blend' for a rainy day!

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

I love making parfaits, but since about the only thing I smoke are VaPers the parfaits usually work out very well.

I've recently developed a taste for VaPers and am planning a 4noggins order to grab a bunch. Can you recommend some highly regarded ones? I have tried only Solani 633 VaPer so far. Didn't care for it at first but now I love it since I figured out how to treat it properly. I don't know if it's the perique or virginias, but when I nasal exhale (especially after small, light puffs) my receptors are saturated with a great sharp aroma... at first it smelled like a combo of ketchup/mustard/vinegar but know it seems more spicey. Sounds weird, I know, but it's intoxicating. In fact, I'm off now to smoke one of my last two flakes of it. I know about the vaunted Escudo and plan on including that in my order... anything else?

 

[Uncle Jackie]

50% McClelland 2010 and 50% McClelland 2000.

 

[Mike in Cincy]

I'm thinking of making my own version of Peterson's Hyde Park, which hasn't been released yet. So I may combine a small amount of Boswell's Maple and Rum tobaccos with some Northwoods or perhaps Frog Morton.

 

[Pescara]

I've recently developed a taste for VaPers and am planning a 4noggins order to grab a bunch. Can you recommend some highly regarded ones? I have tried only Solani 633 VaPer so far. Didn't care for it at first but now I love it since I figured out how to treat it properly. I don't know if it's the perique or virginias, but when I nasal exhale (especially after small, light puffs) my receptors are saturated with a great sharp aroma... at first it smelled like a combo of ketchup/mustard/vinegar but know it seems more spicey. Sounds weird, I know, but it's intoxicating. In fact, I'm off now to smoke one of my last two flakes of it. I know about the vaunted Escudo and plan on including that in my order... anything else?

4noggins has John Patton's Cool Hand Fluke (bulk) --fairly hefty amount of perique.

 

[Stevew443]

I've recently developed a taste for VaPers and am planning a 4noggins order to grab a bunch. Can you recommend some highly regarded ones? I have tried only Solani 633 VaPer so far. Didn't care for it at first but now I love it since I figured out how to treat it properly. I don't know if it's the perique or virginias, but when I nasal exhale (especially after small, light puffs) my receptors are saturated with a great sharp aroma... at first it smelled like a combo of ketchup/mustard/vinegar but know it seems more spicey. Sounds weird, I know, but it's intoxicating. In fact, I'm off now to smoke one of my last two flakes of it. I know about the vaunted Escudo and plan on including that in my order... anything else?

Sorry that it took so long for me to reply. I have been involved with life.
Anyway, my favorite VaPers: McClelland 2015 (many say it smells of catsup, but I have never noticed), Escudo, Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake.
For straight Virginia I go with McClelland 2010.
I think a lot of my love for McClelland tobaccos has to do with the fact that I could buy it in 5 pound bags for next to nothing and it ages well and provides a great smoke.

Another tobacco that I love and that ages well (although I have not had any in ages) is MacBarens Navy Flake.

One thing that you may notice is that I smoke mainly flake or broken flake tobacco. I enjoy rubbing out the flake before smoking. It allows me to tailor the tobacco to the pipe.

 

[wsblevins]

I took equal amounts of Admiral's Choice Gold Burley and McClelland 5100 Red Cake ... mixed well and added 10% perique. This gave me what I named Cajun Half and Half. It was a hit with almost everyone who tried it.

I remember when you came up with that blend so many years ago. Unfortunately, The Admiral's Choice Gold Burley is no longer produced. I replaced that component with Lane BLWAB and have had excellent results. I go through about a pound of Cajun Half & Half every month.