"One of us, boys!"My off and on again journey with the pipe.
- Thread starter Docpsycho
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"One of us, boys!"- Thread starter
- #62
A few days ago I had my first bowl of Northwoods and really enjoyed the interplay between the english and aromatic flavors. There was enough sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth and just enough smokiness from the latakia. I am really learning that drying the tobacco out is key to a bite free experience too. Now smoking a bowl of McClellands revival version of Old Church. I had never been able to smoke this right out of the tin but now with sufficient drying quite a pleasant experience.
Rick
Rick
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- #63
Yesterday I smoked two different tobaccos I recieved in a trade with a kind member in the Stock Exchange. I Smoked one bowl of Esoterica Hastings and one bowl of Woodbridge. Both I dried a bowls worth on the cutting board over a day. I Rubbed them both out several times over the course of the day as they dried. What a wonderful smoking experience. I didn't want it to end. I liked both very much which is bad for me as they both aren't easily procured. Next on the agenda is Esoterica Ramsgate and St. Ives. Just air drying the tobacco out over the course of a day and rubbing it out several times has greatly improved the pipe smoking experience for me. No more tongue bite. Both the Hastings and Woodbridge had hints of sweet raisens and stewed fruit. Maybe currents or prunes. A bit like a fruitcake flavor. I did note some sweet hay and grassy notes from the Virginia's but was surprised they didn't bite my tongue. Usually I can't smoke Virginias. They have burned my mouth, tongue and inner cheeks in the past. Maybe the drying and my slowly sipping the smoke have helped tremendously. I have all you fine gents here in the BL to thank.
Best to all you fella's
Rick
Best to all you fella's
Rick
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- #64
I hadn't smoked a pipe for a while but had left some tobaccos out to dry. I thought I'd left them out for too long. 15 days or better. I thought what the hey. I'll try some anyway. I loaded up my MM legend with a bowl of Short Cut To Mushrooms generously PIF'D me from Mr. Hirsute. Thanks again Sir so much. I enjoyed it just fine. I don't really know whats in that tobacco but I picked up hints of raisins. Quite pleasant. I'm about to fire up a bowl of Sultan's blend PIF'D from Captaincaveman. Thank you again Sir. I also took some Frog Morton and rubbed it out. Dried it for about an hour and stuffed it in a cigarette tube to smoke. Heresy I know! I enjoyed it but its better in the pipe. It would have to dry quite a bit longer for that again although it did burn.
Rick
Rick
So what have been some of your favorite blends you've sampled so far?
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- #66
I would say some of my favorites so far have been as follows,
Northwoods
Short cut to mushrooms
Sultan's Blend
Woodbridge
Hastings
Pembroke
Christmas Cookie
Carter Hall
Butternut Burley
and Burley without the bite.
I am surprised to be liking some of the cross over blends. I don't seem to care for the full on Latakia but do like it mixed with an Aro. Especially since I have learned that sufficiently drying an Aro reduces its bite for me significantly. I am not sure if I am sacrificing some flavor but not having a sore tongue is a plus. Pipe smoking is much more relaxing and meditative w/o the tongue bite.
Rick
Northwoods
Short cut to mushrooms
Sultan's Blend
Woodbridge
Hastings
Pembroke
Christmas Cookie
Carter Hall
Butternut Burley
and Burley without the bite.
I am surprised to be liking some of the cross over blends. I don't seem to care for the full on Latakia but do like it mixed with an Aro. Especially since I have learned that sufficiently drying an Aro reduces its bite for me significantly. I am not sure if I am sacrificing some flavor but not having a sore tongue is a plus. Pipe smoking is much more relaxing and meditative w/o the tongue bite.
Rick
I started to enjoy my pipes a lot more as well once a sore tongue wasn't part of the equation. It did take some practice and experience, with trial and error to get to the point.
Now that's some good taste!
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- #69
Thanks Captain. I do think I am narrowing down some of my preferences in tobacco. I do have some briar pipes but am coming to love my cobs more and more to which, I think, you can relate. I love the one forever stem I have and plan to get more.
Rick
Rick
I can definitely relate to the cob thing. I was onto cobs like that for a while and the only change has been a switch to the Missouri Meerschaum Ozark as my favorite. Briars are great and I have a bunch but I like cobs and the Ozark better.
I am still more on the briar side, but I'm far from anti-cob. I just ordered the dwarf from the cobit series, even. I do loves me a churchwarden style. lol
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- #72
I do like the color on the Ozark but I prefer a bit of a bent to the bit. I like a half bent as opposed to straight bit. I may give one of the partial bent maples a try. I am sure it will smoke just as well as an Ozark. Anything MM makes is quality in my opinion. I wonder what sort of hardwood the Ozark is made of?
Rick
Rick
The maple version is straight stem (only), and the cherry version is bent stem (only). Though I am pretty sure you can get like a Walker Briarworks aftermarket stem for either of them in a variety of style choices.
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- #74
Thanks Sir, I will have to check out the website again.
Rick
Rick
MM's propionate stems are very easy to bend with a little heat. I dislike bent stems and with a straight stem the Ozark cherry's angle is perfect for me. As such I've straightened a few stems. (Also IMO cherry smokes Latakia better than briar, maple, or even cob.)
So, that said...you could bend some MM stems to your exact preference.
So, that said...you could bend some MM stems to your exact preference.
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- #76
Thanks Captain. Sounds like a plan. I do like the crossover blends. I may just have to get a cherry Ozark. The preference for the bend is mostly just something I like not something I have to have. There isn't a logical reason I prefer a partial bent over a straight stem. I just seem to. If the Cherry smokes better I shall bow to your experience over my inexperience.
Rick
Rick
I'm also highly partial to the bent stem. Out of the ... large number of pipes I have, only 3 are straight stemmed, and one of those is that way only because the maker forgot to bend it on the custom order. lol
It's totally a personal preference thing and whatever you like is exactly what you should choose.
For me, I like the pipe to dangle somewhat loosely from my mouth, so a bent stem just means the bowl is going to sit on my chest and dump ash on my lap. If anything, a little bit of a reverse (upward) bend works for me, but a straight stem with the shank bent or entering the bowl at an angle so the bowl opening aims a little more towards my face works best (hence that Ozark cherry with the straight stem swap being such a great fit for me in addition to the cherry wood material working so well with Latakia). Presumably other more common S-bent pipes with their stems partially straightened (but shank still bent) would work great for me, but the way I bottom-feed eBay bent pipes are less common and more expensive. (Anyway I'm off of my PAD, my budget got too tight and worries about tobacco availability reignited.)
For bending/straightening MM propionate stems, submerge in very hot water for a few minutes, then just bend by hand. Submerge again if you didn't get enough bend.
For me, I like the pipe to dangle somewhat loosely from my mouth, so a bent stem just means the bowl is going to sit on my chest and dump ash on my lap. If anything, a little bit of a reverse (upward) bend works for me, but a straight stem with the shank bent or entering the bowl at an angle so the bowl opening aims a little more towards my face works best (hence that Ozark cherry with the straight stem swap being such a great fit for me in addition to the cherry wood material working so well with Latakia). Presumably other more common S-bent pipes with their stems partially straightened (but shank still bent) would work great for me, but the way I bottom-feed eBay bent pipes are less common and more expensive. (Anyway I'm off of my PAD, my budget got too tight and worries about tobacco availability reignited.)
For bending/straightening MM propionate stems, submerge in very hot water for a few minutes, then just bend by hand. Submerge again if you didn't get enough bend.
