I like to do some blending myself. Latest blend... Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake 1 oz, PS Luxury Twist Flake 1 oz, Gawith & Hoggarth Louisiana Flake 1oz, and 1 oz of a 1994 batch of whole leaf Perique that I cut up. It is now compressed a bit and melding together. (It smells like prunes and Virginia.)
Home tobacco blending
- Thread starter BrewinHooligan
- Start date
Well it has been a while and I have been neglecting my pipes in favor of my cigars. With the coming and passing of the Chicago pipe show and talking with my pipe making friends I've dusted off these blends and not only sent out samples to @thedismaltrade who is welcome to share his feedback here, I decided it was time to check in on the blends again and see what a few months has done.
Today I sampled the Virginia based blend:
This little pipe has a metal bowl and works like a reverse calabash so the smoke is very neutral and cool. A gift from my wife that I originally didn't appreciate and now feel like an ass for my original misgivings because it's great for blend testing.
The tin note on this blend is ketchup. I get that in a few blends and it is off putting at first but quickly fades as soon as I light the bowl. Creamy, smooth, citrus are the main flavors I pick up. Not an exact clone for Haddos Delight, but it reminds me of that blend quite a bit. I will smoke a few more bowls through different briars but for my tastes I have a winner and I plan to mix up a few pounds of this to age.
Today I sampled the Virginia based blend:
This little pipe has a metal bowl and works like a reverse calabash so the smoke is very neutral and cool. A gift from my wife that I originally didn't appreciate and now feel like an ass for my original misgivings because it's great for blend testing.
The tin note on this blend is ketchup. I get that in a few blends and it is off putting at first but quickly fades as soon as I light the bowl. Creamy, smooth, citrus are the main flavors I pick up. Not an exact clone for Haddos Delight, but it reminds me of that blend quite a bit. I will smoke a few more bowls through different briars but for my tastes I have a winner and I plan to mix up a few pounds of this to age.
Revisited the English blend today and it hits all of the right buttons for me. Definitely one of the reasons I enjoy rolling cigars and blending my own tobaccos, I know what I like and being able to blend to my tastes and save myself a little money while doing something I enjoy is a big win win for me.
The Virginia/oriental combo is smooth and creamy. The perique adds a touch of musty spice, but it is very subtle. The dark fired and Latakia round the blend out. This is definitely on the lighter end of English spectrum and I would place in the same category as Dunhill EMP. If Dunhill does stop producing I will be sad, but I will still have this that I can make at a fraction of the cost and will survive. Next I want to make a stronger version, will add more burley, more dark fired, and more Latakia and see where that takes me.
The Virginia/oriental combo is smooth and creamy. The perique adds a touch of musty spice, but it is very subtle. The dark fired and Latakia round the blend out. This is definitely on the lighter end of English spectrum and I would place in the same category as Dunhill EMP. If Dunhill does stop producing I will be sad, but I will still have this that I can make at a fraction of the cost and will survive. Next I want to make a stronger version, will add more burley, more dark fired, and more Latakia and see where that takes me.
I don't think you can call it blending but I have a jar for leftovers. I throw what little is left of a jar when it is almost gone into one large jar. Then I mix it up with all the rest and smoke it. Since I snoke only aromatics it seems to work. A few times I had wished I had written down a formula because I've had some truly amazing experiences doing that. I have some bulk I am seriously thinking about mixing. I may have to do a test bowl or two before I commit. If it turns out well I'll let you all know.
I saw c&d sells a baccy blending kit that come with recipes. Just an fyi. Just started to get into pipes myself and can't wait to start blending some stuff out. Your English looks and sounds fantastic. Keep us updated on all the goodness you're brewing up.
That's good to know. What I enjoy about the hobby is making my own blends though. Making someone else's "recipe" isn't as fun as creating something unique to me that is created for my tastes. If you want to get started in the hobby and are not yet familiar with the separate components then that is a great option though.
Yeah I thought it was interesting. Like I said in newer. I thought if you knew the exact blend if something traditional then you could tweek and try blending certain components. Or deconstruct and take out something. And with aromatics as an option and smoked stuff the possabilites seem endless. Is there any place to find "standard" recipes for baselines? Also what kind of taste do different pipes influence on your palette?
Manufacturers don't post their exact blends, but they will list general components and different styles will follow certain guidelines. http://www.tobaccoreviews.com is a great resource to research different blends, it will list components but not ratios and eventually you will get an idea of what each component brings to the table. Some components are easier to pick out than others. Latakia for instance is rich and smokey, its easiest for me to describe it like a campfire and it is a key component of English blends. Each pipe can affect the smoke as well, the wood (or other material) used, the depth and diameter of the bowl, the length of the shank, etc. The possibilities are endless and that's why you find guys with rooms full of pipes and tobacco
. Welcome aboard!