Forum Pipe Blend
pilgrimtex
Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 429
in Pipes
There is a plethora of bulk tobaccos out there just waitin for us to put our palates together and devise a blend that will satisfy even the most depraved dark siders. Once developed I may ask our supplier to blend it for the forum. It may even be more than one blend. Who knows.
We can make this thread our collaboration thread. Any takers??
Comments
Pic of Walts Blend.
Just Frog Morton. Never smoked any before so I just ordered it to start with.
Since I have a pipe hangin from my mouth all day, when smokin my Walts Blend and when I'm just relaxin settin back; I like to hang the pipe in my mouth and breathe normally through my nose. I just move the inside of the mouth enough to draw in some smoke and exhale it through the nose. all while normal breathing through the nose. I continue doing this which produces a very thick flavorful smoke that excites the senses and provides a maximum taste. I can keep this going for some time because such little draw is given the smoke never gets hot. Best way to enjoy Walts blend which likes to be drawn slowly.
Got my order of pipe tobacco today including a 100gr tin of Frog Morton and 5 oz of McClelland bulk No.5110 Dark English.
I unsealed the froggy and put 1/2 bowl in a brand new Bjarne Classic Viking that also came in the shipment. My first sensation went straight to the sinuses. It was like having some fresh wasabi. It immediately settled down though to an enjoyable smoke that brought back memories of old log cabins in the woods with big old well used rock fireplaces that have burned everything the forest had to offer. The flavors wafted and changed based on what was burning at the moment. Every once in awhile there would be more of a flair from the latakia as a piece lit. Then it would settle down again.
When I opened the tin I noticed the moisture content of the tobacco in my fingers. To me it seemed a little dry but the tin is vacuum sealed. I placed a dig mtr in the tin and after enough time it showed 80 deg f and 60%rh. The mtr was at 63 rh when I placed it in the tin.The temp was probably due to time in the ups truck.
Later (to allow my taste buds to settle down); I stoked up 1/2 bowl of the 5110 in the new pipe. There was no appreciable difference to the frog. There was still the initial sensation but not as severe. Possibly because I was expecting it and perhaps because the tobacco seem slightly moister. I took the dig mtr and placed it in the bag. The temp was the same 80 deg f. The rh however was at 63. My conclusion was that the 5110 is the bulk version of Frog Morton. There did not seem to be enough subtleties to talk about other than somewhat more subdued. I believe that can be explained in the amount of moisture in the bulk. More moisture means a cooler smoke and more subdued sensations but a richer smoke. Dryer is the reverse in that the tobacco burns hotter. I actually prefer the 5110.
It cost me $15.36 for 100 Gr or $3.53/oz vs the bulk at $12.16 for 4 oz or $3.04/oz. 16 oz is $2.72/oz and 80 oz is $2.51/oz. If your a big Froggy fan try the bulk 5110 and if suitable will save you some big bucks.
I plan on blending some of my other tobacco with the 5110 to see what I come up with.
As a side note my Walts blend that I keep in a sealed humidor jar with no humidification but just the moisture as it is received measures at 77 deg f. 80% rh. It is smoking well and I will leave it like that. Sometimes I actually dry my tobacco if I feel it is too moist but the Walts blend seems ok with 80%.
I would compare (loosely) FG to similar VA/Lat. blends which are SG Commonwealth and CF's Lancer's Slices. Just my take on the two blends. Everyone's tastes are different so if DEF is close to you then I would go with it for sure! It is a good blend, but not my favorite English blend to be sure.
I agree that we all have different tastes. I do not have enough experience with English blends to be able to compare all that's available. I bought the frog based on what members have been saying and to perhaps look at its strong points and develop a blend similar. I ordered the 5110 as a hunch based on it's reviews. I do not feel its worth for me to try and duplicate the frog since 5110 is close enough for me and like I said I prefer it to the frog. Maybe its the oriental touch. I would not replace my Walts blend at this point but it makes for a welcome switch back and forth. Adding some latakia to my blend will bring in some of that smoky taste I'm enjoying in 5110. Perhaps there is a Walts enhanced blend in the future.
Unlike a forum cigar blend we are a little more diverse and I feel sophisticated in our tastes so having a single blend does not seem likely. Sharing what we come up with here I hope will enrich our enjoyment of the pipe.
I'm thinking of possibly picking up some Lane HGL. This was supposed to be H. Lane's personal blend, anyone familiar with it? What might it compare to? The 5110 Pilgrimtex talked about above is almost certain to be on the list, and I'm also looking at a couple other MClelland's, the 2030 No.1 Grade Balkan, and the 2040 Cyprian mixture.
I stayed away from pipes for a long time after I quit cigarettes, stuck to cigars only. I was afraid that the ease of pipe smoking would lead me back into "the Habit". I love the mix-and-match of pipe tobaccos. You can buy 4 different tobaccos, and create so many variations. What a blast!
You might want to look into some blending tobacco's too. You can buy straight lat. and perique that you can add to blends.