Mixing tobacco's and pipes

catfishbluezz

Ok....so I'm screwed with this whole pipe tobacco thing. I just ordered a ridiculous amount of tobacco LOL. Anyways, how should I seperate my pipes for specific tobacco? I smoke mainly 1776 and Captain Black out of one, and then Frog Morton out of the other. I ordered another cob for vanilla/cherry stuff. I do want to buy a nice pipe or two now that I am figuring out what I like, so i do not want to ghost them at all. Anyways, let me know, and thanks for all the help gents...I'm hooked.

mgk2020

I think ghosting is a bit exaggerated, especially if you don't have a particularly discerning palate. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, just that it doesn't happen as bad as it is made out to be or that the average person wouldn't be able to tell most of the time. If you don't smoke anything particularly strong or if you don't smoke any particular type of tobacco regularly, your risk probably isn't that high. You could probably get away with not dedicating pipes. That said, if you decide to dedicate pipes, my advice would be to have separate pipes for aromatics and non-aromatics. If your non-aro's include oriental blends, then I'd suggest having two pipes for the non-aro's: one for those with latakia and one for those that don't. The reason being latakia is pretty strong and smoky and oriental tobaccos without it tend to be pretty subtle and may be lost a little in a ghosted bowl. Those would be the basics for dedicated pipes. The only reason to further sub-divide would be if you smoke a very strong/flavored tobacco (either an actual flavor in the case of an aro or a big latakia bomb) regularly or if you have a favorite tobacco that you are very familiar and don't want to risk anything changing the flavor at all. This assumes that you can actually notice of course. In the end, it really comes down to what works for you. Every hobby or interest has those that want to make it as complicated and esoteric as possible; that come up with all sorts of pomp and circumstance to try and elevate themselves and how they do things to the elite or "right" status. Bottom line: if the way you do it adds to your enjoyment, then you're doing it right. If it doesn't, then you're not.

catfishbluezz

Makes sense, so what is an aromatic? i hear that, English blends, orientals, etc... For instance, Captain Black Royal says it is Cavendish blend and has a nice smell to it. Frog Morton smells like campfire, very different, so I do not smoke both in the same pipe. What would each one be considered?

J.S.

Lots to consider here. First, an aromatic is anything that is cased to the point that the blender wants the smoker to taste flavor other than just natural tobacco. Cavendish is a great process to allow the added flavor to come through because the process takes a lot of the natural flavor out. Unflavored Cavendish can still be found in English blends to help mellow the smoke a little, however.

J.S.

CB Royal is an aromatic (the tin descriptions helps here), FM is an English blend. You will basically only taste the natural tobacco. I personally have not made up my mind if there is a light casing on FM or not but it does not take away from the tobacco taste and it does not ghost just the Lat. would be the ghosting element in it.

J.S.

Now as to what will ghost. Lat. and perique will ghost badly. Aromatics will ghost even worse than Lat and perique. If you are really into aromatics you might keep one for vanilla and one for cherry, etc. but I don't I have one aromatic pipe and that is all. I smoke cherry, vanilla, and lakeland all out of this one without problems. I don't think VA's or burley blends ghost at all but these do often have to be cased or topped and the casing can ghost but this normally smokes out in 5-12 bowls.

J.S.

Sorry all for the broken posts. I thought I had the spacing figured out but it keeps everything in a single paragraph so to make it a little easier on the eyes I have just broken it up. Best,

catfishbluezz

catfishbluezz

So, in essence how many pipes would you need? One for the Cavendish blends, one for the Latakia, one for the periques, and one for flavored?

mgk2020

catfishbluezz

So...if I open it up some tobacco and it smells like CB or is a cavendish, then that is aro. If it smells like pepper or a campfire, that is non aro. Separate the two, and I am good. That makes sense and what I was getting to.

mgk2020

catfishbluezz

Reviewing will follow, so I am very particular to not ghosting. I do have a couple cobs though. For instance, I am smoking a straight burley now. It smells like a aro, has that sweet tobacco smell, but tastes like a non aro.

mgk2020

J.S.

Usually there is something in the blend notes that will help tip you off about the blend. Cavendish is a process and you can have some "unsweetened" found in blends to help mellow them. As far as how many, you can get by with 2 or you can subdivide and have 1 for aromatic, 1 for Lat. and perique, 1 for VA/per, 1 for VA and burley, so 4 would get you started. A lot of tobacco is cased but in the case of non-aromatic (not just English blends) the casing is very mild and does not ghost the pipe. Just the Lat and or perique in the blend does that. Yes, there are some aromatic English blends out there but they will say cherry, etc. on them.

J.S.

mgk2020

J.S.

J.S.

mgk2020

The Kid

Amos Umwhat

catfishbluezz:

So...if I open it up some tobacco and it smells like CB or is a cavendish, then that is aro. If it smells like pepper or a campfire, that is non aro. Separate the two, and I am good. That makes sense and what I was getting to.

This is about exactly what I do. Simplify.

pilgrimtex

ARO Shmay aro. Who cares. Its all in the palate. Mix aro with non and you can come up with some great blends. Since I have some really good blends like Gloucester I needed a blend that was really mild on easy on the tongue and to get rid of ghosts in my pipes so I went to a %parts BLWB with 2 parts Black Kathy and Voila. A really nice easy smoke and no more ghosts after one or two bowls. Good after cigars as a transition back to pipes. for those who know my drift.

catfishbluezz

catfishbluezz

Then I woudl also assume that the 1776 and Captain Blacks I like would mix well with the other Cavendish blends, not the Latakia's.

mgk2020

catfishbluezz

Ok cool, that makes sense as I have heard that about Perique. I had not heard that about VA's, so I assume you are speaking of the black shag correct?

J.S.

mgk2020

Amos Umwhat

catfishbluezz

Alright, this makes sense to me now. Now I am thinking 6... VA, English, Aro's, Flavored, Perique, Orientals?? That sound about right guys? And by flavored I mean the heavy Vanilla or Cherry stuff versus the aro's that are Cavendish but not overly flavored.