ATTENTION: CB Pipe Tobacco Review Bombing Run Version 2.0

[Lostmason]

is there a surprise me catagory?

[Chris0673]

Hey I thought I signed up? Make mine mild please. lol I have kids to worry about!

[NeverBend]

Hey I thought I signed up? Make mine mild please. lol I have kids to worry about!

1. Alligator Gar
2. JustTroItIn
3. Branzig- Strong
4. Tobias Lutz
5. LandonColby
6. Lostmason
7. Bluenoser
8. BryBuySC
9. GWBowman- StrIong
10. MrMotoyoshi- Strong
11. Chris0673 - Mild

It copied with all the bolding.

Chris, who is that lovely horse? Thoroughbreds are a passion of mine (and a business for a while)

[Horsefeathers]

1. Alligator Gar
2. JustTroItIn
3. Branzig- Strong
4. Tobias Lutz
5. LandonColby
6. Lostmason
7. Bluenoser
8. BryBuySC9. GWBowman - Strong
10. MrMotoyoshi - Strong
11. Chris0673 - Mild
12. Horsefeathers - Strong

Added myself to the list, and fixed the bolding. Blind tobacco reviews may be the funnest thing ever! Thanks!

1. Alligator Gar
2. JustTroItIn
3. Branzig- Strong
4. Tobias Lutz
5. LandonColby
6. Lostmason
7. Bluenoser
8. BryBuySC9. GWBowman - Strong
10. MrMotoyoshi - Strong
11. Chris0673 - Mild
12. Horsefeathers - Strong

[Chris0673]

Chris, who is that lovely horse? Thoroughbreds are a passion of mine (and a business for a while)

The horse belonged to a friend of mine. Sadly he passed away a few months ago. He was a retired show horse and quite friendly.

[NeverBend]

The horse belonged to a friend of mine. Sadly he passed away a few months ago. He was a retired show horse and quite friendly.

Hi Chris,

Sorry to hear of his passing. Magnificent, powerful and fragile all in the same package. Do you know what he died from?

Great placement on the star and a lovely head. A thoroughbred, yes?

Pete

[Chris0673]

Barling Prizes (2) 5579.jpgBarling Prizes (3) 5579.jpg

~1966 Barling #5579 canadian

First prize for winning the LUTZ.

This is a contest? Hmmmm...so whomever writes the best review wins?

Hi Chris,

Sorry to hear of his passing. Magnificent, powerful and fragile all in the same package. Do you know what he died from?

Great placement on the star and a lovely head. A thoroughbred, yes?

Pete

Yes, he was a thoroughbred stallion. Arabian, if I recall correctly. He died of old age.

[Alligator Gar]

Date 17APR15
Name Alligator Gar (Jim)
Tobacco AA Fuschia MacBaren Latakia Blend circa. 2000
Pipe Ben Wade Plateau Freehand
Indoor / Outdoor Covered Porch


Presents as small black nickel sized disks flecked with gold V shaped bits.

Attachment 1943
Think micro-celery. I believe these are slices of an experimental rope from Pete's basement. The tobacco is moist and sticky. It has strong notes of prune and raisin. Secondary molasses scent comes through under the dark fruit. I'm pairing with a Desani sparkling water with a hint of lime.

I'm smoking this in my newly acquired Ben Wade.
Attachment 1948

I have no idea how this pipe is going to smoke. It fits my hand like a .45 ACP.
Attachment 1949

The plateau top looks like a pair of sharkskin boots I once owned. After packing the shark's ass with tobacco I find I could have used twice as much as I'd dried. It has a very tall bowl that gulps tobacco. I take a test pull and am satisfied with how the pipe draws. Same fruity, sweet flavor that I smelled.

I pack with the progressive fill and tamp method and put fire to her. Tamp, light, tamp, light. Very tough keeping this stuff lit. First impression is a piney taste, progressing to a burnt cork taste and smell. I don't detect ANY sweetness in the smoke and it lets me know early on that it's a little bitey. I think this pipe has a factory char on it and may not be fully broke in, but I was too eager to smoke it to care. I'm not sure it's fair to blame the heat and bite on the tobacco.

Halfway through, the ash shows the tobacco is not being fully consumed.

Attachment 1946
When I overturn the bowl, along with the dust comes shards of black, burnt tobacco. After resting the bowl for a little and drawing it back to life without a light I detect a meaty, vinegary flavor much like Hassenpfeffer. The retrohale is satisfyingly pungent without being peppery or repellant. The smoke is very white and doesn't seem to have a lot of nicotine. The overall experience reminds me of smoking a cigarette, something I'm not the least interested in. It is now out and out biting but it's not bothering my throat. I will say once it's lit, it stays lit, allowing me to slow down and not worry about it going out. Clenching the freehand is giving me TMJ. Freehand does not equal hands free.

There aren't a lot of tasting notes in this review because I didn't taste much. I would be interested in some sort of exchange program where I surrender the rest of Fuschia AA in return for equal amounts of Fuschia A. Now that tobacco tasted like something. I'd rather that frog's bottom flavor than nothing at all.

When we are done with the reviews we should have an informal exchange, now that I think about it. We can list what we liked and what's up for swappage, and see if we can pair up. Pete was generous with the samples, might be worth $5 shipping to double down on our favorites.

3/5 Would smoke again if I was running low on the good stuff.

[Alligator Gar]

Date 17APR15
Name Alligator Gar (Jim)
Tobacco C Yellow G&H Dark Flake Unscented
Pipe MM Great Dane Spindle
Indoor / Outdoor Covered Porch

I was pretty excited about this tobacco. It is in what I believe is flake form and looks good enough to eat. It was vacuum packed in a tear and seal package. The vacuum unfortunately made three flakes as one, effectively welding them together into one SuperFlake. I thought this was the stinky one out of the four, but in retrospect it was Fuschia A that was the culprit. I'm still belching that scent a week later. I paired this with some 正山小種/立山小種 (Lapsang Souchong) and orange blossom honey. The smokey sweet tea is a perfect compliment to spicy tobaccos.

I'm smoking this in my Corn Cob Great Dane.
Attachment 1954
I love this pipe because it's big, it's a sitter and because Warren gave it to me.

I peeled some threads off the nominally dry SuperFlake and rubbed in a vigorous circular manner. The tobacco fluffs up incredibly well into piles of dark brown, brown and gold flat string.
Attachment 1953
I use the pack/tamp method and end up with a plugged draw. I dig it out and try again using a lighter hand. It seems to be easy to over compress this cut because I still have a bit of a restricted draw. It may benefit from the swirly palm pack method, and now I'm wishing I knew how to do that. I soldier on and take multiple swings at getting her lit. First thing I taste is toast and caramel. I associate caramel with tobacco rich in natural sugars in the cigar world, but in the case of this blend the slight sheen of the flake tells me nature might have had some help.

Moving a little deeper into the bowl yields a floral lilac taste with low notes of soap. I'm a little shocked by this and not sure whether I'm disgusted or intrigued. Let's just say distrigued for now. This taste has the odd effect of making me salivate, which is annoying to the extreme. While listing the things that pissed me off, let me add that I could not keep this pipe lit. If I wanted to take a thirty second break I would need to relight. I lit this bowl 20 times if I lit it once. Probably my fault. I wasn't proud of the packing job, as noted previously.

The second half of the bowl transitioned to red pepper, a jarring contrast to the original floral taste. The retrohale was dandy; nice and tingly. My throat started getting tight, if you know what I mean. I actually enjoyed the pepper more than the floral arrangement. Hot embers ricocheting off the back of my throat signaled the welcome demise of this entire experience. I really appreciate the opportunity to try different blends risk free. When the big reveal comes this exercise is really going to help define my tastes. Thanks!

2.5/5 Would smoke again if I was offered a taste--just to be polite.

[BryGuySC]

Fixed line 8&9, and added my pref.

1. Alligator Gar
2. JustTroItIn
3. Branzig- Strong
4. Tobias Lutz
5. LandonColby
6. Lostmason
7. Bluenoser
8. BryBuySC - Strong
9. GWBowman - Strong
10. MrMotoyoshi - Strong
11. Chris0673 - Mild
12. Horsefeathers - Strong