This weekend I smoked a bowl of SPC Mississippi River in this really nice Canadian that was restored and sent to me by @NeverBend It looks like a Barling but there's no Barling stamp on it. It just says "DE LUXE" on one side, "309" on the other and "France" on the bit. Regardless, it's a very nice pipe with a bigass bowl (for me anyway) and a very good smoker.


On to the tobacco. It was delicious; sort of a cinnamon on baked fruit sort of taste with just a touch of pepper in the background, slightly smoky, nice and sweet.

Today I smoked a bit of the very same bacco in my oldest, filthiest, favoritest cob; a Missouri Pride replete with Forever stem. This pipe usually smokes any tobacco well. In fact it's been my go to - the best smoking pipe I have. However, the tobacco that was so nice in the briar, just didn't cut it in the cob; it was nothing special at all. I've read all sorts of posts claiming differences in taste between briar and cob but I've never experienced it first hand before. However the difference was undeniable and remarkable. I wouldn't even bother with this weed if I only ever smoked it in the cob.

All this can only mean one thing. I'm going to 'need' MOAR briar pipes.
Darn you Pete! (but I've always wanted an army mount anyway)