What Did You Smoke Today? (Pipe Edition)

The last of my stash of D&R Rowland Regular in a 1988 smooth full bend Peterson System Standard XL 315.

Listing this a few minutes early: FVF in a 2014 Savinelli Gaius smooth brown slight bend black acrylic stem and ferrule 320KS author.

Almost half way through this bowl of Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend in a 2014 Basil Meadows smooth slight bend squashed tomato with an aluminum band and a black pearl acrylic stem.

Almost finished smoking Edgeworth Ready Rubbed Match in a 1979 straight smooth Dr. Grabow Grand Duke 45 pot.

Heine's Blend in the very first pipe I ever bought ($2.49) in 1974; a smooth three quarter bend Dr. Grabow Omega. An under rated OTC.

Amphora Brown in a 1990s slight bend black Sasieni 4 Dot Ruff Root Dark 4 Dublin.

2015 Gawith Hoggarth Bright CR Flake in a 2000s Ser Jacopo Picta #23, smooth oval shank, taper billiard with filigree silver band.

Drying out some GL Pease Gaslight. A very nice tobacco IMO

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NeverBend

I don’t believe that you were alone in thinking that casing and top sauce are interchangeable terms. The difference can be illustrated by burley that readily accepts flavors and is the base for most aromatics and virginia that doesn’t (readily) accept flavors and in consequence is usually top sauced instead.

This is a great explanation of coumarin: Coumarin wiki

I don’t know how tonquin is derived but I assume it to be a different method from coumarin, perhaps not an extract but rather a ground part of the tonka bean made into a solution.

I notice tonquin far more than I notice coumarin or possibly it’s used more liberally. I found that in McConnell and Sobranie mixtures the coumarin enhanced the natural aromas and added a binding faint sweetness that tastes integral to the leaf rather than artificially added. The result is a smooth, rich smoke and I doubt that anyone will duplicate the classic mixtures from these companies without using coumarin. McConnell and Sobranie used the best leaf and knew how to use coumarin as a top sauce to great effect.

I don’t know of any company that still uses coumarin. McConnell used it until they closed in 1989 but I don’t know about Sobranie. McConnell made their own line, Rattray’s, (my brand) Elephant & Castle, Ehrlich’s, Charatan and others. Some of these marques have been made by Kohlhase in Germany since 1989 but without coumarin (evident in the first German tin of Red Rapparee that I tried). Not all McConnell made mixtures used coumarin, but most of the English and Balkans were sauced with it.

Coumarin mixtures seem to age well, at least for a time, but the underlying tobacco may not. Tobacco packed under pressure ages faster than when packed loose. Latakia loses potency quicker than virginia, so very old latakia mixtures packed under pressure, like the 50-gram Sobranie #759 (black) start going downhill (imo) after about 8 years. It’s possible that coumarin actually degrades the tobacco and certainly McConnell and Sobranie didn’t make mixtures in the 1980s with the expectation that they’d be stored for many years.

I smoked hundreds of tins of McConnell (and Sobranie) so if coumarin is dangerous I’d probably have already grown another head.

I think it’s very normal to prefer latakia mixtures in the first years of smoking, it’s a big and direct flavor and they’re generally more forgiving with things like a tight pack than virginia. Flakes are a little more difficult to become comfortable in smoking but it’s nothing more than practice.

Pete

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Thanks, Pete - another really interesting post. I tried a search on TR for blends with coumarin and they don't even have it as a category. Only about 10 have tonquin, and most of those are SG or GH.

What's your opinion of the K&K versions of the McConnell blends? Do they hold a candle, or even have similar flavor profiles? I've only had the Original Oriental and it's one of my favorite tobaccos so far (out of the merely dozen or so I've tried).

I was really interested to read about Elephant & Castle and your posts about it in a thread I found on another forum. Are you still blending, and do you have any recommendations that might be along the lines what E&C produced? Sounds like some pretty amazing blends!

Another reason I like latakias is that my dad smoked them, so to me it's what pipe tobacco is "supposed" to be. I've always liked smoky stuff in general, like Islay whiskies, smoked cheeses etc. My burley and VA uncertainties might be party due to being a former cigarette smoker. The VA I've enjoyed most so far was Firedance Flake, which is odd since I thought I didn't like strong aros.

(Sorry for threadjacking guys, but I wasn't sure what kind of new thread to start since we're touching on a lot of topics here - hope nobody minds).

MacBaren Virginia #1 in a late '90s half smooth/half etched freehand sitter, medium bend Nielsen Viggo.

Just finished smoking Jim’s C Blend in a smooth medium bend straight grain 2001 Karl Erik Ekstravagant brandy with a leaf engraved silver band. Next is St. James Flake in a straight sandblasted pre-transition Barling Exel 249 Fossil T.V.F. black billiard with a silver band and military bit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by c.ortiz108

Thanks, Pete - another really interesting post. I tried a search on TR for blends with coumarin and they don't even have it as a category. Only about 10 have tonquin, and most of those are SG or GH.

What's your opinion of the K&K versions of the McConnell blends? Do they hold a candle, or even have similar flavor profiles? I've only had the Original Oriental and it's one of my favorite tobaccos so far (out of the merely dozen or so I've tried).

I was really interested to read about Elephant & Castle and your posts about it in a thread I found on another forum. Are you still blending, and do you have any recommendations that might be along the lines what E&C produced? Sounds like some pretty amazing blends!

Another reason I like latakias is that my dad smoked them, so to me it's what pipe tobacco is "supposed" to be. I've always liked smoky stuff in general, like Islay whiskies, smoked cheeses etc. My burley and VA uncertainties might be party due to being a former cigarette smoker. The VA I've enjoyed most so far was Firedance Flake, which is odd since I thought I didn't like strong aros.

(Sorry for threadjacking guys, but I wasn't sure what kind of new thread to start since we're touching on a lot of topics here - hope nobody minds).

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Hi Chico,

I'll answer you in a new thread.

I opened a tin of Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake from 2000. Still has a big tonquin nose although not as bright as when new.

smoking now...
2000 Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake in a 1930s Barling's Make Ye Olde Wood saddle billiard (group 4 size).

smoked before...
2015 Orilik Golden Sliced in an April 1983 Ser Jacopo Gemma Granato taper stout billiard with an engraved gold and silver band.

Pete

SPC Mississippi River in a 2003 medium bent Ural meer with a lined and etched egg shaped bowl.

Skipper’s Flake in a post WW2 Pre-Republic Peterson Dublin straight smooth X155 Bulldog with a sterling silver band. Starting to run low on this now.

Having a short smoke:Vincent Manil La Brumeuse Semois in a straight 2012 MM Pony Express cob.

GH Balkan Mixture in a GBD Clubhouse. Also scored a bag of Stonehaven from Pipes by George in Raleigh this morning. Great shop and great guy. Sad I didn't have time to accept his invitation to smoke a bowl with him.

MacBaren Burley London Blend in a 2001 black sandblasted three quarter bend Rinaldo Lithos YY bulldog with an amber colored stem.

2015 McClelland #2010 in a 1982 Ser Jacopo Gemma Rubino canadian. Ice water, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, finishing up The She Wolf on a lovely night.

Yanks lost 2-1, Mets won 8-6.

Matt Harvey threw 88 pitches, 64 for strikes, left leading 8-0. His pitching line: 7-2-0-0-0-6. Dazzling.
Four relievers made a game of it so that Familia got a save! Their combined line: 2-8-6-6-2-2. Ugh.

Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend in a 2014 Basil Meadows smooth slight bend squashed tomato with an aluminum band and a black pearl acrylic stem.

2011 Villiger Maryland No. 333 in a 2004 smooth long stem Canadian Trever Talbot Ligne Bretagne Faite en Bretagne 4/3.

Frog Morton Cellar in a cob

Listing this a few minutes early: Tilbury in a medium bend raw sienna toned early Radice sandblast egg with bamboo craving on the shank.

HU Nashville County in a smooth 1979 Chippendale (Charatan second) Rhodesian 49. Have enough for about three bowls.

Old Dark Fired in a smooth medium bend post-WW2 Pre-Republic Peterson Shamrock Killarney 9BC with a sterling silver band.

About half way through this bowl of Edgeworth Ready Rubbed Match in a medium bend 2002 MM Legend cob.

Just finished smoking D&R Vengeur Regular in a smooth 1998 Parker 489 three quarter bend Billiard.

Post up, you smokers! Help a Maytag repair smoker out.

Just finished smoking 2012 Orlik Golden Sliced in a 1984 black sandblasted straight Dunhill Shell 4103 Billiard.

Just finished smoking Jim's Half Va., Half Burley w/Per in a 1970s slight bend Caminetto business 134 poker with a gold acrylic stem.

Now smoking John Barrett’s Burley Blend in a smooth slight bend 2015 John Barrett long shank poker. Just got the pipe and tobacco!

Just finished smoking Jim's Va/Bur #1 in a 2003 smooth full bend, gold banded 3 Star Ferndown Tudor Root.

In the middle of a short smoke: Vincent Manil La Brumeuse Semois in a straight 2012 MM Pony Express cob.

Pulled the cable provider about a year ago, so going old / new school. Going to listen to the debate over the radio on my smartphone. And enjoy some. ..

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...bbe876a0f7.jpg

sent from my bag phone

Part way through this bowl of 2012 Anniversary Kake in a smooth 1981 Century full bend natural egg.

Moonshine Pipe Co XXX Blend in a WDC Wellington Jumbo

On to some ....

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...ac8d108cf6.jpg

sent from my bag phone

Half way through this bowl of MacBaren Burley London Blend in a 2015 three quarter bend two tone Chacom UPO Rouge squashed tomato with a black acrylic stem and shank.

The Balkan Sobranie in an unfinished Sav, This pipe is turning nut-brown.

Skipper’s Flake in a post WW2 Pre-Republic Peterson Dublin straight smooth X155 Bulldog with a sterling silver band. Running low on this blend.

St. James Flake in a cob

You probably think I only own 3-4 different tobaccos because I post the same ones over and over here. :pipe:

I tend to get on a certain kick and ride the hell out of it. :)

Just finished smoking Angler's Dream in a slight bend 1984 Stanwell Antique 124 grain etched with a smooth front.