Tobacco Press and Blood Meridian

[NeverBend]

I'm a huge admirer of Cormac McCarthy, thus the homage to one of his masterpieces and my pretentious nature in naming this humble tobacco. It may end up being only a working name but the leather and earth top notes remind me of the Western frontier in the book.

One of the great challenges in tobacco blending is to get a mixture to finish, that is to remain pleasurable right to the end of the bowl. Tobacco blending is like being a hitter in baseball, you have hot and cold streaks and lately I've had a hot streak where my blends are coming together and finishing well. I've been there before and I know that all of a sudden everything you make tastes like, well, you know but I'll ride this for as long as I can.

The mixture is almost all Virginia, dark and light, with a special ingredient to flesh it out and add complexity. I want to test the mixture after it's been pressed (not a flake) and fortunately I can do that thanks to Bill, @EmperorZurg, who designed and made me a this beautiful, small tobacco press.

So this little photo essay, assuming that the pictures post, shows the press and how the tobacco is handled.

The Emperor Zurg tobacco press is three pieces; Cylinder, weight and pressure plate. The pressed tobacco in the plastic wrap is some Thomas Hariot that I've finished pressing (5-6 days).




Bill was most kind in making the press and he even engraved Elephant & Castle on the bottom of the cylinder. That's class!




Blood Meridian in the sample mixing bowl with plastic wrap to hold the tobacco to be pressed.




About one ounce of Blood Meridian wrapped and ready for the insertion of the pressure plate.




Pressure plate in place . Note the superb work on the weight including the cork bottom that is so important. The weight is really heavy! (sorry for the fuzzy picture).





The assembled press with the Blood Meridian inside. I'll give this about three days but there's significant pressure with only a day in the press.
Great piece of equipment Bill, many thanks,