dfrancis
02-17-2006, 07:34 PM
Having recently returned to pipes after a long cigar romance I hardly feel qualified to review tobacco. But I'll jump in anyway. I am from Virginia, I'm 51, and I've been smoking pipes and/or cigars since 68.
I started out, like many guys, smoking a Grabow bulldog and some gosh awful flake, cherry something. I graduated to freestyles, high end briar, and finally got married to Meerschaum, but, there's a couple of high end Peterson's in town that I'm eyeballing: guy doesn't know what he's got, can't sell them, wrong venue (cheep cartons of weeds, water pipes, glass pipes, that sort of thing).
Anyhow, Since returning to pipes (fell out of ranks right before the advent of the Internet), here's what I've tried.
Black Velvet, Dan Tobacco, via CAO> This tobacco reminds me of once when I tried to make up my own blend, and it didn't really taste "like" anything in particular. It is a gentle smoke, it burns well, it smells good, and I personally thought it got better when the casing smoked off about halfway through. I think this would be a good companion to a campfire, or good book in the evening. I no longer drink, but I suspect it goes really well with dark beer. I wouldn't buy this tin again, mainly because Blue Note fills this niche for me.
Blue Note, Dan Tobacco> This is a superior evening smoke, but would stand up well out of doors in the morning as well. It is a big time aromatic, but the real tobacco flavors come through, while it never loses its initial aroma bloom/taste. Very berry like, with some underlining black walnut, and an odd hint of red wine now and then. Of all the tin aromatics I've ever tried this is the most satisfying. Blue Note is a keeper.
Da Vinci, Dan> While many find this to be an aromatic, I found it to be more naturally so than owing to a heavy topping. The tobacco in Da Vinci is the real deal to my buds. The Virginia comes through and the Cavendish is just enough to provide a smooth compliment and complexity. All of that said the jury is still out for me on this particular blend. Mainly due to the following discovery.
Golden Sliced, Orlik> O' my Virginia... What more can I say. This is what I long for in a Virginia. Packs easily, burns like a dream, rich, doesn't bite, total Virginia satisfaction: Already a favorite, this will always be on hand. Perfect companion to any outdoor activity. Goes great with cold crisp morning and warm breezy costal evenings. I would love this with a double JB on the rocks.
My Mixture, Dunhill> I could see someone who doesn't like strong tobacco disliking this. This is a the Cuban Bolivar of pipe tobaccos. I have never had a more satisfying smoke, an instant favorite, I'll always have this on hand. Not particularly recommended as a morning smoke I wouldn't think - but watch me try it out anyway on my next groundhog hunt.
I started out, like many guys, smoking a Grabow bulldog and some gosh awful flake, cherry something. I graduated to freestyles, high end briar, and finally got married to Meerschaum, but, there's a couple of high end Peterson's in town that I'm eyeballing: guy doesn't know what he's got, can't sell them, wrong venue (cheep cartons of weeds, water pipes, glass pipes, that sort of thing).
Anyhow, Since returning to pipes (fell out of ranks right before the advent of the Internet), here's what I've tried.
Black Velvet, Dan Tobacco, via CAO> This tobacco reminds me of once when I tried to make up my own blend, and it didn't really taste "like" anything in particular. It is a gentle smoke, it burns well, it smells good, and I personally thought it got better when the casing smoked off about halfway through. I think this would be a good companion to a campfire, or good book in the evening. I no longer drink, but I suspect it goes really well with dark beer. I wouldn't buy this tin again, mainly because Blue Note fills this niche for me.
Blue Note, Dan Tobacco> This is a superior evening smoke, but would stand up well out of doors in the morning as well. It is a big time aromatic, but the real tobacco flavors come through, while it never loses its initial aroma bloom/taste. Very berry like, with some underlining black walnut, and an odd hint of red wine now and then. Of all the tin aromatics I've ever tried this is the most satisfying. Blue Note is a keeper.
Da Vinci, Dan> While many find this to be an aromatic, I found it to be more naturally so than owing to a heavy topping. The tobacco in Da Vinci is the real deal to my buds. The Virginia comes through and the Cavendish is just enough to provide a smooth compliment and complexity. All of that said the jury is still out for me on this particular blend. Mainly due to the following discovery.
Golden Sliced, Orlik> O' my Virginia... What more can I say. This is what I long for in a Virginia. Packs easily, burns like a dream, rich, doesn't bite, total Virginia satisfaction: Already a favorite, this will always be on hand. Perfect companion to any outdoor activity. Goes great with cold crisp morning and warm breezy costal evenings. I would love this with a double JB on the rocks.
My Mixture, Dunhill> I could see someone who doesn't like strong tobacco disliking this. This is a the Cuban Bolivar of pipe tobaccos. I have never had a more satisfying smoke, an instant favorite, I'll always have this on hand. Not particularly recommended as a morning smoke I wouldn't think - but watch me try it out anyway on my next groundhog hunt.