Walt's Tobacco Emporium

pilgrimtex

Since I'm getting heavy into blending and already have a few blends to talk about; I thought I would open my own emporium for your enjoyment.

I smoke a pipe from the time I get up till I go to bed. This means I want a smoke that is rich in taste and heavy on smoke but with NO Bite. That's why I strive to develop my blends accordingly.

mgk2020

I tend to puff too quickly, so no bite sounds good to me.

pilgrimtex

Sounds like the first thing for you is to relax. Sit back, have a nice drink (if you drink) next to you or a good ice tea or other drink (non carbonated) and think taste. Trying to draw as much taste as possible using your palate and nostrils. This will slow you down a little.
Now for the technical parts. Since I don't know the type of tobaccos you smoke I'll just shoot from the hip.
Virginia tobacco which is a main ingredient is higher in sugar and tends to burn hotter. Burleys tend to smoke slower and cooler. Fast draws draw too much air which heats up the coals and temperature of the smoke entering your mouth. Shallower draws would help.
Moisture content is important. When you pinch your tobacco does it feel dry? The tobacco should stick to itself for a few seconds and then fall apart. If it doesn't feel moist enough add some moisture. I like to use the humi-care pillows without the cover to add moisture slowly. Place in an air tight container and add 1 or 2 pillows to the top and let the tobacco absorb the rh created. Moisture will cool the smoke by slowing down the burn rate as well as adding to the amount of smoke
How you pack the tobacco also plays a roll.

mgk2020

I've just recently started controlling moisture more - originally started because a few of my tins were coming too wet. I'm sure there's room for improvement, also on my packing, though I feel I've got the hang of it now. But I know my problem is smoking too fast. I've done better drawing slower and not as often recently, but I'm still smoking too fast. I want to feel like I'm actively doing something, so puff, puff, puff. I have a similar problem when fishing. Lol. The drink idea is a good one, that would divide my activity between two things, like reading a book does - which I've noticed usually results in a slower, more pleasant smoke. As for tobaccos, I'm all over the place. I'm still fairly new to the hobby and am still buying tobaccos as varied as possible. Favorites so far: Frog Morton on the Bayou, FM Cellar, Grand Oriental Drama Reserve, GO Classic Samsun (both the orientals suffer from my poor form), Sutliff Bacchanalia, and McClelland's VBC. As you said, I find the Virginias tend to be a hard smoke for my tongue. Lol Thanks for the advice and info.

pilgrimtex

Know what you mean. I like to work my lures. Not good at sittin and watchin a line disappear in the water.
I have various methods of smoking as well. I usually have a pipe stuck in my mouth. When I get busy my teeth hold it and I puff away as well. However; I have a method to slow me down. I use it to maximize the effects of what I'm smoking for full satisfaction. I purposely stop what I'm doing and just relax. Than I start breathing in and out of my nose. I place the pipe in my mouth and leave it there. Then use my tongue to create a cavity for smoke to flow into my mouth from the pipe. I do this while breathing in through my nose. The smoke stays in my mouth. As I exhale through my nose I force the smoke to go with it. I just breath normal and do this with every breath. As I continue; the smoke slowly gets thicker and richer because your drawing very little. As the smoke exits through the nostrils they will slowly begin to tingle depending on what your smoking. Anything with Latakia and Orientals in it will have this affect. I continue doing this as long as I can stand it. Talk about a rush.
Send me a pm and I can direct you to some sites to study up on tobaccos and also reviews. I purchase by tobacco type and location rather than by brand or blend. I then experiment with my tobaccos to come up with a blend. I have a Walt's English blend that I am close to finalizing. Gonna try tweaking it some with Smyrna and Izmir. Next is an American blend and Oriental blend. I'm looking for some Nicotiana Rustica (wild Tobacco) to add to my American blend. It was used by the Indians as a ceremonial smoke. I might wind up growing it myself. I'm planning a Vietnam Vet Blend using it because in Vietnam its called Thuoc Lao. Its what the peasants smoke over there. I'll be attempting to capture the aromas of Nam in it.

mgk2020

PM sent

pilgrimtex

Test smoking an initial blend I just whipped together. Not sure what to call it though. Thought maybe Balkan until I looked up info on what is a Balkan blend. LOL.
Presently I'm using 6 different tobaccos/cures in various amounts. Has tons of flavor and heavy smoke. Leaves a fine ash and few or no relights depending on where my mind is wandering. I have to smoke it more to know if there is a chance for bite but so far so good. If Bite shows up I can add some acidic tobacco to cool it down.
If I consider the term Balkan to be in-between English and Oriental then perhaps I could get away with it. If I use it as tobaccos from the Balkan Peninsular than I'm screwed. Oh well. First things first and that is to get this blend right where I want it.

pilgrimtex

pilgrimtex:

Test smoking an initial blend I just whipped together. Not sure what to call it though. Thought maybe Balkan until I looked up info on what is a Balkan blend. LOL.
Presently I'm using 6 different tobaccos/cures in various amounts. Has tons of flavor and heavy smoke. Leaves a fine ash and few or no relights depending on where my mind is wandering. I have to smoke it more to know if there is a chance for bite but so far so good. If Bite shows up I can add some acidic tobacco to cool it down.
If I consider the term Balkan to be in-between English and Oriental then perhaps I could get away with it. If I use it as tobaccos from the Balkan Peninsular than I'm screwed. Oh well. First things first and that is to get this blend right where I want it.

I've come up with a name for this blend while sitting in my big leather easy chair and smoking a bowl of my new blend. I shall call it "Gloucester". I've spent some time at sea and I've hung around a number of fishing ports along all the coasts and overseas. The thoughts I had while smoking this blend took me to the sea and sailing ships. It was in the sailors bowl around the horn and between the Pillars of Hercules. While mending nets and culling the catch. The smell of the salt sea and old wharfs. It all came flooding into my view as I sat in my big easy chair. I could call it nothing else. There is a worldliness to the blend that goes beyond geographical boundaries. The rich tastes all seem to join together in harmony. The smoke wafting through the nostrils bring an acute awareness that you are smoking something timeless.

Amos_Umwhat

pilgrimtex:

pilgrimtex:

Test smoking an initial blend I just whipped together. Not sure what to call it though. Thought maybe Balkan until I looked up info on what is a Balkan blend. LOL.
Presently I'm using 6 different tobaccos/cures in various amounts. Has tons of flavor and heavy smoke. Leaves a fine ash and few or no relights depending on where my mind is wandering. I have to smoke it more to know if there is a chance for bite but so far so good. If Bite shows up I can add some acidic tobacco to cool it down.
If I consider the term Balkan to be in-between English and Oriental then perhaps I could get away with it. If I use it as tobaccos from the Balkan Peninsular than I'm screwed. Oh well. First things first and that is to get this blend right where I want it.

I've come up with a name for this blend while sitting in my big leather easy chair and smoking a bowl of my new blend. I shall call it "Gloucester". I've spent some time at sea and I've hung around a number of fishing ports along all the coasts and overseas. The thoughts I had while smoking this blend took me to the sea and sailing ships. It was in the sailors bowl around the horn and between the Pillars of Hercules. While mending nets and culling the catch. The smell of the salt sea and old wharfs. It all came flooding into my view as I sat in my big easy chair. I could call it nothing else. There is a worldliness to the blend that goes beyond geographical boundaries. The rich tastes all seem to join together in harmony. The smoke wafting through the nostrils bring an acute awareness that you are smoking something timeless.

That's one of the astounding things about pipe smoking, isn't it? About half way through my first bowlful of Balkan Luxury I could almost see and smell an Eastern marketplace. Leather and animals and spices etc. Really something.

pilgrimtex

Our senses register and record our experiences throughout our life. Smells and tastes are locked away in our memory to be recalled at a later date. They are used to evaluate and make decisions and can be recalled at will for our personal enjoyment. A blend should capture these locked away treasures and bring them to the forefront of our vision. In order for the blend to do this it must be carefully combined of various tobaccos and processes that can go in and entice a response. We are all different in our experiences and therefore react differently to various blends. What works for one won't work for someone else.
Hence the joy of developing your own blends. What unlocks my subconscious treasure trove of taste and smells. maybe this tobacco with this curing matched to a special Latakia that was smoked with oak or pine. bring out the days of scouting and those old log cabins with big stone fireplaces blackened by the years of scout fires and pine tar. Aged oak timbers infused with pine smoke and willow and birch.
Izmir and Smyrna married with sugar cured Cavendish and Kentucky burleys. A pinch of Cyprian Latakia smoked with Beachwood turning the key and releasing the trove of salt sea air and old tar soaked wharfs. Manila hemp hawsers straining against their bollards and the squawk of sea birds begging for handouts.
This is what blending is about. Personal with a customer of 1.

pilgrimtex

This morning I blended another test batch of Gloucester. I wanted to tame it ever so slightly because I felt the blend may have had a little bite to the back of the mouth.
Thought maybe the Cavendish I used may have been it and maybe the Long cut Va. So I substituted another cav that had a slight vanilla flavor and went to red Va. I also added a pinch of dark roast burley to give more life to the latakia.br> The smoke was totally different and had a blanket over it. I compared the flavor of the smoke and determined by sniffing my tobaccos that the substituted Cavendish was the main culprit.
I went back to my scale and blended another batch using the orig Cav and also dropped the dark roast burley. The taste was back but maybe too subdued due to the red Va. I have to smoke a couple more bowls before I decide that. If so I may go 50/50 on the va. and work my way towards more long cut if needed.
Fortunately I'm working in grams and not ounces so I'm not wasting much. I will slowly add my trial blend back when I make a large batch so its unnoticeable. Or I might give it to my friend. LOL

pilgrimtex

Well I started working on my American blend. All the tobaccos relate to the US and are made and processed here. I'm test smoking round 2 as I type and I think I have a pretty good blend you can smoke all day and probably not get tired of it. Very easy going blend of Virginia and burleys including dark fired Burley and toasted Burley. I included Green River Cavendish and St James Perique. Produces ample smoke and is easy on the tongue. It will tweak your nostrils if you desire.
At this point I can't pick out where one tobacco overpowers the rest. I'll smoke a few more bowls before I decide to leave it alone but I'm pretty pleased with it right now.
I'm waiting on some Connecticut tobacco from Connecticut; the same tobacco that makes up the conn wrapper on cigars to top off this blend.

J.S.

Walt, that sounds like a pretty good blend already. Keep us informed about it. Maybe one day when I have a few more bowls behind me I will start tweaking a little more. I am to the point where I can say I would like a little more lat. or more perique I can get pretty close with some different VA's a burley's but the various varieties still make this part of it difficult. I am learning and developing as I go. Keep telling us what you are doing. It might give me an idea too!

pilgrimtex

J.S.:

Walt, that sounds like a pretty good blend already. Keep us informed about it. Maybe one day when I have a few more bowls behind me I will start tweaking a little more. I am to the point where I can say I would like a little more lat. or more perique I can get pretty close with some different VA's a burley's but the various varieties still make this part of it difficult. I am learning and developing as I go. Keep telling us what you are doing. It might give me an idea too!

No problemo Bro. I enjoy discussing my blends. One note: I work with very small test blends using an electronic powder scale and measure in grams. That way I get a batch just large enough for me to appreciate what I did but not too much that I can't recycle it easily once I finalize a blend. I'll lay this one down for now and go back to Gloucester. The American blend is giving me visions of the 50s and leather. LOL

J.S.

I hear you. All this pipe talk tonight has really put me in the mood for one. I am heading out now too!

catfishbluezz

Yup...I'm going to head out for a bowl of nightcap shortly.

pilgrimtex

Thought I would show a pic of my Tobacco laboratory. LOL

J.S.

pilgrimtex:

Thought I would show a pic of my Tobacco laboratory. LOL

Man, you had to work up a sweat just moving all of that!

pilgrimtex

It's a start.

catfishbluezz

And i thought my 9 little baggies and a jar was enough LOL... I'm really getting bit by the pipe bug man

Amos_Umwhat

'Tex, how would you compare the Black Kathy to Lane's BCA? Looks like about the same thing to me, but I've only had the Black Kathy you sent me. I really like that stuff, too, makes a great addition to sweeten up / smooth out a smoke with too much bite or harshness.

pilgrimtex

Amos Umwhat:

'Tex, how would you compare the Black Kathy to Lane's BCA? Looks like about the same thing to me, but I've only had the Black Kathy you sent me. I really like that stuff, too, makes a great addition to sweeten up / smooth out a smoke with too much bite or harshness.

When I first got back to pipes I was buying tobacco at the local B&M. I then found I could purchase on line cheaper. I managed to get the real name and mfg of the blend I was buying and started ordering bulk on line. I started with 1Q and moved on to LL7. Since I smoke so much tobacco in a day; Flavor and bite became my main issues. I graduated to BCA and it was my main blend. I went to Altadis one day and purchased a number of different blends that sounded good and one was Black Kathy. I found that the Black Kathy had more flavor than the BCA and no bite where the BCA would get to my tongue through the course of a day. I switched from BCA for that reason. The vanilla in the BK is more flavorful and perhaps a difference in the process where BCA is also steamed. They don't say BK is. That don't mean it isn't.
I may try some BCA in the future for mixing since it has less or no vanilla flav in my blending.
I now smoke only my home blends.

pilgrimtex

Having my last bowl of American blend. I think I'm there except for adding some Connecticut if it ever gets here. Should add creaminess and its unique flavor to the smoke.
Back to Gloucester Blend

pilgrimtex

catfishbluezz:

And i thought my 9 little baggies and a jar was enough LOL... I'm really getting bit by the pipe bug man

Let me know what you think of my blends when you try them. In particular the Gloucester. Smoke some original first to condition the pipe for Gloucester. I only sent a Test batch size sample of it.

Toombes

Wow! The way you described your Gloucester blend has me remembering days I spent on the USS Lincoln on a training cruise. Maybe we can work out a deal for some later down the road...?

pilgrimtex

Toombes:

Wow! The way you described your Gloucester blend has me remembering days I spent on the USS Lincoln on a training cruise. Maybe we can work out a deal for some later down the road...?

I'm test smoking what may be my final test before making up a larger batch. Have 8 ingredients in it right now. Definitely lets you know its there but seems to be easy on the tongue. Thought about calling it timeless but it may be a little to "Salty" for that name. LOL

Toombes

pilgrimtex:

Toombes:

Wow! The way you described your Gloucester blend has me remembering days I spent on the USS Lincoln on a training cruise. Maybe we can work out a deal for some later down the road...?

I'm test smoking what may be my final test before making up a larger batch. Have 8 ingredients in it right now. Definitely lets you know its there but seems to be easy on the tongue. Thought about calling it timeless but it may be a little to "Salty" for that name. LOL

From the description you gave of the flavors and aromas, I'd smoke it even I you decided to call it "Walt's Crack Lint", LOL!

mgk2020

pilgrimtex:

J.S.:

Walt, that sounds like a pretty good blend already. Keep us informed about it. Maybe one day when I have a few more bowls behind me I will start tweaking a little more. I am to the point where I can say I would like a little more lat. or more perique I can get pretty close with some different VA's a burley's but the various varieties still make this part of it difficult. I am learning and developing as I go. Keep telling us what you are doing. It might give me an idea too!

No problemo Bro. I enjoy discussing my blends. One note: I work with very small test blends using an electronic powder scale and measure in grams. That way I get a batch just large enough for me to appreciate what I did but not too much that I can't recycle it easily once I finalize a blend. I'll lay this one down for now and go back to Gloucester. The American blend is giving me visions of the 50s and leather. LOL

Maybe you should call it Vintage S&M. LOL

pilgrimtex

I was working on my Gloucester Blend but decided the If it ain't broke don't fix it works in blending.
However I came up with another terrific blend from trying to subdue the Gloucester. Great blend, smokes well, good smoke. I'll come up with a name for it. As for Gloucester? The original mix holds.

The_Kid

Toombes:

pilgrimtex:

Toombes:

Wow! The way you described your Gloucester blend has me remembering days I spent on the USS Lincoln on a training cruise. Maybe we can work out a deal for some later down the road...?

I'm test smoking what may be my final test before making up a larger batch. Have 8 ingredients in it right now. Definitely lets you know its there but seems to be easy on the tongue. Thought about calling it timeless but it may be a little to "Salty" for that name. LOL

From the description you gave of the flavors and aromas, I'd smoke it even I you decided to call it "Walt's Crack Lint", LOL!

How bout Walts toe jam???? Would ya smoke that? Hmmmm? Anyway, this sounds interesting to say the least.

Toombes

The Kid:

Toombes:

pilgrimtex:

Toombes:

Wow! The way you described your Gloucester blend has me remembering days I spent on the USS Lincoln on a training cruise. Maybe we can work out a deal for some later down the road...?

I'm test smoking what may be my final test before making up a larger batch. Have 8 ingredients in it right now. Definitely lets you know its there but seems to be easy on the tongue. Thought about calling it timeless but it may be a little to "Salty" for that name. LOL

From the description you gave of the flavors and aromas, I'd smoke it even I you decided to call it "Walt's Crack Lint", LOL!

How bout Walts toe jam???? Would ya smoke that? Hmmmm? Anyway, this sounds interesting to say the least.

LMAO!! Rudy, I'm just looking for a tasty, smooth blend with little to no bite. Oddly enough, I don't mind a little bit now and again. Sort of a wake up call, if you will. I know there are a pantload of great blends out there but Walt's description of his Gloucester blend brings back a lot of good memories for me.
That being said, pardon me while I browse the world-inter-wide-net-web for a new pipe...