Pipes & Cigars

[Wheelgunner]

Again still very much new so if anyone has good suggestions of favorite smokes, let's hear em! Thanks guys!

 

If you're in Greenbrier you ought to drive down to a cigar shop called Smoker's Abbey on Gallatin Road in east Nashville.  It's a cool place to relax and have a smoke with guys that can recommend a really good stick.  And you'll feel right at home as soon as you see the sign in their window as you're walking in.  It says something like, "Lawful, concealed handguns are welcome here."

 

As far as cigars to try, I'd recommend a CAO MX2 and a Drew Estate Nica Rustica. 

[reed1285]

These were part of my V-day gifts from my wife. Ive never had them before, but Makers Mark is one of my favorite whiskey's so im gonna give them a go. My usual go to cigar is anything from Acid.

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by reed1285

[Links2k]

I really enjoyed reading this thread. I've been thinking about trying a pipe and reading your responses has helped with my decision. Thanks!

[whiskey]

Pipesmokerunlimited forum and Pipechat forum are the only two I would recommend. Some of the others have some real tumbleturds. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Moped]

What's a good pipe tobacco for a newbie? I just bought a pipe from a local smoke shop here in Knoxville and they recommended a vanilla flavored tobacco. It's ok but I'm looking for another flavor to try. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk Edited February 16, 2014 by Moped

[Father Goose]

What's a good pipe tobacco for a newbie? I just bought a pipe from a local smoke shop here in Knoxville and they recommended a vanilla flavored tobacco. It's ok but I'm looking for another flavor to try. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

 

See if the local shop has it's own blends you can buy samples of. Most of the aromatics are a safe bet when starting out. I've noticed the English blends are a little darker and spicier. No ones complained about the smell with either.  :)

[Moped]

I think this one, was their on blend. They called it No.1. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

[tartanphantom]

For beginners, I don't recommend aromatics. The main reason is that most aromatics are cased with some flavoring or topping (often artificial in nature), which increases the sugar content in the blend. While this is not a big problem for the experienced smokers, it can be a problem for newbies for several reasons:

 

1-- The additional sugar allows a bowl cake to build up quickly, but depending on how heavy the casing (flavoring) is, it will cause the pipe to retain the casing flavor-- this can limit the pipe's ability to be smoked with different blends without them tasting funny. 

 

2-- More importantly, when the sugars are burned, they break down into two primary components-- carbonised sucrose (contributes to the carbon cake in the pipe bowl-- a good thing)-- the second primary byproduct is STEAM. Steam is not your friend, mainly because a good deal of it can condensate in the bottom of the bowl and in the pipe stem-- causing a pipe to "smoke wet" and possibly turn sour. However, the second, more discouraging side effect is tongue bite and scalding of the roof of the smoker's mouth.

This can be a huge problem for beginning pipe smokers, who haven't yet learned to pace their puffs. It's especially a problem for pipe smokers who are also cigarette smokers, as they usually have a tendency to smoke way too fast. There is not much that is more uncomfortable than a scalded tongue and mouth, and it has discouraged many beginning pipe smokers from continuing much past the first half-dozen bowls.-- if you intend to take up pipesmoking, you don't want to be known as a quitter. :shake:

 

3-- most drugstore blends and pipe shop bulk aromatics are heavily laced with polyethylene glycol (PG for short)-- which is used as a moistening agent in cheaper tobaccos in order to prevent them from drying out. PG itself is pretty harmless, but it can contribute to excessive steam, and the aforementioned condensation within the pipe.

 

Most newbies aren't yet ready to venture into the wonderful, complex world of English, Oriental and Perique blends, however, some folks who are frequent cigar smokers may find it easier to transition to English blends-- as they are often full-bodied and are often totally free from any secondary flavoring agents.

I highly recommend that beginners start with good high-quality natural Virginia or Virginia-Burley blends (some common brands of quality are McClelland, G.L. Pease, MacBaren and some of the Peterson blends) without heavy artificial flavorings. "Natural" blends (also known as "straight Virginias") have only the natural, original sugar from within the cured tobacco leaf-- without additional flavoring agents or heavy doses of PG. Virginias are not necessarily as fragrant or fruity as flavored aromatics, but they are a very satisfying smoke, and most have a room note (smell) that is at least tolerable by others. Also, not all Virginia blends are created equal, and they certainly do NOT all taste the same. The reason is that Virginia tobaccos come in various strains-- red virginia, yellow virginia, stove-cured, and many other strains. A good blender can create several distinctly different blends by using different recipe mixes of similar leaf.

For the more adventurous, a good Virginia/Perique blend is hard to beat-- but the Perique tobacco adds a different flavor and quite a bit of strength to the smoke, so proceed with caution if you are a "lightweight."

 

I'm not saying to avoid aromatics altogether, but if you choose to smoke them, it's best to have a couple of pipes dedicated to nothing but aromatics. As your pipe collection grows, it's also advisable to have pipes dedicated to other types of blends as well-- certain pipes for English blends, certain pipes for Virginia and Perique blends, etc.

However-- I have never, ever seen a cherry tree or a vanilla plant growing in a tobacco barn. I see no reason to add flavors where they don't naturally occur. This, of course, is just my personal opinion. Smoke whatever you like.

 

Hope this helps new folks interested in taking up the enjoyment of pipe smoking-- One of the most important things you can learn in smoking a pipe is patience, patience, patience. Pipe smoking is not a sprint race, it's more of a cross country journey.

Edited February 17, 2014 by tartanphantom

[tartanphantom]

Here's my latest addition. Peterson 221 St. Pat

 

 

That's a real beauty. I love sandblast finishes-- they generally smoke much cooler than smooth-finish pipes, and the tactile sensation is great when holding the pipe between puffs.

[whiskey]

[quote name="Moped" post="1111767" timestamp="1392526002"]I think this one, was their on blend. They called it No.1.Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk[/quote] Prince Albert and Carter Hall are easy smoking burley blends that don't generally bite your tongue, stay lit and smoke cool and dry. 5100 is a popular virginia blend, but I didn't like it till I learned to smoke slowly. MacBaren Navy Flake is a good starter as is plumcake. These are both Navy blends and have a light rum casing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tartanphantom]

Prince Albert and Carter Hall are easy smoking burley blends that don't generally bite your tongue, stay lit and smoke cool and dry. 5100 is a popular virginia blend, but I didn't like it till I learned to smoke slowly. MacBaren Navy Flake is a good starter as is plumcake. These are both Navy blends and have a light rum casing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Big fan of McClelland 5100... MacBaren navy flake as well (although I prefer Escudo or Orlik when it comes to mild navy flakes), but I've never been able to get along with MacBaren Plumcake-- tongue bite has always been a problem for me with that one, no matter how gently I smoked it. As far as the drugstore blends, there are a few decent ones out there--  Carter Hall as you mentioned, and also, it's pretty hard to beat Half & Half in a corncob pipe on an mild autumn day outdoors-- one of my favorite "bottom shelf" combinations.

[whiskey]

[quote name="tartanphantom" post="1112046" timestamp="1392577558"] Carter Hall as you mentioned, and also, it's pretty hard to beat Half & Half in a corncob pipe on an mild autumn day outdoors-- one of my favorite "bottom shelf" combinations.[/quote] I haven't tried half & half yet. I am putting that on my list. As for now, I am heading outside with cob full of Old Dark Fired. Now, where is that windscreen?

[tartanphantom]

Half & Half is just what it says-- Half burley, half bright virginia-- yes, it does contain PG, but it's not totally soaked in the stuff. Can get a little hot & harsh IF you smoke it too fast, but the flavor marries extremely well with a cob pipe.

[reed1285]

quick question. can you re-humidify dried out cigars? Ive HEARD that you can, but have never had to try until now. I have had about 10 acid blondies in my humidor now for over a year, and have not been keeping the humidifier wet for just as long. Well I finally decided to get my humidor back in shape (partly because of this thread) and ordered a new crystal humidifier kit that will be here today. So are the blondies too far gone? or can they be brought back to life after a month or two in a properly humidified humidor?

[whiskey]

[quote name="reed1285" post="1113007" timestamp="1392758340"]quick question. can you re-humidify dried out cigars? Ive HEARD that you can, but have never had to try until now. I have had about 10 acid blondies in my humidor now for over a year, and have not been keeping the humidifier wet for just as long. Well I finally decided to get my humidor back in shape (partly because of this thread) and ordered a new crystal humidifier kit that will be here today. So are the blondies too far gone? or can they be brought back to life after a month or two in a properly humidified humidor?[/quote] I am not an expert, but they should reabsorb moisture slowly. May not be perfect, but probably smokable. This warm weather promoted a grill night, so thus: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tartanphantom]

This warm weather promoted a grill night, so thus:

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Now yer talkin'! :up:

Edited February 19, 2014 by tartanphantom

[enfield]

quick question. can you re-humidify dried out cigars? Ive HEARD that you can, but have never had to try until now. I have had about 10 acid blondies in my humidor now for over a year, and have not been keeping the humidifier wet for just as long. Well I finally decided to get my humidor back in shape (partly because of this thread) and ordered a new crystal humidifier kit that will be here today. So are the blondies too far gone? or can they be brought back to life after a month or two in a properly humidified humidor?

 

Yes! 

 

The trick is to slowly re-humidify the sticks.  I saw an article on the process recently, probably on cheaphumidors.com.  Go there  and do a little looking.

 

Another thing that is not so obvious about long-term cigar storage is that the cigars need to be regularly rotated in position if your humidor is pretty much filled.  The cigars on the bottom are not getting the same humidity as the ones on top, so rotating them every once in a while reduces your chances of wasting one by lighting it up when it's too dry.

[reed1285]

[quote name="enfield" post="1113246" timestamp="1392810028"]Yes! The trick is to slowly re-humidify the sticks. I saw an article on the process recently, probably on cheaphumidors.com. Go there and do a little looking. Another thing that is not so obvious about long-term cigar storage is that the cigars need to be regularly rotated in position if your humidor is pretty much filled. The cigars on the bottom are not getting the same humidity as the ones on top, so rotating them every once in a while reduces your chances of wasting one by lighting it up when it's too dry.[/quote] Thanks for the info ill go check that website out

[fourbyland]

I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread that I had a Dunhill and Castello to sell. Those are now in the Non-firearms classifieds.

[reed1285]

My wife knows me all too well. Bumping this old thread up with a pile i raked in this Christmas. I know these arent top notch cigars but they are perfect for a golf course..


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[whiskey]

John Hines poker gift to myself with some German Strang.

[whiskey]

Ok, it's that time of the year. A warm pipe by the fireplace with a dose of whiskey.




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[enfield]

Ok, it's that time of the year. A warm pipe by the fireplace with a dose of whiskey.
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Beautiful pipe! Peterson?

[enfield]

I've joined the masses - my favorite pipe tobacco is Lane 1Q. It's said to be the best selling pipe tobacco in the US and now I know why.

[whiskey]

Beautiful pipe! Peterson?

Yes sir. A St Pete 221.


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