At the tobacconist

[rhowaldt]

@Verandert: fucking great story man, really loved the 'matching matches' thing (accidental wordplay or..?) and the dog, hahaha. i never read much in this thread as i smoke nothing fancy but this was well worth a visit :)

[machinebacon]

What a fucking story :D I think I would have shit my pants. Laika - as old as the original. Maybe even as dead :D Hahhaha, great!

[machinebacon]

Love It or Hate It, Part 1

Back in the old days, around 200 years ago, pipe tobacco was cased using natural essences: one of the first (commonly used) flavouring agents was the tonquin (tonca) bean [1]. Actually, the tonquin bean was used to enhance the Nic-kick, and raise the pulse rate. Its flavour, when smoked, is a mix of aniseed, cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa and fennel. The Lakeland blenders (the two Gawith's) are know for their liberate use of tonquin bean aroma in their blends: SG's 1792 springs to mind, as well as the Cream Deluxe Flake and Sam's Flake. And there's some tonquin bean sauce poured over another mixture that is a typical love/hate tobacco:

Samuel Gawith Grousemoor

No matter which pipe smokers forum you browse or which reviews you read, Grousemoor splits the smokers into two camps. To be honest, I still don't know if I like it or hate it. I had a few tins of it, and every tin was different, from the first puff to the last bowl.
First of all, if you ever get the chance to sample this one, try it indeed. Don't let your nose fool you, the tin nose is very different from the actual smoke. Many people describe it as lemongrass, I might add that there is quite a lot going on: jasmine, rose, lemon zest, orange peel, and many other floral fragrances I can really not distinguish. Definitely more sour than sweet, possibly the lemongrass covering the nuances. The tonquin bean aroma is subtle.



So, the tobacco is a straight VA mixture (Zimbabwean flue-cured), bright and bronze, cut to ribbons. So how did pipe smoking taste 200 years ago on the British Islands? The answer is: charring light!
This is like a bazaar. Forget the tin nose, there is not much of lemongrass in the smoke, not much of the flowers, but a bunch of bell peppers and black pepper, pungent without being sweet, fragrant without being overwhelming, mild without being boring. It's a tongue-numbing adventure to find out which flavors are hidden in this potpourri, it's even a bit minty, but nowhere artificial or disgusting. If you have ever smelled Christian Lacroix' Tumulte - this is the same stuff, but for the pipe. As the tongue and nose gets used to the spiciness (as in: fragrant, wild), the tonquin bean gets more and more into the foreground, creating a creamy, malty, warm, mellow, full smoke that is literally melting on your tongue. Forget the reviews that describe Grousemore as "soapy", these reviewers have obviously never used soap in their lives. Or, if it's really like this, I want that bar of soap they use!
Grousemoor does have the tendency to numb the tongue - it's no bite, it's more like a prickling feeling on the tip of the tongue, the smoke is cool even when puffed hard, and this is a straight VA!
How many stars? You decide.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipteryx_odorata

[ivanovnegro]

^ A very interesting tobacco. Oh man, I love to read your reviews.

[machinebacon]

Oh DD I just write them for you :D

Next on the list is a Gawith & Hoggath...

[ivanovnegro]

I am preparing for my Spain holidays. Ordered some



I am awaiting it.

This one I have also to order always, my poor tobacconist.

[machinebacon]

^ The fucking greatest tobacco ever! Balkan Flake!

Just had a bowful of it a few days ago, after long absence, and it was a dream. Deliciously cool indeed, this is like Wrigley's Spearmint mixed with the smell of a burning tyre.

[ivanovnegro]

Yeah, bought it just because you praise it. If it is like shit, well... Yes, this minty thing gives me some doubts but I have to try it, I mean it has explicitly "Balkan" on the tin. ;)

[machinebacon]

It's not really an added mint taste, but a natural cool, mintish :) flavour. Don't be afraid, it's really really a fucking great tobacco! :))

Can barely get more balkan than this. Though, no orientals there, but you won't miss them at all!

[ivanovnegro]

My take on Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake:

http://blackcarajillo.blogspot.de/2013/ ... flake.html

I am in love. :D

[machinebacon]

Tried to comment but somehow didn't work out ;)

Hello DD,

you nailed it :) And nicely covered the health 'warning'. Please tell your better half she shouldn't smoke Nightcap when she's pregnant :) Oh and that beer looks damned good!!

Wann geht's in den Urlaub, ich warte schon auf die Reiseberichte. Schoener Blog uebrigens, hast aber nicht besonders viel Werbung dafuer gemacht (null!?) auf diversen Foren - haelsts es mit der BBQ Philosophie "Mit der Masse sinkt auch Qualitaet" :)

Ein schoenes Wochenende Euch Beiden :)

[ivanovnegro]

Commenting should work but is moderated, you know, because of rotten meat.

Und natürlich, danke Julius! Nein, keine Werbung gemacht, wer mich finden will, der wird. :) Aber eigentlich läuft jeder Post mal kurz durch den Plushimmel von Google, also sollte man es eigentlich nicht verpassen.
In den Urlaub geht es am 22., werde mich abmelden, keine Sorge. :D

[machinebacon]

Sauerei, so spaet in den Urlaub um dann Bonus-Sonne zu bekommen :)

Stimmt, eigentlich muesste es durch die Plus-Wolke gehen, bin aber dort immer ueberflutet von Unsinn wie z.B. Wired und OMGUbuntu (werde ich jetzt alles abbestellen, so ein Scheissdreck) und bekommen nur die oberen 30 cm mit, bevor der Browser abschmiert :))

Hab noch eine Ladung Balkan Flake im Haus hoffentlich regnet's bald! Hab' schon ein wnig die Nase voll von Best Brown Flake (jammern auf hoechstem Niveau) haha

[ivanovnegro]

Sauerei, so spaet in den Urlaub um dann Bonus-Sonne zu bekommen :)

Das war der Plan. :)

Stimmt, eigentlich muesste es durch die Plus-Wolke gehen, bin aber dort immer ueberflutet von Unsinn wie z.B. Wired und OMGUbuntu (werde ich jetzt alles abbestellen, so ein Scheissdreck) und bekommen nur die oberen 30 cm mit, bevor der Browser abschmiert :))

Kenne ich, verfolge den Scheiß nicht, reicht ja in Newsbeuter. ;)

Hab noch eine Ladung Balkan Flake im Haus hoffentlich regnet's bald! Hab' schon ein wnig die Nase voll von Best Brown Flake (jammern auf hoechstem Niveau) haha

Haha.

[machinebacon]

Love or Hate, Pt. II

The other Gawith in Kendal is Gawith & Hoggarth, who once was something like the cousin (?) of Sam Gawith. G&H is also famous for snuff, and their tobaccos hold the "Lakeland flavour" trademark.

Of the three G&H tobaccos I have here, the Broken Scotch Cake is the one that is least Lakeland-flavoured.



It's a pure VA (flue-cured, sun-cured) that comes in broken flakes and long ribbons. For the stats: the serial number of this blend is 24181##. Tin nose is malt and cedar. Very atypical for a VA, I would classify it as extra-light aromatic judging from the tin note. Nicely conditioned tobacco, ready to go out of the tin. Mine is at least 3 years old, and the flavouring is still detectable.
Packs without problems, takes the light easily and stays comparably cool thanks to the broken flakes. There is a strong malty, wooden and sweet note especially during the first third of the bowl, which changes to taste like mothballs in the second third. There's the typical VA side-stream taste, but the cedar top note disturbs after a while. It seems to go very well with a black tea, and I suppose that there's a black tea casing applied. Very remotely it might even taste like a Scotch, very malty, really hard to describe. If I had to guess, they used at least 20 different aromas (bergamot, cedar, malt, rose, black tea, lavendar, tonquin, liquorice, and a bunch of flowers or berries), it's an extremely complex "pure" VA without distinctive top note. For me, personally, it's a bit too much after a bowl. Room note is acceptable. Vitamin N is definitely there, more than in similar VA flakes, but not overpowering (maybe 3 on a scale of 5). All in all, it's a decent baccy, but the flavouring might be too 'strange' for some. It leaves a long aftertaste in the mouth, and probably the bowl, too. I like it (give it a 4 of 5 star rating) but really, sample this one before getting a tin.

[machinebacon]

She is back, she is back! :D

Perique/aged VAGINA lovers looky here. Dunhill of Orlik has finally revived one of the Murray bestsellers: http://tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail. ... =E&TID=454

The reviews sound pretty good. Has anybody had the pleasure of putting it into the bowl? Sounds like it is something like Royal Yacht (Ivan, your tin is aging nicely, I'll bring it to Germany next spring, so you'll get a 3-year matured one) plus Perique. I'm not a *huge* perique fan, though these things change 'quickly'. In Golden Slice it's not disturbing at all, in Irish Oak I find it a bit odd. Anyway, just sharing the info ;)
Placed an order today for this one, SG Navy Flake and SG Skiff Mixture. Winter is coming, ya know :D

[ivanovnegro]

^ Thanks for the info. I also heard about it and still have to try it and I actually like spicy VAGINAs.

I love you Baconator for letting aging a tin just for me. :P

[machinebacon]

:) Be happy that I forgot it last year, you would have smoked it away on one happy weekend :D

Just got a mail from my guy that Eliza is sold out, I should wait. Gnah. Actually I am more interested in getting my Skiff Mix (which you'd love too!), a much manlier Lat than Squad Leader (sits between Commonwealth and Squad), less bright, IIRC. Haven't had it for a year or so.
On the other hand, this gives occasion to put some other things into the Warenkorb, the vendor has some stuff I never tried, or expensive ones:
- MCC Blackwoods Flake
- Germains King Charles and 1820 (scared that they are in the meanwhile produced in Berlin)
- GLP Odyssee and Westminster (really interested, but 227 gr. tins only, so this one is pricey)
- Fribourg & Treyer Wingate and Waterloo (need some read-up on these)
- Ashton Artisan

These are the interesting ones in the Lat group. Any experience? Of course GLP is great, no question.

Edit: Okay, Fribourg&Treyer are from Berlin:
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?TID=549
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_det ... =W&TID=548
Scratch this.

Ashton: http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_det ... A&TID=2534 is Kohlhaase & Kopp. :fuckitagain:

Germain's: http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_det ... K&TID=1172 and http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_det ... 1&TID=1578 are from the UK. Especially 1820 hits my weak spot. Hehe.

[ivanovnegro]

Any experience?

No, you are the pioneer. :)

Though, the ingredients sound great in some of them, probably one of them I will just try.

Winter is coming and it will be a latty one. ;) Just ordered some more SG; in particular Navy Flake.

[machinebacon]

^ Navy Flake is excellent, especially since K&K is checking the tins before rebranding.

Love Or Hate, Pt. III

One of my mental diseases is Balkanic Disorder. When I see a tin of Pipe Tobacco labelled "Balkan" (or "Turkish") I can't resist to purchase it. There are discussions about what makes a Balkan mix truly "balkanic', some argue it should by all means contain Orientals, others say that it should contain Latakia and Orientals, and again others say they don't give a shit as long as the tobacco comes from the geographical location, the Balkan, spreading over South East Europe.
I'm technically one of the latter ones, though I really love Turkish tobaccos. We remember the Balkan Flake, a Vagina/Lat mix, which contains no Orientals, and which also get heavily criticized by penisheads in different pipe smokers forums - not for its qualities as pipe tobacco, but for its name.
Anyway, this short review introduces a really sick baccy from the Lakelands: G&H Balkan Mixture, which some snob pipesmokers call the "answer to Commonwealth Mixture" from SG. I can tell you one thing: these two have nothing, really NOTHING, in common.
The Balkan Mixture carries the internal serial number 17181. It's a very fine shag, dark brown and black short pieces (admittedly, this baccy is not the freshest one), with a comparably high amount of Lat. It is heavily 'lakelanded', at least the tin I got, very malty with a rich, deep coffee undertone. I know that this one is quite high on Nic, compared to other English offerings. I'll pack into a Dublin with small bowl.


This mixture is much easier to get lit than SG mixtures. It takes the charring light easily, and expands quite a lot. The Lakeland essence is definitely detectable: lavender, malt, cedar, black tea, always there, always on top, sticky on all desktops. You want to concentrate on the vagina? Forget it, the smell of burned pubic hair will prevent it. Every now and then I got a whiff of bazaar, something really weird that I know from the markets here in China, something like aniseed (Anusseed) or caraway, or maybe even cinnamon. It's most of the time disturbing, and this is the reason why my tin (by the way, the tobacco is packaged in an ugly plastic bag inside of the tin) is not yet smoked fully in around a year. This 'application of aroma' is the same like spraying perfume on old sweat. Just in our case the old sweat is what we want to smell, and not the shit with what G&H has anally raped an excellent base mixture. The tobac burns down super-quick, it delivers a good punch of N, there is no bite whatsoever, but the overall experience is rather hot. And best of all, dried out it does not need relights. This babe just burns and burns, quite quick, quite sweet (if you ever get the vagina), very clean and dry, no gurgle, but with the smell of mothballs throughout the bowl. I thought I get used to it - I didn't. This is like coriander or caraway ... ;)
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_det ... B&TID=1980

Forgot to give a rating: well, fuck the lakeland flavours, else this would be one of the best English mixtures I know. Very potent, ugly room note, interestingly very little ghost in the pipe. With essence: 1.5 of 5 stars, without it 4.5 of 5. Now introduce me the 'unscented' one.