how do you get to know new tobacco's characteristics?

[webmost]

Last night's quickie = 2 leaves San V, 1/2 leaf Piloto, < 1/2 leaf Dom binder, < 1/2 leaf Corojo wrapper. Piloto did make a big diff over the bland baseline. 1/2 leaf kept it mild. I like it. Something like a vanilla wafer.

But that San V burns faster than Dom or Corojo. Each item I have rolled with it wants to tunnel on me. Think I'll try binding with just a quarter Dom leaf. Those leaves are super huge anyways. Then trim more of the wrapper off.

Next test: two San V and one Habano Seco. Might not get round to it tonight, cause the air outside is mighty thick, so it wouldn't be a good test.

 

[Smokin Buffalo]

hey guys, I took your advice and got a few kits in order to start with. I'm going to roll a few with the kit blend and then play around a bit. I opened the Sabroso Medio kit and looked through the leaves for the first time. I was a bit surprised to find the wrappers i got has holes in them. I thought wrapper grade tobacco were a little more "pristine". Is this normal?
Here are the first two leaves I unrolled out of the 10 included in the kit. The holes were there, I did not cause them.

 

[Ben Brand]

I try to plant 5 new varieties with the old ones every year, hopefully in a few years I will have 10 or so varieties that I like. It takes time!!!!

 

[Knucklehead]

hey guys, I took your advice and got a few kits in order to start with. I'm going to roll a few with the kit blend and then play around a bit. I opened the Sabroso Medio kit and looked through the leaves for the first time. I was a bit surprised to find the wrappers i got has holes in them. I thought wrapper grade tobacco were a little more "pristine". Is this normal?
Here are the first two leaves I unrolled out of the 10 included in the kit. The holes were there, I did not cause them.

The holes may or may not still be there after trimming the wrapper to size. If they are still there, use one side for a binder and the other side for wrapper. The occasional hole opens up more blending opportunity. (as in your wrapper variety as a binder under a different variety for wrapper)

Your filler variety will have a few leaves that are good enough to make a wrapper. This also opens up new blending opportunity with the filler variety used as a wrapper or binder with other leaf. Go through your filler and pick out the wrapper quality leaf, even if it only makes a wrapper from one half of a leaf.

 

[juan carlos]

i've only rolled about 4 dozen. they look great and smoke well. (i guess rolling a few thousand pounds of...cigarettes... in my younger years paid off for the "feel") my problem is smoking them. i've puffed on two and they are way too nico-laden! the flavour is there and tasting notes are interesting...
I have to enlist the help of some more seasoned smokers for advise!

i re-ordered for some viso and seco to take the blends down a notch. hopefully i can find a blend that doesn't leave me crosseyed from the nico-buzz

 

[deluxestogie]

Roll one with an entirely seco filler. Smoke it. Start incrementing the viso.

Bob

 

[waikikigun]

Yeah I came up with this amazing tasting blend recently but today I had to face the fact that it was too strong for me, super nico. Seems like the best leaf in there is the viso so it makes me a bit sad that I might have to dial it back.

 

[juan carlos]

Roll one with an entirely seco filler. Smoke it. Start incrementing the viso.

Bob

good advise! i made the mistake (out of ignorance) of ordering too much ligero. enough to turn a seasoned vet of the leaf green. I think i'll wait for the next fill of seco before i start blending again.

any ideas of what to do with light fired wrapper? it seems too powerful for anything more than a skiff in a blend. I wrapped a couple just for fun, and it was like wrapping with leatherette naugahide sofa. (smoked by the campfire for a summer).
at 14 a pound...i'm thinking the trash is a good place for it...does it smoke better than it smellls/feels? i'm a feared to light it.

 

[webmost]

any ideas of what to do with light fired wrapper?

Keep it around in a baggie, away from everything else. Every once in a while, smell the bag. It's quite delicious that way. Worth keeping around just for that.

 

[webmost]

i've only rolled about 4 dozen. they look great and smoke well. (i guess rolling a few thousand pounds of...cigarettes... in my younger years paid off for the "feel") my problem is smoking them. i've puffed on two and they are way too nico-laden! the flavour is there and tasting notes are interesting...
I have to enlist the help of some more seasoned smokers for advise!

i re-ordered for some viso and seco to take the blends down a notch. hopefully i can find a blend that doesn't leave me crosseyed from the nico-buzz

Smoke slowly. The slower the better. About as slowly as the stick will stand. Lay it down for two minutes, take a couple quick hits to get the ember excited, then one good draw, and lay it down again.

Read a book. That's the way to enjoy a strong cigar.

 

[Ben Brand]

Smoke it with a few strong whiskey`s, after a few you don`t mind if its strong!!!