Hello everyone!
Here's my backstory... Started smoking way back in 1988. I enjoyed all kinds of rolling tobaccos back then. Three Castles, Virginia something...came in a green package, but my absolute favorite was Drum. At the time I was rolling Drum when it was still made by Douwe Egberts. I live in the US and when Sara Lee acquired Douwe Egberts the company decided that it didn't want to face any possible litigation resulting from tobacco use so Sara Lee stopped the importation of Drum Tobacco to the US. I tried to get into other brands...Jester, Bali Shag, Samson but I just couldn't get into them. I switched to pre-rolled and soon quality tobacco was a thing of the past and I was sucking down the "junk food" of the tobacco world; Camels and Marlboro mostly.
Then last Summer I enjoyed a really great cigar, so I bought a few of those...
Then last Autumn, I enjoyed a bowl of really good pipe tobacco on a camping trip...
Then over the holidays, on a whim I bought a pack of Nat Sherman MCD Black....and BLAM! I remembered what it was like to enjoy quality tobacco in a cigarette.
So I get online to see what I can possibly order only to find out that the rolling tobacco market in the US has been completely gutted. Not one decent brand of rolling tobacco is available anywhere. I can't find anything online. I can't order from overseas. Here in Las Vegas, every pack of the new crap Drum is drier than the desert. The only decent hand rolling tobacco I could find was Bali Shag for $40!!!! Holy Crap! I remember buying Drum for $5 (way back in 1991). I even remember buying it for $12, but $40 for a single can of tobacco that wasn't my favorite! Robbery!
As I’m searching for rolling tobacco, I stumble upon WLT. I’m just wowed! Then I find this place. My kind of people. I’ve brewed my own beer, made mead, make my own soap, and load my own ammo. Now I’m like, “What?!?! I can process and make my own rolling tobacco?!?! I’m down for this!”
So I got my first order of whole leaf. I ordered three blends from WLT: Balkan Sobranidje, Euro Halfzware and the Virginia Blend. I’m enjoying all of them. Definitely better than the “junk food” smokes.
I’m looking forward to making my own blend but have so many questions. I’ve read. I’ve searched. I’ve even looked in other forums, but can’t seem to find the answers, so maybe you all can help with the following:
1. How do I get a shred closest as possible to a shag cut like Drum or Bali Shag? I got the 0.8mm shredder from WLT and it’s nice, but I’d prefer an even finer shred. I can’t afford $300 to spend on a guillotine cutter. I’d prefer not cutting it by hand with a knife and board. Are there any shredders out there that would do the job? I know there is a new 0.7mm shredder but I don’t know of 0.1mm will make much of a difference. I’m looking for a 0.2-0.4mm shred.
2. Regarding using a kiln…I understand that a kiln is used to force age tobacco. My living circumstances don’t allow me to build a kiln. If I buy a bunch of tobacco and have it just sit, will it age producing a similar result? Will sitting in the bag prevent it from "aging". Does the kiln impart some kind of magic through forced aging that time can’t produce?
3. If I buy a bunch of leaves, how long are they good for? Will the leaves just “age” in the bag producing a better quality tobacco experience? On one hand I know that properly stored cigars will last for years and years. I know that some people will age tins of pipe tobacco before using them. On the other hand, I’ve read that cigarette tobacco should be used within 6 months. What gives? Shouldn’t the same rules apply to all tobacco regardless of the format it’s in?
4. Sometime back I got to try a vanilla hand rolling tobacco made by MacBaren. It was amazing! How the heck do companies impart that vanilla flavor? I tried vanilla extract and that didn’t work (contrary to that YouTube video I watched). I made e-juice for a while. All the vanilla and cream type flavorings contain Diacetyl which has been linked to various respiratory diseases, but they do produce an amazing vanilla flavor. Someone please tell me that there is a way to add vanilla flavor or essence to my cigarette experience without resorting to Diacetyl laced flavorings.
5. I read all the posts regarding Halfzware tobacco blends. I know it's a fools errand to try and reproduce Drum...but I'd like to ask everyone to post their favorite Halfzware Blend recipe. I'm sure through the power of the internet and of course the collective knowledge here, I'll be able to make my own stash and I'll enjoy just as much as I remember enjoying the old good Drum from the 80s.
Nice to meet you!
VegasJoe
PS, please don't get upset if you see these questions repeated in another forum...just looking for answers...I can't be the only one...
Here's my backstory... Started smoking way back in 1988. I enjoyed all kinds of rolling tobaccos back then. Three Castles, Virginia something...came in a green package, but my absolute favorite was Drum. At the time I was rolling Drum when it was still made by Douwe Egberts. I live in the US and when Sara Lee acquired Douwe Egberts the company decided that it didn't want to face any possible litigation resulting from tobacco use so Sara Lee stopped the importation of Drum Tobacco to the US. I tried to get into other brands...Jester, Bali Shag, Samson but I just couldn't get into them. I switched to pre-rolled and soon quality tobacco was a thing of the past and I was sucking down the "junk food" of the tobacco world; Camels and Marlboro mostly.
Then last Summer I enjoyed a really great cigar, so I bought a few of those...
Then last Autumn, I enjoyed a bowl of really good pipe tobacco on a camping trip...
Then over the holidays, on a whim I bought a pack of Nat Sherman MCD Black....and BLAM! I remembered what it was like to enjoy quality tobacco in a cigarette.
So I get online to see what I can possibly order only to find out that the rolling tobacco market in the US has been completely gutted. Not one decent brand of rolling tobacco is available anywhere. I can't find anything online. I can't order from overseas. Here in Las Vegas, every pack of the new crap Drum is drier than the desert. The only decent hand rolling tobacco I could find was Bali Shag for $40!!!! Holy Crap! I remember buying Drum for $5 (way back in 1991). I even remember buying it for $12, but $40 for a single can of tobacco that wasn't my favorite! Robbery!
As I’m searching for rolling tobacco, I stumble upon WLT. I’m just wowed! Then I find this place. My kind of people. I’ve brewed my own beer, made mead, make my own soap, and load my own ammo. Now I’m like, “What?!?! I can process and make my own rolling tobacco?!?! I’m down for this!”
So I got my first order of whole leaf. I ordered three blends from WLT: Balkan Sobranidje, Euro Halfzware and the Virginia Blend. I’m enjoying all of them. Definitely better than the “junk food” smokes.
I’m looking forward to making my own blend but have so many questions. I’ve read. I’ve searched. I’ve even looked in other forums, but can’t seem to find the answers, so maybe you all can help with the following:
1. How do I get a shred closest as possible to a shag cut like Drum or Bali Shag? I got the 0.8mm shredder from WLT and it’s nice, but I’d prefer an even finer shred. I can’t afford $300 to spend on a guillotine cutter. I’d prefer not cutting it by hand with a knife and board. Are there any shredders out there that would do the job? I know there is a new 0.7mm shredder but I don’t know of 0.1mm will make much of a difference. I’m looking for a 0.2-0.4mm shred.
2. Regarding using a kiln…I understand that a kiln is used to force age tobacco. My living circumstances don’t allow me to build a kiln. If I buy a bunch of tobacco and have it just sit, will it age producing a similar result? Will sitting in the bag prevent it from "aging". Does the kiln impart some kind of magic through forced aging that time can’t produce?
3. If I buy a bunch of leaves, how long are they good for? Will the leaves just “age” in the bag producing a better quality tobacco experience? On one hand I know that properly stored cigars will last for years and years. I know that some people will age tins of pipe tobacco before using them. On the other hand, I’ve read that cigarette tobacco should be used within 6 months. What gives? Shouldn’t the same rules apply to all tobacco regardless of the format it’s in?
4. Sometime back I got to try a vanilla hand rolling tobacco made by MacBaren. It was amazing! How the heck do companies impart that vanilla flavor? I tried vanilla extract and that didn’t work (contrary to that YouTube video I watched). I made e-juice for a while. All the vanilla and cream type flavorings contain Diacetyl which has been linked to various respiratory diseases, but they do produce an amazing vanilla flavor. Someone please tell me that there is a way to add vanilla flavor or essence to my cigarette experience without resorting to Diacetyl laced flavorings.
5. I read all the posts regarding Halfzware tobacco blends. I know it's a fools errand to try and reproduce Drum...but I'd like to ask everyone to post their favorite Halfzware Blend recipe. I'm sure through the power of the internet and of course the collective knowledge here, I'll be able to make my own stash and I'll enjoy just as much as I remember enjoying the old good Drum from the 80s.
Nice to meet you!
VegasJoe
PS, please don't get upset if you see these questions repeated in another forum...just looking for answers...I can't be the only one...