Bucket Press Tasting
After pressing for a month, drying, then allowing it to rest for 5 days in low case, I've now smoked a few bowls of this interesting blend. The blend itself (without the casing and pressing) would likely make a reasonable cigarette tobacco. With the casing and pressing, it has been transformed into an enjoyable pipe tobacco. The acidity of the blend has certainly declined.
How it began:
From a standpoint of proportions, this is
- VA Lemon: 2/5
- Red VA: 1/5
- Samsun: 1/5
- Basma: 1/5
- Burley Red Tips: just a smidgen (1/40)
That is a blend of 3/5 Flue-cured and 2/5 Oriental. I would expect such a blend to taste and smoke like cigarette tobacco. But the Seagram's VO casing, together with a month of ~3.5 psi pressing seems to have resulted in something very different. It is not as acidic as the proportion of flue-cured would lead one to expect. And the aroma is new. It definitely does not smell like Seagram's VO whiskey--or any whiskey.
I will call it
VO Pressed Virginia/Oriental.
- pouch aroma: rich grape and prune.
- packing: like fine, dry straw, but packs well, with an open draw. Although it feels dry and brittle, it does not break or crumble when packing.
- light: instant.
- burn: excellent. No relights.
- smoke: not very dense.
- aroma: unsweetened gingerbread that has been lightly toasted. Hint of dried white raisin.
- taste: no significant tongue bite. subtle corriander seed.
- nasal: lightly peppery.
- ash: fine white.
- pipe: bottom clean and dry. Zero dottle.
- nicotine: mild-to-medium.
My conclusion is that this method of rendering a Virginia/Oriental blend into a lovely pipe tobacco is a success. Although I expected a flake, the separated, stiff shred packs and smokes beautifully.
I believe the duration of the pressing (1 month) is significant in transforming the blend. The duration was sufficient to alter the pH. The truly modest pressure used (~3.5 psi) can be achieved with items on hand, and a freezer Ziploc bag is adequate as a container--one that can be easily pressed between two wood planks. The only purpose to my limiting the press block surface area to 2" x 6" was so that a filled 5 gallon bucket would generate my target of 3.5 psi (which was an arbitrary target). The process may work just as well with a 4" x 5" block, and half the psi. But I can't say for certain, without trying that.
I am not a fan of sticky, sweetened pipe tobacco, so I am pleased that the Seagram's VO Canadian Whiskey (diluted 50:50 with water) results in a delightful aroma and a dry tobacco that does not taste like whiskey.
Bob