American living in New Zealand

[nedwrecks]

Hello everyone. Tobacco taxes are insane in New Zealand, so I'm just having a browse here to see if I can make a quality pipe blend myself with imported whole leaf tobacco. Your average 1.76 oz tin will set you back about $100nzd or $70usd in NZ, and as a result there's basically no retail stock. Any suggestions for a beginner will be much appreciated.

 

[MarcL]

Welcome to Fair Trade Tobacco. here are some whole leaf tobaccos to choose from. https://wholeleaftobacco.com/main.sc
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[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum. What sort of pipe blend do you normally prefer?

Bob

 

[nedwrecks]

Well Bob, to be honest, I'm a bit of a noob. I've only tried straight Virginia, VaPer, and Aromatics (Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Navy Flake, Virginia Slices #507-C, Lane Limited - Captain Black Dark, Lane Limited - BCA, Lane Limited - RLP-6, Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. - Bob's Chocolate Flake. I tried Bob's Chocolate Flake several years ago and really didn't like it, so I guess that means I don't like Lakeland blends? I also found Captain Black Dark not to my liking and very hot burning. I love the smell of the straight Virginia 507-C, but the ph may not agree with my chemistry. In order of favorite to least favorite, I guess I liked the 507-C, then RLP-6, then Luxury Navy Flake, then BCA, then Captain Black, then Bob's Chocolate Flake. So to answer, I guess I like Virginia and Cavendish blends.

I've listened to sooo many reviews on YouTube in an attempt to narrow down a mail order because duties will STILL result in each tin costing about $100 NZD. At some point I'd like to try a dark fired Kentucky and an English or Balkan blend. I have no experience with Latakia or Orientals, but would like to try them all. The main thing at this point is avoiding tongue bite, and I tend to like a sweet smelling tobacco or nutty cigar aroma. Perhaps there's some clone recipe out there for popular blends like Frog Morton, or White Falcon, Plumb Pudding, Dunhill 965, Peterson Irish Flake? I wish I could import small quantities of these type of blends, so that I can narrow down what I like without spending a fortune on NZ duties. I'll be heading to America soon for a visit and am hoping to sample as much as I can before heading back to the NZ.

In any case, it seems my best long term option is learning to blend since importing whole leaf tobacco is apparently not taxed at the same rate in NZ. The problem is, it seems the minimum orders are either 1 or 1/4 pound, and I hate the idea of spending a lot on shipping for something I won't like.

 

[deluxestogie]

You will enjoy reading through this thread on home-made pipe blends: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/3926-Pure-Tobacco-Pipe-Blends-You-Can-Make

For Balkan-style blends:

Also from that same blending thread is Pearl of Shibam, which is a simple, 4 ingredient Balkan: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads...s-You-Can-Make?p=147398&viewfull=1#post147398

Perique removes the tongue-bite from flue-cured Virginia.

I'm afraid I can't offer much help with the flavored blends.

Bob

EDIT: Also, check your regulations on possibly bringing some whole leaf tobacco with you, when you return to NZ.

 

[burge]

You will have to make your own Cavendish as far as Virginias The red tips flue cured are excellent choices and will blend well. Email Don on the lemon and ask if there is some leaf that may be a little darker. Big Bonner orangey lemon and the yellow leaf. If you like Virginia you will like these. The lemon and yellow leaf are fairly mild and okay in sweetness the reds are a little bit stronger and a little bit bitter. Don the owner of wlt is very generous with samples. He has a Balkan blend. I just made a blend with Wlt new lemon Bigs lemon and orange and wow.

 

[nedwrecks]

You will have to make your own Cavendish as far as Virginias The red tips flue cured are excellent choices and will blend well. Email Don on the lemon and ask if there is some leaf that may be a little darker. Big Bonner orangey lemon and the yellow leaf. If you like Virginia you will like these. The lemon and yellow leaf are fairly mild and okay in sweetness the reds are a little bit stronger and a little bit bitter. Don the owner of wlt is very generous with samples. He has a Balkan blend. I just made a blend with Wlt new lemon Bigs lemon and orange and wow.

Cool, thanks. I'm a little overwhelmed to be honest by all the varietals of leaf!

 

[nedwrecks]

You will enjoy reading through this thread on home-made pipe blends: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/3926-Pure-Tobacco-Pipe-Blends-You-Can-Make

For Balkan-style blends:

Also from that same blending thread is Pearl of Shibam, which is a simple, 4 ingredient Balkan: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads...s-You-Can-Make?p=147398&viewfull=1#post147398

Perique removes the tongue-bite from flue-cured Virginia.

I'm afraid I can't offer much help with the flavored blends.

Bob

EDIT: Also, check your regulations on possibly bringing some whole leaf tobacco with you, when you return to NZ.

Thank you. So is Latakia what makes a blend Balkan style?

 

[greenmonster714]

Can't say I've ever come across an English or Balkan blend that didn't have some latakia. The matrix...nice guide to latakiaville.

 

[deluxestogie]

In the past, English law prohibited the addition of any "adulterants" in tobacco, including flavors, etc. So from an historical perspective, "English Blend" is a blend of natural tobaccos. "Balkan Blend" arose from marketing of English blends that contained practically any Oriental leaf. With time, the original, imprecise meaning of "Balkan Blend" has come to be used as a generalization for a Latakia containing blend.

Here's an article by G.L. Pease, entitled What is a Balkan Blend: http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/out-of-the-ashes/what-is-a-balkan-blend/

I'll oversimplify the leaf classifications of pipe blending ingredients:

• Flue-cured (rapidly cured and dried in high heat--up to 165°F--to capture the bright color and high sugar content. Often further specified by the color of the leaf, e.g. Lemon, yellow, orange, Red): sweet, acidic
• Dark air-cured (produce very dark, strong, heavy leaf. Sometimes these are fire-cured over oak wood to produce a deep smokiness.): as a condiment, adds nicotine strength and bottom notes [also used in smokeless preparations]
• Oriental (Turkish, Syrian, Iranian, Lebanese, Cyprian, Greek, Macedonian, Bulgarian, etc. There are at least 50 Oriental varieties.): low nicotine, floral aroma, though the variation is wide
• Burley (light brown to reddish air-cured leaf with a very recognizable burley flavor and aroma): moderate to high nicotine
• there are others

Specific processes:

• Latakia names a fire-curing process in which Oriental tobaccos are fired in the smoke of specific, fragrant wood, until it is nearly black. Very difficult to make at home, due to the lack of specific wood varieties.
• Perique names a pressure process in which (practically any variety of) leaf is pressed in its own juices for months to years. This produces a dark tobacco that is slightly alkaline (high pH). It is used as a condiment to balance the acidity [tongue bite] of flue-cured tobacco. Easy to do at home.
• Cavendish names a wet cooking method that renders any variety of tobacco darker in color and milder. Most commercial Cavendish is heavily flavored, since the cooked tobacco readily absorbs casings. Easy to do at home.

Bob

 

[burge]

Bob maybe that is a reason as to why Canadian cigarettes are all Virginia blends. I feel it all comes down to what you are used to smoking. I am all about Virginia and the problem with the American smoker is that they think its just a generic leaf. They don't understand a Canadian cigarette. A American cigarette seems to be all about flavouring and casings. You can have 7 lemons and they will all taste different. British cigarettes even though they are all Virginia has a different style of taste.

 

[deluxestogie]

...the problem with the American smoker is that they think its just a generic leaf.

Could you cite a link to that study, please?

Bob

 

[burge]

It's a observation Bob easy to pick up on when someone asks for a Canadian blend. Everyone here says if you want to sweeten your blend add Virginia. but Virginia has too much tongue bite. There was a company in PEI that had a nice Virginia. The Ryo market in the US is all burley oriental blends. The general consensus in Canada is that no one likes a American cigarette and vice versa with a odd exceptions. I have been on a lot of forums when trying to find a cdn style of blend and no one knew. The ryo versions of Virginia were limited. Three Sails Auld Kendal The Three Castles were the only Virginia blends. PS Danish was a Export A substitute. The original Export A was a very fine cut dark Virginia tobacco, Export medium was a blend of lighter leaf Export A mild was pure yellow. Players was a light brown then other companies came into play. I have pretty much had them all. I have to Praise Dons leaf at wlt same with Bigs.

 

[burge]

To add its all about the regions where you are from. It would be nice to get some Cdn leaf

 

[FormerMember]

hi burge
did you get any whole leaf through customs in nz?
if you did was it easy?

cheers in nz

 

[FmGrowit]

www.WholeLeafTobacco.com We ship to NZ almost everyday without issue.

 

[burge]

hi burge
did you get any whole leaf through customs in nz?
if you did was it easy?

cheers in nz

I am in Canada but so far no problems. Some guys from NZ have said not a issue. Sometimes its scheduled for heat treatment. Before you order make sure you know the leaf you want to smoke. I experiment with blends and not disappointed. Bigs leaf is also good. Here in Canada its around the same price for tobacco. Navy flake is Virginia and Cavendish. Google the brand you like the most to find what tobacco it uses and then have fun experimenting.

 

[Wayn3]

Thats good to hear. I've gotten seed from overseas no problem.

(replying about tobacco posted to NZ easily)