Need a Blender

[webmost]

Came home last night to this excitement from our affable forum host:



Piloto Cubano Viso



Dominican Seco



Dominican Binder



Criollo 98 Seco




Brazillian Mata Fina



Ecuador Maduro Wrapper



Criollo 98 Viso



Have not opened any of these sealed bags yet cause I know I'll get lost in the aroma for hours soon as I do. But they sure look mouth watering.



First thing I built when we moved in here was a 10' work bench with a 2x3 top and 2x6 legs and a 10' 4x4 clamping bar. The whole deal rolls on one end like a wheelbarrow. A couple weeks ago I horsed that hefty sucker up on our newly re-roofed porch which I intend to rebuild. Weather is finally finally finally breaking. I'm going to take these leaves out there on fine evenings, lay it out on that work bench, and roll up batches of perfectos. My mold spits out 5" x 48rg.


Given the ingredients shown above, I'm open to suggestions. What do you think might make a tasty blend? Note that I adore the Ave Maria, the Nestor 2000 Reserve, the Torano 1916 Cam, that moody nutmeg flavor profile. Spice without a peppery bite.


I also have a small bag of dark fire cured Shirazi which our Esteemed Brother of the Leaf from Virginia sent to me last year. There's enough to flavor a couple batches. Smells a lot like Latakia. Then I have a variety of Burleys as well. Taking suggestions what to roll that smoky meat flavor into as well.


Can't wait.

 

[Knucklehead]

My vote is the Dom. Seco two to one with the Piloto Cubano Viso. Give that Maduro wrapper a try, I think you'll like it. Vary this with a strip of Burley or a strip of Mata Fina.

For more wrapper options, sift through those fillers and pull out the wrapper grade leaf.

The Dom. and the Criollos will go with just about anything.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

My vote is... well I actually don't have a vote. You can spend the rest of your life blending. Frustrating but rewarding too..

 

[deluxestogie]

1. Do as Knucks says, and locate the wrappers among the filler leaf.
2. Roll a 5" x 48 varietal puro perfecto of each wrapper variety, each binder variety and each filler variety
3. For the fire-cured Shirazi as filler, use the Ecuador Maduro wrapper.

Now you have some ammo for your next tier of decisions.

Bob

 

[holyRYO]

Roll a 5" x 48 varietal puro perfecto of each wrapper variety, each binder variety and each filler variety

Do as Bob says, sample a puro of each and find out what it brings to the party. I don't smoke cigars, but the same basic strategy applies to my cigarette blends. Pair up party goers according to taste, strengths, and weaknesses. Keep in mind, conventional wisdom need not always apply, there are no set percentages, no two tobaccos leafs are exactly alike, personal taste changes day to day, all fun.

 

[webmost]

I'm wondering why I couldn't do essentially the same thing with a pipe? Anyone got one they want to swap? I gave mine away a while back.

 

[Knucklehead]

I'm wondering why I couldn't do essentially the same thing with a pipe? Anyone got one they want to swap? I gave mine away a while back.

I use a pipe to sample all tobacco straight up. It does help in knowing what the variety will add to a blend. My sample pipe is a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob.
I order them when I get cigarette tubes or other supplies from here: http://www.rollyourown.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=225
As a cigar smoker, you may not need supplies and shipping might put the price out of reach from rollyourown.com, there's a couple reasonably prices ones on ebay with free shipping: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=Missouri+Meerschaum+pipe&rt=nc&LH_FS=1

If you want a wooden pipe, Dr. Grabow makes some nice affordable pipes and they're available at the rollyourown site.

 

[webmost]

Just now found a good looking example of "The Pipe" on E-Prey and put in a bid. Will know in a couple of days. The advantage of The Pipe is it has a graphite lining, so does not need a tarry lining like a briar. Burns clean; thus making a better test bed instrument. What I remember of the corncob, it does throw in a flavor. A meerschaum would work; but I gave away my meerschaums too.

 

[Indianamac]

2-Dom. Seco
2-Criollo 98 Seco
2-Mata Fina
2-Piloto Viso
1-Dom. Binder
1/2-Ecuador Maduro wrapper

 

[deluxestogie]

I believe you can learn a fair amount about a specific tobacco by smoking it in a pipe. But rolled into a cigar, even a small one, offers a different sensory experience, and one which is closer to what you'll get when you blend it into a cigar. Aside from the taste of the wrapper, a cigar usually generates a much greater smoke volume, and often burns at a different temperature than the same leaf shredded or crumbled into a pipe.

Either way provides useful information.

[I enjoy smoking both cigars and pipes. Cigar leaf in a pipe will affect the taste of anything smoked in that pipe for a long time afterward--just as Latakia does. In general, I don't like how cigar leaf tastes and smells in a pipe. I've rolled some of my English-style pipe shred into a flue-cured wrapper leaf, and didn't like it at all. Finally, to my schnozzola, few things smell worse that an empty pipe bowl, after a bowl of cigar leaf.]

Bob

 

[webmost]

All very very good points you make.

Rolling a puro means taking time and then it really deserves more time to age. That's why I believe that either a Venturi "The Pipe" or a glazed clay pipe would be the way to go. I dunno if you ever owned The Pipe. It was made around 1970 out of plastic with a bowl lined in the type of graphite NASA used at the time for heat shields on spacecraft. This material would reflect heat, so that my bowl of tobacco burnt all to clean white ash with zero cake. I had a green dublin and an orange bulldog back in the day. The plastic colors sure didn't help them sell. Pipe smokers didn't like the taste, cause they missed their wood notes and their tarry cake. But you can see why that approach would be ideal for a test bowl. Quick to use, true reflection of what's in it, easy to clean, and away you go to the next mix. Plus, for test purposes, you could just nip off a bit of leaf from a spot you wouldn't use anyways, mix it with a similar pinch from another leaf, and you have not wasted hardly anything.

I was out bid on my first attempt at The Pipe. So I just now put in a bid on a porcelain clay pipe. I'm thinking that unlike regular clay pipes, the porcelain ones would clean off and add no taste. But I've never tried one., so...

E-Prey... hope I don't get skinned.

 

[Knucklehead]

This little Blunt roller is good for quick puros. I just tear the legs off frog legged filler and then cut a square for a wrapper. Really fast. It's good for scraps too.
http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/2859-Rolling-with-scraps-or-making-small-cigars

 

[El Gallo]

I'm no expert but the first thing I notice is you have no ligero leaf. I have a blend a think is really good, med to above average body and strength. 1 leaf Dominican ligero, 2 leaves Criollo 98 Viso, 2 leaves, Piloto Cubano Seco, Dominican binder, Criollo 98 wrapper.

 

[webmost]

Good thinking Knucklehead. I just followed the link to Amazon and ordered one up.

 

[webmost]

Good thinking Knucklehead. I just followed the link to Amazon and ordered one up.

Received the blunt roller over the weekend. Rolled up a leaf of The Tobacco Butcher's one-sucker burley. Very easy and quick to use. Fired it up. GAYUCK! One sucker burley is not good cigar tobacco.

Received the porcelain pipe over the weekend. It's a teensy weensy thing. Apparently never was intended for use. Looks like it was made for Nana's crappe racque (aka curio).

Don't like the amount of leaf a blunt requires. Still think I could do better with The Pipe by Venturi.

Lost another auction for The Pipe. Still looking.

Maybe our new pipe shop friend from New Mexico knows where to find one. I'll ask him

Fun continues.

Smoked a couple sticks I got from Rich last year. If I find some time, I'll post a review.

 

[Knucklehead]

Did you get the 110mm or 120mm roller? The 110 makes a cigarillo slightly larger than a cigarette. The 120 makes a small cigar.

 

[webmost]

Did you get the 110mm or 120mm roller? The 110 makes a cigarillo slightly larger than a cigarette. The 120 makes a small cigar.

Uh.... Haven't measured it, and don't have a French ruler anyways to measure them pansy sillymeters with. But I'd say small cigar. Tell you what, I'll send you a couple and you tell me. PM me your addy. Rolls 'em up quick as a wink.

Still lookin for The Pipe. Think I would waste far fewer leaves coming up with a blend. This roller eats just about one leaf.

 

[Knucklehead]

Uh.... Haven't measured it, and don't have a French ruler anyways to measure them pansy sillymeters with. But I'd say small cigar. Tell you what, I'll send you a couple and you tell me. PM me your addy. Rolls 'em up quick as a wink.

Still lookin for The Pipe. Think I would waste far fewer leaves coming up with a blend. This roller eats just about one leaf.

The roller is great for using up your cigar making scraps too. Short filler is hard for me to work with, the roller never notices the difference. Have you considered a Meerschaum pipe? They don't ghost flavors either.

I appreciate the offer, but I need to keep using up this cigar leaf I have. If Don keeps introducing new varieties I'm going to have to build an outbuilding to store it in. I hope my heirs like good cigars.