Pics of your Sticks II

[charlie G.]

Mosecca I would group this blend as is, is on the milder side of medium strength.
I have to say Dave nailed it about the Meta Fina. I found that Meta and the Pilato added a sweet creaminess along with the Flojo that I never thought I could get with my blends.
It was like a light turned on when I tasted the blend for the first time, as being a newbie and just discovering what different tobaccos can do to a blend.
Also as Dave said sometimes I added a little more or less of the Meta as the leaves can be small, like Webmost pointed out.
Knowing how much of a leaf to add is part of the learning curve I think we go threw in bunching up the blend fillers for a cigar to be consistent from cigar to cigar.
I hope this all makes sense, as we know everyone's methods and taste buds are different.

 

[ArizonaDave]

Mosecca I would group this blend as is, is on the milder side of medium strength.
I have to say Dave nailed it about the Meta Fina. I found that Meta and the Pilato added a sweet creaminess along with the Flojo that I never thought I could get with my blends.
It was like a light turned on when I tasted the blend for the first time, as being a newbie and just discovering what different tobaccos can do to a blend.
Also as Dave said sometimes I added a little more or less of the Meta as the leaves can be small, like Webmost pointed out.
Knowing how much of a leaf to add is part of the learning curve I think we go threw in bunching up the blend fillers for a cigar to be consistent from cigar to cigar.
I hope this all makes sense, as we know everyone's methods and taste buds are different.

Charlie, this is very complimentary, and for this I say thank you! It is nice that we can share experiences and blends, which give us all a good basis from where to start, then tweaked into our varying tastes. Just like I've been able to build off of people like Bob, and Gdaddy, a group of blenders as in FTT, will usually build a path toward personal satisfaction, blending quicker and easier.

I have personally learned so much for reading interesting posts in this forum, from blending, and even growing and processing my own leaf. Of course, WLT has the best blends offered anywhere, and has new and exciting tobaccos often. Some will be greatly missed, especially the African Flojo Viso, and the Aleman Seco Banda.
I've had samples sent to me from other companies, that don't have the finesse nor taste of WLT tobaccos. In their own right, they are interesting, but not up to the quality standards of WLT.

Sorry to get off topic a bit......I'd love to hear more about the various blends all of you have come up with!

 

[charlie G.]

I smoked a morning cigar of the blend I listed in my previous post but with a little Crillo 98 ligero added. It had the same creaminess but added a nice hit of spiciness to the cigar. I think it pushed it up to a nice med strength smoke. I think this will be a favorite blend of mine from now on. I hope to roll more and humi them a few months to see how they age. If I can keep my hands off them.

I had a few thoughts this morning, if different rollers roll the same blend in a cigar would it come out with a different flavor profile ?
Does the placement of different filler leaves in a filler bunch change the taste of the finish cigar ?
Just wondering your thoughts on this. I think yes on both questions even with out trying it out on a few test smokes.

 

[deluxestogie]

I had a few thoughts this morning, if different rollers roll the same blend in a cigar would it come out with a different flavor profile ?
Does the placement of different filler leaves in a filler bunch change the taste of the finish cigar ?

The density of a cigar (how tightly it is rolled) influences the burn rate, flavor and aroma. So different rollers, as well as the same roller rolling the same cigar, will likely influence the final cigar.

Other than a minor influence on burn consistency, I have found no meaningful difference in the 3D placement of filler components. In theory, it seems like it would have an impact, but that has not been my experience.

In rolling, I gather the leaf--scrunching each separately (no "entubado" here), tear the bunch at the foot end to the desired length, then overlay the remainder (sometimes needing to tear it again). It takes about 3 seconds to prepare the bunch. I vote for simple.

Bob

 

[Langhorne]

The baseball bat roll just happened. No mold. Will smoke that when my screened-in porch gets fully enclosed in a couple weeks. If you look closely you will see the rare quadruple cap. I can't remember which one, but the third cap was a little skewed, so I added a fourth. The second from the left smoked like a dream, rolled in the afternoon, dired out in the oven in the evening. Sacrilege.

 

[charlie G.]

Langhorne They look tasty with those wrappers. I'm a sucker for maduros.
Can I ask what's in them ? Thanks for posting the pictures of your cigars.
Oh and no sacrilege. What ever works for you. We do this to please our self first.

And thanks Bob for the great info. You always come threw to answer our questions.

 

[deluxestogie]

And thanks Bob for the great info. You always come threw to answer our questions.

You are always welcome to my opinion. I should emphasize, however, that knowledgeable members sometimes disagree with me. That's just the nature of something so personal and subjective as cigar rolling. I sometimes disagree with the spokespeople of large cigar factories with old Cuban names (or even cutesy boutique names, like Brick Pagoda Earthquake Extreme).

I guess the only indisputably correct answer to these rolling questions is, try it several ways, and decide what's important to you.

Bob

 

[Langhorne]

Langhorne They look tasty with those wrappers. I'm a sucker for maduros.
Can I ask what's in them ? Thanks for posting the pictures of your cigars

Basic formula was 1/2 Piloto Viso, 1 Nic Seco, 1/2 Aleman, 1 corojo 99 seco, 1/2 dominican binder, 1/2 Nic ligero, and CT Oscuro or Aleman wrapper. I think one of them in the photo is unwrapped. I sometimes lose track and some of the fatter ones have two of either or both seco. Some may be missing one or more of those leaves. So most of the time I never really know exactly what I am smoking. Gotta get better at that. But thanks to Gdaddy's tip, my tasty ends are always at the foot!

 

[charlie G.]

Bob I think you nailed it when you say " I guess the only indisputably correct answer to these rolling questions is, try it several ways, and decide what's important to you. "
I know how that is Langhorne I louse track to, even when I wright it all down.

 

[ArizonaDave]

Bob I think you nailed it when you say " I guess the only indisputably correct answer to these rolling questions is, try it several ways, and decide what's important to you. "
I know how that is Langhorne I loose track to, even when I write it all down.

And that's the beauty of roll your own! It's not a "one size fits all" commercial cigar, it's the beauty of tweaking the Cigar flavored to your own tastes. We all can learn from each other, and now the students are teaching the teachers.

 

[webmost]

Hmm....do you like the Dominican? ... Sumatra may go better with other blends?!

I prefer the Dominican flavor. Thing is, here in double damp Dull-Aware, burn can be a problem. The Sumatra, being such a fine-grained thin leaf, makes a much more combustible binder. I bunched a new experiment last night: two criollo 98, one corojo, dominican binder, habano wrapper. I'll wrap them tonight. If it works out, I'll whack out a batch of fifty or so, and save them for drier cold weather.

 

[moscca]

Thanks Charlie and Dave for your answers ! I have 3 pounds Mata underway.
Talking of blends, I'm going to try to roll a full strength cigar,.
Anybody has some suggestions ?


Jan.

 

[ArizonaDave]

I prefer the Dominican flavor. Thing is, here in double damp Dull-Aware, burn can be a problem. The Sumatra, being such a fine-grained thin leaf, makes a much more combustible binder. I bunched a new experiment last night: two criollo 98, one corojo, dominican binder, habano wrapper. I'll wrap them tonight. If it works out, I'll whack out a batch of fifty or so, and save them for drier cold weather.

I actually ordered the Criollo 98' Liguero and Seco after reading some of your posts, and a recommendation from Gdaddy.

Thanks Charlie and Dave for your answers ! I have 3 pounds Mata underway.
Talking of blends, I'm going to try to roll a full strength cigar,.
Anybody has some suggestions ?


Jan.

What else do you have on hand?

 

[Smokin Harley]

If you have use of a computer and a printer it's very easy to do them yourself.

View attachment 12950

Looks awesome

 

[ArizonaDave]

View attachment 13400

The baseball bat roll just happened. No mold. Will smoke that when my screened-in porch gets fully enclosed in a couple weeks. If you look closely you will see the rare quadruple cap. I can't remember which one, but the third cap was a little skewed, so I added a fourth. The second from the left smoked like a dream, rolled in the afternoon, dired out in the oven in the evening. Sacrilege.

Excellent looking smokes! There's been a lot of talk lately here that "toasted" tobacco is the best! How did they taste??? Hope your keeping this up, haven't heard from you in a while?

 

[Langhorne]

Excellent looking smokes! There's been a lot of talk lately here that "toasted" tobacco is the best! How did they taste??? Hope your keeping this up, haven't heard from you in a while?

Sorry, I have been a little scarce. Still rolling. Cold weather slowed me down a little. Moved my stand-up rolling table from the back deck to the garage. Friend of mine built it for me in exchange for, I think he believes, a lifetime of hecho-a-manos. I need to post a picture. It's kind of funky looking, but works. The oven doesn't seem to harm them. They smoke great, a credit to the fine WLT leaf. I probly already said this, but since my fresh-rolled are too wet to smoke and I always seem to be fresh out, I turn the oven on, wait until it hits 101 degrees, then turn oven off and put cigars on the middle rack and close the door. An hour or so later they burn pretty good and taste pretty good. What were the cigarettes that advertised they were toasted, way back when? Lucky Strike? I don't use the oven when I have time to just let them lay around for a few days.

 

[DGBAMA]

My remedy for fresh and damp that I want to try right away....... Roll it in a paper towel and microwave 20-30 secs, so warm. When it cools to room temp, the case is almost always perfect to smoke.

 

[charlie G.]

Trying out a new blend
PA Oscuro Binder
2-Piloto seco
1 1/2-piloto viso
1/2-Pa Binder, cut into ribbons and used as a filler. It has such a great smell I think it must be able to impart some great taste but hard to get it to burn great.

Trying a few different maduro wrappers on them. Equador, Criollo 98, Pa binder as a wrapper, and San Andres

I've been having some problems lately with my rolling. I have been rolling to tight and getting some bad draws when smoking them. The burn is great but just bad draws.

 

[Langhorne]

Trying out a new blend
PA Oscaro Binder
2-Pilato viso
1 1/2-pilato viso
1/2-Pa Binder, cut into ribbons and used as a filler. It has such a great smell I think it must be able to impart some great taste but hard to get it to burn great.

Trying a few different maduro wrappers on them. Equador, Criollo 98, Pa binder as a wrapper, and San Andres

I've been having some problems lately with my rolling. I have been rolling to tight and getting some bad draws when smoking them. The burn is great but just bad draws.

Good looking sticks. Wrappers look stretched tight oily perfect. Did you really mean both of those viso quantities? Would that be the same as using 3-1/2 viso leaves? I'm thinkin typo and one of those was mata fina or something? I only get tight draws when the filler was too wet.

 

[charlie G.]

Oops good catch there Langhorne. I meant 2 seco and 1 1/2 Viso.
I'll see if I can edit that.
That's what I get for making and cooking stuffed cabbage rolls between posting.