Pure Tobacco Pipe Blends You Can Make

[deluxestogie]

@ciennepi, the Nostrano is somewhat alkaline, so directly substituting Perique for the Oriental may make the nicotine absorption increase too much. I find the Dolomiti di Brenta blend fairly strong already.

The following blend is actually smoother, but does feel more potent.

Dolomitici di Brenta:

• Nostrano del Brenta 43.75% (7 parts per 16)
• Flue-cured Virginia 50% (8 parts per 16)
• Perique 6.25% (1 part per 16)

You might also just try half Nostrano and half flue-cured Virginia as a small first batch, then gradually substitute a little Perique for some of the Nostrano.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Nightjars are strange looking birds. They look like moths to me. In an attempt to fulfill the requirements of sultry and nice room note suggested by @GreenDragon, with the "that's a just plain weird looking bird" of my own interpretation, I'll suggest as a start.

15% Latakia
10% Nicaraguan Viso
15% Izmir
10% MD609
50% Red Virginia

 

[deluxestogie]

Bold move! I've never put cigar-stinky tobaccos into my pipe blends. That and the MD may just balance all the Red Virginia. As for the disparaging description, here's my initial label for this incipient blend:

(Notice the coral snake above it!)

Bob

 

[GreenDragon]

Bold move! I've never put cigar-stinky tobaccos into my pipe blends.

Bob

Well, you could always add some toppings....

 

[deluxestogie]

Hurry!

We have miraculously reached a total of 10 votes on the Ptarmigan blend label image. Don't miss your chance to cast your vote (top of the page). The final blend recipe(s) will be carefully generalized so that anyone with access to WLT leaf (that's everybody) and a stove can create them at home, even if you never dirty your hands with growing your own tobacco.

Don't be distracted from this Ptarmigan project by discussions of the Dolmitici and Chuck-Wills-Widow intrusions. (These two are actually destined to be great blends as well.)

If you haven't voted, now's the time.

Bob

 

[Traveling Piper]

@deluxestogie Ptarmigan vote casted.
By the way, the tin art on the C-W-W Blend is pretty sweet.

@ChinaVoodoo How interesting with the intro of the Nicaraguan. What do you think the cigar leaf will lend to the overall blend? I see where you are headed with the bizarre aspect--and I like it. The birds are rather peculiar (as am I) and I suppose it would be fitting to incorporate some whimsy into the mix.
Does anyone have the ingredients to produce a test bowl? I would love to hear a smoke report back from this.
I'm curious as to what a little--Little Dutch--would lend as the cigar component?
I ask because I am pretty intrigued by it and plan to have some in the garden this year.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Unfortunately I'm in Hawaii and can't verify that this blend is even smokable. However, I have found in the past that a little cigar leaf almost gives it a fullness, like the way that coffee would to a dessert. But I also thought the Nicaragua would give us some sour and ferment.

 

[deluxestogie]

I need to do a whole sheaf of blend testing, once the Ptarmigan is ready to evaluate.

Bob

 

[Traveling Piper]

Unfortunately I'm in Hawaii and can't verify that this blend is even smokable. However, I have found in the past that a little cigar leaf almost gives it a fullness, like the way that coffee would to a dessert. But I also thought the Nicaragua would give us some sour and ferment.

These are welcome tidings. I feel like I’ve read of cigar incorporated blends in other forums that seem to parallel this school of thought (cigar leaf adding something special to the bowl).

 

[Traveling Piper]

I need to do a whole sheaf of blend testing, once the Ptarmigan is ready to evaluate.

Bob

When I build the leaf supply, I will certainly try to assist in blending and reporting with you guys. I’m ashamed to say I have yet to even place my first WLT order though.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I have yet to even place my first WLT order though.

I do not benefit in any way from saying this.... Unless you just can't part with flavored commercial pipe tobacco (no judgement), there's really no reason to not order WLT. If I didn't grow my own, I would be satisfied ordering from them and processing their whole leaf, myself. It's simply the best. And between blending and other processes like making cavendish... All I would need. Better than what I could buy.

 

[Traveling Piper]

I do not benefit in any way from saying this.... Unless you just can't part with flavored commercial pipe tobacco (no judgement), there's really no reason to not order WLT. If I didn't grow my own, I would be satisfied ordering from them and processing their whole leaf, myself. It's simply the best. And between blending and other processes like making cavendish... All I would need. Better than what I could buy.

Oh, I know. I have gleaned enough from this forum to realized that it is necessary for me to liberate myself of commercial blends. I have only to ovecome the conundrum of what to order and the actual ordering part.

This is what I have in my cart:
Lemon Va
MD 609
Prilep
Latakia
Perique

I thought this would be a good base to start from.
If you gents have any suggestions—please provide.

 

[GreenDragon]

You might want to add some Va Bright Leaf for a little more depth of flavor to some blends.

 

[deluxestogie]

This is what I have in my cart:
Lemon Va
MD 609
Prilep
Latakia
Perique

Place the order. You'll go crazy with all of our specific recommendations. Your selection will make a lot of dynamite quality Balkan blends.

Bob

EDIT: Just remember it's a one way street. Once you work with the real stuff, there's no going back.

 

[Traveling Piper]

You might want to add some Va Bright Leaf for a little more depth of flavor to some blends.

I was wondering about that. I'm trying to keep the tab under $100.
My thought process was to buy Lemon so as to have the crisp freshness available. With that, I had the thought I could stove, Cavendish etc. some in order to coax different (deeper?) profiles out of it. I know this is not a substitute(for bright leaf) per se, but I know I can add depth via heat and/or pressure. I have read a decent amount about stoving Virginias in order to bring about richer, deeper flavours. I can't help but to think that my money might be best spent affording myself the virtues of the Lemon VA while having he option to "cook" it to further depths. Albeit--I have never tried the Lemon--but have read quite a bit about it on here. I think it might be a good candidate for getting started in blending.
I could be wrong about the Lemon affording more overall options. If so, hopefully you guys will "pipe up" and tell me where all my follies are--so as to help me make the best of my first order.

 

[Traveling Piper]

Place the order. You'll go crazy with all of our specific recommendations. Your selection will make a lot of dynamite quality Balkan blends.

Bob

EDIT: Just remember it's a one way street. Once you work with the real stuff, there's no going back.

Right on, man. I'm gonna order today.

 

[ciennepi]

I will try to make a micro blend of the "Dolomiti di Brenta" but I don't know if I must use the kilned leafs of Nostrano or the simply cured one. And if I must use the volado or seco or ligero. There are some hints?

 

[deluxestogie]

There are some hints?

If the air-cured Nostrano is reasonably smokable, then go ahead and give it a try. The only Nostrano that I could locate (maybe all that I had left) was top leaf. So just try whatever you have.

Was my attempted diminutive (Dolmitici) correct Italian, or did I miss?

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

My thought process was to buy Lemon so as to have the crisp freshness available. With that, I had the thought I could stove, Cavendish etc. some in order to coax different (deeper?) profiles out of it.

I don't know about stoving, but that Lemon can certainly be turned into very interesting and complex Cavendish via steaming or pressure cooking.

http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/pressure-canner-cavendish-v2-0.6255/

http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/637-Making-Black-Cavendish-Pipe-Tobacco

 

[deluxestogie]

"Stoving" is a term used by commercial manufacturers and retail marketeers to obscure a confusion of numerous, differing, often proprietary techniques. It can mean:

• dry heating
• toasting
• moist heating
• steam heating
• dry heating in a steam-jacketed press
• even kilning

I believe "stoving" is a term best left with the glossy advertisers.

Bob