With its square cross-section, perhaps Delta Goatseye might have been a better choice of a name for this pressed, whole-leaf blend. But then, once sliced, it looks more like a real bird's eye.
Three weeks of pressing renders the blend a bit fruitier and sweeter than unpressed. I smoke this by just breaking the flakes in half, then packing them into a pipe.
Burn is excellent. The pH balance is good. The general smoke aroma might be characterized as a balanced Virginia-Perique blend with a broader profile, and more robust nicotine content--coming in on the high side of medium.
Delta Birdseye
- Virginia Bright 37.5% (6 of 16 parts)
- Basma 18.75% (3 of 16 parts)
- Perique 18.75% (3 of 16 parts)
- Dark Air-Cured Cavendish 12.5% (2 of 16 parts)
- Burley Red Tip 12.5% (2 of 16 parts)
I initially laid out the frog-legged leaf in rough proportions, then rolled them into a cigar. I used no glue, and no casing.
The wrapper is VA Bright. While most of the ingredients were in low case, the perique had a bit more moisture, which I anticipated would diffuse from its central location outward.
The end section does look birdseye-ish.
I use an old Cuba Aliados
The General box for pressing. This originally held a single, absurdly huge cigar.
To prevent the "cigar" from becoming as flat as a piece of matzah, I inserted spacers along the sides to a snug fit.
This Y clamp has a simple, cylindrical, wooden handle for tightening, but it's the same one I use to make perique. So it can crank down with enough force for this smaller surface area. Each day for the first week or two, I tightened the clamp a smidgen, depending on how it felt.
After 3 weeks in the press, at ambient temps, this is what came out.
I tried using a tuck cutter to make the slices, but it wants round, and I had rectangular. So it tended to explode each slice. Instead, I simply used my Khun-Rikkon kulu blade (like a chaveta) to slice the plug.
Download
3½" 300dpi Delta Birdseye color label as pdf.
Bob
I'm such an amature
