Pure Tobacco Pipe Blends You Can Make

[treecutter]

Bob, regarding Whip-poor-will, where can one purchase Harrow Velvet burley. The only burley I have is the WLT and red tips offerings. Will these work as well. I used the WLT burley in your Burley Virginia Blend Base. Is this the burley that you intended in this or were you thinking more along the lines of a more mild burley. By the way, I just received your book from Amazon in Canada, Grow Your Own Cigars, Thank you for writing such a wonderful and comprehensive work.

 

[deluxestogie]

Harrow Velvet is a mild burley, developed at the Harrow research station in Canada. I know of no commercial source for it. Growing it, I found it easy to grow and easy to cure. If using a different burley, then you might want to replace a bit of it with more Virginia flue-cured, to achieve a neutral pH.

Bob

 

[brooklynpiper]

Bob, I’ve used your AI machine to create an image—maybe it can be inspiration for someone’s blending. I used very nostalgic pipe tobacco terms

 

[deluxestogie]

Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten

This is a full-bodied blend. The only glimmer of light is the Basma, which is the only component that has not been cooked into Cavendish. The specific Basma leaf probably won't matter much. If you find the blend leaning on the bitter side (bite to the back and sides of the tongue), then increase the proportion of Basma. If you use other varieties of the Cavendish ingredients, you will likely have to fiddle with the proportions to eliminate bite. Also be aware that the stalk priming level of the leaf varieties that you use to make the various types of Cavendish will impact the nicotine load as well as the pH of the smoke (both are lower at the bottom of the stalk, higher—more nicotine producing a more alkaline smoke—as you go up the stalk).

[All four varieties of Cavendish can be cooked at the same time, in separate canning jars.]

Burn is good. Nicotine is generous. I find this to be surprisingly smooth and satisfying.

Anchor Chain

• Flue-cured Virginia Red Cavendish 31.25% (5 parts per 16)
• Sun-cured Trabzon Cavendish 21.875% (3½ parts per 16)
• WLT Basma C2 18.75% (3 parts per 16)
• One Sucker Cavendish 15.625% (2½ parts per 16)
• Burley Red Tip Cavendish 12.5% (2 parts per 16)

Rusty Chain

• Flue-cured Virginia Cavendish 31.25% (5 parts per 16)
• Sun-cured Oriental Cavendish 21.875% (3½ parts per 16)
• Oriental 18.75% (3 parts per 16)
• Dark Air-cured Cavendish 15.625% (2½ parts per 16)
• Burley Cavendish 12.5% (2 parts per 16)

If you are feeling a bit daunted by the weight of the anchor, then consider version #3:

More Chain, Less Anchor, Please

• Flue-cured Virginia Red Cavendish 25% (4 parts per 16)
• Sun-cured Trabzon Cavendish 25% (4 parts per 16)
• WLT Basma C2 25% (4 parts per 16)
• One Sucker Cavendish 12.5% (2 parts per 16)
• Burley Red Tip Cavendish 12.5% (2 parts per 16)

Download 3½" hi-res label for Anchor Chain as pdf.

Bob

 

[crasch]

Havana Shag.

2:1:1 ratios of VA Lemon, Burley tips, and Habano '92 Cavendish.
Fantastic aroma, full flavor, no bite.

 

[brooklynpiper]

When I'm at the horse track I have a hard time deciding whether I want to have a cigar or a pipe. If only, I thought, there was something as reliable as a bad tip!

The bloodlines of this blend go back to a classic 5:3 ratio of Flue-Cured Virginia Red and Dark Air-Cured, then the Flue-Cured is boxed by a condimental portion of Fire-Cured leaf to add furlongs of intrigue. A heavy blend for a weekend afternoon, an unworried balance of earth and hay.

The listed ingredients are the show proportion--in reality when this bettor gets to shredding, I recommend tinkering with going heavier on the dark ingredients for that extra oomph and alkalinity. Enough strength to get you through the day. Pairs well with casino coffee. Pick your winner with First Time Lasix, the worst tip in the program.

Maybe I will do more blends inspired by the Big A as they have announced my local horse track will be closing.

BrooklynPiper's First Time Lasix

• Flue-Cured Virginia Red 62.5% (10 parts per 16)
• Dark Air-Cured 18.75% (3 parts per 16)
• Kentucky Fire-Cured VA 18.75% (3 parts per 16)

 

[ProZachJ]

Awesome, I've been wondering what to do with this fire-cured. Thanks

 

[brooklynpiper]

Awesome, I've been wondering what to do with this fire-cured. Thanks

Thanks, Zach. I've enjoyed following your grow log posts. Please do let me know what you think if you get around to blending it.

 

[ProZachJ]

Thanks, Zach. I've enjoyed following your grow log posts. Please do let me know what you think if you get around to blending it.

I'll probably do it tonight. I need to shred up some VA Red and Burley anyway. Might as well do some fire cured as well and blend it up.

 

[ProZachJ]

When I started my shredding and blending session at 8:30p my wife asked me if she should leave the porch lights on for me and I told her that Id probably not be smoking this evening because it would be too late by the time I was done processing...

As usual, spreading out the leaves of dark air and smelling the aroma tempted me to just eat them. Busting open the dark fire the backyard barbeque smell had me worried that anything with it in it would just be too much, but after I finished and blended the First Time Lasix I was too curious. It was already midnight so I chose my Savinelli churchwarden because it is my smallest bowl and I didn't want to be out in the 37 degree night air for over an hour.

The blend was excellent, especially for having just been mixed up 10 minutes before smoking. The dark fire didn't overwhelm as I had feared and added a nice new dimension that was completely new to my pipe smoking experience. When I wanted to smell and taste it it was there but mostly in the background. When the little bowl was through I found myself wanting more.

I had blended up only a half ounce and I will definitely double it tomorrow before I tuck it in for a few weeks of rest in a carotte.

Many thanks for sharing @brooklynpiper a great blend that I can't wait to smoke again and see how it ages.

 

[crasch]

BrooklynPiper's First Time Lasix

• Flue-Cured Virginia Red 62.5% (10 parts per 16)
• Dark Air-Cured 18.75% (3 parts per 16)
• Kentucky Fire-Cured VA 18.75% (3 parts per 16)

Interesting blend, thanks for sharing.

I have some TN dark fire-cured that I've been using instead of DAC in some recipes with very nice results. But never together with DAC so far. For example, I've been smoking a lot of Bob's Exmoor blend lately (definitely a favorite), and have started playing with variations on it. Substituting TN dark fired one-for-one in place of the DAC in Exmoor makes the pouch aroma unrecognizable, but changes the smoking experience not nearly as much as I would have thought. It's quite nice.

Does the fire-cured VA act similar to a flue-cured VA for the purpose of balancing a blend? Or is it more similar to other fire-cured stuff?

 

[brooklynpiper]

Interesting blend, thanks for sharing.

I have some TN dark fire-cured that I've been using instead of DAC in some recipes with very nice results. But never together with DAC so far. For example, I've been smoking a lot of Bob's Exmoor blend lately (definitely a favorite), and have started playing with variations on it. Substituting TN dark fired one-for-one in place of the DAC in Exmoor makes the pouch aroma unrecognizable, but changes the smoking experience not nearly as much as I would have thought. It's quite nice.

Does the fire-cured VA act similar to a flue-cured VA for the purpose of balancing a blend? Or is it more similar to other fire-cured stuff?

I have also done what your talking about with the fire-cured substitution for DAC, but I kept missing the flavor of the DAC. I really like DAC, and wanted to have both.

I would say the fire-cured VA is more similar to other fire-cured stuff. It's strong and savory in the smoke and leathery in the hand.

You'll have to try the blend with your own fire-cured and tinker to get it to your liking.

 

[ProZachJ]

I probably should have noted more clearly that I used TN dark fire cured, not Kentucky VA. @crasch I'd say it tastes great when used in place of the Kentucky Fire Cured VA in the same ratio. The pH balance was just fine for me, and the nic hit was strong but enjoyable.

Inspired by enjoying so much dark in a blend, I took the rest of the American Turkish Blend sample from WLT and mixed it 5:3 with DAC. That was even stronger ( had to take a mid pipe break strong), tasted good, but had a bit more mouth feel. Dark American Turkish?

 

[deluxestogie]

Photo: Todd Pierson

This cute little critter, Desmognathus kanawha (the Black Bellied Salamander), is a native of southwest Virginia. It is found on Whitetop Mountain, which is Virginia's second highest peak.

A salamander's front yard, on Whitetop Mountain.

This Black Belly pipe blend is visually, all dark. The sun-cured, kilned Ainaro (discovered in Timor-Leste, by @Tutu) produces distinctly acidic smoke. To balance this, I blended it with an equal quantity of cigar scrap CAVENDISH. The result is an all dark blend, with medium nicotine. It lights easily, and burns well. The aroma is somewhat subdued. I would describe the taste as dark and dry, with no hint of sweetness. The nicotine load will, of course, depend on the nature of your cigar scrap, although the aroma will likely be similar to that of my blend.

If you don't happen to be one of the 3 people outside of Timor-Leste who actually has Ainaro, that is not a problem. A reasonable substitute would be just about any Oriental variety. There is no substitute for the Cigar scrap CAVENDISH. When cigar leaf of any kind is cooked into Cavendish, it takes on a richer aroma profile than the uncooked cigar leaf, but is missing the uniquely cigar aroma. So I consider the Cavendish version more suitable for pipe blending. I find that stuffing a pipe bowl with just cigar scrap Cavendish is delightful. It has the same nicotine as the original cigar leaf, but a more rounded flavor and aroma.

Black Belly

• Ainaro sun-cured 50%
• Cigar scrap CAVENDISH 50%

Blackish Belly

• Oriental sun-cured 50%
• Cigar scrap CAVENDISH 50%

Cigar Belly

• Cigar scrap CAVENDISH 100%

Download 3½" hi-res label for Black Belly as pdf.

Bob

EDIT: Compare this blend to Barred Frog:
https://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/pure-tobacco-pipe-blends-you-can-make.3926/page-46#post-214660

 

[johnny108]

Bob: posts new recipe.
Me: running to get some gas station cigars and hoping the wife doesn’t want to use the pressure cooker this weekend…..

 

[deluxestogie]

gas station cigars

I've smoked many a cheap cigar. They utilize a reconstituted tobacco sheet binder or wrapper or both. That is paper made from tobacco pulp and some sort of binding agent. I'm not sure what happens when you cook tobacco paper, though I would guess that is might dissolve into mush.

Bob

 

[johnny108]

I've smoked many a cheap cigar. They utilize a reconstituted tobacco sheet binder or wrapper or both. That is paper made from tobacco pulp and some sort of binding agent. I'm not sure what happens when you cook tobacco paper, though I would guess that is might dissolve into mush.

Bob

Gas station cigars from the glass case behind the counter it is, then.

 

[Farside]

Hi folks,

I have some Burley, Canadian Virginia, and Monte Calme Brun that I grew last year and air cured. No casing or topping.
I came here looking for some blends I could try, but there is 47 pages of chat and I gave up after 5 pages or so.

Can anyone suggest basic starting ratios for tobacco varieties? Sort of like the foundations before layering in more complicated processed tobacco?

It's the cream of my 2023 crop and I think it would make a great base pipe tobacco. I'm looking to showcase the plant, kind of like a simple cooking recipe done well that just stands on it's own merit.

Thanks in advance!

 

[GreenDragon]

Hi folks,

I have some Burley, Canadian Virginia, and Monte Calme Brun that I grew last year and air cured. No casing or topping.
I came here looking for some blends I could try, but there is 47 pages of chat and I gave up after 5 pages or so.

Can anyone suggest basic starting ratios for tobacco varieties? Sort of like the foundations before layering in more complicated processed tobacco?

It's the cream of my 2023 crop and I think it would make a great base pipe tobacco. I'm looking to showcase the plant, kind of like a simple cooking recipe done well that just stands on it's own merit.

Thanks in advance!

Hi @Farside,

There are several free downloadable books written by Forum members in the Key Forum Threads page (Link at top of page) that have tons of blend recipes and easy to follow instructions. Have Fun!

 

[deluxestogie]

there is 47 pages of chat and I gave up after 5 pages or so.

That chat includes a couple of hundred pipe blend recipes.

Without kilning the leaf, it may still taste a bit raw at this early age. Pressing your finished blend for 3 or so weeks will soften the aroma and taste.

Basic start:

• Virginia 50%
• burley 50%

Since the Virginia has not been flue-cured, you might want to start with 60% Virginia: 40% burley. Once you find a ratio without tongue bite, then you can begin to play with the Mont Calme Brun (Havana derived), by using some of it in place of the burley.

Since every crop differs, you'll just have to play with the ingredients to see what you like best. If you grow again this year, I would suggest sun-curing the Virginia (if you choose to not build a flue-cure chamber).

Good luck with your trials. Post your results in this thread.

Bob