Pipe Smoking Tobacco

Today, I tried the MacBaren Black Ambrosia blend. I finally found THE tobacco I like best of the Aromatics--with the added bonus of it being composed of ALL Virginia tobaccos (90% MacBaren Modern Black Cavendish and 10% bright Virginia). This tobacco is as mild and sweet as a kiss from your first girlfriend! The roomnote and smell to others in the room is enticing as well. The best thing about it--it would be an excellent choice for a beginning pipe smoker to enjoy, because of the way it's crafted at the MacBaren factory, in Svendborg, Denmark. The black cavendish is a lot milder because a lot of harshness is engineered out of it by steam, heat and pressure-used to produce the black Virginia cavendish. It is especially smooth and cool to smoke. These factors are necessary in a blend-to introduce the new pipesmoker to something special, that will delight his senses and others, also. I've recieved compliments on this one. My wife said, "Throw away all the others, and keep the MacBaren's Black Ambrosia!" Fine with me...
--Eric

How many times do people trudge through poetic, lavish descriptions of pipe tobacco brands, on the packages or tins--and end up utterly confused? Too many times I have seen this--and it's absolutely absurd! Some descriptions sound like utter hogwash--and they don't tell you anything about the types of tobacco that goes into the mix or blend, what strength it indeed is, what sweet flavor or strength of roomnote, etc....Then along came a first class tobacco company from Svendborg, Denmark, called "The MacBaren Tobacco Company". A sensible and logical system was developed by the MacBaren people to take the mystery out of their tobacco blends, while letting the customer know enough to make an informed choice, without giving all their secrets away. Yes, customers do have intelligence--especially pipe smokers, Thankyou. This afternoon, I reflected on a customer who asked, "I would like a sweet Danish tobacco, that does not have a whole lot of casing sauces and "goop" added to it--just something naturally sweet..." This was a good moment for me--a chance to help a fellow pipe smoker. My education and training in tobacco led me to suggest to the customer the discovery of the sweetest natural tobacco of all--Virginia. I suggested a Virginia flake, with just a little cavendish added to it-to round it out some. When a naturally sweet tobacco is chosen, there really is no need for added casings or sauces. Enough said. This afternoon, I desired a pipe tobacco that is not very sweet, but has a TRUE tobacco flavor, well balanced taste, and an acceptable room aroma, so my wife would not be offended, and maybe enjoy my company while I smoked a pipe to relax after work. One tobacco came to mind--one tobacco that has been with us, consistently for 49 years--that would be the MacBaren Mixture Scottish Blend. That is the name. When I happily opened the tin, the tobacco mixture presented itself as Viginia, Burleys and a dark cavendish. Some 35 different types of leaf go into this blend--for consistentcy over the years--and also one of the best selling pipe tobaccos in the world--for good reason. Many blends come and go, but the good ones we cherish and hang onto! I invite you to try some MacBaren's Mixture, and decide for yourself, but first marvel at the way the MacBaren people have described, organized and made it a lot easier to learn about their tobaccos at
www.mac-baren.com
Please be aware that www.OutwestTobacco.com has some very reasonable prices and an excellent selection of MacBaren tobaccos, as well, available in tins, 1 pound canisters, and bulk. Enjoy a great smoke, with true tobacco flavor--MacBaren Mixture. Available in loose-cut AND flake. Same as it was 49 years ago. -Eric

Truly it was a pleasure and a priveledge to meet and talk with all the wonderful people of Cornell & Diehl, of Morganton, North Carolina, at the 2007 Chicagoland Pipe Show! I have rarely seen such an enthusiastic, friendly and fun bunch of people, happy in their work--dedicated to all aspects of providing you with some of the best tobaccos--if not THE BEST pipe tobaccos in the world in which we live!
Mr.Craig Tarler, his wife Patti, Mr. Chris Tarler, Miss Pam, Mr. Bruce, Mr. Dale, Mr.Ted, Mr.William--we all had a great time. AND THE SAMPLES--SO MANY TO TRY--AND THEIR DISPLAYS! Happily, I have some relatives I'm going to visit in Kannapolis, and Charlotte, North Carolina, this Fall. I hope to drop by for a visit to C&D, and get my hands dirty, in a tobacco warehouse, learn a few things, and develop a new blend called "Chaparral", named after the beautiful and fragrant Chaparral woodlands all around where I live, on the Central Coast of California. It will be a project just for fun, and I hope you all will try some, and enjoy it. I'm not famous, rich, or a big shot--I just really like great tobaccos, and I wish to contribute and share what I can, to help fellow pipesmokers enjoy their lifestyle, even more.
I hope to see continued success of Cornell & Diehl, and I hope you find and enjoy some great tobaccos, there! Just look at what they have to offer--and I'm positive you will!
P.S. If you would like to try some C&D pipe tobaccos they are at
www.cornellanddiehl.com
www.Outwesttobacco.com
P.S. Please send Chocolate bars to Mr.Ted!! --Eric

Rarely, can one find an Aromatic (fragrant) tobacco, that is fully satisfying to taste, and keep a true tobacco flavor all through the smoke, without "fading", as most aromatics (not all) will do.
Enter the "Natural" tobacco type. Natural blends and mixtures are exactly that--no added casings, sauces, top-dressings or artificial ingredients--just tobaccos that have been blended or mixed in pleasing proportions, based on their qualities and smoking characteristics. The catagories of natural mixtures and blends include: Matured Virginias, Burleys, Orientals (Turkish, Macedonian, Latakia, etc.)Maryland, Perique are the basic tobaccos used in blending natural blends. Most natural tobacco blends are based on Virginias or Burleys, with the addition of "condiment" tobaccos for spice, flavor, etc. Virginia tobaccos are naturally sweet in flavor, and their degree of "body" are determined by how they are processed and aged: Eastern Belt Lemon Carolina ribbon is bright yellow in color, has a sharp, sweet piquaint flavor. Stoved black Virginia strip has a full body taste, with the added sweetness of a "cavendish", subtle flavors of prunes, figs, all produced by the natural sugars in the leaf. Burley tobacco has a degree of body, but it does not have the natural sweetness of Virginia. The Oriental tobaccos provide spice, sweetness and flavor, depending on what type of Oriental tobaccos they are--most are considered "condiments" to a blend or mixture.
Mixtures may be classified by "style", also. Light English, Medium English, Full English, Balkan, Scottish are a few. There are some light English tobacco mixtures that are even Based on mild, sweet Orientals, such as the Dunhill Early Morning Pipe mixture.
Natural tobaccos are also very good to the palate of cigarette smokers who are trying to switch to a pipe--because a lot of them are made with tobaccos similer in color to the "tobacco" used in cigarettes--but soon discovered--true tobacco taste of a natural pipe tobacco is a wonderful experience over commercial cigarette tobacco.
Try a light to medium "English" mixture, to start with. You may wish to select a tinned English mixture, as you may wish to compare lightly flavored tobaccos to rich,fully flavored tobaccos. Reserve the rich ones for an after meal experience, as you would do for a fully flavored, rich cigar. Enjoy the "light" mixtures at your leisure, all day. The medium mixtures you may enjoy most in the late morning or early afternoon hours. My point being that a full, rich, heavy flavored mixture may not be the best "first pipe of the day", as it might be a sensory "overload" to your palate.
I recommend to try several Natural tobaccos to begin with, starting with some basic Virginia and Burley blends, getting acquainted with them, then trying some of the more exotic light Oriental blends. Try to smoke your natural tobaccos in pipes that you have not smoked Aromatic tobaccos out of, and vice versa. It will probably take about 3 to 4 ounces of a tobacco to get the true flavor of that tobacco. Above all, enjoy trying different natural tobaccos, and if you can't find one that you like--make up your own mixture from the experience you have gained, and refine your creation to be consistent, as your own mixture will be unique in the world! Some of the best commercially available tobacco blends and mixtures were originally just ideas and experiments and "mistakes" from tobacco customers in search of a good smoke! --ETW

What is “Turkish” Tobacco?

The common name “Turkish”, given to tobacco currently, really refers to tobacco grown in not only the country of Turkey, but other parts of the world, including Greece, Macedonia, Russia and Asia. More specifically, the reason why the name is used in a general way, was due to the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, centuries ago, when the Turks were conquering and occupying new territories.
“Oriental” is a more accurate name to the tobaccos we know of today, which add marvelous aromas and tastes to pipe tobaccos that are grouped into categories of Balkans, English mixtures and Scottish mixtures; these tobaccos being naturally aromatic, to various degrees. They are from the plant Nicotiana Rustica, the leaves being very small compared to other tobacco. They are mostly sun-cured, and harvested by priming the leaves off the plant, one by one. They grow on mountain plains, hillsides and the base of valleys. Soil conditions in many areas in which they are grown are unique. Generally, modern agricultural techniques of fertilization, irrigation, crop rotation, etc., are not used. The plants have developed a waxy coating on the leaves to help it to survive dry conditions. The beauty of this natural reaction, is that the wax on the leaves help lock in and preserve natural organic essential oils, which give the tobacco their famous herbal and spicy, aromatic qualities, so valued. The tobacco which is one of the most aromatic of this kind is called “Smyrna”, of which “Latakia” comes from. Latakia is the name of a Syrian seaport. The “Latakia” tobacco is simply a sun and fire-cured product of the leaf, being cured with the smoke from the Asiatic Oak tree and other herbs, for a period of several weeks. The other exotic names of Oriental tobaccos are taken from the regions they are grown, the towns near the seaports where they are traded, and the foreign language names of where they are cultivated: “hill tops”, “mountains”, “open plains”, etc.
To our enjoyment, these Oriental tobaccos are used mostly as a “condiment” addition to our pipe tobacco mixtures, and sometimes have been used a “base”. The Oriental tobaccos differ in levels of aroma, sweetness and color, depending are where they are from. Knowing the fine differences of each, will enable you to be familiar with them, and how you would use them in your favorite mixture, either to compliment another type of tobacco, to layer flavors, etc.
Please do not be overwhelmed by the numerous names of these tobaccos, but do some fun investigation of your own, and ask yourself some questions about the names of some of them: does the name mean a city, area or place, or does it mean a name of a product , or a method of production of the tobacco?

Eric Whitaker

As the weather becomes colder, I enjoy spicy, full-flavored Balkan style tobacco mixtures. I tried the G.L.Pease Odyssey mixture, and was very pleased and satified with it's smoothness, gradual taste, and sweetness. It is a mellow Balkan, that will not bite! The latakia level is just right, complimenting the generous portions of Orientals. The sweet notes come from a wonderful combination of black stoved and red Virginias. The Odyssey mixture is a journey back in time, and quite a treat. I recommend it, because it is so smooth, yet full of flavor. This is an "all-day" smoke.

Odyssey by G L Pease

Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, from Kendall, England, is one of the finest, old fashioned styled tobaccos, naturally sweet and full-bodied, as you will find. After trying a sample 50 gram tin, I discovered a source for bulk shipments by the pound--which economized the tobacco, considerably. What it is: a 100% Bright Virginia leaf, darkened and sweetened by compression in a steam-heated press, for several hours, bringing out natural sweetness, body and flavor, being "full-style", as Samuel Gawith & Company have been doing since the year 1792. This tobacco is proof, that if you've created something great, you don't change things--you closely preserve the ancient methods-and carry on with consistentcy! One long flake strip is enough to fill an oversized pipe--a "half-strip" is enough for a standard sized bowl. The tobacco keeps well--and improves with age. There are no added casings or top flavors--just very finely sliced, naturally sweet tobacco. You always have the option to shred out this flake, as you like, and it will not crumble, being a product of whole leaf, not small pieces of tobacco. It is a beatiful dark shade of brown, bringing out the best there is in Virginia tobacco. If you desire a lighter colored Samuel Gawith Flake, please try "Samuel Gawith's Best Brown", which is lighter in body and color, and a little cleaner and sharper on the palate. A well done product of "The Old Country", that will give you a sweet smoke, that people have been enjoying for many years

Number 1 Grade Balkan--McClelland #2030---A simple Review...

Four different tobaccos make up this medium Balkan mixture:

Rich, stoved Virginia Strip--It provides a sweet and complex depth of zesty flavor, adding body to the mixture. A dark tobacco.
Cyprian Latakia--A well-balanced addition to the "spice" department, cool smoking and very flavorful.
Lemon Carolina--which provides a nice sharpness to offset the stoved Virginia strip, also adding a naturally visual contrast to the mixture with a bright yellow color.
Fine Greek Oriental tobaccos--which add spicy and mellow mysterious richness, further defining the mixture as a true Balkan.

After sampling the #1 Grade Balkan #2030 several times, here are my conclusions:
Note: I smoked an Ashton Oldchurch 2X Prince pipe, to enjoy the Balkan mixture with. It smoked mellow and sweet as a nut!
1.) The mixture is well-balanced, pleasantly sweet(not too sweet)and mellow, UNLIKE overpowering Balkans that are sour and unbalanced-just the opposite! I can tell this mixture is aged well, and has high quality leaf. It burns clean, and the Virginias really develop more flavor as the bowl is consumed, and gives off an exotic room note, leaving a fine white grey ash.
2.) This is an excellent mixture, full of great flavor, ideally suited to changing over from cigarettes to a pipe (Thank Goodness!) demonstrating to the smoker that true, exotic and mellow tobacco flavor can be attained with that first wonderful new pipe--and a Grand experience of enjoying some of the world's finest tobaccos, at a fraction of the cost of "tinned" mixtures.
I shall to continue to smoke this one, as long as the McClelland people continue to craft it. A Superior mixture you will enjoy today, made from the classic recipes, and well-aged tobaccos of "The Old World of the Orient". This tobacco available at www.outwesttobacco.com

Does your wife or girlfriend or family, like the aroma of fresh coffee and chocolate? Do you like a tobacco that is wonderfully aromatic--but not too sweet? How about a tobacco that holds its flavor all the way down the bowl without fading out? If that sounds great to you--try some of the McClelland's Columbian Mocha pipe tobacco! If you are considering just to start with a pipe--a perfect blend would be their "West Texas Mocha Black-#620", which is a wonderful black cavandish, not too sweet-flavored with the coffee and dark chocolate essences.
The Columbian Mocha blend is a little different, as it is a medium mixture based on the black cavendish, finely balanced with some naturally sweet Virginias. Next time you sit down with a cup of your favorite java, compliment the cup with a bowl of Columbian Mocha--and you'll get some good compliments, too! This is a tobacco that could be a personal trademark, and a great companion for those early mornings, when the smoker wants to "ease" into his day, or relax in good company. I believe Gene has some #620 West Texas Mocha Black Cavendish on the way--look for it soon! --Eric

I recently tried a pound of the McClelland Burley blend X-40 Burley by the Slice. The tobacco is pressed into cakes, and aged. Because of the processing, it is mild and mellow enough for your first pipe of the day, in the morning. It has an all natural Burley flavor, which keeps its flavor all the way down the bowl, and it does not lose flavor like lower quality Burleys do. It is not sharp or harsh in any way, and it burns clean all the way down. I recommend this tobacco as a great mild stand alone, or as a great base blender. If I were to blend with Burley tobacco, I believe I would add about 20% McClelland #5100 Red Virginia Cake, to it, to add some sweetness, and balance. If you like all natural tobacco, of the Burley variety--this is the one! Enjoy!