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Re: Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:55 pm
by smokinsteve
Kip wrote:
kurtdesign1 wrote:
Kip wrote:
Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:42 am
When I first popped the tin I thought it may have been flavored because it had a deep plumlike sweetness, but whatever it was quickly dissipated into a slightly fruity, VA-ish sweetness. After smoking a bowl last night and one right now, it reminds me a lot of some of the Solani VA blends. Granted, I haven't smoked any of their tobacco in a decade, but that's what it brings to mind. It is a very straightforward blend that has just enough Perique to temper the VA twang that's still present in the background. It isn't flipping my lid as something exotic and new...but is very pleasant to smoke.

I'm not sure if Russ is still involved in the H&H blending, or to what degree, but this is of a noticeably different character than what I remember from the early pre-sale H&H days. It doesn't have that dark, chewy VA presence that I remember from his Virginia based blends back then.

The burley mentioned in the description is modest but lends a slight nuttiness to the flavor. The description also mentions Cavendish, which can at times be a turnoff for me because it can turn bitter once lit if in too much proportion, but I'm happy to report that isn't the case. It lends enough sweetness that the blend would serve well for someone transitioning out of heavily flavored blends, but is not cloying for those of us who don't much care for syrupy tobacco.

Overall, it's very good. I probably wouldn't stockpile 10 lb. of it were I to be cellar-building, but it'd be a good candidate for keeping enough around to regularly reach for it.

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This is a great Pipe Tobacco review. So many that I've seen are not half as descriptive in their similes or nearly as clear with their summary. Thanks Kip. I have an actual sense of that tobacco now.

I reckon even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while. I wasn't even writing a 'review'; I was just answering the question and got a little wordy.

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Thanks for the “review”. I enjoyed reading it as well. In fact, you have inspired me to be more objective when talking about or posting about the tobaccos that I smoke.


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Re: Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 9:39 pm
by smokinsteve
Smoking some GLP Haddos Delight tonight. And trying out a wind cap. This is one of my favorite tobaccos! It’s got a very rich dark sweetness going on. The Perique provides a little peppery punch. The “topping” is present and has a little bit of an aromatic sugar from the black cavendish on the tip of the tongue. But this is definitely not an aromatic blend. The sweetness definitely tastes like figs to me. My palate is not refined enough to be able to pick out the Virginia flavors. This blend has just enough dark fig sweetness mixed with a little black pepper and nicotine to keep it interesting!
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Re: Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:44 pm
by Kip
smokinsteve wrote:Smoking some GLP Haddos Delight tonight. And trying out a wind cap. This is one of my favorite tobaccos! It’s got a very rich dark sweetness going on. The Perique provides a little peppery punch. The “topping” is present and has a little bit of an aromatic sugar from the black cavendish on the tip of the tongue. But this is definitely not an aromatic blend. The sweetness definitely tastes like figs to me. My palate is not refined enough to be able to pick out the Virginia flavors. This blend has just enough dark fig sweetness mixed with a little black pepper and nicotine to keep it interesting!
Image


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Two random tidbits:

1. I love windcaps. They do their job and do it well. They can make an otherwise lost opportunity for a bowl into a pleasurable experience on a windy day or drive in the car.

2. Haddo's was the absolute hottest thing since sliced bread back in the day. The perique is a bit more prominent than I sometimes want, but its status as a legendary blend is rivaled by few in the past 3 decades. As a side note, its name comes from Oliver Haddo, a character in W. Somerset Maugham's book The Magician - who was a caricature of Aleister Crowley, a famous occultist of the day. Crowley reportedly smoked straight perique soaked in rum(!), so Pease used the name to hint at the prominence of perique in the blend. It's not 100%, of course, because nearly anyone in their right mind would find it entirely unsmokeable....but it has a healthy dose for sure.

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Re: Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:58 pm
by smokinsteve
Kip wrote:
smokinsteve wrote:Smoking some GLP Haddos Delight tonight. And trying out a wind cap. This is one of my favorite tobaccos! It’s got a very rich dark sweetness going on. The Perique provides a little peppery punch. The “topping” is present and has a little bit of an aromatic sugar from the black cavendish on the tip of the tongue. But this is definitely not an aromatic blend. The sweetness definitely tastes like figs to me. My palate is not refined enough to be able to pick out the Virginia flavors. This blend has just enough dark fig sweetness mixed with a little black pepper and nicotine to keep it interesting!
Image


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Two random tidbits:

1. I love windcaps. They do their job and do it well. They can make an otherwise lost opportunity for a bowl into a pleasurable experience on a windy day or drive in the car.

2. Haddo's was the absolute hottest thing since sliced bread back in the day. The perique is a bit more prominent than I sometimes want, but its status as a legendary blend is rivaled by few in the past 3 decades. As a side note, its name comes from Oliver Haddo, a character in W. Somerset Maugham's book The Magician - who was a caricature of Aleister Crowley, a famous occultist of the day. Crowley reportedly smoked straight perique soaked in rum(!), so Pease used the name to hint at the prominence of perique in the blend. It's not 100%, of course, because nearly anyone in their right mind would find it entirely unsmokeable....but it has a healthy dose for sure.

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Thanks for that info! I’m really liking the wind caps. Now I don’t accidentally blow little bits of smoldering tobacco on my clothes!

I don’t know why anyone would smoke straight Perique! And I love Perique heavy blends. Haddos is definitely one of my favorites.


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Re: Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 10:01 pm
by smokinsteve
I’m finishing off the night smoking C&D Small Batch Sansepolcro.
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Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:17 pm
by smokinsteve
I’m smoking some Hearth and Home Red Eye tonight.
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Re: Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:35 am
by Kip
Having some morning Abingdon in my 2012 CPS POY....

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Re: Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 4:20 pm
by Kip
This blend was once the bane of my existence. Like much of MacBaren's portfolio, I really enjoyed the flavor, but it bit me like a rabid badger - no matter how I'd manipulate it's moisture level. I took it out of my rotation and left a few tins in the cellar for no particular reason. This one is from 01/23/07. Let's see if time really can heal all wounds.... Image

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Re: Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 9:03 pm
by Kip
Kip wrote:This blend was once the bane of my existence. Like much of MacBaren's portfolio, I really enjoyed the flavor, but it bit me like a rabid badger - no matter how I'd manipulate it's moisture level. I took it out of my rotation and left a few tins in the cellar for no particular reason. This one is from 01/23/07. Let's see if time really can heal all wounds.... Image

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So, that actually went very well. No bite to speak of. Flavor still holding well. Kind of a sweetened hay sorta flavor with some ever-so-slight woodsiness thrown in.

I guess all I gotta do to enjoy this blend is buy it and forget about it for 12 years....

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Re: Whats in your bowl?

Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2019 12:26 am
by smokinsteve
Happy Independence Day folks! Smoking some Haddo’s Delight.
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