Not Just Blowing Smoke
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Here are my picks for the best new pipe tobacco blends of 2025. While I do highlight one in particular as my pick for the best new blend of the year, they are not in a ranked order. All of the tobaccos mentioned in this video are outstanding in my opinion. What were your top…
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Recently, Arango Cigar Company “an importer and distributor for many classic OTC blends like Prince Albert and Carter Hall, has brought back Royal Comfort for a new generation of pipe smokers and classic fans alike” (that’s a quote from their website). Royal Comfort is a Red Virginia, Cavendish, and Perique blend with “crisp fruit, cask-aged…
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Cornell & Diehl is ending the year with a brand-new Small Batch, Fires on the Levee, which hits the shelves December 16th at 6:00pm. Is this tribute to the Christmas tradition of lighting bonfires along the Mississippi River in Luisiana’s Parishes to guide “Papa Noel” going to be a hit, or is it too much…
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One of the things I love about being a part of Twins Smoke Shop, is that I am given the opportunity to share reviews of new and limited-edition blends that are coming out for you. In this video, I unbox a tin of G.L. Pease Silver Jubilee, which will hit the shelves at 6:00pm on…
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I was excited. An unopened 8oz tin of Haddo’s Delight from 2019. What would that be like? Opening the tin, I found there had been some break in the seal, and the tobacco was very dry. Undeterred, I decided to try it anyway and talk about a few ways to bring dry tobacco back to…
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Today’s breakfast was a La Flor Dominicana DL 452 Maduro, a 4 x 52 (go figure) short Robusto with a firm draw and bold notes of earth, coffee, and dark cocoa, with a strong black pepper retro and a creamy lingering finish. Great with a cold brew coffee. Full in body and strength, this cigar…
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Erik Stokkebye is a friend of mine, and one of my favorite people in the business. His limited releases have become something I look forward to every year. One of the reasons I look forward to it is that Erik utilizes his contacts across the pipe and tobacco industry working with different blenders each year…
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In my review of this year’s release of From Beyond, I mused that it seemed different from my memory of previous releases, and that it would be interesting to see if that were true and if so how. Looking in my cellar, I found I indeed had a tin of the original release of From…
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Part of the Old Ones series, From Beyond is a ribbon blend featuring 21-year-old Cyprian Latakia alongside aged Red and Bright Virginias, Orientals, and Perique. Jeremy Reeves original intent was to evoke the flavor and experience he had from smoking a circa 1990 tin of Dunhill Night Cap. I cannot compare it to that, never…
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Today, October 11, 2025 is Pipetoberfest, an annual pipe event at Twins Smoke shop where we focus on beer pairings with tobacco alongside a trunk show. This year, for $20 you get a Pipetoberfest stein, a bag full of swag, and access to all five 7-20-4 Briary Blends tobaccos–Boston Tea Party, Queen City, Dexter’s Secret,…
Not Just Blowing Smoke with Pastor Padron 