pipes
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Sillem’s is a German brand currently manufactured by Kopp Tobacco, with roots going back to the 16th century in Hamburg, Germany. Commodore Flake is a blend of Latakia, Dark Fired Kentucky, and Black Cavendish. The tin note is sweet and fruity, with hints of nuts and raisins. The flakes are very soft and easily turn…
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HU Tobacco’s Nebari is a ribbon cut blend of Virginia, Burley, Orientals, and Perique. After opening the tin, it feels like it might need some drying time (this turned out not to be the case) and had a light and pleasant tin note. The Orientals and Burley combine in interesting ways, creating a kind of…
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How to Properly Prepare Twist Tobacco I have talked to a lot of people who want to smoke twist or rope tobaccos like Gawith Hoggarth’s Black or Brown Irish X but get frustrated with keeping it lit. I have been learning that the problem is often in how it is being prepared. When it comes…
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Since 2019, when Not Just Blowing Smoke began, I have shared my thoughts on the best new cigars and tobaccos of the year. On the one hand, the last thing the cigar/pipe world needs is another list of the best of 2024. But I am not just blowing smoke when I confess that some of…
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HU Makhuwa is a ribbon cut blend of Burley, Virginia, and Perique. The tin note includes figs, graham cracker, and a floral aroma. Upon lighting, it presents a bright floral aroma with notes of nuts, hints of cocoa, hay, lemon zest, wood, and tangy spice on the palate. The finish is smooth and creamy with…
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The latest in G.L. Pease’s Zeitgeist series, Horizons is a flake of Turkish Latakia, Red Virginia, Bright Virginia, and Orientals. Smoky, sweet, and savory with notes of mesquite, steak sauce, earth, and leather, with occasional hints of citrus. The retrohale is smoky with a light pepper spice. The finish is rich with notes of leather,…
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One of GL Pease’s Original Mixtures, Barbary Coast is a blend of cube-cut Burley, Red Virginia, and Perique with a “kiss” of brandy. It is one of the few blends from GL Pease that you may want to give a few minutes of drying time before smoking. I find that it works best in a…
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One of the highlights of my career as a tobacconist has been the privilege of working with Jeremy Reeves, the head blender at Cornell & Diehl, and Kaz Walters from Laudisi Distribution Group, on a series of pipe tobacco blends that would essentially be a tobacco line extension to Kurt Kendall’s storied 7-20-4 cigar brand.…
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One of GL Pease’s Original Mixtures, Barbary Coast is a blend of cube-cut Burley, Red Virginia, and Perique with a “kiss” of brandy. It is one of the few blends from GL Pease that you may want to give a few minutes of drying time before smoking. I find that it works best in a…
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Cringle Flake has been an annual release from Sutliff since 2019, always featuring top grade aged Red Virginias. The original blend was a straight Red Virginia flake, while the subsequent years (2020-2023) were Virginia Perique blends. For the first time since its inception, Cringle Flake 2024 is again a straight Virginia flake. A blend of…
Not Just Blowing Smoke with Pastor Padron 