Castello: Old America 2020 Old Sea Rock Hawkbill (Big Line) (11.18) Tobacco Pipe

While the annual Premium Cigar Association show, formerly called the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) show, was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, Castello still fashioned a limited-edition line for the year. Called the Old America series, the shape Castello chose to represent the special line is a hearty, enormous Hawkbill that confidently fills the palm with its massive proportions and aligns with their beloved "84" design. The Hawkbill is one of the most iconic shapes in all of pipe making and is a design Castello helped make famous, with the curved droop of the shank-and-stem combination accentuating the plumpness and implied forward momentum of the bowl.

The line consists of 18 unique pieces, each wearing various finishes and color palettes. This example is serialized as number 11 and is finished in the Old Sea Rock rustication, which offers the same craggy texture as the standard Sea Rock rustication but adds to it a "fumed" rim, the upper bowl darkened and transitioning into the auburn hue of the rest of the stummel. The deep, fumed stain suits the craggy texture exceptionally well with some dynamic contrast, accentuating the rustic appeal with a weathered aesthetic while also disguising any rim darkening that develops.

What makes this piece even more enticing is that it's a part of the Italian workshop's Big Line. While Castello ages all of their briar for several years, the briar used to make Big Line pipes is cured for 12 years. That well-aged briar was put to good use for this piece and rendered in large proportions for full appreciation of the rugged rustication. Castello pipes are frequently heralded for their excellent smoking properties, so I can only imagine how well this piece will perform. At the base of the abbreviated, tapered stem you'll find Castello's older logo — an eye-catching rhinestone, which the Italian workshop still occasionally features on new pipes. As far as exquisite, Italian-made pipes go, it's nearly impossible to find a piece with the pedigree and characteristics this composition boasts.