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About Me:
I have loved pipes since I was 20. I enjoy tennis, philosophy, and fantasy/sci-fi.
Reviews
RoMa Craft - CroMagnon PA Knuckle Dragger
Great
Full-bodied, big flavors. Just a very nice cigar. Obviously I’m not a professional cigar reviewer or even a decent amateur. I smoke these , Olivia V, and an occasional Camacho corojo for reference.
Camacho - Corojo Churchill
Bold
One of my favorites. I’m not a huge cigar guy as my wife hates the smell. I need her goodwill for pipes! When I cheat, this is what I go to. Big on flavor and smooth.
McClelland - Craftsbury: Frog Morton's Cellar 100g
Tasty
It’s damn good. Not over the top on flavor. Smooth and of quality. Probably my favorite thing out of Kansas City; although I like Scottie Piersel’s pipes a lot too.
Stands & Pouches - Claudio Albieri Leather Cleaners Holder Blue
Cool but completely unnecessary
It looks nice and holds maybe 25 pipe cleaners. I keep one in my car. It keeps them neat. I want one more, but I’m not sure that the desire isn’t silly.
Cleaners & Cleaning Supplies - B. J. Long Pipe Cleaners - Extra Fluffy (32 pack)
Field day
This works nice in tandem with the bristle for every pipe smokers least favorite day. When this guy comes out clean, the pipe is too.
Cleaners & Cleaning Supplies - B. J. Long Pipe Cleaners - Bristle (40 pack)
Field day
When your pipe is in need of a good thorough cleaning, this guy is what you want. I use with fluffy for these days. Once fluffy passes clean, I’m done.
Stands & Pouches - 1790 English Tobacco Box German Silver
Old school
I don’t know if such a case was commonly used in a really classy era (forgetting about sexism and racism), but I would like to think it was. It’s awesome. Stick to storing one type of tobacco per or use plastic.
Stands & Pouches - Claudio Albieri 1-Pipe Leather Magnetic Stand Dark Blue
Classy
Nice on a to but also in combination with his 2-Pipe stands as those fit three.
Pipe Accessories - Claudio Albieri 2 Pipe Leather Magnetic Stand Blue/Light Blue
Classy
I own six with six more singles as this fits three. They look awesome. You have to set the rest and pipe just so for stability. Don’t order if you live in a seismologically interesting area.
Cleaners & Cleaning Supplies - Obsidian Pipe Stem Oil 18ml
Better than chapstick
There’s a hint in this review for my frugal brothers of briar. This works well. Nice high polish.
G. L. Pease - Stonehenge Flake 2oz
If you are a Cookie Crisp person
This is good if you like dessert. I don’t. I’m weird. If you don’t taste dessert here, aromatics are screwing with your taste buds. Get help!!
Capstan - Ready Rubbed Blue 1.75oz
Yass
How to review Virginia’s...? I don’t know how honestly. I love this. I think you will too. Pricey but I find myself unable to reach further into my cellar.
Stands & Pouches - Abe Herbaugh Pipe Stand - Amber Magnetic
Strong and sexy
Looks great and holds strong...really strong. I would buy again. Attaboy, Abe
Cleaners & Cleaning Supplies - B. J. Long Pipe Cleaners - Regular (56 pack)
Good and inexpensive
These do the trick. I use them as my daily with fluffy and bristle, a heroic sounding duo, serving for more thorough cleaning. It’s a pipe cleaner, and it serves that basic function. It’s strong enough while still conforming to bent stems with a little push, and they don’t leave lint.
G. L. Pease - Odyssey 2oz
If Godzilla were pipe tobacco
Big. Need I say more? Yes, I suppose I should. This one is a nice big latakia bomb. It's not overpowering. This is not pouring on the spiciest hot sauce to prove to everyone what a tough person you are. This is just a tasty blend that doesn't do a lot to hide all of that latakia goodness. Are there orientals and virginias? Yes. But latakia is the star here, and if you're not sure if you've had a blend with latakia casted as Lou Reed, buy this. Now. Well, be responsible. If you don't have the money, save up first.
Cornell & Diehl - Billy Budd
Smoky all day goodness
"Not for the faint of heart" writes one reviewer. I'm not buying that. It's namesake might have been courageous (unfortunate is surely an accurate word while rash might be better), but you need not be. Neophytes and old-hands alike can appreciate what this blend has to offer. It's smoky with a nice full backing. It's got a lot of body and smokes well. I'd say that it's a nice transitional move from Virginias to Latakias or vice versa. Others might recommend Presbyterian or SmokingPipes' (Low Country) own Cooper, but I think this brings it more to the middle. Plus, the price makes this a no brainer. Excellent as bulk. Do not be concerned about getting a lower-quality offering here.
G. L. Pease - Cairo 2oz
Subtly spicy
I liked it. It's been a while since I've had a bowl, but it had nuance, for lack of a more concrete word. There was a touch of spice, not Cypriot or Syrian latakia style, more peppery. There was also some mild raciness to it, like a nice acidic dish--something spiced lightly with a touch of lemon and a hint of pepper. It's good. Give it a try. It's not one of Greg Pease's more renowned efforts, but it's wholly unique. Of course, I've only smoked 40 tobaccos, give or take; so, take that for what it is worth.
G. L. Pease - Lagonda 2oz
Big and subtle
Big and subtle...sounds like a contradiction, but it's not, really. I agree with Daniel, this is Odyssey with some complexity. It's big. Definitely. There is a significant portion of latakia here waiting to kick your door in and steal your first born, but boy/girl/man/lady does it have layers. It leans more toward the sweet side rather than the smoky. Sweet with a touch of spice, but the smoke is there too, subtly. I like it. I wouldn't trade my first-born, but a jerk of an offspring tethered to me only by mores, yeah, he's/she's gone. But seriously, give it a try. It's a sleeper in terms of attention garnered, but it damn sure isn't a sleeper in terms of quality, flavor, and zing. It will slap you in the face so pleasantly that you'll be saying, "Yeah, that Marquis de Sade might have had something there after all." Qualification: I was drunk for this review, but it's still a really nice tobacco.
G. L. Pease - Sixpence 2oz
Not my cup of tea, but of obvious quality
I really wanted to like this one, but I just don't. There, I said it. I am not fond of leaving negative reviews for something so completely under the reign of subjectivity as pipe tobacco. But the deluge of positive reviews has purged me of any potential guilt for doing so in this case. Sixpence is of clear quality. The tobacco is lovely--Greg Pease does not put out offal. This one is just not for me. Where others taste a hint of anise or absinthe, I sense heat, like I'm puffing too urgently regardless of how delicately I nibble. It's cloying, but there are no flavor profiles that justify that kind of adjective. I don't know. Like I said, I wanted to like it. I'd say give it a whirl. I'm obviously in the minority on this one. I feel like I'm missing out, like everyone else is having a different experience. But let's return to a positive place by way of an utter non sequitur: Bosch's Tondal's Vision is a masterpiece of surrealism centuries before that trail was supposedly blazed in two-dimensional art. Seriously, check it out. It's crazy to think that Bosch painted that in the 16th century.
Low Country - Cooper 2oz
Yawp, barbaric or otherwise
This stuff makes me happy. It reminds me of Presbyterian; if you haven't tried Presbyterian, stop reading this review, add two to your cart, check out next day air, take 5 Ambien, wake up, smoke it, repeat the last step several times, and resume your life. That said, this blend is Presbyterian amplified. Does that mean better? Not necessarily, but it's damn good. The tin aroma is that of a farm. All that nice fresh air, crisp hay, and woodsy notes, but there's some manure there too, but it's nice. The flavor: Full, but not overpowering. It's got some nice peppery notes to go along with it. I don't know what else to say about this blend. It is delightful. Presbyterian with some chutzpah; that is what I would say. If you think a review shouldn't mention another tobacco warmly three times, smoke both of these tobaccos and see what comes to mind.
Presbyterian - Presbyterian 50g
Deserted on an island
Would this be the tobacco I brought with me if marooned? I think so. I don't have a clue why, however. It's just delicious. Tin aroma: well-kept barn; flavor: I don't know--full, earthy; smoking qualities: excellent. I kind of forget what relights are when I'm puffing on this fine weed. I've given it to a few friends, and they love it, but I don't know if this one is for everyone. You should try it. I know that.
Tampers & Tools - Czech Pipe Tool
Perfect utility
I keep a few around the house and one in my car. When I go out, I take some of my more classy tampers, but for around the house or on the run, this one has it going on. It works and holds up well. I don't know that a reasonable person can break them. I'm terribly hard on mine, and they all still function as they did when they arrived. It's also fairly attractive in form and finish given its cost. If you're on the fence, hop off of it and buy 1,2 or many. If you're disappointed, you're an odd duck.
Orlik - Golden Sliced 50g
Light and Easy
I usually smoke tobaccos with a lot of punch. Orlik offers a nice break from those. It's a nice smooth smoke. The flavor is mild but toward the sweeter end of the spectrum. I don't think it has too much nicotine, but that is nearly pointless to say as everyone has different levels of tolerance there. The wife loves the room note; although, I'm not one of those lucky persons who get to smoke inside. If you get a trial run offer for this privilege, this would be a nice smoke to try to win your partner over. For the price you get an awful lot in terms of a quality smoke. Definitely worth inclusion if you're a fan of VA flakes such as Dunhill's or Aylesbury's Sir John's.
John Aylesbury - Sir John's Flake Virginia 50g
Flavorful Flake
If you like Dunhill's Flake, give Sir John's a try. In my opinion the latter offers more flavor. I love Dunhill's but this one has a little bit extra. Tough to explain. As with most VA flakes, it smokes beautifully. I'm not too retentive on packing flakes. I just do whatever I feel like doing, whether that's twist and fold, rub, or a drunken mixture. Regardless of how haphazardly I've packed this tobacco, the smoke has always gone smoothly. Light on nicotine and big on flavor. I haven't noticed any residual aroma in the pipes after smoking this such that I needed to set up an aromatic rotation. The less cased VA's I've put in after this one have smoked cleanly.
G. L. Pease - Maltese Falcon 2oz
Smoky goodness
This is a nice flavorful tobacco. A fresh non-aged tin has that nice campfire flavor. As it ages a little bit more it begins to take on a BBQ flavor, kind of tastes and smells like BBQ chicken. I don't eat meat, but I can appreciate how good the aforementioned entree tastes. After about a year this mellows out considerably and you have a fine light smoke with a decent amount of flavor in which the smokiness and BBQ sweetness have become gentle companions. It can be hard to keep lit, but drying it out a little bit before smoking largely mitigates this difficulty. My massively chambered Viprati bent apple has pulled off a number of smokes without a relight. My wife and I picked this up because we love Hammett and Bogart, a ridiculous reason to purchase tobacco, but all's well that ends well.
G. L. Pease - Haddo's Delight 2oz
An old favorite
I've been smoking Haddo's for 11 years now, and it never fails to please. It's not your standard VA/Per. It's got a prune scented tin aroma, but the flavor of the smoke is much more balanced, not cloying at all. As with all Pease blends (almost all at least) it's meant to be aged. I don't like smoking it without a year in the cellar. To me, the optimal time to smoke it is between 1 and 5 years of cellar time. After 5 it becomes increasingly sweeter. If that's your cup of tea, let it sit for a decade or more. Here's my thoughts on it in a nutshell: choice tobaccos, clean smoke (no relights needed if careful), and a good amount of nicotine.