Tobacco Talk

Oriental Tobaccos and Their Characteristics

April 30, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

21 Comments

Oriental tobaccos differ from other tobaccos in size, character, and blending applications. These plants are small in comparison to the tobacco plants we see growing in the mid-Atlantic south. Those plants grow tall, up to 10 feet, while the plants that produce Orientals are only about three or four feet tall, and although Virginias and Burleys have large, broad leaves, Oriental leaves are small. They are also sun-cured as opposed to the fire, air, and flue curing that we're most accustomed to. ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: April 2021

April 21, 2021 by Andrew Wike

6 Comments

Welcome back to another episode of the Mystery Tobacco Review! For this month's installment, we're back with a very special guest Inquisitor: Mr. Glen Whelan, Director of Sales at Kapp & Peterson. Glen got his start as a part-time retail associate in the Peterson store at the age of 16, and today he leads Peterson's sales efforts ... Read More

How World War II American POWs Grew, Cured, and Smoked Pipe Tobacco in Captivity

April 15, 2021 by Jeffery Sitts

9 Comments

In a previous blog we explored how American POWs crafted their own pipes while held captive in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines. In the November, 1946 issue of Pipe Lovers magazine, Captain Frank Schaf, Jr. recounted his experience as a POW and the greath lengths he and fellow pipe smokers went to make their own pipes from local hardwoods and ... Read More

The Mystery of Balkan Blends

March 26, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

33 Comments

A number of terms used in our hobby represent slippery concepts. Cavendish, for example, isn't a type of tobacco so much as a process, and discussions centering on the topic can veer into confusion when different participants adhere to different interpretations. ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: March 2021

March 25, 2021 by Andrew Wike

8 Comments

Welcome back to another episode of the Mystery Tobacco Review! While our blind taste-testing video series failed to win any Golden Globe awards this year, we were honored to host our very own celebrity Inquisitor for this month's review: Host of the Pipes Magazine Radio Show, Mr. Brian Levine, Dr. of Pipes. ... Read More

Tasting Notes: Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation Evening Flake

March 4, 2021 by Shane Ireland

Welcome back to another episode of Tasting Notes. If you've been following the latest installments of this series, you're likely aware that I've been working my way through Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation Bulk offerings recently. The interesting thing about this bulk series is that each blend is named after a specific time of day ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: February 2021

February 25, 2021 by Andrew Wike

7 Comments

Welcome back to another episode of the Mystery Tobacco Review, our flagship review series in which three of our panelists put their palates to the test against one unknown blend. For this month, we were honored to once again host C&D's Head Blender, Jeremy Reeves, as our Guest Inquisitor, selecting one mystery tobacco ... Read More

History of International Pipe Smoking Day

February 19, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

12 Comments

One of the most popular online forums for pipe smokers is Smokers Forums, based in the UK and still going strong after many years with a world-wide membership. I've managed to modulate the compulsion, but for years I couldn't start a workday without browsing Smokers Forums ... Read More

Tasting Notes: G.L. Pease's Windjammer

February 12, 2021 by Shane Ireland

5 Comments

Welcome back to another episode of Tasting Notes! Today, I'll be reviewing the latest release from G.L. Pease : Windjammer. Gregory Pease is among the most iconic and celebrated blenders of our time. His portfolio spans over twenty years, and many of mixtures are among the most well-known and celebrated pipe ... Read More

Peter Falk: Columbo and Cigars

February 5, 2021 by Jeffery Sitts