10 Great Winter Smokes

As winter begins its gusty approach once again, I find myself returning to blends that offer rich, deep flavors, or alternately, old favorites that feature top notes of nostalgic quality. I can't say what exactly draws me to certain blend types in the winter months. Perhaps Latakia's smoky, incense-like flavors unlock old memories of the hearth in my childhood home. Maybe the earthy, potent nature of Dark-Fired leaf and Semois offer a bracing pick-me-up that drives away the chill. Whatever Jungian subconscious process drives me to choose certain blends over others, the following 10 tobaccos are among my personal favorites to enjoy when the Fall colors give way to hoarfrost.
Cornell & Diehl: Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
C&D's annual Christmas blends are always a treat, and no matter how much I want to, I can never keep my extra tins in the cellar for long. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas is a particularly scrumptious mixture of Virginias, Perique, and Cavendish with a heady topping of ginger and orange liqueur. It's a complex blend that's perfect for extended sipping from your largest bowl.
Seattle Pipe Club: Plum Pudding Bourbon Barrel Aged
A vital blend in my rotation, SPC's Bourbon Barrel Aged variation on Plum Pudding is a blend I couldn't survive winter without. The combination of Latakia and Perique is a special favorite, and, with the addition of the bourbon notes from the aging process of this blend, offers a wealth of complex flavors and strength that lend themselves well to a brisk stroll through the snow.
Cornell & Diehl: We Three Kings
By a stroke of luck, or perhaps a Christmas miracle, Smokingpipes currently has a supply of C&D's We Three Kings, last year's Christmas blend, in stock. As a shameless Cornell and Diehl fanatic, this news is quite welcome. The sweet and tangy notes of the Virginia and Oriental tobaccos pair perfectly with the allspice and vanilla toppings to create the tobacco equivalent of a plate of gingerbread cookies.
G. L. Pease: Bankside
The latest addition to my winter rotation, Bankside from G.L. Pease's Zeitgeist collection is a satisfying twist on the timeless Virginia/Perique mixture. The tried and true Va/Per flavor is perfect any time of year, but the addition of Latakia and Dark-Fired leaf offers an extra touch of smoky potency that I find particularly pleasant on cold days.
Sillem's: Linea Epoque Antique
I have a particular fondness for Sillem's Aromatic blends, and Linea Epoque Antique is one of my favorites from the German blender. The name of the mixture is something of a mouthful, but the blend lives up to its moniker, with a classic base of Virginia, Burley, and Black Cavendish topped with a complex combination of vanilla, mirabelle, and cappuccino flavors. LEA is smooth enough for a pleasant all-day smoke, but also rewards heightened attention with a depth of flavor that I find especially comforting in the winter months.
Three Nuns
Dark-Fired tobacco is among my favorite leaf types in general, but particularly when things get chilly. Three Nuns is a timeless blend of Dark-Fired and Virginia tobacco, with a bit of Burley for a rich and peaty mixture that's proven a winning combination for over a century.
Tabac De La Semois: La Brumeuse
Semois is a distinctive varietal that required a learning curve for me to smoke properly, but once I mastered the packing and pace required to get the most from this leaf, I've never been without it. I especially enjoy La Brumeuse with a cup of coffee; such a combination of rich, earthy flavors are a perfect accompaniment to a winter morning.
G. L. Pease: Quiet Nights
As a Latakia fanatic, Quiet Nights from G.L. Pease's Old London series has always been a favorite. This blend exemplifies Latakia's best qualities, and when combined with the Perique and Oriental tobaccos, it creates an impeccably delicate interplay of flavors that can make a "Stille Nacht" of any evening.
Capstan: Flake Blue
While I primarily reach for bolder tobaccos during the winter, Capstan Blue is an all-day, year-round flake that I can enjoy as well in a blizzard as a drought. The notes of hay and caramel-like sweetness are especially pleasant to savor while watching the first snow of the year from the comfort of my centrally heated home.
Mac Baren: HH Old Dark Fired
This especially bracing mixture is arguably my most favorite blend to smoke when things get chilly. Old Dark Fired's unique flavor notes of smoky barbecue are perfect to enjoy next to a crackling fire, and the easily rubbed-out flake smokes perfectly every time. My personal Christmas tradition consists primarily of smoking this flake out of my favorite Old German Clay while watching no fewer than four classic Hollywood films, a practice I can't recommend highly enough.
While this list is based entirely on my own preferences and smoking habits, I hope that this series of recommendations can prove useful to fellow smokers looking for additional blends to include in their rotation this winter. What blends do you reach for in the winter months? Let us know in the comments what tobaccos you would recommend when the first frost comes around.
Note: This article was originally published December 5, 2014. It has been updated to reflect tobacco availability and changes in the author's personal taste.
Tagged in: Captain Earle's Cornell and Diehl G. L. Pease McClelland Newminster Rattray's Reviews Seattle Pipe Club Sutliff Tobacco
Comments
I happen to really enjoy Nightcap in the winter time. I love smoking it in a churchwarden on a cool winter night when the snow is lightly falling. it just seems fitting to me!
I tried Nightcap only recently Shayne on a recommendation and it was quite pleasing. I have got to try it in a churchwarden!
My #1 is right there in the list, and it's the Plum Pudding. This is a great winter blend. My #2 is Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club's Great Hiatus. Nice smokey blend w/ a soft touch of sweet undercurrent.
Is this top 10 english blends part 2?! What about winter smokes for pipers who don't like latakia? I'll pass on the leather and take some fig and mushroom notes from blends that have a little more perique. During winter I also smoke blends with rum, maple and brandy.
HOW ABOUT MY FAVORITE PENZANCE? (CANT SEEM TO FIND ANY).
Pease: Find the right one and then stash. Some of the good ones only make sense to age. It's what causes the confusion. This company (smoking pipes) is a god send as tobacco smoking is a dying art here in Wales (UK) i just paid £272 British pound in tax for my baccy imports. It's worth it and i keep coming back. There are no tobacconists left here in Swansea. (Also worth cellaring is rotary navy cut.)
marcascia.
I love Nightcap in the winter as well, but its kinda the only English blend I smoke really. I try a bunch of different ones but thats one I usually have on hand at all times. Texas has been too hot to smoke my latakias lately though, even this winter. I've just been sticking to my va/per.
@Bryan Webber We can only imagine Bryan. It's a bit of a shame, but you do what you've got to do my friend ;)
Yes, on the subject of Plum Pudding...I live in Kansas, But almost exclusively order from Seattle Pipe Club. I rather Find Plum Pudding Special Reserve To be a nice evening smoke In my rocking chair or back yard. But for out in the world where other people can smell the aroma of my pipe , I find that the smooth vanilla overtones of Narrows Bridge are not only acceptable to non smokers but quite satisfying. In a word... TASTY !
Wilkie #78 ...awesome English mixture.
Bankside, Spark Plug, Capstan, HH Pure Virginia, Maltese Falcon, Gaslight, 3 Nuns have made my 15° temperatures much more bearable. Especially this morning breaking the ice tub water with an axe, so my geese and ducks can drink water with their cracked corn.