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The warm weather is finally here to stay. After what felt like an exceptionally long period of hot for two days and cold for a week, the weather has finally settled on being a good sport and being pleasantly warm which means it's time to dust off those patios, bring out the ash tray, invest in some citronella candles and torches, and enjoy a pipe in the sun. But dear reader, what good is a patio to smoke on without some inspiration of what to smoke? Never fear, the greatest minds at Smokingpipes and myself have come together to share some of our favorite blends for the spring and summer.
Ashton Winding Road
A blend with a label that'll probably pop the Andy Griffith show theme in your head, Ashton's Winding Road is a mellow mixture from the English-Aromatic family. It's composed of golden and dark-brown Virginias with a dash of Black Cavendish that's joined by the gentle aromatics of caramel and apricot. It's perfect for a mellow Sunday afternoon.
Available in: 50g
"A refreshing Aromatic blend with just the right sweetness and stone fruit flavors that compliment the natural flavors of Virginias. A pleasant surprise after reading some reviews. Tin note is a touch of apricot with a wonderful Virginia note. Moisture level is perfect, no need to dry before packing. I would not call it a blend between Aromatic to English, however, it is not so heavily topped like some Aromatics. It is lightly topped allowing tobacco flavors through. No bite notice. The ribbon cut is spot on and perfect. Highly recommended to beginners as it is a friendly tobacco to use and pack. Smokes well in a Rattray's Outlaw Devil Anse as well as larger pipes. - Emery J., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia, Black Cavendish
- Family: English-Aromatic
- Cut: Ribbon
G. L. Pease Key Largo
A blend that somehow perfectly encapsulates the titular section of the Florida Keys. Key Largo feels like a vacation. It's a distinguished broken flake of Red Virginias with small leaf Orientals and a measure of Cyprus Latakia that's spiced with velvety cigar wrapper leaf. It is an incredibly satisfying smoke that's perfectly balanced and offers a rich textured profile with layers of dark-roast coffee, leather, cocoa, and a silky, lingering finish.
The tin notes describe Key Largo as "Deep, earthy and creamy", and that is a perfect description that needs no amplification! I have smoked Key Largo by rubbing out the broken flake, and I have also simply filled the bowl with the folded flake. Either method, the tobacco remains easily lit and is a wonderful smoke! Highly recommended. If I could rate Key Largo higher than 5 stars, I certainly would! - James A., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia, Latakia, Orientals, Cigar
- Family: English
- Cut: Broken Flake
Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation Fathers, Friends & Fire Batch 002 Virginia Perique Flake
A recent addition but a worthy one, it's a flake-cut combination of Black Cavendish, Burley, Old Belt Red Virginias, and an ample portion of St. James Perique. It offers a well-rounded, naturally sweet smoke with subtle notes of stone fruit.
Available in: 2oz
Ordered a tin to try and boy! Am I hooked. There are so many nice notes to this smoke, I feel like I had dessert before dinner...the Perique is really spicy sweet like a good chipotle sauce, and the Reds are just right!! The Burleys and Cavendish add that nutty/sweet base that the other leaves dance on. I will be ordering more of this regularly. - James T., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia, Perique, Burley, Black Cavendish
- Family: Virginia
- Cut: Flake
Peterson Royal Yacht
One of the first Dunhill blends I ever smoked, Peterson carries the legacy forward with the classic Royal Yacht. Fine Virginias are carefully conditioned to ensure sweetness before being enhanced by a secret and subtle flavoring. It highlights the Virginias' natural sweetness while still making a delectable flavor profile of its own.
Available in: 50g
I just got back into pipe smoking. Of all the samples of different brands and types of blends I bought, this one is my favorite. Very little to almost no bite, sweet, mellow room note, and a well-balanced flavor that gets sweeter as the bowl progresses. - Derek P., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia
- Family: Virginia
- Cut: Ribbon
Cornell & Diehl Sunday Picnic
The perfect blend to accent a picnic, Sunday Picnic offers unparalleled flavor. This classic C&D blend is made up of golden Virginias combined with Perique and Izmir Turkish for a delectable and memorable flake tobacco.
I'm not going to talk to you about the properties of each tobacco in this one. The only thing I am going to tell you is that this is a wonderful summer blend and I'm buying a pound to age! A delicious flake that rubs out easily, and smokes great with a little drying time, about 20-30 minutes. I can't recommend this enough for the summer time! - George Z., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia, Perique, Orientals
- Family: Virginia
- Cut: Flake
HU Janneman Flake
Recently coming to the U.S. market, HU made a splash with their beloved lines of tobacco. Janneman Flake is a great introduction to their portfolio while also being a damn good summer blend. Experience Fire-Cured Virginias and a pinch of Perique, dark-pressed and cut into flakes.
Available in: 50g
I love this blend! The beautiful and springy texture of the long strand of flakes offers notes of sourdough bread and grass while being tart with hints of raisin and tang. The fresh tin comes with a perfect moisture content. The flake was easy to break, easy to pack, and takes the flame easily. The Fire-Cured Virginia and the condimental sprinkle of Perique truly shine and extract all the natural aromatic qualities of the high-quality leaves! A great Va/Per and a great smoking experience, simply delicious! This one will turn out magical with age! Very well done, HU!! - Pakcik Dee, 5-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia, Perique
- Family: Virginia
- Cut: Flake
Cascadia Open Water
Cascadia Pipe Company embraces a love for the great outdoors while encouraging their fellow pipe smokers to enjoy their hobby in the wilds. Naturally, they're a perfect fit for summertime fun. Their Open Water blend is made up of Burley and Virginia tobaccos that have been pressed into a plug to help the flavors to develop and marry. The additional benefit of this plug form is that it allows the smoker to prepare it in a variety of ways that suit their needs. It's sweet and mellow, a great choice for fishing on the lake.
Available in: 1.76oz
I've tried three of the Cascadia and some other popular plug tobacco. The quality here is great and with some age, this might be amazing. The plug requires cutting and rubbing, but if you enjoy doing it, this is the best I've had. - Aaron W., 4-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia, Burley
- Family: Virginia
- Cut: Plug
Captain Black Original
A classic Codger but one that's perfect for porch sitting as the sun sets. Captain Black Original is a classic blend of Golden Virginias, Burley, and Black Cavendish, all topped with hints of vanilla for a truly delightful room note and sweet flavor profile.
It's been a long time since I smoked Captain Black. It's like meeting up with a long forgotten friend. Everything about Captain Black brings me back to great memories and I love sitting on my porch smoking it. - Old Sea Dog, 5-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia, Burley, Black Cavendish
- Family: Aromatic
- Cut: Ribbon
Cornell & Diehl Burley Flake #2
Hearty and bold, and a perfect blend after a day of yard work, Burley Flake #2 offers a flake-cut blend of Dark and White Burleys with a touch of Dark-Fired Kentucky and Red Virginia for an edge of sweetness and smoke.
Available in: 2oz
This simple blend is excellent - good strength and flavor. If you're a Burley fan, you owe it to yourself to try this. It is, in my opinion, the best of the series. It will always be a staple in my rotation along with Pegasus and Briar Fox. - Bradley L., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia, Dark Fired Kentucky, Burley
- Family: Burley
- Cut: Flake
Warped Cloud Hopper
Designed with adventure in mind, Cloud Hopper is a unique pipe tobacco as it's a collaboration between Warped founder Kyle Gellis and Cornell & Diehl's Head Blender Jeremy Reeves. This blend takes its name from Warped's Cloud Hopper cigars and is composed of AA-grade Dominican Criollo cigar leaf, married to traditional Italian air-cured tobaccos, Yellow and Red Virginias, and Perique pressed and cut into flakes.
Available in: 2oz
This pipe tobacco is seriously amazing! I've been smoking Scottish blends recently due to the time of year, but wanted a cigar blend in the mix and ordered a tin of Cloud Hopper. I'm freaking out more and more each time I smoke a bowl of this stuff! Caramel creaminess from the Criollo, woody mixed with a hint of clove from the Perique. Some bread and toast from the Virginias. But it's the interplay of Criollo and Perique that's so intriguing. Truly a treat every time! - Andrew M., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
- Components: Virginia, Perique, Cigar
- Family: Virginia
- Cut: Flake
That's ten of our warm weather blends. Are any of these in your rotation? Interested in trying one? Didn't see your favorite? Let us know in the comments below. Enjoy those patio smokes, folks.
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