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We spend a fair bit of time focusing on what's popular. Tautological as it is, well-liked things are well liked, and thus they get talked about, written about, explored in greater detail with more enthusiasm and more care, frequently, than those things that are not so well liked. Here on this very blog, for instance, one can find many a post about a popular pipe tobacco blend; we've got lists of favorite blends and we've got lists of best-selling blends. What's missing from this blog, however, is a tribute to those unpopular blends, those decidedly unloved tobacco mixtures for the pipe that are unfashionable, loathed, or simply overlooked and forgotten entirely.
Here it is then, in no particular order, our less than exhaustive, not scientifically accurate, short list of the most underrated, ignored, unhip pipe tobaccos... part one.
You have to enjoy old school drug store blends like Prince Albert, Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Half & Half. You have to love the Lakeland style in all its floral soapiness. And you've got to have a taste for anise, a taste for deep dark, black licorice. If none of this sounds appealing, steer clear of Mixture No. 79 lest you give it a worse name with more bad reviews. I, for one, do appreciate the aforementioned stuff, and as such, have found this much-maligned mixture to be one I favor increasingly over time. This blend, in my humble opinion, is simply unfairly reviled. But if you possess an entrepreneurial spirit and can make up your own mind about your tastes I say give Mixture No. 79 a shot and be surprised.
Grousemoor has been oft-derided as the English equivalent of Mixture No. 79. Having been compared to everything from industrial cleaners to an elderly matron's perfume, it's hard to blame pipe smokers who've read the reviews for steering clear of this offering from Sam Gawith. But if you enjoy light aromatics, you might be depriving yourself of a hidden gem in the venerable blender's line. Grousemoor is flavored with lemongrass, among other natural toppings, which came into use by English blenders to accommodate Britain's purity laws. The result is a delightfully aromatic blend with flavors of citrus, Bergamot, and herbs. Those bright flavors are harmoniously paired with pastry-like notes in a light, creamy smoke. Don't let a prejudice against Lakelands — or the unfavorable reviews — keep you from trying Grousemoore.
Fans of Virginia/Burley blends will surely love this unsung blend, comprised of red and bright Virginias, dark and white Burley, and a touch of unsweetened Black Cavendish. Easy to pack and light, this smooth sailing smoke offers up layer upon layer of naturally sweet VA flavor balanced with creamy chocolate notes from the Burleys, and all enhanced with a lovely topping of plum, rum, and maple. The topping is understated, and works well to accentuate the depth and complexity of the tobaccos used. Created by Greg Pease and the late Craig Tarler, the two friends of "Two Friends Pipe Tobacco," this blend was Craig's every day smoke for years, and I can see why. I tried this for the first time 3 weeks ago, and since then it has been just about all I have been smoking. As a guy who usually has several different blends in my rotation at any given time, this is really saying something.
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Interesting.
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