Home Blending for the Admitted Amateur

Subject: Home Blending for the Admitted Amateur Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:15 pm

I just tonight realized how I am destined to failure as a home blender of tobaccos. I am not depressed about it. It's just that it took me this long to know I am doomed in my attempts.

Oh, I can modify an existing blend. The Great Odyssey Experiment proves this, for me. I can kick-'em-up-a-notch. I could even purchase a fairly wide variety of blending tobaccos and make presentable smoking mixtures.

What I cannot do is replicate (bad choice of word) better blends. Meaning. I cannot get more than the most very basic oriental tobaccos.

So, I get my lemon Virginia, my bronze Virginia, some latakia (which I think there may be many different grades/types/etc.), some Turkish. Even the Turkish available for blending looks like it's often a blend itself. I reach for orientals...I am lost. Where do I get my hands on a variety of orientals? Basma, Izmir, Yenidje, and all the other orientals I have never heard of. Where do I look for toasted Virginias? Just what is toasting, as the term was used by Dunhill?

You see my problem. I cannot get the spice or condiment tobaccos. Nor can I replicate a process at home that I know virtually nothing about. All I can do is pester Craig and try to get him to blend something for me. In the hopes he can understand what I am asking for in my limited knowledge of the subject.

I am so doomed.
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Rules of Acquisition:

#223. Beware the man who doesn't make time for oo-mox.

Subject: Re: Home Blending for the Admitted Amateur Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:21 pm

I wouldn't say you are doomed, just keep trying and remember you can only do as much as your limitations will allow.
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"Man is the only religious animal. In the holy task of smoothing his brother's path to the happiness of Heaven, he has turned the globe into a graveyard."

Mark Twain

Age : 54 Joined : 22 Dec 2007 Posts : 60 Location : Kansas

Carlos, I'd thought of asking Craig to blend me up something too but I know so little about the art of it I wouldn't even know enough to know what to request as to constituents. So, I just keep trying various blends he's already come up with. Earl

Subject: Re: Home Blending for the Admitted Amateur Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:59 pm

Yeah, I keep buying as much as I can. Very Happy

I wonder if the U of I offers a course.
_________________

Rules of Acquisition:

#223. Beware the man who doesn't make time for oo-mox.