a very pleasant surprise

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Oxman

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Back in 2012 i made some of my own blends from tobaccos i picked up around the world and i just opened one of them today and low and behold, its a very pleasant smoke!
Back then i was fairly new to the pipe but working in the industry allowed me to pick up a number of samples to play with.

Once i had a couple of promising blends I sent some samples to our old friend Kirk (BriarSpirit), below are the notes i made and his review of the tobacco:

Hi Kirk

I have sent you a couple of samples of my new blends, let me know what you think? The samples may be a little dry so give them a spritz of water if required. I have rehydrated mine now so hope they will blend together better.

Blend 1 - an all day smoke, sweet with a bit of nicotine. Zimbabwe Burley, USA Natural Cavendish and Dark Natural Cavendish. The Natural was from a 200 kg box of tobacco that overheated and started to ferment in storage at one of the big processors in North Carolina, a perennial problem when storing large volumes! The Dark Cavendish is the only part that came from a shop - just some blending tobacco from the USA.


From Kirk

Hiya Brenden,

the samples arrived about 10 minutes ago, I am currently smoking a bowl of sample 1 in a Parker Bulldog.

Sample No.1

First impression was the bag scent, a very pleasing faint hay-like aroma with just a tiny subtle oatyness in the background. Charring light was exceptionally pleasant which is quite rare, the sweetness of the tobacco didn't produce that ghastly hint of burnt sugar I have experienced in many sweeter blends. There is no tongue bite, I started to sip the bowl and it delivers a delightfully pleasing ever so slightly sweet flavour that reminds me of spending hours lounging around in hay fields. There is a slight tingle in the back of the sinus, it's almost like there were Perique in the mix, very pleasing extra I must say. I am about mid-way through the bowl now and am just starting to get a very pleasing flavour which reminds me of porridge on a cold morning, a very welcomed flavour I must say. I am now 'caning' the pipe to see how chugging results in this blends, just a minute........ BY HEAVENS, this blend seems to tolerate anything you throw at it, the flavour increased dramatically and did not sour or turn ashen, just tamping the remainder a little to see what the chugging did properly.............. Wow, I am totally impressed, it hasn't changed the flavour one jot, there is a very enjoyable slight sweetness hovering in the background now, slightly more so than at the beginning of the bowl. The nicotine content is good, not immense by any means but it makes itself known, definitely an all day smoke but not one for when one wants a nic-bomb.

You are onto a winner there Brenden, a thoroughly enjoyable smoke indeed, I would give it 9/10, I'd give it 10 but I prefer more of a nic hit myself. If this were an available blend I would definitely be seeking it as a preferred smoke during the day, very nice Brenden, very nice indeed.

I'll let you know how I get on with the other two as and when I try them, many thanks for allowing me the opportunity to try them out, thoroughly enjoyed the first one.


Well when I was back in the UK in October, I grabbed a few more jars and tins from my stash in the shed and this was one of them.

The jar has been sealed since 2013. when i opened it, there was a lovely sweet aroma and the tobacco is pleasantly moist and blended and very springy in the jar.

I loaded up my meer that Kirk so kindly made from a block i purchased on the bay and fired her up.

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The smoke has improved immensely, vast clouds of white smoke with a heavenly sweetness, a little nic hit and a wonderful roomnote. There is more of a pronounced tickle in the throat - i didnt add any perique, but I suspect its from the burley

I wish i had made a lot more back then! only have about 100g in the jar, but i will be enjoying it over the next few weeks.






 
Sounds excellent! Nice when one creates a concoction that pleases. Congratulations sir! :cheers:
 
Brenden

Looks like I got a little excited by your posting of Kirk's review. Looks like it was from a communication back around '12 or so, now that I read it more carefully.

Still, I'm sure we all wish Kirk our best.



Cheers,

RR
 
Brewdude":bx7n2vsu said:
Brenden

Looks like I got a little excited by your posting of Kirk's review. Looks like it was from a communication back around '12 or so, now that I read it more carefully.

Still, I'm sure we all wish Kirk our best.



Cheers,

RR
Yes sadly I have not been able to contact Kirk in the last few years. I have tried a few times but no answer on email or phone. Those comments were from 2012.
 
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