First Christmas Pipe in a number of years....

[Hunter5117]

I was rummaging around and I found a part tin of Christmas Cheer from 2006. I had not smoked a pipe in at least 2-3 years so I decided to have a small bowl.

First thing I noticed is the ketchup smell is all but gone, you really have to try and detect it.

Packed 3 healthy pinches in a Ferndown cherrywood and lit up. After the charring light and packing down the fluff, I got a proper burn going.

I don't remember this particular CC but was not as citrus as I was expecting. Good solid, barely sweet Va. Almost a perique-like twang to it. Even after 3 years my tongue did not notice any burn or tingle.

It was a short smoke but very nice. Once the bowl warmed up the smoke settled into a pleasant experience.

I also found a tin of Blackwoods so I may give another bowl a try tomorrow. Maybe I will get back to it.

 

[Brewdude]

Interesting. I opened a tin of '02 CC just yesterday (Christmas Day) which is a tradition I've been following for years (not always that old, but my oldest tin whatever it is). The vinegar/ketchup thing was much in evidence.

I've had several bowls now and it's quite nice, perhaps not quite as sweet as I recall, but satisfying nonetheless.


Cheers,

RR

 

[Hunter5117]

Probably because mine was open, probably for a number of years. I usually bought about half a dozen tins each year at Christmas, for maybe 8-10 years or so. Very few have been smoked so I have quite a stash to work through if I ever start up with the pipe again.

 

[gravel]

I didn’t smoke a pipe yesterday, opting to smoke a cigar… didn’t want it fouling up my tupperdor.

I have some McC Va in mason jars, and the last time I checked one (a blend from 4 Noggins called Prairie Wind) it had a strong ketchup/vinegar thing. I almost cried.

 

[Carlos]

I have been smoking on a tin of Christmas Cheer 2007. Quite dry. But the magic happens once I get it lit. I pack this very tight. Initially it hits you with a spicy tingle and then transitions to a nice sweet sort of smoke.

 

[Hunter5117]

I didn’t smoke a pipe yesterday, opting to smoke a cigar… didn’t want it fouling up my tupperdor.

I have some McC Va in mason jars, and the last time I checked one (a blend from 4 Noggins called Prairie Wind) it had a strong ketchup/vinegar thing. I almost cried.

I have never found the ketchup smell to negatively affect the taste. It certainly affects the nose out of the tin but it became a friendly reminder that a great experience was about to happen.

I have a bunch of jars of 5100/5105 blend that I put up maybe 10 years ago. I will dig them out and crack one to see how the aroma has evolved.

 

[thedeep]

Funny, this Christmas Cheery thread. I've been working on a tin of 2007 for about a month. Great smoke. Still a little of the catsup, but not annoying at all. Great smoke out on the deck if I can stand the cold. Today, I am in luck it's 60.

 

[gravel]

I have never found the ketchup smell to negatively affect the taste. It certainly affects the nose out of the tin but it became a friendly reminder that a great experience was about to happen.

I have a bunch of jars of 5100/5105 blend that I put up maybe 10 years ago. I will dig them out and crack one to see how the aroma has evolved.

I love/d the ketchup. My emotional response to it had more to do with the limited supply and the surprise that particular blend had some of it.

 

[gravel]

Funny, this Christmas Cheery thread. I've been working on a tin of 2007 for about a month. Great smoke. Still a little of the catsup, but not annoying at all. Great smoke out on the deck if I can stand the cold. Today, I am in luck it's 60.

It’s in the upper 20s today. That might be a little cold for me!

 

[Hunter5117]

I love/d the ketchup. My emotional response to it had more to do with the limited supply and the surprise that particular blend had some of it.

Gotcha, and yes, I get that. Especially now that it is gone. I live in KC and the local tobacco shop had a direct line to McC, bulk was silly cheap back in the day and they kept the popular blends in big metal trash cans lined with plastic.

 

[Timbo]

I've been working my way through a tin of CC since 2017, a 2017 release at that, and it still has that wonderful BBQ aroma (I don't smoke Virginias very often). I swear that there is perique in there somewhere due to the spiceiness of the smoke. This year it was a little sweeter than I remembered it being in previous xmas smokes.

Got a few tins of the Anniversary edition put away too, I am looking forward to them once I get through the rest of my open VA blends.