I just tried GL Pease's Union Square...a little late

[Rob_In_MO]

I'm not sure what I was doing wrong (or what I'm doing right lately) but this bowl of Union Square just tasted like toasted waffle cone with vanilla ice cream and chocolate.

Yeah - so what's the problem? :mrgreen:

 

[gravel]

I'm not sure what I was doing wrong (or what I'm doing right lately) but this bowl of Union Square just tasted like toasted waffle cone with vanilla ice cream and chocolate.

Yeah - so what's the problem? :mrgreen:

The problem is Kyle's magical taster. He picks up things few people can or ever will. Most of us won't pick up on whatever nuance that reminded him of a waffle cone with ice cream, unless you smoke Union Square out of a waffle cone. I can see where this would be a blessing and a curse.

 

[monbla256]

I'm not sure what I was doing wrong (or what I'm doing right lately) but this bowl of Union Square just tasted like toasted waffle cone with vanilla ice cream and chocolate.

Yeah - so what's the problem? :mrgreen:

The problem is Kyle's magical taster. He picks up things few people can or ever will. Most of us won't pick up on whatever nuance that reminded him of a waffle cone with ice cream, unless you smoke Union Square out of a waffle cone. I can see where this would be a blessing and a curse.

Kyle has probably THE most sensitive palate here. It's all those years he has devoted to his pipes out there in the desert. All that clear desert air has made him far more receptive to all the infinate nuances such as waffle cones and vanilla ice cream in a tobacco. :twisted:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Oh, shut up you snotty brats. :lol:

I was the happiest guy alive the day I found this 80S Pete, with the straight grain and deep, chocolate Fermoy finish...only to find out I had no idea how to smoke a Pete just the right way. Fireworks, at first, it was not...but...

...I'm getting it now. They like such long smokes, and I'm no slouch for making a bowl last a couple of hours, that I let the thing go out and have these mini, repeat DGT episodes. And it's absolutely divine. Other pipes, those with classic mortise/tenon setups I can go slow and steady, but Petes (especially with VAs) do indeed like to take little breaks in-between, smell the roses, ponder things, and continue. What a great pace when I'm writing, working on the computer or posting on BoB. Not something I can do when attempting to socialize or am distracted, get anxious, etc...I tend to ruin a perfectly good bowl that way. Another reason why I need to practice smoking in other environments rather than just "safe ones." Plus, it keeps my people interaction skills honed.

Yak and I actually talked once about how the dry air might truly have something to do with tobacco flavors. It's a good theory. That, and I really do have an annoyingly sensitive tongue and nose. Part of why I'm such a neat freak. ale: Tobacco has actually toughened up my senses in a way, but hasn't deadened them. It's been great!

Yesterday was so good, I'm having a repeat today--getting the same results, Union Square + Thurston = vanilla-chocolate-dipped waffle cone. *shrug* It is what it is.

8)

 

[Anonymous]

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

:face:
:cat: :cat: :cat: :cat: :cat: :cat: :cat:

 

[Brewdude]

OK, so I finally cracked the '10 tin of US today.

What greeted me was a full on heady aroma of red wine. Not quite like a Cab, more of a Rosé. So not in your face, but still obvious (to me anyway).

The flakes were perfectly in the moisture zone, and I mean 100%. No drying required here. Just rub out a bit, pack and light. I jarred up the rest of the tin immediately.

A pleasant smoke followed. Could still get the red wine thing loud and clear, but the overall experience was very straightforward VA flavor. Uncomplicated. Spartan even, but in a good way. Never even offered to bite me once, and I had to relight several times.

Did the DGT thing in my cheap Sav 1/2 bent "David's Choice" I got from Old Morris in Victoria, BC back in '97. Great pipe BTW!.....

Thanks for the lead on US. It's clearly not an earth shattering blend, but what it is is what it's not, if you see what I mean....

Cheers,

RR

 

[Hermit]

I'm glad I bought so much early on.
I still have some from 6/09.
I go through it faster than anything else.

 

[Anonymous]

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

:face:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I have two '09 tins, too. Bought 'em from a Brother some time ago. Lookin' forward to that stuff.

I like that, Rande: "...what it is is what it's not." Sums it up neatly.

8)

 

[Ocelot55]

Is it just me that has had a negative experience with this stuff?

I found US bland, hard to light, and excessively hot burning. I really wanted to like the stuff. All the right markers were there. VA, check,...flake, check,...G.L. Pease, check, little to no casings or toppings, check. I don't know what went wrong. I've tried it out of several pipes, given it different drying out periods, rubbed it out, folded and stuffed it, nothing seems to work.

I will say that about 3/4 of the way through the bowl I notice a rapid crescendo of very nice flavour, but getting to that point is an awful experience. Its like sucking down hot air that stings. I'm putting the lid on this one and forgetting about it fora while. Maybe a little age is all it needs, but for me there are much better VA flakes out there.

Hope I don't get drawn and quartered for this comment.

 

[monbla256]

Is it just me that has had a negative experience with this stuff?

I found US bland, hard to light, and excessively hot burning. I really wanted to like the stuff. All the right markers were there. VA, check,...flake, check,...G.L. Pease, check, little to no casings or toppings, check. I don't know what went wrong. I've tried it out of several pipes, given it different drying out periods, rubbed it out, folded and stuffed it, nothing seems to work.

I will say that about 3/4 of the way through the bowl I notice a rapid crescendo of very nice flavour, but getting to that point is an awful experience. Its like sucking down hot air that stings. I'm putting the lid on this one and forgetting about it fora while. Maybe a little age is all it needs, but for me there are much better VA flakes out there.

Hope I don't get drawn and quartered for this comment.

Your'e not alone. When it first came out I was going through a GLP phase and bought a tin and found it much as you did. I went on in my English/Balkan phase and about a year ago tried it again as was getting back into Va's and for me, it was still as I experienced before, just a nice somewhat bland hot Va. I agree, there are much better Va's flake or otherwise out there. Guess we are a minority of two so we will be crucified for not "getting in line" with the co. line :twisted:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Ocelot, all I can say is...

"...that's too bad." :lol: Diff'rent smokes for diff'rent folks. *shrug*

Union Square got along with me right from the get-go, but my appreciation and how to handle it in what pipe is only just now starting to make sense to me.

8)