My missus has begun to object to Mixture 965 smoked indoors, so I’ve been auditioning milder smokes for New England’s indoor smoking season. Requirementswere: 1) Had to be smokable indoors and upstairs, 2) Had to be satisfying smokes, not just nice smelling for the rest of the family. It just happens they’re all bulks, because that’s what I smoke mostly. The tobaccos are – a Wilke Pipeworks sampler and Lane’s RLP-6 and 1Q,. I hadn’t puffed an aro in years, Plumcake aside. Some thoughts for y’all.
The thing I liked about the Wilke sampler is that the taste is as advertised plus there is a satisfying tobacco taste. The products are a little pricey, but that’s forgotten once I’m nestled with a smoldering bowlful. As a bonus, ordering can have an Olde New Englande charm. Carole once told me that she’d mail my order asap, but that morning she had a group from the local old folks home picnicking in her front yard. I still got the order in a couple days.
Wilke 191 – Wilke’s biggest seller. Vanilla and honey, it says, and that’s what it tastes like. Halfway through, the topping takes a rest and it tastes like a quality Virginia for awhile, and then the vanilla/honey comes back. Never has a bitter taste. Zero bite for me. Don’t smoke it in a pipe you’ve used for English blends, because the 191 is so mild that it will be overwhelmed. “That smells good,” she said.
Wilke Vermont Maple Cavendish – This tobacco made me larf out loud on first light, because I got a mouthful of maple syrup taste, and almost immediately a passerby asked, “What’s that? It smells great!” “I’m smoking a waffle,” I said. Progress a bit into the bowl, and there’s a nice, satisfying tobacco taste (Virginia?). And when the bowl is done, the taste of maple syrup lingers awhile on the palette, which is nice while I’m out walking the dog. No bite, no bitter taste.
Wilke Rumcake – I’d say this is what other Rumcake blends are shooting for. The taste is subtle, but clearly present, and there’s a nice taste of sweet Va and some nutty Burley. No bite, no bitterness, and some compliments on the pleasant aroma. I think this will also pass the indoor test.
Wilke 515 – This is described as Basil Rathbone’s standing order, a blend of “exotic tobaccos in a rare Jamaican rum.” I like its spicey taste, found it to be an agreeable reading companion indoors and a happy companion on a stroll. It burns slowly, requires no fuss to keep lit and is agreeably smooth. But it can get peppery toward the end, and if I push it further, it delivers a dose of vitamin N. Some may see that as a plus. However, You-Know-Who had little good to say about the smell (“Stop! It’s constricting my throat!”), so I’m aiming to see how well it fares in my fly-tying cave downstairs this winter. If it flunks that test, I’ll have to reserve 515 for New England’s outdoor smoking season.
Wilke Nut Brown Burley – Not an aro, but I was curious. Years ago, I really liked a cube-cut Burley (222 I think it said on the tin, but it’s been awhile) that had a nice, mild, nutty taste, was a terrific all-day smoke and was very low maintenance. Then it became unavailable. I’ve been hunting ever since. Wilke NBB is very good, indeed, but not the old friend I’d hoped to find. My sample seems to be tobacco chips. It’s a tasty Burley smoke with some spiciness to it. My MM Diplomats like it a lot. I mixed part of my sample with an equal part of 5100 and put it up for a few months. I’m optimistic. Not an indoor smoke for me, though.
Lane RLP-6 and 1Q. – Both are easy to pack, light and smoke. Neither bites. They’re allowed indoors, in my house, at least. Both have a similar tasty topping and both also offer the smoker some tobacco taste. Okay, the tobacco taste is somewhat generic. Neither has the aro curse -- smell good, taste bad. My shot at describing the topping: It’s like the teaspoonful of marshmallow/cocoa you skim off the top of a freshly served cup of cocoa. Or it’s like the last bite from a melting chocolate/vanilla ice cream bar. I didn’t detect so much as a hint of a nip while smoking my 4 oz of each of these blends, nor did I get a single complaint from You-Know-Who about “stinking up the house.”
Of the two, the 1Q gets the nod from me, because it has a little more of the taste, RLP-6 was a little bitter at the end of the bowl and seemed slightly astringent at times. But, to tell the truth, I wouldn’t feel at all deprived if I had only the RLP-6 to take on a week long vacation . The gripe of some pipesters about these Lane blends is that they are monotonously the same from start to finish. I don’t entirely agree, but if your thing is chasing that subtle hint of crème brule, these won’t be your favs. But I know what I’m getting as soon as I light up, both generate an ample cloud of tasty smoke, I’d be hard put to name lower maintenance tobaccos, and check the prices!
The thing I liked about the Wilke sampler is that the taste is as advertised plus there is a satisfying tobacco taste. The products are a little pricey, but that’s forgotten once I’m nestled with a smoldering bowlful. As a bonus, ordering can have an Olde New Englande charm. Carole once told me that she’d mail my order asap, but that morning she had a group from the local old folks home picnicking in her front yard. I still got the order in a couple days.
Wilke 191 – Wilke’s biggest seller. Vanilla and honey, it says, and that’s what it tastes like. Halfway through, the topping takes a rest and it tastes like a quality Virginia for awhile, and then the vanilla/honey comes back. Never has a bitter taste. Zero bite for me. Don’t smoke it in a pipe you’ve used for English blends, because the 191 is so mild that it will be overwhelmed. “That smells good,” she said.
Wilke Vermont Maple Cavendish – This tobacco made me larf out loud on first light, because I got a mouthful of maple syrup taste, and almost immediately a passerby asked, “What’s that? It smells great!” “I’m smoking a waffle,” I said. Progress a bit into the bowl, and there’s a nice, satisfying tobacco taste (Virginia?). And when the bowl is done, the taste of maple syrup lingers awhile on the palette, which is nice while I’m out walking the dog. No bite, no bitter taste.
Wilke Rumcake – I’d say this is what other Rumcake blends are shooting for. The taste is subtle, but clearly present, and there’s a nice taste of sweet Va and some nutty Burley. No bite, no bitterness, and some compliments on the pleasant aroma. I think this will also pass the indoor test.
Wilke 515 – This is described as Basil Rathbone’s standing order, a blend of “exotic tobaccos in a rare Jamaican rum.” I like its spicey taste, found it to be an agreeable reading companion indoors and a happy companion on a stroll. It burns slowly, requires no fuss to keep lit and is agreeably smooth. But it can get peppery toward the end, and if I push it further, it delivers a dose of vitamin N. Some may see that as a plus. However, You-Know-Who had little good to say about the smell (“Stop! It’s constricting my throat!”), so I’m aiming to see how well it fares in my fly-tying cave downstairs this winter. If it flunks that test, I’ll have to reserve 515 for New England’s outdoor smoking season.
Wilke Nut Brown Burley – Not an aro, but I was curious. Years ago, I really liked a cube-cut Burley (222 I think it said on the tin, but it’s been awhile) that had a nice, mild, nutty taste, was a terrific all-day smoke and was very low maintenance. Then it became unavailable. I’ve been hunting ever since. Wilke NBB is very good, indeed, but not the old friend I’d hoped to find. My sample seems to be tobacco chips. It’s a tasty Burley smoke with some spiciness to it. My MM Diplomats like it a lot. I mixed part of my sample with an equal part of 5100 and put it up for a few months. I’m optimistic. Not an indoor smoke for me, though.
Lane RLP-6 and 1Q. – Both are easy to pack, light and smoke. Neither bites. They’re allowed indoors, in my house, at least. Both have a similar tasty topping and both also offer the smoker some tobacco taste. Okay, the tobacco taste is somewhat generic. Neither has the aro curse -- smell good, taste bad. My shot at describing the topping: It’s like the teaspoonful of marshmallow/cocoa you skim off the top of a freshly served cup of cocoa. Or it’s like the last bite from a melting chocolate/vanilla ice cream bar. I didn’t detect so much as a hint of a nip while smoking my 4 oz of each of these blends, nor did I get a single complaint from You-Know-Who about “stinking up the house.”
Of the two, the 1Q gets the nod from me, because it has a little more of the taste, RLP-6 was a little bitter at the end of the bowl and seemed slightly astringent at times. But, to tell the truth, I wouldn’t feel at all deprived if I had only the RLP-6 to take on a week long vacation . The gripe of some pipesters about these Lane blends is that they are monotonously the same from start to finish. I don’t entirely agree, but if your thing is chasing that subtle hint of crème brule, these won’t be your favs. But I know what I’m getting as soon as I light up, both generate an ample cloud of tasty smoke, I’d be hard put to name lower maintenance tobaccos, and check the prices!
ale: :lol: Stinky kitties. :cat: Nothing aromatic about that...or too much so...one of the two.
