Intoxicating a Plug

[klause]

Morning All,

In work and a little bored - alleviating the disinterest by thinking about my stash. A thought just came to me about a post i read in a thread somewhere concerning a fella who was adding Rum to some flakes he was cellaring.

As the mind wanders i was thinking about the possibilities of doing this to a plug. I have about half of a Warrior plug at home (gorgeous tobacco) and i was thinking of cellaring it to see how it ages, but now i'm thinking of topping it up with a spot of whiskey.

Has anyone ever done this? Any thoughts, or ideas? How much whiskey? How often?

What i might do is cut the remaining plug in half and cellar both seperately, adding whiskey to one, then seeing how they age and compare in a year or two.

I'd appreciate any comments on this.

Thanks.

jason.

 

[BigCasino]

sounds like a fun project

 

[Carlos]

Careful. It may require far less than you think to flavor the plug. Too much moisture and you could be growing mold. Although, enough alcohol could pickle it I suppose.............................hmmmmm.

 

[Anonymous]

A high proof rum would evaporate quickly. Just remember, booze is still mostly water. I would put it in a bowl and spray it, let it dry, repeat until it retains its smell.

I have some that I made (not with plug) with Jameson about 2 years ago that I need to take a peek & puff at.

You can get small glass spray bottles at health food stores. Hippies use them with oils for aroma-therapy. So the alcohol won't eat the plastic.

I would rub it out though. Be mindful of the moisture and get a hydrometer. Putting the baccy in a humidor to watch it while getting to the correct humidity may be worthwhile.

 

[klause]

Thanks Hereward,

appreciate the comments. Think I might have a nosey in the health food shop tomorrow.

I'm just curious about how it would compare to a lump from the same plug, aged for the same length of time.

I think you need to open up that tobacco of yours and let me know how it's turned out. Good to know I'm not the only one who's though about putting booze on my stash - just to see what happens.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay... I dug the jar out of the pile.

Bad news is I used a light Cavendish as the base. I think I was trying to salvage some tobacco I bought locally. Who knows what it really is. I soaked it with Jameson to the point where I had to let it dry before jarring. After 2 years it has not retained any "whiskey" flavor. It tastes like a soft aged Cavendish. Nothing else.

I'm willing to bet, like in other food preparations, the booze is condensed. 80 proof is still 40% (?) water. To get the flavor you may have to boil some down and reconstitute it with something like 151 or better yet, line (coat) a metal bowl with the whiskey syrup and toss it a bit to distribute. Please be careful with booze and an open flame.

Age on tobacco always mellows the flavors but I eh... I know what Jameson tastes like. And I don't detect a signature flavor.

Now, that's not to say it didn't add anything to it. If I were to do it today I would NEVER use a Cavendish as a base. I'm a Virginia and Burley guy. And I like Latakia when I'm in the mood for it. My current palette has Dunhill EMP as #1 daily to align your preference. And I fear no dark-fired.

Pouring a whiskey over a plug, based on this test, would do nothing but wet down a block of baccy. I think you would need to start with rawer ingredients and press it yourself.

If you're like me and willing to do crazy stuff just to see how it works, you can buy tobacco leaves in bulk pretty cheap from a distributor. But the rest is up to you.

Doing experiments like this only makes me respect people like Greg and Russ even more. It's a lot like brewing beer but harder. It takes 3-4 weeks to process a beer. Tobacco blends, well, can take decades to mature. That takes an insane amount of intuition and know-how.

 

[Anonymous]

Careful.  It may require far less than you think to flavor the plug.  Too much moisture and you could be growing mold.  Although, enough alcohol could pickle it I suppose.............................hmmmmm.

I think flavoring (topping and casing) a tobacco is more like candy production than anything else. The flavoring is more of a syrup. More sugar based than water must be used in a professional production. An alcohol (ethanol like 151 maybe?) is most likely used to thin it if needed. When you flavor a candy, you pour the flavoring or additive to the wall of a tumbler while the product spins. This blends the mixture. They then let it rest and take it to any post production like steaming or pressing.

 

[klause]

Hereward,

thanks for the replies - they are exactly what i was looking for. Based on 'em, i think i'm just going to leave the Plug as it is - I have neither the skill or experience to going messing with this stuff.

That said, i might just slice off a few flakes and give 'em a little libation! Just for kicks. Thats about the limit of my crazy for this week (tobacco leaves not too readily available here - which is probably just as well!)

Thanks again - i really appreciate your thoughts.

 

[DoverPipes]

I guess I'll share a secret / tip. The culinary world has some helpful gadgets that will make blending easier for you!

I've used a "Misto" pump spray bottle for applying rum and other flavorings. I get a large metal mixing bowl, add the tobacco, spray the tobacco with the "Misto" spray bottle and toss the tobacco by hand. The "Misto" is quite possibly the finest spray that you can make because it is truly a mist as opposed to a spray. It is so fine, it allows the flavoring to be applied in layers that won't wet the tobacco to the point of being soggy.

I also will stove at least twice in between applications for flakes / broken flake. This will insure a "deeper" flavoring. Just be sure that you have everything clean & sanitary when you blend. I'll wash everything with an A.B. solution and wear nitrile exam gloves when handling the tobacco (I know, sounds like overkill, but why risk getting mold?). I also seal a lot of my tobacco in food grade vacuum bags when I send it out. Otherwise, Ball Mason Jars work just fine as long as the tobacco is dried enough prior to jarring...........

 

[klause]

Dover,

That's fabulous - thanks very much - I really appreciate your info, thanks.

I think I'm going to cut some flakes, adulterated half, then jar separately and age.

We'll see what happens

 

[Anonymous]

I'm very impressed with the skills detailed here in adding alcohol toppings. I would have thought that one had to get the percentage of added alcohol right, but that was about it.

 

[monbla256]

Wouldn't be easier to pour a glass of good Bourbon and drink it while smoking a good Va blend/mixture ?   :twisted: :twisted:

 

[docwatson]

Wouldn't be easier to pour a glass of good Bourbon and drink it while smoking a good Va blend/mixture ?   :twisted: :twisted:

That's my method Monbla. And I never have to worry about mold.  :lol!: 

Sean has the correct tchnique for sure, and like he says, you must let it dry before packaging and keep it in a stable environment in a dark place or it will create the dreaded mold spores. Then you can either watch it grow or throw it out!! And the sterile gloves and bowl are a MUST. good advice there Sean.

 

[DoverPipes]

I'm very impressed with the skills detailed here in adding alcohol toppings. I would have thought that one had to get the percentage of added alcohol right, but that was about it.

Mike: It's what works for me. I'm sure the Master Blenders out there (Russ, Greg, Dick, Steve, etc) will have their own methods. I only thing that mattered to me was keeping everything as sterile and dry as possible.

Wouldn't be easier to pour a glass of good Bourbon and drink it while smoking a good Va blend/mixture ?   :twisted: :twisted:

That's my method Monbla. And I never have to worry about mold.  :lol!: 

Sean has the correct technique for sure, and like he says, you must let it dry before packaging and keep it in a stable environment in a dark place or it will create the dreaded mold spores. Then you can either watch it grow or throw it out!! And the sterile gloves and bowl are a MUST. good advice there Sean.

Andy: Thanks Brother!
I just dabble with making different blends. I'm far from an expert. Although a few of my blends were received fairly well in the past..........