Keyboard Mixture Reviews

[beaupipe]

While sitting at my desk tonight sort of absent-mindedly puffing and contemplating how best to avoid doing what I'm supposed to be doing...well, I turned over my computer keyboard and gave it a wee shake. I won't confess to everything that came out, but mixed in with the dreck was about a half bowl of tobacco.

I'm an utterly faithless smoker, so if just the past week is taken into account, this was likely a half bowl blend of Old Joe Krantz, Epiphany, Charing Cross, Barbary Coast, Autumn Evening, Carter Hall, London Blend 1000, Gordon Pym, Haddo's Delight, Aged Burley Flake, HH Vintage Syrian, King's Oriental, and Star of the East Flake.

Which brings me to my query. Have any of you experimented with the "Hoover Blends" or "Floor Sweepings" that some blenders offer? I've never been near intrigued enough to give it a shot, but when I see them listed, I have occasional flashes of wonder.

And for the record, my own Keyboard Mixture was at first dominated by the unmistakable scent of burning hair before the maple of Autumn Evening showed up, followed by Latakia campfire flavors from several sources. It was delightful overall and once again served to remind me that I really need to invest in one of those plastic keyboard covers.

I'd love to see reviews of other Keyboard Mixtures.

 

[Mikem]

My current hodgepodge blend consist of what I had left over from re-jaring up some blends I had. It included Deacons Downfall, Star of the East and Bufflehead Wood Duck (Scottish Cake). I have been smoking it up for the last two weeks and it has been pretty good. The Scottish Cake really mellowed out the blend. Unfortunately I only have a little over an ounce left.

 

[Puff Daddy]

My wife vacuums my keyboard weekly as I'm a habitual computer smoker too. Thus, no QWERTY mix (Thank you, dear. I really do prefer my tobacco sans burning hair. What would I do without you.)

 

[Kapnismologist]

Good post for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that I bet most of us have our own 'hodgepodge blend' in one form or another.

Normally, mine (which is kept in a separate canister labeled 'HODGEPODGE') alongside whatever I have open at the moment) comes from odds-and-ends, crumbs left over in the tobacco area swept up on a weekly basis, sometime clippings from cigars, the bottom scrapings of near-finished tins, and such like. I normally transfer a bit to a baggie every Sunday, which then goes in the dash console of the car alongside some Brebbia go-gos for quick smokes while driving throughout the week. The thing I like about it, beyond enacting the "waste not, want not" ideal, is that it always tastes different and is rarely the same thing twice.

 

[ftrplt]

We've done this thread earlier, on this board and others. Seems most of us have our own "mixture" of sorts. Many of you are more adventurous than I; my hodgepodge is always a blend of Balkan/English/Oriental types which tend to go together. Mixing that with burley, cavendish, and/or aromatics must be quite a taste sensation ipe: FTRPLT

 

[Puff Daddy]

I really don't do hodgepodge. Not that I haven't tried it, but it was uninteresting at best. I smoke mostly Virginias and I think mixing small bits of this and that - everything from FVF to MacBaren Roll Cake - only found me with a confusion of toppings and a conflict of subtleties. Even when adding a bit of perique to a jar of the stuff and aging it a year did no good, it was horrid. The only mixture of tinned tobaccos I've intentionally done that was worth a damn started off as an accident. I got a sample of 5100 included in a large order from an etailer. Well, I already have a buttload of 5100 so I just grabbed my leather zippered tobacco pouch and dumped it in figuring I'd smoke it during the week. As soon as I dumped it in I realized that the pouch wasn't empty, it had some Bluegrass Melody in it, about an equal amount as the 5100. I figured "What the hell" and mixed it well, and fired up a bowl of it the following morning. It was good, and I still mix these. Basically a mild but worthy red Virginia mixed with a soft but flavorful mixed burley, neither heavily topped or humectified. As a morning smoke it's actually quite nice, soft and slightly sweet and somewhat buttery. I still mix this from time to time as I have plenty of both components. Makes for a good early morning pipe.

I don't try anymore. I figure lucky accidents are rare and I already stumbled upon mine.

 

[Grant Gimper]

I thought that I would add my two cents worth on this weighty topic while waiting for the golf tournament to come on. I tried a pound of Craig's "Hoover" mix sometime back & found that there was more aromatic than suited my taste. My wife, the keeper of the jars, jugs & other containers too numerous to mentioned, found me an old pickle jar to store the "Hoover" mix in...hoping for the gamy smell to reduce. That not having happened for several months, I did as many of you have done by depositing various left-over English & Virginia products in an effort to sweeten the mixture. Alas & alack, I now have nearly a gallon of tobacco which I often share with Brothers & others who are interested and/or willing to try this new & never to be duplicated blend. The line forms to the rear.
Grant