Name Your "Social Mixture."

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Kyle Weiss

Kyle Weiss

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It's come to my attention that once in a while, to my chagrin, I need to be social, and it'd be halfway appropriate to bring a pipe. It's also come to my attention that while I'm amused by the crowd-dispersing qualities of Latakia, which could potentially be used as riot control under certain circumstances, or the somewhat staunch dry thickness of cigar blends and Burley, or the cigarette-like smell of some Virginias-- I need something that isn't going to make me sacrifice Vitamin N, flavor and quality in a mix. In other words, I don't want just a simple aromatic. I've shyed away from many of those for obvious reasons.

I've considered so far:

SG Bracken Flake: from mention that passers-by were complimenting him on the smoke.
McClelland 2000 Fragrant Mature (VA): I have some, I like it, I've been told it's pretty okay smelling, but I can't tell.


Note: I really, really don't like strong chocolate and overly sweet stuff.

List your favorite "hits with the crowd," that still offer some good smoking, see-voo-play.

Thank you in advance.

8)
 
Kyle Weiss":wzowh3iq said:
It's come to my attention that once in a while, to my chagrin, I need to be social, and it'd be halfway appropriate to bring a pipe. It's also come to my attention that while I'm amused by the crowd-dispersing qualities of Latakia, which could potentially be used as riot control under certain circumstances, or the somewhat staunch dry thickness of cigar blends and Burley, or the cigarette-like smell of some Virginias-- I need something that isn't going to make me sacrifice Vitamin N, flavor and quality in a mix. In other words, I don't want just a simple aromatic. I've shyed away from many of those for obvious reasons.

I've considered so far:

SG Bracken Flake: from mention that passers-by were complimenting him on the smoke.
McClelland 2000 Fragrant Mature (VA): I have some, I like it, I've been told it's pretty okay smelling, but I can't tell.


Note: I really, really don't like strong chocolate and overly sweet stuff.

List your favorite "hits with the crowd," that still offer some good smoking, see-voo-play.

Thank you in advance.

8)
Click to expand...
Hmm, this is an interesting thread Kyle. It also made me realize in retrospect that 90 percent of the time I am smoking, I am in the presence of smokers or am by myself in my car. The three places I am normally going to be smoking are in my car, on the front stoop of my condo complex, or at a tobacco shop. As I am the only pipe smoker in the condo and am usually in the presence of cig smokers on the front stoop, I can relate to the "room clearing" effect that Latakia infused blends can have on a crowd. I was going to recommend Solani Aged Burley Flake to you because many people enjoy the aroma, but then again you don't like chocolate and IMO Solani ABF has a chocolate like flavor to it (some people claim it is topped with a little chocolate but I disagree). I would also make the recommendation of cutting a nice strong Va blend with a tiny bit of a high quality aromatic (like one made by Pipeworks&Wilke i.e. #191 or Rumcake) but then you risk ghosting a nice Va pipe. Gees, I guess I don't have a definitive answer for you, but I am intrigued to see where this thread goes.

-Scott
 
TBH, whether latakia, Burley, or VA, if the blend has no aromatic qualities, most non-smokers are going to be repelled. There will of course be exceptions, but if you're truly looking for a crowd pleaser, I don't see an escape from the aromatic genre.

So what is the best smelling, least sweet, and highest nic content aromatic then?

I have no idea. :scratch:

I have both 191 and rumcake at home and both are tasty. 191 in particular smells amazing, but neither is the Old Joe Krantz of aromatic nicotine or anything. lol ...but yea, cutting some into a stronger blend sounds like it might work...or, at least its worth a try. I'll give it a go when I get home tonight.
 
Here's the secret Kyle. 2 parts plain simple burley like Wilke Nut Brown Burley or the like, 1 part Captain Black white. It smells fantastic, even women will compliment you on it. Captain Black alone tastes like crap, but when mixed as above it actually tastes pretty doggone good! Get a meer to dedicate to this so you wont ghost a good briar, plus meers come in those handy cases, perfect for travel, coat pocket friendly.
 
My "social" blend is a 50/50 mix of Lane's BCA and Wilke's Bestmake. It is a satisfying smoke and it leaves a pleasant room note to boot. Otherwise I'd advise straight Capt. Black. Great room note but not as satisfying a smoke IMHO.
 
I've been known to appease the crowd by mixing Va/Burley blends 50/50 with Lane 1Q (BCA or BCAQ would work just as well, I'd imagine).



Then again, there are a few aros that I rather enjoy, so when I'm going to be in that kind of situation I usually just take one of them with me (if I'm feeling friendly, of course).
 
Well, I did a TR.com search for blends that:

- were rated from medium/strong to overwhelmingly strong
- were rated as smelling pleasant to very pleasant
- and were rated as recommended to very recommended

I came up with 52 results, though some of them surprise me, and I have doubts that non-smokers would truly find many of them pleasing. I'm also unsure if many of these blends are still in production, as some are unfamiliar to me. Here are some of the highlights:

C&D
Poplar Camp
Gates of Light
Montford Point Marine

Lane
Cafe Supreme

Peter Stokebye
Cherry Bonbon

McClelland
Beacon Extra

JF Germain
Dark Flake

Dan
Gold of Mysore

GL Pease
Jackknife Plug
Triple Play

G&H
Kendal #7
Rich Dark Honeydew
Sweet Whiskey

Samuel Gawith
Special Flake #2
Special Flake #7

Planta
Black and Bright

Pipeworks & Wilke
Churchill
 
I've just had two experiences smoking my pipe in a social gathering where folks were smoking and both have been good. I decided to try my newest Va blend, Virginia Woods as it has a semi-sweet aroma to my nose and it seems it does to others as well from the responses I got about it. I was the only pipe smoker in a house full of cig smokers both times and the aroma of the Virginia Woods seemed to overpower the cig scent much to my surprise and I was told "... does that taste as good as it smells?" a few times. It was a different experience from what I have experienced in the past when I fired up my 965 or 759 years ago :p I'll have to try some of the Va based Aro's Mr. Pease makes in the future just for such occasions !
 
Uhles #300 or Crushed White Burley. Both good burley based blends with a nice enough scent to be pleasing to most folks in my experience.
 
In social settings or when I'm entertaining at home I'm usually smoking VA or VApers... And I always get compliments... Unless everyones just being polite and they actually think it stinks :scratch: :study:

My better half likes the smell of Golden Sliced, Haddo's and 2015 the most though. And more recently Marlin flake.
 
There are two pipe tobacco smells: one, the smell of the smoke while the pipe smoker smokes; two, the smoky smell that lingers in the rooms before it dissipates.

The former is the most problematic as it is the strongest. As I am always the subject, I cannot know about the object's perception of this smoke (I live by myself). I know about the latter by leaving the house for awhile and re-entering it. It smells fragrant.
 
The last time I was complimented on my pipe smoke it was McClelland's Virginia Woods. I don't think of it as an aromatic, but it does have something very discreet added to it. Dunno what--its description eludes me. Ain't my favorite, but it's pretty damn good.

I just remembered looking at some aromatics for these putative social situations. Apparently its not high on my list of priorities. I had ordered some Eileen's Dream and C & D's Celtic Mist. The former is an abomination. The CM is tolerable, even tasty. So much for my contribution to this here thread of yor'n, Kyle.
 
From what I read, years ago, Haddo's Delight was intended to cover that : flavor enough to help a new guy slow down and fragrance enough to keep his wife from getting menustral over the way it smelled. Two birds with one stone.

Might be worth a try.

:face:
 
So, to recap schools of thought:

Some of you mix your tobacco--this isn't a jump I've made quite yet, so I didn't consider it until it was brought up. There's Captain Black bulk available at another B&M in town, and yeah, the stuff's kind of... to be honest...nasty. I suppose mixed I could try some-- CB "White" being one I actually didn't mind. I'll have to either adapt or try out some of those recipes. Puff Daddy's mentioned the 2 parts Nut Brown Burley (which I LIKE) to 1 part CB White before--this one will likely be the easiest to do. Plus, I love P&W blends, others will likely follow NBB home to me. :lol: (Sorry Storm, #191 didn't do it for me, it was really a flat-tasting mix and just seemed like a run-of-the-mill aro...) Runners up, the Lane 1Q mixes. That'll take some experimentation, as I've never had any. Step-by-step. Burley seems to be a good base to start--nice body, will readily take a back seat and let other stuff take center stage to the public, but still be there to support me. :lol:

Some others of you suggest some interesting mixes--Haddo's Delight being brought up multiple times. Me being a total pansy to Perique, I'm not sure I could handle it. Speaking of Pease blends, Jackknife is considered "pleasant to very pleasant" on TR for room note? Hell, I'd have it made, then. :lol: Penzance came up next--Penzance has skyrocketed into my "top tier" for awesome tobaccos--I'll just have to pick some up and test it out on the masses: no fight from me. 8) My recent obsession with darker Virginias made me wonder if Marlin, Dark Star or Old Gowrie would work, just because I smell the smoke on my clothing and I get all giddy. Might have to try that, too.

Some of you are antisocial asses, which made me laugh. I hear ya, I just bounce back and forth, and I ain't always the key player in the "forth" part. Until the whiskey and pipe softens me a little. Then I stay on the edges and channel both of the souls of the two old guys on the Muppet Show--or Andy Rooney...

I appreciate the suggestions, and no, this thread isn't closed, chime in if you want, I'll check back. I have some starter ideas now.

Thanks! 8)

 
Kyle Weiss":dmdc3v83 said:
So, to recap schools of thought:
Runners up, the Lane 1Q mixes. That'll take some experimentation, as I've never had any.
Click to expand...
If you've ever had a house blend cavendish that was mild and vanilla-ey, then you've probably had 1Q or something awfully similar. Think Captain Black but less goopy, less chemicall-y, and a bit more tolerable to a non aro-inclined palette.
 
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