New guy here from WA state

Brothers of Briar

Help Support Brothers of Briar:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
May 4, 2011
Messages
13,861
Reaction score
452
Location
Arid-zona
Hello all -

While I'm technically a newbie to this site I'm not new to the pleasures of the briar. Some brief history-

My late Pap smoked a pipe from my earliest memory. I'll always remember him smoking his favorite blend - Uhles #255 - after breakfast and supper while I was growing up in the Milwaukee, WI suburbs. Back then, Uhles was a drugstore staple and I clearly remember being able to buy this for him even as a kid for his birthday and Christmas. Such were the laws back in the 60's!

Pap didn't have extravagant tastes, and his pipes were inexpensive Kaywoodies and the like. I always loved the aroma of the 'baccy, and even made him a pipe stand in my woodworking days at the YMCA. Sadly, he discarded his pipes before I took up the the passion (or I should say his second wife did!)

Due to health concerns, he gave up smoking in the early 90's. It was about this time I took up the pipe, and started much like he left off - with an inexpensive Chacom 1/4 bent I obtained at the Davidoff store in London. And the pipe weed I initially chose for my journey was none other than Uhles #255. I figured if it was good enough for my Pap it was good enough for me!

One thing led to another, and in due course I discovered the pleasures of VaPers, and Latakia. And a local Tinder Box figured large into my appreciation of a wide variety of other blends as well as the acquisition of additional pipes.

For reasons too complicated to go into right now, I abandoned pipes for about 10 years. Yet I kept my modest stash of 'baccy and of course the pipes. About 2 years ago I came back to the passion. Pretty much picked it up where I left off and of course am now trying to catch up on things.

I now have a modest 18 pipes to include 3 Petersons, 4 Savinellies, one Wiley, a Stanwell, a Don Carlos, a Sasieni big bowl, a cheap Edwards full bent, a Meer, the Chacom, a Mastro poker, and recently obtained several refurbs from Blackhorse that have been made better than new - a Comoy Guildhall and a Karl Erik. All are some form of bent since that's the way I roll! And of course I have a couple cobs. None are expensive pipes but all smoke well.

Today I'm mainly a VaPer kind of smoker, but do enjoy burley and English blends as well. I'm definitely not an aromatic smoker, although there will always be a special place for Uhles #255 in my rotation since that helps celebrate my late Paps life and his influence on me.

I call myself "Brewdude" since I'm the head brewer at a WA state microbrewery and have been brewing beer professionally for almost 24 years now, although not all at my present brewery of 13 years.

So I'm here mainly upon Balckhorses' recommendation on another site, as I wanted to join a pipe site and grow and learn with the learned gents here. btw, Blackhorse is a first rate pipesmith as well as craftsman!

Thanks for having me and I look forward to posting and exchanging information. Oh, and I'm currently enjoying a way great pipeload of Stonehaven in my Wiley Rhody! Deeeelicious!


Cheers,

RR



 
Welcome to the best little pipesite online. You'll certainly enjoy both the time you spend here and the friends you're sure to make.

To all and sundry: Brewdude is an old friend. Definetely a solid guy and a good pipe co-conspirator. If this was a country club at which an applicant needed a sponsor to join, I'd be proud to be first on his list. Yadda, yadda. Nuff said.
 
Hi Brewdude!

Where you at? Pyramid? Red Hook? Hale's? Saying you're a Brew Master at the local Microbrewery is like saying you're a Barista, only given some of the coffee I've had here (I don't drink anymore, so I'm a wee bit of a coffee snob now. Viva la Caffe Vita!!!!), I'm sure you're SUBSTANTIALLY more skilled. All of my friends kind of tease me for smoking a pipe, so it's nice to see another local that's a "Brother of the Briar". I live in N. Edmonds, where Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mukilteo, and Everett all meet. How about you?

Sincerely,

Laurence M. Schwarz
Edmonds, WA
 
LaurenceS":zz4seepv said:
Hi Brewdude!

Where you at? Pyramid? Red Hook? Hale's? Saying you're a Brew Master at the local Microbrewery is like saying you're a Barista, only given some of the coffee I've had here (I don't drink anymore, so I'm a wee bit of a coffee snob now. Viva la Caffe Vita!!!!), I'm sure you're SUBSTANTIALLY more skilled. All of my friends kind of tease me for smoking a pipe, so it's nice to see another local that's a "Brother of the Briar". I live in N. Edmonds, where Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mukilteo, and Everett all meet. How about you?

Sincerely,

Laurence M. Schwarz
Edmonds, WA
Laurence

I'm the former Corporate Brewmaster at Pyramid. Served my time there from about '92 - 97, although that's long story....

My digs these days are at Snoqualmie Falls Brewing. Been there 13+ years as Head Brewer and I'm a partner. Only too glad to be out of the corporate mindset and back in the boots doing what I love.

If you get wanderlust and want to check us out we have a great brewery Tap Room (currently under major expansion) and serve good food and all the beers, plus our own brewed non-alc Root Beer. Give me a pm and I'll gladly share a smoke with you on the brewery loading dock. Here's our website (sadly in need of improvement).-

www.fallsbrew.com


Cheers,

RR
 
Top