Secret Santa 2010

Brothers of Briar

Help Support Brothers of Briar:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
WOW! It looks like Santa's bombing sortees are in high gear!!! Well, I guess I'd better get into the game now or my sack full of toys will never get to their intended target in time. I just like towait til it's actually Christmas time! Anyway, a stuffed bundle of goodies is going out from the stable on this very day!

I just hope the postal guy at the other end of this one is wearing a truss! Or has a hand truck. Or a squad of little helpers. Or maybe a village of Munchkins. But just the girl munchkins! So, did I ever tell you guys about the fantasy my friend Bob has about a whole bunch of cute girl Munchkins and a giant plum pudding? No? Well...first off he.......huh? OH!

OK. I'll maybe share that some other time.




God bless us every one!
 
Picked up my package from the post office today. It's heavy! Upon arriving home with the parcel, my fiance grabbed it and checked for perishables. Then wrapped it and stuck it under the tree. She says I can open it on Christmas Eve. These next 9 days will go by very slowly!
 
OK - I had a package here...now it's gone! Into the dubious hands of the USPS and wending it's way toward eager little Billy (or whomever it is). I hope it gets there in fine condition, no reason to throw up my hands in depair yet...that can come later if needed. I'm thinkin' that it's all under the excellent wand of the ever loyal and protective 'Pipe Pixie' - so I'll think good thoughts and blow lovely rings of thick white smoke til I hear the good news of its safe delivery.



God bless us every one!
 
I checked with Santa and he told me he would be making a drop off tomorrow. We apparently had some issues but it is in transit and should arrive at it's destination shortly.
 
Santa's package arrived at my door this morning - and I must say he truly outdid himself this year - a F. Baki meer of the finest quality and style. Broke open my first tin of Christmas Cheer to dedicate it to - this baccy, a recent gift from another BoB, is from 2005 and packs an aroma full of promises to make this holiday season quite jolly...

The detail on the stummel of this one is not only stunning, but makes for a good hold without disturbing the meer...

Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays to all :santa:


 
Wow! I've been contemplating a Baki for quite some time now. You'll have to let us know your impressions of it. Good job Santa!
 
Wow! That was a tremendous gift. The generosity of the Secret Santa's is really amazing. These threads make for great reading and lots of smiles. :santa:
 
Two bowls of 2005 Christmas Cheer in the Baki meer have proven my supposition that it is by far the best pipe in my collection - a meer without peer :)

I will post pics from time to time as it colors...
 
gandalfpc":g8cthg47 said:
Two bowls of 2005 Christmas Cheer in the Baki meer have proven my supposition that it is by far the best pipe in my collection - a meer without peer :)

I will post pics from time to time as it colors...
Click to expand...
Sweet meer! Thanks for the photo. It'll be cool watching it age. For some reason, I love observing how things age and change, taking on the patina of time. Especially old jeans; not the modern "distressed" kind, but the old fashioned ones that look "new" when you buy them. Have fun! :cheers:
 
Let's see...

Yup! I looked "new" when they brought me home...then I "aged and changed" and "took on the patina of time". Also I'm fairly "old fashioned"...but in some ways fairly "modern"...certainly "distressed"...








Gee! Maybe I aughta change my nickname to "MeerMan"!
 
Got home from buying drain opener, only to discover Santa had swung by while I was out!

I must've been good (or at least been horrible to all the right people), because the package was groaning with goodies.

TINS:
50g each well-aged Fox Campanille and Dorisco Mixtures
50g Astley's 109 Medium Flake
50g McClelland Frog Morton OTT
100g Mac Baren Stockton
& AN INTACT 14oz. TUB OF EVER-LOVIN' ERR!

BAGGIES
Dunhill 965 (anno 2000)
a little brick of GH Dark Plug
& a proprietary VaPer (McClelland based)

CIGARS
La Herencia Cubana six-pack sampler
Oliva Angel 100 five-pack (in a neat factory box)

I am in Hog(garth) heaven. Thanks, Santa, and thanks to Carlos and all the Bros. making the SS an awesome experience.
 
That Stockton is definately a great smoke. I should smoke it every day. And don't. I do not know why as it's really good. Not a common blend to see at the B&M's when they do carry MacBaren. I think it's under rated by many, or something most have never tried.


Good job Santa. :santa:
 
Carlos -

I agree that Stockton is underrated. It has a very stright to tobacco flavor.

I got some while going through a Kentucky binge...along with some 'Dark and Strong' Heinricks, GLP Cumberland and a few of the Gawith blends. It has a specific and unique flavor which in fairly pure form is very, very nice. And I hear that GLP's new jackKnife Plug is Kentucky based too! Nice!
 
So there I was, literally, I kid you not, just moments ago, cruising around the BoB, my 16 month old daughter napping, me drinking coffee, grooving to some Miles Davis... doorbell rings. Time check: 11:35 in the AM... must be the mail man! Sure enough, there he was, bundled up against the single digit temps (4 degrees F), smile on face, with a package... for me!

The mailman always has a treat for my dog, so after the obligatory exchange, I made my way back inside to my mug of coffee, Miles still gittin' down with it in the background...

"Do I open it? Wait, maybe I'll have my wife check it for perishables, then open it on Christmas Day. Yes, yes, that would most likely be the best play, DGT and all... Wait a minute, that would be silly, open it NOW dummy!"

So I did just that:

A treasure trove of baccies:

50g tin of Escudo with already more than a year aging (!)
50g tin of Dunhill Nightcap (!)
100g tin of Dark Star with a tin date from 2007 (!)
100g tin of Blackwoods Flake, tin date 2007 (!)

I am a HUGE fan of McClelland virginias, as Santa obviously noted, because he also included a 100g tin of 2008 Christmas Cheer! For some reason, I have never tried any of the CC blends, so I am super pumped on this one! I noted that I was keen on some aged virginias, as my cellar really only started about a year ago. Man, did Santa ever deliver the goods, right from his very own cellar, no less. Pumped am I, oh ya, baby!

But, wait, fellow BoBers, there is more.

Santa also included a very nice Christmas Card. Apparently, I have been a very good boy this year, because Santa also got me a Zippo lighter with the pipe lighter insert! Santa informed me that he was unable to include said lighter with the package, as there was a delay. Why the delay? Because it was getting a custom engraving, that's why. And what pray tell is the engraving?

"Brothers of Briar 2010"

Ta-Da! What! Wow! I am bowled over, Santa! How awesome is that? Pretty fricking (!) awesome in my book. Fantastic, unexpected, primo,

BAD-TO-THE-BONE!

Many thanks to my Secret Santa; you nailed it, mister!

Thanks also to Carlos for putting this together, it has been super fun following this thread, as well as putting together my own little package that, as we speak, is making its way to southern parts untold...

Merry Christmas, Brothers of Briar!

TB Over and Out!
 
Seriously great Santa's this year. You guys make this a lot of fun. :santa:


By my calculations, just from what has been posted, three packages are en-route and some could be delivered today. Or have been delivered as one of the Brothers won't know for a few days yet. One package I am unsure about. If anyone has not yet posted about sending or receiving, please do so. So I can update my records. Keep checking them bushes out near the mailbox. :santa:
 
Um, don't know if you're counting this, but I'm in a holding pattern as my Santa indicated that there was a stage one (which has been received) and then more to follow. I'll post a photo spread with the Playmate of the Year once I receive the 'rest of the story'.




No, I won't divulge what year yet. But her name is 'Gracie' and she's still as georgous as ever.
 
I understand that all packages are enroute or delivered. Well, except for those 2nd bombing runs some have experienced. No way I could know those were happening. (Those sneaky Secret Santas!) So keep checking those bushes/cactus/snow drifts. Santa's good, but his elves can be a little off the mark sometimes.


Merry Christmas to all!

Carlos :santa:
 
Aside from all the amazing stuff being received by one and all...this has been a pleasure and an inspiration to watch go down.


Yes, VA...there IS a Santa Clause!

___________________________________________________________

Oh my. I'm......speechless (good thing I'm typing!). Give me a minute here.

___________________________________________________________

OK - better now. Between my last post and now I got hit...hard. Also, for lack of a better term, I'm really quite touched.

My now not so secret Santa (cause there's only one return address that matches his profile) bombed me totally...in a number of ways. I'll try to do the camera thing tomorrow - buried this evening ina number of event connected things. But I'll do the list:

First Wave: Book, "In Search of Pipe Dreams" by Rick Newcombe, tin of Peterson's 3P Plug, small sample of tobacco.

Second Wave: tins of C&D Burley Flake #'s 1 & #3, tin of Firedance Flake (ooooh, that's stinky), big pouch of Gawith & Hogwarts Happy Bogey, cool stem brush (long and lean), an EXACTLY the one I wanted leather tobacco pouch...the round kind with the draw string top, and finally an item that nearly brought a tear to my eye...

It's what I'm guessing is an Inuit carved figure...a kayak which is certainly carved whale bone...with a carved and painted wood seal hunter raising his arms over his head holding a harpoon...his face is ringed with dark fur.

I got out my little carved ivory seal and set up a little diorama I can admire at will. It's like the damn Smithsonian in here now! I got the seal in Nome. Of course this guy that sent me all this stuff had no idea that I'm a carver...wood only, no ivory (yet)...and that I lived up in Alaska for about 8 years, once upon a time. So for both reasons...for the art...for my time up there...this is more than special. Far more.

All I can say is that Santa really hit the spot. I won't forget it.
 
Top