tiltjlp
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- Jan 14, 2009
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Many new pipe smokers, and some more experienced ones, want to try every possible blend they can get their hands on, which can get expensive, when they don’t really know what they like. A less costly way to become familiar with tobacco might be to experiment with a few blends that you have already smoked and enjoyed, by doing some simple home blending. All you’ll need to get started will be a digital scale, a notebook, and a sense of adventure. A few purists might argue that what I’m going to suggest isn’t really blending, but it can be fun and educational, so why even quibble?
Truth be told, some of my better blends will never be for sale, because they are combinations of existing blends I happen to enjoy. Being partial to many Mac Baren blends, I often layer two favorites in a pipe, and like them enough that I try mixing them 50/50 and trying several bowls that way. Some I just use to accent another favorite blend, such as Robert McConnell’s Maduro. Since I have so many blends in my cellar, sometimes I do this to create a new taste from two blends I like but don’t smoke very often. This works with blends that you like somewhat, but aren’t on your top ten list.
On the other hand, from personal experience, if you have an aversion or a distinct dislike for a certain type of blend, such as me and Lakelands, don’t waste other tobacco trying to improve it. And as with Perique, which I can handle only in small doses, be careful how you use it, or you’ll end up with a batch of sub-par whatever that you’ll probably shy away from smoking. It’s best to stick with blends that you enjoy to some degree. And of course, you can simply add a bit of Latakia or Perique to a blend you really like, to make it more potent, or for a change of pace.
I see a lot of posts on some forums that begin Can I Do . . . whatever? In a nutshell, once you purchase tobacco, you can do just about anything you want with it. There are no rules, other than common sense. And where common sense is King is in using a digital scale to weigh your tobacco in grams, rather than eyeballing it or just guessing. That way, if you like a mixture you come up with, you’ll be able to duplicate it again.
The reason for weighing by grams is that different cuts of tobacco, as well as differing moisture content, affect the weight, and equal looking piles of tobacco will usually be of dissimilar weights. This won’t matter if you’re adding a pinch to a bowl, but if you are trying to come up with a new home blend, it really does matter. The simplest way to home blend with existing blends you like is to mix them 50/50. If you just want to add some flavor to a blend you really enjoy, you might consider 60/40 or even 70/30, but it’s best to keep it simple.
My two favorite home blends both use Mac Baren tobacco. Chocolate Covered Cherries is a 50/50 mixture of Honey & Chocolate and 7 Seas Red, which is a Wild Cherry flavor. My newest, Cherry Vanilla Rum uses 50/50 Vanilla Cream Ready Rub and Cherry Ambrosia, which is Cherry with Rum. I use a large stockpot to mix the tobaccos very thoroughly, and than put them in recycled Middleton tubs for four to six weeks to mellow and meld, so the flavors are combined. I really like Mac Baren’s Honey & Chocolate, which is dark cocoa flavored, and use it alone, as well as adding it to other blends as an accent.
So, if you like variety, and are on a budget, or just like to experiment, you can have a lot of fun, without too much risk of failure, by using blends you already enjoy. Just start off small, making a total of 20 or 25 grams total, to see if you like your new creation. Make accurate notes, so that if you make a winner, you can mix yourself up as much of a batch as you want. And then, if you feel generous, you can post your recipe for others to try. But the whole key to home blending is to have fun.
Truth be told, some of my better blends will never be for sale, because they are combinations of existing blends I happen to enjoy. Being partial to many Mac Baren blends, I often layer two favorites in a pipe, and like them enough that I try mixing them 50/50 and trying several bowls that way. Some I just use to accent another favorite blend, such as Robert McConnell’s Maduro. Since I have so many blends in my cellar, sometimes I do this to create a new taste from two blends I like but don’t smoke very often. This works with blends that you like somewhat, but aren’t on your top ten list.
On the other hand, from personal experience, if you have an aversion or a distinct dislike for a certain type of blend, such as me and Lakelands, don’t waste other tobacco trying to improve it. And as with Perique, which I can handle only in small doses, be careful how you use it, or you’ll end up with a batch of sub-par whatever that you’ll probably shy away from smoking. It’s best to stick with blends that you enjoy to some degree. And of course, you can simply add a bit of Latakia or Perique to a blend you really like, to make it more potent, or for a change of pace.
I see a lot of posts on some forums that begin Can I Do . . . whatever? In a nutshell, once you purchase tobacco, you can do just about anything you want with it. There are no rules, other than common sense. And where common sense is King is in using a digital scale to weigh your tobacco in grams, rather than eyeballing it or just guessing. That way, if you like a mixture you come up with, you’ll be able to duplicate it again.
The reason for weighing by grams is that different cuts of tobacco, as well as differing moisture content, affect the weight, and equal looking piles of tobacco will usually be of dissimilar weights. This won’t matter if you’re adding a pinch to a bowl, but if you are trying to come up with a new home blend, it really does matter. The simplest way to home blend with existing blends you like is to mix them 50/50. If you just want to add some flavor to a blend you really enjoy, you might consider 60/40 or even 70/30, but it’s best to keep it simple.
My two favorite home blends both use Mac Baren tobacco. Chocolate Covered Cherries is a 50/50 mixture of Honey & Chocolate and 7 Seas Red, which is a Wild Cherry flavor. My newest, Cherry Vanilla Rum uses 50/50 Vanilla Cream Ready Rub and Cherry Ambrosia, which is Cherry with Rum. I use a large stockpot to mix the tobaccos very thoroughly, and than put them in recycled Middleton tubs for four to six weeks to mellow and meld, so the flavors are combined. I really like Mac Baren’s Honey & Chocolate, which is dark cocoa flavored, and use it alone, as well as adding it to other blends as an accent.
So, if you like variety, and are on a budget, or just like to experiment, you can have a lot of fun, without too much risk of failure, by using blends you already enjoy. Just start off small, making a total of 20 or 25 grams total, to see if you like your new creation. Make accurate notes, so that if you make a winner, you can mix yourself up as much of a batch as you want. And then, if you feel generous, you can post your recipe for others to try. But the whole key to home blending is to have fun.
