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Puff Daddy

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:shock:


Aromatics, they're almost like the dirty little secret. Most guys start off there and are led away by fellow BOBs who (correctly) point out that the better quality pure tobaccos are found elsewhere and that flavor can be found in fine, genteel blends that have pedigree and are spoken of with reverence in certain circles, circles the new disciple is encouraged to seek out.

Don't smoke that son, you'll go blind! :evil:

But I like it :rabbit:

It's like telling a boy that he'll get much more satisfaction later in life with some hard work and an upstanding woman of good repute than he will spending time out in the woodshed with a pin-up of Jane Mansfield. True enough, but hell, as long as nobody's lookin....... :pig: :D

Good ol Jane! What self respecting gent'man doesn't pine for the good ol days of pin-ups and instant gratification with restraint :cheers: And so it is for the seasoned pipesmoker and the lure of aromatics. I'm not talking Peach Melba Deluxe or Juicy Fruit Burley here but the old timey, fine smelling aro's that take you back to yesteryear, the stuff that smells so damned good you still want to smoke it eventhough you know it will never taste as good as it should. I suffer from this malady (gladly) and though I do have a few very nice pipes and a cellar full of respectable and tasty tobaccos, I still have this little corner set aside for pin-up art; a couple of dedicated pipes and a pouch or two of great smelling aromatic tobaccos :pipe:

PB said something the other day that rings so true so often, [para] that seeking out a really good tasting aromatic can be an exercise in futility and anguish, a frustrating situation to say the least. I think it's simply the nature of the tobaccos used, either overly manufactured bitey crud topped with sauce or steamed-to-death dark stuff boiled in vanilla. It's enough to make a grown man cry :( Can't they just come up with a rich, dark earthy tobacco that puts out a satisfying aroma and also gives us a bit of something tasty to chew on? Does it all have to be Pit Bull bite or tasteless stew?

I've managed to find a patch of sorts that works well enough for me, stumbled on it in one of those little bursts of "Couldn't hurt to try". I like the Tinder Box, love going in there and smelling the glass jars filled with blends that sound wonderful (Fireside blend, North Sea, Lamplighter etc) and smell like something Gramps would smoke - smells that should be enjoyed on warm evenings outside when the world grows quiet and crickets and frogs dominate the choir of night sounds. Now, these blends produce a hollow stewed air kind of taste with a hint of what you'd hoped for when you buried your shnoz in the jar; a ghost of what they should be, lacking body and any kind of chewy mouth feel. If, however, you add some Gawith rope...... :twisted:

I have this bag of Fireside, a not too sweet, old timey smelling aro from TB, and PB's recent plight got me wanting to revisit it. I was in mid bowl of disapointment-town when it struck me, if only there were some leaf of substance and body in here.... Wait a minute, there's that inch long chunk of rope from the box pass.....

It works pretty darned well! Suddenly the stuff has body as well as smell, and there's some frickin taste there! I scissored the whole thing and added it to about an ounce of the Aro and whaddaya know, a pretty darn good smoking experience :D I'm not gonna sit here and pull your chain and tell you it's great or anything, but you know what? It's pretty damn good! Better than just about any aro I've smoked thus far. No bite (the TB blend is pretty stewed stuff) and some solid tobacco taste there. Oh sure, the hollow cavendish taste still floats around a bit, but it's matched with a good bit of body and it works!

So if you're inclined to sneak out to the woodshed from time to time and peek at the ol pin-ups of Jane, grab yourself some rope and a good smelling aro and don't be afraid to live a little :lol:

And don't ban me for this, I'm on medication :geek:
 
Great post PD and awfully man of you for com'in out of the closet like that! :lol:

That being said and after reading your post.....you have got to try the Troutstream when you get the east coast box. An amazing aromatic that actually tastes a lot like the pouch aroma. As you put it, something that you can chew on!
 
I'll second what Justpipes said, Troutstream is a good aro. Of course I'm an unabashed aro (also) smoker, so I'm partly heathen. :D

I like MacBaren- Honey & Chocolate, PS Royal Guard Rum, and Bjarnes - The Special One to name a few.
 
Good, no, "Candidate for monthly Hall of Fame", Post, PD.

I put a tin of Black Cherry (C&D I believe) in the Jeep and have been enjoying it. I smoke it in a "lat" pipe. No tongue bite. Burns nicely.

:D Paul
 
I'm waiting for some more aromatics to be added to the Hearth and Home series myself. Good idea though using some rope to fortify that weak aromatic!
 
Slow Puffs":mn8ts4fz said:
Good, no, "Candidate for monthly Hall of Fame", Post, PD.

I put a tin of Black Cherry (C&D I believe) in the Jeep and have been enjoying it. I smoke it in a "lat" pipe. No tongue bite. Burns nicely.

:D Paul
Paul... I second that motion :lol:

Best,
Dock
 
Took a while to get around to sayin so, but thats a great post PD. I have been wondering how I should go about adding some body to aros, was afraid if I asked on one of the forums I would be accused of bein out in the woodshed in secret, but hell, she SHMBO doesn't mind, aned in fact enjoys it long as I don't spend tommuch time if ya know what I mean ;)

Bd

Never Forget!
 
YUCK!!! :tongue: Ken
Pacem en Puffing! :tongue: From The Northest Kingdom!! :tongue:
 
I have smoked aro's for years
1Q mixed with CarterHall is great

Then I have blackberry winter from Justforhim--tastes just like blackberry pie.
Lanes TK6

All these have good taste to me
 
Justpipes":bhua9kfx said:
Great post PD and awfully man of you for com'in out of the closet like that! :lol:

That being said and after reading your post.....you have got to try the Troutstream when you get the east coast box. An amazing aromatic that actually tastes a lot like the pouch aroma. As you put it, something that you can chew on!
I smoke both English and aromatics depending upon what I feel like smoking at the time. As for Trout Stream, it is truly the aromatic of aromatics. Good stuff.
 
As a cigar smoker, who would rather smoke a cigarette
than a flavored cigar, I just never could bring myself
to try any aromatics.
 
I'm not much for the aros, but, having said that, I occasionally visit SG's Kendal Cream Flake. I wouldn't put this in the category of a 1Q, but I consider it an aro of sorts. A good smoke nonetheless.

My 2 cents....... :pipe:
 
Before I forget I want to say a big HI to Islander. I just noticed that you’re from Newport R.I. I was born and raised in R.I. and Newport is a beautiful area to visit. True coastal surroundings..
Now for the discussion at hand… I, like many, started out smoking aromatics and have put together quite the collection of blends over the years. As time passed and my palate matured I began smoking English and Virginian blends. I always loved the smell of the loose English blends at my local B&M and always wanted to try them but everyone said to start mild and work my way up. I’ll never forget my first journey beyond the aromatic realm. Of all the blends out there to try I chose Frog Mortin. Not being familiar with Latika, let’s just say my first experience was less than enjoyable. I forced myself to smoke 2 or 3 bowl’s of it before I ended up giving it away with the sale of a pipe. I thought it was the most disgusting thing on earth and was fearful that all English blends would be as bad. Funny thing is now, Frog Mortin is one of my favorite blends along with Boswell’s Northwoods which is another “kick ya in the jewels” blend for a beginner. I will admit if I was to define my tobacco collection I would say 60%of the blends on hand are aromatic and 40% are either English or Virginia blends. I have noticed lately that I feel the need to dry out my aromatics some and sometimes mix in other natural fillers like this discussion suggests. I also realized that even though the majority of my on hand collection is aromatics, I reach for them less often and any of them that give a “goopy” smoke just sit there on the shelf and get smoked VERY rarely. I guess it’s time to re-evaluate my collection.
 
Nothing easier.

Get yourself an old timer (Flea Bay or wherever) that somebody smoked a heavily (but not obnoxiously) cased tobacco in for years. Maybe one of the Lakelands with less of the floral shampoo edge in it, or something similar.

Smoke FVF in said pipe. The ghosts will awaken and join in.

:face:
 
Thanks for the HI behindbars1544. Newport is a great place to live, and boating on Narragansett Bay in the spring, summer and fall makes winter tolerable. Of course, the next few days we'll be lucky to have high temps above 15 degrees, so tolerance will be stretched...........

I agree with YAK about FVF in a seasoned pipe, just stay away from anything that had Mixture 79 smoked in it - those pipes are best suited for the fireplace.
 
When I first started smoking, I was told to stay clear of aromatics, and I did. 8 years later, although I have smoked light aromatics, I've never come close to a goopy bowl or tongue bite, never smoked a full aromatic.
 
Sign says "Aromatics Anonymous"

Hi, I'm Todd, and I smoke aromatics.

(Everyone claps. "Hi Todd" "Welcome")


I think aros are the misunderstood side of pipes. There are some terrible, bitey, bad aromatics out there. And unfortunately, they are easy to obtain. It puts a lot of people off of aromatics, and off pipes.

But that idea, that it could taste good, smell good, and just be all around pleasant... it's hard to shake.

Peterson Luxury Blend is my one real weakness.

I also smoke a bunch of "almost" aros, Navy Flake, Club Blend.... and I love em.
 
Well well this is a subject I am aquainted with! Since I started smoking pipes I have been looking for the Holy Grail of aromatics, so far I've failed... Miserably. Now I don't smoke them at all but damn if they don't smell really good. I have a fellow pipesmoker friend around here who only smokes "norseman" from a local b&m and everytime he smokes it I marvel at how nice it smells but I know it dosent taste the same because I've smoked it before. I wish there was a balance.
 
This is a brilliant piece, sir; finely flavored with humor weaved with a body of earthiness and a refreshing top-note of non-pretentiousness building to a great finish. :cheers: A sincere thanks to you, and those who resurrected it.
 
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