The Most Iconic Pipe Tobacco Blends of All Time

 

(Paykoc Pipes) Some pipe tobaccos become popular because they are easy to find. A smaller group becomes legendary because they define an entire style, survive changes in ownership and production, or become the blend against which later mixtures are judged. Continued

C&D Bourbon Bleu Vs. C&D Bluegrass

Hometown Hero: Jeremy Reeves

(Sixgunsiding)

I’ll give you three guesses: 

No, not the football player, though that’s a good guess, they share the same name. 

No, not the guy from Brideshead Revisited. 

And not the 80’s Sherlock Holmes. 

    Jeremy Reeves is a tobacco blender. He’s like a chef, serving up classic old recipes and creating tasty new ones. He is the head blender at Cornell and Diehl (C&D), the last big pipe tobacco manufacturer in the United States.     

    But even when they had serious competition, not long ago, C&D was a cut above the rest. When I say big, I mean relatively big, they won’t be knocking on “Big Tobacco’s” doors anytime soon. Yet they did produce 120,000 pounds of pipe tobacco in 2023, in 150 varieties. I wonder, how many pipe bowls that would fill? Millions, I guess. 

    Anyway, back to Jeremy, he was born in Portales, yes, Portales New Mexico. I had no idea and I don’t know any more about his life in Roosevelt County. Did he grow up here? Did he come here to attend ENMU? Was he whisked away at birth, destined to tobacco greatness, like some smoky Dalai Lama? I just don’t know. 

    I do know that Reeves is in a small school of blenders like Per Jenson, Russ Ouellette, and Rudiger Will, all legends in the field. Reeves and C&D not only produce fine old school tobaccos, they are often thinking of new variations on the theme. They have put out a yearly vintage variety of Virginia tobacco, when they can find a great candidate. A few years back, Reeves made a blend that included honey from his own hives, which was so popular, he had to resort to a larger apiary for the next year’s batch. He is also working on a fitting replacement for Syrian tobacco (a big deal if you smoke a pipe), a variety that has gone commercially extinct. 

    C&D is committed to keeping the old pastime alive and has partnered with a perique farm in Louisiana, a grower in Turkey, and Ireland’s most prominent pipe manufacturer. Despite their international adventures, the lion’s share of C&D’s product is grown, processed, and packaged in the U.S.A. The company does its work in South Carolina. 

    I think Reeves would be the first one to admit he has a dream job. And that’s my point: there is a world of great, attainable occupations out there. If you browse through this blog, you will see New Mexicans who have won the Nobel Prize (from Raton), been Treasurer of the United States (Mountainair), that bult a Hotel Empire (San Antonio), and many more. 

    It seems like all the great achievers live in New York City or Los Angeles, but they didn’t come from there, they came from here, wherever here happens to be, even New Mexico. 

    This is all done to make money of course, but for Reeves and his fellow blenders, it is also a labor of love. How often does that happen? 

    {Thanks to the good people at The Humidor, in Portales, who first told me Reeves was from here. And yeah, that Factory Smokes Maduro cigar was pretty darn good.}

Frog Morton's Trailer Park

Things haven’t been so great since Frog Morton lost his job. He had to move back to his parents single-wide on Frog Mortar Creek, just outside Baltimore. He did manage to get an endorsement deal with Mammoth Mart, but since those “narcissistic so-and-so’s” at his old job wouldn’t release his name or recipes, it was at a greatly reduced rate for his new brand “Dog Horton.” Poor old froggy has to make guest appearances in a hound suit, which is both undignified and itchy. Then there was that time ICE tried to deport him back to Middle Earth. Luckily, they couldn’t find it on the map.

But things are looking up. His latest blend, Dog Horton 420, with a secret ingredient sourced from his girlfriend’s parents farm up on Red Toad Road, has been a success, allowing Frog to move into his own single-wide with his significant other, Jennifer. She’s a different species but it’s a blue state so nobody cares. His newest blend, Choice Burley Design, is sure to be a mellow hit, says he.

So don’t cry for old F.M., and if you see a pipe smoking amphibian in the middle of a rainy road, please yield the right-of-way, it could be our hardworking hero. 

Aromatic Tobaccos for Non-Aromatic Smokers

(Smokingpipes.com) Is there a divide within the pipe-smoking community? There are certainly enough differences of opinion, varied preferences, and spirited debates to go around. We're an opinionated lot, but honestly, it's part of what keeps this community interesting. One of the topics that generates the most heated exchanges regards Aromatic and non-Aromatic tobacco blends. So, it's worth asking, can a successful crossover be made? Can one enjoy the characteristics of both? Or are we hopelessly tied to our respective camps in a tribal expression of personal preference? Perhaps we can bridge the gap and mend some fences on the subject. Continued

It's time for the Final Round of Aged Releases from Tobaccopipes.com - This Time HH Blends are in Play

SPECIAL LIMITED RELEASE OF "CELLARED" THREE NUNS - DROPPING TOMORROW

 

Special Aged Capstan Release Tomorrow

 

Thumbnail reviews of Esoterica Tobacciana and Germains

(At the back of the hill) ... It is remarkable how often holiday illustrations and imagery show a pipe smoker somewhere in the background, as if grandpa and his briar are a good thing and universally appreciated. The harsh reality of course is that the glandered old fossil (or the misguided hipster imitating him) are chased out into the cold to shiver and freeze, while the rest of the family gathers around the fire to discuss the inheritance after he dies of pneumonia or the plague. Continued

Pipe Tobacco Blend of the Year: Peterson Nightcap

(Tobacco Business) ... Together, these tobaccos combine to deliver a balanced, satisfying and complex smoking experience for pipe enthusiasts. With 2020 forcing many to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pipe smokers had ample opportunity to rediscover Peterson Nightcap, propelling it to the top of its category in this year’s awards. Continued

The Mystery of Balkan Blends

(smokingpipes.com) A number of terms used in our hobby represent slippery concepts. 

 Cavendish, for example, isn't a type of tobacco so much as a process, and discussions centering on the topic can veer into confusion when different participants adhere to different interpretations. 

 Latakia has its problems as well. It is made from Oriental leaf, but once smoke cured we call it Latakia, and again a process is responsible for what is typically identified as a different product. 

 American tobacco was, from a European perspective, anything with aromatic toppings, at least until recent history. 

 English tobacco is, for many, anything with Latakia in it, while for others, English tobaccos are any blends without flavorings, a result of English purity laws. Continued

Saturday night, Snuff, Snus & pipe!

Pipe Talk - Two Different Ways To Pack A Pipe

Plug and Flake, my favourites!

My first Dunhill Pipe

Vintage Tobacco Tins

Set Your Sails for Windjammer

(G. L. Pease) I've been thinking about this one for a long time. Rich, full, flavorful and satisfying, with just a bit of sweetness, and enough complexity to keep it interesting from first light to last puff. Presented in a cut-cake style to allow preparing it to suit both the smoker's choice and the weather. Why Windjammer? The nautical theme seemed right for a slow burning blend that can be enjoyed both at home and at sea. Plus, I just liked the name, and it charted the way for some killer art... Continued

How to fill you pipe with spun tobacco

Pipe and Tamper: Mac Baren Vanilla Roll Cake Review

Blending Tobaccos: Maryland