-
Briar
pipes are a cross between fine woodworking and art. Premium pipe tobacco
is like fine wine - cultivating, curing, aging, processing, and blending
result in an infinite variety of tastes and aromas.
I like each of the
following tobaccos in various combinations:
- Virginias
(red, yellow, bright, lemon) - are sweet by nature and have that recognizable
"tobacco taste". Virginias burn hot and can scorch the tongue
if you aren't careful.
- Turkish
- these orientals have a somewhat nutty character.
- Latakia
- from Syria and Cypria, these tobaccos are smoke cured and have a definite
smoky taste. They also help to cool down a Virginia blend.
- Perique
- True Perique is only grown in one place on one farm today: St. James Parish
in Louisiana. This is a very specially processed and fermented tobacco that
adds a smooth creaminess when mixed into a blend in small amounts. Here
is an updated version of article
I wrote on Perique tobacco. This appeared in Pipe Friendly magazine
in November 1998.
- Cavendish
(unflavored) - adds a bit of body and "meaty" flavor.
- While I am not
a Burley fan, it is a commonly used tobacco
in pipe mixtures. One straight Burley I do like is Stokkebye's #702 Pressed
Burley.
Cornell
& Diehl #66 - Star of the East - is a blend I created in 1998 that
is still a favorite of mine. It is one half Latakia with a generous portion
of Turkish and sweetened with stoved red Virginia. It is a cool, sweet and
satisfying smoke.
And my absolute
two favorite tobaccos are Esoterica Penzance and Esoterica Margate. While
I like to try many different tobaccos, I always return to these two and each
time I reconfirm that they are still the best.
