Pics of your sticks!! 2025

[WillQuantrill]

Rolled these celebratory beauties today as a New Year blend to commemorate 2024's crop. 6 1/2" x 52 Torpedoes. I blended all 4 varieties of Cigar leaf that came out of the garden in 2024. Using each in there best purpose.
I call this blend...
Marron Salsa
Filler: Criollo 98 seco, viso, ligero 1 each
Vallejano Viso 1
Binder: Long Red
Wrapper: Florida Sumatra

 

[SmokeyNagata]

Stupid question but wouldn't tobacco leaves need more time to ripe? Or is mostly about improving the flavor? Cheers!

 

[WillQuantrill]

Stupid question but wouldn't tobacco leaves need more time to ripe? Or is mostly about improving the flavor? Cheers!

The leaves have spent 7-8 weeks air cure, then 6-7 weeks fermenting in the kiln, and finally rested for 4-8 weeks. I'll give these 2 weeks in a humidor and taste test. That should give me a good idea where the leaf is age wise. What will it taste like? Your guess is as good as mine. Haha

 

[WillQuantrill]

Another test blend, but I have high hopes it will bring a great place to start. The idea here was to blend a stout Criollo 98, with a Sumatra tang.
W- Criollo 98: WLT
B- Double Sumatra: WLT
F- DR Criollo 98 Seco: LO- 1/2
Homegrown Criollo 98: Seco 1, Viso 1
ASP Nicaragua Ligero- 1
Seems that my torpedo rolling skills actually got better since I took a year break from my old wooden torpedo mold. Caps need refinement but it's partially because the length of the wrapper was a race to the end. Second picture is show-and-tell of the brand new DE humidor I won last week in a Katman swag contest.

 

[Bottenslam]

Some quick ones

 

[Andude]

Tried my hand at a barber pole. This was my second attempt, which I was pretty happy with. Took me a bit to figure out how to roll the second wrapper so it would spiral down the right spot. Blowing my mind, but somehow it just wouldn't work rolling the same way I rolled the first one.

I also tried a new technique with the wrappers. Rather than using the edge of the leaf like normal (containing the veins), I had inner parts of the leaf, cut out the veins, glued together a long strip with the parts from between the veins, then cut an even strip out of the conglomeration that looked pretty nice. Probably would never work for commercial, but loving how it saved on my leaf.

 

[FrostD]

Tried my hand at a barber pole. This was my second attempt, which I was pretty happy with. Took me a bit to figure out how to roll the second wrapper so it would spiral down the right spot. Blowing my mind, but somehow it just wouldn't work rolling the same way I rolled the first one.

I also tried a new technique with the wrappers. Rather than using the edge of the leaf like normal (containing the veins), I had inner parts of the leaf, cut out the veins, glued together a long strip with the parts from between the veins, then cut an even strip out of the conglomeration that looked pretty nice. Probably would never work for commercial, but loving how it saved on my leaf.

Your barber pole looks good there brother! I’ve dabbled with a few barber poles myself and know exactly where you’re coming from. What I’ve found is having similar tensile strength on wrapper leaves help quite a bit. In addition to having similar straightness on the edges. Personally, I’ve found that sometimes laying the 2 wrappers on top of each other and cutting the same shape can help. Also, straight edges over curved help quite a bit a well to get consistency on the amount of one color shown.

Bottom line, practice practice practice & your roll looks fantastic for a second attempt! I think out of 40-50 barber pole attempts made in my first two tries, I think I had 10 or less that looked even. Keep it up brother!

 

[Andude]

Your barber pole looks good there brother! I’ve dabbled with a few barber poles myself and know exactly where you’re coming from. What I’ve found is having similar tensile strength on wrapper leaves help quite a bit. In addition to having similar straightness on the edges. Personally, I’ve found that sometimes laying the 2 wrappers on top of each other and cutting the same shape can help. Also, straight edges over curved help quite a bit a well to get consistency on the amount of one color shown.

Bottom line, practice practice practice & your roll looks fantastic for a second attempt! I think out of 40-50 barber pole attempts made in my first two tries, I think I had 10 or less that looked even. Keep it up brother!

@FrostD thanks, brother! Now question is whether it tastes any good

 

[Andude]

Made this one with a small amount of pipe tobacco topped with rum and pressed for a bit, then tried this extravagant wrapper style (3 different leafs and 6 different pieces). I would have liked the woven stripes better if I had made the "veinless" strips using my method above. Not the prettiest art, but feels like art nonetheless, one that will be hard to destroy

 

[Andude]

Really enjoy the short-fill cigar using my bag of random, non-wrapper leaf scraps. Never quite know what flavors you'll get but always satisfying. The ash never holds quite as well but who cares lol. This one uses the Dominican O'lor binder and an Ecuador Los Rios wrapper with a simple pigtail snipped off the head.

 

[FrostD]

Just finished up an experimental blend. I’ve been working on these since December. I wanted to see how many different countries of leaf I could fit into 1 cigar. So, I put this blend together. All are 50 ring gauge. Length I shot for are 6 1/2”, but some are in the range of 5 1/2”- 6 1/2”. Hopefully not all of the leaf get overshadowed. We will see though. I’ll save a huge long message and say that if there are any questions, let me know!

10 - 11 different country blend!

Wrappers (L to R):
-PABL
-Brazil CT 2012
-Nicaraguan Maduro
-Indonesian Besuki

Binders:
-1st 1/2 (ish) = Cameroon
-2nd 1/2 (ish) = Ecuadorian

Filler:
Ligero=
-Dominican
-Ecuadorian
-Nicaraguan
-Paraguayan

Viso=
-Dominican
-Honduran
-Mexican
-Peruvian

Seco=
-Columbian
-Pennsylvania

 

[Andude]

Just finished up an experimental blend. I’ve been working on these since December. I wanted to see how many different countries of leaf I could fit into 1 cigar. So, I put this blend together. All are 50 ring gauge. Length I shot for are 6 1/2”, but some are in the range of 5 1/2”- 6 1/2”. Hopefully not all of the leaf get overshadowed. We will see though. I’ll save a huge long message and say that if there are any questions, let me know!

10 - 11 different country blend!

Wrappers (L to R):
-PABL
-Brazil CT 2012
-Nicaraguan Maduro
-Indonesian Besuki

Binders:
-1st 1/2 (ish) = Cameroon
-2nd 1/2 (ish) = Ecuadorian

Filler:
Ligero=
-Dominican
-Ecuadorian
-Nicaraguan
-Paraguayan

Viso=
-Dominican
-Honduran
-Mexican
-Peruvian

Seco=
-Columbian
-Pennsylvania

View attachment 54423
View attachment 54424

@FrostD beautiful looking stacks! What's PABL? How do I decider your Filler data? Lol. Is it considered rude to ask/indicate what supplier you got leaf from? Let us know how they taste!

 

[Andude]

Got it a little cleaner this time.

 

[FrostD]

@FrostD beautiful looking stacks! What's PABL? How do I decider your Filler data? Lol. Is it considered rude to ask/indicate what supplier you got leaf from? Let us know how they taste!

Thanks buddy! PABL = Pennsylvania Broadleaf. The different leaf was sourced through primarily WLT. Some through LO. All of it has been collected when they’ve been offered over the last 5 ish years. Some still available, some long gone. Kind of the nature on the home rolling aspect. I keep all leaf and quantities on a spreadsheet, which makes it easier for me to blend. When new leaf is offered or gets back in stock, then I order more to resupply that particular leaf.

I’ll report back how they turn out! They will need to rest for at least a couple weeks to get their moisture content back up to a smokable level. I’m really hoping a few can sit for a year or two. However, my local buddies like to raid my homerolls. Lol.

 

[Andude]

Thanks buddy! PABL = Pennsylvania Broadleaf. The different leaf was sourced through primarily WLT. Some through LO. All of it has been collected when they’ve been offered over the last 5 ish years. Some still available, some long gone. Kind of the nature on the home rolling aspect. I keep all leaf and quantities on a spreadsheet, which makes it easier for me to blend. When new leaf is offered or gets back in stock, then I order more to resupply that particular leaf.

I’ll report back how they turn out! They will need to rest for at least a couple weeks to get their moisture content back up to a smokable level. I’m really hoping a few can sit for a year or two. However, my local buddies like to raid my homerolls. Lol.

Hey thanks! Informative! I just got a PABL Yeah it does take some time to build up the blending supplies doesn't it??

 

[FrostD]

Hey thanks! Informative! I just got a PABL Yeah it does take some time to build up the blending supplies doesn't it??

It does for sure! Especially if you get bit hard by the bug. Lol

 

[Andude]

Always nice when a mere binder turns into decent wrapper!

 

[Andude]

Filler: 2 Nic Orinoco, 1 PABL seco, 1 Criollo 98 Seco. Dom O'lor binder, Ecuador Los Rios wrapper. 50 rg. Was very spice forward, nutty, almost airey or dusty. Plenty of great smoke and burn, but not too even. Was hoping for something milder and "rounder". Have been surprised by the spiciness of the Criollo; tried a puro before and I was like, are we sure this is seco?? Lol. May try again with half the Criollo and try some Piloto. Or maybe a little more PABL will give it a little better depth? Dunno, will just keep trying ideas until I hit something my palate says is a home run!

 

[Andude]

I realized I had most of the components to approximate WLT’s Oscuro y Rico blend, so I gave the below a shot and it pretty much hit the spot for me.

Filler: 1 Pennsylvania Broadleaf (PABL) seco, 1 Nic Esteli viso, 1 Nic Orinoco. Orinoco binder, Ecuador Dark wrapper. 50 ring gauge. I hit that mellow/mild experience I've been looking for, perhaps due mostly to the wrapper (the Ecuador Los Rios may be a bit spicier than I realize, or at least letting the spice of the filler shine through more). This cigar is definitely still “stout” (like WLT says of the blend), but chocolatey and bready and immanently smokable. This was probably also the best constructed cigar I've made, from aesthetics to the smoking experience. I even had to let it go out and came back to it a couple of hours later…as if I hadn't missed a beat, still tasted and smoked fantastic. This might be one I can knock out a consistent set of to take and share with the guys.

 

[Andude]

I realized I had most of the components to approximate WLT’s Oscuro y Rico blend, so I gave the below a shot and it pretty much hit the spot for me.

Filler: 1 Pennsylvania Broadleaf (PABL) seco, 1 Nic Esteli viso, 1 Nic Orinoco. Orinoco binder, Ecuador Dark wrapper. 50 ring gauge. I hit that mellow/mild experience I've been looking for, perhaps due mostly to the wrapper (the Ecuador Los Rios may be a bit spicier than I realize, or at least letting the spice of the filler shine through more). This cigar is definitely still “stout” (like WLT says of the blend), but chocolatey and bready and immanently smokable. This was probably also the best constructed cigar I've made, from aesthetics to the smoking experience. I even had to let it go out and came back to it a couple of hours later…as if I hadn't missed a beat, still tasted and smoked fantastic. This might be one I can knock out a consistent set of to take and share with the guys.

View attachment 54517View attachment 54518View attachment 54519View attachment 54520

Edit: the Nic Orinoco in the filler was actually about 1.5 leaves, and Nic Orinoco binder was about 1.5 leaves.