Beginners' Pipe Blending

[ChinaVoodoo]

What is the best cavendish you’ve made?

From WLT, the best was the Virginia Bright Leaf.
From my own, the best was Flue Cured Costello Negro.
An interesting tobacco was Canik.

 

[deluxestogie]

I've never made a Cavendish from an Oriental. My worry has been that it would be flavorless and uninteresting.

Bob

 

[Traveling Piper]

I've never made a Cavendish from an Oriental. My worry has been that it would be flavorless and uninteresting.

Bob

@ChinaVoodoo
Oriental cavendish is a question I’ve been wanting to pose.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

The Canik was flue cured on the stalk. It did not burn well, and produced a black ash. I could only use it in small amounts. It had a strong floral and citrus flavour.

After pressing into a plug, then pressure cooking 3 hrs, it lost some of the floral and became almost over-poweringly citrusy. But that was ok because you only can use a small amount if you want the blend to burn well.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I honestly haven't had much luck with oriental.
I've done homegrown Bursa as cavendish. My Bursa sucks. It didn't help.
I've done cavendish with WLT Izmir. Really good. Not all that different from flue cured cavendish, but more balanced such that smoking it straight would be preferable to smoking flue cured cavendish.

 

[deluxestogie]

Oh, bother. Harrumph. I guess I'll have to try to make Cavendish from some of my sun-cured, kilned Düzce. And maybe some of the flue-cured Prilep.

Seriously, the possibilities are interesting. Dark-Air Cavendish is another temptation. Black Mammoth Cavendish was a bust.

Bob

 

[Traveling Piper]

Oh, bother. Harrumph. I guess I'll have to try to make Cavendish from some of my sun-cured, kilned Düzce. And maybe some of the flue-cured Prilep.

Seriously, the possibilities are interesting. Dark-Air Cavendish is another temptation. Black Mammoth Cavendish was a bust.

Bob

I gotta ask if you guys have done any of the same type experimentation using a perique technique?

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Oh, bother. Harrumph. I guess I'll have to try to make Cavendish from some of my sun-cured, kilned Düzce. And maybe some of the flue-cured Prilep.

Seriously, the possibilities are interesting. Dark-Air Cavendish is another temptation. Black Mammoth Cavendish was a bust.

Bob

With WLT dark air, it's not a huge difference actually.

 

[deluxestogie]

I gotta ask if you guys have done any of the same type experimentation using a perique technique?

I've made Perique batches from maybe a dozen different varieties solo, as well as one unfortunate blend batch. In general, cigar-stink comes through in Perique made from most cigar varieties. For everything else, the variety determines the nicotine potency, but the flavors and aromas seem pretty much the same.

Louisiana Perique is made from a distant relative of "red" burley, with a strength between batches made from burley red tips and those made from Maryland 609.

Bob

 

[GreenDragon]

I was able to test the Burley box pressed cigar blend tonight. The coins had dried out nicely and I broke them in half and gently stuffed into my pipe. It took two char lights to calm the surface down, but once done I was able to slowly smoke without any relights as long as I periodically tamped through the bowl. I definitely recognized the Burley aroma coming out of the bowl. Overall, the smoke itself was pleasant, but not overly flavorful. The strength was medium/strong. However, I lucked out and the balance was good with almost no bite except during the lighting. I can now understand why Burley is used as a backbone of sorts to build on. It gives structure and strength, but is not overly tasty. I'm positive this will improve with some aging, not that it is bad in any way, but should smooth out some of the edges.

What is most important is that I'm having fun and learning a lot as I go from this hands-on experience.

 

[Traveling Piper]

I was able to test the Burley box pressed cigar blend tonight. The coins had dried out nicely and I broke them in half and gently stuffed into my pipe. It took two char lights to calm the surface down, but once done I was able to slowly smoke without any relights as long as I periodically tamped through the bowl. I definitely recognized the Burley aroma coming out of the bowl. Overall, the smoke itself was pleasant, but not overly flavorful. The strength was medium/strong. However, I lucked out and the balance was good with almost no bite except during the lighting. I can now understand why Burley is used as a backbone of sorts to build on. It gives structure and strength, but is not overly tasty. I'm positive this will improve with some aging, not that it is bad in any way, but should smooth out some of the edges.

What is most important is that I'm having fun and learning a lot as I go from this hands-on experience.

Awesome man. Seems like you’re getting to know the tobaccos on a granular level. I need to do the same!

 

[Traveling Piper]

I received my first WLT order today. I could use a hand getting started. I would like to go for a blend expanded from @deluxestogie's
Pearl of Shibam (an English mixture)

-Virginia bright-cured: 31%
-Perique pressure-cured: 19%
-Latakia: 25%
-Oriental (typically, Izmir): 25%


I have the following leaf available for blending:
Flue Cured Lemon VA
Maryland 609
Latakia
Prilep
Perique

Bob,
I read in your blending book that Lemon is on the heavier biting side of the VA spectrum. So, should I increase my Perique ratio to combat it?
I really like what Burley brings to the bowl--so I think I'd like to incorporate some into the blend. Is there any reason you'd advise against this?

Let me know if you think the Lemon/Perique/Maryland will balance with this blend:

Lemon VA (Flue Cured) - 27%
Perique - 15%
Maryland 609 (Burley) - 8%
Latakia - 25%
Prilep (Oriental) - 25%

Everyone please let me know what you think. I would like to do the cigar roll and press or plug technique to consolidate and meld the blend.

 

[GreenDragon]

Congratulations on your shipment and welcome aboard the blending train. Beware - it's addicting!

 

[Traveling Piper]

I received my first WLT order today. I could use a hand getting started. I would like to go for a blend expanded from @deluxestogie's
Pearl of Shibam (an English mixture)

-Virginia bright-cured: 31%
-Perique pressure-cured: 19%
-Latakia: 25%
-Oriental (typically, Izmir): 25%


I have the following leaf available for blending:
Flue Cured Lemon VA
Maryland 609
Latakia
Prilep
Perique

Bob,
I read in your blending book that Lemon is on the heavier biting side of the VA spectrum. So, should I increase my Perique ratio to combat it?
I really like what Burley brings to the bowl--so I think I'd like to incorporate some into the blend. Is there any reason you'd advise against this?

Let me know if you think the Lemon/Perique/Maryland will balance with this blend:

Lemon VA (Flue Cured) - 27%
Perique - 15%
Maryland 609 (Burley) - 8%
Latakia - 25%
Prilep (Oriental) - 25%

Everyone please let me know what you think. I would like to do the cigar roll and press or plug technique to consolidate and meld the blend.

Wait...
After looking further at the blending Guide, I found that the latest version actually uses Lemon VA.

Latakia 25% (4 of 16 parts)
Oriental 25% (4 of 16 parts)
Lemon Virginia 31.25% (5 of 16 parts)
Perique 18.75% (3 of 16 parts)

I was using an older thread as a reference.
That being the case--I have everything needed to make this blend.

I would still be curious to know if the incorporation of burley would be a dumb idea or not.
*I'll probably make some of this version verbatim

 

[GreenDragon]

IMO, I would make two small batches ~25 grams each or less. This should be plenty for a "cigar" of each. Make one according to Bob's recipe, and another with your burley. My suggestion would be to reduce both the Virginia and the perique when adding in the burley.

 

[Traveling Piper]

Good idea, Dragon. I will likely do something like that. What is the convention for reducing VA and Perique with the addition of Burley?

 

[deluxestogie]

TP, I encourage you to experiment. My suggestion would be to do tiny batches (maybe 3 or so bowls per batch) of the original and of the burley version. Look in the blending book at the Burley & Latakia blends, which pretty much indicate my preferences for burley in the blend. In your own assessments, go by your tongue, in terms of VA/Perique balance.

Bob's Boorish Blending Method:

1. roll a 1" thick cigar of each separate component, about 5 or 6 inches long.
2. flatten the cigar, and thinly slice it. (I get about 1 tablespoon per 5 or 6 of my slices.)
3. split the coins into halves or thirds, to control shred length.
4. store each shredded component in its own, labeled Ziploc.
5. I use a tablespoon as a measure of "1 part" out of "16" for the blend for a typical "small" batch. (I triple that for a large batch.) But for tiny, testing batches, I use a teaspoon as a measure of "1 part" out of "16" for the blend I'm testing.
6. I measure the parts of component for a single blend into a 1 gallon Ziploc.
7. Zip shut, and shake for ~60 seconds.
8. Let the air out, and roll it up tight, to rest overnight, prior to sampling.

Bob

 

[Traveling Piper]

TP, I encourage you to experiment. My suggestion would be to do tiny batches (maybe 3 or so bowls per batch) of the original and of the burley version. Look in the blending book at the Burley & Latakia blends, which pretty much indicate my preferences for burley in the blend. In your own assessments, go by your tongue, in terms of VA/Perique balance.

Bob's Boorish Blending Method:

1. roll a 1" thick cigar of each separate component, about 5 or 6 inches long.
2. flatten the cigar, and thinly slice it. (I get about 1 tablespoon per 5 or 6 of my slices.)
3. split the coins into halves or thirds, to control shred length.
4. store each shredded component in its own, labeled Ziploc.
5. I use a tablespoon as a measure of "1 part" out of "16" for the blend for a typical "small" batch. (I triple that for a large batch.) But for tiny, testing batches, I use a teaspoon as a measure of "1 part" out of "16" for the blend I'm testing.
6. I measure the parts of component for a single blend into a 1 gallon Ziploc.
7. Zip shut, and shake for ~60 seconds.
8. Let the air out, and roll it up tight, to rest overnight, prior to sampling.

Bob

Sounds good, I’ll give it a whirl. Thanks man.

 

[Charly]

Blending is all about testing to find something you like !
Each batch of leave is different and need some adjustment to fit in a blend.

There is nothing wrong when adding burley to a blend. Just try and see if you are happy with it.

 

[Traveling Piper]

Blending is all about testing to find something you like !
Each batch of leave is different and need some adjustment to fit in a blend.

There is nothing wrong when adding burley to a blend. Just try and see if you are happy with it.

Cool, Thanks Charly. I am excited to get started.