Notes and blends for favorite pipe tobaccos, January 2005.

Alex’s No. 1 Mix

I mix burley, black cavendish and HS-3 golden cavendish in a 1:1:2.5 blend. My current favorite. I am using the burley and black from “Blender’s Gold” (The Tobacco Center”) retail rack blender bags. These are OK but perhaps not premium. I am sure I could do better. At first I often started with the Tobacco Center “Burley and Black” or “Mellow Blend” packages as a base mix, adding HS-3 and ending up with roughly the same mix by trial and error.

Trout Stream 4oz.

Eric’s Adirondack Series. This is a mixture of Golden Cavendish Slices mixed with a sweet Black Cavendish. Perfect for tying flies or stepping out of your tent on a cool misty morning.

My comments: Mild, no bite down to the bottom of the bowl. Not as robust as anything I mix, but a very pleasant flavor. Excellent aroma in the bag or in the smoke. Seems ideal for the first smoke of the day, or last of the evening. A real pleaser, this will definitely be a reorder item. Source: store.pipesandcigars.com

Milk and Honey

Scotty’s Blends. Another house favorite. Loaded with the finest black cavendish and a single malt highlight. Perfect for the cool night.

My comments: Moderately robust, flavored blend gets better as you smoke it. Mild nutty flavor. In the bag, a hint of an aroma like strawberry jam. Not sure what “single malt” means in the blended tobacco context. Possibly a bit much for my liking in a big bowl; might be perfect for a standard 3/4 bowl or a bantam. Source: store.pipesandcigars.com

LL 1Q

Lane Limited. Golden Cavendish blend but with a hint of fire-cured blended in provides a scintillating taste and flavorful aroma.

My comments: Nice smooth taste, nice aroma. I would keep this one around. Best smoked alone, as its subtle qualities will be lost in a reblend. Source: store.pipesandcigars.com or paylesspipes.com.

LL RLP-6

Lane Limited. Blended with just the right proportion of Golden Virginia and Burleys, the basic blend of Toasted Cavendish tobaccos gets better as you smoke it.

My comments: Lots of Toasted Cavendish gives a more robust flavor, nice aroma in the bag or pipe. Golden Virginia gives an interesting variety compared to golden cavendishes. Although I generally prefer the golden cavendishes, this one would be good to keep on hand for an after dinner or special smoke. I will definitely stock it. Source: store.pipesandcigars.com

LL HS-3

Lane Limited. Aroma, one of the most important aspects of any pipe tobacco, is the paramount consideration in this blend of Golden Cavendish tobacco. Everyone within smelling distance loves it!

My comments: Sweet, aromatic, wonderful taste on the tongue. As aromatic as they claim. Excellent mixer, this is my staple source of Golden Cavendish. I have already been through a couple of pounds of this. Source: store.pipesandcigars.com or paylesspipes.com.

LL RHQ3

Lane Limited. A unique blend of Golden Cavendish tobaccos with a touch of Mellow Burleys enhanced with a delicate nutty and fruity flavor for a distinctively pleasurable smoke.

My comments: Nearly indistinguishable from my own 1:1:2.5 mix; I think I use a tad more HS-3 Cavendish. This, after all, is a Lane Limited blend. I could be very happy on a desert island with a 5 pound bag of this mix. Source: store.pipesandcigars.com.

Medium Burley 2971051

Altadis Bulk Tobacco.

My comments: bought as a mixer. Much nicer in-the-bag aroma than generic bulk bought at places like Walgreen’s. Source: store.pipesandcigars.com.

HGB-2000 Burley & Black 2763051

Altadis Bulk Tobacco. Source: store.pipesandcigars.com.

My comments: Promising. More robust. Flavorful. Lots of Black Cavendish. Nice aroma in bag. A little more bite. Needs to be smoked away from a biting cold wind, in order to get the aroma. Try this in Phoenix.

Alex Forbes ©January 21, 2005