New Blends

As promised in my last post, here is an introduction to the three new blends I bought in the Black Cat cigar closeout last week. The first, pictured below, is Cornell&Diehl daVINCI, described as a blend of Cyprian Latakia, rough cut Burley and bright Virginia flake, with the extra warning "Heavy Latakia." I haven't opened any of these tins yet and won't for some weeks. I smoke one to two bowls a day tops and have three opened tins that I'm working through (which, by the way, are each tasting better and better as I smoke them and as they dry a bit with the passage of time.)But I am really looking forward to trying these.



The next blend is also Cornell&Diehl, called Exhausted Rooster and described as a blend of Virginia, dark fired burley and a dash of Perique. This sounds great and is close to what I usually enjoy most.




Finally, there is Montgomery by G.L. Pease (no photo) described as several grades of wonderful flue-cured Virginia leaf combined with just a touch of dark-fired Kentucky. I haven't smoked a pretty much pure Virginia for a long time and I'm looking forward to this one as well. I also look forward to sharing with you the results when I open these tins.

PIPES OF THE WEEK

This week I broke out two very old pipes. Not sure what possessed me, Pipe-smoker's nostalgia, I guess. The pipes below are both over 40 years old and used to be regular members of my daily rotation. They are probably the second and third pipes I ever bought. They are both Wilke pipes that I bought at that venerable New York establishment when the Wilke sisters were still running the now long-gone store. It was one of my favorite destinations for a day in Manhattan in my late teens. Those were the days when the youngster behind the counter, otherwise manned by the aging sisters and an aging blender whose name I wish I could remember, was Arizona Zipper. Some of you may remember his ubiquitous letters in the Pipe Smoker's Ephemeris and his friendship with Tom Dunn of that publication. When I have time I will have to devote an entire post to the Ephemeris and Tom for you younger readers. Anyway, these two pipes probably cost $15.00 a piece, which is not as cheap as it sounds given that the highest priced pipes then were about $100. But they were still starter pipes. They were. like all Wilke pipes, unstained and achieved the dark walnut color purely through the persistence of smoking. The advice, which I followed assiduously, was to rub the bowl against the side of one's nose while it was warm. As you can see, it worked. They are good smokers but both bowls get a little too hot. Dosen't seem to affect the smoke, but is a little tough on the fingers.

A Contemplative Morning

For the third morning this week I have secreted myself away with my laptop at a cafe to focus on preparing for the High Holy Days fast approaching. After today's session I repaired to Holt's smoking lounge for some well earned contemplative puffing.

On the way over I stopped in at the soon to vanish Black Cat Cigars mentioned in my last post top check out the pre-closing sales. They've never really carried any pipes of interest (perhaps at the new shop?) But they've recently been carrying more Corneel&Diehl products so I bought four tins on sale -- Maltese Falcon which I've really enjoyed and three that I haven't tried before. I'll show and tell about them in my next post. Meanwhile I want to finish my pipe in peace.

In The News and In The Bowl

Well, my publication schedule hasn't been as regular as I had hoped, but here I am again in the wake of this week's meeting of the Christopher Morley Pipe Club. Another very pleasant evening among the pipe cognoscenti in Center City Philadelphia. With summer drawing to a close and my regular teaching schedule gearing up I may not make more than one or two more meetings in the course of the year, but it's been fun being a regular again these last few months.

The highlight of this last meeting was the announcement by Sam, owner of Black Cat Cigars that having successfully opened their new store out near Plymouth meeting, they will be closing their Center City store after some 26 years. Good luck to them, bad luck for Center City pipe and cigar smokers. But the silver lining is the hefty sales beginning today on Pipes and tobaccos might soften the blow. Check it out.

THE TOBACCO BAR
Last time I mentioned two new blends, Lombard Street and Purple Cow.

I've had quite a bit more opportunity to test these out. Lombard street turns out to be a good light Latakia blend that I'm really enjoying. It has become one of my go-to blends during the day.

Purple Cow, on the other hand, is not growing on me. It is flavorful but has a bit of a hot bite on the tongue, which Robusto does not. I spoke to Bob about it and he told me that it depends on the type of Burley they find to put into the blend. Some have more sugar content than others and it is the sugar content that accounts for the bite. So be it, but I don't think this is going to go on my regular list.

I've also added one more new blend to the mix, pictured below, from Cornell&Diehl called Red Carpet.I like it a lot. I was looking for a new Virginia-Perique blend to change of from my sudden riches of Latikia blends. I have not been disappointed. But beware, it is strong. And when I say a Virginia-Perique blend is strong you better believe it. I've smoked almost nothing else for years and have never found a blend that I had to give up smoking in the morning, for instance. But this blend on an empty stomach is not recommended. Otherwise, go for it.



While browsing the C&D site I came across a link recommending
The Pipe Smoker's Intelligencer and checked it out. I think any pipe smoker will enjoy it, so check it out yourself.

And finally Cornell&Diehl was written up in WNC magazine and you might enjoy reading about Craig and Patty also. Enjoy a great article about C&D tobaccos

Happy smoking!

After A Long Hiatus

I'm back. No real excuses, just lazy and I did go back to work on the very day my last posted was uploaded after a six month Sabbatical. Suddenly my time was a bit less free!
But I continue to be interested in the world of pipes and there is some stuff to catch up on.

First of all. I've been able to attend a couple of more meetings of the Christopher Morley Pipe club here in Philadelphia. The club is now on Facebook and you are welcome to check us out there. You need to log in first

Next, I've finished the two tobaccos I mentioned before my break, Robusto and Sunday Picnic and thoroughly enjoyed them both. I am now working on two new tobaccos.



The first is G.L. Pease's Lombard. I haven't opened it yet but it is a Virginia and Latakia blend and I guess I've suddenly become a Latakia smoker after all these years. There are just so many interesting blends available. I still need a Virginia Perique blend sansLatakia to smoke on a regular basis so I'm finishing off my tin of Or Olam from the Cornell&Diehl Hebraica series that I helped blend until I find something else. Meanwhile, since I live on Lombard Street I thought I'd give this one a try.



The second tin is called Purple Cow blended for Cornell&Diehl by Bob Runowski well known in these parts for his speciality in burley blends. This particular one is rather unusual, containing burley, bright virginia ribbon, latakia (there it is again) and maduro cigar leaf. It is, therefore, in the same family as Robusto and just as powerful and pleasing. I've smoked a couple of bowls and have enjoyed it, but I haven't quite decided between the two (Purple Cow and Robusto.) Bob is a member of the Christopher Morley club and I saw him at the last meeting before I purchased this tin. I hope he'll be at the next meeting and we can share thoughts about it.

Well, that will do it for now. No promises, but I will try to update a bit more frequently. Happy smoking!