Blending My Own Pipe Tobacco

Blending My Own Pipe Tobacco

Trial and Error - Surprising Finds



Recently I have tried my hand and recreating some of the world's classic pipe tobacco blends as well as attempting to replicate some old Classic Pipe Shop blends of years-gone-by.

I've spent some time chatting with local blenders and gathered numerous types of leaf to blend in small batches to try a couple bowls before mixing 6-8 ounces of the blend.  My goal is to blend roughly three bowls of each concoction.  This will allow me to smoke a bowl a few days apart to see how it marries in flavor and tin notes.

For the 'tin' I am using a wide mouth Ball-style screw lid jar.  I find it keeps the tobaccos in great shape over time and rarely, if ever, loses any moisture.

Initially my goal was to replicate the highly-sought-after Balkan Sobranie tobacco of years gone by.  I have a tin of it (now jarred to keep fresh) from the early 70's that I break out from time-to-time to enjoy and keep me focused on my task at hand.  I can tell you it is not an easy task, and is rather difficult based on 40 years of aging.  With that much age (even a few years softens and / or brings out certain aromas in the tin) you have to guess at times what tobaccos you think are in there and how the tobaccos you use will age to help mirror the tin note and smoking characteristics of the tobacco.

I've been fortunate in my search for Syrian Latakia - a main component of the original Balkan Sobranie Smoking Mixture.  I have enough to run tests for about 20 batches if necessary.  The ability to find much Syrian Latakia in bulk is highly unlikely and rather frustrating.

I've found it takes several types of Virginias and Turkish to gain the proper complexity and smoking characteristics I've been looking.  Fortunately I feel confident I am getting to a blend I feel comfortably meets my memory (past and current) of this wonderful smoking mixture.  Is it perfect?  No.  I feel it's a bit of a moving target as well so I will continue with my minor tweaks until I am satisfied then I will keep myself with enough inventory to age and keep notes while I enjoy the blend into the future.

What's Old is New Again

I've also found some old recipes for tobacco blends and have adjusted some of these recipes to bring a modern twist to them.  I have made a few blends to work alongside my father's books he's written - American Mystery novels with a cool pulp-vibe to them. 

These blends are mostly Burley-based (since they're American Mysteries) with whispers of Virginias and some exotic spices added. 

These old recipes are from the 40s and reflect what was popular at the time and also included some mild English blends that I have also adjusted to give them a more FULL and complex touch.

In future posts I'll go into more detail about successes and frustrations of blending pipe tobacco.  In general I find it relaxing, enjoyable and fulfilling to get into this hobby. 

I'll include my father's reviews of the tobaccos as well.  We'll start with one of the blends made with the name of his 3rd book - Buzzard Rock.

No. 3 - Buzzard Rock - 

Blender Description:  American Burley from the 1970s as a base with sweet Virginia and a blend of Turkish - Contemplative

DATE: 3 May 2014 REVIEWED BY: M. Hross RATING: 4 Stars (out of 5) STRENGTH: Mild FLAVORING: Not Noted TASTE: Medium AROMA IN POUCH: Pleasant and Nutty ROOM NOTE: Pleasant NOTES: Packed easily; neither wet nor dry; burned well all the way down; gray dottle; minor bite toward the bottom when forced; extremely mild when first lit; looking forward to another visit More blends and reviews to come as the week progresses.  I am working on compiling information on the Jost Pipe Shop for my next shop review / installment.  I look forward to your feedback!