The Great Best of the Best of the Best Aromatic Project

[Blackhorse]

Is it scientific? No way!

Will it be biased? Not at all!

Will it be selective? Very!

Is it just a big mooch attempt? You be the judge.

Have I lost my mind? What mind?

________________________

This month I have gone out on a limb and started sawing it off behind me. I decided I have never really given American Aromatic blends a fair shake and that there were certainly many fine, high quality items out there that needed... no...DEMANDED to be heard...er, smoked.

So I went on a binge and purchased 1 - 2 oz of each of the following blends after really some pretty exhaustive research on the review site. I picked things that received really good reviews and that I thought I would like...til my money ran dry.

ALSO - if I have neglected a blend that you think is just the most wonderful thing ever in the whole world...let me know...and send me a sample if you want it in this silly event.

What NOT to recommend: I will not consider Cherry blends or anything with Latakia. Why? Simple, I hate 'em both. Gak! Kaff! Kaff!

Here's the list I have purchased (shows my serious intent):

1) Lane RLP-6
2) Lane LL-7
3) Lane BCA
4) Milan Sunset Rum
5) Milan Wall Street
6) Milan Doctor's Orders
7) Milan Lucky 7
8 ) Milan Evening Stroll
9) Milan Reflections
10) McClelland 401 Darkest Caramel
11) MacBaren 7 Seas Black
12) Scotty's Butternut Burley
13) Aged Burley Kake
14) Sutliff Blacksburg
15) Orlik Racing Green
16) Orlik Club Mixture
17) Orlik Golden Mixture
18) Orlik Mellow Mixture
19) McClalland 402 - Chocolate Cream
20) McClelland TQ - Top Quality Gold & Toasted
21) Gawith Red Style
22) Peretti Boston's Best Cavendish
23) Peretti Ebony


Blends from here down were donated

24) Gawith Top Black Cherry (being submitted by Drums & Beer)
25) Lane 1Q (being submitted by Drums and Beer
26) 4 Noggins Three Blind Moose (submitted by Simple Man)
27) P&CC Snowdrift (donated by Simple Man)
28) Sutliff Peach Pie (donated by Ozark Wizard)
29) Dan Devil's Holiday (donated by Ozark Wizard)
30) Scotty's HCPS Trout Stream (from ajn27511)
31) Lane Black Raspberry ( donated by kelhammer)
32) McClelland Master Penman (via nismo270r)
33) Straus Tobacconist Sleepy Hollow (via nismo270r)

Blends purchased or donated mid-event:

34) Peretti Black Virginia
35) Peretti No Name
36) Peretti Blend 1072
37) Peretti Blend DD
38) Peretti Original Mixture
39) Peretti Belmont
40) Gawith Rum Flake (from fsu92john)
41) WO Larsen Signature (from fsu92john)
42) The Country Squire Cherokee (Virginias and Steamed Cavendish)
43) The Country Squire Parson's Blend (Fruit and Burley)
44) The Country Squire Rivendell (Nutty, Woodsy, Cocoa)

(Blends in bold type have been tested with results posted)


Anything I missed?

Anyway...results will be posted over this Fall.

___________________,

This thread will not be a forum for negative discourse on the relative merits of any brand or blend. Any and all negative or trolling comments will be removed immediately. If you like something, add to the thread...if not, keep it to yourself. It's the Bambi Rule.

____________________

Bottom Line...Be warned: Anyone donating to the cause will receive tobacco from this event back at least in the amount that they donated, and likely much more.  The blends and amounts will be at the sole discretion of the author.  Thanks for your support.

Now...let the games begin!

 

[Blackhorse]

First up...McClelland 401 Darkest Caramel - in a MM Cobbit Hobbit.

First bowl: A winner. Easy to work with re loading and tamping and lighting and burnng, etc. I've read that the initial Caramel flavor hit was strong...but I found it mild to medium & consistent down the bowl. Nice Dark tobacco flavors along side the flavored sweetness. Not hot. No bite. All in all, a very nice introduction to this business.

Second bowl in a MM General cob with custom 5" forever stem.

One thing I really like about this blend is the large billows of smoke. I likes me lotsa smoke. Big ol' General. This one's gonna take a while. Ultimately however the second bowl became tedious and I finally put it down. There was nothing wrong with it...just finally had had enough. All in all a good smoke. But I ended up wanting a 'more' that just wasn't there.

Others guys say:

Pipestud (highly recommended)
This one may quickly hit my top five aromatics list. I'm a fan of caramel flavoring and this dark Black Cavendish blend is loaded with the stuff! I opened the tin and immediately started salivating. At the match, wowsers, a strong caramel taste (frankly, almost overwhelming), washed over my palate but then settled down and became manageable. And typical of McClelland aromatics, #401 smoked mostly cool and the dottle at the bottom of the bowl was not overly moist. A very nice smoke that I think may b e a really good friend!

Jimlnks (highly recommend)
There's a very slight vanilla note from the black cavendish. The rest of what you will taste is a very rich and creamy caramel. Burns fairly well, though slightly moist, and cool with no bite. The flavor never weakens, leaves a very pleasant after taste, and the room note will make you a lot of friends. An under rated aromatic.


I think for tomorrow's trial I'll pick one of the new Milan blends.

 

[Richard Burley]

What? No Pipeworks & Wilke? :lol:

I just blew through my Trout Stream. It's OK. Let me know via PM if you want any Autumn Evening, my favorite because it's the only one that doesn't pall on me. (Might take a while to get back to ya', I'm cuttin' out for now.)

 

[Blackhorse]

Well, none of Carole's blends YET. No Boswell, no Cornell & Diehl, no Peretti, etc. either. Why? No money. Ran out. Many good candidates there to be sure.

Gonna pass on the Autumn Evening for now. I'd need another Maple to pair it against...which I don't have. Thinking 4 N's Essence of Vermont. We'll see what happens. Thanks though, very kind, etc.

 

[juanmedusa]

I'll be following, good luck.

 

[Blackhorse]

I'm so afraid.

 

[juanmedusa]

I'm so afraid.

The mediocre ones won't stay with you long. The exceptional blends will root almost as deeply in your mind and taste memory as the objectionably god awful ones! :lol!:

Actually you'll probably be ok because you did some research and screened most of the entrants and the ones you didn't screen were conscientiously recommended. If I was worried for you it would be worry of fatigue. So I offer myself here as cheerleader! A really masculine cheerleader. :twisted:

 

[babysinister]

Ask for a sample of Edgeworth Aromatic (Red), if you can find someone who lives in the area in which the shop with some of it has a b&m.  Seek and you shall find.  (Hint: not me, I only received a sample of this recently from far away.)

Astonishingly well-preserved for a 70s aro.  Nice birch and brandy flavor, blended the right way, made it a very nice aro smoke for me.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

You have not listed anything I have............


Cool.............


Dooooooooommmmmed!

I know where you live................

 

[Kelhammer]

Lane Black Raspberry is a dirty secret in my cellar. Let me know if you are curious? I have a puond to jar up, and am sure to keep some out.

 

[SkagitSmoke]

I second Autumn evening. It is by far my favorite aro. I've also wanted to try Pennington Gap. This gives me a reason to buy some and send a sample your way.

 

[Blackhorse]

OK...PM me we the offers of P Gap (a long ignored old buddy), Black Raspberry & Autumn Evening...be sure to add your full mailing address so I can start a database for later...and then I'll reply with my address.

If you decide to send in a sample it should be a regular 1 oz sample in a zip lock bag...well labeled with the blend, and your online and real names.

OzWiz - you scare me. I know your evil nature. Just keep in mind that for the purposes of THIS little exercise items should be something that members can buy online for themselves.

The underlying point of all this hooplah is to open some doors to the world of good, well smoking aromatic blends for folks that might not usually go that direction. Like me. I openly admit that I was getting way too one dimensional and through this I want to find not only the occasional guilty pleasure, but also some that will fit on my shelf next to the other regularly reached for blends.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

OzWiz - you scare me. I know your evil nature. Just keep in mind that for the purposes of THIS little exercise items should be something that members can buy online for themselves. The underlying point of all this hooplah is to open some doors to the to world for folks that might not usually go that direction. Like me.

Ah, yes, well..........

STILL, STILL, deep in the bowels of the sock drawer are some 'Commercial Aromatics' that I checked were still readily available to boot........

(pun intended)

((smirk))

 

[Blackhorse]

So...either your socks smell great...or those blends are a little, "socky".

 

[user 2031]

I have some P&C: Snow Drift that I think is pretty nice. I'd be glad to pass along a nice sample to you. Also, how about Three Blind Moose? Knowing how much you like Storm Front, I think you might be interested in this lightly aro blend from 4Noggins. Not that it is anything like Storm Front, because it isn't. It says it is butterscotch, which you can smell in the pouch, but is hard for me to distinguish in the pipe. Interested?

Jack

 

[Fazby]

I will look forward to this. I am currently working through some cherry blends and will post the results when done.

I also will include MV2000 and Butternut Burley as they somehow snuck in the mix. I am weak when the curiosity PAD attacks.

 

[Blackhorse]

PM sent to Simple Man

______________________

Please be aware, I'm not begging for samples here. But if there's something you think should be included, let me know. I have to be a bit selective as I don't want to end up with a truckload

BASICS - NO LATAKIA BENDS...PERIOD! NO CHERRY BLENDS EITHER.


SPECIAL NOTE:

For the purposes of this event samples should be as follows:

A). In a regular ziplock baggie.
B). 1 oz or greater in weight.
C). Paper inside baggie to include:
1) Name of maker and blend
2) Online name of doner
3) FULL name and address of doner

Send suggestions via PM for my address.

 

[RobJ]

It's a pity you aren't including Cherry Blends; I have some slightly used Paladin Black Cherry I can send.

:lol:

 

[Blackhorse]

Yes. I weep at it's loss.



Perhaps in the next life...or my afterlife...surely it'll be just the blend to brighten up an otherwise dull afternoon of wailing and tooth gnashing.

 

[idbowman]

Yo BH...if you don't smoke through your entire stock of Lane 1-Q and RLP-6, you should try combining them at a 1:1 ratio.

It seems like you're looking for commercially available blends, not smoking table alchemy, but I'm reasonably confident that this ratio forms the basis for many "house" aromatic blends, so it may very well qualify.