What Are You Smoking Pages.

[GtrSmoker]

I’m currently about halfway through my second consecutive bowl of McLelland’s #2015 Flake, graciously provided by a fellow BoBer. I’d had this before, back before I took about a decade away from my pipes. I’ve only been smoking again since just before Christmas. And if this isn’t the best bowl I’ve had since I’ve been back, it’s definitely top five.

I decided to try back-to-back bowls because I correctly assumed that the initial bowl was sullied a bit by the fact that I pretty much smoke whatever I want in whichever pipe I choose. The first bowl was good, but kind of muted, especially the first half.

God, why did it have to be McLelland’s? Why couldn’t it have been Pease???

I’m just kidding. Mostly.

I’m just bitter that I didn’t have a chance to stock up on this stuff like I have on other, mostly lesser, fare in the past six months. And this isn’t just a case of thinking it’s great because it’s no longer available. McLelland’s really was great.. special... and it’s a shame that apparently those recipes aren’t going to be revived somehow.

Sorry guys... I’m relatively new here, and I’m just rehashing stuff you all probably went through back in ‘18.

But if anyone wants to leave me a bunch of McLelland’s VaPers in your will, I’d be honored.

Again, kidding. Mostly.

 

[GtrSmoker]

McClelland was a great blender. I got started with them in 2000 when I was working in Little Rock. A gentleman in the pipe shop I visited offered me a sample of Dark Star and showed me how to fold and stuff. A technique I had never learned as I had never smoked flakes till then or if I did I rubbed them out. I liked it a lot and started trying their other blends. St. James Woods was a fave but fell in love with Frog Morton. Others may come close but none that I've tried can duplicate the original McClellands.

It’s a doggone national tragedy that at least some of their most popular blends can’t be revived somehow. Then again, there’d probably be a bunch of folks griping about how it’s not as great as it used to be.

 

[JimInks]

Enjoyed a tasty lunch, and am smoking Sillem’s Linea Epoque Antique in a 2002 IMP smooth full bend egg shaped meer with a black acrylic saddle stem.

 

[JimInks]

Part way through this bowl of year 2014 Astley’s No. 44 in a smooth slight bend dark brown 1940s-1950s Comoy’s Blue Riband 228C prince with a tapered black vulcanite stem.

 

[Ranger107]

NYCPiper's Benediction (half Wilke High Hat/half PS LBF) in a Stanwell Relief bent dublin. Jiminks ice water & bergs on the side.

 

[JimInks]

NYCPiper's Benediction (half Wilke High Hat/half PS LBF) in a Stanwell Relief bent dublin. Jiminks ice water & bergs on the side.

Glad we gave you our family discount on the bergs, man!!

Couldn't wait until dinner to eat, so m'lady made some extremely delicious cinnamon raisin French toast to tide me over. I'm smoking year 2016 Orlik Golden Sliced in a smooth brown medium bend Abbott 788 (Sasieni family era) author with a tapered black vulcanite stem. Getting close to the Braves-Padres game to start.

 

[GtrSmoker]

Broke into my C&D stash again for a pre dinner smoke. Last bowl of Byzantium in a Molina 1/4 bent rhodesian. Not bad but not as mellow as the Billy Budd I had this am. Honey bourbon on the side. And as Gtr noted it ain"t Frog Morton, lol.

Hey, which honey bourbon? I used to be fairly partial to the Beam version. I found it a quick easy alternative to an old fashioned, my go-to.

I drink rarely these days. Since moving to FL in 18, actually. But the five years before that in Louisville? That’s the heart of bourbon county.

I miss it… the place more than the bourbon.

 

[JimInks]

Relaxing after a wonderful salad, giant filet mignon and asparagus dinner with rocky road ice cream and strawberries for dessert. I'm almost half way through this bowl of year 2013 Stonehaven in a straight black sandblasted 1957 Barling Exel 249 Fossil T.V.F. black billiard with a silver banded military mount and a black ebonite tapered stem. Ice water and bergs is my drink. Watching the Braves-Padres game, and am getting ready to clean some of the pipes I have smoked today.

 

[Ranger107]

Hey, which honey bourbon? I used to be fairly partial to the Beam version. I found it a quick easy alternative to an old fashioned, my go-to.

I drink rarely these days. Since moving to FL in 18, actually. But the five years before that in Louisville? That’s the heart of bourbon county.

I miss it… the place more than the bourbon.

Been buying Evan Williams. I think it's as good as Jim Beam and considerably less expensive.

 

[GtrSmoker]

Been buying Evan Williams. I think it's as good as Jim Beam and considerably less expensive.

I’ve had that. You’re right. It’s good. My ex liked maple beam. We tried the Crown maple, but it was VERY light on the maple.

Oh… the wild turkey honey is great too.

 

[Ranger107]

Wilke Crystal Palace in a Design Berlin full bent rusticated brandy. Good match up with creme sherry on the side. Hoped smoking lat weed would cut down on the gnat traffic. Not so, lol.

 

[JimInks]

Enjoyed a tasty golden delicious apple and smoked a bowl of year 2018 Esoterica Dunbar in a smooth straight, dark brown early 1960s Lane era Charatan Selected 43 Dublin with a black vulcanite double comfort saddle stem. This pipe was formerly owned by actor William Conrad. Deciding on my next smoke while I'm posting. This is often a hard decision for me.

 

[JimInks]

Decided to smoke D&R Windsail in a smooth straight dark brown family era “Canadian” by Sasieni with a black tapered vulcanite stem. Community Coffee, neat, is my drink. Off to work I go as I listen to the Dodgers-Giants game.

 

[EZONSLOW]

Good morning,
Smoking some Lane LL-7 in a Butz Choquin bent rhodesian pipe,These french pipes seem different, tobacco seems to burn a bit faster in them? Probably just me .

 

[EZONSLOW]

Smoking some Lane 1Q/BCA blend in a Savinelli Emerson bent billiard pipe.This pipe smokes very good and I can`t seem to find another one anywhere.

 

[Ranger107]

Good morning,
Smoking some Lane LL-7 in a Butz Choquin bent rhodesian pipe,These french pipes seem different, tobacco seems to burn a bit faster in them? Probably just me .

Probably not. I have 2 Butz pipes. One, a giant full bent billiard/apple smokes great. The other, a 1/4 bent billiard with massively thick walls smokes a bit hot which should not be the case. Others on here have remarked on the tendency of Butz pipes to smoke hot as well.

 

[JimInks]

Not far from finishing this bowl of circa year 2000 Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend in a 2014 Basil Meadows smooth slight bend squashed tomato with an aluminum band and a black pearl acrylic stem in the military mount style.

 

[JimInks]

Probably not. I have 2 Butz pipes. One, a giant full bent billiard/apple smokes great. The other, a 1/4 bent billiard with massively thick walls smokes a bit hot which should not be the case. Others on here have remarked on the tendency of Butz pipes to smoke hot as well.

I have four of them. Two burn hot near the bottom because of the thinner walls. The other two don't have this problem.

 

[Ranger107]

Ironically smoking the Butz giant right now with Urban Cowboy, my own blend of SWR, black cav, and H&H old dark fired. Quite similar to CS Cowboy Coffee. With dark roast coffee.

 

[ftrplt]

Another fine morning with 10-yr-old Union Square, 3-yr-old DH Dark Flake, and 15-yr-old Balkan Sasieni in three Meer bents. FTRPLT