Pot O' Gold!
As most of you know, I blend raw tobaccos from scratch and if a topping is desired, I choose from a substantial supply of professional tobacco sauce extracts, individually or mixed, to whatever suits me for a given blend. I also blend non-aromatics, as well. For example, I smoke Captain Bob's Blend both sauced and unsauced. Unsauced it is a delightful light English blend. When sauced (as commercially available) it is still a light English blend but as an aromatic containing Latakia, it has a unique character, taste and aroma.
From time to time, I also carefully mix finished blends. Here is one for those of you who have the ingredients on hand. All are C&D blends.
I call it Pot O' Gold:
Formula measurement: One Part = One loose (not packed) level shot-glass of tobacco.
3 Parts - Two Friends Heritage (TFH)
2 Parts - Riverboat Gambler (RBG)
1 Part - Autumn Evening (AE)
TFH is a flavorful Virginia Medley of Red and Lemon Virginias and contains elements of Black and Brown Cavendish with a few flakes of Burley leaf and forms the base of this mixture. Just a drop of extract to bring out the sweetness of the Virginia's. Not really an aromatic as the extract is virtually not discernable. Nor is it a non-aro by definition. Call it a "hybrid" bordering on the non-aro side for sure.
RBG is rich full flavor Burley with a stealthy element of condimental Turkish. It is smooth, not sweet, but very deep flavor of Burley and Izmir Turkish leaf. A non-aro to be sure. Lots of nicotine because there is only a smattering of flue-cured Burley to cut the strength of this tobacco.
Autum Evening is a delightful Maple aromatic of Red Cavendish. Smooth and not at all overpowering. Good Cavendish flavor lets you know you are smoking real tobacco. Extremely pleasant.
I smoke all of these blends in my daily rotations of tobacco. In other words I smoke them all on a regular basis. But, in the combination I have formulated above, a new experience is awaiting you. I find it very satisfying.
One thing I have discovered long ago is, I do like both aro's and non-aro's. You could call this formula a "hybrid" in that respect. It is a cross-over and I enjoy it very much. I also discovered that I appreciate my favorite aromatic blend much more if I alternate between aromatic and non-aromatic blends in the same day using, of course, different pipes.
If you try this, post what you think. Or, maybe, you have your own favorite formula of mixing finished blends? If so, please share it with us. For example, Sir Walter Raleigh (SWR) is an excellent mixer. There are many others, including Prince Albert. Why not share some of your secrets in this topic for all of us to enjoy.
Happy smoking!
Click on Label for Reviews:
I am often reminded of those great old "Maple" blends that are no longer around. While I never smoked them, I understand the how frustrating it is to lose a favorite. Among my favorite rotations are Heritage, Riverboat Gambler and Autumn Evening (all explained in detail above). It was only after smoking these three for more than a year that I decided to try a "Mixture" I call Pot O' Gold.
If you know what you are looking for and can't find it (that's how CBB was created), consider a carefully thought out plan to combine "finished" blends, called "Mixtures". You do not have to start from scratch as I did to create CBB. That took three years! Instead, you can try mixing what you are familiar with.
Use the "shot-glass" method explained above. If you find something you really like, please post it here for others to try, if they are interested.
In the case of POG (Pot O' Gold), I eventually was ready to graduate the Mixture from the shot-glass method to the same ratio formula using two-ounce tins. Liking it so well, I then started blending 8-ounce tins (again, same ration of 3-2-1). That yields a three-pound batch! My most recent batch was using three 8-ounce tins of Heritage, two 8 ounce tins of Riverboat Gambler and one 8-ounce tin of Autumn Evening. You get the idea?
For your own experimentation of personal Mixtures, I suggest keeping a similar ratio of 3-2-1 or something similar that adds up to the number six for an easy conversion to larger batches using 2, 8 or even 16 ounce units to mix. If you find what you like using the "volume" method (shot-glass method), it will convert just fine into the "weight" measure method for larger quantities.
Click on Label for Reviews:
"...I suggest keeping a similar ratio of 3-2-1 or something similar that adds up to the number six for an easy conversion to larger batches using 2, 8 or even 16 ounce units to mix. If you find what you like using the "volume" method (shot-glass method), it will convert just fine into the "weight" measure method for larger quantities."
Of course any number of parts can be used to obtain fractions of a total but the term "easy" suggests something else.
What's the significance of 6?
2, 4, 8, & 16 are powers of two and 6 isn't. So while the 3 parts (of 6) results in a power of two, the other two (1 & 2) don't and you end up with fractions of an oz on conversion to total volumes of 2, 4, 8, or 16 oz.
For easy conversion aren't you better off with total parts adding to a power of two (eg 2, 4, 8, 16) for easy conversion to a total volume that is a power of two?
He is simply referring to the ratio of parts. Whether they total 16 is irrelevant.
3 parts of a mixture is the same whether you want to make an 8 oz. batch or a 16 oz. batch.
3 parts of a mixture is the same whether you want to make an 8 oz. batch or a 16 oz. batch.
Ultimately, if you found a Mixture to your liking, you would then buy quantities of the individual blends in popular available sizes such as 2 ounce, 8 ounce or 16 ounce tins. With my method, a scale is not even needed.
The shot glass method is a conservative way to measure and still get reasonable accuracy. Although, moisture weight variance is a factor, my method assumes most tobacco's are within an acceptable range of similar moisture when blended.
Also, the shot glass method produces an acceptable amount to fill a pouch for the experiment without wasting tobacco if you do not like what you mixed.
It is the equal partitioning of different tobacco's that matters. On the other hand, an accurate scale is another good method, although a bit more complicated. If using the scale method, I recommend blending in 1/16ths of an ounce or in quantities that add up to 16.
My shot glass method is one that anybody can use without a scale and still be able to transpose to container purchases of the blends making up your new Mixture. In other words "parts is parts".
Click on Label for Reviews:
Today, another try on Pot O'Gold but the mix is still changing, at least the Burley bitterness is recessing. Capt. this mix of yours is rather strange, the odor in the jar is all Autumn Evening but the smoke is not sweet even lightly aromatic.
On the 1st day it had a very heavy Burley like flavor, I left the pipe alone a few minutes and had to relight it, it was not funny. I don't really know where this flavor come from, it is not present in any of the components. RG have Burley on it but I did not experimented this taste.
I'm letting it sleep for a week and then I'll try it again.
About the glass method, it only works when the different tobaccos have a similar cut (which is the case with POG) with this small quantities I would have to have a scale capable of measuring 1/10 of grams and I don't, the one I have only measures grams.
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Hello Captain Bob. Here is a tobacco I really enjoy, McClelland 5100. I take the tobacco and put it in a pie pan, and let it sit in the sun for a while just long enough to dry a bit. I find this really improves the taste. This is not my idea, but I wish it was.