Brunello

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Joined2019-02
Last Visited2023-04
LocationRural Virginia

Prompted by the wonderful smells emanating from my college roommate’s Savinelli, I decided to visit a tobacco shop and get a pipe. I bypassed the entire OTC codger phase and cheap Grabows and started right off with a good pipe. That first visit was in 1979 at the Bessai Pipe Clinic in Cleveland. Skipping the ignominious aromatic phase, I was attracted to the traditional looking tins and started right out with a variety of Dunhill tobaccos. After school I frequented a Tinder Box near where I worked and I bought Comoys and Savinellis that are still in active duty to this day.

Since most of my day is left-brain oriented, where attending lectures by Richard Feynman and Carl Sagan was actually fun, pipe smoking was my legal, and non-brain-impairing, gateway to hedonistic indulgence. Since I’ve never smoked cigarettes, nicotine has never been a need. Pipes were, and are, like a sensory symphony.

You see already that this puts me at odds with the codger club, and that the idea of an all-day smoke is utter anathema to me. So, even though science and astronomy are still a major hobby for me (big fan of Sabine Hossenfelder!), it turns out my career took a different path. I became involved in the culinary and gourmet food industry, and later on as a wine educator giving workshops on food and wine pairing. I was able to happily combine both the methodic scientific approach to the subject, and enjoy the hedonistic benefits to boot!

That may explain some of why my reviews have a different take on things. But the real biggie was learning how to process raw tobacco myself. Prior to that I tried all the so-called blending tobaccos on the market, but was still puzzled as to why this didn’t reliably inform me of what to expect in a given blend. By then I had already kept tasting notes on 438 different commercial blends but still felt like I was in the dark. Only when I started processing raw leaf myself, destemming, unfolding, rehydrating, casing, adjusting pH, and flavor steering that the A-ha moment came. For me, 90% of the differences that I perceive in blends are due to how they have been processed.

The last of my 1970s tin of Balkan Sobrainie was smoked on my birthday in 2015, but if I ever come across another tin, I will borrow my brother-in-law’s laboratory spectrometer and chemistry kit and get to the bottom of the secret. I’m almost 100% sure what makes it special is the processing, and not any individual ingredient. And if I had a dollar for every time I’ve been suckered into trying a new blend because somebody on TR says it reminds them of the original Balkan Sobranie, well, I’d be rich enough to buy myself a tin at the crazy consignment prices!

Badges

Motivator Has upvoted at least 80% of the time.

Favorites

Date Blend Reviews Avg Rating
2023-01-25 Cornell & Diehl - Autumn Evening 305 ★★★☆ 2.8
2023-01-27 Cornell & Diehl - Black Frigate 55 ★★★☆ 3.1
2022-12-22 Mac Baren - Amphora Kentucky Blend 34 3.3
2023-03-14 Mac Baren - Vanilla Cream Flake 133 ★★★☆ 2.8
2023-02-18 Sillem's - London Blend 27 ★★★★ 3.6
2023-03-14 Solani - 660: Silver Flake 122 ★★★★ 3.7
2022-12-21 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Rivendell (Middle Earth Series) 23 ★★★★ 3.5
2023-03-14 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Surbrug's West Minster 2 ★★★☆ 3.5
2023-03-14 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Coronado Oriental 3 3.7
2023-03-14 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 400 26 ★★★★ 3.7
2023-04-01 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 78 9 ★★★★ 3.7

Reviews

166 reviews
83 helpful votes 		4 star:
38 Strongly Recommended
3 star:
66 Recommended
2 star:
59 Somewhat Recommended
1 star:
3 Not Recommended

Preferences: Unknown

Date Blend Reviews Helpful Rating Avg Rating
2023-04-23 Tinder Box - Sunset 6 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-04-23 Tinder Box - Skilling 4 0 ★★☆☆ ★☆☆☆ 1.5
2023-04-23 Tinder Box - Rum Runner 5 0 ★★☆☆ ★★☆☆ 2.4
2023-04-23 Tinder Box - Philosopher Blend 33 0 ★★★☆ ★★☆☆ 2.5
2023-04-23 Tinder Box - Norse Gold 14 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.7
2023-04-22 Tinder Box - Lamplighter 3 0 ★★☆☆ ★★☆☆ 2.0
2023-04-22 Tinder Box - Epicurean 4 0 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 3.3
2023-04-22 Tinder Box - Crown Royale 6 0 ★★☆☆ ★★☆☆ 2.3
2023-04-22 Tinder Box - Connoisseur 4 0 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 3.3
2023-04-22 Tinder Box - Captain Spice 14 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.9
2023-04-22 Tinder Box - Blend No. 33 2 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.5
2023-04-22 Tinder Box - Black Russian 14 0 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 2.8
2023-04-22 Tinder Box - Aalborg 8 0 ★★☆☆ ★☆☆☆ 2.0
2023-04-11 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 622 7 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-04-11 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 524 27 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2023-04-11 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 515 17 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 3.2
2023-04-11 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 436 7 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.7
2023-04-11 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 400 26 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.7
2023-04-08 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 222 7 0 ★★☆☆ 3.1
2023-04-08 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 193 13 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-04-08 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 191 59 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.6
2023-04-08 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 188 4 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-04-02 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 184 4 0 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 3.3
2023-04-02 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Surbrug No. 176 2 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.5
2023-04-01 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 111 4 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2023-04-01 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Wilke No. 78 9 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.7
2023-03-26 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Surbrug's West Minster 2 0 ★★★★ ★★★☆ 3.5
2023-03-26 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Surbrug's Jackson 3 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.7
2023-03-26 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Surbrug's Golden Sceptre 4 0 ★★☆☆ 3.0
2023-03-26 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Surbrug's Crystal Palace 12 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 4.0
2023-03-26 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Sailor Jack 7 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.9
2023-03-26 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Royal Scot 14 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.7
2023-03-25 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - High Hat 38 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.6
2023-03-25 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Gentry Royal Blend #2 6 0 ★★★☆ 3.7
2023-03-25 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Coronado Oriental 3 0 ★★★★ 3.7
2023-03-25 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Continental 4 0 ★★★★ 4.0
2023-03-24 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Commander 4 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.5
2023-03-24 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Churchill 16 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 3.1
2023-03-23 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Belmont 4 0 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 2.8
2023-03-23 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Balkan 5 0 ★★☆☆ 2.0
2023-03-23 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - 10 Downing Street 3 0 ★★★★ ★★★☆ 3.7
2023-03-13 Peterson - Wild Atlantic 59 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.2
2023-03-13 Peterson - The Royal Yacht 433 1 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.0
2023-03-13 Peterson - Nightcap 671 3 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2023-03-12 Peterson - My Mixture 965 614 1 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.2
2023-03-12 Peterson - Flake 226 1 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.6
2023-03-11 Peterson - Elizabethan Mixture 275 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.0
2023-03-11 Peterson - Early Morning Pipe 597 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.1
2023-03-11 Peterson - De Luxe Navy Rolls 207 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.6
2023-03-08 Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Velvet 128 1 ★☆☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.3
2023-03-08 Vauen - No. 7 Crunchy Blend 5 1 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.6
2023-03-08 Vauen - Bavarian Blend No. 3 7 1 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.6
2023-02-27 East India Trading Co. - Royal Challenge 14 0 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 2.6
2023-02-27 East India Trading Co. - Officer's Club 14 0 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 3.2
2023-02-27 East India Trading Co. - Cellar Reserve 11 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 2.7
2023-02-26 Dunhill - Ye Olde Signe (Re-release) 58 1 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 2.8
2023-02-26 Dunhill - Three Year Matured Virginia 112 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.4
2023-02-26 Dunhill - Ready Rubbed (re-release) 50 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.9
2023-02-26 Dunhill - My Mixture BB1938 Baby's Bottom 64 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.2
2023-02-26 Dunhill - Durbar 59 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.1
2023-02-26 Dunhill - Aperitif 145 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-02-26 Dunhill - A-21000 16 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.8
2023-02-26 Dunhill - A-20000 Toasted Cavendish 7 0 ★★☆☆ ★★☆☆ 2.3
2023-02-21 Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Drexel VIII 25 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.6
2023-02-21 Davidoff - Royalty 129 1 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-02-21 Davidoff - Flake Medallions 156 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-02-20 D & R Tobacco - Ryback 26 0 ★☆☆☆ ★★★☆ 3.1
2023-02-20 D & R Tobacco - Ramback Gold (Ramback) 15 0 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 3.2
2023-02-20 D & R Tobacco - London Dock 13 0 ★★☆☆ ★★☆☆ 2.5
2023-02-20 D & R Tobacco - Don Giovanni Sigaro 7 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-02-20 Cornell & Diehl - Da Vinci 60 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.1
2023-02-20 Dan Tobacco - Da Vinci 91 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.7
2023-02-20 Dan Tobacco - Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend 92 1 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 3.1
2023-02-20 Dan Tobacco - Roper's Roundels 14 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-02-20 Dan Tobacco - Hamborger Veermaster 118 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.1
2023-02-18 Dan Tobacco - London Blend No. 1000 39 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.2
2023-02-18 Dunhill - London Mixture 277 1 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-02-18 Sillem's - London Blend 27 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.6
2023-02-18 Sillem's - Black 106 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-02-18 Sillem's - Linea Epoque Antique 9 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 2.8
2023-02-17 Peterson - Old Dublin 290 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-02-17 Ashton - Artisan's Blend 210 2 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2023-02-03 John Aylesbury - Latakia Blend 12 0 ★★☆☆ ★★☆☆ 2.4
2023-02-03 John Aylesbury - Commander Flake 2 0 ★★★★ 4.0
2023-02-03 John Aylesbury - 40 Years Edition 2 0 ★★☆☆ 2.0
2023-01-31 John Patton - Latakia Junction 14 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2023-01-31 John Patton - Storm Front 46 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.6
2023-01-31 John Patton - Dark Horse 17 0 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 3.1
2023-01-30 John Patton - Oriental Dusk 17 1 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.2
2023-01-30 Seattle Pipe Club - Mississippi River Rum Barrel Aged 13 0 ★★★★ 3.8
2023-01-30 Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding Bourbon Barrel Aged 28 0 ★★★☆ 3.8
2023-01-27 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Rumcake 54 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.6
2023-01-27 Missouri Meerschaum - Lord Morgan (Crumble Kake) 4 1 ★★★☆ 3.3
2023-01-25 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Rum and Maple 4 0 ★★☆☆ 2.8
2023-01-25 Wilke Pipe Tobacco - Vermont Maple Cavendish 48 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-01-25 Cornell & Diehl - Autumn Evening 305 0 ★★★★ ★★★☆ 2.8
2023-01-25 John Aylesbury - Dragon Flake (Danish) 8 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-01-25 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Second Breakfast (Middle Earth Series) 12 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-01-24 Robert Lewis - Wingfield Mixture 21 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-01-24 Robert Lewis - Orcilla Mixture 32 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-01-24 Sutliff Tobacco Company - Opulence #31 (Sutliff Private Stock) 1 0 ★★☆☆ 2.0
2023-01-16 Barling - Tradition (1812) 9 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.2
2023-01-16 Barling - Garnet (1812) 8 0 ★★☆☆ ★★☆☆ 2.0
2023-01-15 Astley's - No.99 Royal Tudor Full Latakia Mixture 31 1 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 2.8
2023-01-15 Astley's - No.88 Matured Dark Virginia 22 2 ★★★☆ ★★☆☆ 2.5
2023-01-15 Astley's - No.55 Elizabethan 21 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.1
2023-01-15 Astley's - No.44 Dark Virginia Flake 57 2 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-01-12 Cornell & Diehl - Super Balkan 31 1 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.8
2023-01-12 Brebbia - Balkan (Mixture No. 10) 34 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-01-12 4noggins - Britt's Balkan 55 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-01-09 4noggins - Three Blind Moose 31 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2023-01-08 4noggins - Thomas' Blend 19 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-01-08 4noggins - Prairie Wind 32 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2023-01-08 Outwest Tobacco - Western Sunrise 4 1 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 2.5
2023-01-08 4noggins - Father Orin 7 1 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.1
2023-01-04 4noggins - Nutty Professor 7 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 3.1
2023-01-04 4noggins - Bald Headed Teacher 79 1 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-01-03 Brebbia - Latakia Flake Mixture No. 9 28 2 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.4
2023-01-03 El Rincon de la Pipa - No. 1 16 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.6
2023-01-03 Cornell & Diehl - Izmir Turkish 23 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.5
2023-01-02 B&B Tobacconists, llc - Beck's Ol' Limey Bastard 52 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2023-01-02 Sutliff Tobacco Company - Sweet Virginia #707 14 0 ★★★★ ★★★☆ 3.1
2023-01-02 Sutliff Tobacco Company - TS24 Blended Turkish Ribbon (Blending) 6 0 ★★☆☆ 3.2
2023-01-02 Sutliff Tobacco Company - TS19 Turkish 3 0 ★★★★ 3.7
2023-01-01 F & K - Merde de Cheval 15 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.1
2023-01-01 F & K - Lancer Slices 12 1 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.1
2022-12-31 F & K - Black Bayou Mist 9 1 ★★☆☆ ★★★☆ 3.0
2022-12-31 F & K - Sterling Balkan 759 5 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.2
2022-12-31 Mac Baren - Amphora English Blend 12 0 ★★★☆ 3.1
2022-12-31 Boswell Pipes & Tobacco - Boswell's Premium Burley 43 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.2
2022-12-30 Boswell Pipes & Tobacco - Titus Blend 7 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 2.7
2022-12-30 Boswell Pipes & Tobacco - Black Jack 4 1 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.0
2022-12-30 Boswell Pipes & Tobacco - Honey Roast 2 1 ★★★☆ 3.5
2022-12-30 Boswell Pipes & Tobacco - Magnum Blend 17 1 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 2.6
2022-12-30 Ashton - Consummate Gentleman 78 1 ★★★☆ ★★★☆ 3.1
2022-12-28 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Northwest Trek (English Aromatic) 12 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.8
2022-12-28 The Country Squire Tobacconist - White Rose (Aromatic) 6 1 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2022-12-28 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Cherokee 12 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2022-12-28 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Ruins of Windsor (Squire Original) 2 1 ★★☆☆ 2.5
2022-12-28 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Shepherd's Pie 15 0 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2022-12-28 Mac Baren - Amphora Virginia 63 2 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2022-12-25 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Cowboy Coffee 8 1 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2022-12-25 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Indian Outlaw (Squire Original; Aromatic ) 6 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.8
2022-12-24 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Old Toby (Middle Earth) 26 1 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.7
2022-12-24 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Bag End (Middle Earth) 12 0 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2022-12-23 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Figgy Pudding (Aromatic) 6 1 ★★★★ 3.5
2022-12-22 Mac Baren - Amphora Kentucky Blend 34 0 ★★★★ 3.3
2022-12-21 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Choctaw (Aromatic) 5 2 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.2
2022-12-21 The Country Squire Tobacconist - Rivendell (Middle Earth Series) 23 3 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.5
2020-07-05 Robert McConnell - Scottish Flake 104 3 ★★★★ ★★★☆ 3.3
2020-06-28 Sillem's - Commodore Flake 29 3 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.7
2020-06-28 Arango - Balkan Supreme 55 1 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.8
2020-06-28 Planta - Full English 11 2 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.6
2020-06-14 Solani - 763: White and Black 73 0 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.1
2020-06-14 Boswell Pipes & Tobacco - Imperial English 3 1 ★★☆☆ 2.7
2020-05-16 Samuel Gawith - Skiff Mixture 226 4 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.4
2020-05-16 J. F. Germain & Son - Eighteen Twenty 49 1 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.2
2020-05-16 4noggins - Weybridge 33 2 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.4
2020-05-16 4noggins - Tewksbury Hobbit's Weed Match 19 1 ★☆☆☆ ★★★☆ 2.5
2020-05-16 Cornell & Diehl - Black Frigate 55 4 ★★★★ ★★★☆ 3.1
2020-05-09 Robert McConnell - Scottish Cake 121 2 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2020-05-09 Fribourg & Treyer - Golden Mixture 35 1 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2020-05-09 Robert McConnell - Piccadilly Circus (Heritage) 6 4 ★★☆☆ ★★★★ 3.3
2020-04-26 Ashton - Gold Rush 48 3 ★★★★ ★★★☆ 2.8
2020-04-26 Boswell Pipes & Tobacco - Northwoods 152 1 ★★★☆ ★★★★ 3.5
2020-04-26 Mac Baren - Amphora Burley Blend 35 4 ★★★★ ★★★★ 3.2