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| Real Name | Tony Patriarche |
|---|---|
| Joined | 2010-01 |
| Last Visited | 2020-11 |
| Location | Victoria, BC, Canada |
Retired software developer, musician & composer. Other interests: old movies, SF, classic mysteries, knitting & Buddhism.
A pipe smoker off & on for 50 years. Tobacco preferences: Eclectic; I like Cavendish (especially black), English mixtures & "Turkish" especially with Yenidje & other aromatic varietals; much prefer Burley to Virginia, except I have recently come to love dark flue-cured Virginias. Am lucky enough to live in Victoria BC (Canada) where we have two fine specialty tobacconists with dozens of excellent house blends (email me for mail ordering info at tony@patriarche.net).
I notice I'm rated as a "neutralist". I tend to vote most fine tobaccos as 3-star; to get four stars from me, a tobacco has to have some unique character that makes it a standout, rather like the special rosette in the Penguin CD guides.
I also smoke the occasional cigar - it has to be strong & spicy, usually Maduro.
FaceBook: Tony Patriarche & Musicus Arbutus
Most of my pipes are full- or half-bent, which I prefer both for appearance and gentleness on the jaw. Sherlock Holmes, BTW, despite the popular image & many movies & TV series smoked a straight pipe -- see contemporary illustrations. My current favourite pipes are all by E A Carey, with Falcon a runner-up. The Carey pipes are very even smoking, with the least bite and juice bubble-through of any pipe I have owned; once broken in they often smoke right to the bottom without relighting. The slight aeration of the smoke can be off-putting at first, but it contributes to the dry, mild smoke, and any diffculty lighting disappears after the pipe is well broken in. I have several Peterson-type pipes (not Peterson brand; I wonder how they got past the patent?) and find I'm much more likely to get an unexpected mouthful of juice from them. I had an old Meerschaum of my father's (grandfather's?), but sold it to a beginning smoker who wanted a unique pipe. Frankly, meerschaum is overrated IMHO except for the beautiful carved pipes - it smokes hotter than a good briar. Somewhere I have a clay Churchwarden (the hottest-smoking of the lot -- no wonder they made the stems so long!). Just acquired a small briar churchwarden, cool smoking, light and delicate in appearance, but holds a full 3 g. of fine-cut 0 my new favourite!
| Neutralist | Has rated between 50% to 80% of their reviews with 2 or 3 stars. |
| Veteran | Has posted reviews in at least 5 different years. |
| Motivator | Has upvoted at least 80% of the time. |
| Date | Blend | Reviews | Avg Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-11-06 | Cornell & Diehl - Oak Alley (Cellar Series) | 29 |  3.6 |
| 2020-07-12 | Cornell & Diehl - Oriental Silk | 49 | 3.5 |
| 2020-11-16 | Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Night | 88 | 3.1 |
| 2014-05-08 | Mac Baren - HH Vintage Syrian | 231 | 3.3 |
| 2014-05-08 | McClelland - St. James Woods (Personal Reserve) | 127 | 3.3 |
| 2015-05-17 | McClelland - Blending Perique | 49 | 3.5 |
| 2020-07-06 | Old Morris - Zulu | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2010-04-11 | Old Morris - Black Stygian | 1 | 4.0 |
| 2010-04-11 | Old Morris - Papeete | 1 | 4.0 |
| 2017-03-17 | Peterson - My Mixture 965 | 605 | 3.2 |
| 2018-04-13 | Samuel Gawith - 1792 Flake | 436 | 3.0 |
| 2018-03-28 | Samuel Gawith - Grousemoor | 229 |  2.8 |
| 2013-11-25 | Sobranie of London - The Balkan Sobranie | 93 | 3.7 |
| Date | Blend | Reviews | Avg Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-11-22 | D & R Tobacco - Blenders Bench: Katerini | 1 | 4.0 |
|
43 reviews 131 helpful votes |
4 star: 16 Strongly Recommended 3 star: 18 Recommended 2 star: 6 Somewhat Recommended 1 star: 3 Not Recommended |
Preferences: Perique 3.8, Kentucky 3.7, Virginia 3.5, Burley 3.4, Latakia 3.3, Black Cavendish 3.3, Oriental/Turkish 3.3
600 Perdue Ave
Richmond, VA 23224