Smoking my first pipe of this mixture and I love it. Great proportions and the kentucky cigar leaf is perfect. Looking forward to see how the flavors meld over the coming weeks.
An enjoyable video. Say, if your teaching thing does not work out, you may have a career as a tobacconist. Always a pleasure to watch you share aspects of our hobby. Thank you.
Yes that true my Dear Friend and I never doubt in You that you know for Macedonian tobacco :-) if you like to send some of the native strain tobacco only say and I will send you but there is only fine cut and to try to find leaf..Greetings my Dear Friend Mark!
Hello Felix! What a coincidence....right now, I'm smoking the mixture, I did in the video...LOL.. Yeah...perhaps, you give it a shot...or do an even better version...let me know! Take care! Hope, you are well! Mark
Always an adventure to mix your own blends. I love the videos from "The shack"!! A place to enjoy your hobbies and relax. I hope the mixture turned out to your liking my friend! Enjoy it....and Be well...
Hello Mike, my good friend! Hope, you are alright...and neighborhood is treating you well...with friendship and kindness! You deserve it! When I did that video, I was already thinking "Mike, gonna love that...winter in a cozy shack..." :-) And...yeah...it's really a special place for me...seems so far away from the world for some moments... Take care, my friend! Let me know, if there is something, you need! Mark
"So far away from the world for some moments"......That sounds exactly what I need Mark!! Maybe I need to spend some time in my own "Shack" LOL! Be well my friend!
Regarding Clint' and the Toscano: Mr Eastwood, a non-smoker, loathed the cigar. When discussing making the 2nd in the spaghetti trilogy with director Sergio Leone Clint complained ''do I have to smoke that horrible cigar again?'', to be told by 'Leone ''but Clint, the cigar's THE STAR of the film''.
Hello, and thanks for all the educational and entertaining videos. By the way, what makes you a joy to watch and listen to is your accent. The way you pronounce words is endearing. According to this listener, feel free to pronounce cavendish anyway you like. Thanks, again.
I love what cigar leaf can bring to a blend but never had the chance to try a Toscano cigar. We've all experimented with blending a little, if nothing else because we don't know what to do with a bend that is too weak or too strong so combining them seems like a good idea. Sometimes it works out great, sometimes it's a disaster! You forgot to give a name to your blend Mark. Perhaps you could make some labels and ask your friend Ronnie to sell them! Thanks for taking the time to do this and share it, always looking forward to your videos.
Thanks for taking the time, my friend...and for your very thoughtful comment! And...yeah...I agree with you....sometimes you get a lucky shot (and perhaps forget about the recipe...LOL) and sometimes, you try and try...and it just doesn't work.. :-) Well...the name is "Cigar leaf #42c"...so far... :-) Take care! Hope, you are well! Mark
This looks like a very interesting recipe, I am definitely going to try it soon! I could really use a break from plain Virginia flakes and Latakia-overloaded English blends. This seems like good starting point.
SO HELLO MARK! In this site we can not make it without your elegant manners and interesting videos. I guess I have to justify soon my interest in that your original beautiful landscapes and issues. In the meantime... before somebody else ask us for the bill ... Let's think about it ! Keep smiling Mark Dear friend! 2017.2.22.
Hi Mark, just to confirm your comments on the ability of the Kentucky used in the Toscano cigar to give flavors after few days, in Italy we try not to mix in the cigar jar standard Cuban cigars and the Toscano as after couple of week the Toscano takes over as it is much stronger in taste and depth. Sometimes these Italian cigars are used just to increase the nicotine level and often are broken down after have being smoked (just the part left) and mixed with other tobacco for the same purpose.
Hello Fabiano! Thank you so much for these interesting words about the Toscano...very good, to hear that directly from Italy! Very much appreciated! Take care! I hope, you are well! Mark
Mark - great video, really liked it. You have more energy than I - easier for me just to buy summat I like. You can handle a much wider variety of tobacco's than I - aromatics are totally out for me. Straight VA's burn the heck out of my tongue. I am a Burley lover and the C&D blends of burley. Hey, nice shed ! You have electric out there why not add a portable heater ? Have said it many times to you - I really appreciate your taking the time to share. Be good and may God bless Jim
Hello Jim, my friend! Well...actually, I have a heater there. I just start it for 15-20 minutes before I step in...and then all the wood and insulation is warm enough for hours... Yeah...I completely agree on these C&D Burley blends ... they are pretty good. If you like that, you should perhaps give the HU Burleys a shot... Many thanks for watching...and all your kind words! Take care! Mark
Thank you for sharing Mark... Your pronunciation is excellent....and your video too...i never experimented myself about blending tobacco...you could even think about to create a video series "Blending with Mark"... :D just joking! :) Using broken Toscanos cigars inside a pipe...alone or blended...is a tradition that go back and back for generations here in Italy...many pipe smokers still smoke them inside their pipes... It will be nice to collect traditional recipies from pipe fellows all around the world...I mean recipies based on something special of their countries...something that is part of their traditions... Have a nice week end Mark...and thank you for sharing...
Thank you so much for that, my friend! Yeah...these cigars are really special...and I'm glad, that they sell it around the globe now....to make sure, that the tradition goes on... And yes...that could really be a good idea, to collect recipes from all over the world...let's see.. :-) Take care, my friend! Hope, you are well! Mark
Good to see you again Mark.....Very interesting discussion and experiment with mixing a cigar baccy blend. Is this a technique (or recipe) you employ often? All the components seem to be perfect and very complimentary, though you have to be careful with Perique as it can easily overpower a blend....this blend would do well with some aging, that's for sure. Thanks for showing us this idea. Take care and hope all is well there....things are getting crazy here as the circus is now up and running. Well, enjoy your Kentucky cigar baccy and coffee and we'll talk again, be well my friend, Corey
Hello Corey, my friend! Hope, everything is alright! Yeah...I know...I know... let's see... And...yes...I don't know why...there are about 160 baccys on the shelf, but often, I don't find, what I'm searching for...so I just do a little mixture...and sometimes, I like to work on the recipe... This one is "Cigar leaf #42c"...LOL But of course, you're absolutely right about the Perique ... And...yeah...aging is certainly a good idea for that mixture! Take care, my friend! Let's talk soon! Mark
Hi Mark: Very interesting video. I enjoy your blending experiments. They appeal to the same desires in my nature that led me into pharmacy, as a career; and cooking, as a hobby. BTW, did you know the Rx symbol (on a prescription) stands for "recipe". The Dominican cigar leaf that you sent me, is very nice, blended into a Va/Per (C&D Bayou Morning, for example). I've seen the DiNobile or Parodi cigars for sale, here in America. They are little, strong Italian cigars. Quite dark. I wonder how they would work? I'll buy a pack, and give it a go. Also, the McConnell "Latakia" is pure Syrian leaf. The Syrian latakia is milder, softer, and a bit less "campfire"-like, than the Cyprian. You may like that as a condiment, as well. Great to see you, Mark. Thanks again, my friend. Be Well. Ed
Hello Ed! Thanks a lot for that! Especially for all the the good thoughts about blending ... and yeah... DiNobili should do the trick... But you can also get Toscani in the US...I checked that before I did the video...(www.italiansmokes.com/categories/Toscano-Cigars/)... If you can't get it...let me know... :-) Take care, my friend! Let's talk soon! Mark
Hello Brad, brother! Well...it's easy for you, to try it...I just sent you a very similar sample in the package...just forgot, to tell you, that there is a video coming up...LOL Take care! Let's talk soon! Mark
You read my mind my friend.. I was thinking about that this morning right after I sent you that message looks like I'll be trying it this weekend you take good care mark and I thank you again for the wonderful Tamper and your kindness and friendship 🍷👍😁😁👍🍷👍👍☺️
Dear Mark, there is an interesting tobacco called Picadura. It is made (used to be?) in Cuba from cigar tobacco leafs which are cut into flakes and then dried and pressed together. In fact it is really heavy weight; a student once offered me a 500g pack which was not so big. More recently I wentback to Cuba and couldn't get it anymore so I don't know if it still exists. It could be good idea for you to make a blend.
My name is Christian, I love your videos. I know your a big meerchaum guy, i have my 1st meer coming in the mail from the meerchaum market. Was wondering if there are certain tobbacos that color your pipe more then others IE.... Virginia's, burleys, latikia, aromatics? What is your recommendations
Whenever I try mixing a tobacco, I mix a very small amount, just enough for say, two clay pipes full. After mixing, I put the tobacco in a plastic bag, put the bag in my back pocket, and sit on it for two or three hours, then I smoke it.
Hello Mark, Thx for a very informative video!! I do not think I will be doing any mixing myself, but I find very interesting the idea that is behind the creation of a blend and the reason they use such or such component. Btw, were is the snow?? Looks like from the view out the window there wasn't much on the ground! Take care my dear friend, and Be well! Gilles
Hello Gilles, my friend! Thanks a lot for taking the time!...yeah...we had between -7 and 0 here over the last two weeks. But snow is nearly gone now... we expect to have rain next week...let's see... Take care, my friend! Let's talk soon! Mark
Bremen Pipe Smoker Hello Mark, well, I certainty prefer the weather we are having st the moment. Between -5C and -1C. About 20cm of snow in the last 2-3 days. Everything is white. Like in the video I made last year. Hope you'll have some nice weather soon!! Gilles
I haven't yet experimented with cigar leaf based pipe tobaccos so this piques my interest. How would you characterize the flavour and strength of it? One of the things that appealed to me about 1792 flake was it was had a deep, rich, earthy flavour and yet that was counterbalanced by some interesting, sweeter flavours generated by the tonka bean. I wonder if there's a comparable cigar-leaf based blend?
...well...of course, there are quite different cigar blends...but to get started at the 1792... I think your description is really pretty accurate...I would describe it the same way... now, take away all the sweetness, that comes from the tonka (same a s the floral notes) ...and ad some pepper and leather..together with a hint of smoky notes and a good quantity of nicotine...then you got it... I guess... To come any near to the mixture (at least in some ways...) you may pick the sixpence or the navigator...and add some Virginia...or the dominican glory..and ad some Kentucky... Take care! Hope, you are well! Mark
I'm watching your back-catalog of videos and recognized that C&D's Sansepolcro in it's latest iteration may have been inspired by this video. At least a coincidence. 🙄
no cigars on hand, but mixed up a bowl of these components: Gawith Hoggarth Curly Cut Deluxe Escudo GH Cavendish GH Black Twist GH Kendal Kentucky just stuff I had in sight, but a pleasant, flavorful smoke. (the last three items are unsmokable individually, so it's nice to have an outlet for them...)
Hello Paul! Well...so far, it's just "cigar leaf #42c" ...LOL... Perhaps "The Italian Blend"...or "Tasty heart"... :-) Take care! Thanks a lot for taking the time! Mark
Thanks for this Mark. May i ask you if this can be done with any cigar. Also how about getting a tin tobacco already with this ingredients like Epiphany for example and just add a cigar or two?
Thanks for watching, my friend! Yeah...of course, you can give it a try! You can go with a VPer ...perhaps an Elizabethan mixture...cut a Cigar (I suggest a stronger one...like a maduro or Brazilian wrapper cigar) ... do a fine cut (makes it easier for the components, to "melt" into each other). Perhaps, you just start with 5-10%...try it after mixing...and let it rest then... could be very interesting. The cigar leaf blends are often already too "complete", to be "improved" by that...so I suggest a more "simple" tobacco as a base for the cigar...Hope, you enjoy! Take care! And be well! Mark
Great video. I'm thinking of trying to make a blend with some cigar toabcco as well. I'm assuming you used a scale to get the quantities right. Did you?
Thanks for watching...and kind words! Yeah...you're right...I used a scale for that...but a rather simple "kitchen scale"...precise enough (for me at least..) ... Take care! Be well! Mark
Nice experiment. Maybe too much cavendish for my taste. Same quantity of virginia, a pinch of cavendish and same amount of periqe and kentucky with some grain of latakia would be my cup of tea. Take care professor!
Gott Grüss Mark,Nice to see you again,well this was interesting experiment and there are lot of variant for home blender to mess around, as to virginas,yes OGS is one of my all time favorite,but instead I'd pick up this new Amphora Gelb*Virginia which Is pretty interesting and mature virginia reminding me of Dunhill Flake yet Mc Barens HH matured Virg,and it is available in Germany and Denmark, at least you'll havi it at top-cigars.de shoppe,now My constant headace is that Amphora Original Brown is by far not sold in Germany but only in NL/Belgium/Esp/now, Shall I compose some substitud blend to Amphora Org Brown up by myself or the same type as Three nuns but less expensive,that question remains open. Btw, those Toscanian Cigars are pretty interesting sort especially to those Kentucky tobacco lowers, only my complain is that the draw might be a bit more open and one thing I love about these toscanos,they smoke slower than any other cigar I ever had,Thank You for bringing up this your blending experiment, useful and educative as always, Be Well till the next time we meet, Paul
Hello Paul! Thank you so much for taking the time! And also for your very interesting comment...with many good thoughts on different components... As always so much appreciated! Take care...and talk soon! Mark
...fortunately we don't have many chains... it's mainly about owner-managed shops. But you could try, to find a "Wolsdorff" (in northern Germany) or a John Aylesbury shop... Thanks for watching! Take care! Mark