Five types of the pipe tabacco

TOBACCO: A member of the plant family "Solanaceae" which also includes tomato and potato plants. Around 40 kinds of tobacco exist.

QUALITY: Tobacco is graded by leaf type and quality. There are five grades - choice, fine, good, fair, and low. These are set by the tobacco's uniformity, texture, age, oil, body, coloring, etc.

NICOTIANA: The botanical name for tobacco after Jean Nicot who introduced tobacco into Europe around 1560.

RALEIGH, SIR WALTER: He popularized smoking at Queen Elizabeth's court around the mid 16th century and was believed to be the first to smoke a pipe in England.

TOBAGO: Columbus discovered it in 1498, and according to legend, named it after the shape of a Carib pipe smoked on the island.

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Changing Weather Changing Tastes

Now that summer is finally here, most of us have stored our winter clothes and have dug out our Bermuda shorts and flip flops. Similarly, some have put away their winter blends and are now enjoying their summer blends. Are you one of these folks? I am. Temperature tends to effect the flavor of certain blends.

The heat of summer will make hotter burning blends even hotter and "heavier" blends such as dense latakias and aromatics even heavier. Some might enjoy this while others might not. Lighter blends such as Virginias and lightly cased Virginias such as Stokebye Luxury Twist make for wonderful summer smoking. The gentle flavors that were barely detectable to the tastebuds and nose in the thin air of winter suddenly become quite pronounced in summer.

The summer heat, as with all things summer, will also cause a tendency to smoke a little slower. This also bring out flavors and scents that go unnoticed during the colder months. Pipe selection can also play a part in your summer pipe smoking enjoyment. While some might say that thinner walled pipes will smoke cooler due to great heat dispersion I disagree.

It's a pipe not a radiator on a '68 Chevy. I frequently smoke my pipes in the 110+ degree desert weather and can tell you will great confidence that a thicker walled pipe smokes just a bit cooler in heat. I don't know why but that has been my experience.

I've also found that tobacco that is slightly drier than that which you'd smoke in winter months will burn cooler, cleaner and more flavorfully in the summer months. So join me in kicking off the summer solstice with the fresh, cool smoke of one of your favorite summer time blends.

Seasonal Pipe Tobacco

Do certain pipe tobaccos lend themselves to different seasons or times of the year? I think so. Now that the cooler weather has finally arrived I find myself smoking more blends with latakia such as English or Balkan style blends. For me, these blends seem some what richer and more complex especially when smoked outside in the cool air of autumn.

I can taste flavors that are almost undetectable while smoking during the warmer months. The smoke is heavier and less wispy in the thin air and lingers longer. That rich, thick smoke brings about a certain feeling of satisfaction and has a calming effect.

Perfect for watching the leaves change colors and seeing mother nature and father time work their collective wonders. The warm pipe bowl is a comfort in my hand and gives me a sense of well being knowing that all is right in the world in that small place and time.

During the Holidays I find myself guided towards tasty aromatic blends. They remind me of the past, my Grandfather, traditions and the sweet peacefulness that comes during these special times of the year.

They also help our friends and loved ones remember us just as we remember the enticing tobacco smells of those that came before us. There is simply nothing quite like the cozy feeling of a room filled with wonderful pipe smoke, a home cooked feast and those we care about.

How To Re-hydrate Pipe Tobacco

We've all had it happen, reach for that tobacco you've been craving and it's dry as a bone. Who came up with that expression anyway? First we'll cover what Not to do.

DON'T

• Do not use apple slices or other fruit. You'll run the risk of mold and gumming up your bowl.
• Do not leave it in the bath while you shower. Although this does work your tobacco will pick up the perfumes of bath soaps and shampoo.
• Do not use tap water.

DO

• Be gentle with the dry tobacco or you'll end up with a pile of dust even if you rehydrate correctly.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of white vinegar in 1 quart of water. Distilled water is best.
• Spread out the dry tobacco in a flat glass or stainless steel bowl or tray.
• Lightly spray the tobacco with the prepared water. Start with very little.
• Cover the tobacco with a lid or plastic wrap so the water adsorbs rather than evaporates. Repeat if necessary
• Once back to the correct moisture level allow the tobacco to sit for a day before smoking.

If done correctly and patiently your tobacco with be almost as good as new.

Pipe and Tobacco Combinations

Pipes can sometimes be very finicky when it comes to the kind and type of tobacco that it will burn well. It pays to try 2 or 3 bowls of a specific tobacco in a specific pipe and record how it smoked. Then try a different tobacco and take note of the results. Continue to experiment until you find a tobacco that burns cool, dry and clean. You'll find that a pipe will burn one specific tobacco better than anything else you might pack in it.

You might also encounter the rare pipe that will burn most tobaccos equally well. Sometimes it comes down to engineering but often times it's inexplicable. As a rule of thumb tall narrow bowls burn flakes well and wide shallow bowls burn mixtures well.

Wide bowls also tend to tame hot burning tobaccos due to the greater surface area. The shape of the bowl can make a difference to. Conical or V shaped bowls will do a better job of burning tobacco that is hard to keep lit or has a tendency to smoke wet and will intensify the flavors of the tobacco. Cylindrical bowls that have basically the same diameter from top to bottom will tend to burn a bit cooler and slower which will bring out the subtleties in the tobacco.

As much as finding the right tobacco is a journey so is finding the magical combination of pipe and tobacco. Enjoy the ride!