I like that one too, but I don't know that Escudo Navy Deluxe is an English blend. Pretty sure it's a Virginia Perique tobacco blend. One of the 'iconic versions/gold standard' for the type, if memory serves. Edit: I probably wrote "English" on the baggie, didn't I?
You’re correct, Escudo De Luxe isn’t an English. The lack of any oriental leaf disqualifies this blend as English. An English blend is Virginia and any oriental with no additives, and Latakia being a fire cured oriental, is probably the most used oriental, although others were used. Technically speaking, of course…. Actually this was codified under English law many years ago, but at some point this law was rescinded, maybe 1980’s or 1990’s. Actually burley should be excluded as well, however small amounts of Perique (a burley grown in Louisiana and fermented) were commonly used to add flavor, as additives weren’t allowed.
Sounds like you may have a little ghosting in your other pipes. Read up on using salt and alcohol to get rid of ghosting, or you can also use cotton balls instead of salt. A couple of alternatives are to double up a thick pipe cleaner, dip it into some grain alcohol or other pipe cleaner, and swab the sides of the bowl and then run a dry cleaner around, or smoke several bowls of a light Virginia such as Orlic Golden Sliced. I had one pipe years ago that was so gunked up and ghosted that smoking light Virginia didn’t work at all, and eventually had to do 3 salt treatments to pull out the gunk built up in the cake. I finally got it sufficiently cleaned to once again deliver a good smoke. In my experience, oriental tobaccos, especially Latakia, and heavily flavored aromatic blends are the worst offenders for ghosting a pipe.
I've salt soaked many of them but read that it really should be done only once, so I didn't try again. Any reason not to? The worst I've seen was just last night, an old Medico Guardsman with literal tar nearly plugging the stem end to end. Took several scrubber cleaners and Everclear to get it good. It smokes okay but I need to find a small brush to get inside the radiator at the bottom of the bowl. It's still partly caked inside and is a bear to get at. Must've been a dedicated aro smoker who never thought to clean it.
You certainly have to be careful with the salt alcohol treatment, as I’ve read some accounts of cracked bowls. I’ve never experienced that, nor in all my years of being around pipe smokers ever hear a first hand account of it. That’s not to say it couldn’t happen. I would suggest not doing a second treatment immediately following the first one. After cleaning out the salt, give the bowl plenty of time to dry out, although the alcohol should dry quickly. Then try smoking several bowls of a light Virginia blend like Orlik Golden Sliced, and if it’s still giving an off taste you can try another treatment.
Technically, flavoring wasn't allowed. Alcohol (I think) and perfume ingredients sidestepped the ban, which is why the British got the Lakeland blends. There was also something about how much of a percentage of the weight had to come from tobacco. It was fairly high, 95% or thereabouts, if I remember correctly. Some American blends are up to 25% casing and flavoring by weight. That's been my experience as well, though I've seen more than a few posts on other forums about permanently ghosted pipes, and Lakeland blends are far and away the worst offenders in their eyes. The best remedy for a heavily ghosted pipes is to fill the bowl with wood oil (walnut oil works) and bring it to a boil in the microwave, wiping off the exudate (tars and oils) from the outside of the bowl from time to time. Doing this in 15 minute intervals over the course of several hours will purge a pipe and give it a nutty flavor.
You are certainly correct about the Lakeland blends, I forgot about those. I do, however, like Sam Gawith Chocolate Flake. The Latakia is present in such a small amount, that you don’t really notice it, but if it wasn’t there, you would then notice its absence. The chocolate flavoring is, to me anyway, more of a hint of cocoa, versus chocolate. But be prepared to dry the flakes, they are very moist out of the tin. I really don’t think of SG Chocolate Flake as an aromatic; it could be enjoyed by aro smokers as well as non aro smokers, and isn’t a lat bomb.
That's what the guy used because it was what he had on hand. And yes, it was the stuff from the grocery store. I think he normally uses almond oil.
3:30 pm, first pipe of the day. Smoking Kramer's Cary Grant (bulk) in a Medico Guardsman apple. It's a blend with a good rep but I had to stick in a filter halfway through the bowl to smooth it out...the components just don't mesh for me and it comes across as clashy and harsh. Filter helped but I know I'm not going to add it to my stock of favorite English. Anyone want it?
When this thread was really active, we had a member that loved Latakia, but I can’t recall his name. I may go back and see if I can find his name, and if he’s still active on the forum.
I don't mind it since it's an important part of the style, but I'd be curious if anyone smokes, and enjoys, straight lat.
None that I know of. Seems like I remember several years ago, someone tried straight Perique. It didn’t work very well.
I think it was La’Gosh. Eric Redd was really active at one time in this thread, but I think it was La’Gosh that really liked Latakia blends.
It's usually added in small amounts. For home blending 1-3% is recommended. Enthusiasts use up to 15%. Balkan Sobranie uses 30%, if I remember the blend right. It used to be higher, around 50%, back in the day. It's a condiment, added for flavor. I don't think it burns well enough to use straight. I'll take a look at my books and see if I can't add anything else later.
