The Tobacco Diaries

A Life in Poetry and Smoke. Breath it in.

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Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader; A Tobacco Review for You!

Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader; A Tobacco Review for You!

It’s a crisp January morning. I’m standing in my office, staring into my closet which has long since become my tobacco sellar (along with part of my basement, much to my partner Amanda’s chagrin).

I’m in the mood for something classical and satisfying. I decide on a jar of Samuel GawithSquadron Leader from 2010. This should do the trick!

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Esoterica Penzance Up Close and Personal

Esoterica Penzance Up Close and Personal

Hello, pipers. I just picked up a new macro lens so I thought I would start exploring close-up photography of our favorite blends. Today we are looking at Esoterica Penzance.

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A Blend from a Friend 01: Mountain Mystic (A Blend Match for McClelland Balkan Beauty)

A Blend from a Friend 01: Mountain Mystic (A Blend Match for McClelland Balkan Beauty)

Necessity is the mother of invention. So it came to be that when McClelland sadly closed its doors, I began a search for a blend-match to their unusual smoking mixture called Balkan Beauty. Mountain Mystic was born.

First off, for those of you who have never had it, let me explain Balkan Beauty. It is a three-part harmony of Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, and Virginia tobaccos. It is a spicy…

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Brebbia Latakia Flake no 9 Review

Brebbia Latakia Flake no 9 Review

I woke up this morning with a craving for a bit of that Syrian leaf. As far as blends that are currently produced, there aren’t many who still have Syrian Latakia in them. The vanishing crop has caused the numbers to dwindle to a trickle, unfortunately.

Luckily Brebbia still has some in the warehouse, and I happily snagged some tins of their Brebbia Latakia Flake no 9.

BLF9 is a pleasing mixture…

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Samuel Gawith Commonwealth; A Latakia Bomb Enigma!

Samuel Gawith Commonwealth; A Latakia Bomb Enigma!

I’ve been on a Balkan kick lately and I was in the mood for something with extra Latakia in it today, so it may surprise you that I reached for a Samuel Gawith blend. While they make amazing tobacco, I wouldn’t say SG is known for their Lat Bombs, they seem to be more known for their Virginia Blends but there is one in their catalog that I hardly ever hear anything about. Commonwealth Mixture.

(…

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Sleepy Hollow

It’s hard to convey the excitement I feel when I see that Fall has officially begun. I realize it before most people. My reminder comes in the form of sweet sweet smoke because my Autumn starts when Straus is selling Sleepy Hollow again.

It reminds me of when I was little and I saw the first Halloween-flavored McDonald’s adds on TV. They’d be advertising their candy collecting pales with a…

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The Beauty of Penzance; Everything You Need To Know About the Elusive Leaf

The Beauty of Penzance; Everything You Need To Know About the Elusive Leaf

Penzance. What can you say about a tobacco so magical and elusive that it has entire fansites about it? It has the fanbase of a fictional anime or some kind of bizarre film. There are people who spend hours a day putting their names on lists and making documents and spreadsheets and getting credit card information ready just so they can get a single bag of the mighty Penzance. What is this all…

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Treasure Hunting (How to Get Your Hands On Elusive Tobaccos Such as Esoterica Penzance, Balcan Sobranie, and Germain's Brown Flake!)

Treasure Hunting (How to Get Your Hands On Elusive Tobaccos Such as Esoterica Penzance, Balcan Sobranie, and Germain’s Brown Flake!)

Esoterica Penzance, Balkan Sobranie, Samuel Gawith and Germain’s Brown Flake are but a few of the mystical tobaccos which eluded me for years, always lurking just out of reach. I would hear people praise them in forums or at my local smoking parlor and get angry because I wanted to be a part of the discussion.

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Samuel Gawith Skiff Mixture (A Longform Pipe Tobacco Review For You!)

Samuel Gawith Skiff Mixture (A Longform Pipe Tobacco Review For You!)

There’s a spot near my house where a small creek tiptoes under an old bridge which is haphazardly shuffled about by greenery and has begun coming apart over time.

I’ve been visiting it for a while now. I love to sit under the bridge and smoke with the tadpoles and crawdaddies as I read a good book. I usually pack some coffee and a blanket to keep myself warm because this time of year the ground…

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Mr Brog A02 Pipe Lighter (An Accessory Review for You!)

Mr Brog A02 Pipe Lighter (An Accessory Review for You!)

Back in November Mr. Brog got wind of my Blog and sent some of his items my way for review. One of those products in the package was a metal, all-in-one pipe lighter with a tamper and pick that hid in the bottom. After four months of use, I wanted to talk about my experience with the lighter and whether I would recommend it for the $24.99 sale price.

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Talking to Myself (A Letter to a New Pipe Smoker)

Talking to Myself (A Letter to a New Pipe Smoker)

Time travel doesn’t exist… YET! But if it did, and I could give myself a little advice about all the things I’ve learned as a pipe smoker over the last 20 years, it would go a little something like this:

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War Horse Bar (A Longform Pipe Tobacco Review For You!)

Winter is waning, although the cold is still making its way in through the cracks. I’ve reached the point where I am ready for warmth again. It’s a frigid morning, and I gaze at the frosted tips of the Kentucky bluegrass out my window flickering in the morning sunrise, scattered by strong, cold winds.

I reach for my Mr. Brog #89, considering what I should smoke. I recently had War Horse Ready Cut

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CONTEST: Win An Unopened 8z Bag of Esoterica Cardiff Pipe Tobacco! (And 9 Other Tins of Tobacco and MORE!)

These are a few of my favorite things! How would you like some free tobacco? I’m giving away an 8oz Bag of Esoterica Cardiff and 9 other tins of tobacco, many aged as far back as 2015! All you have to do is subscribe to this blog via email and comment your favorite tobacco below! Good luck! [Continue reading for More Info!]

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Tabac Manil's Pure Semois La Brumeuse (A Longform Pipe Tobacco Review For You!)

Tabac Manil’s Pure Semois La Brumeuse (A Longform Pipe Tobacco Review For You!)

The winter chill is radiating from the closed window as I stand in my office in my robe looking out at the blanket of satin white. I just woke up, and I’m waiting for the coffee to finish percolating as I watch the wind blow around the fine powder. I reach for my Mr. Brog #89, considering what I should smoke. I want something that will wake me up and push away these chills that are radiating to…

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Stanwell Vanilla Pipe Tobacco (A Longform Review For You!)

It’s 1 p.m. on a Monday afternoon, and I find myself craving some sweets. I’m watching my weight, so a cupcake is out of the question. I reach for my Savinelli 645, considering what I should smoke. It’s cold outside, so I want something that will impart some warmth but also satisfy this sweet tooth. I decide to crack a tin of Stanwell Vanilla.

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Cost in Translation (A Story Review of Warhorse Readycut Pipe Tobacco)

Megan kept still. She was listening with her entire body.

There were tells that every soldier knew; some taught in basic training, but most learned over time. Silky footsteps whispering in the grass. The metallic chatter of a bullet rattling in its chamber. The muted thunk of gear on gear motion. The slink of a knife pulled from its sheath. The stuttered breath of that last fearful gasp. A…

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Tabac Manil's Le Petit Robin Tobacco Review

Tabac Manil’s Le Petit Robin Tobacco Review

It’s 6 in the morning on a Tuesday, and I just woke up an hour ago. I reach for my Mr. Brog #89, considering what I should smoke. It’s cold outside, so I want something that will wake me up and warm my body. Something classy, with an old school vibe. I decide on an unopened brick of Tabac Manil’s Le Petit Robin.

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