Tobacco adventures

I'm running low on smokeable leaf and I don't want to make another big order until we get settled into the new house--and that could be a while, at least a month, probably more. So today I thought I'd take a chance of The Humidor, which is San Antonio's only real tobacconist. If someone knows of another one, please let me know.

Anyway, I got lucky and the guy working today was a pipe smoker, so he actually asked some intelligent questions. On several previous forays into that store I was accosted by cigar floggers who don't know anything about pipe tobacco. I already knew that all of their official house blends are aromatics. I told him the kind of thing I was looking for and he whipped me up a blend on the fly, said he'd write it down so he could make it again.

It's mostly Virginia, with some burley, a hint of latakia, and 15% Perique. It's not bad at all. I expect it to get better as the different tobaccos have a chance to meld, but right now it is quite sweet from all the VA. We'll see how this one goes, but I think next time I'll tell him less Virginia and more Perique.

I had him mix me up 4 ounces. He only charged me for 2 since "this is just an experiment." So that was a pretty good deal. I was impressed with him and I'll try to go back there more often in the future.

I also picked up one of those Czech pipe tools with the spoon-shaped scoop on it. Never had one of these tools before, and I like it. I'll have to get a few more so I can strew them about in strategic places.

I think tomorrow I might light up a bowl in the morning and then let it DGT for several hours. I think that will add some robustness.