Voodoo’s top 5 pipe blends (Non-Aromatics)

Ok, I had to think long and hard about this. There are so many great blends floating around right now it probably comes as no surprise to my readers that I had to split up the Aromatics and Non-Aromatics. But a true top 5 that doesn’t include some of each is damn near impossible without the split.

1) Voodoo Queen (Sutliff) the blend that started me down this path. I could honestly smoke this all day every day and never get tired of it. In fact I buy it by the pound and don’t even try to cellar it. I really can’t have this blend not in my top 5 of all Non-Aros unless I go pure VaPer or English type of a breakdown.

2) Comoys Cask 11. While Dunhill 965 was on hiatus this was my favorite to get that flavor without paying scalpers prices. It starts fast, comes on strong, and keeps going right to the very end. It is everything you want in an almost generic Government tin.

3) Engine #99 (C&D) this is an excellent don’t think, just smoke blend. Plenty of strength, flavor, and smoke. Some may not like the Latakia or Perique but I found the blend to be what I would be making if I owned Cornell and Diehl.

4) Lord Nelson (Sutliff) I am a little bit worried about this pick. It is really not an Aromatic but if you smell it and are suddenly reminded of Memphis ribs then maybe it should be. While tempted to move this off of the top 5 list because of the Tongue Bite tendencies, I left it in because (This is my opinion and only my opinion). Unlike some publications and their paid for top whatever I didn’t get paid for this list either.

5) Midnight Drive (C&D) I really hate that I had so many great blends last year that I had to flip a coin several times just to get it down to 5. In this case, as memory serves, once I opened the tin, I couldn’t put it down. In fact I almost smoked too much of it to do a proper review.

Honorable mention goes out to C&D Haunted Bookshop, Bengal Slices, C&D Mountain Camp, Sutliff Holiday Blend, Sutliff Revelation Match, and to the people at The Briar Shoppe for all the private blends. If you don’t have a Brick and Mortar shop that will blend for you, find one.

As always,

Long Lives, Big Bowls, and Long Ashes

Saturday Shout Outs

Ok, I missed a few weeks with device issues but I will try to keep it back on track.

First and foremost thank you to the readers for not commenting on my lack of ability to post daily. Not a single complaint or at least none that made it to me. I am very grateful for your support and respect and patience.

I am going to be making a few changes to the daily post policy. I’m only changing the policy from a promise of a daily post to a promise to post daily if the content can (A) be relevant and (B) be found. It was quite a bit easier to find and deliver content while first starting out, the perfect time of the year, and I had not gone anywhere at that point. Simply put: I don’t want to post the same drinks from the week before, the same background of a tobacco company from a month ago, it a web hit that is bored and tired.

I will continue to do a weekly post on a cigar or a pipe blend. I am hopeful that the opportunity to work with Phil @BriarReport for a new section of Briar Report Magazine Online can come to fruition. http://www.briarreport.org If you go looking, look for the picture of a Submarine launching a Torpedo. The Title say something about Snapshots. I’m hopefully not the only person that attempts to sign up for the opportunity. Honestly I would like to know that hundreds of people are just as excited about the opportunity as I am.

Ok, so now back to the Shout Outs.

Thank You Phil and Bill http://www.briarreport.com and http://www.stogiereport.com y’all are still responsible for more than half my views. Some if them say Twitter, I can see a like from Phil and sometimes Bill on almost every post.

Thank You Famous Smoke Shop. For a Pennsylvanian Shop ya’ll have one helluva following. Chances are if Phil has not liked something ya’ll did. Then I see names of people I have never met liking it to and sure enough I find they are following the Famous. http://www.famous-smoke.com give them a look, it also happens to be one of the better layouts for an online store. I was very impressed.

Thank You RNA Treasures. That Friday pipe is such a good smoking pipe, I just had to say Thank You again.

I don’t even have to try to get great billowing clouds of smoke with this pipe, it is harder to take a decent picture of it than you can imagine. Almost always there is so much smoke it blurs the pipe or makes me move my head while trying to snap the picture. Go here https://lynxinbio.com/rnatreasures if you want a great smoking pipe at an unbeatable price. Seriously you would have to grow a tree and then cut it down and then carve the pipe yourself to get it cheaper. I’ve looked, I’m still looking, but I haven’t seen anything even close.

Thank You J.C. Newman once again fighting for the tobacco industry and getting very little help. No media coverage, no grand advertisements to send money, hardly even a Twitter mention. For all that you do to keep freedom worth having, I for one salute you. http://www.jcnewman.com/

Finaly, Thank you http://www.smokingpipes.com without the low prices I likely would not be able to review a blend every week.

Long Lives, Big Bowls, and Long Ashes.

Thankful Thursday

This special time of the year has given me some time for reflection on my own life. I would like for all my readers to take a few moments wherever you are, while enjoying a good smoke, and just be thankful for the blessings in your life. Even if life is being hard right now living is better than the alternative.

I am very thankful for so many things that to list them all is impossible and would seem petty. I will always be thankful for the real life friends at Casa de Montecristo in both Webster TX and the JFK locations. They taught me more about Cigars and Pipes in the last 4 years than I ever learned in the 20 previous. Some I only see online now days, some I only see occasionally, and that sucks, but know that I think about you and wish I could have more time and money to spend with you.

There is a reason Phil @BriarReport http://www.briarreport.com gets his own paragraph.

I’m willing to bet that other than the 56 referrals in a month a full 1/4 of the Twitter referrals are from him or because of him. As a #YTPC participant he never makes any videos, but you will always find him in the crowd. He has even had my work featured 3 times now in The Briar Report Magazine http://www.briarreport.org as a daily blog, I cannot thank him enough for all the help and support. In fact if it was not for Phil and Bill http://www.stogiereport.com pushing me to stop my Twitter reviews and put them on a blog I would not be doing this.

Dan in Japan, thank you. That Cuban that went around the world to be my Christmas Cigar was excellent. It is by far the best cigar from Cuba at least in my opinion. I can’t possibly be more thankful. If anyone is interested in this, Hoyo de Monterey Epicure No.2 is the stick. I’m sure some people will disagree with me but there are many that are salivating at the mere mention of that cigar.

http://www.smokingpipes.com thank you for making tobacco affordable. If anyone has any questions about this, locally I can get an ounce for around $7 U.S. or I can get a pound for less than 4 ounces and if I can wait for the sales it is even less. I can’t run a Premium Tobacco review blog and smoke the blends I’m reviewing on a tight budget unless I find it affordable. Sure I would love to be well established and somehow make money with this, but while it is all on my dime, I have to work with what I can afford to pay. The site above has made this a much more affordable and enjoyable experience.

Cooks Fine Pipe Works @CooksFPW on Twitter https://www.cooksfinepipeworks.com/ Thank You for the advise and the inspiration for the project I plan to feature in the up coming year. I’m not sure I will ever be as good at this as you, but I’m going to try to make you say WOW. for those not following this Twitter address, just know that the pictures that come out on a daily basis are some of the best on the planet. As a pipe smoker you will likely need a repair service sooner or later, it is better to plan for that eventuality in advance.

@RNATreasures https://lynxinbio.com/rnatreasures what can I say. These guys from Florida have some of the best pipes you have never heard of and at prices you can’t imagine. The link above can get you to them and you might be crazy to not click on the link and get to know them. I know that some of us are only going to want the named brands, but for the every day smoker, finding pipes that are brand new at garage sale prices is like winning the lottery. Their Ebay prices are great, the specials that they run through Twitter and Instagram are even better. They even sometimes do some Give Aways one of which I am thankful to have won. You will see me smoking that pipe on Fridays in the near future.

https://www.famous-smoke.com/ @FamousSmokeShop. I told this Twitter address about my blog and they have liked my posts. Some of their followers have given me a look and for that I am thankful. So I look into their site and I notice some really great cigars at some unbelievable prices. How can I not tell everyone I know about them. They are a very active Twitter account and definitely worth a follow. Next time I’m in Pennsylvania I will plan a stop at their Brick and Mortar just to shake hands and enjoy a cigar. At some point I want to have a GOTO shop in every state. In Pennsylvania, Famous Smoke Shop is the First one outside of Texas that I really want to visit.

Followers. I am happy to announce 2 followers this week. RoxyTravels, and my Twitter friend thebadgerpiper. Roxy is a Motorcycle traveling young lady in Europe. I’m not sure how to find her site unless she follows you but it is an interesting read. Badger is from Wisconsin. He can be found daily on Twitter @the_badgerpiper and a bit less often on his blog http://www.thebadgerpiper.wordpress.com I have it on good authority that he is being considered for the Captain position of the Briar Report Curling Team. The one with the rocks, not the one with the hair. Now how do I hold a beer in one hand, a pipe in the other hand and still slide a rock or sweep? Guess I have work to do if I want to make the team.

There is so much more I am thankful for but with this post getting long, I’ll end it here and prepare for the Saturday Year End Shout Outs.

As Always,

Long Lives, Big Bowls, and Long Ashes.

Boxing Day.

How could I, as an American that doesn’t celebrate Boxing Day, tie this into a Premium Tobacco Review blog? Cigars. Cigars come in Boxes so let’s get a quick look at some sites that offer deep discounts.

First, a Twitter Friend and follow @FamousSmokeShop. https://www.famous-smoke.com/ if you are looking to stay on an already busted budget, there are a few really nice boxes for rock bottom prices. Look in the Close Out section. If you have saved your pennies and are about to spend for what you want, the Folk’s of Famous have plenty of that also. As I’m stuffing this into my blog, they don’t even know I’m about to make them Famous. OK, not really, they already are Famous and I must say they have one of the best websites. Well laid out and very easy to navigate. They don’t even try to hide the coupon codes. You can tell them Voodoo Review sent you but they might make you pay full price.

Let’s talk about the Big Dogs, Cigar International. I’m not going to link to them, but Google is your friend. Get in, go shopping, and save yourself some money on shipping by buying a little more. The Daily deal called Joe’s Cigar is at the time of this post is literally on a timer. 14ish hours when I looked. But Free Shipping on your whole order if you get their daily deal. Today it is a box of Diesel for under $30 U.S. To Bad for me my budget is blown, I would get the deal cigar just because the deal is damn good.

And Finally, let’s talk about local. Not just local to me, but locations close to wherever you happen to be. Sure we could all just order from these online vendors and be happy, but Cigars with Friends even if it’s bad cigars is still better than Cigars by yourself. Almost all the cigar shops have an unadvertised box discount. Most of those shops are going to be packed with people today. Don’t be the only one that doesn’t get in on those deals and the camaraderie of being #BOTL or #SOTL Brother or Sister of the Leaf. If you can’t smoke there, get their information and find the time. If I was to say I had 5 best friends, I could tell you I met them all at cigar locations.

Make Today Count.

Long Lives, Big Bowls, and Long Ashes.