Morning Drive in the Afternoon.

Just taking a side street today with my Savinelli Trevi 320 KS from The Pipe Nook https://www.thepipenook.com/ and Morning Drive by Cornell & Diehl. http://www.cornellanddiehl.com/ No, this will not be a full review for an undisclosed reason, but, after the first puff, it will still be a fulfilling review.

I came across this little beauty for just $10 at The Briar Shoppe. If you want their information just Google it exactly as spelled. They are preparing to move a few store fronts down from their current location and really blowing stuff out. I couldn’t resist, I had to help them.

This is a wonderful smelling blend of Red and Bright Virginia’s, Burley, Turkish, Perique, and Latakia. And that is just opening up the can. Light and fluffy ribbon cut is already perfect for packing and lighting. No need to dry it out further.

It has a nice light flavor with a natural sweetness that is just right. The Burley is just strong enough to taste without being over the top. The faint plum flavor is popping in and out shows evidence of a fair amount of Perique. The hardest thing to find is the Latakia, it is more prominent in the retrohale.

The Smoke is plentiful and thick but thins out with a smoother smoking pace. This blend is smoking a little bit hotter than I prefer but not terrible. I can already tell that I will enjoy this in both a Cob and any Clay or Meerschaum, but it is really going to shine in a Briar.

Not, to make this Review short, but my day became hectic and pressed for time. So on to the Binary. If you guessed 1, you are absolutely correct. It is just so pleasant that I believe I will go play in Houston Traffic with another bowl.

Keep it lit, and as always,

Long Lives, Big Bowls, and Long Ashes

Kuba Deluxe a Piping Cigar

I was first introduced to the Kuba Deluxe by “DE Karaoke” Matt at a Drew Estate event. It came in the goodie bag for the purchase of a certain number of cigars. Matt, is VERY knowledgeable about the Drew Estate lines of cigars and so I picked his brain as much as I could including the whole Acid and Natural lines. As for cigars, I will wholeheartedly recommend the Liga Privada and the Undercrown lines as they are well made and very tasty. My curiosity was truly peaked at the little plug of Tobacco that was in the Kuba Deluxe tube. Having the cigar in my hands, I knew it was an Acid, and thought, what the Hell. It is a cigar, it might just turn out to be decent if I can just get past the infusion. So in intrest of the one and only Voodoo Review, I smoked it. https://drewestate.com/ For those following along, also check out the Drew Estates Diplomat App.

I’m not going to say that I am a super fan of the flavor, but all in all, I guess I enjoyed it. But my thoughts kept going back to that little plug. I decided to experiment and found that with a little Prince Albert sprinkled in the bowl of my Savinelli KS 320 Trevi from the Pipe Nook,https://www.thepipenook.com/, I found that the plug fits perfectly. (Smokers tip, Sprinkle a little tobacco in first, place the plug, use a very sharp knife, cut the plug 4 or 5 times for an effective draw, sprinkle some tobacco on top, and pack to desired preference.)

What I found is that little plug is very tasty. It has a rich peppery feel and the infusion paired very nicely with the Prince Albert. The sweetness is toned down and the infusion is lasting but quite nice with a morning coffee. (I had a strong French Roast). According to Matt, the Blue line of Acid Cigars is all infused with the same infusion and this gets me thinking about getting a few to coin up for those times when I want to try something a little different and yet still pleasant.

Having only one of the Kuba Deluxe Tubos, I did not take pictures of the exact process just in case it was a bust, but I am fairly certain that I will reproduce this Review in the future. The Cigar, was not bad, but for the most part I feel the star was that little plug.

Ok, on to the Binary,

The Cigar, I will give a 1 but a caution. It was not my favorite ever cigar. It is very well made by construction standards but a little to floral tasting for my preference as a cigar. Still, it was nice and I can see why Acid is the top selling Premium Cigar on the planet.

The Plug, I give it a 1 and really no reservations. In a pipe, it adds something that has to be experienced to explain adequately. Unlike the cigar that peppery feel really rounds out the floral notes making for an exceptional taste and experience.

By no means, am I a master blender, but waste not, want not and sometimes, just sometimes, find a gem.

As always,

Long Lives, Big Bowls, and Long Ashes.

SAVINELLI and a blend from Mark at Tobacco Pipes International

So, I bought a pipe. Most of us will recognize it.

A Savinelli 320 Trevi. Black and Silver just right for a Raiders fan. I want to Review it, but I also want to review Twisted A.E. (name altered to help avoid copyright infringement or confusion.) Mark, if you see this, try Hunting Camp. https://youtu.be/YKd-8QW322c if you want to find Mark, follow the link. I will say that the Latakia in Mark’s blend is Front and Center. There are some other subtle flavors and they polish the finish. I could definitely see smoking this at night after a long day in a Deer Stand or any other autumn evening. Unlike other Latakia forward blends, I find this to have a definite lack of tongue bite. It does have a rich peppery feel and a slight sugary almost apple finish. Ok, I will confess, I smoked 2 bowls yesterday one Clay and one Cob, I’m certain that Twisted Autumn Evening smokes best in a big bowl and preferably a Briar.

On the Binary I give it a 1. I’m going to have to watch your video to try and figure out the blend or send you money for you to send me more. Very Tasty.

Ok, back to the Savinelli. It is quite a heavy pipe, almost uncomfortably heavy in the clench. With the thicker walls, it does not heat up very much so holding it in your hand is very comforting. The ball of the bowl, (and I thought about this for a few hours,) is about the size of a hacky sack. That little bean bag that kids juggle with their feet often seen in beach gatherings. It feels really good in your hand even as it heats up.

The stem is slightly bent and for lack of better words fat. A great feeling bit for mouth and lips, the only issue I have found is not smiling while puffing. The system is set up for 6mm Balsa wood Filters but comes with a tube for non filtration purposes. I’m not a filter guy so I guess we all know what I did.

The sliver color band is decorated with a Roman aqueduct motif that is very nice. And pairs well with the black rustication. There is even a small Savinelli emblem in the stem that really complements the whole look. In America http://www.briarreport.org has a link to The Pipe Nook and a code for free Shipping. Save the $7 and get a nice pipe stand. The package could have been punted by Ray Guy in his prime and would have still been perfectly fine. I’m already looking forward to next year when I will likely order another pipe from Eddie Gray (The Owner) at The Pipe Nook.

On the Binary I give the pipe a 1 but I want to give it a 2. The Pipe Nook gets a 1. A very strong suggestion to give them a look. https://www.thepipenook.com/

As always,

Long Lives, Big Bowls, and Long Ashes