Blend testing

[Hopduro]

So this month ... I've been fooling around with the Columbian leaves... not a common leaf used in the American palate ... oddly an acquired taste... I was sure it was going to be wonderful from the start... but turns out to be so unfamiliar that it's an adjustment... like salt... gotta go easy on the inclusion... can easily over power every leaf in the blend. A bit of a metallic taste to the seco. Anyone else have experience with using the Columbian leaves?

Hell ya! Earthy, leather, and hay! Actually enjoy that stuff quite a bit. Makes up a portion of my "horse shit" blend. Real simple, 50:50 Colombian seco:Brazilian viso, whatever wrapper you want.

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[nic]

Blend # 29 rolled 3/10/2016
1 Ecuador Habano seco (LO), 1 Piloto cubano viso (WLT), 1 criollo ligero (WLT), Dom binder (LO) Ecuadorian Habano wrapper (LO)

1st third:
Cream, sweet tobacco, cherries that build through the third, baking spice, and a red pepper retro.
2nd third:
The cherries start to fade off, hints of vanilla come in and out, the pepper in the retro begins to build.
Final 3rd:
The spice continues to build, the cherries have disappeared, the baking spice is still present, some earth/bittersweet cocoa/and espresso become present, the red pepper continues to build along with the strength and body of the cigar.

I enjoyed this blend but am now out of the Piloto viso. Not sure I enjoyed it enough to order more of the viso to roll more as there are plenty of other blends I have that I enjoy just as much if not more.

I happened to have one of these so I smoked it yesterday. I completely agree with your review. Great smoke, but I wouldn't order leaf just for that blend.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

I happened to have one of these so I smoked it yesterday. I completely agree with your review. Great smoke, but I wouldn't order leaf just for that blend.

I love the Ecuadorian Habano seco from lo and the criollo ligero from WLT but have had hit and miss results with the Piloto cubano viso so I won't keep that one in stock anymore. I did recently get in a pound of the Piloto cubano ligero that I'm playing with combined with Mata Fina based on things I've heard from others here.

 

[HIM*]

I hear you so far Piloto has been harder to find a great blend for compared to some of the others.
Piloto on Piloto has been simple but good. I tried that blend wrapped in both San Andres and Ecuador Habano 2000 ligero. Probably the best stuff I've done with Piloto so far.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

I hear you so far Piloto has been harder to find a great blend for compared to some of the others.
Piloto on Piloto has been simple but good. I tried that blend wrapped in both San Andres and Ecuador Habano 2000 ligero. Probably the best stuff I've done with Piloto so far.

Now that you mention it, I'm fairly certain my favorite blends so far with Piloto are wrapped in San Andres. I really need to keep a Google doc with tasting notes so I can keep track of things. I can't remember for shit anymore since the viral meningitis back in July last year.

 

[HIM*]

With the rate your cranking them out I'd lose track of it all too!

 

[BrewinHooligan]

With the rate your cranking them out I'd lose track of it all too!

That's too true! Lol, I have one 48qt cooler stuffed to the gills, this is the damage I've done to cooler #2 minus the approx 40 sticks that have been rolled in the last 5 days that are in dryboxes waiting to go into the cooler for aging. Doesn't look like a whole lot in the pic, but when you start digging in you realize it's about 10 layers deep right now

 

[Hopduro]

That's too true! Lol, I have one 48qt cooler stuffed to the gills, this is the damage I've done to cooler #2 minus the approx 40 sticks that have been rolled in the last 5 days that are in dryboxes waiting to go into the cooler for aging. Doesn't look like a whole lot in the pic, but when you start digging in you realize it's about 10 layers deep right now

It's.... so.... beautiful

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[nic]

That's too true! Lol, I have one 48qt cooler stuffed to the gills, this is the damage I've done to cooler #2 minus the approx 40 sticks that have been rolled in the last 5 days that are in dryboxes waiting to go into the cooler for aging. Doesn't look like a whole lot in the pic, but when you start digging in you realize it's about 10 layers deep right now

I really need to be rolling more.

 

[TheReMixologist]

That's too true! Lol, I have one 48qt cooler stuffed to the gills, this is the damage I've done to cooler #2 minus the approx 40 sticks that have been rolled in the last 5 days that are in dryboxes waiting to go into the cooler for aging. Doesn't look like a whole lot in the pic, but when you start digging in you realize it's about 10 layers deep right now

Wow... mine ship out three times a week... I've never had the pleasure of seeing such a collection of my own... hmmmm... what would happen is I just stopped shipping for a month lol This is indeed a beautiful sight... keep rollin on my smokey friend... rollaholics have no shame ~xox

 

[TheReMixologist]

Hell ya! Earthy, leather, and hay! Actually enjoy that stuff quite a bit. Makes up a portion of my "horse shit" blend. Real simple, 50:50 Colombian seco:Brazilian viso, whatever wrapper you want.

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I think 50/50 is a bit on the strong side... gotta love it for a split like that I mean LOOOOVVVE it lol... I agree it's a good blend for an earthy exotic palate... I blended it with Ligero... got tons of Ligero impact with zero Ligero flavors thanks to Columbia... however after modifying the volume of Columbia I found a harmony in the blend... only took 15 Duds to do it... thank goodness!

 

[TheReMixologist]

Now that you mention it, I'm fairly certain my favorite blends so far with Piloto are wrapped in San Andres. I really need to keep a Google doc with tasting notes so I can keep track of things. I can't remember for shit anymore since the viral meningitis back in July last year.

San Andres is the shiznit! But anything Ecuadorian I bow down to

 

[Hopduro]

I think 50/50 is a bit on the strong side... gotta love it for a split like that I mean LOOOOVVVE it lol... I agree it's a good blend for an earthy exotic palate... I blended it with Ligero... got tons of Ligero impact with zero Ligero flavors thanks to Columbia... however after modifying the volume of Columbia I found a harmony in the blend... only took 15 Duds to do it... thank goodness!

Oh and i do love it very good for something interesting and different to smoke

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[BrewinHooligan]

San Andres is the shiznit! But anything Ecuadorian I bow down to

I like your style! I'm an Ecuadorian Habano fiend/junkie. Can't stop, won't stop!

 

[TheReMixologist]

I like your style! I'm an Ecuadorian Habano fiend/junkie. Can't stop, won't stop!

Yessss!!!

 

[Sprouthog]

Tried to smoke one my BH marshmellow clones I rolled last week. Flavors are definitely there but it was way to wet to stay lit. Even at 50rh it takes forever to dry box around here.

First use of bermacol and this stuff is great. Not slimy, sticks quickly, dries fast and no odor or taste. Good stuff.

 

[TravisNTexas]

First use of bermacol and this stuff is great. Not slimy, sticks quickly, dries fast and no odor or taste. Good stuff.

What was your source for the bermocoll?

 

[BrewinHooligan]

What was your source for the bermocoll?

Not sure where he sourced his, but I have been buying from Jorge at rollerschoice.com

 

[Sprouthog]

What was your source for the bermocoll?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cigar-Roller-Glue-/121990780966?hash=item1c67379826:g:nXsAAOxyAbxTkd4b

Which is rollerschoice.

 

[TheReMixologist]

I don't use bermocoll... I absolutely despise when wrappers unravel for various reasons... for that reason my binder and wrapper are moister than the filler leaves... and I glue both ends and the leaf rim... but if you ever have moisture issues... I recommend sun drying your sticks. I always sun dry my Vault Sticks. Sundried sticks are smokeable the same day as they are rolled. (this is not the same as putting them on your windowsill ... which may work but works at a much longer pace with uneven drying). I'm very organic in my process so I tend to consider tobacco use much like the natives... let mother nature marry them under sun. There were no fancy aging rooms back in the days of ole... sticks were rolled or tobacco pipe prepped for smoking now verses months or years later as we do today. I built a sundried box out of a very large Shadow Box and added some ledges to the inside and 2 hinged arms to the back of the outside... I added a screen behind the glass... instead of just the glass... In the winter I leave the glass on and in the spring/summer I remove the glass so only the screen is on... this prevents fly and bird landing. (yes... birds and squirrels will steal your sticks) The sun's natural heat dries and weds the leaves quickly. Depending on the size of your stick, dry time can vary based on conditions... I'm in Delaware so we are semi-humid a 48+RG should be about 3-5-SDM per 10 Degrees. Temps above 90 should use the 3 SDM time. People in dry regions should SD with sun rise and sun set sun... moister regions with high noon to 4pm sun. Roll over every 15 Minutes... sticks will be warm but will cool quickly to a nice smokeable delicious room temp within a few hours. This only sucks if I have to roll when there is no sun for days at a time It requires a lil more monitoring and handling but worth it... that's why I reserve it for my Vault Sticks... I can't image having to SD hundreds or dozens at a time all by oneself lol Hope this was helpful <~xox