I do not know how many of the members are pipe smokers, if any, but I figured I would share the two latest blends of pipe tobacco I have been smoking. My own favorite pipe is a well seasoned Royal Duke of Dundee. For a cheap pipe, it smokes great, and far better than a costly meerschaum I used to have.

First is a standard light and black cavandish blend of 50% each of prefered brands. Nothing outstandingly fancy there, but a good relaxing smoke, that seems to give me less 'bite' than Captain Black's or similar store blends when I was intentionally testing for the bite factor.

My second pet blend of late is a flavored cavandish blend of 33% black, 33% light, and 33% of rum infused light and black cavandish blend. To infuse, I mix the blend, spread out on a cookie sheet for a few days to dry it out, then spray rum (I use Bacardi Gold for this, I recommend against the overproofs, as my experiment with 151 was less than desirable) from a spray bottle like throat sprays come in. I then place a couple of sheets of paper towel over the moistened tobacco and let stay overnight before transfering into a sealed jar with the other two thirds parts to this recipe. While good pipe smoking habits might play a role in the ability of the smoke to bite the tongue more so than than anything, I will note that as with all flavored blends, when intentionally trying to get a bite from the smoke, this is easier than the first.

Aside from my initial tests of deliberately trying to find bite in the smokes, I have not had any from either blend since. Depending on my mood, where I decide to light my pipe, and if I am indulging in a beverage or not determines which I will smoke, but these are the best two blends I have come across in my experimenting.