Sherlock Always

I don’t know how many times I have started writing about this. The fascination people have with Sherlock Holms is something of a phenomenon. Just this year the Brits started a second series, showing through PBS, and the big screen will have shown s second flick with Robert Downing Jr. & Jude Law, portraying the unparalleled sleuth, Sherlock and his best friend Dr. Watson.

The Internet is an amazing tool for communication! I found all around the world, fan clubs, Bloggs, pipe clubs, roll playing clubs, and Mystery Dinner restaurants.

I found radio shows, a Sherlock mystery dinner train.

Why mostly Sherlock? Because Conan Doyle wrote 56 stories about the genial sleuth.

Just on Facebook I found 10 different pages, just for starters. Same thing on Google.

Conan Doyle smoked both pipes and cigars, which made Sherlock also smoke both pipes and cigars. Holmes smoked a small pipe, not the huge calabash portrayed by the Sherlock

in the 1940’s movie series, which we do carry at Benningtons. Therefore whenever the traditional Holmes is portrayed or logoed, it shows him with a pipe in his mouth as he thinks to solve a case.

Sherlock has been with us for over 120 years. A study in Scarlet, Mr. Doyle’s first story, was published in 1887. And although he tried to “kill” Sherlock in 1902, he was forced to bring him back to life years later.

The Sherlock cult spreads from the British Isles to the European continent, the Americans and the rest of the world.

As I perused the internet I found a Pub in Westminster (UK); A museum in London; a Pipe Club in Massachusetts; a website offering all things Sherlock in England, selling rare books, mugs, audio books, a newsletter, toys, pipes, statues and a map, containing a few of the places, including Baker Street, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus. It translates as a walk of at least 3 hours.

I also found a Pub in Melbourne Australia, a Sherlock society in England and every English speaking country, a page in Wikipedia, Apple has an App containg the entire collection of stories and finally a social network based in the US! A place for Sherlokians by Sherlokians… Their motto? The game’s afoot! Elementary my dear!

Take a shot at the tent joke I attached from YOUTUBE…lol no peeking at the end. It’s really funny…

And to top it off, Benningtons had the visit from the member of the Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club from Boston. - Check them out! They gave us a very nice plug!!Enjoy all the links and the adventures behind them… ‘til next week!

Christina

PS Check out the trailer for the new Sherlock movie coming this December 2011!! It will be as much fun as the first one!! Ciao…

Cigar or Pipe Tobacco... Why do I like one better than the other?

Have you ever wondered why you like one type of cigar or tobacco more than others? The report I gathered below might give you a small idea… ^_~ In the following article you will get information I gathered from a number of different sources I found on-line. Including good old Wiki...

Cigar tobacco is first cured, air-cured then fermented. This is where it differs from Pipe

Tobacco: Why is cigar tobacco fermented and what does it do?

After fresh tobacco has been harvested and cured (by air, flue or fire curing), it must be further

processed in order to make it a premium product. This applies to the leaf used for all parts of a cigar - filler, binder, and wrapper.

The process is known as fermentation and must be carefully monitored at all times. Essentially, the bales of cured (and dried) leaf are received, moistened, and laid up into large piles called "bulks." The centers of the bulks generate heat and are monitored so that they are not allowed to exceed 115 to 130 degrees F.

The leaves in the bulk are rotated out from center to outside and the heat allowed to build up again. This process is repeated, as necessary, from four to eight cycles until the generation of heat levels off. Each cycle or rotation is know as a "sweat." The "sweating" or fermentation process releases nitrogen and other chemical compounds. It also reduces the nicotine content. Consequently raising the sugar content.

After fermentation has been completed and the leaves re-dried, the tobacco is again restacked into bales or barrels and allowed to age. This aging process helps to enhance the flavors and the burning qualities. It is this step that sets aside premium, high quality cigar manufacturers, an hence their cigars, from the inferior ones.

Common signs that the tobacco leaf has not been fully fermented and aged include:

- harshness, bitterness, or a metallic taste on the tongue, lips and in the mouth.

- a feeling something like heartburn in the chest cavity.

- the cigar keeps going out easily.

One last point, once a cigar is made, the tobacco in it can no longer be fermented. A cigar must be maintained under proper storage conditions, may mellow and improve with age. That said, if unfermented or un-aged tobacco is used in the making of a cigar, no amount of time will improve its characteristics.

But If you are a Pipe smoker the differences are in how its cured only (with one exception , the Perique), if it’s a Non-Aromatic blend. If its an Aromatic blend it is then cased (sugar is added) and an aroma is added to it, cherry, chocolate, rum, fruit, etc.

Here is some basic information on tobacco that may help you better understand what you are smoking and why you might like it or dislike it. Of all the compounds in pipe tobacco there are two that are the most important to the tobacco blenders.

NICOTINE & SUGARS

The sugars refer to naturally occurring reducing sugars as dextros

e.

Since tobacco crops can vary from

year to year, they are tested to measure the diff

erent levels of these two compounds. Knowing of the general characteristics of the different types of tobaccos from different places around the world, and the different types of curing, is what enables the tobacco blenders to produce consistent blends with sometimes non-consistent crops.

The amount of nicotine vs. sugars is usually an INVERSE relationship. Tobaccos high in sugar are usually low in nicotine and tobaccos high in nicotine are low in (natural) sugars.

Tobaccos high in nicotine and low in sugars

- Burly
- Kentucky

- Perique

Curing forms producing high nicotine and l

ow sugar

- Fire-Cured (with one exception - see below)
- Air-cured
- Air-cured, pressure / fermented (for Perique)

Tobaccos low in nicotine and high in sugar -

- Virginia
- Maryland
- Turkish / Oriental

Curing form producing low nicotine and high sugar -

Flue-cured

Most tobaccos are flue-cured. A fast process which takes 3 to 5 days. Making the tobacco economically desirable. It also helps hold the sugars in the tobacco by quickly killing the leaf. – Once the tobacco is hanging in the curing barn it is heated using “Flues”, large big tubes that create an oven-like effect. Kept at 200 degrees Fahrenheitt.

Fire-curing

Smokes the tobacco, like smoke-curing meat. Fires are lit on the floor of the barn and the smoke rises to the hanging tobacco.

Air-curing

Is when the tobacco is left to dry out naturally without adding heat or smoke. It takes 4 - 6 weeks. Same as cigar tobacco.

Sun-curing

is like air-curing, but as it's names implies, the tobacco is left out in the sun. Sun-cured tobaccos are usually used for cigars and not often found in pipe blends.

Note*

Here's an interesting rule and an exception to the rule

Fire-cured tobaccos like "Dark-Fired Kentucky" have high nicotine and little to no sugars.

However, the quite popular Latakia tobacco is fire-cured, but contains low nicotine and high sugars. This is because Latakia is made from Oriental tobaccos which have high sugar and low nicotine to begin with.

Pressure/Fermented Perique

Unique to only this one type of tobacco, the tobacco plants are manually kept suckerless and pruned to exactly 12 leaves through their early growth. In late June, when the leaves are a dark, rich green and the plants are 24-30 inches (600 to 750 mm) tall, the whole plant is harvested in the late evening and hung to dry in a sideless curing barn. Once the leaves have partially dried but are still supple (usually less than 2 weeks in the barn), any remaining dirt is removed and the leaves are moistened with water and stemmed by hand. The leaves are then rolled into "torquettes" of approximately 1 pound (450 g) and packed into hickory whiskey barrels. The tobacco is kept under pressure using oak blocks and massive screw Jacks, forcing nearly all the air out of the still-moist leaves. Approximately once a month the pressure is released, and each of the torquettes is worked by hand to permit a little air back into the tobacco. After a year of this treatment, the perique is ready for consumption, although it may be kept fresh under pressure for many years. Extended exposure to air degrades the particular character of perique. The finished tobacco is dark brown, nearly black, very moist with a fruity, slightly vinegary aroma. The fruity aroma is the result of hundreds of volatile compounds created by anaerobic fermentation of the tobacco. Many of these are responsible for the flavors of fruits and are often found in wine.

Often considered the truffle of pipe tobaccos, perique is used as a component of various blended pipe tobaccos, as many people consider it too strong to be smoked pure.We have been curing Perique this same way since 1776. A method invented by a French farmer called Pierre Chenet.

Now you know why you are nuts for Latakia or Perique or prefer an Ashton VSG or a Davidoff 2000!

Enjoy!!

Christina

Pairing Wine And Pipe Tobaccos

By Christina de Barros

With the help of Rich Vavra, who has an immense knowledge of tobaccos and especially our tobaccos. Benningtons custom made blends. It is a well-known fact that most cigar and pipe smokers enjoy a smoke with some form of beverage. The most common are beer, spirits, and coffee. It seems though, that cigar and pipe enthusiasts do not think of wine as a possible pairing. I have often asked myself why? I, for one, love wine; and these two pleasures in life definitely go together. I must confess that I have been pairing wines with cigars for almost 20 years now. Thanks to Craig Colton, who used to the manager for Chauncey’s at the Boca Resort here in Boca Raton. I already loved wines… 7 years living in France did the trick…lol

As with any sort of pairing, taste is very subjective and I will not claim to be an authority on wines, cigars or Pipe tobacco. On the other hand I will tell you what has worked and what can work. With pipe tobacco and cigars.

As with cigars or pipe tobacco, it is always good to keep a journal of sorts. What foods, drinks or even temperature did you have "such and such cigar or bowl full of your favorite tobacco"? You will want to know how the drink affected the flavor of the smoke, and conversely, how the smoke affected the flavors of the drink. And if it’s a successful pairing. Most important don’t rush it and don’t take it personally if the pairing doesn’t work.

Normally, table wine tends to run between 3.3 and 3.7 in pH due to the presence of malic and tartaric acids. Remember that a pH of 7 and below is acidic while a value above 7 is basic. Also, cool climate grapes have high acid and low sugar while warmer climates tend to favor low acid and high sugar.

With tobacco, the acidity is measured by the sourness or tartness of the smoke. In order to understand this better, it is necessary to understand the components of tobacco (scientific name = Nicotiana tabacum L). There are five essential components to a tobacco leaf: phenols, sugars, nitrogen, alkaloids, and chlorophyll.

Phenols are considered organic weak acids; however, they are so weak, that their acidity can

be virtually ignored. Sugars are neutral compounds. The nitrogen in leaves is present in many forms. Alkaloids are probably the components that make cigars and pipe tobaccos more alkaline (or acidic). Although it sounds like a horrible component, most of us enjoy an alkaloid every morning when we drink coffee, as caffeine is an alkaloid. The alkaloid that we are mostly familiar with in tobacco is nicotine. The chemical reaction to produce nicotine in tobacco plants is catalyzed by the sun. This would explain why sun-grown leaves have a higher percentage of nicotine than shade grown leaves. The process of fermentation, which releases ammonia, (NH3) may be another contributor to the alkalinity of a tobacco.

So, to bring this back to how the flavor a cigar or pipe tobacco and wine may affect each other, your mouth becomes a sort of a buffer where an acidic beverage comes together with a basic smoke, and depending on the changes in pH, it may either be pleasant or an unpleasant pairing, its personal.

Whites

White wines are not very forgiving as far as finding a successful pairing. This does not mean that there are no white wines that can be paired with cigar or tobaccos; it just means that the types of wines that I had chosen were not the right ones for my palate.

White wines like Chardonnay tend to have a citrusy taste and fairly high acidity. A 2007 Borghese Chardonnay (around $10.00) paired well with a mild Cavendish, our #28 Royal Dutch is a perfect match! Each did not overpower the other, and the experience was very enjoyable. Hints of vanilla were detected in the wine, which really complemented the cigar and the pipe tobacco.

Another good pairing for a cigar with a white wine was one that I had back when I started this pairing project: a Davidoff Grand Cru No. 2 and our #29 Roanoke, this tobacco is a 100% Virginia blend, added to flue-cured tobaccos from the US, Tanzania, Brazil, Italy, Mozambique and Canada

Reds

My original thought on reds was that if I accept the premise of “like with like,” a more tannic grape (Merlot) would pair best with a Maduro or an Oscuro cigar. I tried several Merlots, and this theory, so far has not worked. It seems that, in this case the wine overpowers the cigar. With merlots, one tends to identify a very tannic taste with hints of berries, tobacco, and vanilla. In theory, this would seem like a perfect pairing, but so far, it is far from it.

Another red that would seem to offer an opportunity for a nice pair with a wine would be a Cabernet Sauvignon. A “Cab”, the king of red wines, is aged longer and its flavors tend to be mellower.

Penfolds winery in Australia produces some of the world’s most delicious wines. The Koonunga Hill (around $12.00) with it’s Shiraz-Cabernet blend offers a great balance of berries, chocolate, and spices; these are traditional flavors that resemble the flavor profile of a Maduro cigar or a Burley blend for pipe smokers. For the Maduro I chose the Ashton Maduro Churchill size. For the Pipe tobacco: our #24 Baffra, a Kentucky White Burley gently hand-blended with a Georgian cube cut Burley; laced with Cypress Latakia and St. James Perique. Finished off with a 100% pure Old Belt Virginia.

Fortified Wines

A fortified wine is a wine that is "fortified" with additional alcohol that's been added to the base wine during fermentation, bringing the average alcohol content up around 17-20%. Fortified wines can be made in either dry or sweet styles (with the middle-ground of medium-sweet or medium-dry covered in virtually all types of fortified wine categories). The most common types of fortified wines are Port, Sherry, Marsala and Madeira

Sherry wines are gaining new ground in the wine world, and it is well deserved to say the least. Sherry has a long history of serving the likes of Christopher Columbus to Shakespeare. For our #60 Richmond slices (bright matured Virginias pressed and sliced in the British European tradition, the Sherry blend matches well with its spicy character. For the cigar, the Avo Xo line would be a perfect choice

Port

Originally, Port wine came from the town of Porto, in Portugal. A sweet, thick, dark libation made of very tawny grapes. With a high percentage of alcohol. A Camacho corojo for the cigar and our #28 Royal Dutch, the Cavendish blend are both perfect choices for this amazing wine.

I hope this article has been able to help some, start something. Don’t be afraid of trying and experimenting. Each person’s palate is different. You may be surprised at what you find suitable for yours. Enjoy!

Engineering a Perfect Pipe

After watching the video from Top Gear, I started to wonder why Porsche got into the business of designing smoking pipes…? They already had this amazing car, amazing apparel, sunglasses, business leather satchels and such… Everything for the modern affluent person. From the car to the shades.

Did one of the owners, Ferdinado maybe, smoke a pipe? Maybe one of the engineers…!

I couldn’t find out. If anyone know I would be glad to know… lol

But designing a pipe does demand a certain engineering knowledge, be it acquired or instinctive.

“If you analyze the function of the object, its form becomes obvious”. Ferdinado Alexander Porsche

Therefore a pipe in the hands of someone like him will have a very solid foundation when it comes to its design.

At Porsche Design, the desired objective centers on function. Rather than mere cosmetic styling, truly functional designs emerge as a result. This demanding approach involves four basic conditions:

Reducing the object to its essential function.

Deriving a clear and linear shape.

Using the most appropriate and advanced materials available to realize that shape.

Combining the finest craft traditions with modern technology.

These pipes are part Asian in their minimalism, which the Dutch and the Danish designers are nuts for.

But hand it to the Brits to make it a stepping stone of outrageous subject of fun! Watch the video with Top Gear…lol

Here in the USA, most inventors were either in chemistry or engineering. Or a combination of both! So coming up with solutions for everyday objects and need developed the handyperson. Our forefathers were at sometime or another “Do it yourselfers”. And the catalogue in a developing country an object to be treasured.

Today the DIY is part of our culture. HomeDepot, Lows, Michaels, etc. Therefore people can find “kits” and manuals to construct and build anything. From a briar pipe to an airplane. Not just a miniature, but a darn honest to goodness flying airplane! Or Car !... lol

From conversations with many top pipe makers, briar pipes depend on good design and good execution. So take your time… If you are a talented wood carver, that is. ‘been carving for a while, take your time to design your pipe.

You don’t want to end up sucking on a water pipe! LOL Pun intended!

A “pipe kit” comes with a pre-bored pipe. That is, the tobacco chamber, the airway and mortise are all readily drilled. The beginner will be able to tweak the generic mechanics of the pipe. The airway in the shank and stem as well as thinning the button area & carefully funneling the slot. After that there will be the decision of charring the pipe or not, if its to be a gift. If not just break it in like any other pipe.

Enjoy and have fun… Life is too darn short!

As a rule we don’t carry pipe kits but if anyone would like to have a go at one, we would make it available.

Neerup Pipe.