Making the Most of Bulk Pipe Tobacco Discounts

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Pipe tobacco has long been used to celebrate special moments. Finding the right bulk tobacco in a local tobacco shop can be challenging, especially in an area where local tobacco shops are scarce. It’s nice to find online tobacco shops that carry brands you know and love at a discounted price.

Pipe tobacco is normally coarser and moister than cigarette tobacco, and more attention is given towards getting the flavor just right. Online retailers, such as BnB Tobacco, give pipe smokers a wide selection of basic to premium tobaccos in quantities as small as six ounces or as large as five pounds. Large orders of bulk pipe tobacco yield the best discounts, and larger orders totaling more than $199 receive free shipping in addition to deep discounts.

You might wonder about ordering large quantities of pipe tobacco, especially if pipe smoking is only an occasional pastime. However, by storing pipe tobacco correctly, you can keep your blends for years. In fact, a little bit of aging can actually enhance your pipe smoking experience.

There are things that should be avoided when storing pipe tobacco. Cigars should not be stored with pipe tobacco because they have a “sponge” effect. Similarly humidors are for storing cigars, not pipe tobacco. Too much moisture will make the tobacco unsmokeable. A humidity level of 10-14 percent is plenty. Some smokers have tried adding moisture to a storage jar, but this is not recommended because it can cause tobacco to mold.

The simplest solution is to store blends that may not be smoked for months — or even years — in glass jars with a vacuum seal such as Mason or Ball jars. While old food jars may sound like a good idea, the lids of these jars often retain the food smell even after washing. New jars are always best. Depending on how much of your blend you want to take out at a time, you can use large or small jars. You can even create blends for fellow pipe smokers to give as gifts.

You may also want to consider joining or starting a pipe club in your community. These clubs can often be found at local tobacco shops. Not only can you enjoy one another’s company, but you can take advantage of bulk pipe tobacco discounts by creating and sharing your own custom blends.

Punch Champion Double Maduro

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Punch Champion

The Punch Champion takes part of its name from its wrapper, a “double maduro” or Sumatra wrapper and lives up to its heritage with a bold, full-bodied taste – qualities in a cigar that appeal to men who follow their own instincts rather than following the crowd. You can get one for less than $5, which puts this firmly in the mid-range in terms of price and quality for a cigar 4.5 inches long with a fat ring gauge of about 60. Yes, this is a beefy cigar, shaped like a torpedo as it nears an inch in diameter at its widest. The Punch Champion features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, with the finest filler available from Hondura, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. It is manufactured by one of the largest producers of mass market and premium cigars in the world – General Cigar Altadis.

As you start to enjoy the Punch Champion Double Maduro cigar, you will immediately notice it is a well crafted smoke with a sweet peppery flavor and a bold odor that reminds you of smoldering hay. The draw may be a little quick, but that does not mean you will miss out on the subtle nuances of this cigar – like the cedar flavor you will pick up with the last third of the cigar. This is a mild to woody flavored cigar, and the burn may result in more smoke than you are used to, so if you enjoy it with others, make sure to give each other room. We all enjoy the experience, but not the smoke burning into our eyes. About halfway through, I noticed it lost some of its flavor and was kind of bland, just another medium bold cigar that burns very quickly. Funny enough, however, is how the stack of ash holds up as it burns – it kept its shape, smoldering, but never gave away till I lightly tapped the side of the picnic table out back.

The Punch Champion Double Maduro is a pretty good medium to full bodied cigar. I would not describe it as a boring smoke, but not memorable, either. I certainly would not turn my nose up if one were offered though!

Alec Bradley Black Market Toro

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Alec Bradley Black Market Toro

Alec Bradley founder Alan Rubin, the son of a hardware importer, jumped in on the 90s cigar boom just before it trailed out.  Ever since Rubin released his famous Tempus cigars a few years ago he was met with tremendous success and released many excellent cigars which have received accolades around the globe.  One such cigar is the Alec Bradley Black Market.

The Black Market Toro’s filler is a combination of Honduran and Panamanian tobacco.  The binder is Sumatra seed tobacco harvested in Ecuador and the wrapper is semi-sweet tobacco leaf grown in Jalapa, Nicaragua.  The wrapper is dark and oily with several prominent veins.  Even before lighting the cigar I can sense some of this complexity in the pre-light aroma.  The pre-light aroma includes rich coffee, anise, cocoa, and earth.  This is not at all the generic sweet pre-light aroma I normally get from a cigar.  When I light the cigar I get a smooth draw.  Burn is a bit wavy, but the ash builds up nicely.  Cocoa and coffee predominate along with just a splash of fruit and a hint of spice.  More flavors appear in the middle third include espresso and cherry.  Flavors don’t evolve or change all that much by the final third, which is okay—when consistency tastes this good, consistency is good.

You can purchase the Alec Bradley Black Market Toro for about $7.50, which makes it a great value.  There are many delectable flavors which interplay with this cigar, and even though they don’t change all that much, they are delicious from start to finish.  The cigar is medium strength and could be a good smoke for a beginner who has progressed past mild cigars.  It’d make a very nice mainstay for any experienced smoker as well.  Alec Bradley’s Prensado was the Top Cigar of the Year according to Cigar Aficionado.  While the Prensado is great, it certainly isn’t the only wonderful offering from Alec Bradley.  The Black Market is just as satisfying in its own unique way.

Top 6 Mistakes Cigar Smokers Make – (via CigarFederation.com)

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Sticking with the “pet peeve” theme we were discussing earlier today on Facebook and Twitter, here is a wonderful list of the top 6 mistakes people tend to make when smoking cigars. The list was put together by our friends at cigarfederation.com and I gotta say, it is a great list. Very true and to the point, just the way I like it! Take a read and let us know what you think. And, if you have anything that you think should have been included in the list, let us know! :)

“1. Smoking Too Damn Fast!
Premium Cigar Ashed

Where’s the fire pal? Well it’s frickin’ raging at the tip of your cigar when you smoke it too fast. Ya, I know it tastes good, but you’re gonna ruin that goodness by giving it the Lewinsky treatment.

Really hot fire will cause the tobacco to put out nasty flavors which, unless you’re smoking a Swisher Sweet, are anathema to the whole point of smoking cigars in the first place.

Here’s a tip…cigars are to be sipped, not chugged. That’s why there are no “cigar-kegs” to do stands on. By taking a hit every 20-30 seconds, the coal will stay cool and properly unlock the seductive flavors you’ve paid your hard earned money to enjoy!

Hey, you’re here to sit back, look cool, impress the ladies, and enjoy that stogie. You’ve earned it!

2. Cutting Off Too Much Of The Cap

Such a rookie mistake. You’d think some of these guys are at rabbi try-outs the way they treat their cigars. (And I’m Jewish, so I know.)

Let me tutor you like Master Yoda. Clip the cigar so that 1/8 in of the cap remains in place. You don’t need to lop off the whole butt. Just nip the tip. Your cigar should have a nice opening for the plumes of smoke you will soon extract. This should be surrounded by a small ring of cap-expertly cut like a Samurai warrior with 20/20 vision.

This will hold the wrapper on your cigar in place and KEEP IT FROM UNRAVELING!

There is no try…there is do or do not.

3. Lighting It Like A Chump

You know a cigar patsy by the way they light a stick up. (Prepositional phrase at the end of a sentence. Ya…that just happened!)

If I see someone who clips a cigar and immediately puts it in their mouth and tries to torch the end…I quickly try to sell em a bridge in Brooklyn. They don’t have a freakin’ clue.

First, it looks stupid. You can’t see the end of the cigar, pal. You’re looking at the thing cross-eyed trying to see whats-what down there. Marvelous way to make every lady smoker in the vicinity question your manhood.

Second, your gonna screw up your cigar. Lighting it too fast will have the same effect as smoking it too fast. Its gonna wreck flavor and that’s tragic.

Listen Patawan, after clipping, gently toast the foot of your cigar until evenly warm. Not on fire! Just warm and toasty. After that, then insert into mouth…gently puff…and continue to evenly toast the end with fire. It will light within 10-15 seconds and all will be well.

Bonus: Be sure to never touch the flame to your cigar. Keep it just off the flame so as not to char that beauty. You gotta respect it!

4. Re-lighting It Like A Chump

It happens to us all. Outside on the deck smoking and the wife calls you inside to hold the baby, or take a phone call, or you get talking so much that your cig goes out on ya.

What to do? Most people knock the ash off and burn the living hell out of it to get it relit. And ya, it will relight but at what price? FLAVOR! Thats the price.

Here’s the secret to relighting a cigar so that maximum flavor is maintained. First, gently knock any excess ash off as best you can. Second, toast the outer wrapper of the cigar until it kindles and glows. Third and most important, blow OUT through the cigar, not back into your mouth. I call this reverse puffing. It should take 10-15 seconds of this before the wrapper lights the filler of the cigar. Now you can continue to puff your stick without it tasting like Kingsford Charcoal.

5. Tapping Somebody Else’s Ash

Oh how I love the ash! It tells you so much about the cigar quality and its fun to watch grow! A gratuitous cigar ash may seem juvenile, but it’s one of life’s simple pleasures. So back off and don’t try to steal my childhood!

But I digress, whether its bumping into someone’s arm at a crowded herf, or sampling someone else’s cigar (which is gross and not recommended) do make every effort to maintain and nurture their coveted ash.

I once had someone tap my cigar with their finger so as to ash my cigar for me…while I was holding it! Definitely a smoking faux pas that warranted serious repercussions. I won’t say what happened, but suffice it to say all options were on table.

6. Being a Cigar Mooch

Are you this guy? Go drown yourself. Oh yeah, and maybe next time when we do lunch, why don’t you try buying for once. Cheap ass!”

Camacho Corojo Churchill

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Camacho Corojo Churchill

Camacho Cigars was founded in Miami in 1961 by Simon Camacho.  The company has changed hands a couple of times, becoming part of the Oettinger Davidoff Group in 2008.  Ever since 1998, Camacho has been a key player in the cigar industry worldwide and has released a number of critically acclaimed premium cigars.  Camacho is best known for creating very strong cigars.  This is also the case with the Camacho Corojo Churchill.

The Camacho Corojo Churchill is a Honduran puro which uses high quality Corojo tobacco.  As a Churchill-size cigar, this is a hefty one to smoke and costs about $7.00 a stick.  The wrapper looks nice but has a lot of noticeable veins, though not soft or hard spots to cause concern.  The pre-light aroma is earthy and musty with hints of something sweet.  On lighting the cigar I get a very smooth, even burn and an equally smooth draw.  Flavors are mostly earthy, and this is a very strong cigar—which is consistent with Camacho’s reputation for crafting high quality strong cigars.  This one packed quite a punch, with only a little sweetness and not a lot of complexity or evolution of flavors as the smoke progressed.  Oftentimes this would be a drawback in a cigar, but this is a smooth, strong smoke which wasn’t designed to be elaborate, and something simplicity is a virtue in a cigar, and this is one of those times.

This is not a cigar for smokers of mild cigars and definitely steer clear if you’re a brand new smoker since this one will be a little much to handle.  If you’ve been smoking for a while, though, and you know you enjoy really strong smokes, this is one you won’t want to miss out on.  At $7.00 a stick it’s a very nice deal, and you could easily smoke these regularly.  Just don’t expect a lot of complexity or subtlety here—the Camacho Corojo Churchill has neither.  What it does have is high quality and a lot of character; as a result, smoking this cigar is an unforgettable experience.

Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill

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The Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill was declared the Top Cigar of the Year (for 2011) by Cigar Aficionado magazine—so naturally I was pretty stoked that I got to try one! The cigar debuted at IPCPR back in ’09 and comes in four other sizes: Corona Gorda, Robusto, Gran Toro, and Torpedo. The silky smooth Honduran ’06 Corojo wrapper encloses Nicaraguan and Honduran binder and filler leaves. This potent, full strength cigar has a sweet pre-light aroma and has a slightly firm but good draw. The cigar produces a good amount of dense smoke. Burn is a little uneven at first but quickly evens out as you smoke.

The initial flavors of the Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill include sweet wood and rich coffee with a nutty aftertaste. The flavors progress into toasty, dark-roasted cedar notes mixed with leather. After a while the nutty aftertaste can easily be identified as toasty almonds. Burn stays even through the rest of the smoke. Flavors stay smooth; while this is a strong cigar it never crosses the line into overpowering or harsh. It retains its subtle character from start to finish.

It’s pretty hard to say any one cigar is the “best” of the year, but I can definitely understand why Cigar Aficionado picked this one in 2009. The flavors are as silky smooth as the beautiful wrapper, and the delightful experience of this premium cigar matches its elegant presentation. At about $9.00 a stick, this isn’t a cheap cigar, but it’s quite a good price when you consider how excellent the smoke is. Alec Bradley may not be the oldest name in the cigar industry, but this is definitely a top notch manufacturer with a long and glorious future ahead.

Ashton Classic Churchill

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Ashton Classic Churchill

Ashton is one of the best known names in the premium cigar world; the brand was originally created by Robert Levin in 1985 with the help of the famous Fuente family, and today Ashton produces six different blends (under the main brand – Ashton also owns brands such Benchmade or La Aroma de Cuba) including the Ashton Classic, a medium bodied smoke which includes 3- and 4-year-old Dominican tobacco in the binder and filler and a beautiful golden Connecticut shade grown wrapper.

The Ashton Classic Churchill’s Connecticut wrapper is almost flawlessly smooth and includes very few veins, making it quite lovely to look at.  There are no obvious soft spots, and the Ashton label gives the cigar a classy distinction.  On pre-light, I can detect a sweet aroma which is enhanced with something spicy—possibly cinnamon.  All in all it looks and smells pretty promising, so I have high hopes for this one.  On lighting, the draw is initially a tad tight, but quickly corrects itself and becomes quite smooth.  The burn is slow and even and yields tightly packed ash.  The Ashton Classic’s smoke isn’t too thick, but it’s still nice and aromatic.

In terms of flavor, this is a delightful cigar which is predominantly spicy without being overbearingly so—there is a nice sweetness which balances it all out.  With notes of nutmeg and cinnamon and cream, this one would be great for the holidays—or any other time of year when you want to enjoy that cozy holiday flavor.  Unfortunately there’s a little harshness which shows up around halfway.  The cigar gets stronger as you smoke and the last third includes more spices.  The harshness hangs in there, but it isn’t too strong and it doesn’t overpower the flavors.

All and all the harshness isn’t a huge drawback to the cigar, and perhaps with a little aging it would mellow out.  The Ashton Classic Churchill costs $7.00, which isn’t cheap, but overall it’s a very pleasant and enjoyable cigar with a number of flavorful elements which combine into a delicious whole.  This Ashton Classic Churchill would be enjoyable to new and veteran cigar smokers who enjoy sweet and spicy cigars.