Memory of Dad, or The DeWeese Blend

I have been quite pleased to have received comments from 2 individual women, who having seen my Facebook posts on various pipe tobaccos, let me know how pleasing the memory was of the smell of their father's aromatic pipe tobaccos.

That the simple act of pipe smoking can have such lasting and emotive impact on others is quite touching.

One of the ladies, a Ms. DeWeese, had mentioned to me that her father had smoked a blend of Cherry tobacco and Half and Half, and that the smell was quite lovely. I am familiar with both of these and happened to have them on hand, so I decided that I must try cutting the two for myself! It also so happens that my own father had stated to me that he smoked Cherry tobacco in his pipe days!

Now, I'm not sure, but I feel that given the time period and the availability of tobacco it surely must have been Paladin's Aromatic Black Cherry. Let me give you a quick run down of it!

Paladin is blended by Pinkerton Tobacco in the USA. It contains air cured Cavendish and Black Cavendish tobaccos, is of mild strength and medium taste. A coarse cut. It is heavily cased!

I can't stop sniffing the pouch. Imagine the most glorious black cherry candy smell, and you have it! A pipe of this alone is a bit too much "unnatural" cherry for some, burning a bit hot (as most aromatics do) and leaving one a bit unsatisfied as to nicotine level.

Half and Half is also blended by Pinkerton Tobacco in the USA. It contains air cured Burley and Bright tobaccos, is of mild to medium strength and medium taste. A nice cube cut. I believe it is lightly cased as well. Originally from an American Tobacco 19th century formula, it was a local Virginia favorite for both cigarettes and pipe tobacco.

My first impressions of the smell of this tobacco was Spice Cake. I have also heard the casing described as Rum Raisin. I'll add the possibility of Carrot Cake as well. I find it quite appealing! A bowl of this by itself is quite nutty, as is characteristic of a burley. It's nuances emerge from it's unique casing. Quite a satisfying smoke by itself!

Now! On with the experiment! I will admit that this was my first attempt at any sort of blending, and I found it quite a pleasant experience. I took 1 part Half and Half and 1 part Paladin Black Cherry, placed them in a ziplock baggy and shook the crap out of them. I then opened it and was struck by a most delicious fragrance! Spicy cherry best describes it.

I eagerly packed my Missouri Meerschaum Diplomat corn cob and lit the bowl. Very, very sweet. I can certainly tell that the Half and Half has added a layer of depth to the very light Paladin. It burned evenly and to my surprise was not wet at the bottom of the bowl. I puffed rather quickly and was not punished for it with tongue bite—very good! My only complaint is that it did still burn a wee bit hot.

I am quite eager to smoke another bowl of this mix, though the next smoke, I will instead add 2 parts Half and Half to 1 part Paladin. I believe this will even things out just right. As I had stated, Paladin packs a heck of a cherry punch!

Thank you very much Ms. DeWeese for sharing your memory of your father's tobacco blend. I have indeed adopted it, and it will most certainly become a staple of my rotation! I find it so delectable that I may substitute this blend for cake! Yummy!

I wish to digress a bit further on pipes, father figures (who can forget Fred MacMurray and his pipe?), and the recent declining of both in our society.

The pipe is a most universal and time honored accessory, as well as being an emblem of the patriarchal male; not to mention being an infallible indicator of Sherlockian wits! It also looks quite sexy as a female adornment!



I for one believe America needs to get back to the pipe! I feel sure it would be a catalyst for the contemplation of deeper waters. I mean that hopefully someone would start thinking a bit.

I find it amazing that there are still kindly souls who look fondly upon the smell of tobacco in these foul postmodern days of propaganda purposed to tax to the fullest extent a plant that will never come to cease it's symbiotic relationship with our species.

As my blogger friend from A Quiet Seclusion has pointed out, the very people scared silly by second hand smoke think not twice about walking across a Super Wal-Mart parking lot filled with vehicles that are effectively used for committing suicide. As Mr. Livingstone quite aptly observed, logical thinking has nearly been negated. I mean that our culture denies rationality, or at least consumer rationality. The elite political powers and the corporate producers are damned good at critically thinking on your wallet.

North Carolina (my native home), the state that relies heavily on the tobacco industry, joined 33 other states and the District of Columbia in implementing smoking bans by 2010. Outrageous! Idiotic!

I might point out that in this smashing article, a study shows that pipe smokers live 2 years longer than their non-smoking counterparts. I believe this makes a good case for stress being more dangerous than smoke.

I greatly apologize for digressing in such a manner! I sincerely hope that you briar puffers out there will give the Memory of Dad blend a try! I guarantee that many of your fathers and grandfathers smoked these classic brands of pipe tobacco!