New Banner Added

I've finally had time to re-load my graphics applications and design a banner for the blog. Holidays are always hectic, and I've been busy with getting my computer back in shape after the hard drive crash, plus spending time with the family. Now that the holidays are just about over, I'll have more time to devote to the blog, smoking my new pipes and hanging with the gang at The Tobacco Hut.

In addition to giving me the beautiful Cavicchi pipe I wrote about last, my wife also surprised me with two tins of Tinder Box Reserve 1928 tobacco. This is an outstanding tobacco, lightly aromatic and though it's primarily blended with Virginias it smokes exceedingly cool and dry. It's made exclusively for Tinder Box by the McClelland Tobacco Co. and has quickly risen to the top of my list of favorite tobaccos.

This coming Saturday I'll be returning to The Tobacco Hut, my local pipe and cigar haunt. I've been friends with the owners, Lou and Dottie Search, for over ten years now and, at least on Saturday afternoons, it's my "home away from home". Over the course of this blog, I'll be posting dispatches from the Hut, keeping regular customers up to date as to what's happening at their favorite brick & mortar tobacco shop.

Cheers!
- Bob

Santa Came Through

Yesterday I opened not one, but two, little packages under the tree that each contained that most wonderful gift, a new pipe. The first I knew about, since I had in fact picked it out myself. It's a Ben Wade Town & Country, slightly bent, smooth, with what appears to be a mother of pearl band. To my wife, all pipes look the same and this one was no different. Of course, to a pipe smoker, there are a myriad of differences between this pipe and all others in my collection.

My wife however, surprised me with a beautiful Cavicchi rusticated volcano (pictured). Wow, this is a thing of beauty! It has a large chamber and fits in my hand perfectly. I can't wait to fill it with a bowlful of Frog Morton (also courtesy of my wife) and fire it up. Available exclusively at The Briary, I've had my eye on a Cavicchi for a long time and from the reviews I've read thought they were a great value. No connection to The Briary, just a satisfied customer.

One thing I won't be doing as soon as I had thought and that is adding a nice banner to this blog. My hard drive crashed, taking Photoshop with it. The hard drive has since been replaced but I haven't had time to add the Adobe suite. The photo of the Cavicchi was processed via iPhoto, not my favorite photo editing program, but it will do.

Cheers!
- Bob

Welcome!

Welcome to The Sweetest Smoke, home of my reflections and ruminations about smoking, mostly pipe and the occasional cigar. The title comes from an Irish proverb, "The old pipe gives the sweetest smoke." And while I'm sure there's a double entendre in there somewhere, I'll be sticking with the literal sense of the word in my postings.

My intent is to keep this a casual rambling conversation but comments are welcomed and encouraged so it doesn't end up one-sided. The intended reader is any pipe or cigar smoker and I'll try to keep it on-topic, but occasionally I might veer off into a bit of philosophy or history or trivia.

I also see this blog as an extension of the goings-on at The Tobacco Hut, my local cigar and pipe shop in New Port Richey, Florida. Saturday afternoons I can be found hanging out at the shop enjoying a pipe with a gang of regulars (and irregulars). Discussions started there may end up here but I'll keep everybody on a first name- or initials-only basis to ensure a little anonymity.

I'll spend a little time sprucing up the joint here in the coming days, putting my limited graphic design skills to use and then jump in with some postings.

Thank you!

- Bob