Tobacco Getting Better After Relighting

[Alpedhuez55]

One of my favorite blends lately has been one called Harkness Tower by the Owl Shop. They say it is made as an alternative to the Balkan Sobranie Original Mixture, which is no longer available. I have been smoking it on my way to work in the morning, but usually only get half way through the bowl. It is a nice smoke with some nice nutty notes.

Well, a couple of days ago, at lunchtime, I tamped and relit the bowl since I am trying to break in the pipe I am smoking it in. It had been sitting in the car for 4 1/4 hours. I thought I would get a dry ashy flavor. Instead, the tobacco takes on a little sweetness that is even better than the first light. I have done this for the past three days with the exact same result.

I guess I am used to relighting cigars, which usually loose their flavor after a relight. This tobacco actually seemes to get better when relit!!!

[Scott M]

Again, pilfered from the G.L. Pease FAQs

Q: What is DGT?

A: DGT is an acronym that stands for "Delayed Gratification Technique." The idea is that some tobaccos improve if they are lit, allowed to go out, and left to stand for a period of time, either minutes or hours, before relighting and finishing the bowl. Virginias are most popular for this method of smoking. In my experience, Latakia mixtures do not fare as well, and tobaccos incorporating cigar leaf (such as my own Robusto) are generally not the best candidates. (You wouldn't put a cigar down for an hour, hoping to come back to a rich, wonderful cigar. The same holds true with the cigar leaf in a pipe blend.) If you enjoy an English or Balkan mixture, light it, smoke it, enjoy it. Leave the DGT for Virginias.

So you're not the only one!!!

[IHT]

another reason cuban cigars are better:
you CAN let it go out and relight it, and it tastes the same (sometimes better). i would never do that with a non-cuban though...

[Caballero del Comercio]

That FAQ is dead on, especially in regard to the use of virginia tobaccos. My main smoke is a very mildly aromatic virginia, which I "treat" in my own special manner by placing it in a very humid (about 78-80%) and fairly warm (70 degrees) humidor, inside of a freshly emptied earl grey tea tin. It soaks up the flavor and aroma of the tea rather well, especially the bergamot oil. After about a day of that, I shake it up, pack it up, light, take a few puffs, and let that bowl sit. About 20 minutes later, I can come back to it, and it will taste just fabulous.

[fitzsmoke]

The only problem I have with DGTing or partial bowl smokes is sometimes I have so many partially smoked bowls about that I haven't a clue what I'm smoking! I guess I need to start labeling my pipes!