PW & W High Hat

[Slow Triathlete]

I have been on the Pipeworks and Wilke website several times and salivated over their blend descriptions. So, needless to say, I was extremely excited when I received a sample of their High Hat blend from EvanS. Now I'm usually a Va/Per smoker but I delve into the Latikia from time to time just to see what all the fuss is about.

Everyone on TR seems to rave about this mix but I found it to be rather flat and one dimensional. It smoked good and cool but I couldn't really nail down any of the flavors. It also seemed to dry my mouth out as I was smoking it. I have smoked all of my samples in a medium sized Brebbia Sabbiata Bent Brandy with usually a cappuccino. Maybe that is a bad combo for this blend or maybe I don't know enough about the english blends yet to pull these flavors out.

Has anyone else experienced this with this blend?

[EvanS]

Originally Posted by Slow Triathlete

...but I found it to be rather flat and one dimensional. It smoked good and cool but I couldn't really nail down any of the flavors. It also seemed to dry my mouth out as I was smoking it. I have smoked all of my samples in a medium sized Brebbia Sabbiata Bent Brandy with usually a cappuccino. Maybe that is a bad combo for this blend or maybe I don't know enough about the english blends yet to pull these flavors out.

Has anyone else experienced this with this blend?

Scott, there is only one other person that I know of that has experienced what you say about High Hat, and that is me! Of course i am also the only other person I know that has admitted to smoking this blend.

Having said that, this was my first reaction several months ago, when I first tried it out. Since then I have really learned to like this blend very much. The Lat is smooth, the Per is well blended and the PW&W essence is just enough to add a dimension to the smoke on top of the VA and Burley...for me anyway. Somewhat like my first reaction to Lakeland blends, something seemed wrong and I couldn't figure out what. But now I love it.

If you try any more maybe try giving it a true charring light then letting it sit for a couple of minutes, tamp and relight freshly. Seems to settle things a bit this way. Sorry you didn't like it BUT it could be that it was just unfamiliar enough to throw you off. Ah well, either way, the NST for pipes can be about finding what you DON'T like as much as it is about what you do like.

give it another go