A bunch of useless crap
Published on May 13, 2006 By MasonM In Blogging
Since I started smoking a pipe I have smoked Prince Albert tobacco. It's a basic, inexpensive burly tobacco that I enjoy well enough. It's also widely distributed and can be purchased almost anywhere. As a trucker, that's an important point. No sense smoking a tobacco I can't find while out on the road.

Today I stopped into the local tobacco store here in WI to pick up some pipe cleaners. While there I looked over the pipes they had displayed and, couldn't help myself, wound up choosing two of them.

While I was checking out and chatting with the lady that runs the shop she asked me if I liked vanilla and maple. Hmm, I replied "well, I like maple..." She gave me a pouch of tobacco marked #131 Vanilla and Maple. It was a taster pouch sent to her by the tobacco company and she said she thought I would like it.

Boy! Was she right. It's fantastic! The flavor is so enjoyable and it smokes very well. I doubt that I can find this blend at a local Wal Mart so I really wish I hadn't been curious enough to try it. Prince Albert will just never be quite good enough now.

Damn her anyway

Comments
on May 14, 2006
Hmm, somehow I don't think it would be the same but maybe worth an experiment to find out.
on May 14, 2006
Ah the joys of Pipe tobacco! Yea, be careful. There are a lot of flavors out there, and a lot of them good. I got a sampler pack one year, so I could decide what I liked the best.
on May 14, 2006
I'm going to speak with the lady at the tobacco shop and see if she can order that blend and keep some in stock for me at a decent price.

I have to admit that I like the way the plain old burly in Prince Albert burns. It's drier than many pipe tobaccos so it stays lit easily and doesn't create a lot of moisture in the pipe. That's the one downside to the vanilla maple belend, it is a good deal more moist. I have some drying out now to see how much difference it makes.

LW, I'll give the vanilla experiment a go when I get the chance.
on May 16, 2006
Thanks LW. I considered ording online but that's a hassle when you refuse to own credit/debit cards.