Tobacco Control Tactics

It's great to see the launch of a new site dedicated to exposing the lies, dodgy science and sheer vindictiveness of the tobacco control industry, otherwise known as neo-puritans, health nazis, state sponsored bullies and all round bad guys.

Tobacco Control Tactics is the place and it deserves every bit of support it can get from all of those people, smokers and non-smokers alike, who are fed up of being dictated to by unelected (and probably unelectable) curmudgeons who seem to take delight in removing every last ounce or gramme of enjoyment from the lives of all those they disagree with.

H.L, Mencken hit the nail on the head when he wrote, "Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." There was a man who was up to snuff!

Those neo-puritans could use a little more of this...

Laurel and Hardy: The Bagpipes and the Snuff Box

A classic. And the papier-mâché snuff box is rather nice too.

Peterson Darwin Deluxe

One of my most handsome pipes and a very fine smoker indeed is my superbly grained Darwin Deluxe. It's a big bowled pipe yet comfortable in the hand and not too arduous to dangle from the teeth. Well worth every penny. I reckon the pictures speak for themselves.

Snuff Review: Abraxas Premium Batch

★★★★★
This, the first Abraxas snuff to be revealed to an unsuspecting public, remains my favourite though I doubt I would ever use it as an all day snuff. Apart from the cost (probably the most expensive snuff in history) the wonderful scent and flavour are just too rich for constant use. But as an after-dinner, evening indulgence it is both decadent and sublime. 


But I get ahead of myself. Abraxas Premium Batch is a coarse, rich dark brown, moist snuff, not so much scented or flavoured as suffused with rich and probably expensive spirits. For me the grind and moisture level are perfect, though the jar did need to be left open for a while first to let the ammonia fly free.The flavourings are complex indeed. The initial impression is of a good quality cognac with more than a hint of old port and I suspect some good quality coffee in the background. The sheer depth of flavour is amazing and it lingers and lingers. The base tobacco has something of the Cuban cigar in it, though whether it is made with Cuban tobacco or not I couldn't say. 

If one didn't know one might guess that this an old Fribourg and Treyer blend, such is the quality of the snuff. But no, this one only saw the light of day in mid-2011. Admittedly the maker has said that he has been refining the blend for 30 years. If it takes a man 30 years to produce such a snuff I can only say that it was 30 years well spent.

Five stars all the way!

Charles Peterson 140th Anniversary Pipe

This is one big pipe! Peterson produced this one to commemorate the company's 140th anniversary. It is a copy of Charles Peterson's favourite pipe. Mine came with the fishtail mouthpiece seen in the photographs below and I have since had a P-lip mouthpiece made for it by Peterson's. It certainly gives a long smoke!

And here's the same pipe with the P-lip mouthpiece. I think the colour of the pipe is more accurately depicted in these shots.

Snuff Review: Abraxas Dragun

★★★★★
The fourth offering from Abraxas, Dragun is significantly different from the earlier three.  Rather than being dark and moist it is a pale yellow brown and it is relatively dry. The grind however is still medium coarse, thus rather proving my earlier point that dry snuffs aren't always fine in grind. The grind and colour remind me of the Dutch Mettaijer Snuif and also of the fabled Spanish Jewel but the flavouring is quite different to either. Mettaijer has a vinegary top note while the Jewel was cheesy and sweet and Dragun is spicy and sweet. A curious combination perhaps but it works well for me. 

The notes on the Mr Snuff site mention several spices as being in the flavouring for Dragun, chilli, cinnamon and nutmeg, and I'm not going to argue about any of those. All seem to be present, but the initial scent I get is of something much sweeter. A hint of apples and raisins with cinnamon perhaps, or something along those lines. I find the chilli tends to makes itself known as that initial sweetness fades. Finally the tobacco itself comes forward coupled with a heft nicotine kick. Very satisfying and very moreish, even if it does tend to make me sneeze, just like the Club and the Cerise Connoisseur! I suspect that, while the grind of Dragun is finer than that of Club and Cerise, it's the dryness that starts me sneezing (though high dry toast doesn't have that effect on me). For the latter reason alone I'll give it four stars rather than five, though 4.5 would be more accurate. Another must try snuff from Abraxas.

Dragun snuff in a papier-mâché box

Update: I have recently received a tub of Dragun from the second batch. Same great flavour but the grind is slightly finer, resulting in an even better product which is much less sneezy than before. Now it's a solid five stars for Dragun!

Peterson Antique Series 1910 Bulldog

This Peterson Antique Series 1910 Bulldog is one of my favourite pipes. It has a good size bowl without costing a fortune to fill and the army mount P-lip mouthpieces always work well for me. This 1910 design was just one of a whole series of pipes which Peterson produced in the 1990s copying much older shapes. The hallmark on this one is for Dublin, 1998.

The pictures will tell the rest of the story.