Batches by Boxes

[webmost]

I'm convinced I need to roll batches of the same blend by the box.

Back in October, I rolled a box batch of standard Uppowoc Perfectos -- Criollo 98 flavored with a half leaf of Piloto, bound in Sumatra, wrapped in Habano. Overflowed the box; so stuck them in a humidor. Turned out well. Gave me a ready supply of sticks that I knew were all tasty. So I was able to give the bulk of them away. Put an "It's a Scout!" ring on each and stuck it in a magic box. Saved the ugliest for my own use. Smoked the penultimate ugly stick last night. Down to one left now. Man, these things are terrific when you get five months on them. Unbelievable. Last year I did some web work for a guy and had him pay me with a $200+ box of cigars ... San Benigno petite robustos. Love 'em. High end little nine buck four inch sticks. But here is the deal: These UPs I'm talking about hand made out of WLT leaf taste just about identical to those store bought faves. Hated to see them go. If I ever roll that blend again, I will want an entire box of them.


The good news is, I just last night finished rolling up a box of UPs -- Carajo Dixies, I call them -- half and half Criollo and Corojo, bound in BarG's sweet sweet Dixie, wrapped up in Habano. Yummers. There toward the latter half of this batch, I started double binding them, putting a habano wrapper scrap around the Dixie to hold it all together. See, something happened to the last package of Dixie that BarG's sent. I think it was the intense cold. Leaf turned weak and friable. Can't get it to bind like the first dixies he sent me. But I love the habano, so... just hope it burns. Sticking that box away to crack open some time this summer. If it's any darn good, which I know it will be, then I will need at least a box of them.


Meanwhile, I have a batch of assorted experiments, all seasoned up from back in September, now ready to try. So I'm going to work my way through those while rolling the next batch. Here's the deal: What if I hit on my next experimental single? Then I will regret I don't have a whole box of them.

Next batch I hope to start tonight will be a heavier blend: Criollo Viso and Mata Fina, bound in Habano wrapper scraps and wrapped in Habano too. Got a cigar box ready and I'm gonna fill it up. What's the chances I won't want at least a box batch of these? Nil, I think. If I am going to wait four or five months to get the best out of them, I want to have plenty to enjoy when I get there.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that is too distracting. Plus how do you know you really like the blend until you have smoked one after barbecue, one with beer, one with rum, one while wrenching, and so forth? I am going to have five or six good cedar cigar boxes aging in my coolidor, each with a different box batch, so that when I finally set down to try a blend that I salted away months ago I can smoke 'em and mail 'em and enjoy 'em ever whichaways to my heart's content.

Just call me the box boy.

I like these long term projects.

 

[HIM]

Im starting to follow the same routine. At this point I have 3 blends I really like so my plan is to just roll as many as I can of each then let the boxes rest.

Hopefully you like the mata fina and criollo together. I tried mata fina, criollo, and corojo and thought it clashed even though corojo and criollo go great together. I like mata fina paired with piloto and wrapped in broadleaf better. Actually just rolled a few this weekend

 

[webmost]

I have put the mata and criollo together before. It does kick your butt. You need a good rum, or better yet a good tequila, to make it work. I'm talking about a sipping neat rum or tequila -- not the cheap kind you mix. That's the key makes it work. Good in the garage; but don't bring that cigar inside the house. But I wasn't using the criollo viso at that time. Criollo viso and corojo would make a kickass carajo, come to think of it.

I do have maybe a half pound of piloto left. Pilotomata would be a good plan too. Yum. A box of pilotomata uppowoc perfectos. Then I could save the viso for the next batch of corajos. Ay Dios mio!

The good thing about rolling these uppowoc perfectos is, there is so very little next to nothing wasted leaf that I can easily squeeze a box of stix out of a half pound of this and half a pound of that. Virtually nothing gets chopped off or thrown away. If you think about it, the natural shape of a leaf lends itself to the figurado form. At this point I am prolly one of Don's least customers while rolling more dog rockets than your average sack of chihuahuas on their way to Peking Palace.

... and thereby hangs a tail.

 

[LewZephyr]

Not at the box making phase, but I do try to roll 10 at a time. Usually all of the same blend, except 5 with one wrapper and 5 with another.
Have had too little time on the weekends to roll lately so my rolled tobacco is starting to dwindle.
Next weekend being Easter, it will be another 2 weeks before I have some personal time.
That all being said, maybe I will force a box rolling session, so I can ensure to have some "in stock".

 

[deluxestogie]

Maybe the Easter Puppy can leave a surprise in you basket.

Bob

 

[Raodwarior]

Heck I'm hoping the Easter Puppy will bring Don something so we can all get some

 

[webmost]

Not at the box making phase, but I do try to roll 10 at a time. Usually all of the same blend, except 5 with one wrapper and 5 with another.
Have had too little time on the weekends to roll lately so my rolled tobacco is starting to dwindle.
Next weekend being Easter, it will be another 2 weeks before I have some personal time.
That all being said, maybe I will force a box rolling session, so I can ensure to have some "in stock".

Yeah, I don't do big sessions any more. Usually two; sometimes four. Always an even number so I can split a wrapper leaf and use each side for one stick. I'll bind two or four one day and wrap them the next. Seems like I do better by keeping my hand in daily practice rather than binge and bust. And you don't need much more time than it takes to wait for dinner or take a break from work or such.

 

[LewZephyr]

And you don't need much more time than it takes to wait for dinner or take a break from work or such.

I don't really have a space setup that I can use daily. I typically roll on the kitchen table, so I cant really leave myself setup to just start rolling.
One day when I am rich and unfamous (yep I want to stay not famous) I'll have my own climate controlled room to roll and smoke it as I please.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I like this. I'm just starting out, and in my enthusiasm decided to try a few blends and take notes, then I lost track of what they were, and poof! Unknown cigars.

I have corojo viso, Criollo 98 seco, Dominican Seco, fire cured wrapper and Ecuador shade wrapper, as well as dark air, and homegrown samsun and Burley.

I am not picky, so long as it isn't crap tobacco. But we all know, this WLT is excellent stuff. So I don't know what goes good together. If this was your selection, and you were gonna sit and roll ten of the same, what would you roll?

 

[webmost]

I like this. I'm just starting out, and in my enthusiasm decided to try a few blends and take notes, then I lost track of what they were, and poof! Unknown cigars.

I have corojo viso, Criollo 98 seco, Dominican Seco, fire cured wrapper and Ecuador shade wrapper, as well as dark air, and homegrown samsun and Burley.

I am not picky, so long as it isn't crap tobacco. But we all know, this WLT is excellent stuff. So I don't know what goes good together. If this was your selection, and you were gonna sit and roll ten of the same, what would you roll?

Criollo with Ec Shade wrapper; using the inner part of the wrapper that you cut out before wrapping the one as the binder on the next one.

 

[WLJayne]

Criollo with Ec Shade wrapper; using the inner part of the wrapper that you cut out before wrapping the one as the binder on the next one.

Damn that's a great tip! I bet if you double wrap this way you'd get a really smooth finish. I hate seeing half the wrapper leaf go in the scrap, it never occurred to me to use it as a binder on the next one!!

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I did it. Tasty cigars. I actually cut 5 leaves right off the hop, starting with ten binders and ten wrappers. I let them sit in the press for six hours before wrapping them.