Blue Note?

Rancid garbage... but to each his own.

Smoke what you like, like what you smoke !

There are two tobaccos called "Blue Note." One is by Dan and the other by Altadis. Despite having the same name, I do not think they are at all similar. But I have not tried the Altadis variety, so I can't say for certain.

I have smoked a couple of tins of the Dan variety. If you really like aromatics, then it is at the very top of the pile. It is _very_ strongly flavored with a variety of fruits (coconut and vanilla are dominant, but there's a bunch of stuff in there) and the smell of the smoke is fantastic.

That said, despite the fact that the underlying tobacco is good quality, the flavorings are added with such a heavy hand that any flavor the tobacco might impart is utterly subsumed.

Many pipe smokers go through a similar evolution: We often begin with heavy aromatics and then develop a taste for more natural tobaccos. This can then branch into directions that include "condimentals" like perique and latakia or away from them into pure virginia or burley. But, as Sparks said, "smoke what you like, like what you smoke." There are plenty of thirty-year veteran pipe smokers who are quite happy with the heavy aromatics, and Blue Note is among the heaviest, and I'm sure there are folks who start off with unflavored burleys and virginias and appreciate them from day one.

If you like a very sweet, fruity flavor in your pipesmoke, and you want those around you to perk up and say "wow, that smells great!" then Blue Note is a good choice.

Oh, I forgot: Like most (all?) heavy aromatics, it can bite if smoked too hot. As I recall (it's been a while since I smoked any), it was more forgiving than one might expect. But that's like saying "that Doberman doesn't bite nearly as hard as a Pit Bull!" (With no offence intended to any breed of dog or dog lover.)

Although not as goopy as the Dan Tobac. variety, it is still rather heavily flavored and cased. It will goop up a pipe and it will bite if over puffed. Also, they always smell better than they taste IMO.

I only recognize Blue Note as a kick-ass live music bar in Columbia, MO. I have turned my back on the tobacco of the same name. Of course, you should give it a try yourself. Taste is subjective.

EDIT: My comments are directed towards the Dan Tobacco version. I did not realize there was another.

this blend about a year ago. Then received I opened the bag and took a whiff, incredible smell but it soon faded. I filled a pipe and lit it up. I don't remember much about the smoke. That first bowl was the first and last. In all honesty though I would not be one to ask about most aro's but if you PM me your address I will send a few bowls your way and you can judge it for yourself.

Dan's Blue Note is disgusting. And the VAs in there bite like a rabid dog. If you go for it, smoke S L O W L Y or you will pay a high price in pain and suffering.

Now on a more serious note ... why do I hate this stuff ... not because I'm an aromatic hater but because the topping is soooooooooo overpowering you simply can't taste any of the tobacco. So I guess if you want to smoke perfume Blue Note may be the way to go, but if you want tobacco ... well, then we can talk.

Nuff said.

Don't hold back... please, tell us how you really feel... we are all friends here !!!! LOL

i have yet to smoke it, its just here so i tohught id give it a try, i mean why not atleast know what "bad" is if i really dont like it.

I have a funny story about Blue Note. I had heard a few years ago that this was the best smelling tobacco there is, so I gave it a try thinking my wife might appreciate it. I don't generally smoke around her, just to be considerate, but I thought this might be more enjoyable to her. I fired it up, and after one bowl she asked me not to smoke it anymore. Why? I asked. It's supposed to smell great! It does, she said, but it smells just like what my ex husband used to smoke. Ugh. That's all I needed to hear. Funny thing is, I've smoked English blends around her without any negative comments.

As for the blend itself, I had a problem with it anyway; it gave me a terrible headache. I tried it a couple of times, with the same result.

Just expressing my self here ... opening up ... being real. Oh what bunk ... but I really do hate Blue Note.

Rick... I got my blending stuff in today. I'm gonna be blending up some Beaver Blend this weekend with the Stoved Black VA... I had a bowl today... no icky BCA flavoring... just a super super mild soft VA with a touch of natural sweetness. I think it will turn out pretty durn good. Soon as I get the recipe down, Ill be sending you some.

Well, Mr PD, you have tipped over the bait can, haven't you? The problem w/ Dan Blue Note, like most Dan aromatics, is their exaggerated use of toppings and flavorings. Obviously, there is a market somewhere on the Continent and in the US where this level of aromatic is appreciated. That said, I'll shop elsewhere. As you continue your journey through tobacco genres, you will come to appreciate even more the unencumbered tastes of VAs and burleys, and how condiment tobaccos are a better way to enhance flavor, than artificially. ALtadis blends are a little less obvious but similarly potent. If you're of a mind to smoke Blue Note, try a cob rather than a favorite briar.

BTW, Blue Note was a great jazz record label in the day. See

http://www.bluenote....

I agree pretty much with everything that's been said, although not with the intensity. And I agree with your sentiment: Give it a shot. (It sounds like you've got some on hand. If it means spending money that isn't already sunk, hold off--there are blends that I would call higher priorities.) You may like something that most folks on this board hold in contempt. Although I'm quite new to the board myself, I'm confident that they'll continue to hold the blend in contempt even if you like it, but won't hold it against you. (I certainly hope that you wouldn't care, anyway.) As I've said before: If it happens that you enjoy smoking roadkill through a toilet paper tube, then by all means smoke it. In the case of Blue Note, since it really is, by all accounts, all the way at the end of one branch of a spectrum, there's something to be learned about your own tastes by trying it. (Hey, I know a guy who likes drinking vodka and Scope--says it makes a refreshing Mint Julep. I'm not gonna even try it, but it makes him happy. I'll miss him when he's gone!)

...I smoke it either straight (unflavored) or I spray a miniscule amount of my special flavoring on it (Concord Grape) which is a professional saucing agent for tobacco. It brings out the sweetness of the Virginia Leaf in the blend. It adds a little sweetness to the aroma and taste as well. But, a true tobacco lover I am. My aromatic treatment must NOT cover the tobacco taste. It must enhance it! Thus, CBB with the sauce could still be considered a non-aromatic, or at the most a very light aromatic. I'd say I smoke 50% each way.

For aromatic smoker's that want to transition to non-aro's, I suggest Half and Half as a transition blend. It's an excellent Burley/Virginia in a 50/50 mixture. The casing is relatively light and contains cinnamon, caramel, butterscoth and a touch of deer tongue (an herb).

Before you know it, you won't want to ever smoke a heavy aro again!

That market seems to be the one where 9mm filters are prevalent (Germany and Austria and such, but also large parts of the Netherlands, belgium, France, Switzerland, whatever). Probably because a filter of that sort mutes the taste to such an extent anyway that you need to crank up the volume in the blend, which seems to result in this type of blend.

I was wondering why it took so many posts before someone mentioned that.

i ended up just smoking Prince albert instead because i didnt want it to ruin the taste of my pipe, ill just experiment with something less lame next time.

I personally love it. Named after a Jazz club in NYC. Its a sweet tasting aromatic, but not too sweet. I believe the Green River Tobacco adds something special to this blend.

Each to it's own. Cheers!