Keeping Secrets

5th November, 2010: Posted by glpease in Tobacco, Editorial

I’ve just gotten off the telephone with C&D. We’ve been working on a couple of things, and Chris rang to tell me the latest prototype of one of them was being shipped out today. I’m having a hard time containing myself—this is really exciting for me. And, I’m not going to tell you what it is.

I’ll say just a little. Up to this point, this has only been an idea. I’ve done some experiments, explored different components in the blend, gotten the proportions of the various tobaccos close, but until this new sample arrives, I have only a hint how the final product is going to look, taste, smell. And, I can’t wait. I’m hoping it’s going to at least approach expectations.

This is something rather different from anything I’ve done before. The combination of blending components is a little different for me, and the production methods are different, and the result, I hope, is going to be very different. And, there’s the very real possibility that it might be a complete flop. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had a wild hare in my bonnet (metaphors intentionally mixed to protect those with more delicate sensibilities) before, have spent weeks in development, only to emerge from the other end of the tunnel with something almost completely wrong. Of course, these times are not wasted. Often the greatest knowledge comes from experiments gone wrong, so I take my notes and move on to the next thing. And, no one, until now, ever knows about these less-than-successful attempts.

But this is so different, and so exciting, I just can’t help but share some of my enthusiasm. Even though I’m still keeping secrets.

I’ll try to be patience, awaiting the arrival of my parcel from North Carolina. It’ll probably need a little adjustment before it’s really ready to go into production, but that’s the way of things. I’m just hoping it’s not a complete flop. If it is, you’ll probably never read another word about it. If not, watch this space for developments!

-glp

P.S. No latakia in this one. None. Not a trace.