Three times a year--perhaps four--maybe more, I drive up to Mecca which happens to be Manchester, Vermont: home of the Orvis Company, the American Museum of Fly Fishing, the Battenkill River, and Elliot Nachwalter's retail briar business. The Battenkill is rich with history, poor in trout; I never bother with it. I don't visit the museum, and Orvis rarely sees my money. Nachwalter's shop, on the other hand, is a temptation difficult to resist. Called the Battenkill Outfitters & Tobacconist, it has everything a reasonable soul could possibly want short of a Bible and a good bottle of Irish cream. Bamboo flyrods, American tied flies, pipes, tobacco and top quality cigars can be found there in appropriate abundance. Usually I just go in for the tobacco because I cannot afford anything else.
The pipe blends are excellent, everyone of them, but Honey Vanilla #191 is my favorite. Remember when Orvis used to market the Battenkill Blend through their catalog? Well, 191 is what they were selling. It is an aromatic cavendish mixture, dressed, of course, but not too terribly much. My wife appreciates the aroma, I enjoy the taste, and the cat does not seem to mind the smoke either. It has, for lack of a better description, a creamy flavor that is simply exquisite. Note: this is an opinion coming from a Latakia lover so it ought to carry some weight. I love the stuff and recommend it enthusiastically, but other possibilities are available.
If you wish to actually visit the Battenkill Outfitters & Tobacconist store, it's address is: 4692 Main Street, Route 7A, Manchester, Vermont (802-362-5589).
Although the store itself does not have a web site, Nachwalter's pipe studio does. The url is: http://www.pipestudio.com/pipestudio/
Buying the tobacco gets a bit weird. If you walk into Nachwalter's Manchester store, you can walk out with a pound or two, no problem. However, if you want to order on-line, you must order from Carole Burns at Pipeworks & Wilke. Her web site can be found at: http://www.vtpipes.com/
Burns offers Honey Vanilla # 191, a variety of other blends, plus a fine selection of estate pipes.
And just in case you wish to know the url for the American Museum of Fly Fishing . . . http://www.amff.com/index.html
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