Fred Hanna's "The Perfect Smoke"
Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 10:02AM | Neill Archer Roan | Permalink tagged Fred, Fred J. Hanna, Hanna, Legends, McClelland, The Perfect Smoke, Wilderness, blending, book, smoking pipe, tobacco | in Pipe Books 
Fred Hanna’s recently released book, The Perfect Smoke, was written by a pipes and tobacco gastronome. I use the word “gastromome” quite intentionally as its implications are that a gastronome’s perspective arises from an extensive study of the history and rituals of haute cuisine or, in Dr. Hanna’s case, haute tobacco.
Hanna’s significant experience participating in and conducting fine and rare wine tastings have influenced his approach to pipes and tobacco tasting. He approaches the pipe like a gourmet approaches the dinner plate: with appetite, affection, patience, and a certain skepticism.
He knows that not every meal will be a peak experience, but he also recognizes that great meals are more likely when savvy choices are made with respect to chefs, tables, ingredients, seasons of the year, and condition of the palate.
Because creating the conditions for the peak pipes-and-tobacco experience requires an open mind and no little reverence for the possibilities, Hanna reminds us that, if we want the perfect smoke, we must mentally and physically prepare for the journey. The impatient, the unrealistic, the lazy or the ill-prepared need not apply.
Hanna is more than a gourmet. While his quest for the perfect smoke may be rooted in connoisseurship, his book is more rigorous than the exercise of discriminating sensibilities, a process that cannot escape the purely subjective self.
Without question, when the pursuit of pipe smoking is taken seriously as a sensualist enterprise–and this focus is essential to Fred Hanna’s frame of reference within the book–the subjective self is more prism than prison. Hanna achieves something rare, something unforeseen, in that he transforms subjectivity from a weakness to a strength, reporting to his reader faithfully and humbly.
The book focuses intensely on the pipe-smoking experience, and those skills a pipe-smoker can acquire and cultivate to elevate the experience. It also persuasively argues that intention, mindfulness, and focus all contribute to successfully journeying toward the perfect smoke.
There is conviction in his hypotheses, but also doubt. The writer who is able to balance on that wire may be forgiven or even encouraged to occasionally overreach. Hanna presents some premises and conclusions that do not conform to my experience and understanding of things, but the internal debate sparked between my reading self and Hanna’s musings are nonetheless lively and entertaining. As a reader I am grateful.
Hanna is awarded the Doctor of Pipes in Chicago at the 2010 show.Hanna’s longstanding curiosity about and love for pipe tobaccos yields a particularly rich vein for the reader to mine. I found this the best-considered and most thoroughly explored aspect of the book.
His interest in tobaccos and history of experimentation with them led to his creation of the McClelland blends WILDERNESS and LEGENDS. I consider these two blends to be two signal achievements in English-style tobacco blending that are in every way equal to the output of one of the world’s most respected blend-designers, American artisanal blender, G.L. Pease.
Hanna’s decades-long relationship with pipes and tobaccos has enabled him to describe current thinking, trends, and issues inside a long time horizon. His long view places current pipes and tobaccos issues inside a decades-long string of conversations, controversies, myths, theories, and areas-of-focus. Some of those issues, e.g. proper break-in time and method, still warrant discussion today. Hanna’s book not only identifies those issues, but discusses them in varying levels of detail.
For those who are late-comers to pipe-smoking and pipe-collecting, Hanna’s ability to describe and contextualize these issues is a gift. Indeed, when we confront a seeming wilderness, it is comforting to know that there are trails through that jumble. Hanna guides us to those trailheads.
Here among the many readers of A Passion for Pipes, I know that there are many who are discovering this whole new world for the first time. Many of us are relatively isolated, can’t attend pipe shows or enjoy mentorship within a pipe club environment.
The Perfect Smoke will be more than a guide and a comfort to you in your apprenticeship to the pipe-smoker’s guild. It delivers inspiration as well. Even better, the book is useful. It will help you make the most of a pursuit wherein the arcana and ritual can seem confounding and exasperating in the extreme.
Hanna is correct when he observes that pipe-smoking is not for everyone. Nor should it be. Being a pipe smoker should and does mean something. To lay hands on a book that may lead to that transforming experience – The Perfect Smoke – is no little thing.
For those of us who are long-time pipe-smokers who believe we’ve seen and done it all, Hanna’s book reminds, burnishes, and organizes that random jumble of myriad moments with briar, match, and leaf. He reminds us that something that may have become prosaic and routine–like physical love between long-time mates–may become juicy again. In this way, this is a book that tasks skills and knowledge to a more meaningful, rewarding end: the perfect smoke.
Reader Comments (9)
A while ago I did myself a great favour by purchasing and absorbing Hanna's book. This book is a veritable treasure trove for the pipe, match and leaf enthusiast and one that should not be missed.
I would go so far as to say that "The Perfect Smoke" should be recommended reading for all serious pipe smokers.
Lawdog
Well written? Yes – although a series of essays, there is a constant theme which links the book into an articulate whole.
Wisdom from Olympus? Well, to me, yes – but not propounded in that way at all; Dr Hanna offers opinions from his experience (and experiments) in a diffident manner always acknowledging that the tastes and experience of others may be different –
( so much so in fact that we realise how much of a mischievous nature is contained in Bent’s sometimes controversial posts on forums)!
Enjoyable? Immensely so – both in the sense of fun running throughout the book and the more esoteric pleasures described as available from pipe smoking as in the enjoyment of fine wine and food.
A great book? For me it is, and is probably the one in my library of pipe books that most accords with the way I enjoy this hobby - not because it is articulate, wise or fun, but because it made me think for myself.
Thanks Fred.
This is a terrific book - there is a lot of good information in this book that will make your pipe smoking experience better. Fred and I have engaged in dialogue for many - agreement and/or disagreement no matter - as we were and are trying to move the discussion forward. Both of us have a goal to help folks have the great or even perfect smoking experience each time we fill up our pipes. Best, Rich
This is a must read, for any pipeman wishing to maximize his entire pipe smoking experience.
I am trying to get hold of a copy of this book (I've paid the $35.00 by Paypal without realising Mr Unger had passed away), does anyone know who would have a copy?
In advance, thank you.
Best regards from across the pond.
Manny
I am writing from France and have the same question about Fred Hanna's book (the perfect smoke). As the book looks to be be no longer available in print, and I tried everything on internet, have you any idea on how getting a copy ? Maybe the last ones are in the writer's library !!?
thank you in advance for your help
Philippe