Buying Pipe Tobacco
Do you remember your first cup of coffee? Did you drink it black? My guess is that you started out with cream and sugar or maybe even one of the flavored creamers. Then as time progressed you backed off the creams and sugars, so you could really appreciate the taste of the coffee. Well smoking pipe tobacco is really no different. Many beginners really are drawn to pipe smoking for the aromatic blends that are so commonly associated with pipe smoking. Then as time progresses the smoker begins to appreciate the different types of pipe tobacco that are available.
If you’re a pipe smoking beginner and looking for that first pipe tobacco selection let me make a recommendation. Visit your local pipe shop or any online shop and find a sampler of mild aromatics. These samplers are usually 5 - 7 tins of tobacco ranging in blends, aromas, and tastes which will give you a great start in developing your pipe smoking palette. When you’ve had your fill of the aromatic tobaccos you should purchase sampler packs from each of the major pipe tobacco types described below.
Virginia
60% of the United States tobacco crop is grown in Virginia. This pipe tobacco has a delicate fruit-like flavor which makes them subtlety sweet. They are rather tangy but are pleasant on the palate, reminiscent of a mild salsa. The best matured Virginia’s are naturally sweet and clean-smoking tobaccos that fill the mouth with flavor. You will notice a flavor curve that is zesty at light up and then turns richer as the tobacco is smoked. Virginia tobaccos are also important components of aromatic and flavored blends.
Burley
Burley tobacco is the next most popular tobacco for pipe tobacco blending. The technical term for Burley is “air cured”. This air curing is done in large open barns, by the natural air flow, for one or two months. The color is ranging from light brown to mahogany. Most burley, which has virtually no sugar of its own, is “cased” or flavored with sugars of one kind or another and this rich, full-flavored tobacco has traditionally been the base of the majority of American-style sweetened blends. When smoked, cased burley starts light, mellow, and mildly nutty, with no sharpness. If it is of good quality and has been handled properly, it will produce a rich, full flavor somewhat like sweet oatmeal or granola, with a caramel character coming from the burnt sugars.
Spice Tobacco
Spice tobacco is not a single type of pipe tobacco, but a mixture or blend of sever different types of pipe tobacco described below. Most of these types below are used primarily in English blends. Many people refer to ‘English Tobacco’ when describing the types they like best. English tobaccos are simply tobaccos that have had no flavors added during the curing process. Therefore English tobaccos are usually a mixture of different types of tobacco, but have no flavors added during curing.
- Oriental: This naturally aromatic, heady tobacco comes from the Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and other Eastern Mediterranean countries. The finest Orientals, often called “Turkish” tobacco, has a flavor that is delicately spicy. Used in small quantities, it gives to “English” or “Oriental” mixtures a sweet, yet piquant character. Sun-cured Oriental leaf has a greenish-yellow to golden brown color. Second only to flue-cured Virginia in natural sugar content, the finest Orientals from Greece and Turkey are mildly sweet and have an herbal or spicy character with an incense-like aroma. The best known types are Izmir, Samsun, Yedidje, Cavella and Bursa.
- Latakia: Latakia is the result of a curing process involving fire curing the leaves over controlled fires of aromatic woods and fragrant herbs. Probably the most well known spice tobacco. Mainly grown in Cyprus and northern Syria. After the leaves are harvested and dried, they are hung in tightly closed barns and smoke-cured. Small smoldering fires of oak and pine fill the barn with smoke, and covering the leaves with smoke particles. Latakia was “discovered” when a bumper crop resulted in surplus, and the excess tobacco was stored in the rafters. The peasant farmers traditionally used wood and when short of wood camel dung for cooking and heating in the winter. The smoke cured tobacco unique flavoring and taste was discovered the following spring. Latakia produces a very rich, heavy taste, with an aroma that has a “smoky” characteristic. Latakia is an indispensable ingredient of traditional English mixtures. The content can vary from a few percent to about 40-50%, or even more. A few smokers like it at 100%. This would tend to be harsh, not because Latakia is a strong tobacco, but because it burns and tends to dry out your mouth and throat.
- Perique: Perique is a Red Burley type of tobacco, grown and processed in St. James, Louisiana near New Orleans. Perique is a rare, slow buring, strong-tasting tobacco. Production is small which makes it a bit more expensive. Perique is a deeply aromatic tobacco with a fragrance somewhere between cooked fruit (prunes) and sautéed mushrooms. Like latakia, perique is a naturally fermented condiment tobacco and is used rather sparingly. Its rich, black color and leathery texture compliment its delicate flavor. Before fermentation, perique appears most like Kentucky burley. During fermentation, the tobacco steeps in its own juices for 10 months before further aging. Perique is the truffle of tobaccos, rare and precious for its distinctive pungency.
Cavendish
Cavendish is a process of curing and a method of cutting tobacco leaf; the term does not refer to a tobacco, but a type of manufacturing process. The processing and the cut are used to bring out the natural sweet taste that is a characteristic of Virginia tobacco. This process will create a tobacco very light in taste, quite mild and easy to pack. English Cavendish uses a dark flue or fire cured Virginia which is steamed and then stored under pressure to permit it to cure and ferment for several weeks. Cavendish can be produced out of any tobacco type (mainly Virginia’s and Burley’s). The original English Cavendish is produced out of Virginia tobacco, which is slightly flavored and heated by high pressure. This will give you a very dark, black tobacco.
The modern version of Cavendish is generally much more flavored. The natural taste of tobacco is almost gone. The flavoring is also called “Casting”. This is the term used when you add a considerable amount of additives to the tobacco. This is usually done by producing a fluid mixture of sugar, liquorice or any kind of aromas in which the tobacco is soaked. The goal is to produce a sweet and smooth aroma. Modern Cavendish tobacco comes in numerous flavors, cherry, vanilla, rum, chocolate, strawberry, coconut, and many other flavors.
This by far doesn’t cover all of the different types of pipe tobacco, but knowing what each of the major types taste like will help you decide which is best suited for you. As you progress through this wonderful hobby your tastes will change and you’ll begin to appreciate a wide variety of pipe tobaccos.
This is really a great post. When I’m around someone smoking a pipe, I’m often intrigued by the aroma. I’ve often wanted to try, but I also know that some of the tobaccos are harsh. I’m going to try out some of the mild aromatics and see how it goes.
Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed the guide. Please stop back by and let me know how your pipe smoking experience turned out. Would love to know which type of tobacco you chose for your first
I love the ‘leather’ aroma of some pipe tobaccos. Can someone steer me to blends that have this. I tend to prefer the darker tobaccos as opposed to the Virginias
Any ideas gratefully received.
If you’re looking for that leather, go with English blends with latakia and you’ll do fine!
1789. Man, 1789.
It is like smoking an old shoe. I love it. Granted, I can never quite finish a tin before it goes stale . . . but I love it while I have it!
I’m new to pipe smoking. I like a maduro cigar. Can you reccomend a pipe tobacco with similar taste?
I tried captain black gold that stuff rockes
good as far as it went. I am looking for an more info on different styles of cut and what effect they have. I see the words Flake and Ribbon and at least one other that escapes my memory at the moment used to describe the cut used.
I wouldn’t recommend just a large sampler of mild aromatics. I’ve gone down that road and it ain’t no fun. Sure there are those who might like them, but I think the new smoker should try some fuller, medium strength, blends as well. A lot of times you might be smoking one of these mild guys trying to pull out some flavor and end up smoking way to fast. I personally didn’t really start loving pipe smoking till I tried Samuel Gawith’s Full Virginia Flake. BTW, I recommend flakes only to the experienced or at least very dedicated pipe smoker.
My advice, look around the net for the consistently top rated tobaccos in each type of tobacco blend (English, Aromatic, Virginia, etc.). Pick a couple from each and try them. That way you’ll get an idea of where you would like to go. I would also recommend a good “drug store” blend like Carter Hall.
CMA
(P.S. tobaccoreviews.com is a good place to start.)
I almost forgot to say, whatever you choose, don’t give up. It may take a while to find something you really like. Pipe smoking is much more complex than lighting up a cig. At the same time, there is much more to be enjoyed.
CMA
Pipe smoking is pure quality time to me. I should have started it years ago, instead of those stinky cigarettes. It’s much much tastier than cigarettes and cigars. It took a little practice at first but it’s almost a second nature to me now. I smoke about 2 to 3 bowls a day and always in a very relaxed ambiance. I enjoy a bowl from beginning ’til end.
After experimenting with different brands and flavours, I ended up being hooked on ‘Cube’, from MacBarren. It has such a subtle and delicious aroma I cannot describe. I also enjoy ‘Mild Chocolate’ by Golden Blend. And ther’s indeed so much more to choose from.
As a woman, I sometimes get some weird looks from men and women who are not used to this. Most people love the scent, though. It is a shame that some women who would love to smoke a pipe but feel ashamed to do so!
At the moment I have five pipes and my favorite ones are the two ‘Crosley’ type pipes by Big Ben. They are affordable filter pipes of good quality, and provide a delicious smoke. Perhaps more women pipe smokers will come out of that aromatic closet after reading this, who knows
Hi Martine,
Do you still inhale your pipe smoke? I mean, there are no additives in pipe tobacco as with cigarettes. I smoke only giant briar pipes…the bigger the pipe the cooler the smoke. My favorite pipe is a Boswell that holds 17 grams of tobacco 
I am searching for pipe smoking women to correspond with, but they are so rare. I understand your enjoyment of a pipe regardless of gender 
As yourself, I previously smoked cigarettes…now only a pipe. However, I continue to inhale the smoke like I did with cigarettes. I truly enjoy the sensation of filling my lungs with delicious pipe smoke
I try to convert as many cigarette smoking women into pipe smokers…my wife is an example (she smokes both). Please write back and share your smoking philosophy with me
Walter
Hi,
I am a 40 year old woman, who has been smoking pipes since my teens, as well as cigars.
Would like to hear from you.
Gilly
Hello to the Ladies and Gentleman,
I am a lady who loves smoking a pipe. I started smoking cigarettes as a teen and finally quit them 8 years ago. I was nervous about picking up another tobacco addiction, but I find that smoking a pipe is different. The need for a pipe does not drive my every waking moment like cigarettes did. I do not inhale. I believe that it is not recommended to inhale pipe or cigar smoke since there is no filtration involved and can cause more damage to your lungs then cigarettes do. Not inhaling can be a tricky thing if you are transfering from cigs to a pipe or cigar. Try rolling the sweet smoke throughout your mouth instead of imediately sucking it into your lungs, and then slowly exale it. You may find that you like the taste even more by not bringing it into your lungs.
I only have one pipe at the moment which is not a problem since I smoke so infrequently. It is a lovely Petterson St. Patricks day pipe, and it is beautiful.
I might smoke more out in public if I felt more comfortable with it. I told a gentleman at work who smokes a pipe that I did too, and he kind of looked at me funny aftewards.
I also like a cigar occationally which is more excepted by both genders, but nothing beats the smooth taste of pipe tobacco..yum.
Hi, Erika,
If you are anywhere near London, you’ll have to come along to the Pipe Club of London. We have one lady member, and would welcome you!
Our website is under construction at present (it’s a mess - I know, I’m trying to get it up and running).
I’m creating a special page on the site for women pipe smokers.
Write me, and when the site is up in a couple of weeks, you can log on.
Johnny - johnwadelong@gmail.com
Did you say Boswell!!! that place is amazing, but you might want to try a small pipe too for a quick smoke. your choose. just glad to see that name, just came from there and bought my second pipe.
Hello Glad you are able to enjoy yourself. Too bad there aren’t more ladies like you out there. Keep up the puffing, in the end all i can say is BRAVO
I’ve just been researching pipes; I’m considering buying my own sometime soon. My housemates have gotten in to smoking primarily cigars, but they smoke pipes occasionally as well. I have tried a few cigars, but the experience paled in comparison to my first smoke on a pipe. I am also a woman and a little curious about how many women smoke pipes. I don’t care if people think it’s weird, I’ll enjoy a pleasant smoke with my friends anyways!
Hey, guys! New pipe smoker here-sort of. Didn’t do it exactly right before but I’m starting to learn a lot more. Tried a mostly Virginia and even that might be a little sweet for me. Sugar was never my favorite drug. My next try was an item called “Murdock’s Pipe,” sold by McCranie’s in Charlotte, NC. It has Latakia in it. Usually I’m a purist and don’t like a lot of spice either; but this is good. Not sure I want pure Latakia, however.
I am a big J.R.R. Tolkien fan though not a big fan of the movies that Jackson guy made (King Kong included). I noticed that Latakia is fire-cured, and read in a Tolkien biography somewhere that he also enjoyed fire-cured, but the biographer at least called it “Kentucky Cured.” Anyone here know exactly what blend he liked or at least something close? I do sometimes like to imitate Tolkien in the simpler things as opposed to learning, oh I don’t know, twenty-five languages or so. He was secretly a hobbit, you know! (Although he was certainly taller than the usual specimins).
Is there any way of finding this out without e-mailing his son? Hate to bother the guy-he seems to be pretty busy but at least he has given up on rehashing and publishing his father’s early drafts. The guy at McCranie’s said I wouldn’t like the blend I am smoking now and he was most definitely wrong about that. Someone shoot me an e-mail or several: that is one type of e-mail at least I wouldn’t mind having in my inbox.
Auf Wiedersehen!
Tolkien smoked Capstan Navy Cut or Player’s Navy Cut tobaccos, I was once informed by his daughter.
Hi, I grow tobacco in my back yard and have had some success curing it for cigarette, cigar smoking as well as chewing. Can any one tell me what is involved in curing tobacco for pipe use.
Thanks,
Hiya;
I’ve only grown my own once. Here’s my story. My grandfather owned a gun shop, one day a man walked in and wanted to trade him some home grown tobacco( I mean like a bale’s worth) for some gunsmithing work down his rifle. My grandfather asked where he got the seeds and the man said that his father grew it and simply handed down the seeds. So my grandfather instead traded the work for seeds. He grew his own right in his garden. he said that at first it was VERY strong and bitter so then he started hanging it in a small shed on his property. After about three months it was smooth enough to puff. Then he tried laying it in the sun for a while and also smoking it with herbs or woodchips in the enclosed shed. A few years ago my grandfather passed away and I found a small bundle of the tobacco in his workshop along with maybe a dozen seeds. The tobacco had laid in there for some 3-5 years before I found it. It was a very natural tasting but not overpowering. I then thought, WOW I can take these seeds and grow my own as well. I did just that but the tobacco I ended up with was WAY too strong to puff. I didn’t try anything for smoothing it out. So I just hung it in his shop, it’s still there now. Once in a while I go over there to puff my pipes in his old shop but that tobacco has not yet mellowed out at all. So all I know is that raw tobacco is VERY strong in taste which is why there are so many ways of ‘curing’ it.
3-5 years aging is exactly what they do to burley.
There is a bunch of stuff on fermentation type curing around on the net if you need it sooner, search for coffinnails.com.
Still, I’ve found that aging makes burley perfectly fine. If you liked your grandfather’s stuff, start growing it and storing it.
I enjoy your article, I have been a pipe smoker now for about 15 years and I enjoy reading all I can on the subject every chance I get. I wish that there was this much good information out there when I got started. It might have made my experiences a little bit eaiser however, I think that has been part of the fun (all of the experimenting and trying different things!) Great work, thanks for the article!
Hello there! Searching, and trying to learn a little about the different types of pipe tobacco available out there, and many people have expressed their love for different ones, I wondered if you know what composes the famous “Black Tie”, and if there’s a difference between this one and the “White HAll Black Tie”, really getting confused by now.
Thanks,
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=W&TID=2337
is a review of Black Hall White Tie on the indespensable tobaccoreviews.com. That’s all I know.
Anyone tried blending their own tobaccos? I have enjoyed doing this by trial and error ever since I became a pipe smoker. That is part of the fun of this thing we do that makes it a little more of an art than a habit! My latest (and most successful) blend is 50% Virginia (Stokkebye’s Navy Flake), 20% strait Syrian Latakia (McConnells), 20% Kentucky fire-cured (Gawith Kendal Kentucky), and 10% unflavored cavendish (I used the cavendish centers from Stokkebye’s Bullseye flake). This recipe could certainly be tweaked! Any other amateurs into this sort of experimentation? I still haven’t figured out Tolkien’s smoke if you read my earlier post; found another reference to his liking for Kentucky fire-cured (I’m not man enough to smoke it straight), and something that said he liked Erinmore flake, which surprises me because it has a strong “vanilla” casing, and I always thought of Tolkien as a purist. Happy puffing!
Yup!
I blend vanilla cavendish and a chocolate flavoured burley I found. Apart they are fine but together they compliment eachother perfectly. I ussually go for a 50/50 mixture.
I’ve also tried Vanilla Cavendish and Dunhill’s royal yaht together. I know it may be heresy to fiddle with anything Dunhill but after the first time I tried Royal Yaht I knew it would be too strong for me without some ‘meddling’.
I would LOVE to find some pure Perique to experiment with in small quantities.
Hi does anyone know where I can get a version of 100% natural tobacco like ‘american spirit’ tobacco for the pipe or can you use rolling tobacco in a pipe?
Rolling tobacco burns too fast for a pipe, but any quality pipe blend should be at least close to “all natural.” If you are a cigarette smoker going to pipe(I smoked American Spirit for five years) try Peter Stokkebyes Bullseye or Navy flake. cupojoes.com, pipesandcigars.com, or marscigars.com. Both tobaccos also roll great cigarettes if you dry them out.
Hiya;
Orlik Golden Sliced is a great light natural tobacco that smells similar to a cigarette when puffed. It comes in a tin in a navy cut so you have to break it up a little before you puff away. It is the tobacco I started puffin’ the pipe with, it’s forgiving and natural in taste.
good luck…
My opinion on Dunhill Nightcap;
If you like well cured English blends then this is for you.
I have tried Dunhill’s Royal Yaht and it was a little strong for me so after I worked through the can I never bought another. I was looking for an English blend that I liked but with little success. Then about three months ago I bought 50g of Nightcap.
It smelled similar to the royal yaht and other blends I had bought so I didn’t try it at the time. It does NOT taste like it smells at all. It is a beuatiful blend of Virginian, Latakia, and Perique. The latakia is apparent immediately after lighting, the perique builds in flavour as you progress through the bowl. Initially it may seem to be burning hot, it is a very dry blend in my opinion. But as the moisture level builds so does the rich and very satisfying taste. It has a nuttiness to it that borders on sweet. The virginia tobacco is it’s base but is completely masked by the latakia and perique. It burns even and slowly and only requires one maybe two relights. You can smoke it slow or fast with surprisingly little to no tongue bite. It is the ONLY English blend that my palette has a liking for. I always go for cased falvoured tobaccos but this one stands out. Other Dunhill blends are very fine as well, such as the 3 Year Aged but not with the forgiveness of Night Cap. For me it is a 5 star blend that I am already stocking up on. Some people say that the blend is not consisitant from one tin to the next but so far for me it has been.
It does have a bit of a nicotine kick but nothing more then a strong cup of coffee which this blend compliments very well also, or a strong cup of tea. Even though I say it is a strong blend don’t let that scare you, like I said it is very forgiving.
It is good at night as the name implies but I don’t think it will help you sleep at all, it keeps me up all night!:)
Give it a try, you will NOT regret it…
It’s not a cheap blend so it is better to buy in bulk. This will keep it consistant for you as well.
Dear Sir:
company:libre(real briar)
Owner:george gabrielle daoud
(king of pipes) middle east
R.C (mount lebanon):634489
We have got your address from the chamber of industry and commerce as a company working in Pipes.
we have pipe company in lebanon, the brand name is libre Real Briar.we have a big collection of pipes ,all our pipes are made of flower wood with steel filters insidewe are interested in your country market and we are interestedin retail resellers or local distributor in your countryif you are interested please email us for further detailsbest regardsgeorge daoudfax:00961 1 244042 PO POX:90-531 jdeideh beirut lebanon
Email:libriar@inco.com.lb
http://www.mpcmail.it/mpc/mpq/LibreRealBriar/index.html
I got into pipe smoking when I started college. I go to school at Marquette and about a mile or so off campus is a great little place. Uhle’s Pipe Shop. It’s basically an old world tobacco store. I love alwking in there and feeling like i’m ack in the days of my grandfather growing up. A few buddies and I would always go for their Cigars but one day a friend and i decided to try pipe smoking and I have loved it ever since.
yeah i just got started into pipe smoking , what is it about the tobacco that you are not allowed to inhale it ??
, it just looks like regular tobacco except its cut more thick , or is this kind of tobacco compared to CIGAR tobacco or in the same family of CIGAR tobacco and therefor should never be inhaled . can someone give me a simple answer 
I am new to pipe smoking. I was wondering if tinned pipe tobacco has a shelf life. I have an un-opened can of Captain Black regular that is of unknown age. There is coupon on the label that is copyrighted 1992. That is the only clue I can find as to it’s age. Should I try smoking some, or should I just pitch it?
Any information would be helpfull.
Thanks in advance,
Mitchell
Gosh no, Mitchell, don’t pitch it! I don’t know for how long it will stay smokable in a tin, but tobacco does get better as it ages, just like good wine. I bought a tin of Velvet on eBay and it was from before zip codes and UPC (barcodes) started appearing on products. It was quite good. If the tobacco is too dry, try wetting a paper towel. Squeeze out the excess water so that the towel is just damp and put it in the tin. Reclose the tin and within a day or two you will have properly moistened tobacco.
Good luck!
well guy’s,i’m a pipe smoker,serching for a new piepe,landed me on this site,
yes,once i was like,what you are now,looking for a nice smoke,
with lot’s of smell a taste,
but it didn’t last long,for a start,i alway’s loved pipe tobacco,
even in my young day’s,i smoked a pipe tobac in roolup,then i turned to pipe,which i always wanted,but my be to young to stick pipe in my mouth,always kept me away,
as soon in my 40s(but mind you i did smoke pipe time to time in my private time)i took full time pipe,
only thing i can tell you,if you want to smoke part time for hack of it,be happy what ever makes you happy,
but if you are serious smoker,then,flavor is the only thing,what you look for,explore with mixing tobac,self flavored,is the best,for many years of smoking,i think,dunhill and earnmore
MIX IS BEST,may be for me,
capt,black,was my first tobac,as a start,way to sweet for me now,but i don’t think,any problem with the age of the tobac,as long it is still moist,not dry,GOOD LUCK
One thing I’d really like to see on this guide if possible is kinda what to expect more. What I mean, is, for example the aftertaste. I tried once more recently that i haven’t tried for ages, and I remember that aftertaste.
I’d really also like to know more about the way to properly breath for smoking as well. For example, inhaling vs more puffing, that sorta stuff.
Great guide as well.
The ideal way to enjoy a pipe and tobacco is to slowly intake the smoke and slowly allow the smoke to exit your body through your nose and mouth thereby providing you with the flavors of the tobacco. Although I inhale my pipe most of the time and have been doing so for 40 years, this is not recommended by most pipe smokers as well as the medical profession. However, I do not believe anyone has ever been medically harmed by tobacco itself but rather, the paper in cigarettes that causes carbon monoxide poisoning.
I am a cigarette smoker that has recently started rolling my own because of the chemicals added to papers now to make cigarettes ‘fire safe’. The papers manufactured for rolling your own don’t have these strips of chemicals (which were immediately noticed with our first pack of ‘fire safe cigarettes’) that are designed to extinguish the cigarette if you aren’t puffing on it enough.
Yesterday, I mistakenly bought a package of pipe tobacco instead of cigarette tobacco and decided to research the differences between the two.
I found that wikipedia has a List of Additives in Cigarettes which was submitted to the dept of health by 5 American tobacco companies.
There are 599 additives on the list!!
I am hoping that the pipe tobacco I bought doesn’t include these chemicals, but different sources make different claims.
Does anybody know how to find out if pipe tobacco REALLY is produced without the added chemicals?
I really like the taste of this tobacco, even rolled into a cigarette. I suspect I’ll be switching to a pipe soon since I have noticed the extremely harsh taste of lighting a cigarette with extra paper on the tip after packing it down.
My husband didn’t have a problem with my cigar phase, so hopefully I won’t get funny looks with a pipe
In Memoirs of a Geisha, there was a long, thin tobacco pipe smoked by one of the women. Do they make pipes like that now?
My friend just bought a humidor for his cigars. I was wondering how soon you should smoke pipe tobacco after buying it, and if putting it in the humidor to keep it for longer is a good idea. Is this generally done or is pipe tobacco smoked a few days after purchase?
If you buy your tobacco in bulk, it’s best to go ahead and smoke it. However, good tobaccos, especially Virginias, greatly improve with age. Many connoisseurs buy tins of Virginia and English blends with the intent of cellaring them for years before they smoke them. I just popped a tin of McClelland’s Bombay Extra that I’ve had on hand for 12 years, and it is fantastic.
The best time to smoke an aromatic is never.
I am a pipe smoker of a number of years and can confirm that it isd a fantastic hobby. The pipe got me away from cigs and I love the whole experience. I have lots of pipes and rotate them daily.
Just a note on lady pipe smokers. In my opinion there is nothing more sexy and beautiful than a woman smoking a pipe. And thats that!
KIT
Hi Kit,
I love women pipe smokers too.
Sometime in your prayers (if you haven’t already), will you please ask our perfect heavenly father to love each pipe smoker by transfiguring all discord into peace.
With faith, hope and love,
…steve…
Hey if anyone wants to know how to grow there own tobacco in there backyard just next to the tomatoes lol just visit this webstie i found it very helpful http://homegrowntobacco.blogspot.com/
—HomeGrower
For most part of my adult life, I casually smoked mellow B&M bulk aromatics with some Prince Albert and Captain Black thrown in. I never took any of it seriously and there was two or three year absences to my pipe smoking.
It wasn’t until this past year, I read up on pipe smoking via the internet (including this site). I started sampling the better quality tinned blends I read about or gazed at in etailer sites. VAPers, Virginians, Balkans, etc. They came off bitter and funny tasting at first but would leave sweet, seductive after tastes in my mouth for hours. This kept me coming back and after my palette thingy broke in, I began savoring fabulous flavors as I puffed.
I’ve accumulated a handful of good briars and pretty much settled on a few favorite tin blends to put in rotation to dedicated pipes. Dan Tobacco Bill Bailey’s Balkan Blend and Old Ironsides, Esotercia Penzance, and Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding to name a few. Prince Albert is in my rotation. A pleasant tasting easy smoking tobacco with body. You can’t beat it and you can’t smoke too much. My absolute favorite is Cornell and Diehl Mississippi Mud. A mixture of black cavendish, Latakia, and Perique in heavy doses. It starts off with a strong nicotine buzz and goes into a world of sweet chocolaty flavor. Very seductive and goes very well with Millstone Chocolate Velvet coffee.
Although way out of my price range, I can see why one would spend $1,200 or better on an exotic hand carved pipe. Pipe smoking is such a relaxing, mind cleansing, experience that the pipe is more like a temple. A place where nothing else matters.
We are jinan kaiyue glass arts and crafts co.ltd.we engaged in this line for many years.Our factory have many kinds of smoking pipes,they are very beautiful .But I believe that good quality and low price will be good sell on your market. we can also make the sample as you provided.if you are interested in our products,please contact mefreely.Hope establish business relations with you in the early day!
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Hi,
I love the ‘leather’ aroma of some pipe tobaccos. Can someone steer me to blends that have this. I tend to prefer the darker tobaccos as opposed to the Virginias. I want something with a lovely leathery ‘room note’
Any ideas gratefully received.
Cheers
For leather, you cannot beat Holland House Aromatic.
I’ve been smoking a pipe and cigars occasionally for a few years now. Both are very pleasing experiences, although on balance I prefer a pipe. I now have five.
It’s relaxing and different, and I don’t like following the crowd anyway! For me it’s a contemplative and peaceful experience usually conducted alone to fully appreciate the moment; the smell of an aromatic tobacco the feel of a favourite pipe bowl of smooth briar in the hand, and the thick clouds of smoke drifting up; a pipe cannot be rushed, there’s no such thing as a quick pipe smoke! Therefore savour the moment in quiet thought and consideration, and pity those poor health fascists running around trying to ban everything enjoyable in sight.
May they all learn to calm down mind their own business!!
I’ve smoked a pipe off and on for nearly 30 years and would consider myself fairly ‘in the know’ about the matter but, I have to say, some of the information yu provide is novel to me and will, I’m sure, prove invaluable to those who propose to take up the obsession. Very well done indeed.
I just ordered a starter set with a Briar pipe and 2 types of tobacco. This guide has been a big help, and I can’t wait to get my pipe!
I”m female, so didn’t feel comfortable finding a smoke shop that carries pipes.
I have just recentl started rolling my own cigarettes. I am now using the Good Stuff pipe tobacco ($14.95/pound). While the cut is more “shaggy” than cigarette tobacco, so long as you are careful when loading your machine, and do not over pack it, it burns just fine, tastes just as good, and you can get well over 700 cigarettes (100mm) from a pund of tobacco.