My extremely newbie questions.

[DustyRoundup]

Howdy all,

Well, I'm new here, and, after reading a heck of alot of posts, that take me in all different directions I feel its time to dig in and ask questions.

I have been smoking my pipe (Yelo-bole) for a couple of years, and doing it all wrong , after researching this past week or two.

I have a new pipe ( 8 bowls smoked, briar ) that I like using at this moment.


Anyhow, Tobacco !!
In my area, and even 50 miles away , in a big town , all I can find are over the counter brands, and ?? maybe "red cap" and some other large bags, with names to the effect of " Discount" and ???.

So, I just want to find something Id like, and I would like to find a really good tobacco. I know Im going to be Mail ordering this stuff, and thats all good, Im used to it out here.
But geez, where to start?

I have been smoking the white pkg of Capt Black for a few years, and I like it, but I wonder if its because Im used to it.
then yesterday tried the blue pkg of Sir walter raleigh, I think its a bit dry, but it smoked nice , wasnt as hard to keep lit, and the flavor change was quite nice actually.
But today, I had a craving for the flavor of the capt Black, and while smoking, it seemed like it was a "Sweetness" to it that I was craving.??

But, I usually dont like sweet stuff, I drink my coffee VERY strong and black, I chew "straight " tobacco.

I just dont know what direction to head off in, in terms of tobacco.
I also have an urge to try some Peterson brands, as someday, I will have a Peterson Pipe, and the Irish in me likes the the idea of smoking Peterson , in a Peterson.

Any help , at all, from you Brothers of Briar, Men of the world of Tobacco,, Would be greatly appreciated .
Thanks
Dusty

 

[Paul 2.0]

Oh man I miss being new to it all. Enjoy the journey and yes there will be some duds. But that is part of the fun.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

It's like telling a man what kind of toppings he should get on a pizza or what kind of person he should be attracted to.

...start simple, expect to make mistakes, and you'll likely pick up some technique and other preferences along the way, too. 8)

They do sell sample packs online, that way you might be able to dig in to a few types to start out...

Aromatics (the easygoing sweet stuff, stinks up the room in a nice way)*:

http://www.4noggins.com/4nogginsAROMATICSAMPLER.aspx

Virginia (the mild, bright and lightly sweet stuff, smells nice in the air)*:

http://www.4noggins.com/4nogginsVIRGINIASAMPLER.aspx

English (the fairly bold, smoky and/or pungent stuff, might make some people look at you funny from the smell)*:

http://www.4noggins.com/4nogginsENGLISHSAMPLER.aspx

Little bit'o everything (as per links):

http://www.pipesandcigars.com/samplers.html

...especially if you can't find a tobacconist within reasonable distances...

*Disclaimer: these descriptions are my own take and opinion...

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

When I read your post I had in mind to list a half-dozen tobaccos, but what Kyle has done I think is much better. Instead of getting six tobaccos you'll get approximately 30,
and surely, if you smoke most of them, you will get an idea about the 3-6 that you most enjoy; and if you ask for help at that point, you're going to get far better recommendations if, say, you tell us that you especially liked the bright Virginia and the Virginia/Perique blends that you smoked.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

To add, I'm *still* trying to figure out what I like, and I should be taking my own advice before I start tallying my cost in tobacco so far... :lol: :lol: :lol: :cheers: It's just something I've considered myself, just haven't pulled the trigger on the samplers yet. 8)

 

[DrT999]

To add, I'm *still* trying to figure out what I like

And, of course, many people's tastes can change over time. The exploration can be fun, though!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

To add, I'm *still* trying to figure out what I like

And, of course, many people's tastes can change over time. The exploration can be fun, though!

Hopefully they're not changing faster than I can discover. :lol: That'd get frustrating.

 

[DustyRoundup]

LOL, good advice,, Thanks

The Aromatics , I might like, so I will shoot for a couple of them.
The Virginia's sound like it would be what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the descriptions Kyle. and thanks for the links.

so, ?? from what ive read, should I be testing these samples in cob pipes, as i dont have alot of pipes, and I read that diffferent types will affect the taste of tobacco, if smoked in the same pipe,,, along with affecting the future use of lets say, one pipe.

When I bought my first pipe a few years ago, I never had a clue as to what I was getting into.
And now,, as I learn more about it, I feel like I'm obsessed with it all.

hmm ?

LOL Thanks again
Dusty

 

[Stackle2]

Having a couple of different pipes to try different vareties in is always a plus, but cobs are a much cheaper alternative. I have managed to score a few nice estates on ebay, and my tobacco rotation is mostly VaPers & light aromatics, so I don't find myself switching pipes due to blend terribly often.

 

[tiltjlp]

If you order samplers from 4noggins, check out their Pipe section for a variety of cobs. Two of three Legends or Prides, which are both smaller sized pipes, should help you with your testing. You might also want to try my own Storm Front, which gets good reviews.

http://www.4noggins.com/johnpattontiltjlp.aspx

 

[shootist51]

I would recommend that you start exploring Virgina tobaccos, as they are a "straight" tobacco and there are many variations of Virginias.
I would recommend that you start out ordering, say 3 tins from different blenders, say, GL Pease, McClelland, and C&D, or which ever 3 blenders appeal to you.
Get your self a notebook dedicated exclusively to making notes on the tobaccos you try. What they look like in the tin, how they smell, what pipe you used to smoke them, how you liked the bowl/bowls and why.
Any blends that you like, start stocking up on them. Sealed tins will last years and are a good hege against inflation/ shotages, etc.
Any blend you don't care for, place in a mason or ball jar, the jelly jar size is ideal for holding an opened tins worth of tobacco, label the jars with name, date jarred, and set it some where that won't be exposed to direct sun light or drastic tempurature changes. Come back to these on at 6 monthes, a year, 18 months, etc. and check the resulting smoke against your previous impressions, noted in your notebook. Update the notebook at these times.
As your collection and cellar grow you will note that your impressions of the same blends will change over time. This is due to the maturing of the tobacco and the maturing of your palate.
Many of the e-tailers offer shipping discounts for volume, most generally free shipping for $100 order, take advantage of this if you can, if not order 3 0r 4 tins at a time.
If you decide to try "bulk" blends, you will find a substantial savings, but you are gonna need more jars. When an bulk order comes, jar it that day. Again, I find that the "jelly" jar size is ideal for holding 2 or 3 ounces, which allows you to try a blend now and still cellar a few jars.
I read most all of the reviews posted for tobaccos on this forum, anything that looks interesting I make a note to include a tin in my next order. This is helpful for "discovering" new to me blends. I keep a separate notebook for this list.
Keep in mind, most tinned tobaccos, heck, most tobaccos in general, are too moist when we get them and can stand a bit of drying before smoking. This makes the tobacco burn more easily and evenly and cuts down on many of the "tongue" problems that can be encountered.
The exception to this statement would be blends by our own John Patton,which can be had through 4Noggins.com. These blends are ready to smoke right out of the bag and are excellent.
As your experience grows, don't be afraid to try variations on the Va. blends, VaPer, latakia, orientals all add another dimension to the smoking experience.
Personally, I avoid aromatics, as Ive never found one that is consistently to my taste, but many smoke them exclusively. Keep in mind that the only tobaccos that will truly benefit from the ageing that cellaring provides are those with a high Virginia base.
Good luck.

 

[Lestrade]

To add, I'm *still* trying to figure out what I like

And, of course, many people's tastes can change over time. The exploration can be fun, though!

The exploration is indeed an enjoyable part.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Shootist, great suggestions.

Especially the "if you don't like it now, try it in a few months," part. Sometimes I get caught up in the "Oh drat, I don't like this one, I just spent $15 on the tin, now what?" -- that solves the problem. 8) Eventually, I might just forget I have something in my cabinet and go, "Oh heck, I don't remember that one..." try it... and possibly love it.

I guess the moral of the story is--don't be afraid to buy and try.

You can always collect 'em and trade 'em here on BoB, too! :cheers:

 

[sand18f]

Pipeworks and Wilke: "Bleeker Street"

Check out their website. An email to Ms. Carole Burns and she is very easy to do business with.
You can email or call.

Bill

 

[Boxerbuddy]

Hi Dusty, I'm a fairly new pipesmoker myself, and I too started off with aromatics like Captain Black white and royal, and Lane 1Q.

After getting on this forum and reading opinions about some of the non-aromatics, I decided to order an English(Dunhill Nightcap), a burley blend(JLP Stormfront), and a VaPer(stands for Virginia/Perique.....it was Escudo) just to see what these different types of blends were all about. Surprise! I liked all 3 better than the aromatics I'd been smoking.

The aromatics definately have a nice room note but for me, the nons just had way more flavor. I can't even say I like one of these types better than the other.....sometimes im in the mood for sweet and spicy(VaPer), sometimes I'm in the mood for heavy and smoky(English), and sometimes im in the mood for the Stormfront which to me is hard to define, but super tasty....Its kindof a nutty, honey taste...I'm not even sure that describes it, but its awesome.

I would suggest getting each type of blend as a base to go forward with.....however I will say don't eliminate a whole type cause you weren't impressed with one blend.....ie if you don't like lets say Nightcap that in no way suggests that you will dislike all english blends.

I know all of this sounds incredibly vague but I'm learning that there really is no substitute for experiencing the tastes for yourself. Before I tried a VaPer I read all about them here and had an idea of what they would taste like...guess what, my idea was wrong....still ended up loving them, and after I tasted them I understood what people meant when describing the experience.

hope all this help a little....get ordering fool!


edit:......I just hit 69 posts.....yeah I'm 12 years old

 

[joshoowah]

If you do end up trying Virginias, make sure you smoke them slow. I say this because they can give you a nasty tongue bite if you get carried away with them. In my experience, almost all tobaccos can give you tongue bite if smoked too fast, but Virginias are especially susceptible to this. Like the others, I recommend you try Virginias first as well, but honestly, I tried Englishes first and went from there.


If you want an aromatic straight Virginia to try, I would recommend Just For Him's 'Longbottom Leaf.' It's just the right aromatic in my opinion. Samplers are your best friend though. Variety for the cost is always a plus.

 

[DustyRoundup]

Well, you all have really been a great help !
I do apreciatte it !

I will be ordering some samples tomorrow.
And I met a fellow pipe smoker that said he would give me a few to try, and I might just take him up on it.

I like the sound of quite a few of the blends/types that you all described.

Actually , They all sound good , so , I guess, like boxer, I'll have to try them all.

So, here I go,, let the game begin, LOL
( as I wonder just how far this is going to take me )

Thanks Fellow BoB's.

Dusty

 

[gospelman]

Good suggestions so far, so I'll just add that I hope you enjoy your journey! You'll likely find that you'll zero in on a couple of blends, or types of blends. For instance, I, like many new pipesters, started out (over 30 years ago) with aromatics. Captain Black, to be specific.

I smoked that blend for a long time. Then...I found pipe boards on the internet and began learning so much. My tastes broadened and now I'm a huge fan of English blends...love the smoky latakia flavor. I also like Va from time to time, and will always keep some Prince Albert on hand.

A couple of blends I started out with on my early forays into this wonderful pursuit were Dunhill's London Mixture and Rattray's Old Gowrie. I would strongly recommend these, as well as GLP's Westminster (to me, the perfect English blend), and Chelsea Morning. Also, never hesitate to ask the brothers here for advice.

Find what you like, stock up, and enjoy!

Mike

 

[Stackle2]

Good suggestions so far, so I'll just add that I hope you enjoy your journey! You'll likely find that you'll zero in on a couple of blends, or types of blends.

I have been smoking [pipes] for about a decade now, give or take, & just recently I have strayed from my favorites, & began a journey of discovery. After reading about the joys of perique on the forums, I ordered 5 different VaPers, & WOW, it really opened my eyes, I couldn't imagine going a day without my afternoon perique kick.

After realizing how tasty perique was, I started to get curious about what else is out there that I have overlooked all these years, so I ordered a sampler of 5 blends that were heavy on the latakia. I never much cared for the pouch aroma of latakia, it just kind of overwhelmed my senses. Anyway, after a few ounces of a couple of these various blends, & realized that latakia is not just a single faceted smoke flavor, it actually lends a deeper complexity to the blend that until then I hadn't experienced. Its not an every day thing for me, but probably 2 or 3 nights a week, when looking through my jars, I'll put back my normal bedtime burley & go for one of these.

My rather long & rambling point is this: pipe smoking is a journey of discovery, & is as much an expression of your individuality & personality as a fingerprint. Don't stress the 'doing it right' part. I know that there are many on this forum that would find my pipe routine sacrelige, but it makes me happy. Enjoy the search for that 'perfect bowl', but don't neglect to appreciate the incredibly complex & joyful nature of the simple aspects of pipe smoking. Enjoy the ritual, but don't let a deviation from said ritual ruin the calm simplicity of wrapping yourself in the delicious solitude while you smoke.

Sorry to ramble on. Just had a peaceful half hour smoke that has me all introspective & satisfied.

-Will ig:

 

[WingRider]

Lot of good advice here, so not a whole lot to add. As many have said, it's just so individualistic and subjective. No surprise there I imagine.

I guess I would like to reinforce one thing someone touched on. I would definitely recommend that you have at least 4 different pipes. Don't have to be expensive, corn cobs or check out unfinished Savinelli's on several websites. My recommendation is that you at least divide the pipes up by, and use exclusively for:

Aromatics
Pure Virginias
Latakia blends
Perique blends

Once you settle on some favorites, or as your devotion to the hobby increases, you may want to dedicate a pipe exclusively to a particularly favorite blend. Then you are happily on the road to PAD.