New pipe smoker here. I am really loving this hobby, and thought I'd share some impressions from a relative newb's perspective. Perhaps this could be useful to other newbies.
I have smoked cigars most of my adult life, albeit very infrequently. I smoke them by the campfire when I go camping, so just a few times a year. I wouldn't call myself a cigar aficionado, by any stretch. While I have always enjoyed the activity, and the scent, I have never really enjoyed the flavor. So I was curious about pipe tobacco. After doing a lot of online research, I recently decided to dive in.
On pipes. I started out by purchasing a few Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes, and 2 Peterson briar pipes. While I am liking them both, I am finding that I prefer the cobs over the briars. They smoke cooler and dryer, they are easier to clean and maintain, and all this at a 10th to a 20th the cost! What's not to like? I will admit that the briars do have them beat when it comes to style. But even on this, the more I enjoy smoking my cobs, the more I appreciate the American Country style.
On tobaccos. So like I mentioned, I've been an infrequent but long term cigar smoker, but have never particularly liked the taste. I have an hypotheses, which may be considered heresy, but here goes. The emperor wears no clothes. Tobacco smoke doesn't taste good. It really has no taste at all. I know. I'm wrong. I'm a newb and don't know what I'm talking about. But like the child in The Emperor's New Clothes, maybe it takes an unsophisticated rube like me to admit that tobacco smoke has no taste. But before I get burned at the stake, let me explain. I think that the majority, if not all, of the "taste" that people get from tobacco smoke is, in fact, the "smell". It is mostly (if not all) the olfactory sense that we get the "taste" from, not the tongue. Now I know different people are different, so maybe some of you really do taste that smoke with your tongues. But I don't. I really don't. And, on my second or third smoke, I made a conscious effort to sniff into my nose just a little of that smoke after I blow it out my mouth, and it was an Epiphany for me. My enjoyment went from good (just fun just from the activity) to tremendously great. I really started enjoying it.
I have since learned about retrohaling. Scott Markwood has a really good video on it ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXZYxWwReOc ). But it is VERY DIFFICULT for me to do. I can just manage it, but it is forced and awkward. Perhaps I am different than others in this way, maybe my nasal passage is further down my throat or something, and that is why I cannot "taste" smoke. Regardless, if I just let a tiny bit of smoke into my nose now and again, I gain the benefit. Perhaps this information could be beneficial to other new pipe smokers out there that aren't getting any taste.
I've tried aromatics, and non-aromatics, VaPers, and English blends. I've intentionally tried both cheap OTCs, and specialty tobaccos recommended on these forums. Thus far I prefer the aromatics. But what else would you expect from an unsophisticated rube? And I do not like anything that has Latakia in it. It just smells like the toxic char left over from an industrial fire. It kind of reminds me of the chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents used to make cheep Chinese rubber that is sold at Harbor Freight. It's definitely not for me. As for VaPers, they are OK, but just that, OK. They taste/smell very much like cigars. (But that's a good thing.)
I've tried close 20 blends so far. There are a lot more aromatics in my list than non-aromatics, but that is because a tried just a few of each type at first, and then kept buying what I thought I'd like. Also there are several more commonly recommended English blends that I originally planned to try, but after disliking the first three I tried, I decided against getting more, especially since most of those only come in large tins. So here's my list. I rate them with a simple system, a plus if I like them, a minus if I dislike them, and a letter N for neutral or neither like nor dislike.
+ Captain Black Original (Aromatic)
+ Captain Black Royal (Aromatic)
+ Captain Black Gold (Aromatic)
n Prince Albert (Non-Aromatic)
n Carter Hall (Non-Aromatic)
+ Lane 1-Q (Aromatic)
++ Missouri Meerschaum Great Dane (Aromatic)
n Orlik Golden Sliced (VaPer)
n P&C MATCH Elizabethan (VaPer)
- Missouri Meerschaum American Patriot (English)
n Cornell & Diehl Bayou Night (English)
-- Sutliff Burma Road (Frogmorton alternative) (Aromatic English)
+ Cornell & Diehl Berry Good (Aromatic)
+ Cornell & Diehl Founding Fathers (Aromatic)
++ Mac Baren 7 Seas Regular (Aromatic)
n Mac Baren Vanilla Cream (Aromatic)
+ Lane BCA (Aromatic)
++ Lane RLP-6 (Aromatic)
I've got just an ounce of most of these, or a 1.5 ounce pouch of the OTCs. And I've smoked most of them only once. So over time I will be sampling all of these again several times. I'll see if or how my opinion may change. And of course I welcome any advice, or recommendations of tobaccos to try.
MudCamper aka Paul
http://www.paul.net/pipes/
I have smoked cigars most of my adult life, albeit very infrequently. I smoke them by the campfire when I go camping, so just a few times a year. I wouldn't call myself a cigar aficionado, by any stretch. While I have always enjoyed the activity, and the scent, I have never really enjoyed the flavor. So I was curious about pipe tobacco. After doing a lot of online research, I recently decided to dive in.
On pipes. I started out by purchasing a few Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes, and 2 Peterson briar pipes. While I am liking them both, I am finding that I prefer the cobs over the briars. They smoke cooler and dryer, they are easier to clean and maintain, and all this at a 10th to a 20th the cost! What's not to like? I will admit that the briars do have them beat when it comes to style. But even on this, the more I enjoy smoking my cobs, the more I appreciate the American Country style.
On tobaccos. So like I mentioned, I've been an infrequent but long term cigar smoker, but have never particularly liked the taste. I have an hypotheses, which may be considered heresy, but here goes. The emperor wears no clothes. Tobacco smoke doesn't taste good. It really has no taste at all. I know. I'm wrong. I'm a newb and don't know what I'm talking about. But like the child in The Emperor's New Clothes, maybe it takes an unsophisticated rube like me to admit that tobacco smoke has no taste. But before I get burned at the stake, let me explain. I think that the majority, if not all, of the "taste" that people get from tobacco smoke is, in fact, the "smell". It is mostly (if not all) the olfactory sense that we get the "taste" from, not the tongue. Now I know different people are different, so maybe some of you really do taste that smoke with your tongues. But I don't. I really don't. And, on my second or third smoke, I made a conscious effort to sniff into my nose just a little of that smoke after I blow it out my mouth, and it was an Epiphany for me. My enjoyment went from good (just fun just from the activity) to tremendously great. I really started enjoying it.
I have since learned about retrohaling. Scott Markwood has a really good video on it ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXZYxWwReOc ). But it is VERY DIFFICULT for me to do. I can just manage it, but it is forced and awkward. Perhaps I am different than others in this way, maybe my nasal passage is further down my throat or something, and that is why I cannot "taste" smoke. Regardless, if I just let a tiny bit of smoke into my nose now and again, I gain the benefit. Perhaps this information could be beneficial to other new pipe smokers out there that aren't getting any taste.
I've tried aromatics, and non-aromatics, VaPers, and English blends. I've intentionally tried both cheap OTCs, and specialty tobaccos recommended on these forums. Thus far I prefer the aromatics. But what else would you expect from an unsophisticated rube? And I do not like anything that has Latakia in it. It just smells like the toxic char left over from an industrial fire. It kind of reminds me of the chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents used to make cheep Chinese rubber that is sold at Harbor Freight. It's definitely not for me. As for VaPers, they are OK, but just that, OK. They taste/smell very much like cigars. (But that's a good thing.)
I've tried close 20 blends so far. There are a lot more aromatics in my list than non-aromatics, but that is because a tried just a few of each type at first, and then kept buying what I thought I'd like. Also there are several more commonly recommended English blends that I originally planned to try, but after disliking the first three I tried, I decided against getting more, especially since most of those only come in large tins. So here's my list. I rate them with a simple system, a plus if I like them, a minus if I dislike them, and a letter N for neutral or neither like nor dislike.
+ Captain Black Original (Aromatic)
+ Captain Black Royal (Aromatic)
+ Captain Black Gold (Aromatic)
n Prince Albert (Non-Aromatic)
n Carter Hall (Non-Aromatic)
+ Lane 1-Q (Aromatic)
++ Missouri Meerschaum Great Dane (Aromatic)
n Orlik Golden Sliced (VaPer)
n P&C MATCH Elizabethan (VaPer)
- Missouri Meerschaum American Patriot (English)
n Cornell & Diehl Bayou Night (English)
-- Sutliff Burma Road (Frogmorton alternative) (Aromatic English)
+ Cornell & Diehl Berry Good (Aromatic)
+ Cornell & Diehl Founding Fathers (Aromatic)
++ Mac Baren 7 Seas Regular (Aromatic)
n Mac Baren Vanilla Cream (Aromatic)
+ Lane BCA (Aromatic)
++ Lane RLP-6 (Aromatic)
I've got just an ounce of most of these, or a 1.5 ounce pouch of the OTCs. And I've smoked most of them only once. So over time I will be sampling all of these again several times. I'll see if or how my opinion may change. And of course I welcome any advice, or recommendations of tobaccos to try.
MudCamper aka Paul
http://www.paul.net/pipes/