First post, My story and EMP

n0rm · Mar 12, 2015

Good Day!

This is my first post and I am not sure where the most appropriate category to post is. As I ask a tobacco question in the end I chose here...
I have only been smoking pipes for about 6 months and here is how it started...One day we passed a gentleman smoking a pipe. My wife said that she loved the smell and I confessed the same. I told her that some day I was going to get a pipe and she laughed and we continued our walk on a beautiful August day in Ottawa. To my surprise and delight a few weeks later she presented me with my first pipe - a Brigham Klondike #23 6dot - and said Happy Birthday.

What a wonderful woman.

With a little help from this website and youtube I was smoking that evening. I enjoyed it right away but within a couple months I was down to smoking my pipe only about once a week. I realize now that I was having trouble finding a tobacco that I really liked. I have tried Capt.Black Royal, Paterson Connoisseur's Choice, Mississippi River, Sir Walter and MacBaren's 7 Seas Royal Blend and couple others that aren't coming to mind. Frankly I liked them all for various reasons but loved none...of those I would say I like the 7 Seas most largely because my wife loves the room note and almost without fail someone - friend or stranger alike - will stop to say they love the smell. I've got to admit I get a kick out of that.

Recently I happened by a cigar shop that had only two flavors of pipe tobacco - Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, and Dunhill Night Cap. I picked up a tin of the EMP. When I lit it up I was in love. It just hits me right and burns great. I'm motoring through the tin like my albino uncle goes through sunscreen. I do however have one problem with my new love. The room note. My wife is asking for the 7 Seas back and so are the poker lads. The room note isn't bad, but it's no 7 Seas royal blend which all my friends really enjoyed. So, here is my question:
Does anyone have any suggestions on a similar tobacco to the EMP with a touch of aroma?

I'm thinking about getting some more 7 seas and mixing it in or maybe trying some Dunhill Night Cap...
One last thing to add to this very, very long first post. One of the most pleasurable parts of my pipe smoking experience has been reading these forums. You all do a great job of being both informative and entertaining. So...thank you!

Cheers,

Norm

daimyo · Mar 12, 2015

First off, welcome to the forum and to the world of pipe smomking. EMP is an English blend and they aren't generally known to be great on the room note side of things unless one is attracted to the Latakia smell. Sadly, it seems most wives are not. Try some crossover English blends that are aromatic such as Smoker's Haven Cognac or 4Noggins blend Bald Headed Teacher.

anthonyrosenthal74 · Mar 12, 2015

There are some great crossover blends as Daimyo mentioned above, and of course there isn't anything wrong with mixing a bit aromatic into your english or vice versa. I've done it because I like aros and latakia blends, so why not mix it up every once in a while?
Now onto other things.... you never should have joined this forum. We are the worst kind of enablers. Before the year is out you will likely have a dozen more pipes, and about 20 pounds of tobacco. Your wife will be giving you a dirty look every time you step near the computer because she'll know your either going to this site, or about to buy another pipe or pound of tobacco... or lighter... or pipe rack... or tamper.... or any other number of things related to our beloved hobby. The only way to escape her wrath is to somehow get her involved in the hobby as well. Yes. There are women who smoke a pipe. But then you'll be fighting over pipes and tobacco.
Welcome to the forums! :D

andrew · Mar 12, 2015

If you're getting complaints about the room note of EMP I don't know if switching to Nightcap will get you anywhere. The only thing though is it the actual smell or is it more of a burning of the eyes/nose? As EMP to me has quite a bit of virginia tobacco which can have that effect. There really isn't enough latakia in it in my opinion for a latakia room note. I would suggest trying some top shelf aromatics, 4 noggins bald headed teacher is a good bet, it isn't an aromatic but it's got a great vanilla kind of room note like captain black except it's a quality blend vs. Captain black which is a very goopy chemical laden blend. McClellend also makes really good aromatics as well. I have a feeling though it's the amount of bright virginia's in EMP that's probably giving people the turn off. My girlfriend found that happening when I would smoke Amphora red which is straight Va with some kind of aromatic topping. I would suggest purchasing your tobacco online from one of the site sponsors, it's like 3$ an ounce and try a bunch to see what you like and don't like.

framitz · Mar 12, 2015

Try one of the frog Morton blends. Such as on the bayou with perique. Shel

phil67 · Mar 12, 2015

++1 on Bald Headed Teacher. Great room note which contains Latakia and Virginia.

n0rm · Mar 13, 2015

Thanks for the welcome, the advice and the warning too.

I will be ordering your suggestions asap...the Smokers' Haven Cognac is out of stock...

Bald Headed Teacher I'm particularly looking forward to from your recommendations and all the stellar reviews elsewhere.

I will likely pick up some of McClelland's Frog Morton locally this afternoon and have a nice after dinner smoke. All this driving Anthony's point home...
Thanks Again!

oldtoby · Mar 13, 2015

Try Esoterica Pembroke. $24.95/8oz bag at Mars Cigars&Pipes.
English (Margate) with French Cognac.

pitchfork · Mar 13, 2015

Welcome. EMP was one of my early favorites, too. I still love it.
I haven't tried it with EMP specifically, but I have mixed a bit of aromatic black cavendish into a home-brew English blend and it was pretty good and the smell was nice. Just a pinch of the aromatic stuff seemed to do the trick. I don't know how this would affect EMP, though. Improving the smell should be no problem, but I don't know if it would ruin the EMP for you, the smoker.
Best of luck with it. Lots of smokers will just smoke the aromatics around others and save the other blends for quieter moments.

cosmicfolklore · Mar 13, 2015

Something to consider. Almost none of us on here ever sticks to just one tobacco. Sure, there are guys out there that do, but they no longer even think about flavor or smell. The one tobacco guys are just feeding the machine.
Instead of giving you a blend or brand to try, I suggest just continuing on your search. This is how most of here start out. We think we are looking for "the one" but really we are just looking. As you are searching, you'll run across one and tell yourself, "Hmmm, this would be great as a last smoke of the day." Or, "This would a great breakfast smoke." Or, "I think she would like the aroma of this one." Then you can start setting blends aside for occasions or circumstances.

I could list a few to try, but my taste buds and nose are going to be different than yours. Reviews will barely help you, for the same reason. Especially to someone so new to the hobby. But, use the reviews to see what other blends get suggested on ones that you tried, liked or disliked. I also use the reviews to see what leaf is used in a blend, or how strong a blend is reported.
Also note that your wife's nose will change also. Sometimes time of day, day to day, and over the years. She'll like it one day and hate it the next. This is the "pipewife phenomena". Just remember that no mater what the circumstance, every time she says that she likes something, tell her, "why honey, just yesterday you hated this one." Or, if she hates one, tell her, "Baby, you loved it yesterday, and I only wanted to please you." This makes them less likely to say anything, especially if you chuckle when you say it.

n0rm · Mar 14, 2015

I really like the Frog Morton on the Bayou.

All suggestions here are on my official try list, thank you all so much. I'm enjoying my pipes tremendously since finding EMP as a new starting point...Now I like Frog Morton equally, maybe more...or just differently...and the room note is real nice. I feel I'm finally on the right path.
and, cosmicfolklore - great and hilarious advice that i will take to hart. With regards to the "pipewife"...that's right up my ally and the strategy will be employed.

mcitinner1 · Mar 14, 2015

nOrm with all due respect, can we meet your wife?

allan · Mar 14, 2015

Norm
Welcome to the forum, and Anthony was dangerously correct. This is an enabler forum, and before I joined, I owned two pipes. Now, well...
EMP is a favorite of mine, along with Bald Headed Teacher from 4 Noggins. (Rich, the owner, is a member of this forum).
You indeed have a wonderful wife and I think that Cosmic's advice is straight on, regarding mentioning to your wife that 'you loved that aroma yesterday" type of conversation, of course, with a loving chuckle in your voice. (doesn't work with my wife)
Along with the pipe gathering, as Cosmic said, the search for most of us is never ending. Experiment. If you find one tobacco that you love today, your taste may change and not love it later on. The reverse is also true.
Good luck and have fun.

n0rm · Mar 14, 2015

[nOrm with all due respect, can we meet your wife?]
heh - no sir.
starting to feel like a conversation with the poker lads

I guess I started it...
Allan

Thanks for the welcome and the kind words.

I can already see the need for a cellar of sorts creeping in...
Norm

delro · Mar 18, 2015

I really enjoyed reading your story on how you fell into pipe smoking. Try Boswell Northwoods or SPC Plum Pudding - My friends and family enjoy the aroma and they are both top notch blends. You won't be disappointed.

aldecaker · Mar 18, 2015

Peterson's Old Dublin is the only Lat-heavy English that passed the room note test for my wife. Hell, I like the room note of everything I smoke...

n0rm · Mar 21, 2015

I just ordered some Peterson Old Dublin, Bald Headed Teacher and some HH Acadian Perique from 4noggins. I like the Frog Morton on the Bayou so much I just had to try another perique blend. I would have ordered some Northwoods and/or Plum Pudding but 4noggins does not carry the Boswell and is out stock on the Plum Pudding. All on the list tho...maybe a local shop...
Thanks again,

Norm

maxx · Apr 23, 2015

I just started exploring tinned tobaccos and haven't tried EMP, but Nightcap was my first love.

First post, My story and EMP

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