How Do Tobaccos Within the Same Category Differentiate Themselves?

Bubba:

“Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it.”

:rofl:

I asked a similar question a couple of years ago and the replies I got were also funny :nana:

You'll just have to smoke every blend in the world, dude.

Ha ha, MrPeeps is right, and it even gets more complicated. For Virginias (or brightleafs) you can have several different plants that fall into this category. Then you have the cure, which could make it bright yellow (citrusy acidic), to reds, to browns. Then it can be toasted, stoved, cavendished, blackenys processed. Casings made from any of hundreds of different things. Then it can be cut into thin or thick, or pressed into plugs and sliced or diced into cube cut...
Each process changes the flavor. My advice is to stop looking for what you like, and learn to appreciate the subtle differences between the varieties. One Virginia is going to be different from another company's Virginia.

I'd like to sample every tobacco out there but that seems nearly impossible and expensive.

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This is why many of us call this a hobby. You can find one thing you like and stick to it, appeasing your craving or just enjoying your one song over and over. Or, you can just jump in and explore. Then you'll get a cellar somewhat established full of the blends that you are exploring. Some will age, making the blend even more different than the fresh tins.
I buy at least six tins of a new blend. Some may buy two or three. Then You taste it fresh, after a couple of years (and this passes more quickly as you get into exploring more and more blends. Then you might stumble across the last tin after 20 years. Some people make notes on each blend, some post these as reviews on Tobaccoreviews.com. Some just make mental notes. However you want to do this. but, eventually you'll build a palate for taste and you'll be more able to start making assumptions on what a blend will taste like, before even popping the tin. Or, you can just find one or two or three and stick to them. No rules

I'd like to sample every tobacco out there but that seems nearly impossible and expensive.

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This encourages me more than anything. I'd be unhappy if there WASN'T such a large variety of available blends to choose from. Revel in it.

Cosmic nailed it. I wish I could add more but that's pretty much it in a nutshell.
I've spent the last year completely overwhelmed by all the choices and I too, desperately wanted to try them all. There's a whole other dimension to pipe smoking in this age of hyper-information/internet: Research. I read and research all the time and have learned that I'll never be able to try them all but that's OK as I've been able to build a respectable cellar from the information I have gleaned here and on tobaccoreviews.com.
I'm one of those guys that could never smoke the same blend everyday and really like the variety, based on my mood in a given day. I am fascinated by all the different tobaccos, how they differ and the histories involved in tobacco and pipes.
Over time, researching and experimenting with different blends and personal tastes, your path should narrow some... maybe... Just hang around here for a decade or two!

I look at it like this. I'd like to try every single blend out there, but that's just not going to happen, and I'm fine with that. There are blends out there that I made a note of to try six years ago, but I still haven't, and there are more always being added to that list. These days when I make a tobacco order, I usually stock up on a few tins, or bulk, of the blends that I already know I enjoy, and I might add a little something else that I've not yet tried. Doing that would be my advise. That way you're stocking up on your favorites, while still exploring new blends. Make a note of those blends you enjoy, the leaf that is contained in each one, and added flavors if you enjoy aromatics, and research new blends on tobaccoreviews.com. If a blend sounds like something you may like after reading the reviews and making a note of what's in it, go back to your retailer of choice and order some. After that, all I can say is happy hunting, and enjoy!

I'd say, don't go crazy with ambition. Study up, online, in catalogs, and pipe shops and shows if you have them available. Find a few blends a year you really enjoy; that's the point. Then just relax and enjoy them.

I started off all over the boards, a little of everything. Now, I am more focused on Virginias of all varieties, strong burleys, a certain area of lakelands, and vanilla aromatics (but, I am picky about my aromatics). I won't try everything. But, I have my focus, and that may change as my interests change. And, sometimes new things in new genres appeal to my interests.
I was a cigarette smoker for decades before the pipe, and I don't ever want to be a slave to a company like I was with cigarettes. So, I am in the "variety is the spice of life" category.

When I first began smoking a pipe, sites like this did not exist. Tobaccoreviews.com was my go to source for trying new blends, that was back in 2001. I would find a reviewer who liked a few of the same things I did and then see what else he liked in certain categories.
I rarely bought blind, I always tried to read some reviews before I would try a new blend. It has worked for me all this time. The last time I bought tobacco was a few months ago when I tried Savinelli Doblone d'Oro. I knew some guys here really liked it so I checked the reviews and decided to try it. I really liked it and then I loaded the cellar up.