So while up in TN for my AT hiking trip me and my buddy went over to Gatlinburg for the sole purpose of visiting the Gatlin-Burlier. My buddy has been going there for years as they make up his favorite blend, Cade's Cove Cavendish. Upon entering the gentleman behind the counter says, "hello fellows, feel free to load up your pipes and try a blend." I thought that was super cool, and above the jars there is a sign that reads "sampling bar". Now I have been in many shops around the country, but few welcome you to just load up and smoke away without a purchase, though I have to say, I did end up buying a couple of ounces of what I sampled, a sweet tasty tobacco called "chimney smoke". The shop itself hales back to the former glory of the tobacco shops I remember from my youth. A wooden indian outside, pipes, tobaccos, ashtrays, lighters, and accessories crowded into a small space and yet cozy. The walls are decorated with vintage tins and advertisements. The prices for tobacco were a bit steep at $5 an ounce, but on the flip side, he had lots of nice pipes that were competitively priced. There was a super cool chimney Tsuge that I drooled over, but sadly no PAD funds were available. And the shop is in the midst of tourism gone wild, so the prices on tobacco are understandable, and to be honest I had so much fun in there shooting the breeze with the fellow behind the counter, I didn't mind the price. Their slogan states "we have been converting cigarette smokers to pipes for over 30 years" and they give a pamphlet with every purchase with that goal in mind. Here are some pics of the place.
The sign outside, by the way, this shop is in a mall
The Sampling Bar
Some pipes
The sign outside, by the way, this shop is in a mall
The Sampling Bar
Some pipes
