Alberta, Canada Tobacconist

[slownumbers39]

Thought I would post on a few of the B&M stores that I have been to in Alberta.

Hopefully, this will assist anyone looking for a store in the area.
Edmonton: Burlington on Whyte This is probably the best Tobacconist in the province and a great group of guys. Helpful and really knowledgeable.
Calgary: Epicure Cigar & Pipe Located downtown, gave me a lot of information about pipe tobacco and some good suggestions of what to smoke.
Red Deer: Gord's Smoke Shop Located at Bower Mall, these guys are my local B&M and go to for non tinned tobacco and supplies. Half the store is a head shop and the other half is pipes and cigars.
Sheffield and Sons Located at the Parkland Mall. Tobacco, Cigars and supplies as well as cigarettes, coffee and such. Not overly personable and not the greatest selection, but they have pipes, cigars and assorted supplies.

 

[schmitzbitz]

Thanks for the list slownumbers39 - I'll toss in that I've had good experiences with the tobacconist in West Edmonton Mall; for the life of me I can't seem to remember the name, unfortunately.

Sheffield and Sons Located at the Parkland Mall. Tobacco, Cigars and supplies as well as cigarettes, coffee and such. Not overly personable and not the greatest selection, but they have pipes, cigars and assorted supplies.

Have you noticed Sheffield and Sons seems to be getting...well...better? A couple of years ago, a trip to the mall tobacconist might yield a few OTC blends, a half-dozen varieties of pouched Brigham blends and two or three tins; and perhaps a dozen pipes from Brigham and/or Capri (usually with a lone Pete POTY as the 'high-end'). My last trip revealed a collection of Mac Baren tins, Erinmore Flake and a few other STG offerings, most of the Mr. D's and Brigham tinned blends, and two display cases full of pipes, Brigham making up the majority, but also offering makes such as BC and Stanwell (Coquitlam Center Mall, B.C.).

 

[PeriqueMyInterest]

Burlington on Whyte is where I learned almost everything I know about pipes. It is a great shop!

 

[slownumbers39]

hmmmmmmm..........does this mean that there are some fellow Albertans on this forum?
@assaad, Burlington on Whyte is a really nice little shop and a great group of guys. Have to go there more and get to know them better.
@schmitzbitz, not familiar with one at WEM, but I will have a look around next time I go there. Not terribly familiar with Sheffield & Sons in general, I was a nonsmoker all my life before I took up the pipe earlier this year. AFAIK, they do have some bulk tobacco and some pouches of a more generic nature, but nothing that you listed. They had some nice pipes, pipe supplies and flasks and such. My "go to" store in Red Deer is Gords Smoke Shop.
Hope to hear of more B&M's in Alberta and Canada as it would be nice to have some ideas of where fellow pipe smokers could go for their needs as we travel throughout the country.

 

[sasquatch]

There was a little place in Airdrie that had some bulks, but they closed up recently. Couldn't decide if they were a head shop or a cigar store.
IF you guys are between Red Deer and Calgary, shoot me a PM. I'm not a store but stoppin in might be worthwhile!

 

[schmitzbitz]

I'm from B.C.; however I have family scattered from Cardston to Grande Prairie, so I try and cross the Rockies for at least a couple of weeks each year - this year being the exception; it's not a drive I would make with an infant and a toddler unless I had to.

 

[PeriqueMyInterest]

I grew up in Edmonton, but now live in Vancouver. I visit my family whenever I can and besides family and friends, before moving to Vancouver from Saskatoon, Burlington on Whyte and Humo Cigar Merchants are the only things I miss about the place. It's legal to mail tobacco within the province so if I lived in Red Deer I would be ordering Burlington house blends on a regular basis, Heavy Crude and Harvest Moon (with extra perique, brought up to about 50%) are phenomenal blends! Pirates Passion is also really good. They are must have blends if you visit Edmonton and you can try any tobacco (at least you could) for a dollar a bowl. I would sleep in the shop if I could!

 

[slownumbers39]

@assaad, thanks for the information on Burlington on Whyte. I did not know you can try for a dollar a bowl. Do they have a smoking area as well or can you smoke in the shop? I have ordered online from them, they sent my stuff to the wrong address, but they did make good on the product. Appreciate the information on the blends, I will give them all a test run.

 

[PeriqueMyInterest]

Slownumbers, no problem! They don't allow smoking in the shop anymore but they set up a bench in the front where one can sit and enjoy a smoke.

 

[wallace]

Not an Albertan but I married one. (Best thing that ever happened to me) Will have to check out Gord's on our next visit up there.

 

[hunter]

I love Burlington on Whyte, I live on the other side of the river so that helps when I need to resist my PAD but is a pain in the but when I need to indulge in my TAD!!! Super friendly staff and I always feel welcome.

 

[smokenscotch]

Thumbs up to Burlington on Whyte from me also. Great people. Bought a Lorenzetti and a Neerup from them last January. Great guys.

 

[hunter]

I picked out an ounce of Pirate Passion and the jar of Santa's Smoke 2012!

 

[slownumbers39]

Glad to hear other's that agree with my thoughts on Burlington on Whyte. IMHO, this is a great B&M pipe & tobacco store and we are lucky to have it in Alberta.
Sheffield and Sons has changed owners and the new management seems keen to grow the pipe business.
I picked out an ounce of Pirate Passion and the jar of Santa's Smoke 2012!

hunter, have you smoked these yet and what is your opinion of them?

 

[hunter]

Pirates Passion is amazing, just spicy enough to put an edge on the cool delicious smoke I get from it. If you like English blends go and pick up a half ounce as soon as you can. I haven't tried the Santa's Smoke yet as I woke up with the flu. I will tell you how it is when I'm better.

 

[hunter185]

Was rounding up cattle in the mountains on horseback a couple years ago and one of our crew had a huge bag of Pirates Passion. Then again we were out there for a week! Damn it smells awesome but I have yet to try it. If I ever get up by Edmonton though...

 

[slownumbers39]

Small update on some tobacco I purchased at Burlington on Whyte in Edmonton. Went in with the wife and we looked around at the pipes and then the tobacco, hoping to make a purchase. Checked out some pipes and made a few mental notes for future reference including a Brigham, "War of 1812" pipe that I really liked, but was a bit rich for me at this time.
Inquired about some tobacco and asked if he had that tobacco "that everyone wants and every Tobacconist seems to have on hand" and he smiled, reached to the bulk jars and gave it to me for the sniff test. I was referring to 1Q, but I did not tell him what I wanted. It smelled nice and I asked what it was, and asked what it is called when they get it. He advised that they call it Executive Blend, but it is really 1Q tobacco. That is exactly what I was looking for, but decided to just get 10 grams to see if I liked it enough to get more. Tried a few more blends and found another one that I think is a bit lighter version of 1Q, called Gabriel's Horn, got 10 grams as well.
So, I apparently found 1Q in Canada at a B&M Tobacconist, known as Executive Blend. It is just a bit light for my liking and I hope to find something to bring it a bit more to my liking, any ideas? I do plan to buy more as it seems like a nice, all day, type smoke.

 

[slimpiknz]

Great information for me, a fellow Calgarian. I'm heading to Epicure this week to find some new blends. I got my first internet package from smokingpipes and got dinged for taxes ($50) so I'm going to give local business another shot.

 

[slownumbers39]

I'm heading to Epicure this week to find some new blends.
If you like Latakia and you talk to the store manager, inquire about his "Desert Island" must have tobaccos. He made some suggestions to me and I did end up purchasing one of them, McLintock Syrian Latakia Blend. That tobacco was great and if I can't find it online soon, I might make a trip to Calgary and buy another tin from Epicure. Good luck .

 

[irwinmetro]

I was just in at Gord's on the weekend, the new location is gorgeous. Very well lit, and the pipes are on proper display. They also carry straight razors and moustache waxes. It's a nice surprise to see another Central Albertan on these forums.
Cheers!