Appreciating the Classics

[mikeysmokes]

So I'm relatively new to pipe smoking, I've mostly tried some B&M blends, but picked up a tin of Plumcake and Erinmore flake. The Plumcake is good, haven't yet tried the Erinmore yet. But I would like to explore classic examples of traditional genres/varieties. So any favorites and suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[johnsteam86]

Are you talking like OTC classics or the more higher end classics that are in tins?

 

[mikeysmokes]

I'll go with the tins. I paused for a minute while pondering a response, but I'll compare it to beer, at least my experience. Although the likes of Budweiser and Coors light served me well from my late teens to early 20s, nowadays I much prefer a Dogfish Head or Great Lakes, etc.

 

[saltedplug]

Then you're definitely a tin man.
Escudo - Virginia/Perique

Blackhouse - Latakia

Quiet Nights - Latakia

Cumberland - VA/Burley/Perique

Full Virginia Flake -VA
There are thousands of great blends.

smokingpipes has a great selection

Maybe try to find a bulk blend you loved; save 30-50% off tin prices.
Good luck. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

 

[cigrmaster]

Capstan Blue Flake for a Virginia

Mac Baren Old Dark Fired for a Virginia/Burley

Dunhill Navy Rolls for a Virginia/Perique
All three are high quality blends that are a good representation of their genres. All three are also readily available at one of the site's sponsors. I recommend smokingpipes first followed by 4noggins and then pipesandcigars.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Mikey, the Erinmore is going to have a urinal cake smell when you pop the tin, but don’t get put off by it. It will have a fruity favor in the actual smoke that balances well with the tobacco flavors, IMO. It is a favorite summertime blend for me. Goes well with sweet iced tea under a shade tree.
I could mention a few more blend names just to be adding names, but I also agree with cigrmaster and saltedplug’s suggestions.

 

[sablebrush52]

Wessex Campaign Dark Flake - Virginia

Solani 660 Silver - Virginia/Burley

Gawith St James Flake - Virginia/Perique

Hearth & Home - Anniversary Kake - Virginia/Perique

Hearth & Home - Viprati - Virginia/Perique

GL Pease - Sixpence - Virginia/Perique

GL Pease - Telegraph Hill - Virginia/Perique

GL Pease - Union Square - Virginia

Savinelli - Doblone d'Oro - Virginia/Perique - very similar to the Va/Per Three Nuns

Fribourg & Treyer - Cut Virginia Plug

John Aylesbury Classic Flake
I wouldn't discount all of the OTCs. Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic is delicious, and the Hearth & Home Midtown Series are high quality recreations of some of the classic old OTCs

 

[seacaptain]

Dunhill Nightcap and 965 for English blends.

 

[virginialover]

STG Escudo Navy De Luxe (Va/Per)

Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake (Va)

GL Pease Abingdon (Full Balkan)

H&H WhiteKnight (Balkan, one of the best and closest to the famous Balkan Sobranie)

Dunhill Aperitif (Scottish)

J. F. Germain & Son Germain's Brown Flake (Va/Kentucky)

J. F. Germain & Son King Charles Smoking Mixture (English)

 

[mikeysmokes]

Thank you all for your input thus far it's greatly appreciated.

I wouldn't discount all of the OTCs. Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic is delicious, and the Hearth & Home Midtown Series are high quality recreations of some of the classic old OTCs

That was one of the things I was pondering. SWR, like Budweiser, must be doing something right if it's been around awhile and people stand by it. Budweiser/SWR would be like a "rite of passage" type beer/tobacco.

 

[mikeysmokes]

t will have a fruity favor in the actual smoke that balances well with the tobacco flavors, IMO. It is a favorite summertime blend for me. Goes well with sweet iced tea under a shade tree.

Cosmic, smoked it out of a fresh MM. Definitely got the tobacco taste and just a touch of the sweetness. I'm assuming if I were to continue to smoke out of the same pipe I'd get a better sense of the taste. But I can definitely see it going well with sweet tea.

 

[johnsteam86]

For OTC I always have SWRA on hand. Used to smoke nothing but Prince Albert. Lately my buddy Tyler has got me on Ole Shenandoah and their Cavendish/Virginia blends are turning out to be real nice.

 

[mso489]

For a really mild but complex and refined English blend, I recommend Nat Sherman 536. For a great Americana aromatic try Edward G. Robinson. For a great burley blend available in bulk or tin, try Old Joe Krantz original, and Billy Budd, both from Cornell & Diehl. There are so many, but these are blends to discover just a step or two off the beaten track.

 

[johnsteam86]

Still waiting on my Three Nuns. That should be a good one by what I have heard.

 

[mikeysmokes]

Well gents, after reading suggestions and just reading posts in general and getting TAD, I placed an order.
What I ordered:

tin of Black House

tin of Edward G Robinson

1 oz Old Joe Krantz

1 oz mixture 965
and because I wanted to try it and it's that time of year a tin of Peterson's St Patrick's day.

 

[briarbuck]

From one nubie to another...I kinda did the same thing you did. Seek out experienced pipe smokers and asked what they like. What I found is that most (not all) tended to to the heavier blends. Heavy on smokey and bass notes. I bought the typical Dunhill blends and a few of the "classics". Really liked many of them. Baby's Bottom was an early first favorite of mine.
After a while I tried some of the lighter and sweeter Virginia's and blends that sku towards Virginian Va/pers and Va/Burs. Now I am experiencing the flavor that KY's and Burleys bring to the table. Jack Knife Plug is a new favorite. Amazing stuff and they are as different as chicken to steak. They are both meat but...
Point being, experiment with the full range of what's available. Your mix looks a wee bit one dimensional with few of the sweeter non-aromatics. If you are really going to find out what you may or may not gravitate to look for different and variety.
IMHO

 

[mikeysmokes]

Folanator

I appreciate the advice. I intend to explore all genres, but right now with what limited knowledge I have I'm really just feeling my way along. I look up reviews and compare and use descriptions and if the description is appealing I go with it. I also came from smoking cigars and although I could taste the difference from cigar to cigar I was looking for more. What originally made me look at pipe tobacco was that I was looking for flavors that really popped. The thing that really separates it so far is that process of smoking. Packing the bowl and perfecting it, the first light. It's all just a classic and classy past time, I get more of a sense of history tied into it and really enjoy the routine.

 

[mikeysmokes]

I apparently wasn't done as I went back and got some Frog Morton and FM On the Town as well as Escudo. Another cob for good measure.

 

[curl]

On the burley side of the street, I have a lot Old Joe Krantz in my cellar.

I also buy extra tins of Wessex Burley Slice when it’s available.

Golden Extra is a very good smoke, I buy it in bulk.

Finally, I enjoy Bald Headed Teacher and as a bonus it has a nice room note.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Here are some classic blends that I would recommend trying.
Samuel Gawith - Skiff Mixture

Samuel Gawith - Squadron Leader

Samuel Gawith - Golden Glow

Peter Stokkebye - Balkan Supreme

Peter Stokkebye - Luxary Twist Flake

Peter Stokkebye - Luxary Bullseye Flake

Peter Stokkebye - Luxary Navy Flake

Dunhill - Flake

Dunhill - Early Morning Pipe

Dunhill - My Mixture 965

Dunhill - Nightcap