Are Any Borkum Riff Pipe Tobacco's Good Brand for A Newbie to Pipe SmokingToTry?

[bracerbob]

Hello Fellow Pipe Smoking Brothers,

I would to ask the group if any of the Borkum Riff Pipe Tobacco's are good for a newbie beginner to start out with? I don't know if age has anything to do with it or not I'm 61 I hope I won't get sick to my stomach while trying to smoke my pipe like I did when I was many decades younger then I am now. I gave up trying and threw it all away back then. Wish I had at least kept my nice MEDICO filtered pipe I had at the time.

Any suggestions, tips and advice any of my Brother Pipe Smokers has to off to this newbie pipe smoker would be greatly appreciated. I'm waiting for samples of Captain Black White and Light Blue pouches to come in the mail as well as some other freebie pipe tobacco from ALTAIDS or ALTPOIDS
HAPPY PIPE SMOKERS MY FELLOW PIPE SMOKING BROTHERS !
IN PIPES I REMAIN ,

Fly Boy Veteran

aka bob, bracerbob, legbracerbob

 

[winton]

Every blend will be someone's favorite and hated by others. But the overwhelming consensus would be to stay away from this blend. Since you are new to the pipe, I suggest that you contact one of the sponsers, lower right side of the page, and ask for an assortment of blends. If you got an oz or two of about five blends, you would have a better chance of exploring pipe tobacco. Look for an English, Virginia, and an aromatic.
Also one of the sponsers is offering a free pouch of their blends. These are not their premium blends, more drug store. But they have been selling for decades, so many people like them. Here is the link.
http://stglanepipe.com/default.aspx?
Winton

 

[portascat]

No.

 

[bigvan]

It's garbage.
Wait, that's not fair. Garbage will eventually decompose, becoming useful compost.
Borkum Riff has so many chemical preservatives in it that when it finally decomposes the earth will be a burnt cinder.

 

[group4]

My introduction to pipes (38 years ago) began and ended with Borkuym Riff. It took Craig Tarler and C&D tobacco to get me back into the fold 22 years later. It's too bad Borkum is so unsmokeable, as it has a wonderful (in-pouch) aroma. My advice is to move onto something better. Good luck to you.

 

[juvat270]

Their Black Cavendish is pretty good. Other than that, I agree with everyone else.

 

[judcole]

bigvan hit it on the nose.

 

[undermidnight]

I recommend finding a good pipe store in your area (if there are any). My first introduction to pipe tobacco was Wilshire from Tinderbox with a nice pipe. I still have my first pipe and I still buy Wilshire. It is a milder aromatic that has a great room note.
Jason

 

[baronsamedi]

+1 Portascat and Bigvan. If you are going to smoke OTC blends, smoke Lane 1-Q, RLP-6, BCA or MV-1000!
Other than that, I suggest going to pipesandcigars.com and trying some of the Hearth and Home blends.
These are their new aromatics: http://pipesandcigars.com/brblpex.html
a nice Burley: http://pipesandcigars.com/hehoclbuka8o.html
My favorite H&H VaPer: http://pipesandcigars.com/heholored8oz.html
My favorite tobacco (Black House) is out of stock, but luckily this one isn't! This one is a great new creation: http://pipesandcigars.com/fura2oztin.html

 

[mlyvers]

i smoked br whiskey for 20 years, it is a shame some people can not appreciate this tobac for what it is. it is otc, there is a reason why it still around. br gets alot of bad comments here. try it for yourself, some folks do like it, it`s not the best tobac in the world. i do agree you should try premium pipe tobacco as well, because there are many great tobacs out there.
mike.

 

[undermidnight]

BTW, Wilshire is what Tinderbox calls their Lane's 1Q -- 1Q is the largest selling bulk tobacco blend in the U.S. and a good mild aromatic.

Thanks for that information. I can see why it sells so well, it is a good tobacco. Every time I smoke it, it is like going home. My wife loves it... (now in regards to English blends, she hates those )
Jason

 

[tedvig]

Everyone is different. I would try several blends - an English (maybe try something from the frogmorton series or a dunhill), an Aromatic (maybe Lane RLP-6, BCA, or 1Q), a straight burley (like prince Albert, Carter Hall or Sir Walter Raleigh) and a Virginia (like Orlik Golden Sliced). PS- Smoke what you like and don't worry if others slam it. I like Borkum Riff Whiskey as well as many other blends. Some blends won't work for you but don't be discouraged, many will.

 

[lordnoble]

I'm not going to tell you that Borkum Riff is awful or that you should throw it away if you have it, but I will say that it is a very misleading blend in terms of pouch note/aroma vs. taste. Borkum Riff smells wonderful in the pouch, but is rather lacking in terms of flavor.
I think undermidnight has the best advice. Find a local tobacconist who can guide you in your choices, but for the love of all that's holy, try everything. Don't be turned off by tin/pouch note. I'd wager that most of think that Latakia blends smell a little "off" the first time we smell them. Explore this new world you've returned to and enjoy the journey.
-Jason

 

[joshwolftree]

Other than that, I suggest going to pipesandcigars.com and trying some of the Hearth and Home blends.

+1

though I would recommend The Victory Lap Sampler it has a nice selection of four tobaccos that are each different

trout stream is a mild aromatic VA

Larry's is more of an English blend with a decent Latakia hit

Butternut burley is a more aromatic blend

and I'm not sure what to call anniversary Kake other than not really my cup o' tea though I understand others like it tremendously

Also if your going to be trying around a lot beware the ghosts...they may color a really good tobacco bad on you.

a cheap way to get around this (don't hit me folks I'm about to recommend MM to the new guy) is to hit Missouri Meerchaum up and get a few cheap cob pipes for trying out new baccy's

I got their Grab bag of ten smokeable seconds and it worked out fairly well for me since I had ten pipes that were fresh and don't require a break in to try blends in. Now I have like three that are unsmoked and 4 that are kicking around, toss in my pocket for work or hiking pipes. and I don't have to worry about banging the cobs up or overly smoking them by keeping a lit bowl in my mouth all day. (My briars tend to gurgle after the 4th or 5th bowl of the day.)
but yeah do what feels good

smoke what makes you happy

and smoke it out of what makes you happy

 

[baronsamedi]

Cobs? For the love of god, don't make the man a pariah already! :rofl:
Kidding, of course. I love my cobs, just make sure and get Missouri Meerschaum cobs and not crummy Chinese ones. In fact, thesmokindragon customizes corn cob pipes in some very cool ways.

 

[cigrmaster]

I would stay away from Borkum Riff if you want to enjoy pipe smoking. There are just too many quality blends on the market to waste time on the chemicals they dump in that stuff. It is not even legal to sell it in Great Britain because 35 percent of the weight is chemicals and casings.

 

[bgbarcus]

There are plenty of comments about Borkum Riff and other tobacco options but I wonder about the other part of your question. If you got sick to your stomach when you tried a pipe before it makes me think you might have been inhaling the smoke. Some pipe smokers do inhale but most don't. Pipe tobacco is not treated with cough suppressants and is often potent enough that inhaling it can cause intense reactions. Whatever tobacco you decide to try remember to smoke slowly - you want taste, not a lung full of smoke. Hot smoke will have less flavor and leave your mouth feeling scorched.

 

[flyguy]

I smoked Borkum Riff about 35 years ago in my pipe smoking newbieness. I can't remember it being all that bad but my memory is beginning to fade... Anyway, the only thing I had to compare BR with was other drugstore tobaccos (Mixture #79, Carter Hall and Sail).