I’ve been smoking pipes since I was eighteen, and now, as I approach my fiftieth birthday, I find myself reflecting on those early days. The memories of my first puffs are among the warmest and dearest I carry from my youth.
Like many beginners then—and even now—I started with aromatic tobaccos. The sweet scent of cookies, chocolate, and tobacco filled the air; I even loved the smell of my pipe when it wasn’t lit.
My first tobacco was Captain Black Royal—the one in the blue pouch—followed soon after by Regular and other blends from the same brand.
Before long, curiosity took over. I wanted to explore what else was out there.
Living in Brazil at the time made it challenging and expensive to find imported blends, but I eventually discovered a few good tobacconists.
That’s when I fell in love with Dunhill tobaccos—and with that mysterious, smoky thing called Latakia. From then on, I slowly drifted away from aromatics.
Over the years, I found other blends to fall in love with
Ah, McClelland—how I miss you! That comforting vinegar aroma and deep, dark sweetness when you cracked open a tin... Some of my favorites have vanished, but thankfully many great tobaccos remain. Even though Dunhill is gone, Peterson continues to make most of those beloved blends. There were many pleasant surprises along the way—and a few disappointments, too.
A few years ago (5), I started a YouTube channel in Portuguese for my fellow Brazilian pipe smokers. I talk about tobaccos and pipe smoking in general—nothing too heavy or authoritative, just lighthearted conversations.
It’s unfortunate that many of the tobaccos I discuss aren’t available in Brazil, and I try not to come across as a spoiled pipe smoker showing off what others can’t find. That does limit my content a bit.
Recently, I decided to make an episode about the first tobaccos I ever smoked—Captain Black. I bought the Royal, Dark, and Gold varieties just for the occasion. I didn’t prepare a script; I simply wanted to capture my reactions after some 30 years away from those blends.
When I opened the pouches, I was instantly embraced by the nostalgic aroma—those sweet, familiar companions from long ago.
But when I lit them, disappointment hit hard.
They were flat, almost one-dimensional.
The smell was there, but the taste and complexity were gone—like eating when you have a bad cold and your taste buds refuse to cooperate.
It made me wonder: Have I become a pipe snob?
I hope not.
I smoked all three blends for that video, but afterward I wrapped them in plastic and put them away. I don’t plan to smoke them again.
I mean no disrespect to the brand that first introduced me to pipe smoking—it opened a wonderful world for me.
But maybe this was simply a sad journey back in time, only to realize that the past, in memory at least, shines brighter than reality ever could.
Like many beginners then—and even now—I started with aromatic tobaccos. The sweet scent of cookies, chocolate, and tobacco filled the air; I even loved the smell of my pipe when it wasn’t lit.
My first tobacco was Captain Black Royal—the one in the blue pouch—followed soon after by Regular and other blends from the same brand.
Before long, curiosity took over. I wanted to explore what else was out there.
Living in Brazil at the time made it challenging and expensive to find imported blends, but I eventually discovered a few good tobacconists.
That’s when I fell in love with Dunhill tobaccos—and with that mysterious, smoky thing called Latakia. From then on, I slowly drifted away from aromatics.
Over the years, I found other blends to fall in love with
Ah, McClelland—how I miss you! That comforting vinegar aroma and deep, dark sweetness when you cracked open a tin... Some of my favorites have vanished, but thankfully many great tobaccos remain. Even though Dunhill is gone, Peterson continues to make most of those beloved blends. There were many pleasant surprises along the way—and a few disappointments, too.
A few years ago (5), I started a YouTube channel in Portuguese for my fellow Brazilian pipe smokers. I talk about tobaccos and pipe smoking in general—nothing too heavy or authoritative, just lighthearted conversations.
It’s unfortunate that many of the tobaccos I discuss aren’t available in Brazil, and I try not to come across as a spoiled pipe smoker showing off what others can’t find. That does limit my content a bit.
Recently, I decided to make an episode about the first tobaccos I ever smoked—Captain Black. I bought the Royal, Dark, and Gold varieties just for the occasion. I didn’t prepare a script; I simply wanted to capture my reactions after some 30 years away from those blends.
When I opened the pouches, I was instantly embraced by the nostalgic aroma—those sweet, familiar companions from long ago.
But when I lit them, disappointment hit hard.
They were flat, almost one-dimensional.
The smell was there, but the taste and complexity were gone—like eating when you have a bad cold and your taste buds refuse to cooperate.
It made me wonder: Have I become a pipe snob?
I hope not.
I smoked all three blends for that video, but afterward I wrapped them in plastic and put them away. I don’t plan to smoke them again.
I mean no disrespect to the brand that first introduced me to pipe smoking—it opened a wonderful world for me.
But maybe this was simply a sad journey back in time, only to realize that the past, in memory at least, shines brighter than reality ever could.
