Pipe tobaccos are more subtle, and maybe you'll find one that you like. Be patient, relax and enjoy the scenery. If you find a blend that speaks to you, go with it for a while. And then again, it may be that you're destined to be a cigar smoker.
Can Pipe Tobaccos compete with Cigars?
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I come to pipe smoking after smoking cigars, and while I still enjoy the occasional cigar, I'll be okay with my pipe TAD for the remainder of my life. As a result of smoking cigars, I've found that most pipe blends that appeal to me have a strength or flavor profile at a medium level at minimum, otherwise I want to "fall asleep" while smoking them. Granted, I never smoked a lot of really strong cigars. I'll have the occasional full strength ones, but my favorite cigar to date is a solid medium strength.
This is good, and bad in a way. Good because it pretty much eliminates lots of pipe tobacco I don't need to try to see if it's worth stocking up on before the FDA smackdown. It also means, it's lots of pipe tobacco I DON'T get to try. I still have many more blends to tackle on my quest though but I'm very much up for the challenge.
Ironically, this hobby really is in direct contrast to my frugal nature. Aside from the pipe acquisition, everything we spend on smoking is essentially "money burned" and that gets in my head. I never smoked expensive cigars, because I see the money just burning in front of my face. My favorite cigar sells for 25 in a box for $55, which brings the cost to about just over 2 bucks a smoke. While pipe smoking is still burning money, I can get more for what I spend, and get what I consider a better smoking experience.
Having said that, the blends with cigar leaf are just fun to smoke. I for one have just mowed through about 4 ounces of Billy Budd, because it's a strong in your face smoke, not subdued at all. It's got cigar leaf in it, but it's NOT a cigar. People need to understand that pipes aren't a substitute. If you want a cigar, then smoke a cigar. I enjoy the dynamic the cigar leaf brings to pipe tobacco. I can appreciate it, but I don't expect it to be like a cigar experience, nor do I want it to be.
I have a tin of Key Largo, I'm looking forward to trying due to the orientals in it. Billy Budd really comes hard with the Cigar leaf, and I'm looking forward to trying something where the cigar leaf is a bit more toned down. Lots of times while smoking Billy Budd I found myself wishing there was oriental in it.
This is good, and bad in a way. Good because it pretty much eliminates lots of pipe tobacco I don't need to try to see if it's worth stocking up on before the FDA smackdown. It also means, it's lots of pipe tobacco I DON'T get to try. I still have many more blends to tackle on my quest though but I'm very much up for the challenge.
Ironically, this hobby really is in direct contrast to my frugal nature. Aside from the pipe acquisition, everything we spend on smoking is essentially "money burned" and that gets in my head. I never smoked expensive cigars, because I see the money just burning in front of my face. My favorite cigar sells for 25 in a box for $55, which brings the cost to about just over 2 bucks a smoke. While pipe smoking is still burning money, I can get more for what I spend, and get what I consider a better smoking experience.
Having said that, the blends with cigar leaf are just fun to smoke. I for one have just mowed through about 4 ounces of Billy Budd, because it's a strong in your face smoke, not subdued at all. It's got cigar leaf in it, but it's NOT a cigar. People need to understand that pipes aren't a substitute. If you want a cigar, then smoke a cigar. I enjoy the dynamic the cigar leaf brings to pipe tobacco. I can appreciate it, but I don't expect it to be like a cigar experience, nor do I want it to be.
I have a tin of Key Largo, I'm looking forward to trying due to the orientals in it. Billy Budd really comes hard with the Cigar leaf, and I'm looking forward to trying something where the cigar leaf is a bit more toned down. Lots of times while smoking Billy Budd I found myself wishing there was oriental in it.
Two things about cigars: price and quality generally correlate, much like wine. Also, cigar smokers generally recognize and appreciate the same qualities in a given line/make of cigar.
Pipe tobaccos are different in that different smokers get very different results from the same blend. At the same time, there are very few blends that almost everyone likes and/or appreciates. The old Balkan Sobranie is almost universally appreciated. And Escudo is like that to an extent. To go further, I think that for most smokers there are only a few blends that they REALLY like. And even then, tastes change over time. I've smoked for 3 years and there are only a handful of blends that I really love, and there are dozens that I've tried but not been crazy about. Unlike cigars, the blends that I find to be wonderful, other people find "blah," while the blends that some people rave over, I don't enjoy at all.
Pipe tobaccos are different in that different smokers get very different results from the same blend. At the same time, there are very few blends that almost everyone likes and/or appreciates. The old Balkan Sobranie is almost universally appreciated. And Escudo is like that to an extent. To go further, I think that for most smokers there are only a few blends that they REALLY like. And even then, tastes change over time. I've smoked for 3 years and there are only a handful of blends that I really love, and there are dozens that I've tried but not been crazy about. Unlike cigars, the blends that I find to be wonderful, other people find "blah," while the blends that some people rave over, I don't enjoy at all.
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