From PAD to TAD. Tobacco Suggestions for a Beginner?

[aspiring_sage]

Since we're meeting on the internet:
PAD is easy. Pipes look different, different shapes, materials, finishes.
TAD is less intuitive. Tobacco looks like tobacco. Can't smell it. Don't understand most of the words coming from the sommelier.

I've collected plenty of pipes for now, especially at my one bowl per 2 weeks pace. Don't worry though, I'm probably not done acquiring...

I've now gone through about 8-16 oz of tobacco and am ready to branch out.

I've enjoyed a small pack of capt black regular, capt black cherry.
I tried an unidentified Va. Not too bad.
Someone was kind enough to give me an 8oz jar of Penzance. The first time I tried it I was a little overwhelmed by the "campfire" smokiness that. Haven't really been back to it or the pipe I used with it. I'll likely try again.
Went through a large jar of hobbits weed. This has been the tobacco I've had the most of. I like it, I like the smell. For the last 5-8 bowls I'm not tasting it as much, though that may be due to trying meerschaum pipes.

I'm hading to SP to order small sizes from "bulk tobaccos" section, but am overwhelmed.

Anybody want to suggest two or three good tobaccos in each category?

• Va
• Aero
• English
• Oriental
• else??

Let me know three you'd recommend, in your favorite category?

Or feel free to give me the advice of your choosing, in case I'm asking the wrong question.

 

[kcghost]

You have to give us a chance. You smoke a bowl every two weeks and you want 15 different recommendations from us??

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

At least you didn’t ask about BAD

 

[OldWill]

OK, I'll help fuel your addictions. Since you are a light smoker, I'll lean toward the milder side.

Virginia: Capstan Blue; Orlik Golden Sliced

Aromatics: Kendal Black Cherry; Erin Go Bragh (several flavors

English: Squadron Leader; PS Proper English

Oriental: Squadron Leader again; Dreams of Kaddath

Burley: Sir Walter Raleigh; Old Joe Krantz (any color)

Lakeland: Grousemoor

Any other member will give you a different list, but here is a start. Cheers!

 

[pantsBoots]

Virginia: Orlik Golden Sliced

VaPer: Peterson De Luxe Navy Rolls, Davidoff Flake Medallions

Oriental-heavy: Robert Lewis Orcilla Mixture, Ascanian no 1

English/Balkan: Arango Balkan Supreme, Pease Quiet Nights

Burley-based: Cornell & Diehl Pegasus, Mac Baren HH Burley Flake

 

[TheWhale13]

I mean if you barely smoke you don't need to buy a lot at all? Just buy two or three blends and try to get to know them over the year.

 

[northernpipeshed]

2- 4oz of the following:
Straight Burley (White and Dark)
A few different straight Virginias (Red, Bright and stoved etc.)
Latakia
Oriental
Maybe an 2oz of Perique (maybe not smoke this on it's own unless you have a very small bowl, I like it but it's quite erm.....well try it!!

Smoke them straight so that you know what each type of tobacco tastes like.

Then:
.....mix a pinch of the perique with a bit of Burley.....smoke it a few times......then add a bit of Red Virginia.....smoke a few bowls
This way you will understand what the different combinations taste like and can go on to refine what YOU like.

As an example C&D OJK (original) is a mixture of Burley, Red Virginia and Perique...............but so is C&D Haunted Bookshop......and many others!

 

[sandollars]

Va - Orlik Golden Slice
VaPer - Elizabethan
Oriental - Dreams of Kadath
English - You already have the best example in your possession however Arango Balkan Supreme is very worth a try.
Burley - Old Joe Krantz, or OJK Blue if you want it less strong.

All of these are easy to acquire and relatively inexpensive. They will give you a feel for the different genres so you can pursue the genres you like before you load up on tobaccos you may never smoke. I wished someone had told me this when I first got started because I have tons of Virginias I may never be able to smoke due to a chemical reaction I get when I smoke them. It would have saved me a lot of money...

 

[Merton]

Buy a Amphora sampler (any good vendor). Several different types : Burley, Full, Virginia, Kentucky, English and others. Well made and fairly priced. There are other good suggestions but I think that Amphora (Made by MacBaren) is one of the best buys on the market. I have many, many, too many pounds of expensive tins and bags and find that I reach often for the red pouch of Amphora full which usually retails for less than $8 per pouch.

 

[aspiring_sage]

You've got a point about my smoking too light for this question.
Part of my 'pace' is the lack of smoking during the MN winter.
I plan for it to pick up from now 'till December.

I'd previously been advised in the past to hit SP.com & grab a few 1oz from the bulk tobacco to find a niche, then explore from there. Seems reasonable.The "sample size" is cheap enough to load up the cart, but I ended up with a $200 cart and no idea whether or not I had variety.

Appreciate the suggestions. I am slightly less overwhelmed.

At least you didn’t ask about BAD

BAD?

 

[ofafeather]

Here are the top 25 best selling bulk tobaccos at SP. Best Selling Bulk Pipe Tobaccos - https://www.smokingpipes.com/bestselling/index.cfm?page=bulk-pipe-tobacco

Keep in mind that there are many great tobaccos that are not on the list. One thing I like to do when I’m looking for inspiration is to browse the What Are You Smoking (WAYS) thread. There’s always great stuff in there. If something catches my eye, I look it up. I keep a wishlist at SP so I can recall things to try.

 

[sham]

Here are the top 25 best selling bulk tobaccos at SP. Best Selling Bulk Pipe Tobaccos - https://www.smokingpipes.com/bestselling/index.cfm?page=bulk-pipe-tobacco

Keep in mind that there are many great tobaccos that are not on the list. One thing I like to do when I’m looking for inspiration is to browse the What Are You Smoking (WAYS) thread. There’s always great stuff in there. If something catches my eye, I look it up. I keep a wishlist at SP so I can recall things to try.

thanks for this link! I'm new as well and would like stock something that is pleasant smelling for others sake. Looks like the top 3 that people buy are Lane 1Q, Lane BCA, and C&D Autumn Evening. Does anyone have any reason why I may want to try one of these over the others?

I also notice that a lot of aromatics dont rate very highly? why is this?

 

[sablebrush52]

For bang for the buck it's hard to beat the Sutliff matches.

VaPer - Sutliff Match Victorian, which is their current name for their Elizabethan match. I also recomment GL Pease Telegraph Hill and G L Pease Stratford

Sort of English - Sutliff Revelation Match. If it was good enough for Albert Einstein it's good enough for you.

Other - Troost Match - a very gentle pleasing all day smoke

English - I don't smoke much English these days but it sounds like you might want to go with a milder form of it.

Aromatic - Something a little different - Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic. At the higher quality end, watch for the next Gawith and Hoggarth drop and pick up some Glengarry Flake.

 

[sablebrush52]

thanks for this link! I'm new as well and would like stock something that is pleasant smelling for others sake. Looks like the top 3 that people buy are Lane 1Q, Lane BCA, and C&D Autumn Evening. Does anyone have any reason why I may want to try one of these over the others?

I also notice that a lot of aromatics dont rate very highly? why is this?

Lane 1 Q is one of the top selling blends available. I have no idea why. Both it and BCA are over topped and have a distinctly chemical aftertaste.

Aromatics have gotten a bad rap on forums because they're associated with "goopers" and there's this silly idea that "real" tobacco smokers don't smoke aromatics. Aromatics comprise about 90% of all tobacco sales, so this viewpoint is decidedly out of step with reality.

Some of my favorite blends could be classisfied as aromatics, like most of the Esoterica and G&H blends.

 

[ofafeather]

thanks for this link! I'm new as well and would like stock something that is pleasant smelling for others sake. Looks like the top 3 that people buy are Lane 1Q, Lane BCA, and C&D Autumn Evening. Does anyone have any reason why I may want to try one of these over the others?

I also notice that a lot of aromatics dont rate very highly? why is this?

Definitely look at @sablebrush52 posts. Beginners will usually do best to avoid heavy aromatics which are “goopers”.

 

[Peter Turbo]

There are solid recommendations here. If you're still into aromatics and are looking for quality then Solani makes some bangers, Blue/Red/Purple labels. I can't recommend the Mystery X or Green label though, steer clear.

 

[karam]

Here are the top 25 best selling bulk tobaccos at SP. Best Selling Bulk Pipe Tobaccos - https://www.smokingpipes.com/bestselling/index.cfm?page=bulk-pipe-tobacco

Keep in mind that there are many great tobaccos that are not on the list. One thing I like to do when I’m looking for inspiration is to browse the What Are You Smoking (WAYS) thread. There’s always great stuff in there. If something catches my eye, I look it up. I keep a wishlist at SP so I can recall things to try.

G&H Black Twist above all other G&H/SG offerings? I find this hard to believe, for me the Gawith black twists are the acquired tastes of acquired tastes.

 

[mso489]

Here is some of my oft' repeated advice.

With tobacco, when you start out, buy only small quantities, even if you like something very much. Your tastes will change fairly quickly as a beginner. An ounce or two in bulk, one tin, a pouch. I'd keep quantities small for a year or two until you get your footing.

Try some non-aromatic (unflavored) Virginia and burleys, since these are the base for most other blends, just to know what they are, without a lot of other condiment tobaccos.

With pipes, shop a lot, online and best of all (if possible) in person, without buying anything, and take a long time between pipe purchases. Buy only one pipe at a time, so you are actively choosing and discerning -- why that one pipe? This will hone your skills, rather than buying a handful of pipes at a time, then finding out you only like one or two.

I'd stick with basic, standard pipe materials -- briar, cob, clay, Meerschaum. Others may be fine, but best to learn the standards first. Maple, olive, morta,
beech, etc. can come later, if at all.

Learn the basics of filters. You can smoke most filter pipes without filters or adaptors, so don't feel married to them. Filters are the least well explained pipe features. Don't buy into pitches for or against filters. It's personal preference.

And finally, take the whole process slowly. Learn to enjoy your smoking time, with the pipes and tobacco you have on hand. Take time to learn the blends you smoke. Not every one will be delicious before you become accustomed to it. Save the ones you don't like in a jar, and try them again in a year or so.