Isn't latakia extremely smoky and harsh?I would suggest finding a light english with some orientals and latakia, that was the first taste I could recognize behind the smoke. It's a bold enough flavor that you don't have to search for it very hard. I'm a newbie though, so...
General Help With a Specific Pipe
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It is campfire smokey, but it is a flavor you can easily pick out. I don't find it particularly harsh... depends on your definition of harsh guess. It's not heavy in the nicotine so it won't contribute to making your head swim. I kinda like C&D Pirate Kake and it's mostly latakia... but I wouldn't recommend starting with that.
A couple things.
First, aromatics almost never taste like they smell, or like their "room note", Ive never found a single one that did.
Second, if you don't like the taste of tobacco, you may not enjoy pipe smoking. Even goopy American style aromatics taste like tobacco.
The type of pipe tobacco that is the furthest from cigarette flavor, is gonna be English blends with Latakia in my opinion.
But, Latakia is kind of an acquired taste.
Most newbies don't care for it. Over time many will acquire the taste for Latakia.
Again, pipe tobacco does not taste like it smells in the pouch, or the room......in my experience.
First, aromatics almost never taste like they smell, or like their "room note", Ive never found a single one that did.
Second, if you don't like the taste of tobacco, you may not enjoy pipe smoking. Even goopy American style aromatics taste like tobacco.
The type of pipe tobacco that is the furthest from cigarette flavor, is gonna be English blends with Latakia in my opinion.
But, Latakia is kind of an acquired taste.
Most newbies don't care for it. Over time many will acquire the taste for Latakia.
Again, pipe tobacco does not taste like it smells in the pouch, or the room......in my experience.
Yea, tin note does not translate to taste unfortunately. I have some really good smelling tobacco. None of it tastes like that.
I guess I'll just have to head to the tobacco shop and get a basic tobacco then, maybe it doesn't taste as bad as I think it will!
Thanks for the insight
This is very similar to what I experienced just a couple month ago when I began pipe smoking. I bought a lot of different tobacco 1oz samples to try out and I’m kinda embarrassed to say that I now have about 15 pipes. I started with a non filtered pipe and smoking different blends, trying to go slow and keep the bowl as cool as I can, I just wasn’t enjoying the “flavor”. Bought a filtered pipe, Found Lane 1Q & BCA, as well as Capt. Black Dark, and am now a happy camper. I do have a couple non filter pipes I smoke on occasion, but mostly enjoy a filtered model better. Helps with my terrible technique as I know I’m smokin too fast. But usually my time is limited. But buying pipes is a serious disease. I just ordered a Japanese estate pipe from another well known site. Crazy. Lol. But I can’t wait to give it a go. And I have noticed that some of my pipes seem to smoke and taste better than another one does. Not sure why. Quality of the pipe itself?
Anyways, after that very long winded ramble above, I’d suggest trying those three brands I settled with, and getting a filtered pipe. Or two, or three, on and on. Have to rest your pipes after smoking right? It’s like pro pitchers, a one in five starting rotation. Oh, and read this forum. Great people and great advice!
Good Luck! And I’m sure it’ll work itself out. There are so many pipe and tobacco variations out there. It is kinda daunting for sure when just starting out.
Joe
Anyways, after that very long winded ramble above, I’d suggest trying those three brands I settled with, and getting a filtered pipe. Or two, or three, on and on. Have to rest your pipes after smoking right? It’s like pro pitchers, a one in five starting rotation. Oh, and read this forum. Great people and great advice!
Good Luck! And I’m sure it’ll work itself out. There are so many pipe and tobacco variations out there. It is kinda daunting for sure when just starting out.
Joe
I’m not a fan of English or Latakia blends, but when I started I smoked Early Morning Pipe every morning on my commute. It got me tasting things, and building a cadence. I haven’t smoked it in probably over a year, and have developed what I really like.
The only “flavored” (non-Lakeland, etc) aro that tastes closely to its smell, yet tastes like quality tobacco that I really like now and again is Dan Devil’s Holiday. Highly recommended, but only if you like berry-cause it’s berries!
The only “flavored” (non-Lakeland, etc) aro that tastes closely to its smell, yet tastes like quality tobacco that I really like now and again is Dan Devil’s Holiday. Highly recommended, but only if you like berry-cause it’s berries!
These threads are full of opinions and all of them are relevant, but none of them may apply to you. The only real way to figure it out is to buy a few different blends and try them.
It's really hard to advise you on tobaccos to try,since I'm not sure what's available,but I would agree that aros are not a good starting point, for the reasons mentioned.
I would generally suggest going for one of the classic, readily available, "all-day smokes". Maybe Amphora Original?
I would generally suggest going for one of the classic, readily available, "all-day smokes". Maybe Amphora Original?
Hi, great advice from others. I'll add that chimneys are difficult to master, and your reply below that the raw chamber is only thinly coated will exacerbate the difficulties. Some might say you should put it away for a while, and the corncob suggestions are spot on ($10 price range from Missouri Meerschaum, even found on Amazon).
But, since you have it you might as well start breaking it in. Try packing a pinch loosely, and a second pinch with a little press (you'll be able to tamp in a moment). Your chimney should be less than half full. Light a chimney with aong match, not a torch. You can use a Bic at max but draw gently a few puffs. Don't burn yourself.
You will get a lot of smoke and some flavor, but just slow down, now. Some will let this "charring light" go out first, but this is when you should tamp gently, and re-light.
This will be your main smoke for a while, but hold back, don't go nuts. Let the gentle draws of smoke play over your tongue; you should not think about it like sipping through a straw; in your stage it should be more of a gentle kiss. The slower and shallower you go, the more you will learn from the experience. You'll ramp up in time.
Coffee or tea, something slightly acidic, or water, will wash the alkaline residue from your tongue and palate to mitigate an alkali burn, which is a part of "tongue bite."
Enjoy practicing with these shallow bowls, building a little higher with each smoke. It'll help build a good cake at the bottom, which is important for chimneys.
If there is wet tobacco left at the bottom, you have smoked too intently. Your goal is white ash at the bottom of that chimney. You can swab the wet floor with a pipe cleaner, and let it dry 24 hours. Don't try to keep wet tobacco alight.
Reply to let us know, and please include a picture of that new pipe.
In blends such as Early Morning Pipe, Presbyterian, or similar - Latakia is absolutely NOT harsh in my opinion. I feel that opinion is shared by many, though perhaps not all.
Those are just 2 examples in that genre that helped me, although there were some others.
What you will get is more smoke from your pipe with a Latakia blend, and that may be helpful to some who are learning, I think it was helpful for me, because with the beginners lack of taste and knowledge regarding how the leaf is burning, the extra smoke helped let me know that it was indeed performing as needed - telling me to not puff zealously, but calm down and search for what was already being provided. The "extra" visual smoke was a positive constant reminder.
More will be learned from trying and experimenting than debating online...
Nothing is better than personal experience, practice, etc.
Poor experiences are great learning tools too.
hey even having smoked a pipe since 94 some tobaccos just don't like staying lit. If you're stuck on the idea of aromatics try and find a few that burn easier and are more forgiving. Best bet is to read reviews of aromatics that sound good to you and are available and see which ones people say handle and smoke the easiest.
I'm about a couple weeks in with pipe smoking (after crashing and burning a year ago). Tried a couple aromatics in a chimney pipe. Just could not keep it lit. I switched to a different bowl type (upon recommendation of the nice folks here in the forum) and now I'm off to the races! It was a big difference for me. 
This might go a bit beyond the pale for purists. As a new pipe smoker (and cigars as well), I am more partial to mild blends so far. With cigar smoking, I enjoy pairing with beverages for an overall experience. Such as alternating between a nice cup of coffee (with cream & sugar) and puffing on the cigar. The combo rounds out really nicely on the palette for me. With pipe smoking, maybe you might have a better entry experience with pairing to start with and then fading away the beverage here an there to enjoy the pipe tobacco by itself for more nuance? I could be totally off here, but it was just a thought for your consideration.
Wilke Pipe Tobacco has a good selection of in-house bulk aromatic and nonaromatic tobacco. Their aros where the first I tried that tasted somewhat like the tin note. The base tobacco is good and has a nice tobacco flavor in addition to the toppings. It is not like smoking hot air. There has been no chemical taste in any of the tobaccos I have tried. It is nice that it is a small business using recipes from the 1800's. Look up the history of Wilke Pipe Tobacco Company. It is very interesting. I have tried many of their blends and my favorite aros are Vermont Maple Cavendish and No.191 (Vanilla and Vermont honey). The Rumcake is highly rated. If you want to try a cherry blend, I like the Cherry Cavendish and believe it is superior to the Royal Cherry but you could try both and decide for yourself. Neither one is bad. My wife loves the room note of all Wilke aros. I want to try Maple Plum Spice with my next order. It sounds intriguing as an aro with perique added.
www.wilkepipetobacco.com
Wilke Bulk Aromatic Blends | wilkepipetobacco
www.wilkepipetobacco.com
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You can learn a lot just hanging out at a local pipe shop if you have one near by. Other pipe smokers would be happy to show you their methods.
From your description of your experience of a sour and nasty pipe that refuses to stay lit, it sounds like you haven't packed the tobacco in properly for a smooth draw. You are either packing far too tight, or too loose or managing both in the same bowl 
. It will simply take practice to get the pipe packed properly, there really aren't any shortcuts. Watching video can help (maybe) and here on the forums we can offer advise, but ultimately it will be up to you to pack your own pipe how you like it. The only way you'll know what that is to keep practicing until you finally succeed, at least partially for a half a bowl or something, and you get your first enjoyable "A hah!!?!" moment.
My one suggestion as you learn to pack your pipe is to first, before putting any tobacco in, is to draw several times sloooowly on the pipe. Really concentrate on how the air feels and sounds as you sloooooowwwly and gently draw air through the pipe. Then as you pack your pipe, with whatever method you choose to start with, draw as your loading your pipe several times paying attention to the draw, does it still feel the same? Or does it feel somewhat different and constricted or perhaps a little different sound? Your pipe when it's properly packed should be full and if gently pressing on the tobacco in the bowl feel a little springy, but with the draw still open and unimpeded, or with perhaps the smallest, tiniest, barely noticeable difference in the draw.
If you have succeeded in packing it decently, then gently, very, very, gently kiss the top the tobacco with the flame, almost like you feel bad that your burning it, and gently, gently, gently draw on the pipe as you almost touch the flame to it. You should see the top of the tobacco start to char and swell and almost spill out of the bowl. Allow the little Embers to go out and gently, gently, with your finger or tamper push the half burnt tobacco strands all back together on the top of the bowl. That is your charing light. You may have to do another charing light, that's fine, some tobacco takes a little more to get going. Keep gently, ever so gently, putting the flame to the tobacco and drawing gently until you see a nice ember forming evenly on the top. Then take a couple slightly deeper, but still gentle puffs and sit back and try and enjoy the flavor of the smoke. Sip slowly, perhaps count to 15 or 20 before taking another small sip. Try to sip on your pipe like a really piping (pardon the pun) hot cup of coffee or tea. Allow the flavor to open up to you. It may take a few tries to get it, don't be afraid to dig out the tobacco when you are packing if something doesn't seem right and try again.
Also, don't listen too much to the internet purists and naysayers, most aromatics will absolutely taste just like they are described, notes of chocolate, vanilla, cherry, or sweet, sweet Bourbon (the brownest of the brown liquors) etc but it takes some patience and experience is all. There's a reason why outside of the internet, aromatic pipe tobaccos are far and away the most popular and best selling blends, probably by an order of magnitude.
. It will simply take practice to get the pipe packed properly, there really aren't any shortcuts. Watching video can help (maybe) and here on the forums we can offer advise, but ultimately it will be up to you to pack your own pipe how you like it. The only way you'll know what that is to keep practicing until you finally succeed, at least partially for a half a bowl or something, and you get your first enjoyable "A hah!!?!" moment.My one suggestion as you learn to pack your pipe is to first, before putting any tobacco in, is to draw several times sloooowly on the pipe. Really concentrate on how the air feels and sounds as you sloooooowwwly and gently draw air through the pipe. Then as you pack your pipe, with whatever method you choose to start with, draw as your loading your pipe several times paying attention to the draw, does it still feel the same? Or does it feel somewhat different and constricted or perhaps a little different sound? Your pipe when it's properly packed should be full and if gently pressing on the tobacco in the bowl feel a little springy, but with the draw still open and unimpeded, or with perhaps the smallest, tiniest, barely noticeable difference in the draw.
If you have succeeded in packing it decently, then gently, very, very, gently kiss the top the tobacco with the flame, almost like you feel bad that your burning it, and gently, gently, gently draw on the pipe as you almost touch the flame to it. You should see the top of the tobacco start to char and swell and almost spill out of the bowl. Allow the little Embers to go out and gently, gently, with your finger or tamper push the half burnt tobacco strands all back together on the top of the bowl. That is your charing light. You may have to do another charing light, that's fine, some tobacco takes a little more to get going. Keep gently, ever so gently, putting the flame to the tobacco and drawing gently until you see a nice ember forming evenly on the top. Then take a couple slightly deeper, but still gentle puffs and sit back and try and enjoy the flavor of the smoke. Sip slowly, perhaps count to 15 or 20 before taking another small sip. Try to sip on your pipe like a really piping (pardon the pun) hot cup of coffee or tea. Allow the flavor to open up to you. It may take a few tries to get it, don't be afraid to dig out the tobacco when you are packing if something doesn't seem right and try again.
Also, don't listen too much to the internet purists and naysayers, most aromatics will absolutely taste just like they are described, notes of chocolate, vanilla, cherry, or sweet, sweet Bourbon (the brownest of the brown liquors) etc but it takes some patience and experience is all. There's a reason why outside of the internet, aromatic pipe tobaccos are far and away the most popular and best selling blends, probably by an order of magnitude.