Good starter sampler pack?

[dvorak]

Hey everyone,
First of all, I'd like to say I'm impressed at the quality of this forum. I could chat about how much better this forum is kept than others on the 'net, but I'll get to the point..
I'm looking for a decent starter pack of tobacco. I bought 2 (aromatic?) tobaccos from my local shop, obviously wasn't too impressed as far as taste is concerned; but overall great smell. I'd like to find a decent package deal online; preferably a widest variety as possible. Would anyone know or recommend any deals they've gotten? Or should I just straight pick-and-choose?
Thanks in advance.

 

[dottiewarden]

Welcome aboard Dvorak.

 

[boilermakerandy]

Cornell and Diehl used to offer samplers. You might want to contact Smoking Pipes (they bought C&D) and see if they still do so.

 

[phred]

Welcome, Dvorak.
A number of site sponsors offer samplers. I've personally ordered several from PipesandCigars.com, including their "house brand" sampler (Hearth & Home), a couple of the "buy x, get one free" deals on certain brands, etc.
If you're looking for a broad variety, I'd suggest something along the lines of the "choose your own" sort of sampler. If you're looking to go deeper into a particular style of tobacco (burleys, Virginias, Latakia-forward blends), then try one of the "Stepladder Samplers" that P&C does.
When I first started (a whole 2 years ago), I found it helpful to sample a broad range initially to get a handle on the differences between Aromatics, Burleys, English (Latakia) blends, Va/Pers, and so forth. Then, I started collecting a few samples within those larger blend groups in order to dial in some of the subtleties within a particular style.
Or you could just pick a few at random and see what you like. That works, too... :D

 

[mso489]

Whether a sampler or just pick-and-choose, try mild to medium versions of English, Virginia/Perique,

and burley, and maybe an up-market aromatic, although you've already tried those. Then don't hesitate

to follow your favorite family of blends for a while, until you decide to branch out again. Don't rush it.

You can ruminate and savor, and think it over, and backtrack, and otherwise take your time ... and should.

Sometimes a blend that isn't tasty for the first bowl opens out after being opened a while, or you develop

your taste. But importantly, take your time. Welcome to Forums. It's a good discussion, focused but

friendly. With a certain amount of rude joshing that keeps us all awake.

 

[mso489]

Not to double up on my posts here, but I might suggest, for sampling, go for the smallest quantity

you can buy, 1 or 2 ounces. The blends you don't like, you may be able to trade with Forum's members

for something else to try, in equally small quantities. This will save you money and storage of tobacco

you may not want. But keep a blend around for a few months, at least, to give it a chance. Many blends

that are uninteresting in the first bowl spring to life on the second or third as you learn the blend.

 

[vfefrenzy]

I just ordered the create your own tin sampler from P&C. I almost ordered it last week, but decided to wait to see if they would do any sales for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Waiting paid off as it (along with most of their website) is 15% off today.

 

[dvorak]

The "Build Your Own Sampler" on P&C seems to be decent. Think I'll look up the blends on the forum to see what people think. Shipping doesn't seem ridiculous, either.
Thanks again for the recommendations everyone, really appreciate it.

 

[daytonsean]

Try the Peterson Selection Box. It's pretty nice.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

The other thing I'd suggest is checking out the bulk section on sites like pipesandcigars.com or smokingpipes.com. Most of them are around $2 for an ounce which is enough to get a good feel for a blend.

 

[throbinson]

I went online to 4Noggins and grabbed 6 samplers myself. I'm in Canada, but it was still cheaper than buying locally and no one locally sold samplers.
I went by reviews, star rating and how many people rated them... plus I knew I wanted to try cherry and vanilla... which I ended up not liking.
I bought
Lane 1-Q - Why? Because I see it mentioned SO OFTEN as a good basic pipe tobacco

Prince Albert - Well rated, and kept thinking of the Prince Albert in a can joke that's older than I am

Molto Dolce - Heard a bit about it. Cost a bit more than the rest so wanted to try something that wasn't 'cheap'

Bald Headed Teacher - 4Noggins blend, had high rating and LOTS of reviews

Lane Very Cherry

McClelland Vanilla
Lane 1-Q and Prince Albert I liked, not sure which I enjoyed more.

Molto Dolce smelled good in the can, but saw nothing special about it when smoked.

Bald Headed Teacher... initially enjoyed but, has an odd after taste I could not name, spent more time trying to figure it out than anything else... wet leather maybe? Was a good smoke, if not for that weird after taste.

Cherry/Vanilla... meh. In the bag smelled great, smoked, not so much. Vanilla especially. The flavouring was so heavy that all I could taste was burnt flavouring when smoked. I wanted to like aromatics... but cherry didn't taste like cherry, vanilla didn't taste like vanilla to me.
May have been more info than you asked for but... sounds like we're at the same level when it comes to smoking a pipe. I've been smoking less than a month. 4Noggins was good because (for me) shipped to Canada, and had a lot of 1oz options, which is enough for about 8-10 bowls/pipe fills.
Something I found also helpful was the tobacco review website... you can click the store name there, it shows lots of the tobaccos they sell with ratings. Then can sort by ratings and see what the top rated tobaccos are at that store.
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/brand/330/4noggins

 

[crusher47]

Excellent selections! Prince Albert actually isn't bad, has a nice nutty flavor. Will have to try the Bald Headed Teacher

 

[okiescout]

Try P&C for sure. I really like the Ole Shenandoah 76. Just let it dry a bit.

 

[dvorak]

Yeah, I went ahead and bought a bunch of 1oz bulks from P&C. Got 8 different blends for around $20; can't really beat that. Made sure to look at the reviews for each to make sure it was worth the money. Might get into tins once I have my favorite blends.
Now I just need to buy some jars. I know wally world sells some nice jars for cheap ($1-$3 ea); might nab a few for the tobaccos I really like. (Anyone mix tobaccos in their jars? Like, have 5 different bags inside of 1 jar? Would you recommend against it or would you say it's fine?)

 

[bulldogbriar89]

I would try the Frog Morton collection by McClelland they are a great tobacco that have different ranges, and McClelland is a well known well liked brand

 

[Perique]

Dvorak, welcome. Great screen name.
1. Go here: http://www.vtpipes.com/tobacco.html
2. Scroll to bottom for sampler deal
3. Call, ask, discuss, order
4. Enjoy

 

[okiescout]

Dvorak, before you buy too many jars read the threads on mylar bags. You may want to try them both. Just a thought.

 

[pylorns]

For the guys on reddit I do some starter kits - shop.instituteofman.com