I Need Help

[mso489]

It's like learning to swim. Someone can throw you into the deep end, and if you don't drown, you can have a life and death experience that will teach you to swim and scar you for life, all in less than a minute. Or, you can putter around in the shallows, try floating until you can float, and the rest is just waving your arms and kicking your feet, simple Simon. Just relax and float with that pipe smoke, and pretty soon you're writing pipe tobacco reviews.

 

[kschatey]

Any blend recommendations?

I recommend reading through the Beginner Sampler thread. It's recent has has some excellent suggestions there. To sum up the primary recommendations within that thread:

• Buy 1 oz bulk samples from Smokingpipes.com (or anywhere else that will sell 1 oz at a time) in order to try lots of different blends at a reasonable price; my bulk recommendations are:
  • Arango Balkan Supreme
  • Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired
  • GH&Co Bob's Chocolate Flake - currently out of stock
  • F&K Lancer Slices
• Check out the Amphora sampler as it is a good collection of various types of tobacco blends at a very competitive price; I haven't yet tried any of the Amphora blends, but they do seem to be generally well-respected on this forum

Hope this helps!

 

[Old School 3319]

I have only been smoking for a year or two but I have to say smoke different blends and judge for yourself what you like. I have found that some agree with me and some don't. I do not have a refined palate and lean more towards the cheap side but there are a lot of great blends out there just smoke what you like and enjoy

 

[jpmcwjr]

Do you remember the first time you had a cup of black coffee? The first full swig of whiskey? It's like that. Coffee doesn't taste really how it smells...These things are earthy and take some time/experiences to get into the flavors. After two years of trying (I'm still a hobbyist, not a daily smoker) I'm finally at a point where I'm enjoying a smooth, cool smoke and different tobaccos. I'm finally actually tasting the tobacco and not the smell of the aromatic. I had some tobacco that I bought right after I got my pipe that I hated and nearly threw out. But I put it in a jar and forgot about it and it dried out a bit and a year later I tried it again and it's now one of my favorites.

My brother, (who is not a smoker or pipe or cigar guy) and I made corn cob pipes with my dad at Thanksgiving and then smoked 'em. He hated it. But he was puffing on that thing like he was syphoning gas. He kept telling me he wasn't, but I was watching him. Sadly, I doubt he'll ever try it again. He thinks I'm crazy. It will taste only like smoke at first. It's a bit of a surprise if you aren't used to it. Just like black coffee. I think I was 5 or 6 pipefuls in before it wasn't terrible. Also on a brand new pipe like you are.

Well said.

Drying the tobacco- and if it's heavily cased with PG, it will take a long time- and slowing down are the best recipes for a smooth smoke.

 

[chopper]

Go to www.tobaccoreviews.com to get some idea of a blend [Personally I've learnt to trust @jiminks reviews in particular]
Buy an ounce each of as many different genres as your budget allows.
Jar them. They will keep for decades - some blends, Virginia in particular, get better with age.

There's no such thing as 'too much' tobacco. It will always hold it's value and if crap ever hits the fan, it would be an excellent trade item.
Stock up while you can.

I've also found that many blends taste so much better a week after opening the tin or pouch.

Never ever throw out tobacco. Your tastes will change. Like many smokers I started with aromatics then turned off them for a while, preferring non-aromatics and English or American blends.

Once one understands ones preferences, one learns how to adjust a blend by adding a straight leaf like Virginia, Burley, Oriental, Perique or Latakia or by mixing one blend with another to suit ones particular taste.

After 10 years of smoking a pipe I now like to smoke a little of everything depending on my mood [Except for heavily flavoured gloopy aromatics that is]

There's a few things that improve ones enjoyment that you'll learn over time; learning to pack different cuts just right and moisture level for example.
With time and patience it becomes 2nd nature.

My experience learning how to pack was like most others; now I pack a bowl without giving it much thought.

It also takes time for your palette to adjust. Given time you will start to taste the different flavours.

Enjoy and welcome to the Brotherhood of the Briar.

 

[desrtrat68]

I'm right there with you. Brand new to pipe smoking and have experienced the same thing. Everything tastes the same no matter what "flavor" they say it's supposed to have. I wish I had found this place before I ordered my first round of tobaccos as I may have saved myself some headaches. The people on here know their stuff and I read these threads religiously. Tons of great info in here. Anyway, now after about a dozen or so bowls (determined to at least try each of the aros I ordered) I've found one tobacco that tastes just like it smells. Devil's Holiday is a berry flavor and probably more what you (and I) were expecting when you decided to try a pipe. You don't have to search for the flavor, it smacks you upside the head. It's the first one I've actually really liked, but It may be too topping forward for those who love the taste of straight tobacco. For me, this was exactly what I was looking for. I consider it my training wheels...but I'm just getting started. Going to try some English blends next.

 

[craig61a]

Taste comes with time. My first beer, coffee, bourbon and a number of other things wasn’t the best experience. But over time you’ll gradually come to appreciate the flavors.