Low-nicotine recommendations

[alexnorth]

Hello everybody

I just became a member here and I am kinda new to pipe smoking. I have been smoking a pipe occasionally for a couple of months and it is strictly for pleasure. I have smoked cigarettes Before but stopped years ago.
I am looking to you fine gentlemen and women for help in choosing my next tobacco purchase.

I am currently breaking in my new Peterson pipe and i have a straight Burley Tobacco which I've read will do it well. Reading up on the different Tobaccos i found that Burley contains alot (the most?) nicotine and i felt it in half a bowl. Not nauseated but a bit light headed.
I have also been enjoying a tin of rattray´s Royal albert which i don't feel affected by at all in the same way.
Flake Tobacco looks inviting to me and I am currently eyeing the SG st james flake. I Think it sounds very interesting but I am afraid that it might be too Heavy in the nicotine departement. How does it stack up to the best Brown flake? Should I perhaps choose something else entirely?
I guess I'm all over the Place here but I've got like a million questions buzzing around my head and its so damn funny this hobby!
All suggestions are welcome! puff away..

 

[menuhin]

Hallo alexnorth,

Welcome to the forum!

I haven't tried Rattray's Royal Albert so I do not know what your bottom line of "low nicotine" is. But the two SG flakes (St. James Flake & BBF) seem to be on the heavier than on the light side. For SG flake, I would suggest perhaps Sam's Flake - good Virginia sweetness but not heavy. Good solid Va or VaPer flakes seem to be on the heavier side in general, just in my opinion.

I am sure other forum members can give you some good suggestions.

Enjoy your journey of pipe smoking!

 

[jgriff]

I don't know where you are located but if you want to experience Virginias and don't want to push the nicotine then try pretty much anything from McClelland's. The Sam Gawaith stuff is great but on the heavier side of nicotine. I think it's the African leaf.
Also, pretty much any aromatic (like the Royal Albert) isn't going to be too high in nicotine.
Straight burley tends to be higher on the nic scale but I've found that most of the OTC like Carter Hall or Prince Albert isn't that strong.

 

[brudnod]

Welcome and enjoy the forum. I am very sensitive to nicotine so the tobacco that I have gotten used to is Lane MV-1000 which can be obtained from many brick and mortar stores as well as online stores. Mildly aromatic and minimal nicotine. Enjoy!

 

[fmgee]

I have not tried Rattray's Royal Albert but I find there is not too much nicotine in Rattray's Red Rapparee. McClellands is good for lower nicotine but flavourful blends. Also a 9mm activated carbon filter pipe makes a big difference to reduce nicotine with some blends so that is something you might want to consider. Also with some higher nicotine blends I just smoke a smaller bowled pipe or only pack a half pipe.

 

[escioe]

If you avoid burley in general, you should be alright.
McClelland's blends are also famously low in nicotine.

 

[buster]

Mac Baren vanilla cream flake might be rite up your alley? You need to smoke it s-l-o-w to bring out the sweet flavor.

 

[alexnorth]

Unfortunately I can't find a Swedish retailer that sells McClellands. Lots of Gawith though... As I do have an aromatic I figured I'd go broader and try a VA. I think I'll give Sam's flake a go and see how I like it.
It is described as Virginia with added Turkish, what are the characteristics of Turkish tobacco?

 

[jgriff]

Turkish (and Orientals in general) are extremely light on the nicotine. It's much more a flavor element than anything else. They are pretty subtle but there is no better way to find out if you like than to try it.
I don't know what's readily available in Sweden but I'd imagine alot of the German/Danish stuff would be available. You've tried Rattray's already and their Virginia stuff is great too - look at Old Gowrie and Brown Clunee as the most accessible of them. (The Marlin Flake & Black Virginia can be tricky to prep and the Hal o the Wynd might be stronger than you want to start with but those three are great too.)
Orlik is probably available too and the Orlik Golden Slice is very accessible and light virginia flake (nominally, it has perique in it too but I'm convinced they merely whisper the word over the tin).
As an American, I'm envious that some of the great British "drug-store" stuff isn't available here but you may have access to Player's Navy Cut or St Bruno and they are both excellent and on the lighter side.

 

[alexnorth]

Thank you so much for your recommendations. There are indeed lots available and Denmark isn't even much of a trip distance-wise...

 

[alexnorth]

I just got home from the post office with where I picked up these beauties

Now I just need to fill them with something... I got the big one so stuff with SG Sam's flake, the other two im not sure about.

Any of you fine gentlemen and women who's got a serious "must-try" for a newbie pipester?

 

[elpfeife]

Give Orlik Golden Slices a try. Many, including myself, have found it opens the door to enjoying VAs.

 

[tarak]

Really any Virginia flake is going to be lower on the Nic list, generally speaking, than other tobaccos.