March 2019 - Excited and wanting to learn form the masters.

[frankrem]

My pipe journey began in the early 80's - Though not officially. I was just a kid hanging out at my mothers place of employment. I spent most of my summers in Bush Gardens in Virginia and would wander the park every day looking for things to do. They had a tobacco shop in the park back in those days and I wandered in one day and I remember being captivated by the smells inside.
Fast forward to March 2019 and I finally decided at 46 to give it a go. I have never smoked in my life up until this point and have spent a lot of time watching YouTube for advise from (MuttonChop Piper) and various other You-tubers. Naturally I was drawn to the aromatics because of my childhood memory. I figured for sure they would be my favorites and I have not enjoyed them nearly as much as I figured. I'm sure its cadence and my inexperience that has a lot to do with this. (No serious tongue bite yet though) Been very cautious about that.
My favorite so far has been Captain Black Royal -
If I were to ask one thing from the wise old veterans it would be for a solid recommendation from the 4 types that I know off. Prioritizing quality -
The 4 types I am aware of and please correct me if I am wrong. I am 110% a novice and just a babe lost in the woods at this point.
Aromatics

English

Oriental

Virginia
Those are the main 4 I hear about. I would like to get a good tobacco from each and see how they relate to one another and figure out where my tastes seem to take me.
Thank you so much for the chance to be a member of this community and look forward to any feedback.

 

[mso489]

Welcome aboard. Don't forget burley. Sample in small quantities for a year or two, even if you love a blend. Your tastes will change.

 

[sablebrush52]

Besides the types you mentioned there are Burleys, and these are the backbone for OTC's, like Carter Hall.
Don't be too surprised that your tobacco doesn't taste like it smells. That's pretty common.
For now, I'd suggest that you stick to your favorite, and experiment with packing and especially moisture levels. While I don't recommend smoking tobacco too moist, as excess moisture tends to mask flavors, with aros I tend to leave a tiny bit more moisture, just a bit above a bit above bone dry. Try experimenting with your tobacco's moisture and its effect on flavors before jumping into a lot of other blends. Figure out one blend and you're on your way to figuring them all out.
I'm not much of an English smoker these days, having burned out on Latakia after years of smoking it, so I'll leave that to others. I do suggest that you investigate OTCs like Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic and Chatham Manor.

 

[puffy]

Welcome Aboard

 

[frankrem]

@mso489 Thank you for the welcome. I'll keep that in mind. Last thing I need is a bulk order of anything
@sablebrush52 I'll be sure to check those out. Thank you for your input.
@Puffy Thank you

 

[alaskanpiper]

I am not even close to a wise old veteran, but here are mine:
I try to list easier to find ones first, then great blends that are tougher to find.
Aromatics: Scotty's Trout Stream, Lane 1Q, Rattray's Bagpiper's dream....harder to get, Nording Hunters Labrador
English Balkan: Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding, GL Pease Maltese Falcon, Ashton Artisan's Blend....harder to get, Balkan Sobranie, Esoterica Penzance, Rattray's Red Rapparree
Oriental: Cornell & Diehl Bijou
Virginia: Capstan Blue, MacBaren HH Pure Virginia......Harder to get Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, Esoterica Brighton, any VA by Mclelland
Virginia/Perique: RO Firestorm or GP-11, Escudo Navy, Solani 633...........harder to get, Esoterica Dunbar, Rattray's Marlin Flake, Hal o the Wynd, or Old Gowrie
Burley: Solani Aged Burley Flake (Not a big pure Burley guy, at least not yet, it's the only one I really like so far)
Dark Fired: MacBaren Old Dark Fired
Hope that helps. Again, there will be people with much more experience and likely better palates here to give you some choices. I'd listen to them first, I'm a relative n00b myself.

 

[werebear]

Yes you finally got here! There is so much knowledge contained in the people here. I am nearly positive that any question you have can be answered here so don't be afraid to ask.

 

[danimalia]

Welcome!
Here are my recs. I'm trying to pick blends that are representative of their genre, have plenty of flavor, and aren't overwhelming in terms of nicotine or spiciness. Also, should be readily available.
Aromatic: Hearth & Home CLassic Burley Kake - I think this is a fine starting point for Burleys as well.

English: GL Pease Maltese Falcon - Rich, sophisticated and a bit exotic. The first English/Latakia blend I fell in love with.

Oriental: Balkan Supreme - This is a cheap bulk tobacco, but it's also pretty excellent Very Latakia/Oriental forward.

Virginia/VaPer: Orlik Golden Sliced (flake) - Has a very small amount of perique, but this is great stuff. It was my introduction into the world of VA based blends.

 

[dmcmtk]

If your liking CB Royal, you will love Wilke 191, Grammercy Park, and 196.
https://www.wilkepipetobacco.com/product-page/wilke-no-191
https://www.wilkepipetobacco.com/product-page/gramercy-park
https://www.wilkepipetobacco.com/product-page/wilke-no-196

 

[frankrem]

Alaskanpiper, Danimalia - Thank you for your recommendations. I will start building my collection with your recommendations.
Dmcmtk - Thank you for the links - and the recommendations as well.
I can't thank all of you enough. Wearbear thank you for recommending these forums to me.

 

[danimalia]

Hope you enjoy them! Be sure to let us know what you think.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Nice to have You here, Be Welcome Yet I'd like to repeat what Members Mso489 and Mr.Sablebrush were saying above.Best Greets,P

 

[alaskanpiper]

No prob, enjoy

 

[frankrem]

Okay just ordered 4 to try.
Seattle Pipe Club Pudding 2oz

Cornell & Diehl Bijou 2oz

Mac Baren HH Pure Virginia 1.75oz

GL Pease Maltese Falcon 2oz
I figure this will be a good place to start - I'll start working my way down the suggestions over time.

 

[alaskanpiper]

That will certainly give you a good introduction into non-aromatic tobaccos. I hope you like latakia, haha.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

You're going to get a ton of great advise from the members here. I will simply add this. Most aromatics are not the best blends for a beginning pipe smoker. Most can't detect the flavors of such, and many get nasty tongue bite, or have a hard time keeping them lit, all because of the added flavorings, toppings, etc., added to them. I'm certainly not saying this to put down aromatics at all. Some of my favorite blends are aromatics. If you must try aromatics, as a beginner, I would recommend trying a crossover blend. Kramer's Blend For Cary Grant, for example, is a fantastic English/Aromatic which is not goopy or overly moist, and should be quite forgiving to the newer smoker.
And by the way, welcome from Texas!

 

[jpmcwjr]

What Anthony says. And welcome from California!

 

[aquadoc]

Read the 1940s article posted below.

 

[frankrem]

Thank you Anthony. Up here in Arkansas myself. I appreciate the advice.
Aquadoc I read that today actually. I was quiet intrigued at how so many new pipe smokers like myself were making the same mistakes all those years ago.
I will certainly lean on all of you and appreciate the guidance.

 

[danimalia]

Those are some great selections. You'll definitely be able to figure out where to branch out from there. I've actually been meaning to try HH Pure VA, as I love the other HH flakes I've had. And VA/Oriental blends without Latakia like Bijou are another area I am excited to start exploring, so I will be especially curious what you think of those two.