New to Pipe Smoking.

[zulu268]

Hello all, sorry for the essay but just wanted to introduce myself. I'm from England. Wanted to smoke a pipe but took up cigars at the start of this year due to the fact it was less of a commitment if I didn't like it. Smoked quite a few cubans, Bolivar No3 was my favourite.
On to the pipe:

Finally bought a pipe around May time. Went to my local shop and wanted a straight pipe but came out with a slightly bent shape. Turned out to be a Zulu shape. It's a Peterson Aran 268. Not sure why I picked this, probably cost and pressure of being a newbie in the shop. First tobacco I tried was OTC St. Bruno flake. Next I tried OTC Condor. Both I found slightly soapy but I now have added Petersons Nutty cut and Dunhill Early Morning pipe tobacco. I like the smell of the Nutty cut but I'm not too keen on the idea of perfume being added to the tobacco. The Dunhill is my favourite so far.
First time I packed the pipe I did it too tight, I now just kinda bung it in lightly and it seems to work for me. I've had the occasional bitter taste at the start but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Haven't experienced tongue bite yet or any gurgling so I think it's going ok. Half a bowl seems to be enough for me, seems to last half hour to forty five mins.
Struggling with the terminology on tobaccos, are all the tobaccos I have tried considered English blends? What would you reccomend as something with a bit different flavour? I tried the nutty cut thinking it may be more nutty tasting like the sweet nutty flavour I get from a bolivar (newb mistake?)
Thanks for listening.

 

[tarak]

Zulu, welcome to the hobby, and welcome to the forum.
I'm also not familiar with the first two tobaccos you mentioned. If you liked Early Morning Pipe, maybe give Dunhill 965 a try? A little stronger on the latakia. Also, since you were smoking some OTC stuff- it seems many people enjoy the Frog Morton Series- especially Frog Morton Cellar. That seems to be a great blend for many people.
enjoy!

 

[papipeguy]

Welcome to the forum. There are some excellent Rattray blends to try as well as Macbaren. You have some other wonderful blends in the UK from Samuel Gawith and others. It's all about experimenting and finding what you like. My suggestion is to find a good tobacconist and ask their advice. A professional will get you going in the right direction and you can move on from there. Keep us posted on your journey. It's a fun hobby and this is the place to share and learn.

 

[nachman]

One I would try if I were you is JF Germains Rich Dark Flake. It is a little more work to prepare it for smoking as it is a flake, but is excellent, It is sold in the States as Stonehaven and is wildly popular and hard to find there. There is plenty of the Rich Dark Flake in the UK. Dunhill London Mixture is good also and more similar to Early Morning Pipe but fuller flavoured.

Edit: When Americans refer to English blends they simply mean tobacco with Latakia in it. They consider Early Morning Pipe a mild English blend. London Mixture is a medium English blend.

 

[Perique]

Zulu, I love that Zulu shape. Great choice in pipe!
I second the suggestion of speaking to a good tobacconist and taking his advice. But even better advice is to try as much variety of tobacco as you can to gain exposure to a variety of flavors and styles. Never throw anything away, even of you hate it. Jar it and set it aside. You'll be surprised how your tastes may change as your smoking technique develops. You should also seek out and join a pipe smoking club where you can sample a wider variety of blends than you could otherwise afford to buy. You'll also be able to trade.
Final piece of advice: start looking for another pipe. You'll want to be able to rotate and give that Pete Zulu a chance to dry out and rest.
Good luck and welcome aboard.

 

[judcole]

Welcome aboard,and welcome to the pipe.

You've gotten some good advice, so far. I would just add my standard advice to new folks: smoke the best tobacco, in the best pipes, you can afford. ::

 

[05venturer]

Welcome to The Club zulu,

In would also recommend Frog Morton Cellar and McClelland Bulk 5125 - COYOTE CLASSIC, these are great Latakia blends. :D

 

[phred]

Welcome, Zulu!
I've been smoking an English blend that is supposed to be a close analogue of Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe, and it's one of my favorites so far. If you're looking for different flavors as a new smoker, I would recommend trying different types of tobacco - Virginias, Burleys, Cavendish (actually a process, not specifically a 'type', but still pretty distinctive), and blends that feature Latakia, Oriental, or Perique tobaccos. It takes some time to develop a palate, I've found, and the subtleties within a particular type may not be obvious at first until you've had some time to smoke more of them.
You'll find a lot of good info in here, so do some looking around. There's also a tobacco-specific sister site,Luxury Tobacco Reviews that has blend-specific information you may find useful.

 

[numbersix]

Welcome Zulu. I think others here answered your questions better than I can.

I think you did well with selecting your Peterson Aran zulu as your first pipe

+1 I really like the Aran zulu

 

[bryanf]

Welcome, you are very fortunate. Condor is my absolute all-time favorite. Love the ready-rub. I buy it (for much more than you have to pay) by the 250g bag which is 5 pouches for $100 here in the USA!
I stretch it out by only smoking a pouch every couple weeks.
If I could only smoke one tobacco for the rest of my life, Condor would be a simple choice. There's just nothing that even compares or even comes close, and all other pipe tobacco's pale in comparison as a second best smoke.
Sad, isn't it?

 

[teufelhund]

Welcome to the forums! Looks like you've found all the info you'll ever need. Happy smoking!

 

[cigrmaster]

Welcome to the forum. That soapy taste you are getting is because of the Lakeland essence on those two blends. I really dislike any tobacco that has that flavoring but there are tons of guys who love it. I was a big cigar smoker when I took up the pipe and the blend that opened my eyes to how great pipe smoking could be was Escudo. I still smoke it on a regular basis 13 years later and I think if you try it you will enjoy it.

 

[zulu268]

Thanks all for the warm welcome. Some good advice here. We have had some good weather recently which has allowed me to get outside and get the zulu going. It's a very peaceful and relaxing thing to do. I'll stick around and have a good read of the forums. Thanks

 

[allan]

Welcome Zulu to the forum
Excellent advice already given.
Good luck and enjoy

 

[jah76]

Welcome Zulu!
I also enjoy Dunhill's EMP. I really opened my eyes up to "other" flavors. A bit of a gateway tobacco for me.