Pairing your pipe with...

[jaywellington]

Well, a very common topic, but simple things in life are the most essential!

I would like to open a discussion about combinations that might enhance pipe-smoking pleasure, interesting tastes etc.

I would like you to reflect upon it, share your experience, and suggest ways of enjoying pipe tobacco with drinks, beverages, or even foods and activities.

A rather tasty albeit ordinary combination I enjoy is certain tobaccos that are a match with black coffee. I like my coffee totally black (no sugar, no nothing!), and flavored tobaccos, offering their unique sweetness, make me enjoy both coffee and pipe more. The ideal blend for this combination is, in my opinion, Cherry Cavendish (I am mostly smoking Borkum Riff so far).

Another pairing I like is pipe and alcohol, although I haven't as yet found the right drink or drink type, and the equally 'suitable' blend that make it an ideal combination.

I have tried pipe and red wine, but the results were less exciting than I expected, despite the fact that I love red red wine!

I will also try it with Jack Daniel's and see how it goes...

I'm looking forward to reading your ideas!
For your information, I am a new pipe smoker,and new to the site, therefore my suggestions might seem weird or whatever!

Be lenient

 

[crpntr1]

First welcome aboard, glad to have you here with us.

I prefer Burley with coffee, this morning its mcb London Burley blend. With whiskey, Jack or Jim will work but I prefer Ezra Brooks, I like a light English ...frog Morton on the town, squadron leader, and millionaire blend are my favorites. With bloody Mary, which usually gos along with poker, I like Virginia ..connoisseurs flake or full Virginia flake.

 

[jah76]

I like VaPers with black coffee. But then I like everything with coffee.

Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake tastes heavenly with bourbon.

 

[tbaccylassie]

I'm relatively new too, primarily an aro smoker, and finding which aros go better with other beverages or even food. There's a small local Tobacconist in my neighborhood that carries their own custom blends, and just found out this morning that "Morgan Junction Amaretto" with black coffee is amazing. Davidoff Blue with a dirty vodka martini.... Some how the hint of fruit and the olive smooth vodka are very tasty for me. Stanwell Melange with ginger ale... Refreshing! (tried it with other clear sodas... Not so great). As I cut my teeth into trying other blends (non aro) I look forward to the fun of finding tasty pairings. :D

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I've found a lot of aros go great with the sweetness of a glass of Bailey's Irish Cream on the rocks, preferably whiskey rocks found at Sur La Tab. I'll also get a good response out of Jim Beams Red Stag and Ginger Ale (which I've dubbed a Baratheon) and Kraken and Coke (which I call a Greyjoy).

 

[jaywellington]

Thank you!

:puffpipe:

Chris,

very interesting!

And I didn't know of Erza Brook's, might as well try finding it (I don't know if it's available in Greece).
jah76

I have tried Mac Baren's Seven Seas Gold Blend and I liked it!

I should try the Vanilla Cream Flake with my bourbon!

 

[cigrmaster]

Hi Jay, welcome to the site. I smoke almost exclusively Virginia flakes and Virginia/Perique flakes. I find the natural sweetness in the Virginia's suit my tastes and the vaper flakes suit me when I want something spicier yet still sweet. I find flake tobacco's provide more intense flavors as compared to ribbon or cubed cuts.
Since you are new I would suggest trying one tin of Fribourg&Treyer Cut Virginia Plug for a VA flake and one tin of Solani 633 for an example of a vaper flake. They are two of my favorites and a great introduction into the world of flakes. Both are ready to smoke out of the tin and both are readily available at any one of our sponsors.
Now in regards to combinations here are some of mine. In the morning I will make either Starbucks French Roast or Cafe du Monde for my coffee. My first smoke of the day is always a VA Flake. I will switch to iced tea in the afternoons which I feel goes great with a pipe. For my adult libations I drink either Tito Vodka Gimlets, with cranberry, or with tonic and cranberry mix, or with tonic and lemon. I find sweet goes much better with a pipe. I do not like red wine or beer with a pipe, but that is me. I understand most new pipe smokers go for aromatics in the beginning, but I think you will be limiting yourself if you don't explore the world of flakes. In regards to preparing the flakes to smoke, I would recommend the cube cut method, it works great. There is a thread started by Bentmike in the tobacco discussion room describing the technique.

 

[jaywellington]

Thank you all again for your replies!
tbaccylassie

I am an aromatic smoker too, mostly due to the wide availability of aros in my country, whereas more 'far-fetched' or, in plain words, non-drugstore tobaccos are hard to find easily. I didn't know Davidoff were making even pipe tobaccos! I can expect a Davidoff cola now any time :P (by the way, their filter coffee is good).

Oh, and ginger ale rocks!
cigrmaster

One of the reasons why I haven't tried flakes so far is that I thought the preparation process was sophisticated and thought I would spoil an otherwise good smoke, being a new smoker.

Another reason is that in Greece there are mostly pouches, and usually the very famous brands (Captain Black, Borkum Riff, Mac Baren, Clan), which, I think are not flakes.

I would like to give it a try, and order some from the site's sponsors if I don't find anything notable at the tobacconist stores I know. (there was also a rumor that because many pipe smokers ordered tobaccos from abroad - US etc- there has been a kind of ban in such orders to my country, don't know if it's true, it sounds a bit surreal, but a pipe smoker with years of experience I know, told me about it. I will soon find out!).
Thus, I smoke aromatics, but since I can't really taste the 'flavors' that are described on the pouches (only hints of the 'hints'), I was thinking of trying more expensive, unflavored brands.
Now, regarding combinations, I don't like pipe and beer either, as I didn't like beer with my cigars.

Hope I'll try your recommendations!
Oh, by the way, is it true that corn cob pipes give you a better 'impression' of the flavor in aromatics, as compared with briars?

 

[nsfisher]

I drink Maxwell House Original Roast, instant, exclusivly. Any baccy goes well with it.

 

[gwtwdbss]

I love a good cup of joe with my pipe. I usually prefer straight black. I saw some Pumpkin Pecan pie coffee at Cracker Barrel the other day. I may have to go back and buy a bag of that and give it a try though.

 

[tbradsim1]

First thing in the morning, strong coffee, Nitecap, silence. The old cajun

 

[papipeguy]

With anything 88 proof or higher.

 

[roudoudou]

Welcome aboard!
Don't worry about being wrong/weird in asking: you just joined a great community!
As for drink pairing, you could try dark beers: stouts or porters.

Or single malts.

 

[garyovich]

I love bourbon and JD, however I feel like these exacerbate tongue bite for me. I have found a mellow scotch to be my alcohol pairing of choice with most baccy.

 

[foggymountain]

A Lat blend with Johnnie Walker double black. This Scotch is peaty tasting--great with tobacco.

 

[hunter]

I'm also new to pipe smoking but in the past I've enjoyed mixed drinks with my cigars, I've also been enjoying the simple but classic Whisky and Coke with a pipe, I'm going to start trying different blends of tea in the morning with my morning smoke. I am fairly sure that English Breakfast will do wonders! Cheers

 

[cigrmaster]

jay, check 4noggins.com. He is a site sponsor and I know he ships a lot to Canada. See if he will ship to you. There must be some real tobacconists in your country who sell quality blends, if not hopefully there are tobacconists in the EU who will ship to you. As far as cobbs go I have never smoked one, but from people I know and trust, they tell me that a good quality briar is superior to a cobb, no matter what you are smoking in it.

 

[jaywellington]

Foggymountain
I will try it, Johnny Black used to be my drink! :!:
hunter and cigrmaster
Because I smoked cigars before switching to pipes (now the former are really occasional), I always wanted to try a blend that is redolent of cigars (i.e not so sweet).

Do you have any non-flavored suggestion that simulates some of the 'harshness' cigars have to offer?
cigrmaster
Thanks for your help! I'm sure I have to search more (regarding tobacconists in my country)

and might get some help from the Greek pipe forum as well.

4noggings.com has a great variety!

 

[hunter]

Sorry bud, I am so new to pipe smoking I wouldn't have a clue where to start on giving suggestions. I assume that Captain Black might do the trick as that is the usual cigar I had when I use to live in a small town without any access to a tobacconist.

 

[jaywellington]

Thanks hunter

I wanted to try Captain Black anyways, and it is widely available in kiosks etc.

I am new to pipe smoking too, so I'm exploring this world still!