Pipe Tobacco Recommendation For A 1St Time Smoker

[virginialover]

I would personally go for a non aromatic, something light in the nicotine level but with enough tobacco taste to keep it interesting. Also it needs to have good burning qualities, we all know how difficult it is for a beginner to keep the pipe lit.
Amphora Original Blend and J.F.Germain Uncle Tom's comes to mind. Any other suggestions? Thank you.

 

[JimInks]

Outside of the two you mentioned, I'd add Angler's Dream, Match Revelation, and Lane Ready Rubbed, among a bunch of others. Even though it is labeled as an aromatic, I'd recommend Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic, which isn't much more aromatic than Amphora Original.

 

[virginialover]

What about Sir Walter Raleigh and Prince Albert? Thank you for mentioning an American OTC, sometimes you need someone to show you what's right in front of you.

 

[cortezattic]

Your previous posts suggest you aren't a first time smoker.

Is your request hypothetical, or are you asking for someone else?

 

[deathmetal]

Mostly natural leaf, of several varieties, and a cob sounds good to me. Then watch the breathsmoking videos, practice technique, and remember to enjoy.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic is a great suggestion/tobacco in general. Pouches of drugstore tobacco can be found cheap enough and provide a good benchmark for starting out with. I switched from rolling cigarettes and already used Stokkebye blends so when transitioning I went straight to Bullseye and Navy Flake, bit of a learning curve compared to starting with Carter Hall and a cob.

 

[virginialover]

Cortez, of course I have my own view on the subject but I would prefer to take into account my fellow pipe smokers' opinions.

 

[nevadablue]

?

 

[virginialover]

It's not for me of course but for a beginner.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I'll add Pegasus and Carter Hall.

 

[unkleyoda]

EMP, Elizabethan, Sherlock Holmes, Squadron Leader, Proper English.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I wish someone had just handed me a tin of Orlik GS to begin with.
I hardly ever smoke it now, but after a couple months of trying different aromatics and English blends..that first bowl of OGS was a revelation.

 

[wizhunter]

I'm new to the pipe scene and struggled at first,i thought it was my packing but since switching to the 3 Dunhill tobacco's i have, i haven't had a problem, it seems ok to me straight out of the tin.The one's i use are Nightcap,Elizabethan mixture and everyones favourite Royal Yacht.I now figure that the Condor ready rubbed that i started with was to moist.

Hope this helps
Wiz

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I wouldn’t suggest flakes for a first timer. MCClelland’s Red Cake. Virginias are a base leaf for Englishness, VaPers, and even most other mixes. If you can learn to enjoy the Virginias from various companies, you will have a better understanding for the rest of the blends out there.
Red Cake 5100

C&D Virginia Flake (which isn’t a Flake)

Blackjack

I used to add Astleys 109 to this, but they changed their formula and made it a real Flake :::sigh:::
And from there you can roam the many other selections of Virginias or branch out. But, I think understanding what is the Virginia in a blend will help you learn what all of the other blended leaves are.

 

[cigrmaster]

I always recommend Escudo for a first time smoker. Yes I know it is a flake and flakes are alleged to be tough for a beginner but the reality is the extra time it may take to smoke a flake is worth it as the flavor of Escudo is worth the extra time. Escudo was the blend that made me fall in love with smoking a pipe. I had been a 20 year cigar smoker and a 25 year cigarette smoker when I picked up the pipe. Escudo was a revelation and it was not the first blend I tried. I don't know how much longer I would have stayed with the pipe if I had not tried Escudo.
When people recommend drug store pouches I believe you are setting up people to fail. These blends have little to no flavor, the ribbon cut makes them a hot smoker and the only thing they have going for them is a decent room note which should not matter to a first time smoker.
Flakes smoke cooler than any other cut of tobacco. If a new smokers goes online to learn how to cube cut a flake, I believe they are giving themselves a better shot at sticking with the pipe. Another blend I recommend to a new smoker is Dunhill Flake. I would recommend Fribourg & Tryer Cut Virginia Plug first, but that blend is difficult to find. Both Escudo and Dunhill Flake are easy to get. Dunhill Flake has some really nice caramel notes and is a naturally sweet tasting blend.
I also recommend people start with a good briar pipe and not a cob. I always tell people that again you will have a much better shot at enjoying pipe smoking if you have a good pipe that smokes cool and dry. Savinelli is the brand I always recommend as it is the most consistent brand for under 100.00. You can pay 60-75 bucks for a really good pipe that will make the tobacco you choose taste great. After all that is the reason we smoke a pipe, to taste really good tobacco. Smoking a cheap drug store blend with a cob is almost a guarantee to make people give up the pipe quickly. My first pipe was a Sav and I still smoke it from time to time 20 years later.
Hopefully this makes sense to some new smokers we have here on the site. If there is anyone who needs help with learning how to cube cut flakes, please get in touch with me. If you need a recommendation for a pipe, please get in touch. Pipe smoking is not a cheap hobby. If you balk at a 75.00 pipe then you really should re think even getting started with pipes and tobacco.