I have ordered Mac Barens Vanilla Cream to start my pipe smoking but would like to order a "tobaccos only" blend. Maybe a mild English blend??? There are so many choices!!! Suggestions with reasons for the recommendation would be appreciated. Thanks.
Recommended First Non-Aromatic
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I started with VC and Original Choice. My first non-aro was Peterson Sherlock Holmes. A nice mellow VA. Seemed like a good place to start, and it did me well. For a mild English, I would recommend John Bull Royal English. Also, I just tried a sample of MacBaren's Latakia Rolls blend. Pretty stellar. I'd start with a light VA first, though, if I were you.
In my opinion, I would possibly go with: Orlik Golden Sliced, Mac Baren Golden Extra, Mac Baren Scottish Mixture, any of the Peter Stokkebye flakes, Newminster 400 Superior Navy Flake ...I started off with aros and had never been much of a tobacco guy in life previously...those blends totally changed my entire palate and approach to the hobby.
Let any of these dry out nicely, smoke slow, and retrohale...you'll be headed for the heart of flavor country
Let any of these dry out nicely, smoke slow, and retrohale...you'll be headed for the heart of flavor country
Edward G Robinson. It's a step out of aromatics, but not too far, and with a dash of latakia to give you something to look for. It's a good crossover blend.
Rattray's Accountants mixture, enough cavendish to mellow the latakia some, and give a bit of sweetness. Nice, easy transition to the dark side...that you will probably still want smoke after getting in a bit deeper.
Presbyterian is about the best mild English out there, with a minute amount of Latakia and mellow Orientals.
I'd also suggest Orlik Golden Sliced for a great Virginia to learn on (has just a hint of Perique).
Your best bet is grabbing one from each genre to test the waters. As you find things you like, you can start branching out.
You and I have different ideas about "easy," fella.
I do like Nightcap, but I usually leave it for when I want an English to dump some Perique on me, or else on days when I've smoked several bowls, my palate is shot, but I want to taste what I'm smoking.Are recent Peterson Nightcap releases more mellow than the Dunhill? I've got some Peterson saved back, but am working through some aged Dunhill bulk I happened upon.
I agree with other posters that Orlik GS is a good choice. You also might want to try a good transition tobacco such a MacBaren Mixture, Golden extra or Amphora Original or even Amphora full aroma which, while somewhat aromatic, sort of straddles the genres. You also cannot go wrong with any number of blends from L.J. Perretti in Boston. They produce a variety of burley blends (as well as others) which are almost all tobacco forward even if they have a light casing.
If I could go back and try it all for the first time, I would start with the HH line from MacBaren. I think they’re exceptional blends that showcase the tobaccos well. It’s good quality leaf all from the same blender so you can get an idea of different tobaccos. If after trying the entirety of the HH line you don’t find anything you even remotely like... then you’re an aro guy.
My first foray into the English tobaccos was Rattray's Highland Targe. It's a phenomenal tasting and smelling (via nose buried in can) blend, easy smoking and well behaved. Old Dublin, 965 and Squadron Leader are also pretty good starts.
After you mess around with some Latakia mixtures, then move to some Virginias like Orlik Slices or the Stokkebye flakes, maybe Hamborger Veermaster.
After you mess around with some Latakia mixtures, then move to some Virginias like Orlik Slices or the Stokkebye flakes, maybe Hamborger Veermaster.
An agreeable mild/medium English is John Bull in a pouch from PC. A pleasing Virginia/Perique is Sutliff Match Elizabethan. And an easygoing burley is Amphora Burley. All can be sampled in a pouch, or the Sutlff in an ounce or two in bulk. Keep quantities small until you find what your like after two or three years, and what you don't like, jar and try again later. Either a little aging may improve it, or you tastes will develop. You'll be surprised at how something you find harsh, bland, or too strong, etc. can suit you better over time.
MyMixture 965 was my first love.
I suggest starting there.
I suggest starting there.
Agree with this for sure. A tin of each would give a good idea of some directions of basic profiles as long as one doesn't mind mostly flakes.
I'm a recent pipe smoker and a Canuck as well. When I began I was truly confused about tobaccos. I had no idea what Virginia tasted like, as opposed to Burley or whatever, not to mention how to choose between the hundreds of blends. Expense was an issue too, what with the high cost of tobacco in Canada, and I didn't want to throw money away. Finally I sorted out an approach that worked for me. I decided to order several Amphora blends in pouches (Virginia, Burley, Black Cavendish and Original). This provided me an inexpensive way to sample different non-aromatics in order to see what suited me, as well as to discover the differing tastes of Virginia, Cavendish and Burley before plunging into the multitude of more complex blends. Might be a worthwhile approach to consider. Cheers!
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If you want to go English, try:
Arrango Balkan Supreme
Rattray's Red Raparree
If you want to go Virginia, try:
Newminster 400
Watch City Flake 558
If you want to go Red Virginia, try:
Watch City Simply Red
If you want to go VaPer, try:
Hearth & Home Anniversary Kake (or Flake)
Watch City Old Dominion
If you want to go burley, try:
Watch City Slices
Uhle's Crushed White Burley
Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired
If you want to go English Aromatic, try:
Two Friends English Chocolate
Gawith Bob's Chocolate Flake
Arrango Balkan Supreme
Rattray's Red Raparree
If you want to go Virginia, try:
Newminster 400
Watch City Flake 558
If you want to go Red Virginia, try:
Watch City Simply Red
If you want to go VaPer, try:
Hearth & Home Anniversary Kake (or Flake)
Watch City Old Dominion
If you want to go burley, try:
Watch City Slices
Uhle's Crushed White Burley
Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired
If you want to go English Aromatic, try:
Two Friends English Chocolate
Gawith Bob's Chocolate Flake
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