Hello, am beginning my journey here, and looked around and did some research on the different types of tobacco/cuts/etc. Would like to ask for any comments/suggestions as to what would be a good tobacco to start with. I am a socially cigar smoking person, and mostly mild to medium ones at those. I also like sweeter cigars on occasions, so looking to find the same niche with pipe smoking hopefully. Thank you!
Starter Tobacco
- Thread starter Nostalgic Smoker
- Start date
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In your case start with a ribbon cut burley type like old Joe blue, peretti 333, pegasus, Golden extra or va/bur type like night train.
From there you might move to flakes like va/bur Mac old dark or Virginia opening night, newminster 400 or Sutliff va slices.
You can also try haunted bookshop cake or regular old joe which have more of the nic.
Then orientals like oriental silk or bijou or regents flake/temple bar
Then English perhaps blackpoint picadilly or pirate cake
Then perique like chenet cake, bayou morning, evening flake or escudo.
I also figure a starter tobacco is the tobacco I pick in the morning!
From there you might move to flakes like va/bur Mac old dark or Virginia opening night, newminster 400 or Sutliff va slices.
You can also try haunted bookshop cake or regular old joe which have more of the nic.
Then orientals like oriental silk or bijou or regents flake/temple bar
Then English perhaps blackpoint picadilly or pirate cake
Then perique like chenet cake, bayou morning, evening flake or escudo.
I also figure a starter tobacco is the tobacco I pick in the morning!
What caused you to pick up a pipe? If you enjoy tobacco, you will likely try several blends and varietals while you learn the ropes. (another type of tobacco presentation).
My first really 'all day' starter was Sir Walter Raleigh. I gradually learned to smoke a pipe with tubs of it.
Simultaneously, I was intrigued enough to continue and to sample a huge variety, so that I have a handle on what's what in the pipe tobacco world.
I watched video of blend reviews, read reviews, and traded some of mine for some of 'his'. I participated in a forum tobacco crawl that we had a few yrs back where we'd all buy 4 blends from a blender and over the course of the month, we'd discuss our experiences. There were blends from Russ Ouellette, Greg Pease, C&D, and 4Noggins.
As a beginner, I think you should stay away from the really cheap bulk stuff for the time being.
My first really 'all day' starter was Sir Walter Raleigh. I gradually learned to smoke a pipe with tubs of it.
Simultaneously, I was intrigued enough to continue and to sample a huge variety, so that I have a handle on what's what in the pipe tobacco world.
I watched video of blend reviews, read reviews, and traded some of mine for some of 'his'. I participated in a forum tobacco crawl that we had a few yrs back where we'd all buy 4 blends from a blender and over the course of the month, we'd discuss our experiences. There were blends from Russ Ouellette, Greg Pease, C&D, and 4Noggins.
As a beginner, I think you should stay away from the really cheap bulk stuff for the time being.
There are lots of ways to go about this. I recommend that for just starting to avoid aromatics, as they can be troublesome for inexperienced smokers. Tobbacco Reviews (Tobacco Reviews | Browse and Review your Favorite Pipe Tobacco Products - https://www.tobaccoreviews.com/) will provide insight into things like strength, room note, etc., and you can get a sense of what's popular. Smoking Pipes Top Ten list is another place to get ideas. If you want mild/medium avoid OJK and Night Train.
I’d just chip in, you need to forget cigars completely. Pipe smoking is a totally different experience. It’s far more subtle than a cigar could ever be. If you come at pipe smoking from this angle you’ll love your pipe but if you want pipe smoke to be anything like a cigar you’ll be disappointed. It’s like comparing a car to a motorcycle, they both have an engine and wheels but they deliver a different experience. Early Morning Pipe is a great beginner tobacco but I think it would be way too light for you.
Leastways you don't smoke cigarettes. Pipe smoking isn't anything like smoking cigarettes. The problem with recommending a blend is that there are literally 10's of thousands to choose from. I think it would be wise to steer clear of aromatics until you have learned how to smoke a pipe. In this vein I would suggest a mild English blend.
Thank you for the info. Much appreciated.In your case start with a ribbon cut burley type like old Joe blue, peretti 333, pegasus, Golden extra or va/bur type like night train.
From there you might move to flakes like va/bur Mac old dark or Virginia opening night, newminster 400 or Sutliff va slices.
You can also try haunted bookshop cake or regular old joe which have more of the nic.
Then orientals like oriental silk or bijou or regents flake/temple bar
Then English perhaps blackpoint picadilly or pirate cake
Then perique like chenet cake, bayou morning, evening flake or escudo.
I also figure a starter tobacco is the tobacco I pick in the morning!
Thank you for your input. I always wanted to pick up and smoke a pie, just got into cigars, but never forgot about pipe smoking.
I think am ready, and convinced, that it will be a different experience all together. Just wanted to mention the cigar smoking as part of my introduction. Was not sure if it will bear any weight, but seeing your response makes me happy I put it in there. Thanks for the insight.
If you want to really feel your way around pretty good but I don't know your budget get these.
Peterson- Navy Rolls, EMP, Royal Yacht
Capstan - Blue Ready Rubbed
C&D - Exclusive, Old Joe Krantz, Bayou Morning, Habana Daydream, Pirate Kake, Autumn Evening, Chenet’s Cake.
GLP- Westminster, Quiet Nights
GH-SG - Bob’s Chocolate Flake, Best Brown, 1792, Rum/ Jamaican Flake,
Navy Flake.
Peterson- Navy Rolls, EMP, Royal Yacht
Capstan - Blue Ready Rubbed
C&D - Exclusive, Old Joe Krantz, Bayou Morning, Habana Daydream, Pirate Kake, Autumn Evening, Chenet’s Cake.
GLP- Westminster, Quiet Nights
GH-SG - Bob’s Chocolate Flake, Best Brown, 1792, Rum/ Jamaican Flake,
Navy Flake.
"Sweeter cigars" to me sounds like you like flavored cigars, acids, etc., so maybe some aromatics tobaccos, easy get, lots of flavors, easy to smoke, etc.,
I wouldn’t go all out at once but it’s enough variety atleast for my tastes to give you some ideas and feel things out till you gravitate towards something specific.
I wish I could be more helpful but my experience starting 10 years ago was that even with all the recommended blends I still needed to go out and try a butt ton of different tobaccos to determine what suited me best. Through all the trials I finally determined they all suite me best, just some I like more or less than others. 
Part of the fun is the experience of trying new blends. You don't have to go out and buy a ton of it, just get a tin and and smoke it. Worst thing you can do though, as I did is open a tin and think to myself 'there has to be another one better than this.' In my experience there wasn't. New tins where just different. Now I have enough tobacco to give my great great grandchildren stale tobacco. Haddo's Delight tobacco became one of my greatest favorites.
Part of the fun is the experience of trying new blends. You don't have to go out and buy a ton of it, just get a tin and and smoke it. Worst thing you can do though, as I did is open a tin and think to myself 'there has to be another one better than this.' In my experience there wasn't. New tins where just different. Now I have enough tobacco to give my great great grandchildren stale tobacco. Haddo's Delight tobacco became one of my greatest favorites.If you're just starting out with a pipe, I don't think you'd go wrong with starting with a classic burley 'codger' blend like Prince Albert, Carter Hall or Sir Walter Raleigh. They are pretty forgiving to smoke and their simple flavour is right there for you. Pair it with a couple of Missouri meerschaum corn cob pipes and your all set. Initial investment can be very low, a few ounces of said burley blends and say two MM cobs can be had for like $40-50. Once you've got the hang of pipe smoking then you can easily expand out from there in any direction you want to go.
Parson's Blend is a drier aro (in my limited experience) and is very pleasant to smoke if you are looking for something sweeter without being as fruity (or wet) as something like Lane 1Q
Sorry, just realized I'm kind of necroposting.....
Sorry, just realized I'm kind of necroposting.....
Holly's Non Plus Ultra and Elwood Flake are my two recommendations for the neophyte pipe smoker. Nothing quite like them.
