Tobacco for Beginner

[tunek]

I smoked for the first time last friday (gosh I'm new to this :D ).
I bought a Mr. Brog "Old boy" and Mac Baren Vannila Cream loose cut tobacco. I don't think I did it the right way, beacuse I had a taste and smell of regular cigarete smoke and it didn't burn quite well. I guess I have to learn how to pack it well....my question is: as many reviewers statet this tobacco is quite good, it should taste and smell good. Should I try to "smoke" it better or should I try another tobacco...I sure would like to have a nice taste and it should smell good too. Maybe I'm smoking to quick, I don't know...
any suggestions? There are plenty of good advice on the forum, still I'm not quite sure...
Thanks

 

[nsfisher]

Good choice for a first pipe. Can't go wrong with a Mr. Brog. As for the baccy and the taste..... I don't care for Vanilla Crème, but that is just me. Beginner should start with something mild and no bite and stays lit well. My choice is Carter Hall or Prince Albert, but neither would have the smell you are looking for. I suggest some 1-Q if you are looking for all the attributes listed. Another good choice is Three Blind Moose, Butternut Burley and the list could go on for pages. These 5 listed would give you what you are looking for. As for taste; it will take you a Month or three to start to pick up on them well. Stick with it mate and enjoy

 

[barleynbaccy]

nsfisher has it right, just follow his suggestions. Also I recently remember someone stating 100 bowls is about the number it takes to "get it". I couldn't agree more with that statment, but your smokes will start vastly improving with time and skill long before that.
I also don't care for Vanilla Creme for the same reason you gave. It tastes and smells like a cowboy killer to me. It has a little vanilla but not much, and wasn't what I was looking for at all.

 

[judcole]

Welcome to the forum.

I guess I have to learn how to pack it well

It takes time. At this point, instead of rushing off to try a new blend, I would give the MacB a few more tries. It's a pretty decent blend. Your pipe isn't broken in, and you haven't figured out what you are doing yet. Take your time. In pipe smoking, patience isn't just a virtue, it's a necessity.
Have fun, and enjoy the journey. Don't be afraid to ask questions!

 

[werdna]

Welcome tunek. Keep the MacB for later, when you get more experience. For now, I recommend Carter Hall or Prince Albert, as was mentioned above. Start with an easy blend, then when you know a bit more, you can explore the tobacco world.

 

[tunek]

Lots of good advice, thank you!

Yes I'm new to all this, in time I'll get the hang of it I'm sure...but it's always easier to get some good advice from experienced pipers....
if someone has some "guitar" questions, I have a lot experience in that area

 

[wildcat]

For now, I recommend Carter Hall or Prince Albert...

I would add Middleton's Apple to this list. Easy to load your pipe... gravity feed or scoop from the pouch. Light it and go. Pack and tamp less than you think you need and enjoy! Good luck!!

 

[petes03]

+1 nfisher on the 1Q. If you want to try a English I would suggest Frog Morton On The Town for starters.

 

[cortezattic]

I would just like to add my welcome to the forums. Smoking is an acquired taste. You'll eventually "get it", and

when that happens you will experience sensory delights that defy ordinary verbal description. There's a reason

the Indians started using tobacco; and presented it as a gift to early explorers; and why it spread to Europe

and the rest of the civilized world. Stick with it and you'll discover what makes millions of others devotees.
I have this pet theory about artistry in pipe making: that man seeks not to merely create the best vessel in which

to burn tobacco, but to create forms to celebrate and express the glories of flavor and contentment that tobacco provides. ::

 

[bambam]

C&D Autumn Evening has a good taste and room note, if you like Maple ::

 

[plateauguy]

Lane 1Q or Captain Black "White"
I learned to smoke on 1Q - today, it's still a favorite.

 

[kashmir]

All very sound advice.
Say, Jud, I think I've found my quote of the year:
"In pipe smoking, patience isn't just a virtue, it's a necessity".

- Jud
Very well stated.

 

[soggycitybob]

A +1 on Carter Hall for beginners. It's not as aromatic as a vanilla, cherry, or 1Q, but it smokes cool and consistently. Good baccy for learning. Some aros burn kinda hot so if a beginner puffs a little more than necessary it will lose aroma and just become hot "smoke".
As all your new friends suggest here, just keep puffing. You'll get it.

 

[shaintiques]

And you should get a tin of Molto Dolce, I have expanded my bounds into more flakes and Virginias, but I still love a good bowl of Molto now and then. If you want a rich sweet desert time taste this is for you.

 

[4dotsasieni]

I didn't find the Vanilla Cream to have much taste either, but precisely for this reason I do sometimes use it to break in a new pipe (no worries about "ghosting). Someone on the forum suggested that the flake version of the Vanilla Cream has a lot more flavour - I haven't tried it yet, but you may want to give it a go if it's vanilla you're after.

 

[gnatjulio]

Good Tobacco suggestions here. Try a youtube search on "how to pack a pipe". Along with the suggestions from these fine gentlemen, it helped me a lot.

 

[lincolnsbark]

I have been smoking a pipe for about three months and the tasting part of smoking is only now really coming forward. The enjoyment comes early but the real tasting makes this addiction an obsession just as pad and tad make this hobby an addiction. Welcome aboard this forum is wonderful.