Value of Novelty

[Erehwesle]

So as many may know, I am new to this hobby, so have been buying tobacco in as small quantities as possible. However, I do note one trend, I kind of have a tendency to really like whatever is newest for a while... before it then kind of recedes to a place on my hierarchy.

Anyone else a sucker for a new taste? Or am I just successfully refining my preferences?

So far here are my tobaccos listed in rough order of preference

Boswell's Best
Molto Dolce
Haunted Bookshop
Visions of Calaiphais
Prince Albert
Petersen's Elizabethan

A couple of things I've noticed, room note is important to me. I am a sucker for neat names. My original plan to smoke mainly pure tobacco blends and avoid aromatics initially lasted about a week....

Cheers, all, smoking a bowl of Molto Dolce now in my A. Curtz Billiard, don't get the play-doh references, but it is a bit damper than most...

 

[Chasing Embers]

For a hobbyist, probably. For a smoker, not so much.

 

[cigrmaster]

Just so you know, every tobacco is treated with something. Could be sugar, molasses, anise and tons of other ingredients. I am currently smoking a blend called Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky. It is a mixture of Virginia and Kentucky tobacco. It has a molasses flavoring that I really love. The current version I am smoking is from 2006. I like aged tobacco as it smooths out any rough edges and gives the Virginia and Kentucky time to marry.

I am a flake smoker and not a fan of other cuts. I do have some Molto Dolce for when a non smoker may come over. I think Molto has a lot of flavor and I kind of dig the noises it makes. If you are looking for less added flavors, a blend like Capstan Blue Flake is what I recommend.. It is a pure Virginia that is simple yet complex, I never tire smoking it which is why I bought over 175 tins. I would suggest you get one of those, a tin of Solani 633 so you can taste a Virginia/Perique blend and then a tin of Mac Baren Old Dark Fired. It will give you an insight to the more popular genres of tobacco. If you have enough pipes I would recommend giving each blend it's own pipe, something not ghosted with Molto or other aromatics. When you want to find the full flavors of a blend, a fresh pipe will really help.

 

[Erehwesle]

Good advice! Al lot to think about...

 

[Casual]

I seem to require a pipe and tobacco rotation big enough that when I yearn for novelty, I can pick a pipe or blend I forgot how much I liked and enjoy it anew. That’s when I stop buying.

Same goes with pens, pocket knives, whatever.

 

[cigrmaster]

Erehwesle
,

We try to give our best advice. Answer questions and help get you over the hump in the beginning.. Every one of us struggled in the beginning as pipe smoking is unlike any other type of smoking. Hell it took me a dozen years to learn I had an allergy to Red Virginia tobacco. I couldn't understand why one blend was great then another was like sticking my tongue into a blow torch. My system with it's alkalinity just cannot do the reds. Once I found this out, I was in heaven as I loaded my cellar with all kinds of great blends with no reds.

We all have things we like or don't like. we all learn at a different pace. I wasn't the brightest bulb on the tree but I got there eventually.

Just keep asking questions, it is what we are here for. You should accept that people will have different ways of doing things. If you are smart, you will listen to me as I am a genius, and all knowing. But don;t ask me how to refurbish a pipe, or the best English blends or anything about cobs or how to get a stem shiny or how do burley blends taste like or how to re drill a pipe, or what is a Balkan blend or what orientals taste like, or or or.
I know a couple of things about keeping your pipe clean, I know a little about flakes and a little about artisan pipes.

We have guys here that are honest to goodness experts on some subjects. Jesse aka Sabble Brush is one of the foremost experts on Barling pipes in the entire world.
Dave in LX is the master of Castello Shape 65's. George D is probably the foremost expert at refurbishing very expensive pipes not on this site but in the entire world. we have Dunhill experts, GBD experts, Comoy experts, the lat goes on and on. If you cannot find and answer just ask the guys here and if they don't know,they will know where to look for the info. I hope you have a good time and most of all be patient.

 

[mikethompson]

Part of it too is that you are new and still finding what you like. It's a journey for sure.

 

[Slowpony]

Yeah I can see me being like that. Maybe moreso im pretty effected by people’s opinions. So if I see some tobacco is all the rage I want to snag some. I do like a lot of less popular tobacco and pipes. I still haven’t gotten a morgan pipe. We’ll see how long I can hold out.

 

[radrick96]

Yeah I can see me being like that. Maybe moreso im pretty effected by people’s opinions. So if I see some tobacco is all the rage I want to snag some. I do like a lot of less popular tobacco and pipes. I still haven’t gotten a morgan pipe. We’ll see how long I can hold out.

I bought a stubby anse with lightning finish my first week into enjoying this hobby. Haha I intend to buy several more shapes over time to complete a 7 day set. I am really happy with the pipes draw, volume, weight, and finish!

 

[mso489]

I smoke about 1/3 aromatics and often proclaim that I like tobacco forward blends, rather than blends where heavy flavoring upstages the tobacco. I've tried Molto Dolce and enjoyed it as a sample, but the tobacco does get lost in the crowd there, at least for me. Enjoy what you enjoy and don't worry about others' tastes. We're all looking for good flavor by whatever standards.

 

[cachimbero]

So as many may know, I am new to this hobby, so have been buying tobacco in as small quantities as possible. However, I do note one trend, I kind of have a tendency to really like whatever is newest for a while... before it then kind of recedes to a place on my hierarchy.

Anyone else a sucker for a new taste? Or am I just successfully refining my preferences?

So far here are my tobaccos listed in rough order of preference

Boswell's Best
Molto Dolce
Haunted Bookshop
Visions of Calaiphais
Prince Albert
Petersen's Elizabethan

A couple of things I've noticed, room note is important to me. I am a sucker for neat names. My original plan to smoke mainly pure tobacco blends and avoid aromatics initially lasted about a week....

Cheers, all, smoking a bowl of Molto Dolce now in my A. Curtz Billiard, don't get the play-doh references, but it is a bit damper than most...

Just enjoy what you like. This is not, and should not be, a chore. Your taste will change, but enjoy the present moment. I love pipe smokers forums, but some times they pass the wisdom of people, like me, who are much further along the way, and the real joy is in the way: enjoy the present state of your journey. It will change, but the fun is in the way, not in the end of it. If you need advice about avoiding tongue bite, about filling a pipe etc. this is the place, plenty of good advice about that, but don´t let anyone educate you about taste. Experience says you will arrive at the same place as many of us, and you probably will, but the fun, and the joy, is in the way, not in the end.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

I like nice packaging and such actually didn’t buy to try Cult recently due to their god awful tin art. Since I don’t have the opportunity to smoke indoors room note is moot to me.