Want to switch from cigars. Need advice.

[maxima]

Hi this is my first post so please bear with me
I smoked Cuban cigars once a week for many years. Considered that hobby.. Run into some life difficulties and found myself smoking 5 times a week now (however much smaller sizes).
Sourcing and paying for that amount of cigars a bit difficult for me so I am looking to replicate the experience with a pipe (if possible).
I smoke mostly medium to strong cigars. I would probably like natural tobacco aroma without additives.
I smoke for 30-40 min at a time.
So basically I need guidelines to what pipe size and what kind of tobacco to try to get quicker in the right direction.
Would especially appreciate if someone with similar experience can tell - is there a way to replicate Havana cigar in a pipe?
or is it just a pipe dream ?

 

[cobguy]

Welcome to the community maxima.

The short answer is ... no.
When I want a cigar I still have to reach for a cigar.

There are tobacco blends that include some cigar leaf but they don't taste like a cigar.

I'm working my way through a tin of H&H Stogie right now that includes some Maduro leaf, for example.

I feel that you will find Virginia tobacco to be the closest ... what have you tried so far?

 

[mso489]

Welcome, maxima. To answer your questions, which are good and logical, understand that you are making

a change, so don't go after a cigar experience with a pipe. I think pipes have a number of advantages over

cigars, which I've smoked with pleasure in the past. If you give pipes a chance, on their own terms, I think you

will be happy with them. For a 30 to 40 minute smoke, a medium size, what some call a Group 4, would be

about right, with an approximately 1 3/4 inch deep bowl with an inside diameter of around 3/4 inch. Many

Savenelli, Peterson, Stanwell, Nording, Johs, Luciano, and many other makes, would fill the bill. I'd recommend

a milder-than-cigar tobacco for starters, until you get the hang of pipe smoking. Carter Hall, Lane 1Q, or

Prince Albert would probably do for a start. But in small quantities so you don't get stuck with much of a

blend you don't like. After two ounces or so, you'll be able to branch out. There are blends for pipes with

cigar leaf in them, but I think you might be happier not trying to approximate a cigar to get started. At

present, pipe tobacco is a big savings over cigars, which have become pricey. Pipes are a more relaxing,

meditative, pleasing smoke, and the pipes themselves are a joy to collect. To go with a first briar pipe, buy

at least two Missouri Meerschaum pipes, one filtered and one unfiltered, just for comparison. I'd start with

an unfiltered briar pipe, so you get the full flavor of the tobacco as you learn about them. I'd start with

matches rather than a lighter, for more precision and a less rushed experience. Get pipe cleaners and a

pipe nail or basic Czech pipe tool for starters. Don't be embarrassed to relight.

 

[dottiewarden]

Although there are others on this forum that could be of more help, I'd like to put my 2 cents worth in.
I recommend not trying to duplicate the experience of Cigar smoking through a pipe. I currently enjoy straight cigar leaf in my pipe, and delicious as it is, it does not duplicate cigar smoking.
That said, there are a host of extremely delicious pipe tobacco blends that will open your eyes to something you had no idea you were missing. Stay away from the aromatics for now, and seek out some of the blends others will recommend to you.
Buy high quality tobacco only and keep in mind you will need a few good pipes.
You are very welcome here and I look forward to hearing about your pipe smoking experiences!

 

[nurseman]

I switched from being a daily cigar smoker to a pipe a few months ago. I recommend GLP Key Largo or Robusto when you want dome of the cigar taste. I also recommend starting with a high nic blend not an aro as you will want some kick from the pipe. Nightcap is a good one as I find that has enough taste to satisfy.

 

[maxima]

wow thank you guys. I havent tried anything yet.

I understand what you guys are saying about not replicating the cigars but finding my own pipe experience.
I am now thinking and it seems I asked about replication rather of a fear to lose certain qualities.. So what I should really have asked is this:
how to make pipe smoking to be flavoursome and rich experience rather than just nicotine fix (as it was with cigarettes I used to smoke but quit 15 yrs ago) (not necessarily copy cigars flavours and aromas)
Having said that - I am going to check the brands you guys noted above and see if I can get small qty to try.
Mind I am in the UK. Will the English brands be better/cheaper with same quality?

 

[layinpipe]

i switched to pipes from cigars myself and have only smoked 1 cigar since making the switch. I just don't feel the desire to smoke them anymore, even though i absolutely love the whole cigar smoking experience. I kind of feel like smoking a pipe is a better value than smoking cigars. Now do not mistake this with the statement that smoking a pipe is Cheaper than smoking a cigar, because IMHO i do not believe this to be true. It completely depends on the person and how much they smoke, their tastes in pipes or cigars (high quality or low quality) and how much they are willing to spend on either. You can smoke a pipe for very cheap by buying a cheap pipe and some cheap tobacco. If this makes you happy, then you are doing it right. Same goes with cigars, you just have to be smart enough and patient enough to look for and find the right deals. You can get quality factory seconds of a cigar for around a dollar a stick, sometimes cheaper. The deals are at your fingertips with all the internet auction sites and website deals to be found. Same goes with pipes.
My point is to give it a try and see what you think. If you are making the switch purely for $$$$$ reasons, you might find that this is not very feasible, as both hobbys can be as cheap or expensive as you want them to be. I hope you discover the wonders of pipe smoking and stick around for the long haul, the more the merrier in this community, my friend!
Oh and in regards to tobacco with cigar-like qualities, listen to the members advice above. Nobody has mentioned ropes yet, but for me they are reminiscient of my beloved maduro cigars. Gawith & Hoggard's maple twist is very good, as is brown bogie, dark birdseye and black irish XX. Give them a try and let us know what you think. They are heavy on the nicotine and very smooth and cool burning, as long as you don't puff like a freight train.
*As a side note, in my own mind i look at it like this: If i spend $200 on a box of good cigars, all i am left with at the end is a $2 wooden box. If i spend $200 on a good pipe, i have a work of art that can be enjoyed for decades if cared for and smoked properly, and be passed down to future generations, whether it be in my family or not.

 

[judcole]

I won't try to address the cigar/pipe experience, per se - that's been handled well, I think. I will, however, give you my standard advice: Smoke the best tobacco in the best pipes you can afford. Smoking cheap tobacco is a lot like smoking cheap cigars - it may get some satisfaction, but you're not getting the most out of the experience. Enjoy the journey. ::

 

[settersbrace]

In order to understand the pipe smoking "experience" you will have to give it an honest try. I'd suggest finding a tobbaconist if that's an option and sampling some of the blends suggested above. Robusto is a good blend with a hint of cigar leaf and there are others blended along those lines as pointed out. The pipe smoking expirence or awakening that hopefully will occur for you will be nothing like even the finest of cigars you've ever smoked. If you dig through these pages and get into good packing and more importantly, good smoking technique, you may actually have a life changing occurence as it relates to smoking. I came from cigar smoking, (high end, hand rolled) and into pipes then back to cigars until my situation became similar to yours. I'm enjoying the pipe now more than ever before and although I'll still smoke the occasional cigar, it's not a mainstay. Welcome to the fold!

 

[ccarter]

*As a side note, in my own mind i look at it like this: If i spend $200 on a box of good cigars, all i am left with at the end is a $2 wooden box. If i spend $200 on a good pipe, i have a work of art that can be enjoyed for decades if cared for and smoked properly, and be passed down to future generations, whether it be in my family or not.

I love this sentiment layinpipe!
I came over to pipe smoking in a similar fashion: believing that it was more economical because the tobacco was "cheaper." I got a $20 pipe, and some local aromatic blends, and off I went. The truth that I've come to is that for me aromatics don't hold discernible flavors that I enjoy, so I have moved away from them, and I like pipes that seem to be valued in the $100 range. When you factor in the cost of pipes, the economical aspect of the switch can be greatly diminished, but like layinpipe said, you have more than a $2 box left at the end. I'm nowhere near anything resembling a seasoned pipe smoker as there are times I'll go 2 months without smoking a pipe (or anything else), so my opinion is still fairly "young." I will tell you that there are strong camps about which blends are best. My experience has been that aromatics smell absolutely amazing, but have never held my interest once the fire was applied. Every time I go looking for something new to try aromatics are always more tempting, but - for me - english blends have been the "tastier" choice.
Welcome to the group!

 

[chervokas]

As a cigar smoker for nearly 30 years and also now a pipe smoker for the last couple I agree with the notion that it's best to approach the two as very different tobacco experiences. A pipe never delivers the same kind of giant smoke volume a big cigar does, and trying to replicate it will lead you to draw too hard and too deep. You really do need to sip a pipe. I don't replace one with the other, I enjoy each for what it offers.
That said, this issue of delivering something flavorsome and rich is no problem for pipes. In fact, with the huge selection and diversity of pipe tobaccos and tobacco blends out there you have access to a much wider range of flavors with pipes. There's no substitute for experimenting with blends yourself, and while some people like pipe tobaccos with cigar leaf, I prefer my pipe blends to be pipe blends, my cigars to be cigars. That said, often people recommend relatively mild and simple tobaccos to new pip smokers and in my experience that rarely satisfies someone coming from cigars. You won't fall short on "flavorsome and rich" with something like Dunhill Nightcap.
What Cuban cigar brands have you been smoking? If its something more floral like a Punch, or bright like a Cohiba, you might prefer an Oriental-forward blend, like Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe. If it's something more robust like a Bolivar, you might like a Latakia-forward blend -- McClelland Blue Mountain might be a tad sweet (not so much from seasoning but from the tobaccos) for someone coming from a strong Cuban cigar, but will bring the richness. If it's something a bit peppery, you might go for a Virginia-Perique blend -- Escudo is my favorite.

 

[andrew]

If you like maduro cigars, definitely try Corneil & Deihl's Billy Budd, you can really taste the maduro leaf. I also have some Habana daydream on it's way which is supposed to be really good.

http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/2969/cornell-diehl-420-habana-daydream
Either way though you aren't going to replicate a cuban as it's handrolled using cuban leaf which doesn't make it's way into any pipe tobacco blends as far as I know.
But I smoke cubans as well and find Billy Budd to be a very cigar tasting blend. It's no cohiba or monte cristo but it's a satisfying smoke. But honestly there's a huge amount of non-cigar leaf blends I love as well. I'd say start with the cigar blends and work your way into the english blends, or vice versa.

 

[maxima]

thank you again guys. I will need to spend some time figuring out what pipe is best for me.
just wanted to make a point that when I said I want to reduce the costs of me smoking. I meant literally price of tobacco. Pipe and tools are set aside. I do understand value of good things (otherwise I wont be smoking havanas would i.. I'd be smoking 'fags' if you know what i mean).
RE: the cigars I smoke.
When I was on the top of my career I used to visit Cuba 3 times a year, bring 3 boxes of Cohiba Robusto (is my favourite). And I smoked once a week. These was happy times.
I also lived in Havana for 2 years when I was small. So.. I quite familiar with non-tourist part of life there (not extensively but enough for me). I smoked about half of cigars which are in production currently without looking at the price label.
Now I smoke San Cristobal La Punta ($270/box) on big days (once a week) and Montecristo Open Regata (about $200/25) on small days (4-5 times a week).
Note: these prices are hard to get. In the shop its about twice the price (and more). And we are comparing the pipe tobacco prices from any shop. Dunhill nightcap mentioned above is £9 for 50gr from a random shop.
So I expect the pipe smoke to be x10 cheaper (unless I missed something big). And .. I am looking forward to the new experience as many of you said

 

[maxima]

I came from cigar smoking, (high end, hand rolled) and into pipes then back to cigars until my situation became similar to yours. I'm enjoying the pipe now more than ever before and although I'll still smoke the occasional cigar, it's not a mainstay.

I would love to hear what pipes and what tobacco are you favourites

 

[claypipesarchaeologist]

I just switched from cigars to a pipe this year for financial reasons. C&D Billy Budd is my favorite so far. Gawith Hoggarth Sliced Brown Twist was pretty close to a cigar, but it didn't have the complexity that Billy Budd does.
I've read from a number of good people on this forum that twist or rope tobacco is the only place you can go to get that cigar strength. In that department, Gawith Hoggarth (Black Irish X and Brown Irish Twist) and Samuel Gawith have the best rated stuff. I haven't strayed for from Billy Budd because it's so full of flavor and variation. I'd love to read a review if you end up trying any of the ropes.

 

[cobguy]

With many cigar smokers chiming in on this thread, I'd like to

reiterate my opinion on the new Spectre cigars by AJ Fernandez.
If any of you like Latakia and also still enjoy a good cigar

now and then I HIGHLY recommend these!
Also ... a new offering from P&C which matches a cigar and pipe tobacco for you:
http://www.pipesandcigars.com/samplers/80821/match-up-samplers/

 

[settersbrace]

I came from cigar smoking, (high end, hand rolled) and into pipes then back to cigars until my situation became similar to yours. I'm enjoying the pipe now more than ever before and although I'll still smoke the occasional cigar, it's not a mainstay.

I would love to hear what pipes and what tobacco are you favourites
I'm primarily a Full English and or Balkan enthusiast with mood swings that will send me on VaPer vacations. A well aged Virginia can also find its way into one dedicated pipe now and again as well. I avoid aromatics or any cased or topped (read flavored) tobaccos. Latakia is a favorite of mine and I'll try any blend that claims to hold a generous dose of it. It is however not everyone's favorite so like food, individual tastes prevail. I stopped trying to find any real common ground between cigars and pipe tobacco a good while ago. Cigars, IMO are monotone and pipe tobaccos are a chorus of flavor.

 

[apatim]

Pipe smoking is not about nicotine at all, IMO. It is about the experience - hobby, flavor, relaxation... Meditation even. For me, cigars are boring compared to the pipe.

 

[mrjerke]

Don't give up cigars. But welcome to the pipe community. You'll love it. Hopefully you can enjoy a bit of both. And who in their right mind would give up Cubans?!?

 

[lockdown199]

I switched from cigars to pipe smoking about a year ago and the reason I switched was that I was getting board with the flavor of cigars as with a pipe there is a whole gambit of flavors that seem to never end, just my opinion.