How much of what makes a tobacco good is in the aging, curing process and how much is down to the quality of the tobacco leaf. If Borkum Riff whiskey (worst rated tobacco on tobaccoreviews.com) used the same source of tobacco as Samuel Gawith use for FVF (best rated on tobaccoreviews) would that improve it as much as using the same base tobacco as Borkum Riff whiskey might decrease FVF quality or is it the whiskey flavoring that makes the tobacco bad?
What makes a good pipe tobacco?
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Asking what makes a tobacco good is like asking what makes rock music good. It all comes down to a matter of personal preference. Quality leaf and quality flavorings could be used on a blend but there will still be some people that just do not care for a blend. For instance, Boswell tobaccos use top quality leaf and have top flavorings applied, but there are going to be some people out there who just don't care for aromatics. Likewise, Sam Gawiths FVF is also made of the highest quality tobaccos, but for people like me who don't like smoking straight VA, it's just not a smoke that would appeal to them. There are some people out there who probably smoke nothing but Borkum Riff because they enjoy the taste of it, and there are some people who only smoke the highest quality English blends. I guess what it all boils down to is that to your taste buds, a "good" tobacco is one that you enjoy the flavor and doesn't cause tongue bite, because at the end of the day, that's really all that matters.
This is an excellent question. I think there's a difference between a blend that isn't to ones liking and a blend that's just plain "bad". I'm not partial to aromatics myself, but I can appreciate the quality of C&D Autumn Evening.
To use Borkum Riff as an example, I think the leaf is cheap and low quality which no amount of flavorings will improve.
To use Borkum Riff as an example, I think the leaf is cheap and low quality which no amount of flavorings will improve.
I think the quality of the leaf plays a major part, along with the quality of the topping.
It could be summed up in the expression that I use for many life-situations :
"You can't make chicken soup out of chicken poop"
It could be summed up in the expression that I use for many life-situations :
"You can't make chicken soup out of chicken poop"
Borkum Riff is undoubtedly made with lower quality tobacco as compared to the quality that say Samuel Gawith uses, however people love it. They sell a ton of the stuff so too many people it is a great tobacco. I think what makes a good tobacco is what you like to smoke. Don't worry about what other people think, smoke what you like.
For me there are two things that make a good pipe tobacco.
1) I have to like it...
2)... doesn't matter.
1) I have to like it...
2)... doesn't matter.
What makes a good car? Some people will drive nothing but a Ford, others a Honda, others a Chev, and so the list goes on. You will discover what you like in time. When you do find what you like, it will not matter to you what others believe because it will be YOUR favorite blend. You will not understand why some others don't like it. You will not understand what some others like in blends that you don't. LOL, it all boils down to what you, through your own experiences, decide what you like. Then you will know "What makes a Good Pipe Tobacco?" Enjoy mate.
As it's already been stated, taste is subjective so a good or bad tobacco will ultimately depend on the person smoking it. For me if I can smoke it over and over and still get the same enjoyment from it then that's a good tobacco for me.
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