What's a good first blend?

[redfox]

Hey y'all! i've got a friend who wants to starts smoking a pipe as an alternative to cigs, she says she wants to be able to taste some good toacco without having a bunch of flavors dropped on top. Something that would take her back into her lord of the rings books puffing away in medieval times..... haha shes a bit of a nerd but hey? What's a friend to do right? any suggestions??

 

[pstlpkr]

I have 3 suggestions:

1) Lane 1Q; Good all around tobacco, not fancy, but excellent.

2) Captain Black White pouch; OTC, good tobacco, inexpensive, tastes good and burns well.

3) MacBaren's 7 Seas Royal; It's a good starter tobacco, and is easy to deal with.

 

[lordnoble]

I agree with pstlpkr's first two suggestions. I haven't tried the third, so I can't comment. I'd also like to throw the Cornell & Diehl brand into the mix since they use very few toppings in any of their blends.
-Jason

 

[chuckw]

Carter Hall and Prince Albert.

 

[krgulick]

I also would suggest Lane 1Q or the Captain Black series, since both are easy to get a hold of and are easy on the wallet.

 

[jship079]

I would add Macbaren Black Ambrosia

 

[hilojohnny]

Some good suggestions here....

I would jump on the bandwagon for Lane 1Q....but would add their RLP-6 and BCA

 

[bubbadreier]

I am only going to be an echo here but....
1Q by Lane

Prince Albert
Both great starter tobaccos!

 

[python]

Good suggestions so far. I would second the Mac Baren 7 Seas blends. All of them are good, but the Regular version is my favorite.

 

[strongirish]

I always recommend Prince Albert as a starter blend. It has a good basic tobacco taste, it burns well and stays lit, it forms a cake in the pipe fast and it is easy to find.

 

[ohin3]

Good suggestions all, but, from the original post, I'm guessing that she wants a tobacco that is not cased or has any flavours added to it.

 

[python]

I just went back and re-read the original post. I don't know how I missed that part of it, lol. Thanks for pointing it out Phil.
I would recommend these blends from the Hearth & Home Series: Anniversary Kake, Virginia Spice, or Louisiana Red. They are very good VA/Per blends that will probably be right up her alley.

 

[dunhillmanuk]

Dunhill Early Morning Pipe

Chris

 

[ohin3]

Esoterica Dorchester

Esoterica Tillbury

G&H Dark Birdseye

S.G. Best Brown Flake

Rattrays Old Gowrie

Rattrays Hal O' The Wynd

Escudo

Dan Tobacco Hamborger Veermaster
These are all tobaccos that I have recommended to cigarette smokers with very good results.

 

[buck67]

Cant go wrong with the 1Q or the Captain Black White label. Easy to find and very pleasant tobacco to smoke.

 

[cortezattic]

If you're switching from cigarettes, then something mild and cigarette-like: P.A. or Daughters & Ryan's Rimboché S.J., or Picayune if you need some nicotine strength.
If you're a complete newbie, then a gentle straight Virginia ribbon like John Patton's Quadruple Virginia or Virginia Squire from 4noggins. These will tutor your taste buds (the Va Squire has a touch of Burley for more body.) Avoid flakes and broken flakes for a while.
If you're coming from the cigar world, I would think anything goes.
Although the aromatics advertise enticing flavors, they are IMO, a bad place to start if you're seriously into the nuances of pipe tobaccco. Which is my way of saying they are, in a way, and for a variety of reasons, a more advanced form of smoking.

 

[unclearthur]

So Five Brothers is definitely out?

 

[cortezattic]

No, not if you've smoked before. Five Brothers and Picayune are about the same; but Picayune is stronger and tastier, to me.
The comparison came up a while back.
My response takes the form that it does because I noticed that some answers were directing the newbie to some of the best tobaccos; but not what I think are necessarily the best for a newbie.

 

[brownpeter335]

The procedure of selecting a smoke that suits your taste starts with a test of your preferences.

 

[newbroom]

If she is just starting and hasn't tried anything yet, how does she know what might appeal?

You know she'll inhale more than she should in the beginning of a replacement attempt. That alone could cause failure in the attempt.

You've got to coach her on the fine points of nicotine extraction via the pipe and get her some samples of a variety of goods. Codger blends for sure, but, some nice blended cavendish with virginia and or burley...even some lat...