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OutofOffice

Lurker
Sep 23, 2020
25
47
Texas, USA
EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Short and sweet of it is,

I am completely new to pipes. I am not new to smoking (cigarettes/cigars).
I live in a very small rural town and needless to say, there are no tobacco shops nearby. I did manage to find some Captain Black Original at the local pharmacy and after trying it a couple times, I can't stand the taste. Made me sick to my stomach, enough so that I almost tossed my few pipes thinking "Hey, this just isn't your thing". Now, perhaps its not, but I'd like to make a few good attempts at some different tobaccos.
Being that I'll have to order online, the options are overwhelming.

Is there any advice on recommendations? I know this is a very subjective thing, but I am hoping for 3-5 options that I could order and that would give me a wide array of styles to see if any of them click.
I don't know what made Captain Black Original not sit well with me, but I'm not looking forward to going back down that road.
 
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stokesdale

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 17, 2020
845
2,532
Stokesdale
Short and sweet of it is,

I am completely new to pipes. I am not new to smoking (cigarettes/cigars).
I live in a very small rural town and needless to say, there are no tobacco shops nearby. I did manage to find some Captain Black Original at the local pharmacy and after trying it a couple times, I can't stand the taste. Made me sick to my stomach, enough so that I almost tossed my few pipes thinking "Hey, this just isn't your thing". Now, perhaps its not, but I'd like to make a few good attempts at some different tobaccos.
Being that I'll have to order online, the options are overwhelming.

Is there any advice on recommendations? I know this is a very subjective thing, but I am hoping for 3-5 options that I could order and that would give me a wide array of styles to see if any of them click.
I don't know what made Captain Black Original not sit well with me, but I'm not looking forward to going back down that road.
It seems to me given your background and that you hate CB that you aren't an aromatic guy...I'm not really either. So go to SmokingPipes.com and order Cornell and Diehl's Interlude, Burley Flake #2, and Bright Virginia Ribbon, and I would also suggest Sutliff's Crumble Kake Red. These are not aromatics (although Interlude is lightly cased with honey, but not enough to taste it up front), then you can go from here to maybe explore aromatics at a later date.
 

OutofOffice

Lurker
Sep 23, 2020
25
47
Texas, USA
It seems to me given your background and that you hate CB that you aren't an aromatic guy...I'm not really either. So go to SmokingPipes.com and order Cornell and Diehl's Interlude, Burley Flake #2, and Bright Virginia Ribbon, and I would also suggest Sutliff's Crumble Kake Red. These are not aromatics (although Interlude is lightly cased with honey, but not enough to taste it up front), then you can go from here to maybe explore aromatics at a later date.
Thanks for the insight. See, I didn’t realize CB was an aromatic. I still have a lot to learn.
 
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stokesdale

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 17, 2020
845
2,532
Stokesdale
Thanks for the insight. See, I didn’t realize CB was an aromatic. I still have a lot to learn.
Yes, it is one of the most topped tobacco's out there. Casing is applied at a very early stage of processing, is usually light, and is usually sugar based (although not always)...i.e., honey, molasses, simple syrup, etc., topping is applied afterward and just before packaging...these can be anything from vanilla flavoring to cherry, to grape, to all the stuff they put in CB.

Although anything cased and topped are technically aromatics, most people just consider topped blends to be aromatics. In my personal opinion even blends with Latakia and Perique are aromatics as well, but many would argue that point (I hate Latakia and Perique).
 
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Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
G.L. Pease Quiet Nights will put a campfire in your bowl.

Sutliff Victoria Blend.
Good sweetness and easy burning (low maintenance). Formerly "Elizabethan Match", based on an old Dunhill blend. You could get the Peterson tin version now but this Sutliff bulk I had was very impressive.
In general I find the Dunhill style blends to be cut fine enough that it's not hard to keep lit.

Dunhill (now Peterson) 965 burns easy and has a bit more "Natural Tobacco" smell rather than being all campfire.
(Alternatively go for EMP "Early Morning Pipe" or Nightcap.)

Sutliff makes a variety of sticky-sweet dessert smokes.
This is the bulk version of Mountain Pass which I enjoyed quite a bit.


And we mustn't forget Carter Hall. Simple no nonsense tobacco with a balanced amount of sweetness.
One of the classic "OTC" or "Old Codger" blends.
 
Last edited:

verporchting

Lifer
Dec 30, 2018
2,879
8,933
I would recommend starting again with a classic over the counter (OTC) blend like Carter Hall or Prince Albert because they are not heavily flavored and are very easy to pack, light and smoke. Just fill the pipe and go. It might make all the difference in the world to just have a nice easy relaxing smoke without the fuss, and tastes good too.

You might find either of those blends in your local grocery store or drugstore or maybe even a gas station, so you needn’t try to find a pipe shop. Most places that sell Captain Black should have them.
 

OutofOffice

Lurker
Sep 23, 2020
25
47
Texas, USA
Yes, it is one of the most topped tobacco's out there. Casing is applied at a very early stage of processing, is usually light, and is usually sugar based (although not always)...i.e., honey, molasses, simple syrup, etc., topping is applied afterward and just before packaging...these can be anything from vanilla flavoring to cherry, to grape, to all the stuff they put in CB.

Although anything cased and topped are technically aromatics, most people just consider topped blends to be aromatics. In my personal opinion even blends with Latakia and Perique are aromatics as well, but many would argue that point (I hate Latakia and Perique).
Being that I am a cigarette smoker (not exactly a light one at that) is it possible that what I experienced is what I can only describe as nicotine toxicity even though I wasn’t inhaling it?
I tried vaping years back (does fessing up to that get me kicked off here? Ha!) and I noticed that if I wasn’t careful I would have a similar reaction. Nausea, sweats, etc.
I just wouldn’t expect a single bowl to do that.
 
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OutofOffice

Lurker
Sep 23, 2020
25
47
Texas, USA
I would recommend starting again with a classic over the counter (OTC) blend like Carter Hall or Prince Albert because they are not heavily flavored and are very easy to pack, light and smoke. Just fill the pipe and go. It might make all the difference in the world to just have a nice easy relaxing smoke without the fuss, and tastes good too.

You might find either of those blends in your local grocery store or drugstore or maybe even a gas station, so you needn’t try to find a pipe shop. Most places that sell Captain Black should have them.
I was actually considering doing just that. I know they didn’t have a big selection, but there were others. I was just trying to figure out what I didn’t like about the CB so I could make sure and try something different .
 

stokesdale

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 17, 2020
845
2,532
Stokesdale
Being that I am a cigarette smoker (not exactly a light one at that) is it possible that what I experienced is what I can only describe as nicotine toxicity even though I wasn’t inhaling it?
I tried vaping years back (does fessing up to that get me kicked off here? Ha!) and I noticed that if I wasn’t careful I would have a similar reaction. Nausea, sweats, etc.
I just wouldn’t expect a single bowl to do that.
Not with CB...with CB it's more like you experienced chemical toxicity to be honest...who knows what they spray on that crap. If you are a cig smoker, you can handle the nicotine most likely. The only blend I recommended earlier to you that would have a high nicotine content would be the burley flake; the others are all Virginias which are sweeter...but I would still try it. With tobacco, the naturally sweeter the tobacco (like Virginias) the lower the nicotine content. Burley's aren't as sweet and usually have higher nicotine content.
 

OutofOffice

Lurker
Sep 23, 2020
25
47
Texas, USA
G.L. Pease Quiet Nights will put a campfire in your bowl.

Sutliff Victoria Blend.
Good sweetness and easy burning (low maintenance). Formerly "Elizabethan Match", based on an old Dunhill blend. You could get the Peterson tin version now but this Sutliff bulk I had was very impressive.
In general I find the Dunhill style blends to be cut fine enough that it's not hard to keep lit.

Dunhill (now Peterson) 965 burns easy and has a bit more "Natural Tobacco" smell rather than being all campfire.
(Alternatively go for EMP "Early Morning Pipe" or Nightcap.)

Sutliff makes a variety of sticky-sweet dessert smokes.
This is the bulk version of Mountain Pass which I enjoyed quite a bit.
Fantastic breakdown. Thank you very much.
GL Pease Quiet Night sounds interesting.
 

stokesdale

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 17, 2020
845
2,532
Stokesdale
I would recommend starting again with a classic over the counter (OTC) blend like Carter Hall or Prince Albert because they are not heavily flavored and are very easy to pack, light and smoke. Just fill the pipe and go. It might make all the difference in the world to just have a nice easy relaxing smoke without the fuss, and tastes good too.

You might find either of those blends in your local grocery store or drugstore or maybe even a gas station, so you needn’t try to find a pipe shop. Most places that sell Captain Black should have them.
I can agree with this to some extent but if you are having an adverse reaction to aromatics, CH is an aromatic and you may have the same reaction. Also, PA has a select group of followers, especially on this website. I personally can't stand PA. That said, even though I wouldn't recommend PA because it may turn you off for good, lol, CH is very mild and nearly everyone can tolerate it.
 

OutofOffice

Lurker
Sep 23, 2020
25
47
Texas, USA
Not with CB...with CB it's more like you experienced chemical toxicity to be honest...who knows what they spray on that crap. If you are a cig smoker, you can handle the nicotine most likely. The only blend I recommended earlier to you that would have a high nicotine content would be the burley flake; the others are all Virginias which are sweeter...but I would still try it. With tobacco, the naturally sweeter the tobacco (like Virginias) the lower the nicotine content. Burley's aren't as sweet and usually have higher nicotine content.
That’s good information. Thanks.
For some reason I always pictured Virginias as being strong and having a bite.
That information will certainly help guide me in the future.
 
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OutofOffice

Lurker
Sep 23, 2020
25
47
Texas, USA
I can agree with this to some extent but if you are having an adverse reaction to aromatics, CH is an aromatic and you may have the same reaction. Also, PA has a select group of followers, especially on this website. I personally can't stand PA. That said, even though I wouldn't recommend PA because it may turn you off for good, lol, CH is very mild and nearly everyone can tolerate it.
I have learned my lesson, no need in packing a full bowl and listen when your body says “you may want to stop”.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,392
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Short and sweet of it is,

I am completely new to pipes. I am not new to smoking (cigarettes/cigars).
I live in a very small rural town and needless to say, there are no tobacco shops nearby. I did manage to find some Captain Black Original at the local pharmacy and after trying it a couple times, I can't stand the taste. Made me sick to my stomach, enough so that I almost tossed my few pipes thinking "Hey, this just isn't your thing". Now, perhaps its not, but I'd like to make a few good attempts at some different tobaccos.
Being that I'll have to order online, the options are overwhelming.

Is there any advice on recommendations? I know this is a very subjective thing, but I am hoping for 3-5 options that I could order and that would give me a wide array of styles to see if any of them click.
I don't know what made Captain Black Original not sit well with me, but I'm not looking forward to going back down that road.
I can offer some hope. There have only been a few blends I didn't enjoy enough to finish. And Captain Black is my go to I can't stand it. After that the worst tin I bought was good enough to finish and enjoy. As in if it was the only thing I could get I would still smoke and enjoy it, however there are so many blends I really enjoy. So I'd say just try a few things at a time (or per order) that sound different enough from each other. I bet you'll be happy with a lot of it even if you don't find too many at first that are must re orders. Something in my gut and the way you said you don't like the captain that makes me think our taste follow similar lines with pipes. Again just an assumption but my assumptions have been pretty trust worthy.
 

stokesdale

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 17, 2020
845
2,532
Stokesdale
That’s good information. Thanks.
For some reason I always pictured Virginias as being strong and having a bite.
That information will certainly help guide me in the future.
Actually, if I'm not mistaken and I very well could be because I very rarely smoke cigarettes, is that cigarette tobacco is mostly Virginias with some burley, that's why 3 of the 4 blends I suggested are different Virginia blends if you used to be a cigarette smoker.
 
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