We're all different magical little snowflakes, but here are a few tobacco recommendations for those who may decide to try a pipe, or for those who may not have enjoyed it in the past. Pick up a Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob Pipe (I recommend the Morgan Polish for newcomers) and give one of these a shot next time you order from CI (or their counterpart, Pipes & Cigars).
These will not taste like your cigars. Don't go into it looking for a variationon what you always have, this is something totally different but similarly delightful.
None of these are aromatic or flavored tobaccos.
Pipe Tobacco Reccomendations:
McClelland Dominican Glory Maduro:
Marketed as a cigar blend. Has a bit of cigar-like flavor in the very beginning, but that fades fast. This is a full, rich smoke with plenty of earthy, leathery, chocolatey notes. An absolute favorite of mine. The flavor evolves through the smoke, like many of my favorite cigars.
Samuel Gawith Saint James Flake:
Smooth, dark flavor. Has a little spice. Plenty of Perique in this blend. Perique is known for adding spice, depth, and sometimes a very mild hint of fig or raisin-like flavor to a pipe tobacco blend. It is not cloyingly sweet and fruity, though. Perique has a very mature flavor, I quite enjoy it.
Daughters And Ryan Rimboche S.J.
This is a good, strong, basic Virginia/Perique blend. You may not know what that means, and that's ok. Lots of dry grass/hay notes, a bit of spice, and some dark fruit in this blend. Little bit of light, smokey sweetness to this one. Daughters and Ryan is an excellent pipe tobacco company run by the fellow who processes all of the St. James Perique that is made in the world. Their prices are outrageously low, too.
Peter Stockbye Luxury Bullseye Flake
Another rich, full tobacco. This one, however, is a little bit brighter than the first two. If I recall correctly, it has a taste that reminded me of a fresh, homemade pie crust. Golden, toasty, delicious. The Perique here wasn't very strong, lent a dry fruitiness to the smoke. This is a nice evening smoke.
Dunhill Nightcap
This blend is a bit different than the others: it contains a tobacco called Latakia. Latakia can be have a cool, smokey flavor, or it can have a heavy floral note. Either way it is capable of being delicious, but I prefer the smokey bent. Anyway, Nightcap is a little woody and nutty, a little spicey, a little smokey. Not smokey in the sense of the oft-maligned KFC cigars from Drew Estate, by the way.
Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader
Another Latakia blend. Latakia here is more subdued than in Nightcap. Grassy/hay notes float around in the smoke, complimenting the slightly floral Latakia.
Solani Aged Burley Flake
Burley, in my experience, can have a strong woody or nutty flavor. This one has a toasty wood flavor that balances between Cedar and Oak. (Very different, I know) It has a somewhat nuanced flavor that doesn't evolve much through a bowl, so easily bored smokers may not love this one.