Poll Question: Do you/would you smoke a pipe?
Hmhaines
9 years ago
This is a long one, I guess. The gist: don't ignore pipe tobacco, quite a lot of it is amazing.

Enjoying smoking as much as I do, and learning that pipes can be better for smoking outdoors in the winter, I somewhat recently began smoking a pipe. This decision has led me to try some truly magnificent tobaccos and, in many ways, it has helped me appreciate my cigars even more.

The common complaint I get from the grumpier cigar guys at my local club is that pipes are too much work to enjoy. Yes, although it is easier than it seems, a pipe is a bit more involved than a cigar and it can be more difficult to learn about. This is especially so if you don't have someone around to guide you. Additionally, if you choose to ignore the advice of those more knowledgable, you may never truly enjoy your pipe.

This is the same with anything, though, including cigars. I watch cigar smokers new and old charring their tobacco with a torch lighter, unravelling the wrapper because of forceful ashing, over or undercutting, etc. Help is offered, but often the smoker persists and blames the cigars.

If you've found a groove that works for you, feel free to enjoy it; there's no need to branch out if you don't want to. But if you love to smoke and your end goal is to enjoy all the flavor and majesty of our friend, the tobacco leaf, ignoring pipe tobaccos is a great tragedy.


I'm still very new to pipes, but I'm happy to offer any assistance I can to cigar folk who want to give the pipe a shot. Finding a pipe and picking out your first tobaccos can be daunting!

Here's a link to a beginner's guide that I wrote:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/beginners-guide-to-beginning 
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Hmhaines
9 years ago
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.
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corey sellers
9 years ago
That is one thing I have never tried would like to try it some time
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ZRX1200
9 years ago
I like PS Luxury Twist Flake better than Bullseye.

If I want a medallion its Davidoff Flake medallions, or Dunhill deluxe Navy flake.
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Hmhaines
9 years ago
Haven't tried Luxury Twist yet, I'll add it to the list! I do have some Flake Medallions that I'll test soon.

Did you mean Dunhill Navy Flake or Deluxe Navy Rolls? I've had the Navy Flake, it was too sweet for me at the time. I'll give it another shot soon, there's a good chance I didn't dry it enough or something like that.
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ZRX1200
9 years ago
Sorry.....rolls.
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frankj1
9 years ago
though I have not been posting on the briar thread, i have been doing some bowls here and there since the 3 Pirates conspired to bury me with 5 years worth of pipe baccy a while back.

For sure it is different than cigars, I actually find the tobacco much more interesting and diverse...many are fruitier and tastier. But the advantage to the extra "work" is that you are more locked into the task at hand. You are working with the pleasure provider, not just doing a "set it and forget it" one time lighting. You are more involved in the process, tinkering, tapping, relighting etc.


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bs_kwaj
9 years ago
If you start smoking a pipe...

and forget your humidor....

This can happen.... 🤦


http://bennie-smith.net/cpm/displayimage.php?pid=485&fullsize=1 

http://bennie-smith.net/cpm/displayimage.php?pid=486&fullsize=1 

(Not mine, but someone I know.)

🍺

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ZRX1200
9 years ago
Yhaarrrrrr......Pirates you say?

I don't forget about my humidor. I rarely smoke anything but coronas or robustos in the winter, but I smoke the hell outta my pipes.
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Hmhaines
9 years ago
I found that pipe tobacco is a lot easier to learn about, I already know drastically more than the owners of the local cigar shop, even though they sell a small selection of pipes and tobacco. It just takes interest and a little time for smoking. As was said, you definitely can appreciate the smoke more because of the higher involvement in it.
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Pudding Mittens
9 years ago
.
Oh, how I tried to like pipes. I tried repeatedly over the years, but failed every time. Consider the following:

1. "It went out again!"
2. (Range of puffing frequencies that prevents either #1 or #3 from happening)
3. "My tongue is burning!"

With well-maintained cigars, #2 is a VERY LARGE zone. In fact, it's hard to get OUT of it, unless you're deliberately trying for #1 or #3!

With pipes, my experience has been that #2 is a VANISHINGLY-SMALL zone. It's almost impossible for me to stay in it, and avoid #1 or #3.

I can puff a cigar at almost any sane/reasonable frequency, and it works fine.

If my pipe keeps going out, and I puff JUST SLIGHTLY faster, my tongue burns. If my tongue burns and I puff JUST SLIGHTLY slower, the pipe starts going out.

There's no way to stay in "the zone", because it's too damned tiny. With cigars, it's enormous and effortless to stay in.

I finally gave up, after many periodic, universally-failed attempts, and stuck with cigars.
.
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ZRX1200
9 years ago
Do you dry box cigars? Cuz you need to with a lot of pipe tobacco too.
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Pudding Mittens
9 years ago

Do you dry box cigars? Cuz you need to with a lot of pipe tobacco too.

ZRX1200 wrote:


Interesting. There is indeed an obvious analogy: with too-wet cigars, they'll keep going out, and if you puff fast enough to keep them from going out, you'll generate excessive heat and get some tongue bite. There's no #2, no "good zone" of puffing frequency.

Very interesting. I might have to try dryboxing some pipe tobacco. Maybe I've always had it too wet.

Thanks!

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Hmhaines
9 years ago
Wet pipe tobacco is awful. Bites, hard to keep lit, and won't smoke tk the bottom of the bowl.

Definitely try drying it.

Note: aromatics are apparently harder to dry and can lose flavor as they dry.

If that doesn't work, ZRX or I will be happy to dispose of the tobacco on your behalf. 🙂
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calavera
9 years ago
For me it is usually cigars in the summer and pipe tobacco in the winter.

I have somewhere around 27 pipes and probably around 50 sealed tins of various pipe tobaccos that I purchased in the 2004-2005 time frame and that are aging in my stash. Every once in a while I crack a tin. I am currently working on a tin of Dunhill London mixture from 2004. Can't say that I think it is great. Pretty average actually.

Some blends that I love and recommend are Stonehaven by Esoterica, Samarra by GL Pease and Squadron Leader by Gawith.

All very nice smokes.




J
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Whistlebritches
9 years ago

.
Oh, how I tried to like pipes. I tried repeatedly over the years, but failed every time. Consider the following:

1. "It went out again!"
2. (Range of puffing frequencies that prevents either #1 or #3 from happening)
3. "My tongue is burning!"

With well-maintained cigars, #2 is a VERY LARGE zone. In fact, it's hard to get OUT of it, unless you're deliberately trying for #1 or #3!

With pipes, my experience has been that #2 is a VANISHINGLY-SMALL zone. It's almost impossible for me to stay in it, and avoid #1 or #3.

I can puff a cigar at almost any sane/reasonable frequency, and it works fine.

If my pipe keeps going out, and I puff JUST SLIGHTLY faster, my tongue burns. If my tongue burns and I puff JUST SLIGHTLY slower, the pipe starts going out.

There's no way to stay in "the zone", because it's too damned tiny. With cigars, it's enormous and effortless to stay in.

I finally gave up, after many periodic, universally-failed attempts, and stuck with cigars.
.

Pudding Mittens wrote:



1.Learn to pack a pipe.Every cut of tobacco packs differently but using the same principle.Loose on the bottom and tight up top.I smoke a lot of H&H anniversary cake simply because it codger packs perfectly(place baccy in pouch,scoop baccy with pipe using thumb to fill bowl).
2.Read #3
3.Stay away from aromatics,most are goopers(loaded with whatever that crap is called to keep them moist)and they will burn the hell out of your tongue.Some Virginias will burn your tongue if you puff like Z on a camping trip.

I smoke roughly 75% vapers(Virginia and perique) and 25% straight Virginias.Latakia dries my mouth out horribly and the camp fire taste is unappealing to me if over done.

Find the baccy's you love,learn to pack them well,problems solved..........and it's an interesting journey.
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boileremt
9 years ago
I am also in the winter piper camp. Cigars year round, pipe in the winter. There is something so satisfying about firing up a bowl when outside on a cold day shoveling snow.

Like a peated single malt, I'm not much for latakia blends. But maybe once a year I get a craving.

The endless possibilities of flavor and aroma with pipe tobacco are a path to continued palate enlightenment. The ability to change blends yourself and create your own favorites or comfort blends can be an amusing and satisfying hobby in itself.

Some days are pipe days. Some days I don't want to fuss and just grab a cigar. Watching football? Cigar. Reading a novel? Pipe.

I am passionate about both.
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tonygraz
9 years ago
I was a heavy pipe smoker for years- sometimes a dozen or so per day. Now I find myself smoking a pipe when time is limited.
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dstieger
9 years ago

.
Oh, how I tried to like pipes. I tried repeatedly over the years, but failed every time. Consider the following:

1. "It went out again!"
2. (Range of puffing frequencies that prevents either #1 or #3 from happening)
3. "My tongue is burning!"

With well-maintained cigars, #2 is a VERY LARGE zone. In fact, it's hard to get OUT of it, unless you're deliberately trying for #1 or #3!

With pipes, my experience has been that #2 is a VANISHINGLY-SMALL zone. It's almost impossible for me to stay in it, and avoid #1 or #3.

I can puff a cigar at almost any sane/reasonable frequency, and it works fine.

If my pipe keeps going out, and I puff JUST SLIGHTLY faster, my tongue burns. If my tongue burns and I puff JUST SLIGHTLY slower, the pipe starts going out.

There's no way to stay in "the zone", because it's too damned tiny. With cigars, it's enormous and effortless to stay in.

I finally gave up, after many periodic, universally-failed attempts, and stuck with cigars.
.

Pudding Mittens wrote:




I agree with most nearly all of this. However, even with the additional work, I'd probably still have pipes in my rotation if I found them as satisfying. Not sure how to say it, but the smoke 'density' or 'flavor volume' per 'puff' isn't enough to be as fulfilling with pipes as it is with cigars. (And there will be NO talk of VSU in this thread, please.)
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Pudding Mittens
9 years ago

I agree with most nearly all of this. However, even with the additional work, I'd probably still have pipes in my rotation if I found them as satisfying. Not sure how to say it, but the smoke 'density' or 'flavor volume' per 'puff' isn't enough to be as fulfilling with pipes as it is with cigars. (And there will be NO talk of VSU in this thread, please.)

dstieger wrote:


Good point! Yes, that's another thing. It's hard to put into words, but you've done about as good a job as I've seen.

I puff a good cigar, and I get a thick, dense, satisfying amount of smoke and flavor. Pipe puffs tend to be thin and weak, unless I take very long, large or rapid puffs, but then it's tongue-burn time.

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