Learning about Pipe Tobacco

[PerpetualWonderer]

Hi all,

I just started smoking a pipe. I smoked one for maybe a year or two back in my early twenties, smoked cigarettes for maybe a few years after that, and haven't used tobacco products for the last twenty years or so. This year the New England winter and general cabin fever got me smoking a pipe just as an excuse to be outside more.

Like shaving soaps in the past, I've been on somewhat of a splurge regarding tobaccos. After messing around with two local blends, I went through this progression:

1. Nat Sherman - dark and golden Cavendish (314 and 509). I basically cut my teeth on these blends. They smell nice and are easy to smoke, but basically dead in terms of actual tobacco flavor.

2. Lane 1Q - I bought a tin of this stuff since it is very popular, but I found it to be kind of similar to the Nat Sherman stuff. Not much actual good tobacco flavor.

3. Mac Baren - now we are talking. I've tried Vanilla Cream, Dark Twist, Navy Flake, and Plumcake. These have some really nice tobacco flavor. And the Vanilla Cream smells really nice too for the non-tobacco users of my family (which is everyone else in my family).

4. Escudo Navy De Luxe & Presbyterian - These are quite interesting blends and smoke really nicely. I love the Escudo and I get a lot of sweet, warm, bready notes with the dried fig notes. I don't get any spice. I do get some black pepper though with the Presbyterian, though I don't care for the spice given that smoking tobacco in general gives me some "bitey"-type flavors to begin with.

Overall I think I need to stay with some aromatics (my wife complained that I smelled like cigarettes after smoking Presbyterian), but I think I can also mix in some light aromatics and non-aromatics. I enjoy sweet, warm bready, nutty, fruity flavors but not so much peppery spice.

What are maybe the top four or five established, classic, high-quality tobacco brands I should be perusing? I'm looking for quality, freshness, clarity of flavors, and modesty in casings/additives. I smoke outside at the slowest pace possible to maximize flavor.

Thank you for any recommendations that you might offer!

 

[Mike H]

Stokkebye Luxury Twist
Lane LL-7
Lane RLP-6
Sutliff Molto Doche (not modest in casing, it crackles like a camp fire when smoked, but taste and smells amazing)
Cult Blood Red Moon (its a good cherry flavor)

 

[Rotflmao]

Try Newminster’s Superior Round Slices. They’ve been my favourite for some time now. Peter Stokkebye’s Luxury Bullseye Flake and Luxury Navy Flake are great and seem to get alot of love around here but I think Newminster has them beat. (IMHO) I find it to be a little sweeter smoke. It’s great.

 

[PerpetualWonderer]

Thanks! Coincidentally I was just reading a thread comparing the the Stokkebye bullseye to Escudo. I've been interested in trying a pure Va and was gravitating towards HH Pure Va.

The other ones look awesome too. Haven't had a good cherry yet. I throw some of these in my next order.

 

[PerpetualWonderer]

@Rotflmao - ever compare MB Dark Twist to Newminster Superior Round Slices?

 

[oc_in_fw]

Hi all,

I just started smoking a pipe. I smoked one for maybe a year or two back in my early twenties, smoked cigarettes for maybe a few years after that, and haven't used tobacco products for the last twenty years or so. This year the New England winter and general cabin fever got me smoking a pipe just as an excuse to be outside more.

Like shaving soaps in the past, I've been on somewhat of a splurge regarding tobaccos. After messing around with two local blends, I went through this progression:

1. Nat Sherman - dark and golden Cavendish (314 and 509). I basically cut my teeth on these blends. They smell nice and are easy to smoke, but basically dead in terms of actual tobacco flavor.

2. Lane 1Q - I bought a tin of this stuff since it is very popular, but I found it to be kind of similar to the Nat Sherman stuff. Not much actual good tobacco flavor.

3. Mac Baren - now we are talking. I've tried Vanilla Cream, Dark Twist, Navy Flake, and Plumcake. These have some really nice tobacco flavor. And the Vanilla Cream smells really nice too for the non-tobacco users of my family (which is everyone else in my family).

4. Escudo Navy De Luxe & Presbyterian - These are quite interesting blends and smoke really nicely. I love the Escudo and I get a lot of sweet, warm, bready notes with the dried fig notes. I don't get any spice. I do get some black pepper though with the Presbyterian, though I don't care for the spice given that smoking tobacco in general gives me some "bitey"-type flavors to begin with.

Overall I think I need to stay with some aromatics (my wife complained that I smelled like cigarettes after smoking Presbyterian), but I think I can also mix in some light aromatics and non-aromatics. I enjoy sweet, warm bready, nutty, fruity flavors but not so much peppery spice.

What are maybe the top four or five established, classic, high-quality tobacco brands I should be perusing? I'm looking for quality, freshness, clarity of flavors, and modesty in casings/additives. I smoke outside at the slowest pace possible to maximize flavor.

Thank you for any recommendations that you might offer!

You may want to try some of the MacBaren HH line. The premise of this line is to get flavors from good tobaccos and blending- no toppings or added flavorings. Except for Acadian (I am not big on Perique), I haven't found one that isn't excellent, and ready to smoke right out of the tin.

 

[PerpetualWonderer]

@oc_in_fw - I've already got HH Pure Va and Burley Flake on my list. I really, really like MB's tobaccos. They really appeal to my sense of European quality that is restrained as far as additives go. Like German beer - only a few ingredients, but super high quality and awesome taste. Or English beer - also going for awesome but modest taste, not too much hops. Or beer from Belgium - wow. Drinking all of these fresh in their respective countries is just an unforgettable experience.

I find that all of the MB products that I've tried have crystal-clear tobacco tastes that are very delectable. The toppings are modest and even in the case of Vanilla Cream, you can still smell/taste the good tobacco very clearly through the vanilla. I was just amazed. In comparison, I found that the Nat Shermans and 1Q I tried are like a plain, washed out taste of something burning with casing on it. They were for sure smokable and there wasn't anything terrible about them, but they were like canned Chef Boyardee vs. made from scratch pasta, sauce, and free-range meat from your neighborhood farm which is what the Mac Baren line represents for me.

I'd like to try the Old Dark Fired but even after smoking a few bowls of Dark Twist, I'm not sure if I know what dark fired Kentucky tastes like... Even with a 2:1 ratio of dark / Va coins, all I get is an earthy taste relative to the background bready taste. No spice, which is fine with me. I don't get any spice from Escudo, either. I do get spice though from Latakia (in Plumcake and Presbyterian).

 

[Kentos]

@oc_in_fw - I've already got HH Pure Va and Burley Flake on my list. I really, really like MB's tobaccos. They really appeal to my sense of European quality that is restrained as far as additives go. Like German beer - only a few ingredients, but super high quality and awesome taste. Or English beer - also going for awesome but modest taste, not too much hops. Or beer from Belgium - wow. Drinking all of these fresh in their respective countries is just an unforgettable experience.

I find that all of the MB products that I've tried have crystal-clear tobacco tastes that are very delectable. The toppings are modest and even in the case of Vanilla Cream, you can still smell/taste the good tobacco very clearly through the vanilla. I was just amazed. In comparison, I found that the Nat Shermans and 1Q I tried are like a plain, washed out taste of something burning with casing on it. They were for sure smokable and there wasn't anything terrible about them, but they were like canned Chef Boyardee vs. made from scratch pasta, sauce, and free-range meat from your neighborhood farm which is what the Mac Baren line represents for me.

I'd like to try the Old Dark Fired but even after smoking a few bowls of Dark Twist, I'm not sure if I know what dark fired Kentucky tastes like... Even with a 2:1 ratio of dark / Va coins, all I get is an earthy taste relative to the background bready taste. No spice, which is fine with me. I don't get any spice from Escudo, either. I do get spice though from Latakia (in Plumcake and Presbyterian).

I’m with you on the Dark Fired. It’s used a lot as a condiment component but I can never taste it in those blends. When it’s a primary component then I can taste it of course.

 

[PerpetualWonderer]

I’m with you on the Dark Fired. It’s used a lot as a condiment component but I can never taste it in those blends. When it’s a primary component then I can taste it of course.

What's it taste like to you?

 

[Kentos]

When it’s the main it has a smoky, astringent flavor. People say barbecue, or camp fire, but I can’t place a finger one what kind of smoky it is. Definitely different than Latakia.

 

[PerpetualWonderer]

When it’s the main it has a smoky, astringent flavor. People say barbecue, or camp fire, but I can’t place a finger one what kind of smoky it is. Definitely different than Latakia.

Ah. Once I did feel like I got kind of an astringent flavor in the back of my throat when re-lighting a bowl of Dark Twist. Kind of reminded me of how chewing tobacco can taste. Mmmm, I love camp fires and BBQs...

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake and Best Brown Flake are two that fit what you're looking for.

Cornell & Diehl Bijou might be good. I've smelled it but haven't smoked any yet. It smelled delicious though. C&D has quite a few blends that might be what you're after.

Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake is a nice, sweet and mellow smoke.

You might like Rattray Hal O the Wynd, Marlin Flake, and/or Old Gowrie.

Dunhill Ready Rubbed is right up your alley. Most (if not all) Dunhill blends are no longer being made though, but I remember seeing some available about a week or two ago.

GL Pease Navigator is supposed to be a nice Virginia and burley blend, but it's another that I'm suggesting without having tried it.

 

[Rotflmao]

@Rotflmao - ever compare MB Dark Twist to Newminster Superior Round Slices?

Never tried the dark twist but it does look interesting and I’ll have to give it a try. Maybe next order. I have pounds of Newminster in the cellar anyway.

 

[PerpetualWonderer]

Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake and Best Brown Flake are two that fit what you're looking for.

Cornell & Diehl Bijou might be good. I've smelled it but haven't smoked any yet. It smelled delicious though. C&D has quite a few blends that might be what you're after.

Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake is a nice, sweet and mellow smoke.

You might like Rattray Hal O the Wynd, Marlin Flake, and/or Old Gowrie.

Dunhill Ready Rubbed is right up your alley. Most (if not all) Dunhill blends are no longer being made though, but I remember seeing some available about a week or two ago.

GL Pease Navigator is supposed to be a nice Virginia and burley blend, but it's another that I'm suggesting without having tried it.

Wow, this list will keep me busy for at least a year... I guess I have a new AD - TAD? And just when I thought I had clamped down on AD's for the year with a sabbatical from shaving-related purchases... I went and got a new hobby.

 

[Cracker]

If you like Mac Baren, you have to smoke their classic and famous Mixture Scottish Blend of course. I think, Virginia No. 1 is also a must try, even if you don't like it in the end (it's much more a Danish pure Virginia in contrast to the English Virginias, quite sweet, light, grassy with a nice casing - still a non aromatic though).

 

[Kentos]

You might like Sutliff 515RC-1. Just had a bowl for myself and it was pretty good. Cheap too.

 

[Rotflmao]

Was doing a bit of internet research and it looks like Macbaren has a hand in Newminster and it is made in Macbaren’s plant.

@Rotflmao - ever compare MB Dark Twist to Newminster Superior Round Slices?

 

[Kentos]

Was doing a bit of internet research and it looks like Macbaren has a hand in Newminster and it is made in Macbaren’s plant.

Makes sense as the Newminster Flakes are nice and uniform like HH flakes.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Makes sense as the Newminster Flakes are nice and uniform like HH flakes.

MacB sure does nice flakes. They also need to start paying me commission, with all of their product I have sent out to people. First fix is free

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Wow, this list will keep me busy for at least a year... I guess I have a new AD - TAD? And just when I thought I had clamped down on AD's for the year with a sabbatical from shaving-related purchases... I went and got a new hobby.

I know the feeling. My shaving sabbatical led to a fountain pen AD from The Nib. After I loaded up on pens and ink and such, I turned my attention to pipes and tobacco here in the Brown Leaf. Beware though, the members that hang out here in the BL are expert enablers.