Requesting Pipe Tobacco Assistance!

[TheoDEus]

Hi everyone!

I've already gotten some help in regards to this in the newbie thread, but on Wednesday I'm finally visiting a tobacconist to make my first foray into the world of pipe smoking. The pipe is on its way, as well as a miscellany of accessories.

I've set up a road trip to go into the nearest city where I can find a pipe tobacconist, so I'll be visiting Newcastle for the day and I'll be leaving with a tin of tobacco and maybe some loose "samplers" as well. Unfortunately, this particular tobacconist doesn't stock J.F. Germain, so my plans of getting some loose Rich Dark and some Special Latakia have been foiled!

I don't know what the policy of posting links is - but given the selection of various loose Hoggarth's and tins of Dunhill, Samuel Gawith, Peterson, Rattrays and some others, what would you recommend for a virgin pipe smoker who has experience with cigar smoking?

I'd like to stay away from aromatics for now - so I'm looking for some Virginia blends or English blends, perique and latakia are welcome as a new experience (I enjoy full flavoured cigars). At the moment, some Dunhill offerings were tempting me, namely Nightcap, Elizabethan Mixture and very much so London Mixture, but I've heard some bad things in regards to the quality of the latter after the Orlik acquisition.

In my budget is just one tin and maybe a couple of loose 10g samplers, otherwise I'd get all of them and be done with it!

Thank you for bearing with me through this boring first post - when my estate Peterson comes around, I want to do a restoration on a very tight budget with items commonly available in the UK, with not many tools available, so stay tuned for that!

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Pick one and go with it. A cigar friend of mine was able to jump right in to Balkans. He loves it. I haven't tried him on anything else.

Great thing about samples, if you don't like it you aren't stuck with much. Relax, enjoy it and don't fuss about it too much.

 

[Ponycarman]

You can't go wrong with dunhill. Elizabethan is very tasty. I like my mixture 965 very much as well. I've heard lots of good stuff about nightcap and early morning pipe as well. Dunhill flake is pretty good and lighter and dark flake is very tasty.

Looking forward to the restoration! I really like working on pipes as well.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

I'm assuming that you're going to the CCC. Since it looks like most of the bulk options are VA based Kendal flakes or aromatics, you might want to think about getting a tin of an English blend like Dunhill Earlier Morning Pipe, Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake, or Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader. Then pick out some of the bulk VA, VaBur, and VaPer blends that smell and look good when you go to the shop.

 

[DE Steve]

From a pipe smoker for 40+ years and a cigar smoker for 11:

Carter Hall for something tasty and mellow. It's my early morning smoke.

Everyone should have some around.

 

[Ponycarman]

Pick one and go with it. A cigar friend of mine was able to jump right in to Balkans. He loves it. I haven't tried him on anything else.

Great thing about samples, if you don't like it you aren't stuck with much. Relax, enjoy it and don't fuss about it too much.

Good advice!

 

[Kentos]

In retrospect maybe a easy packing easy lighting ribbon cut like a Dunhill blend might be best for a starter one. I have been earnestly smoking since April of this year and chunkier cuts give me problems sometimes.

 

[TheoDEus]

I'm assuming that you're going to the CCC. Since it looks like most of the bulk options are VA based Kendal flakes or aromatics, you might want to think about getting a tin of an English blend like Dunhill Earlier Morning Pipe, Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake, or Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader. Then pick out some of the bulk VA, VaBur, and VaPer blends that smell and look good when you go to the shop.

Yes, the CCC is where I am going, I just was not sure what the policy was on naming dealers/linking their websites, decided to play it safe.

Thank you everyone for your input so far, especially @ChefJohnBoy-ardee for easing my worries of making a bad choice, being an international student in the UK with a passion for many hobbies is hard on the wallet.

 

[MrSmith]

Dunhill Early morning pipe, Nightcap, and Elizabethan are all well regarded. It of those 3 I prefer the nightcap, but I'm partial to English blends. Samuel Gawith Squadron leader is a favorite of mine and one I consider as an all day medium bodied English smoke. Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

[Shave_Rat]

I'm assuming that you're going to the CCC. Since it looks like most of the bulk options are VA based Kendal flakes or aromatics, you might want to think about getting a tin of an English blend like Dunhill Earlier Morning Pipe, Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake, or Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader. Then pick out some of the bulk VA, VaBur, and VaPer blends that smell and look good when you go to the shop.

Based on the selection they have, I would go this route as well.

 

[TheoDEus]

So many recommendations, it's so hard to choose!

I'm very torn between Nightcap, Elizabethan, EMP and Squadron Leader... as well as some others which keep winking at me every now and again.

Being that I usually enjoy nutty, leathery, coffee/cocoa tastes in cigars, would that help narrow down the search? This is why London Mixture seemed so appealing to me, looking at other people's opinions...

Decisions, decisions...

 

[DE Steve]

So many recommendations, it's so hard to choose!

I'm very torn between Nightcap, Elizabethan, EMP and Squadron Leader... as well as some others which keep winking at me every now and again.

Being that I usually enjoy nutty, leathery, coffee/cocoa tastes in cigars, would that help narrow down the search? This is why London Mixture seemed so appealing to me, looking at other people's opinions...

Decisions, decisions...

Nutty, coffee, cocoa, chocolate = Carter Hall

 

[Ponycarman]

If you like the nutty leathery cigars I would go with one of the english blends. The latakia blends are in that smokey, leathery, nutty flavor catagory. Most have been for me at least. I know nightcap is supposed to be heavier and emp lighter. Im not sure how much lighter or where squadron leader falls in line with them.

 

[TheoDEus]

Nutty, coffee, cocoa, chocolate = Carter Hall

I'd love to try out Carter Hall, but CCC doesn't carry it.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

As for Carter Hall, ask your tobacconist for an American style burley blend.

Dunhill has exited the tobacco business, so bear that in mind before you buy a blend that will be gone as soon as existing stocks are consumed. Personally, I don't care for Orlik's take on the Dunhill catalog, but since you won't have the Murray's frame of reference to prejudice you, you may want to give them a whirl.

In addition to the blends mentioned earlier, I'd recommend Samuel Gawith's Skiff Mixture as a good place to start. Also, look for Presbyterian Mixture - we can't get it over here any longer but I understand it's available in the UK in pouches. Esoterica's Margate and Penzance are two English blends that get rave reviews, so much so that they are constantly out of stock from US vendors.

Speaking of reviews, I hope you've found www.tobaccoreviews.com in your research efforts. It's an invaluable resource.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Theo, Best Brown No.2, Bobs Flake, Brown Flake Unscented, and Rum Flake should all be good sample choices for you. Balkan Mixture might be a decent Balkan style English blend to sample as well, but I'm not as familiar with it.

 

[TheoDEus]

As for Carter Hall, ask your tobacconist for an American style burley blend.

Dunhill has exited the tobacco business, so bear that in mind before you buy a blend that will be gone as soon as existing stocks are consumed. Personally, I don't care for Orlik's take on the Dunhill catalog, but since you won't have the Murray's frame of reference to prejudice you, you may want to give them a whirl.

In addition to the blends mentioned earlier, I'd recommend Samuel Gawith's Skiff Mixture as a good place to start. Also, look for Presbyterian Mixture - we can't get it over here any longer but I understand it's available in the UK in pouches. Esoterica's Margate and Penzance are two English blends that get rave reviews, so much so that they are constantly out of stock from US vendors.

Speaking of reviews, I hope you've found www.tobaccoreviews.com in your research efforts. It's an invaluable resource.

Yes, tobaccoreviews has helped me quite a lot to get my bearings on things, yet some blends have very convincing love-hate arguments on either side, which makes it hard for me to draw a conclusion, seeing as I have no experience with what virginia, latakia, perique, etc actually taste like.

As far as I am aware, Esoterica is only available in the US, I know it is manufactured by J.F. Germain, but we can't get it in the UK, to my knowledge.

Is there any way to find out if the tins at CCC are the Murray versions or the newer Orliks? (apart from asking of course)

 

[Shave_Rat]

Is there any way to find out if the tins at CCC are the Murray versions or the newer Orliks? (apart from asking of course)

I would expect it to be highly unlikely you'd run into the Murray produced Dunhill tins there.

 

[TheoDEus]

I'm on the coach back home from Newcastle. Nothing quite like walking through a foreign town for hours on end...

So apart from some blisters, I'll be returning home with a Czech tool, various pipe cleaners and...

tobacco!

They had loose Squadron Leader so I had to get a 10g bag. Next I started sniffing a lot of jars which my mind has decided to completely ignore, finally I settled for some Four Squires and a virginia-based blend with a peculiar name - lr3 or something like that

I asked the very helpful guy if he has any nightcap left and apparently the last tin had been bought earlier that morning...

BUT... he checked the "drawer" and found some more nightcap. I saw that as the tobacco gods lighting my path, so I got it!

 

[Ponycarman]

Awesome! Enjoy!