Tobacco Types and Your Picks

[BladeOfAnduril]

Hi everyone. I'm quite a noob at this pipe thing. So far my sampling has been limited to aromatics, but I'm looking to try other things. Please forgive me if this has been done before. Here goes... Of the following tobacco types (please add any that I've missed) what are your picks for favorite? I'm trying to narrow my options down to a one or two per category that I can try. I know a consensus is unlikely, and that's fine. I just want to know your personal favorites!

• Aromatic
• Latakia
• Virginia
• VaPar
• Burley

Also a question... I think I read that Burley is usually the base for cigarettes. Does burley pipe tobacco generally smell like cigarettes?

Thanks!

 

[Commander Quan]

• Aromatic - Boswell's Best, H&H Vermont meat Candy,
• Latakia - I am not a big fan of english blends, Samuel Gawith Chocolate, and 2 Friends English Chocolate as as far as I go.
• Virginia - Hamborger Veermaster, C&d Interlude, PS Luxury Twist Flake, Capstan Blue
• VaPar - McCelland 2015, Hal O The Wynd, Escudo, PS Luxury Bullsyey Flake,
• Burley

 

[captaincaveman]

Burley, to me, often smells and tastes like cigarettes. Occasionally it hits just the right spot to taste more nutty and creamy.

My favorites...

• Aromatic - P&C Best Of The Rest (but any order of it is bound to be different from any other order). Apart from that they all seem about the same to me, pleasant but not distinct.
  
• Latakia: Tie between Boswell Northwoods and Milan Sultan's Blend.
  
• Virginia: N/A
  
• VaPer: N/A
  
• Burley: Sir Walter Raleigh

 

[cursethis]

• Aromatic - Esoterica Pembroke, Just For Him Shortcut to Mushrooms, McClelland Frog Morton Cellar
• Latakia - Balkan Sasieni, Dunhill Nightcap, Esoterica Penzance, GL Pease Gaslight, McClelland 3 Oaks Syrian
• Virginia - McClelland Christmas Cheer
• VaPer - Dunhill De Lux Navy Rolls, Esoterica Dorchester, Rattray's Marlin Flake
• Burley - Esoterica Tilbury, Solani Aged Burley Flake

I'm more of a latakia hound than anything else.

 

[one2mny]

Aromatic- Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic.
Latakia-Germains Special Latakia Flake
Virgina- I'm going with Christmas Cheer as well
VaPar- H&H Anniversary Kake
Burley- C&D Old Joe Krantz

 

[oc_in_fw]

I can only speak to Latakia blends. My favorite is Penzance, but it is hard to get, so not an everyday smoke. Squadron Leader is my every day smoke. Lancer's Slices is a little heavier in the Latakia department, and really growing on me. For a different Latakia experience, there is McClelland 3 Oaks Syrian. It uses Syrian Latakia instead of the stuff from Cyprus. I find it a little more subtle, but a slightly better flavor. I could not do without any of these Lat blends.

 

[allawd]

• Aromatic - tried many, haven't found one I like much
• Latakia - Magnum Opus, my favorite category!
• Virginia - Christmas Cheer
• VaPar - like it, but have only tried a couple, too much nic for me
• Burley - irritates my throat, I think it does leave a lingering cigarette smell, but not while smoking.

 

[driftwood]

Aromatic - not an Aro smoker, but I did enjoy the same of Trout Stream that I tried (I can't for the life of me remember who the blender is!)

Latakia - GLP Chelsea Morning and Gaslight, Dunhill 765, frog Morton, Squadron Leader

Virginia - GLP Triple Play or Jackknife Plug, Captain Black Gold

VAPER - Dunhill De Lux Navy Rolls, Peter Stokobye's luxury Bullseye Flake, New Minister No 403,

Burley - MacBaren Old Dark Fired, Carter Hall

 

[Brandon P K]

• Aromatic - Esoterica Pembroke, Just For Him Shortcut to Mushrooms, McClelland Frog Morton Cellar

I'm more of a latakia hound than anything else.

Not to hijack - but I thought Frog Morton Cellar was a Lat blend? If I'm still stuck in Aro's, I'm a bit disappointed with myself...

 

[cursethis]

Not to hijack - but I thought Frog Morton Cellar was a Lat blend? If I'm still stuck in Aro's, I'm a bit disappointed with myself...

It's an aromatic with latakia... as are the other three aromatics I listed.

FMC is cased with a whiskey flavor, Pembroke is cased with a cognac flavor, and S2M is cased with... something (vanilla and something that tastes almost mushroomy).

 

[Brandon P K]

It's an aromatic with latakia... as are the other three aromatics I listed.

Guess I need to try some of these other recommended Latakias, then. Oh darn!

 

[michiganlover]

• Aromatic: Lane 1Q, Lane BCA, Sutliff Molto Dolce
• Latakia: Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, Frog Morton Cellar, Dunhill 965
• Virginia: Dunhill Flake, Macbaren Virgina No. 1
• VaPar
• Burley: Heath and Home Classic Burley Kake, Lane Burley Light Without the Bite
• OTC: Carter Hall, Prince Albert, Sir Walter Raleigh

Burley might be a component of cigarettes, but the preparation will be entirely different, with the quality of tobacco being vastly different. It's a bit like comparing a McDonald's cheeseburger with the finest steak you can buy. Sure they're both made of beef, but that is where the comparison ends.

Cigarette tobacco is a heavily adulterated product. It is designed to be as cheap as possible, and is known to reuse tobacco from cigarettes past their prime (reclaimed tobacco), as well as use use a product called reconstituted tobacco which is fine pieces of tobacco (even tobacco dust from the factory floor) ground to a paste, and sprayed onto paper. Other chemicals are added to the mix to increase the effect of nicotine. The resulting product is then dried, and shredded.

 

[Price]

• Aromatic - Frog Morton's Cellar, Pembroke, Bob's Chocolate Flake
• Latakia - Penzance, Dunhill Nightcap, Squadron Leader
• Virginia - Gawith Full VA Flake, Hal o the Wynd, Stonehaven if you can find it
• VaPar - Escudo, Solani 633
• Burley - ???

 

[gunslinger249]

These are my recommendations:

• Aromatic: Nording Labrador, Drew Estate Grand Central
• Latakia: Dunhill Night Cap, Balkan Sasieni
• VaPar: Escudo

I'm also a bit new (about 6 months), but these are the big name blends that I've liked the most.

 

[Hirsute]

• Aromatic - Shortcut to Mushroom, Villiger Mid-day, HOC Grandfather's own, Newminster Danish Black, Just for Him Treebeard
• Latakia - Dunhill 965, Peretti Cambridge Flake, McClelland Celebrated Sovereign, F&K Sterling Balkan
• Virginia - Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake, Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake, Orlik Golden Slice
• VaPar - Escudo, McClelland 2015, Dan Tordenskjold Virginia Slices, McClelland Pebblecut
• Burley - Peter Stokkebye Cube Cut, Solani Aged Burley Flake

 

[oc_in_fw]

• Aromatic - Frog Morton's Cellar, Pembroke, Bob's Chocolate Flake
• Latakia - Penzance, Dunhill Nightcap, Squadron Leader
• Virginia - Gawith Full VA Flake, Hal o the Wynd, Stonehaven if you can find it
• VaPar - Escudo, Solani 633
• Burley - ???

I forgot about Bob's Chocolate Flake.

 

[Argonaut]

Aromatic - C&D Autumn Evening
Latakia - "Barf!!!"
Virginia - FVF, Westminster Brigade
VaPar - Escudo
Burley - C&D Briar Fox

 

[Senshi]

Aromatic- Piper's Pleasure, Xmas Cookie and Sam Gawith's Perfection

Latakia- Early Morning Pipe, Northwoods (technically aromatic), Skiff Mixture

Virginia- Full Va Flake, Best Brown Flake, Holger Danske Royal Navy Flake

VaPer-luxury Bullseye Flake, Elizabethan Mixture

Burley- Solani ABF, Carter Hall

 

[the_edski]

Not to hijack - but I thought Frog Morton Cellar was a Lat blend? If I'm still stuck in Aro's, I'm a bit disappointed with myself...

It's an aromatic with latakia... as are the other three aromatics I listed.

FMC is cased with a whiskey flavor, Pembroke is cased with a cognac flavor, and S2M is cased with... something (vanilla and something that tastes almost mushroomy).

Some people refer to FMC and Pembroke as "crossovers", English blends with aromatic toppings/casings

 

[Brandon P K]

• Latakia - Penzance, Dunhill Nightcap, Squadron Leader

These seem to keep popping up as faves (as well as Early Morning, 965 and Red Reparee). Maybe a good "to do" list...

Some people refer to FMC and Pembroke as "crossovers", English blends with aromatic toppings/casings

Good to know! I've only tried FMC, will maybe check out Pembroke. Also want to try the other FM's.