What tobacco for a first time pipe smoker, long time cigar smoker?

Good day Ladies and Gents of the Leaf,

I've been smoking cigars for about 15 years. I don't have any one affinity to a flavour profile like strong. I tend to smoke mostly Cubans, but enjoy all kinds of cigars.

I bought a Medico pipe years ago, in high school I believe. I never figured how to pack/light it properly... and I think I could probably find that dried out bag of Amphora somewhere in my basement. I also have a meerschaum that a friend sent me when she lived in Turkey.

I'm wondering what you gents recommend I should buy to learn to smoke a pipe? I'm thinking that I would avoid the aromatics at this point; I really like the taste of pure tobacco.

But maybe that's just because most of the flavoured cigars I've tried were cheap, and synthetic tasting. I have some cheaper cigars from down south that I used rum instead of water in the glass humidor; they're not bad at all.

To further complicate matters... I live in Canada; the tobacconist around the corner from my office wants $35 for a 50g tin, and $70 for a 100g tin. $75-80 for the MacBaren he has in stock. I'd appreciate a PM from any fellow Canucks who know of cheaper places to buy.

Thanks in advance!

Check out 4noggins. I have received a package from them before, their packages usually make it through customs easily.

4noggins or Smokingpipes. Order less that 8 ounces and it should slip through customs. My B&M charges $25 for a bulk 50gram which I now pay less than 5 bucks online. Of course there is exchange and shipping but still a pittance compared to Canadian taxed prices.

Merk

4noggins is a must for a retailer and check out these blends, I think you'll find the cigar leaf incorporation right up your alley. http://www.4noggins.com/search.aspx?find=Patton

i would advise callin Rich at 4Noggins first, he's in a unique spot right now. He had a sale yesterday and every single bulk blend he has is completely sold out. He's trying to rush in some things by weeks end. Call him and he'll take great care of you.

Concerning tobacco recommendations, I think Cornell and Diehl has some of the best blends with a pure tobacco taste. Some of their burley Virginia Perique blends pack a punch and even have cigar like qualities IMO.

Also I think any pure Virginias will be favorable to you. Try Mcclelland 2020 blend Fragrant Matured Cake. Smokes like a campfire roasting marshmellows.

Lol

Thanks for the tips! I'll definitely be checking out 4 Noggins.

Another rookie question: do non-aromatic tobaccos still have a sweet smell in the room, or is it more like cigars?

portamenti said:

Another rookie question: do non-aromatic tobaccos still have a sweet smell in the room, or is it more like cigars?

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This can vary a lot, but (with rare exceptions) they don't smell like cigars and usually are more mild.

Latakia-heavy English blends tend to smell like a fireplace/campfire/etc. Their taste is usually relevant to their scent.

Burley and Virginia blends tend to smell and taste like, well, tobacco. If you can find one with a good amount of cigar leaf, it may help you feel right at home smoking the pipe.

You mentioned that your experience with infused cigars has mostly been with cheap synthetic-tasting ones, and that you did have a good experience with some that were kept in a humidor with some rum. In aromatics, you can find a similar dichotomy. The category is laden with and possibly dominated by cheap synthetic-tasting ones, and they tend to be many people's first experiences with aros. They tend to smell very nice and taste like nothing, sugary sweetness, or like very cheap tobacco, However, there are good ones.

However, your experience there takes my thought in another direction: Frog Morton Cellar is a popular blend to recommend. It is an English with a nice campfirey smell/taste, but it's mildly infused with whiskey thanks in part to an actual piece of whiskey barrel wood included in the tin (as a gimmick, but presumably it does contribute).

Other than that I'd say you might want to avoid tins. Buying bulk may help keep your cost down and reduce your chance of paying a horrible duty when ordering from the US by keeping weight down, since the packaging weighs less and is less bulky.

Coming from a cigar smoking background,
I'd recommend Semois.

Sploosh said:

Coming from a cigar smoking background,
I'd recommend Semois.

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+1... Semois is the closest that I've had to a cigar.