Newbie Tobacco Notes, Looking for Advice

IsraelHands

Hello All, first post on the site.  

Been digging around This Pipe Life site.  Lots of good stuff and interesting members!

I'm a new pipe smoker, having smoked a couple of dozen bowls so far.  I dabbled in college smoking Cherry Cavendish drugstore blend self rolled cigarettes with my roommate which was enjoyable at the end of the day hanging out listening to music.  Then smoked a cob and a drugstore pipe with that drugstore Cherry Cavendish and Whiskey Cavendish, which I enjoyed.  

Fast forward 25 years later.  I've become interested in the pipe again with the Tolkien books, now made movies and various other exposures which reminded me of my enjoyment of the pipe and pipe tobacco back in my college days.  I do enjoy a nice robust cigar 5 or 6 times a year but haven't made a regular practice of it.

So I stopped in a local pipe shop on a whim when I was passing by.  The next thing I know, I picked up an inexpensive Missouri Meerschaum cob and an inexpensive briar basket pipe at the counter.  I went back to a Cherry Cavendish that I picked up too and really enjoyed that first bowl.  Man did that flavor and aroma taste nice and take me back.

So I've bought a handful of sampler tobaccos to try having done some reading and you tubing on the web.  A couple different cherry aros, a couple of primarily virgina based blends, and a few burley blends.

Well, I gotta say, those cherry blends aren't really doing it for me.  Other than that first one, those things just don't have that cherry flavor that I remember.  They taste more like smoke to me without much cherry to them.  I also tried the virginias and didn't like those too much either.  I really wanted to taste that sweet taste that people describe with notes of grass and hay maybe, but nothin.  The cherry aros smelled great like I wanted to eat them but didn't deliver on the smoke, and the virginias seemed very thin and without body.  Then I got to the burleys.  Man did those really do something for me.  Wow.  Real nice.  Very nice aroma, good mouth feel, a real round mouth sensation with a rich flavor and I really appreciated all those notes of earthiness and nutty flavor that people describe.  Was more complex tasting.  Good little zip on the N that I also found a bit heady and enjoyable.  

So can anyone tell me why those virginias and cherry aros aren't delivering for me?

Would like to hear your thoughts and any tobacco recommendations based on my experiences so far. 

Thanks kindly in advance for your expert advice and have a most excellent day.

xDutchx

IsraelHands, welcome to the forums!

Some of the issues you are describing, have to do with your individual body chemistry, your preferences, as well as the casings and toppings used in a particular tobacco.

One thing about pipe tobacco that can be a bit frustrating, is that inside most brick and mortar retail shops, different type blends are not grouped into particular genre's or categories. This can make it a little difficult for a new smoker to get on the right track, and figure out what type blends are going to end up being their preference. Individual blends tend to be grouped by brand names, even on internet websites, instead of by genre.

Over time, you will start to recognize certain key words on the packaging, words like bright Virginia's, stoved Virginia's, Perique, Latakia, Dark Fired Kentucky, Burley, etc. Words that describe flavors like vanilla, cherry, etc. are usually aromatics, but even within that genre, there are different degrees of adulteration. Just because your mouth doesn't agree with one aromatic, doesn't mean that will be the case with all of them.

Chances are, if you can tolerate Burley well, and enjoy the flavor, you may tend to prefer non-aromatic tobacco. Keep in mind that all tobacco is processed using some sort of process, even tobaccos categorized as non aromatic.

If you are looking for a blend that reminds you of grass and hay, you may enjoy Orlik Golden Sliced. It is known for having a great price point for a tin tobacco, and is well known and popular in pipe circles.

If you think you might enjoy the same style blend with a little spice, you may enjoy Virginia Perique blends. (VaPer's)

judandhispipe

Something else to remember - you're new to all of this. Your palate is not developed. You are probably not going to like all varieties of tobacco right off the bat. This is something we all go through - not necessarily   the same way you do -but it happens to us all. If burleys are working for you, explore those for a bit.
Welcome to the hobby and the forum.

dbh1950

IsraelHands, welcome to the Pipe Life and to the pipe smoking hobby.

If you enjoy the cherry blend tobaccos, there are a number that are available, there are blends that have a slight vanilla/cherry room note, as it is called. I prefer the Lane blends, 1Q and Dark Red. I would suggest buying an ounce or two of any blends you might be interested in. That should allow a decent trial period to determine if you find them to your liking. 

This is a wonderful time for pipe smoking and pipe smokers, so much info is available, great resources such as This Pipe Life, and the Internet is full of forums and info. Be sure and report on your experiences, those can be helpful to others pursuing the hobby. 

PappyJoe

@IsraelHands - Let us know where you live. I would also suggest you check out The Country Squire Radio podcast and other pipe smoking podcasts and youtube channel. The Country Squire is a brick & mortar tobacconist located in Jackson, MS and has some pretty good store blends that are made in-store. These are not bulk blends that are bought and relabeled like some small pipe and cigar shops do.

ghostsofpompeii

I not a fan of cherry aromatics but understand one that seems to get the most 'thumbs up' is Cult Blood Red Moon.

judandhispipe

A late thought. Try Prince Albert Cherry Vanilla. Not bad at all for what it is. Not goopy, not overwhelming on the flavoring.

IsraelHands

Thanks all for the comments and suggestions. Much appreciated!