Smoking Pipe Tobacco

Aromatic blends, as I'm sure you've guessed, have some sort of added flavoring to the tobacco. One thing I like to discuss every time the subject of aromatic tobaccos comes up is a couple of pet peeves I've had virtually since day one of my pipe smoking journey.

The first one is that aromatics have this stigma of being the "training wheels" of pipe tobaccos. There are two facets to this error in thinking. First, new pipe smokers almost always are automatically steered by well-meaning tobacconists and seasoned pipe smokers towards aromatic blends. This is a big mistake, especially when the new pipe smoker is an established cigar or cigarette smoker. Not that a cigar or cigarette smoker could never find a preference for an aromatic blend, it just isn't a forgone conclusion they will.

On the other side of that coin, pipe smokers are too-often under the impression aromatic pipe tobacco blends are something they need to "graduate" from into the "advanced" types of tobacco. This falls in direct contrast with our axiom - smoke what you like, and like what you smoke. There is no such hierarchy in pipe tobacco, but countless times on my favorite pipe tobacco forums, where an aromatic is being discussed, someone will inevitably show up. (apparently to establish "serious pipe smoker credentials") to announce they don't like aromatics and contribute nothing else to the discussion.

That brings me to the second facet of the aromatic pipe tobacco myth. Of all the categories of pipe tobacco, aromatics are first to lumped into one glob that you're either expected to love or hate when aromatics should be the last to be considered this way. In other words, just because you've tried some saucy renamed bulk disaster of a "house blend" at the local shop and decided it would work best in a potpourri bag as an air freshener for your car, doesn't mean you won't like a quality offering from a manufacturer who puts their name on the tin. Of course, that works the other way around too.

If you have tried one English blend (usually some combination of Virginias,Orientals, and Latakia) you are much more likely to appreciate the next English blend which will employ a slight variation on the V-O-L recipe. The range of base tobaccos, tobacco quality, and combinations used in aromatic pipe tobacco is as broad as that of pipe tobacco as a whole, only then does the blenders skill in applying a quality flavor to enhance the base tobaccos come into play.

Before this turns into a article about aromatics, I'll finish with suggesting you try an aromatic or two during your introduction to pipe smoking, and move on to English and Balkan blends. Ask a hundred experts what defines an English or Balkan blend and you'll get a hundred answers. For the purpose of this discussion, they are blends of some combination of mainly Virginias, Orientals, and Latakia with no additional flavors added.

Where boutique blends are concerned, this is probably the most significant genre. The blender is playing with the natural sweetness and tang of the Virginias, the spicy richness of the Orientals, and the woodsy smokiness of the Latakia. Three great flavors that taste great together. English blends often employ other tobaccos to add flavor or roundness while Balkans lean more heavily toward the Oriental components and Latakia. I highly recommend new pipe smokers who are putting together a list of tobaccos to try ensure at least one or two blends from the English/Balkan genre are added.

Virginias and Virginia blends are loved for the natural sweetness and intricate flavors. A Virginia by itself usually bears more complexity and nuance than many multi-component blends. Virginias are probably the most difficult to understand - they often require an additional degree of patience and skill to smoke. There are several types of Virginias, including red, bright or yellow, along with various processing methods and combinations of methods such as stoving. For one single type of tobacco, there is a lot to explore.

One beloved combination of tobaccos is Virginia and Perique. Perique is a peppery condiment tobacco, typically not smoked on its own or added to other blends in large portions. Perique is wonderful for bringing out the sweetness in a Virginia while adding a bit of spice. You'll also find Virginias with a condimental portion of Oriental or Latakia. Other tobaccos, used with a deft touch, can enhance the Virginia without stealing the show.

I won't discourage anyone from trying any tobacco at any time, but I will caution the new pipe smoker that Virginias more than any other tobacco are most likely to cause a condition we call tongue bite. While I did say earlier that aromatics aren't a tobacco you graduate from, if there is any type of tobacco you graduate to, it is Virginia.

Last but not least - burley blends and over the counter blends. Over the counter blends - the ones you see at the supermarkets, mega-stores, etc have stood the test of time for a reason. I keep several of these on hand for those times when I'm in the mood for meatloaf instead of steak and shrimp. Most of them are very well-behaved, present a no-nonsense tobacco flavor, and are inexpensive.

Hand blended burley blends seem to be making a comeback. For me, burley blends tend to behave very well - they stay lit easier and don't bite. Another advantage is Burley usually helps make a blend satisfying in the nicotine department. Burley is generally at its best as a base flavored by other tobaccos or added flavors. There exists a wide variety of burley blends to choose from.

I'd like to recommend a list of tobaccos that adequately represents the categories I have discussed here. All the tobaccos listed are available as a sampler directly from Cornell and Diehl. I am not affiliated in any way with C&D, but I may be their biggest fan. Your best bet is placing a phone call at 1-800-433-0080 and telling them you'd like a sampler including these blends. Tell them Eric in Hawaii said hi too. The folks and C&D are always a pleasure to do business with. You will also find these blends at various online retailers, though maybe not all of them under one roof.

Aromatics:
Green River Vanilla - a high quality black Cavendish with a superb vanilla topping.
Pennington Gap - Burley, Black Cavendish, and Perique flavored with bourbon. Full flavored and delicious.

English/Balkan:
Westminster - if there is a classic English, this is it! A creation of the legendary blender, Greg Pease.
Charing Cross - another Greg Pease blend, this one billed as a classic Balkan
Bailey's Front Porch - Burleys, Cyprian Latakia, Perique and golden Virginia - this is what I'd call an American Style English. Very flavorful and satisfying.

Burley:
Pegasus - "Three Burley tobaccos, two Virginias and a touch of unsweetened Black Cavendish make this a classic American blend."
Old Joe Krantz - "Dark and cube cut Burley with red Virginia ribbon and Perique create a smooth, all day smoke." This is one of my personal all-time favorite blends.

Virginia:
Briar Fox "An exceptionally smooth crumble cake of Virginias, the personal blend of Peter Heeschen, the well-known Danish pipe maker."

All these blends are fantastic, but they are only a glimpse of what's out there. If you wish to continue exploring pipe tobacco, consider yourself invited to join me at Smoking Pipe Tobacco where you can read more reviews of pipe tobacco, learn more about pipe smoking, and discuss these or any other blends.

I hope you have enjoyed this. Pipe smokers are a helpful breed. Please let me know using the guest book below what you'd like to hear more about, or if there is something you would have liked to seen covered here.

Happy puffing!