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Help choosing a pipe tobacco

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2Baccy

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Hey I ordered an m&m corn cob pipe and would like a suggestion on a good starter tobacco.
I was looking at the smoking pipes website and other places for suggestions.
The name carter hall keeps showing up and captain black royal. Also orlik golden sliced and three nuns caught my eye. As a cigarette smoker not a cigar smoker could anyone provide any suggestions that might suit my taste. Yes I know it’s been asked before sorry.
 

deluxestogie

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If you are interested in food-flavored tobacco (often called "aromatic"), the standard starter is Lane 1-Q (a gold Cavendish with a mild honey flavor). If you would rather give pure tobacco a try, I think nothing can beat the mild English style of John Cotton No. 1. Slightly richer is John Cotton No. 1&2.

There will be a gazillion opinions on the dozens of "starter" tobaccos. I would solidly vote for John Cotton No. 1&2. If you have a "significant other" who might comment on the room note, the Lane 1-Q is probably a wiser choice.

Bob
 

skychaser

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Lane 1-Q is pretty good. Try mixing a little in a cigarette too. It makes a great flavored smoke and has a wonderful room note. If you like flavored cigarettes, try some Hazelnut or Cherry. We are hooked on a Cavendish called called "Very Cherry" for making flavored cigarettes. I loved the different flavored cigarettes Camel used to make. Especially the Mandarin Mint. But alas, they are long gone now. :( http://cigarettesportal.com/camel-exotic-blends/
 

deluxestogie

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For bulk blends (typically 1/4 the price of tinned tobaccos), Cornell & Diehl (C&D) offers a ton of flavored varieties that are usually quite smooth and subtle in their use of flavorants, unlike many of the "drug store" brands. The best source is SmokingPipes.com. If you're going to spend $10-$12 to try a tobacco, you may as well skip the metal can, and go with bulk.

SmokingPipes.com bulk pipe tobacco: https://www.smokingpipes.com/tobacco/bulk/

I only recently noticed that it was the owner of SmokingPipes.com who bought C&D after Craig Tarler's death in 2012. They even moved C&D from near Ashville, NC to South Carolina (near North Myrtle Beach--their road access was recently flooded, but the facilities are on higher ground). C&D is SmokingPipes.com, hence the widest selection (101 C&D varieties), best prices, and most likely to be in-stock. C&D is currently operated by Craig's son, Chris Tarler.

Bob
 

2Baccy

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I ordered John cotton 1 and 1&2 as well as lane 1-q from 4noggins. We will see how those treat me thanks for the advice. I did order a couple tins just to have a few around and a couple oz of bulk Lane 1-Q. I predict I will prefer the non aromatic types but I could be wrong.
 

Chris A

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I like aromatics on occasion, but tend to mix in some cigar leaf for heft. Room note doesn't seem to change much If that matters.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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It's hard for me to recommend pipe tobacco in Canada because it's just so expensive. If I was not a home grower, and because I'm mostly a fan of the natural blends, I would rely on Whole Leaf Tobacco to satisfy all my tobacco needs. Based on what's currently in stock, I would order Virginia Bright leaf, Izmir, Maryland, Latakia, and Perique. That would give me a pretty good stock to blend with. If there was burley available, I would order that instead of the Maryland.

I see some others recommended bulk blends. In Canada, they are maybe 75% the cost of tinned tobaccos. A lot of shops sell "bulk" tobacco pre packaged because of labeling laws. Brigham is the brand that you're looking for. Most of it is actually repackaged Lane tobacco as far as I know.

Favorite tinned, flavored tobacco: Macbaren Ambrosia.
 

deluxestogie

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Wow! I overlooked that the request for pipe blends came from Canada. After trying the tobacco you've purchased, follow ChinaVoodoo's insightful advice, and buy some whole leaf from WLT. Look over the many recipes in other threads of the Pipe Smoker's Forum. If you decide on one of the John Cotton blends as worth emulating with whole leaf, just holler. I really like John Cotton's No. 1&2, but my Pearl of Shibam is better, and can be created at less than $25 per pound (of whole leaf).

Bob
 

ChinaVoodoo

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WLT is excellent just as it arrives, but there's also this whole other world of making stuff out of it, beyond blending. Once you start processing whole leaf tobacco, your eyes will open up to the possibilities. Rope, plug, press cake, steaming, toasting, cooking, fermenting, casing.....
 

2Baccy

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Thanks I just wanted to try the legit pipe tobacco to get an idea of what the professional blenders can make. Then if I like it I can possibly try some day making something similar with whole leaf like Bob just mentioned.
I will get a tin of macbaron ambrosia on the list thanks.
China are there any “local smoke shop” / grocery store brand pipe tobacco worth buying in your opinion? I seem to remember always seeing captain black at most stores? I realize it may be 40$ per bag.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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Captain black is actually made by Lane.

Burlington on Whyte Tobacconist in Edmonton sells about 60 proprietary bulk blends. Brigham is one of their suppliers, and I'm sure a number of the blends contain Brigham tobaccos. They don't sell it by the bag with the Brigham logo because many, if not most of the blends are their own creations. They weigh it out when you ask for it. Many of the blend descriptions are on their website (I think). My favorites were Kingston, and anything they did with rum. I don't know if they mail order. There's a tobacco store chain called Shefield and Sons who does sell Brigham pre-packaged.

I think it would be difficult to emulate any of the aromatics with homegrown or WLT. They're frankly, not natural, and contain unknown ingredients, and lots of them. In the bulk section, Orientals would be the most natural. There are many tinned Virginia blends that are reasonably natural. I haven't kept up on what's out there, though.
 
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deluxestogie

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Captain Black "Gold" is identical to Lane 1-Q. Captain Black "Original", in the all white packaging, is not quite as sweet, and has a broader flavor profile. I agree that duplicating commercial aromatic tobaccos is a serious challenge. But it is also entirely pointless. You can decide on your own flavorants (from LorAnn) for your own blends.

When it comes to the difficulty of making your own pure-tobacco blends, the only real challenge is learning to stem and shred the leaf. The rest is as easy as a mac and cheese boxed dinner.

Bob
 

2Baccy

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I agree trying to re create flavoured tobacco Is pointless especially if you want it exact. I just mean more so if I found a pure tobacco blend from a professional company I like, then I could order that type of leaf and blend something close possibly.
My understanding is that tobacco cannot be mailed in Canada (excluding whole leaf) China but I can visit the site to be sure.
Thanks for the help it’s good to know that captain black is decent because it’s all I remember seeing at local stores.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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Once when I was working up north for longer than they said, I ran out of tobacco, and was forced to buy an entire town's supply of Captain black just to survive.
 

Alpine

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If you can find it, give Kentucky Bird a try. In a corn cob it’s a very good smoke, floral (they add proper flower petals to the blend) and sweet. They claim it’s based largely on “sun cured burleys” (??? Never heard of that)

Pier
 

burge

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Orlik Is a lot like Dons Virginia. Just add some honey casing. Depending on the supplier I get The Three Castles or Kendal Gold./Auld Kendal. I am of personal believe that you can make any type of tobacco if you know the tobacco types in the blend. Whole leaf is the way to go
 
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