Confused new pipe smoker........Too Mild

I enjoy the pipe in a different way than cigars.

Having said that here is the stable of tobacco's that I have had at least one bowl of so far

Brigham Mixtures
-Morning Pleasure
-English Mixture
-Natural Cavendish
-Commonwealth

Tins
-MacBaren Burley London Mixture
-G.L. Pease Blackpoint
-Ashton Winding Road
-Davidoff English Mixture

Now all of these in my opinion are very very mild on flavor and with the exception of the Ashton and Pease mild to the point of not likely I will smoke them.

Am I alone in this..........is it Aromatics I need to try? I have ordered a bunch of new tins based on strength of flavor and some strong aromatics in hopes of lighting my fire so to speak. I don't care about nic kick.......it doesn't phase me and I don't look for it so that isn't what I am looking for. Also I don't just want a tobacco tasting tobacco (now that just sounds daft) I have many cigars and what I love about them is how one can taste of caramel and coffee and the next tastes of spices and worn leather. I love flavorful cigars but not super spicy (think partagas if you smoke cigars)

I could post the list of tobaccos that I have sent off for but I would really rather here the thoughts of this group...........there appears to be thousands of years of experience on here.........surely I am not the only one that has this issue.

I don't want to give it up................I truly savor the experience.............its the taste and aroma that seems to be missing.

[Curly Cut]

first question to you would be: are you still actively smoking cigars within days/hours of smoking your pipes?

if you answer "yes", then i would say that the cigars are so in your face with their flavor delivery that your taste buds can't taste the pipe tobaccos.
may sound odd to you, but trust me... i went from mild aromatics, to cigars for about 5-6 years, then back to pipes. it took me a couple months of not smoking cigars, and only pipes, before i was able to pick up a LOT of the flavors from certain pipe tobaccos.

also, if these tins are freshly opened, they may not have aired out enough... think of a fresh cigar that's too humid - flavors end up being muted. not saying that the tobacco needs to be totally dry, some comes ready to smoke in humidity standards, but there's something about letting it time to breathe, like a wine.

not saying you'd have to stop smoking cigars altogether... but i would smoke about 2-4 a day, and then i weened myself to pipes. those first couple months, the only tobaccos that i could 'taste' were the latakia and oriental heavy blends.

[Starscream]

Originally Posted by Curly Cut

first question to you would be: are you still actively smoking cigars within days/hours of smoking your pipes?

if you answer "yes", then i would say that the cigars are so in your face with their flavor delivery that your taste buds can't taste the pipe tobaccos.
may sound odd to you, but trust me... i went from mild aromatics, to cigars for about 5-6 years, then back to pipes. it took me a couple months of not smoking cigars, and only pipes, before i was able to pick up a LOT of the flavors from certain pipe tobaccos.

I'm not an avid pipe smoker, but this applies not only from cigars to pipes, but also from cigarettes to cigars. I recently quit smoking cigarettes (for the second time) and I still can't fully taste all the flavors that a cigar offers right now. I need to be cigarette free for another couple of months before I can truly appreciate a cigar again. I would assume this is very similar to the transition from cigars to pipes. Both are great, but to truly appreciate pipe tobacco, one would probably need to stay away from a cigar for a while before pipe smoking (unless your sticking with aromatics).

[G G]

I am not qualified to answer this Shawn. But I agree with Curly Cut on this. What little bit of pipe smoking I have done, comes across as very mild compared to the cigars. I tend to like very strong cigars and maduros, and the pipe tobacco comes across as very very mild.

[Curly Cut]

now, there are some blends out there that are strong in the "tobacco flavor" that you said you don't want....

if i were you, i'd take a break from cigars (they probably need to rest anyway), and just see what the different genres taste like after a bit...
not a ploy to get you to switch to only pipes, i have nothing against cigars. but to give pipes a chance to show you all that they have to offer, your palate needs to recover from the assault on your taste buds that most cigars provide.
similar to setting up your cigar lineup for a herf... you don't start off with the strongest and possibly harshest stick, then you won't get much out of the next couple that day...
if you smoke a handful of La Gloria Cubana Series R's every day, you won't taste 99% of all pipe tobaccos for a few weeks. you could probably wipe your ass with your tongue and just think it was jello pudding.

[lightning9191]

Originally Posted by Curly Cut

you could probably wipe your ass with your tongue and just think it was jello pudding.

I just wanted to highlight this.....so disturbing.....

[NCRadioMan]

I've smoked alot of different pipe tobacco's and havn't found one that had the strength of a good cigar. Much more, in depth, flavor but nowhere near as strong. To me, aromatics are the mildest of all.

[Curly Cut]

it's a record. 3 Gregs post in a row!!

[Starscream]

Originally Posted by Curly Cut

it's a record. 3 Gregs post in a row!!

[RevSmoke]

Shawn, if you smoke a couple cigars, and then your pipe, you will get nothing - they are absolutely blah!

I love a great Virginia, sitting down and contemplating the interplay of sweet flavors dancing all over my palate.

But, I get zilch, zip, zero, nada if I am smoking them after a cigar or two.

You need a clean palate to smoke a pipe, and it takes a few days to do that. Considering I smoke only a couple days a week, I can pick up my pipe and be astounded.

Having said that, of the tobaccos you listed are I have only had the Pease, and I'd agree that it is light.

Keep trying there are great ones out there. Here's some to add to the list:
Gawith & Hoggarth Louisiana Flake
Sam Gawith: Full Virginia Flake & 1792
Esoterica: Penzance, Dorchester
Cornell & Diehl: Bow-legged Bear

For just a few names to consider. In fact, I'd call up Cornell & Diehl and explain your dilemna. Craig & Patti are good people. They'll probably come up with a sampler for you. Tell them Todd from Embarrass, WI told you to call. They'll either be excited or double the price.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Originally Posted by SilverFox

here is a list of tobacco I have had at least one bowl of…

Brigham Mixtures
-Morning Pleasure
-English Mixture
-Natural Cavendish
-Commonwealth

Tins
-MacBaren Burley London Mixture
-G.L. Pease Blackpoint
-Ashton Winding Road
-Davidoff English Mixture

Can only speak for myself, but smoking one or two bowls of any blend is hardly enough for ones taste to acclimate, especially if your smoking one blend, then another blend, then another blend... Took a full 2oz tin of both Maltese Falcon and Odyssey before I had a real sense of all the blend had to offer. When saying it took a whole tin, I mean that blend was the only pipe tobacco I smoked until I had finished the tin.

I smoke 6 – 8 ounce of Westminster a month it can taste different from day to day, body chemistry, hydration, what we ate and/or drank throughout the day, temperature and relative humidity all effect how we perceive flavor.

[BigFrank]

Smoked two bowls of GL Pease's Key Largo so far from a tin thanks too Shellie for the tin. Good smoke. First time I just loaded a few flakes into a cob, last time I rubbed enough out for a bowl. I would say it smokes well both ways. Only requires a little dry time ( 15min ) right out of the tin.

Shawn if you're still looking for something strong, you may want to dabble in some rope tobacco. I tried some Gawith & Hoggarth Brown Irish X and it was a bit of a face melter. I'm still new to both forms of smoking but this blend would take some time for me to work up to.

Chris

[spectrrr]

Originally Posted by Benwoo

Shawn if you're still looking for something strong, you may want to dabble in some rope tobacco. I tried some Gawith & Hoggarth Brown Irish X and it was a bit of a face melter. I'm still new to both forms of smoking but this blend would take some time for me to work up to.

Chris

The Samuela Gawith Brown is VERY strong, but if downgrade to the Black XX Rope, you might find something you like in that. I really enjoyed it, found it to be a rich and flavorful smoke, but not face meltingly strong. Unfortunately, Rope baccy is harder to load right (I think), so for someone like me who hasn't even figured out how to load regular baccy quite right, I didn't have a prayer of keeping that rope lit

I'm resigned to the fat my pipes wont stay lit I keep an arsenal of cheap adjustable lighters on hand and keep sparking. All my pipes are pretty much new w/o and cake build up. With the rope I cut a plug off and after smoking it a bit decided to quarter it into strips w/ a razor blade. It didn't seem to go out any more then anything else I've really smoked in there, but I could see it being a bit of a pain w/ the tight twisting and all. Ropes are also becoming harder to get your hands on, not sure if it's the labor in making it or what.

Chris

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by Benwoo

I'm resigned to the fat my pipes wont stay lit I keep an arsenal of cheap adjustable lighters on hand and keep sparking. All my pipes are pretty much new w/o and cake build up. With the rope I cut a plug off and after smoking it a bit decided to quarter it into strips w/ a razor blade. It didn't seem to go out any more then anything else I've really smoked in there, but I could see it being a bit of a pain w/ the tight twisting and all. Ropes are also becoming harder to get your hands on, not sure if it's the labor in making it or what.

Chris

I prepare ropes for smoking by taking a double bladed cigar cutter and starting at one end of the rope, cutting off thin disks - kind of like opening up a cigar for smoking. Ropes are usually quite moist, so I let the disks dry out. Another way to help them stay lit is to rub them out completely or partially.

Hope this helps.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[TheBeard]

I've heard that ropes are stout smokes. Personally, I can recommend cavendish/perique (CAPER) blends such as Peterson's Irish Oak. Sam Gawith's Commonwealth Full Strength Mixture packs a great punch, as do Cornel and Diehl's blends Mississippe Mud and Purple Cow. Purple Cow even has maduro cigar leaf in the blend, adding a lovely spice