"When I grow up, I want to become an English smoker"

[TRO10101011010110101]

Haha, good song.

[floofytown]

I started with an English, but I smoke pipes basically because of aromatic tobacco. I'm not a fan of cigars. I like them ok, but they get on my nerves after a few minutes. I feel the same way about English blends.. the flavor of pure tobacco never appeals to me as much as a good sweet aromatic. I smoke Englishes once in a while, and I do enjoy them, but usually it's to clean the palette. Good aromatics take as much appreciation to enjoy as Englishes. One's not more sophistocated than the other.

[Beikes1]

Yeah and the fact that most tobacconists suggests aromatics for the beggining pipesmoker coming into the shop, because upon opening the tin, letting the noob smell the weed...it's a seller! "It smells so good you'd wanna eat it" like--

Aromatics are the hardest leafs to smoke, so to recommend that kind of smoke to a newcomer, increases the risk of them dropping pipesmoking alltogether. The sugar content, natural or cased, makes the bacco burn hot and wet. Start with neutral or english/balkan

[whiskersneighbour]

I got it ass backwards, I guess. I started with English and only recently have been willing to try aromatics. I don't feel I've missed anything with the aromatics. I'm a confirmed English smoker.

[simstick]

As I heard someone say "I smoke english for myself

and aromatics for others" Although aromatic a nice first

smoke and change of pace during the day"

[filthyfucr]

some nice smoke in this video at last!

[goytabr]

I watched the original video and posted a comment there. I'm going to repeat it here: when I first tried an English tobacco, it was love at first puff and I would say that I never looked back, except that I had to, because of their unavailability here in recent years.

However, I always shun any attempt by a "taste police" to establish "official" or "approved" ways of doing anything, especially something meant to be pleasurable. If anyone likes aromatics better, that's great, smoke them!

[JohnCry]

Why do people so often forget that taste is subjective? The "aromatic - English progression" might be due to the fact that almost in every beginner's guide to pipe smoking the novice is advice to start with an aromatic blend. One simply tastes English blends a bit later. English blends are not necessarily the experienced smoker's choice. A good friend of mine started with an English blend. My father, with over 35 years of experience is able to enjoy almost any blend. He prefers aromatics though.

[JohnCry]

While there is no simple and undeniable truth regarding the matter, in my humble opinion it's alright to enjoy whatever blend you prefer and it is not so elegant and "pipe-smokey" to consider that if another person smokes an aromatic, that person lacks the experience needed to enjoy English blends. Does this make sense?

[nickandhispipe]

Totally my feelings.

[KTownWho]

where's your head at?

[powerman2442]

Hey pipfriend bought 4 ounces of Billy Bud and just got it last night. Smoked a bowl of it and I am a bit... "so so" on it. Got a lot more to smoke thou. So it might grow on me.

[Acaciavet]

I smoke Latakia blends.If I go to the wild side I open Prince Albert

[powerman2442]

I love Prince Albert Soft Vanilla. And Middleton Apple.

[CigarFriendCali]

I think I agree with Popecrisco here. It's like people who smoke cloves versus cigarettes. Cloves aren't necessarily considered "beginner" cigarettes, so the aromatic/English distinction is pretentious.

It's even more pretentious to create just an English/aromatic dichotomy. Seems like it's more like an aromatic/non-aromatic difference.

English blends are not particularly full-bodied smokes. It's strange to me that they are heralded as the sign of a truly experienced pipe-smoker.

[CigarFriendCali]

If you are going from cigars or cigarettes to pipes, it makes no sense to start off with aromatics, as you are accustomed to tobacco flavor.

[t2thei]

DITO! totaly my opinion, i started with cigs, rolled them myself. i started with light virginia but it was too soft for me, smoke was kind of "ashy" so i tried darker tobacco like javaanse jongens sterke and i loved it.

same with the pipe now, i started with black luxury and macbarren plum cake and now i tried rattray's black mallory and i was like "man, this is how its supposed to taste like"

[CigarFriendCali]

If anything like popecrisco suggest, it's probably more of sign of experience or sophisticated taste if you get into plugs, flakes and cakes vis a vis your standard shred-style cut.

[SnowyFinland]

I've been smoking a pipe for 10 yrs. My experience confirms the standard story: started with aromatics, moved to VAs, then to Latakia heavy Englishes. And the latter have remained my favorite. I still smoke VAs but can't manage to enjoy the aromatics I once loved, despite wanting to. That so many humble pipesters share this experience indicates there are features of the different tobacco types that figure in an adequate explanation of it. I.e., pretentiousness doesn't figure in the explanation.

[TheSmokingGuitar]

alright! its beard season, it is noshember

[pipesmokinghermit]

I like both. I had an odd progression. From burleys and aromatics, the to strictly english. Now, I am sort of between. I like the variety which I think is the coolest part about smoking a pipe. Cigars all taste similiar. Cigarettes all taste alike (nasty!) but there are an infinite variety in pipe tobacco flavors.

[CigarFriendCali]

Cigars are varied in flavor.  Cigars are more complex smokes, capable of changing flavors throughout a given stick. There is actually a lot of variety in cigars.

[pipesmokinghermit]

Indeed, I said similiar (and not the same) because the tobacco does vary in taste based on where it is grown, how it is rolled and the like. The thing about pipes is that there are differnt ways to dry, cure, ferment, and case the tobacco. The difference between cigars I have found, are quite subtle compared to the different between black cavindish, burley and latakia.

[ahmedsadik1983]

i find it true in a way tht english or balakans hv way more complexity to it beside the tasting progress from artificially sweetened to natural sweetness of tobacco cannot be appreciated by biggeners it was so for me at least

cheers

ahmad

[wanderer1825]

Ive tried Aromatics and didn't like them. Tongue bite and a nasty chemical taste put me off.

My favourite tobacco now is a mixture, 2 parts St Bruno to 1 part English blend (Squadron Leader or similar) Works for me. Smoky,woody,malty smooth and a cool smoke.

[OneManSmoke]

Me too.

[joffrethegiant]

I'm with you, dude.

[dubinthedam]

I moved more away from aromatics towards good burley's, VA's and Navy Blends. I mainly began to dislike the way casings covered or hid the natural taste and sweetness of tobacco. I do enjoy english blends but I dislike the tartness or sourness that one can get in some of these blends.

[harryheilbutt]

its right - if you smoke a lot you cant pass the english blends - like the rich aroma by itself and the slow and cool burning. cheers, matthias

[VerseVermillion]

As a novice pipe smoker (only been at it for close to two years), I don't think there is any sort of progression. Who ever says that, they're being pretentious, because they think English is "hardcore".

My experience is, when I was a non-smoker and when I think of a pipe, I thought of the aromatics, so naturally, I was going to try the aromatics first... it's all I knew. I wanted to try different things, I researched and tried English blends. I like 'em both and I have pipes dedicated to both.

[VerseVermillion]

I hate the character limit. I do think there is a progression, in a sense, that the person will need to experiment with blends and types of pipes to see what's best for them and what gives them the best experience. There is no "wrong way" or "progression". It's a "Do whatever makes it more enjoyable to you".

[PipeLawyer]

Boy that Mario Grandi just gets prettier every time it shows up on the tube. BTW what song was playing and by whom?

[PipeFriendCHS]

Where's Your He@d At - by B@sement J@xx

[SmokeRingsPipeDreams]

I think you both may have a point. I have to say, ... the longer I smoke a pipe the more tiresome tongue bite became. So just a while ago I took the pledge. "I will no longer buy pipe tobacco that bites". There are still some non biting aromatics out there so I can still smoke both. But life is to short to have a tongue that hurts all of the time. Cheers,

Kel

[zofarrr]

Hey Pipefriend, in your last video you referenced your facebook account may we Add you as a, pardon the horrible pun Pipe Friend on Facebook?

Also, Ive had to come to terms about the facrt that I cannot grow a Pipebeard it all just grows on my head.

[PipeFriendCHS]

Sure

[Bmaster25]

It's good to see the beard coming back. What is a pipe smoker without his beard? There is just an aura of intellectualism that emanates from a pipe and beard.

[jiffypoops]

Just got my first English tobacco, gonna taste this right now, it's and Early morning pipe by Dunhill

[popecrisco]

Thanks for the response! my first video response at that! (It really made my day, and its only 9am!)