Tobacco pipes and tobacco pipe accessories are all fun and dandy, but what about the tobacco itself?

When you’re a beginner, it can feel almost impossible to pick out the right tobacco. With so many options and so much lingo, where are you supposed to start?

The first step to any endeavor is education. The more you know about tobacco, the better suited you are to choose something you’ll enjoy. So we figured we would walk you through all-things pipe tobacco!

In this guide we will cover:

• Tobacco types
• Aromatic vs non-aromatic tobacco
• How to choose your tobacco

And here’s a secret: if you don’t enjoy what you pick out, you can always try something new!

So let’s get to it and help you choose the perfect tobacco to match your stunning tobacco pipe.

Tobacco Types

The tobacco that you buy at your local shop or online is almost certainly a blend of tobaccos from all around the world. Tobacco blenders expertly use different kinds of leaves to create different mouthfeels, burn rates, and flavors.

Just like winemakers mix varieties of grapes and brewers add hops and malt to change the beer’s flavor, tobacco blenders follow suit. These are the leaves they use:

• Oriental. This is an overall category of leaves from the Middle East (including Latakia) and they produce a spicy, bold profile.
• Bright. Bright leaves are from North Carolina and have a mild flavor.
• Latakia. Strong, smoky flavors add an intense punch and color to your tobacco blend.
• Perique. This Louisiana-based leaf has a spicy aftertaste.
• Virginia. Virginia leaves are naturally light and sweet, burn quickly, and add a subtle flavor.
• Burley. Burleys burn slowly and have a mild, nutty flavor.

Tobacco blenders use different proportions of select tobaccos to create unique blends. Then the blends fall under two categories: aromatics and non-aromatics.

Aromatics

Aromatic tobaccos smoked from your tobacco pipe usually create reminiscence into an ethereal world of cream, blackberries, and cherries.

Cavendish is a name you’ll hear thrown around a lot in the world of aromatics, which is a mix of tobaccos with an incredibly sweet smell.

Danish Gold is a prized Cavendish-style tobacco. Often discovered by smelling many jars of fruity blends, the sweet yet not overly fruity aroma wins many over.

Aromatic blends get their specific names and smells from something called “casing”, a syrup that includes sugar and flavors. The syrup gets added during processing, the tobacco soaks it up, and then it gets heated to remove any extra moisture.

At the end of this process, some blenders choose to add alcohol- such as rum- to enhance the flavors even more. By the time the tobacco gets packaged, the alcohol has evaporated and the moisture levels return to normal.

Non-Aromatics

Non-aromatics are a catch-all category. If a blend isn’t an English blend or aromatic, it’s thrown into the non-aromatic group. It is a broad selection including some semi-aromatics, Virginia/Burleys, Burleys, Virginia/Perique, and Virginia.

The distinction between aromatics and non-aromatics is that non-aromatics don’t have a top-dressing applied. Or, the top-dressing is light and subtle enough that it has little influence on the final result.

Some of these blends may include Latakia, but only in such a minuscule amount that it's more like a background component.

Flavor profiles of non-aromatics are anywhere from spicy and bold to delicate and sweet. The aromas may be pleasant or non-offensive, while others with Kentucky or Burley in large amounts may be more “stinky”.

Due to the huge collection of blends that fall under the non-aromatic category, they can be cool or hot, especially if they are based in Virginia. It is highly recommended to smoke these blends slowly, both to save your tongue and enjoy the most flavor.

Choosing Your Tobacco

With the hundreds and hundreds of different blends on the market, it can be very overwhelming to try and choose your first blend.

There are a few things to consider. If you enjoy cigars, you’ll likely enjoy non-flavored mixes like a subtle Burley. Otherwise, start with a sweet aromatic that has less body.

If you’re making the move from cigarettes to tobacco, a Cavendish might be the right choice for you. They’re affordable and light-bodied, mimicking the mouthfeel of cigarette smoke.

Another thing to think about is how often you want to smoke your pipe so you know how much tobacco to buy. If you'll only be smoking occasionally, a 2-ounce tin or sampler packs are good options so you can explore different tastes and find what you like.

Once you know what you enjoy and start to smoke more frequently, you can buy your favorite blends in bulk.

One more thing to think about when you pick out tobacco is to not fully rely on your nose. The smell of a tobacco mix doesn’t always completely translate to how it tastes or its smoking properties.

Lastly, take into account the body of the tobacco. When you’re just starting out, you probably won’t enjoy something that’s full-bodied and overpowering.

Final Thoughts

The pipe tobacco you choose to smoke is just as important as your tobacco pipes and tobacco pipe accessories.

You’ll soon discover whether you like aromatics or non-aromatics, Virginias or Orientals, full-bodied smoke or something more subtle.

Maybe mouthfeel will be your guiding factor, while others relish in the sweet smells and flavors some leaves produce.

Remember the hard work that tobacco blenders put in so that you can have a blend that feels like a delicacy!