I started smoking a pipe in what is probably a very common way, going into a tobacco store in a mall and buying an inexpensive pipe and getting some Captain Black off the tobacco bar. The guys in the shop were cool, and I took to hanging out there often (eventually went to work there part-time), and tried a number of blends off the bar (they had many, and you could just fill up your pipe and try anything for free). Eventually I tried this stuff called Dunhill 965, which they had on the bar - that was my first non-aromatic blend and I never went back. So my first ever non-aromatic was 965. After that I started buying tins, and discovered McClellands Oriental #14, which was my favorite tobacco for a long time after that.
@@stuffandthingsyoutube Hah yeah it really was, great people. I have one friend I met working there that I'm still regularly in touch with. But this was in the mid 1980's and tobacco stores were much more prevalent here in the Dallas area and better stocked than what was available in the 2000's (and of course now most of them are shut down). 🙂
OGS, was the first non aromatic. I did a video with it and really enjoyed it. I now always have 2 tins waiting. If it was not at that higher price I would cellar it, but I found one a bit similar at least to me, Peterson Irish Dew. Sold in a pouch and was also a great blend. Keep smiling
First semi aromatic was luxury bullseye flake. I loved it! It was also the first pressed blend. I mostly smoke flakes these days. haunted bookshop was minimally cased blend I had. It took me a bit to appreciate it but i was intrigued and kept at it. It was very bold and in your face and had very little sweetness. After 2 or 3 bowls I fell in love with it!
My first non aro was McClelland 5100 back in 2012. I still have a batch from 10 years ago. Before that it was always Captain black original just like my dad use to. But ever since my first bowl of 5100, it's been a snowball effect ever since.
The first non aromatic i Think was Dunhill de luxe navy rolls. And that is my favorite tobacco. Then there is Mac baren HH Pure virginia. Marlin flake. Gaslight. Bullseye from Stokkebye. HH Old Dark fired and HH bold Kentucky. Samuel Gawith st james flake and Brown suger flake. But i still like Bobs chocolate flake and Dark strong from Peter Heinrichs.😊😊
The blend that woke me from my aromatic sleep was.... paradoxical. Wow! What a blend. At that moment I knew I was missing a whole other world. My brother had given me some to try. I have been PS for about 2 years and it was something we shared together. He is more seasoned in the hobby and told me to try paradoxical. Now I have had a hard time S'ing aromatics since. Lol
My first non-aromatic was Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, quite the introduction. S'd it in the garage with the door closed and got VERY dizzy, no clue what I was doing trying to hot box pipe T. Thanks for the video!
One of the only times I will post on RUclips, but I would like to thank you for your tobacco reviews! I thoroughly enjoyed every one of them! They are organized well and I enjoy the fact that you spend a decent amount of time before expressing your thoughts. Keep them coming! My first non aromatic experience: Dunhill MyMixture965 smoked in a Big Ben Oxford 252 (the second pipe I bought)... All thanks to your review (and that of Matches860/John) all those years ago which I randomly found on RUclips while researching pipe tobacco and which ultimately convinced me to try a non aromatic... Before that I occasionally smoked Macbaren vanilla loose cut (from 16 years of age! In a savinelli Punto oro bent billiard - my first pipe!) and Scottish mixture (which already was a step up from the vanilla!) but I mainly smoked cigars. Pipe smoking changed my life for the better, mainly due to the meditative aspect of the hobby, but it also opened up a whole world of new flavour and taste experiences! Thanks again, God bless.
As you stated I started with the dime store aromatics just like many others. The awakening blend that gave rise to my wider appreciation of tobaccos was Peter Stokkebye's English Oriental Supreme. And yes, it remains as perhaps my very favorite. Soon after I came on to Rattray's Hal O The Wynd, again my favorite Virginia based alternative.
Well, looking back at when I began smoking a pipe there were VERY few non aromatics blends to purchase. It was in the early 70's. The Tinder Box was my go to and 90 % of the tobaccos that were sold were aromatics. I do remember Philosophers Blend and Balkan Blend that were jarred. I took a bold whiff of them and YUCK!!!!!. it was in the early 80's I happened across some tobacco named ERIN MORE and Dunhill Navy flake in small 50 gram tins. I purchased one of each and tried them. The Erin More was a little difficult for me to digest, however the Dunhill Navy Flake did the trick. It wasn't an immediate conversion from Aromatics to Non Aro's but over time I left the Aromatics in the rear view mirror.
Bradley, great topic! Back in 1971, when I was 18, the two aromatic tobaccos I first tried were Borkum Riff Whiskey and Flying Dutchman. Both bit and burned like crazy. Then I tried Sir Walter Raleigh and really enjoyed it. But what sent me on the way was Smokers' Haven's "Our Best Blend," which in those days was the Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. The professor who offered me a pipeful of it will turn 100 in August, and still going strong. Good show today!
Sutliff 507 straight Virginia flake was my first tobacco ever. The flake was a bit challanging as I was just learning to pack a pipe, and it definitely ran hot in the beginning, but it gave me a great basis to stsrt my tobacco exploration.
Mine was a blend from Canadian tobacconist called Thomas Hinds. They called the blend "Oriental Express" , but it was certainly someone else's blend under a house name. Sadly, I have no idea what the manufacturer would've called it. It was a low latakia, fairly sweet english, and I loved it immensely.
Sitting here smoking My Mixture 965 in a Stanwell that was gifted to me on a vacation in Athens, Greece. I quit cigarettes 9 years ago. A friend (the same one who gifted me the Athens Stanwell) suggested I try pipe smoking. He was starting out as well. So we went to Barclay Rex (the old location on 42nd street in NYC). I bought a basket pipe for $30 and some Lane 1Q. For some reason the black cav didn't bite me. Probably too much a newbie to notice. I then purchased some Nightcap and Early Morning Pipe to bring back home with me to Europe. I opened the NC and mixed it in a large ball jar and let it rest. I then smoked the EMP while waiting 2 weeks for the NC to mix itself (!). So, long story, EMP was my first non-aro baccy. Over the last 9 years, my tastes have evolved and NC is now a top 5 baccy for me while EMP, not so much. Thank you for all your content on all your various social media outlets.
My first non-aromatic was Presbyterian Mixture. Just like a lot of people who start with the OTC blends, I was quite "meh" about pipe smoking. As soon as I tried "Presby", I loved the natural taste and I knew that the hobby was for me. From that point forward, I started exploring different English blends and blend types. My current favourite blend is Gaslight, which is your second favourite IIRC. (My second favourite being HH Old Dark Fired). Would love to watch you revisiting Presbyterian!
Like a few others I'm seeing here , MM965 was my epiphany blend as well. At one point I thought I might be an English-only kind of person, but now I find I enjoy them more seasonally. But even with the variety of blends I partake of these days, I still enjoy 965 (and the Sutliff Match version).
I started as a shiny new 18yr old with Black and Brown, loved it. The first non Aro was Elizabethan Mix, about 4mos into smoking a pipe. The love affair with Lizzy has remained ever since. It opened up world of blends, but my first love still stays with me today. The StG version I personally love the most…having tried all the previous versions. ❤️
Player’s Navy Cut Deluxe. No longer made. Straight Virginia it was, pressed into cut rolls. The smell and taste was heavenly. No bite, and tin smell? Dates, raisins hay? Bread yeast. Ah, those were the days. Still looking for something to replace it.
Davidoff English Mixture was my first non-aromatic. I know that blend gets a lot of hate, but as a starter non-aro, it was perfect for me. Just the right amount of latakia and a pinch of perique. I remember it fondly.
The first high quality baccy I had was Davidoff Medallion Flake. It was a great experience. Years later when I came around to learning about and wanting to try a VaPer blend, i realized I had already done so😅
My first non aromatic was solani virginia flake with perique which i bought based off of what was available and the advice given on this channel - thanks bradley!
I want to say a word here about the Lakelands. I actually started with English blends, eventually finding my way to va/pers, but discovering the Lakelands was a revelation, as I had always thought of aromatics as being all cherry/whiskey or the like. Well, "English" aromatics -the so-called Lakelands- are anything but. They are really their own category entirely. They're not for everyone, certainly, and I don't love all of them, but Gawith & Hoggarth's Bosun Plug/Cut Plug is a great introduction to a very unique pipe experience.
Oh man I remember the day I hopped the fence. I went to a meet up at my local B&M and I was giving some samples and I made the mistake to try them one after another. My first sample was "GL Pease Gaslight" which was interesting since it was my first time trying and English. My second blend was Haunted Bookshop and I was not ready for that... I was literally almost on the floor after that. I attempted to try some of the other samples and It all tasted like soap to me. Naturally I got laughed at and the gentleman who gave me the samples told me that he ment for me to enjoy them slowly not use them all at once.
My beginning story was very similar to yours with the various aromatics. I read great reviews of Esoterica Tobacciano and ordered some of that. It was such a let down because I thought you were supposed to have all of the toppings and the cherry's, the vanilla's, etc. and thought this was just flat, so I laid it all down for years.... Then a few year ago, I picked up my pipe, and started trying straight Virginia's and Vapers and loved the taste of the tobacco. Have even gone back to the Esoterica and loved it. Who knows.... maybe it was a changing of my taste buds or most likely, a change in my expectations.
Good Morning 😊 Thanks for the update 👏🏼 I love aromatics 😂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the blend 👍🏼 Have a wonderful week ahead 🙏🏽 Greetings from South Africa 🇿🇦
Hello there! For me I am sure it was a Hall O the Wynd as a first "neutral". It really tasted good and waaay much better than any aro i smoked before though I was not ready for all these subtle hints of taste. So the INITIATION for me was the Balkan Mixture that opened the door to decent pipesmoking hobby. Cheers bro!
First non-aromatics were probably the LJ Peretti blends Tashkent and Century. Thats what they recommended to me when I walked in looking to try something other than Captain Black.
HH Old Dark Fired. I had tried some aromatics shortly after high school. Didnt really get into it. Then in my early 30s i went for piping again. Old Dark Fired out of a MM Legend. Classic.
Started with Aros b/c that's what my grandfather smoked, and the nostalgia of the room note is what caused me to take it up in the first place. Peter Stokkebeye Luxury Bullseye Flake was the first non-aro I tried. It opened everything up for me, and I went on a major cellar building spree.
Watching your videos was part of my research when I began thinking of trying it out... So it should not come as a surprise that the first non-aromatic I tried was Orlik Golden Sliced.
Hi, Bradley! Re first non-aromatic: It was one of these three: Richmond Navy Cut, MacBaren Navy Flake or Orlik Golden Sliced. Whichever it was, it opened the gate to "proper" pipe-smoking for me. I realised what is possible with this weed. I remember distinctly, though, my first bowl of Orlik Golden Sliced (we're talking ca. 2003). I remember the pipe (Lorenzo Spitfire), I remember the grass, the citrus, the bread, the richness of the smoke blowing my mind, I remember it being cold with heavy snow outside and how I was attending the tiled stove (no central heating in that flat) whilst smoking and frequently thinking: "Darn, that's good! Man, is that GOOD!" :-D It really was a watershed moment and, following you for so many years now, it's pretty cool that this was your first non-aromatic. As for Marlin Flake: I like it a lot (I like Old Gowrie more, though) but, yes, that Cavendish does give me a little tongue bite and I sometimes find myself choosing another tobacco for that reason. It is too good and also unique in my opinion to abandon it completely. Looking forward to your next video, best wishes Michael
Took up the pipe in seminary. Began with usual aros at that time: John Rolfe, Cherry Blend, Rum and Maple, etc. Second year, a senior gave me some Balkan Sobranie. Today I smoke Blue Danube, Cult BRM…… and Balkan Sasieni.
I started with captain black gold. 1st non aromatic blend was Early morning pipe. After that, it was difficult to smoke aromatic blends. And it peaked my interest to try English blends and haven't looked back.
My first “holy shit!” blend was Dunhill London Mixture. That lead me to all the amazing English blends. Now I’m more of a Virginia smoker, and Orlik GS is an amazing blend. One of my favorites.
Never had the lightning bolt moment, but I started with Captain Black White and then kept buying pouches. I remember Scandavian, early on being delicious. I went from 20ish pouches and bought a collection of Dunhil tobaccos in tins. Now, a long while later, probably the same length, 12ish years, I have 150ish tins in my cellar, and try a bit of everything, but enjoy English the most.
Started smoking a pipe coming from cigars. With that knowledge , my b&m recommended I go straight to English blends. My first bowl was Balkan Saseini. Delicious! Smelled of leather and smoked meat. BTW my first aro was Rattrays Bagpipers Dream. An incredible cognac infused blend. Still my favorite aro. I also love Lakeland blends which I consider a completely different category!
I'm not sure if Orlik Golden Sliced was the first non-aromatic that I tried (if not it was close), but I do know it is the first tobacco blend that I enjoyed. I too started with goopy cavendish based aromatics and almost quit trying. OGS turned it around.
I believe that my first non-aromatic blend was actually Elizabethan Mixture per heavy influence from your videos! And it’s still one of my all time favorites.
Lol! What? How'd you get that message, I thought I deleted it. 😆 I think I was a little drunk when I typed it. Then I re-read it the next day and realized it didn't make much since so I deleted it, then typed something else. Too funny Brad Dude! That's Awesome!
My first ever tobacco was Davidoff Scottish Mixture, and that was the tobacco I smoked for most of the early years. Is it a non-aromatic? Well, it is whisky-topped, but it’s a fairly discrete topping that doesn’t eliminate the tobacco taste of mostly Burley and Kentucky. Otherwise it would be Count Hamilton’s Mixture (“Greve Hamiltons blandning”), which has been the most popular tobacco sold in Sweden since the 1950’s or so. An OTC only sold in pouches these days, it’s a mostly Virginia and Burley blend with a dash of Kentucky and Orientals. Very natural tasting, but pretty bland too.
My first non aromatic was EMP... I didnt care for it then and still dont. Following your journey to replace elizabethen was my real eye opener and have enjoyed various vapers since. Cheers
I started with aromatics for the first 6 months or so of my pipe journey, then one day out of curiosity I picked up tins of Orlik Golden Sliced and Cornell & Diehl Haunted Bookshop to see what Virginias and Burleys were all about; since I had heard a great deal about them on RUclips but wasn't really sure what Virginias or burleys tasted like. In short, I hated both of them. I thought Orlik Golden Sliced tasted and smelled like dandelions and Haunted Bookshop should have been called Haunted Barnyard, because a barnyard was all I could smell or taste from it. Into Ball jars and down to the bottom shelf of my cellar cabinet they went. Fast forward two years and about 80 pipe blends of experience later and now Orlik Golden Sliced and Haunted Bookshop are my #1 favorite Virginia and Burley blends respectively; and both of them get enjoyed at least a couple times a week every week without fail! These days when I puff Golden Sliced I get bright flavors of grass and hay, green tea, lemony citrus, and occasional sweet honey notes. With Haunted Bookshop I get really dark and earthy coffee, walnut, unsweetened coca, and peppercorn notes that combine to create an overall flavor very similar to the way an old, old library full of half century old stacks of musty books smells; and I love it. It's amazing what a bit of time and experience can do for your palate.
I just started mid-January, 2024, this year. I gathered up numerous blends of both aromatics and non-aro's. I decided to start with, for the first year or two, some OTC/Codger blends so to allow the others, mainly the non-aro's, time to age. But I did also plan to use up my aromatics, because they supposedly don't get better with age. So since then, mid-January, I have learned I do not care much for aromatics. Very few, very very few, taste like they smell. And then they have the additional bonus of completely disguising the tobacco taste. So now I have 21 different aromatic blends to endure and rid myself of. So...I didn't care for any of the five blends in my Amphora 5-pk sampler...except for the English blend. Didn't really like SWR, Granger, Capt. Black, Borkum Riff, and Velvet has me still on the fence. I couldn't stand for any of the seven cherry flavored blends I collected. But I did somewhat like Carter Hall and Half & Half. I was gifted five samples from another ytpc creator...and in those was Crooner; my current favorite. I've also mixed up my own English (Balkan?) blend with 16oz (60%) VA, 7oz (25%) Latakia, and 4oz (15%) Turkish (probably going to cut back on the Turkish in my next mix). I also used 3 parts Ouzo (80 proof - black licorice flavor) and 1 part rum, plus one part water for moisture and additional flavors. And this blend is the one I really want to grab each time I want to load up a bowl. I plan to play around a bit more using different VA's, wanting to add a bit more light VA's next time, and fine tuning the amounts of Latakia ↑ and Turkish ↓ ...but not too much because it is really close to perfect.
@@stuffandthingsyoutube Well, although my first attempt seems really close to a perfect English, for my taste, others have posted that about 10% Turkish is probably the best for an English; and I used 15% of Turkish. So my next attempt will be to drop the Turkish to 10% and bump up the Latakia to 30%; but in a small quantity first. From there I plan to adjust only the Turkish ±2%. Then when I find its sweet spot I'll do the same with the Latakia. Since I do love English the most...this is just fun to do. The prices are: VA was $19.31 for 16oz _ Latakia was $37.31 for 8oz (I used 6.7oz) _ Turkish was $9.80 for 4oz. So $66.42 for 26.7oz total @ $2.49/oz with 1.3oz of Latakia to spare.
Nightcap was my first such T and it was a T like no T in my P in my entire history of T’s and P’s. My S’s have never been the same since that T entered my P.
My first blend was a non-aro. So, sadly, I feel like I kind of missed out on that same sort of great awakening moment when it came to that experience. There are a few aromatics that I have liked quite a bit over the years though. So, maybe it wouldn't have been quite the same kind of experience anyway.
@@stuffandthingsyoutube Yes, it is. Lol After pondering, for a short while, which I would try first, I decided I would begin with a well rated, mild, non-aro. The thought was, a blend like that would be a good launching point to grow from, flavor and strength wise. I also didn't want any overpowering artificial flavors interfering with that experience. Not until I developed a decent sense of recognition for flavor profiles and how to recognize certain tobaccos and characteristics within blends.
My first ever non aromatic was Dunhill Elizabethan …because of your channel. The nicotine knocked me on my butt after half a bowl and I gave up on it 😂
First non aromatic was my homegrown, don't remember exactly when or what varietal because I actually did NOT enjoy it initially. It was only after trying several varietals and different curing methods that I began to appreciate the differences and realize that pure tobacco is the only way to go.
Make sure the top of the bowl is level. Do NOT smoke a tilting pipe bowl. There IS a reason why the air pipe is located at the bottom of the pipe bowl. Learn why its located there.
"Flying Dutchman," ~ 1974. At the time, I enjoyed the flavor but *really* disliked the tongue bite (it was a shag cut and burned like a wind-whipped forest fire).
Bosuns Cut Plug by Gawith & Hoggarth...figured it was a true sailors puff if only by name and down the English proper baccy hole i fell. After that 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯...it wasnt until much later i learned it was considered an English Arromatic. Nothing arromatic about it to me...flavourful yes but nothing "sweet"...good times. ✌️🙂
I've heard people say beginners should start with aromatics because they're somehow lighter and more accessible. Which is nonsense. They are loaded with sugar and most of them give you tongue bite.
My Mixture 965 was my first blend. Absolutely loved it. 965 is still one of my top five blends of all time!
My first English blend! Loved it immediately and made me a Latakia lover to this day.
I started smoking a pipe in what is probably a very common way, going into a tobacco store in a mall and buying an inexpensive pipe and getting some Captain Black off the tobacco bar. The guys in the shop were cool, and I took to hanging out there often (eventually went to work there part-time), and tried a number of blends off the bar (they had many, and you could just fill up your pipe and try anything for free). Eventually I tried this stuff called Dunhill 965, which they had on the bar - that was my first non-aromatic blend and I never went back. So my first ever non-aromatic was 965. After that I started buying tins, and discovered McClellands Oriental #14, which was my favorite tobacco for a long time after that.
Wow! Sounds like a great tobacco store!
@@stuffandthingsyoutube Hah yeah it really was, great people. I have one friend I met working there that I'm still regularly in touch with. But this was in the mid 1980's and tobacco stores were much more prevalent here in the Dallas area and better stocked than what was available in the 2000's (and of course now most of them are shut down). 🙂
OGS, was the first non aromatic. I did a video with it and really enjoyed it. I now always have 2 tins waiting. If it was not at that higher price I would cellar it, but I found one a bit similar at least to me, Peterson Irish Dew. Sold in a pouch and was also a great blend. Keep smiling
That guy who quit while he was sick nailed it.
He missed it but he didn’t need it.
My first non-goopy blend was Balkan Sasieni, then MM 965. Still love them both.
Two good choices!
Glad to see that patreon seems to slowly but steady increase from week to week. Realy hope it continues like that : )
Me too! ;-)
Seriously though, people have been so generous, and I hope we keep growing!
Was either Squadron Leader or Early Morning P for me. Pretty sure it was Squadron Leader, but Early Morning was my go-to in my early days
It was Squadron Leader for me as well. Lovely blend! :D
First semi aromatic was luxury bullseye flake. I loved it! It was also the first pressed blend. I mostly smoke flakes these days. haunted bookshop was minimally cased blend I had. It took me a bit to appreciate it but i was intrigued and kept at it. It was very bold and in your face and had very little sweetness. After 2 or 3 bowls I fell in love with it!
Thanks for sharing!
McClelland’s Frog Morton: Across the Pond.
I still have half a tin of it from all those years ago and wish the company were still around.
OGS was my first non aromatic as well. I enjoyed it, but the first one that I REALLY liked that opened up new horizons was Early Morning Pipe.
My first non aro was McClelland 5100 back in 2012. I still have a batch from 10 years ago. Before that it was always Captain black original just like my dad use to. But ever since my first bowl of 5100, it's been a snowball effect ever since.
The first non aromatic i Think was Dunhill de luxe navy rolls. And that is my favorite tobacco. Then there is Mac baren HH Pure virginia. Marlin flake. Gaslight. Bullseye from Stokkebye. HH Old Dark fired and HH bold Kentucky. Samuel Gawith st james flake and Brown suger flake. But i still like Bobs chocolate flake and Dark strong from Peter Heinrichs.😊😊
You started out on a great one!
HH Old Dark Fired is most likely my second favourite blend, right after Gaslight.
The blend that woke me from my aromatic sleep was.... paradoxical. Wow! What a blend. At that moment I knew I was missing a whole other world. My brother had given me some to try. I have been PS for about 2 years and it was something we shared together. He is more seasoned in the hobby and told me to try paradoxical. Now I have had a hard time S'ing aromatics since. Lol
Thanks for sharing!
My first non-aromatic was Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, quite the introduction. S'd it in the garage with the door closed and got VERY dizzy, no clue what I was doing trying to hot box pipe T. Thanks for the video!
Wow! Great place to start!
One of the only times I will post on RUclips, but I would like to thank you for your tobacco reviews! I thoroughly enjoyed every one of them! They are organized well and I enjoy the fact that you spend a decent amount of time before expressing your thoughts. Keep them coming!
My first non aromatic experience:
Dunhill MyMixture965 smoked in a Big Ben Oxford 252 (the second pipe I bought)... All thanks to your review (and that of Matches860/John) all those years ago which I randomly found on RUclips while researching pipe tobacco and which ultimately convinced me to try a non aromatic... Before that I occasionally smoked Macbaren vanilla loose cut (from 16 years of age! In a savinelli Punto oro bent billiard - my first pipe!) and Scottish mixture (which already was a step up from the vanilla!) but I mainly smoked cigars.
Pipe smoking changed my life for the better, mainly due to the meditative aspect of the hobby, but it also opened up a whole world of new flavour and taste experiences!
Thanks again, God bless.
Thanks so much for taking the time to post! 965 is a great first non-aro.
As you stated I started with the dime store aromatics just like many others. The awakening blend that gave rise to my wider appreciation of tobaccos was Peter Stokkebye's English Oriental Supreme. And yes, it remains as perhaps my very favorite. Soon after I came on to Rattray's Hal O The Wynd, again my favorite Virginia based alternative.
Thanks Bradley for taking time to provide us with a fun channel. My first was Peterson Irish Oak and loved it.
My pleasure!
Well, looking back at when I began smoking a pipe there were VERY few non aromatics blends to purchase. It was in the early 70's. The Tinder Box was my go to and 90 % of the tobaccos that were sold were aromatics. I do remember Philosophers Blend and Balkan Blend that were jarred. I took a bold whiff of them and YUCK!!!!!. it was in the early 80's I happened across some tobacco named ERIN MORE and Dunhill Navy flake in small 50 gram tins. I purchased one of each and tried them. The Erin More was a little difficult for me to digest, however the Dunhill Navy Flake did the trick. It wasn't an immediate conversion from Aromatics to Non Aro's but over time I left the Aromatics in the rear view mirror.
Thanks for sharing! If Dunhill Flake had been my first non-aro, I think I would have had an even stronger reaction than I did to Golden Sliced!
Bradley, great topic! Back in 1971, when I was 18, the two aromatic tobaccos I first tried were Borkum Riff Whiskey and Flying Dutchman. Both bit and burned like crazy. Then I tried Sir Walter Raleigh and really enjoyed it. But what sent me on the way was Smokers' Haven's "Our Best Blend," which in those days was the Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture. The professor who offered me a pipeful of it will turn 100 in August, and still going strong. Good show today!
I'm envious!
Sutliff 507 straight Virginia flake was my first tobacco ever. The flake was a bit challanging as I was just learning to pack a pipe, and it definitely ran hot in the beginning, but it gave me a great basis to stsrt my tobacco exploration.
Mine was a blend from Canadian tobacconist called Thomas Hinds. They called the blend "Oriental Express" , but it was certainly someone else's blend under a house name. Sadly, I have no idea what the manufacturer would've called it. It was a low latakia, fairly sweet english, and I loved it immensely.
Could be Star of the East
Sitting here smoking My Mixture 965 in a Stanwell that was gifted to me on a vacation in Athens, Greece. I quit cigarettes 9 years ago. A friend (the same one who gifted me the Athens Stanwell) suggested I try pipe smoking. He was starting out as well. So we went to Barclay Rex (the old location on 42nd street in NYC). I bought a basket pipe for $30 and some Lane 1Q. For some reason the black cav didn't bite me. Probably too much a newbie to notice. I then purchased some Nightcap and Early Morning Pipe to bring back home with me to Europe. I opened the NC and mixed it in a large ball jar and let it rest. I then smoked the EMP while waiting 2 weeks for the NC to mix itself (!). So, long story, EMP was my first non-aro baccy. Over the last 9 years, my tastes have evolved and NC is now a top 5 baccy for me while EMP, not so much. Thank you for all your content on all your various social media outlets.
My pleasure! Thanks for sharing your story!
My first non-aromatic was Presbyterian Mixture. Just like a lot of people who start with the OTC blends, I was quite "meh" about pipe smoking. As soon as I tried "Presby", I loved the natural taste and I knew that the hobby was for me. From that point forward, I started exploring different English blends and blend types. My current favourite blend is Gaslight, which is your second favourite IIRC. (My second favourite being HH Old Dark Fired). Would love to watch you revisiting Presbyterian!
Noted! I think I have a tin knocking around somewhere.
Like a few others I'm seeing here , MM965 was my epiphany blend as well. At one point I thought I might be an English-only kind of person, but now I find I enjoy them more seasonally. But even with the variety of blends I partake of these days, I still enjoy 965 (and the Sutliff Match version).
Thanks for sharing!
Frog Morton Cellar after a long hiatus. College days were usually Borkum Riff whiskey because I didn't know any better.
You're not the only one who's first non-aro was a Frog Morton blend!
I started as a shiny new 18yr old with Black and Brown, loved it. The first non Aro was Elizabethan Mix, about 4mos into smoking a pipe. The love affair with Lizzy has remained ever since. It opened up world of blends, but my first love still stays with me today. The StG version I personally love the most…having tried all the previous versions. ❤️
Good choice!
Player’s Navy Cut Deluxe. No longer made. Straight Virginia it was, pressed into cut rolls. The smell and taste was heavenly. No bite, and tin smell? Dates, raisins hay? Bread yeast. Ah, those were the days. Still looking for something to replace it.
Davidoff English Mixture was my first non-aromatic. I know that blend gets a lot of hate, but as a starter non-aro, it was perfect for me. Just the right amount of latakia and a pinch of perique. I remember it fondly.
The first high quality baccy I had was Davidoff Medallion Flake. It was a great experience. Years later when I came around to learning about and wanting to try a VaPer blend, i realized I had already done so😅
I think my first non-aromatic was Stokkebye Cube Cut, followed quickly by Luxury Navy Flake.
My now all time favorite non-aromatic blend is Black Irish Twist...you really should do a review.
My first non aromatic was solani virginia flake with perique which i bought based off of what was available and the advice given on this channel - thanks bradley!
Thanks for sharing!
I want to say a word here about the Lakelands. I actually started with English blends, eventually finding my way to va/pers, but discovering the Lakelands was a revelation, as I had always thought of aromatics as being all cherry/whiskey or the like. Well, "English" aromatics -the so-called Lakelands- are anything but. They are really their own category entirely. They're not for everyone, certainly, and I don't love all of them, but Gawith & Hoggarth's Bosun Plug/Cut Plug is a great introduction to a very unique pipe experience.
For me the first was University Flake, while R. McConnell's Scottish Flake was the one that truly opened the gate to non-aromatics for me.
Oh man I remember the day I hopped the fence. I went to a meet up at my local B&M and I was giving some samples and I made the mistake to try them one after another. My first sample was "GL Pease Gaslight" which was interesting since it was my first time trying and English. My second blend was Haunted Bookshop and I was not ready for that... I was literally almost on the floor after that. I attempted to try some of the other samples and It all tasted like soap to me. Naturally I got laughed at and the gentleman who gave me the samples told me that he ment for me to enjoy them slowly not use them all at once.
Haha. Good story and good first non-aros!
My beginning story was very similar to yours with the various aromatics. I read great reviews of Esoterica Tobacciano and ordered some of that. It was such a let down because I thought you were supposed to have all of the toppings and the cherry's, the vanilla's, etc. and thought this was just flat, so I laid it all down for years.... Then a few year ago, I picked up my pipe, and started trying straight Virginia's and Vapers and loved the taste of the tobacco. Have even gone back to the Esoterica and loved it. Who knows.... maybe it was a changing of my taste buds or most likely, a change in my expectations.
Dunhill Nightcap over here
Good Morning 😊 Thanks for the update 👏🏼 I love aromatics 😂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the blend 👍🏼 Have a wonderful week ahead 🙏🏽 Greetings from South Africa 🇿🇦
Thanks so much!
Hello there!
For me I am sure it was a Hall O the Wynd as a first "neutral". It really tasted good and waaay much better than any aro i smoked before though I was not ready for all these subtle hints of taste. So the INITIATION for me was the Balkan Mixture that opened the door to decent pipesmoking hobby. Cheers bro!
You started with a good one!
Let's go!!
First non-aromatics were probably the LJ Peretti blends Tashkent and Century. Thats what they recommended to me when I walked in looking to try something other than Captain Black.
My first non-aromatic was either Orlik Golden Sliced or Frog Morton's Cellar. I can't remember which was first.
Glad my comment inspired a great topic for others to ponder! Thanks again, Bradley.
Thanks for the idea!
HH Old Dark Fired. I had tried some aromatics shortly after high school. Didnt really get into it. Then in my early 30s i went for piping again. Old Dark Fired out of a MM Legend.
Classic.
Started with Aros b/c that's what my grandfather smoked, and the nostalgia of the room note is what caused me to take it up in the first place. Peter Stokkebeye Luxury Bullseye Flake was the first non-aro I tried. It opened everything up for me, and I went on a major cellar building spree.
Watching your videos was part of my research when I began thinking of trying it out... So it should not come as a surprise
that the first non-aromatic I tried was Orlik Golden Sliced.
Good choice!
Squadron Leader.
Hi, Bradley!
Re first non-aromatic:
It was one of these three:
Richmond Navy Cut, MacBaren Navy Flake or Orlik Golden Sliced.
Whichever it was, it opened the gate to "proper" pipe-smoking for me. I realised what is possible with this weed.
I remember distinctly, though, my first bowl of Orlik Golden Sliced (we're talking ca. 2003). I remember the pipe (Lorenzo Spitfire), I remember the grass, the citrus, the bread, the richness of the smoke blowing my mind, I remember it being cold with heavy snow outside and how I was attending the tiled stove (no central heating in that flat) whilst smoking and frequently thinking: "Darn, that's good! Man, is that GOOD!" :-D
It really was a watershed moment and, following you for so many years now, it's pretty cool that this was your first non-aromatic.
As for Marlin Flake: I like it a lot (I like Old Gowrie more, though) but, yes, that Cavendish does give me a little tongue bite and I sometimes find myself choosing another tobacco for that reason. It is too good and also unique in my opinion to abandon it completely.
Looking forward to your next video, best wishes
Michael
I remember my first bowl of Golden Sliced with just as much detail!
Took up the pipe in seminary. Began with usual aros at that time: John Rolfe, Cherry Blend, Rum and Maple, etc. Second year, a senior gave me some Balkan Sobranie. Today I smoke Blue Danube, Cult BRM…… and Balkan Sasieni.
Thanks for sharing!
Very similar story, I tried several aromatic blends, I never enjoyed any of them. My first nonaromatic was Dunhill 965.
Orlik golden sliced for me... it`s an OC tobacco in Denmark...l.I used it as RYO tobacco many times
I started with captain black gold. 1st non aromatic blend was Early morning pipe. After that, it was difficult to smoke aromatic blends. And it peaked my interest to try English blends and haven't looked back.
Early morning pipe or Erinmore flake. Can't remember it's been 24 years 😀
My first non aromatic was Mac Baren Golden Extra. I still love it. Nice mix of sweet Virginia's and Burley. Great blend.
My first “holy shit!” blend was Dunhill London Mixture. That lead me to all the amazing English blends. Now I’m more of a Virginia smoker, and Orlik GS is an amazing blend. One of my favorites.
Never had the lightning bolt moment, but I started with Captain Black White and then kept buying pouches. I remember Scandavian, early on being delicious.
I went from 20ish pouches and bought a collection of Dunhil tobaccos in tins. Now, a long while later, probably the same length, 12ish years, I have 150ish tins in my cellar, and try a bit of everything, but enjoy English the most.
Started smoking a pipe coming from cigars. With that knowledge , my b&m recommended I go straight to English blends. My first bowl was Balkan Saseini. Delicious! Smelled of leather and smoked meat. BTW my first aro was Rattrays Bagpipers Dream. An incredible cognac infused blend. Still my favorite aro. I also love Lakeland blends which I consider a completely different category!
I'm not sure if Orlik Golden Sliced was the first non-aromatic that I tried (if not it was close), but I do know it is the first tobacco blend that I enjoyed. I too started with goopy cavendish based aromatics and almost quit trying. OGS turned it around.
Oh, my Aromatic was Gulden Dansk a Canadian market Danish blend. Very sweet, again no bite.
I believe that my first non-aromatic blend was actually Elizabethan Mixture per heavy influence from your videos! And it’s still one of my all time favorites.
Excellent.
Mine was haunted bookshop and Bow legged bear
😂This was the most unintentionally hilarious episode. Thanks for the laughs.
Thanks for watching!
Early morning pipe and my mixture 965
Lol! What? How'd you get that message, I thought I deleted it. 😆 I think I was a little drunk when I typed it. Then I re-read it the next day and realized it didn't make much since so I deleted it, then typed something else. Too funny Brad Dude! That's Awesome!
Haha! I’m quick!
@@stuffandthingsyoutube Yeah, cause right after I deleted it I got your reply from it. Lol!
McClelland Classic Samsun, part of their Grand Orientals line. My heart still aches that McClelland is no longer in business.
My first non-aromatic blend was Windsor. It was a house English blend by Briar Patch (RIP). I think that’s why I love Latakia and English blends.
Ooo! Wish I had been able to try that!
It was Amphora Original Brown and Five Brother Burley forward Blends which got me into pipesmoking,
Frog Morton for me. I miss it
My first ever tobacco was Davidoff Scottish Mixture, and that was the tobacco I smoked for most of the early years. Is it a non-aromatic? Well, it is whisky-topped, but it’s a fairly discrete topping that doesn’t eliminate the tobacco taste of mostly Burley and Kentucky.
Otherwise it would be Count Hamilton’s Mixture (“Greve Hamiltons blandning”), which has been the most popular tobacco sold in Sweden since the 1950’s or so. An OTC only sold in pouches these days, it’s a mostly Virginia and Burley blend with a dash of Kentucky and Orientals. Very natural tasting, but pretty bland too.
Thanks for sharing! I wouldn't categorize it as an aromatic.
My first non aromatic was Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding and I loved it.
My first non aromatic was EMP... I didnt care for it then and still dont. Following your journey to replace elizabethen was my real eye opener and have enjoyed various vapers since. Cheers
Thanks so much!
It was dunhill's navy rolls for me... and I had a hard time getting my head around how to pack it and light it right 😅😅😅
Dunhill nightcap
Good one!
Drucquer & Sons Loch Ness was the first thing I smoked that wasnt Captain Black. Never looked back.
A unique choice!
Boswells Northwoods 😊
I tried a sample of Northwoods and really like it.
I started with aromatics for the first 6 months or so of my pipe journey, then one day out of curiosity I picked up tins of Orlik Golden Sliced and Cornell & Diehl Haunted Bookshop to see what Virginias and Burleys were all about; since I had heard a great deal about them on RUclips but wasn't really sure what Virginias or burleys tasted like.
In short, I hated both of them. I thought Orlik Golden Sliced tasted and smelled like dandelions and Haunted Bookshop should have been called Haunted Barnyard, because a barnyard was all I could smell or taste from it. Into Ball jars and down to the bottom shelf of my cellar cabinet they went.
Fast forward two years and about 80 pipe blends of experience later and now Orlik Golden Sliced and Haunted Bookshop are my #1 favorite Virginia and Burley blends respectively; and both of them get enjoyed at least a couple times a week every week without fail! These days when I puff Golden Sliced I get bright flavors of grass and hay, green tea, lemony citrus, and occasional sweet honey notes. With Haunted Bookshop I get really dark and earthy coffee, walnut, unsweetened coca, and peppercorn notes that combine to create an overall flavor very similar to the way an old, old library full of half century old stacks of musty books smells; and I love it.
It's amazing what a bit of time and experience can do for your palate.
Yep. Palates most certainly evolve with time.
Mine was Capstan Blue, and I get why Tolkien liked it
Nice!
Straight to Petersons Royal Yacht.
I just started mid-January, 2024, this year. I gathered up numerous blends of both aromatics and non-aro's. I decided to start with, for the first year or two, some OTC/Codger blends so to allow the others, mainly the non-aro's, time to age. But I did also plan to use up my aromatics, because they supposedly don't get better with age. So since then, mid-January, I have learned I do not care much for aromatics. Very few, very very few, taste like they smell. And then they have the additional bonus of completely disguising the tobacco taste. So now I have 21 different aromatic blends to endure and rid myself of. So...I didn't care for any of the five blends in my Amphora 5-pk sampler...except for the English blend. Didn't really like SWR, Granger, Capt. Black, Borkum Riff, and Velvet has me still on the fence. I couldn't stand for any of the seven cherry flavored blends I collected. But I did somewhat like Carter Hall and Half & Half. I was gifted five samples from another ytpc creator...and in those was Crooner; my current favorite. I've also mixed up my own English (Balkan?) blend with 16oz (60%) VA, 7oz (25%) Latakia, and 4oz (15%) Turkish (probably going to cut back on the Turkish in my next mix). I also used 3 parts Ouzo (80 proof - black licorice flavor) and 1 part rum, plus one part water for moisture and additional flavors. And this blend is the one I really want to grab each time I want to load up a bowl. I plan to play around a bit more using different VA's, wanting to add a bit more light VA's next time, and fine tuning the amounts of Latakia ↑ and Turkish ↓ ...but not too much because it is really close to perfect.
Sounds like you're going through it very systematically! That should set you up well.
@@stuffandthingsyoutube Well, although my first attempt seems really close to a perfect English, for my taste, others have posted that about 10% Turkish is probably the best for an English; and I used 15% of Turkish. So my next attempt will be to drop the Turkish to 10% and bump up the Latakia to 30%; but in a small quantity first. From there I plan to adjust only the Turkish ±2%. Then when I find its sweet spot I'll do the same with the Latakia. Since I do love English the most...this is just fun to do. The prices are: VA was $19.31 for 16oz _ Latakia was $37.31 for 8oz (I used 6.7oz) _ Turkish was $9.80 for 4oz. So $66.42 for 26.7oz total @ $2.49/oz with 1.3oz of Latakia to spare.
Sail Yellow
Nightcap was my first such T and it was a T like no T in my P in my entire history of T’s and P’s. My S’s have never been the same since that T entered my P.
Haha!
My first blend was a non-aro. So, sadly, I feel like I kind of missed out on that same sort of great awakening moment when it came to that experience. There are a few aromatics that I have liked quite a bit over the years though. So, maybe it wouldn't have been quite the same kind of experience anyway.
Interesting! It seems rare to start out on non-aros.
@@stuffandthingsyoutube Yes, it is. Lol After pondering, for a short while, which I would try first, I decided I would begin with a well rated, mild, non-aro. The thought was, a blend like that would be a good launching point to grow from, flavor and strength wise. I also didn't want any overpowering artificial flavors interfering with that experience. Not until I developed a decent sense of recognition for flavor profiles and how to recognize certain tobaccos and characteristics within blends.
Plum pudding. Game changer.
My first ever non aromatic was Dunhill Elizabethan …because of your channel. The nicotine knocked me on my butt after half a bowl and I gave up on it 😂
Haha! Sorry!
No worries! I eventually found Shepherds Pie from The Country Squire and I loved it and started my non aromatic journey.
Prince Albert, although with only a single tobacco varietal (burley) it can hardly be considered a "blend," can it?
i went from a cherry aromatic straight into Syrian latakia
Haha!
Elizabethan Mixture Forever!
McClelland 221b Arcadia. Still the one.
First non aromatic was my homegrown, don't remember exactly when or what varietal because I actually did NOT enjoy it initially. It was only after trying several varietals and different curing methods that I began to appreciate the differences and realize that pure tobacco is the only way to go.
Make sure the top of the bowl is level.
Do NOT smoke a tilting pipe bowl.
There IS a reason why the air pipe is located at the bottom of the pipe bowl.
Learn why its located there.
Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman. It’s okay.
Orlik Golden sliced
Presbyterian. I can't think of a better intro to pipe sm.
Nice!
So do you take the screen off the faucet?
I've only found about 4 or 5 aromatics i like. There is so many flavours in t without addatives, so I don't realy bother with aromatics anymore.
I hear you!
"Flying Dutchman," ~ 1974. At the time, I enjoyed the flavor but *really* disliked the tongue bite (it was a shag cut and burned like a wind-whipped forest fire).
Bosuns Cut Plug by Gawith & Hoggarth...figured it was a true sailors puff if only by name and down the English proper baccy hole i fell. After that 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯...it wasnt until much later i learned it was considered an English Arromatic. Nothing arromatic about it to me...flavourful yes but nothing "sweet"...good times. ✌️🙂
I've heard people say beginners should start with aromatics because they're somehow lighter and more accessible. Which is nonsense. They are loaded with sugar and most of them give you tongue bite.
Yep.
I'd say Prince Albert. Then once I had Gawith & Hogarth Dark Flake I never bought Captain Black again.
Is that a Les Paul Jr up there?
Les Paul Special!