What are some "crap" pipe tobaccos to avoid?

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Originally Posted by Ropey

I want YOUR opinion. Why is everyone so afraid to state their opinions here? I don't understand.

And I don't want opinions of what people think is good. The thread is specifically about what people think sucks. People are telling me my "question is wrong." It's my question!

C'mon, this ain't the SAT. Should be super easy. Or is 98% of pipe tobacco really good? Is that it? Can you just not f*ck up pipe tobacco? I ask for a list of crap pipe tobacco and everyone gives me stuff they like.

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You think like a cigar smoker. :D


You have to understand that you're dealing with an entirely different culture here. Cigar smokes are a dime a dozen compared to the number of pipe smokers. The smaller the group, the less likely you're going to get people criticizing others in the group. So a pipe smoker is unlikely to criticize a tobacco if he knows people that smoke it. To use buzzwords, we're more inclusive, because we need all the help we can get!

We do have a token baccy that many of us abuse: Mixture No. 79. So if you want a list of baccys to avoid, I guess that one could go on the list. I'll go out on a limb and risk offending some of my BOTLs here and say that as far as I'm concerned, Sutliffe is to pipe tobacco what Victor Sinclair is to cigars. The problem with that is that there are plenty here who smoke Sutliffe tobacco and enjoy it, so it's just one man's opinion. There really aren't any readily recognized dog rocket equivalents.

Ropey,

You may not like detailed responses but I, and others on this forum, realize that there are people, who may not be posting, who read the responses and that they may profit from a considered response. And please, when people take the time to respond don't tell them how to do it. If you knew the answer then you shouldn't be asking the question.

I'll give an example that goes to the heart of your question and that also illustrates the paradox that exists with pipe tobacco, if not with cigars.

Based on the excellent comments from forum members I purchased 8oz of C&D BriarFox. I didn't like it and it's not crap but I won't smoke it again. I sent the remaining 7.5oz to a deserving BOTL on this forum who loves it.

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Originally Posted by NeverBend

And please, when people take the time to respond don't tell them how to do it.

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I would never tell people how to respond to my question, as long as they're actually responding to my question ;) You see?

I guess what confuses me so much is that there don't seem to be any generally recognized crap pipe tobaccos. Which, to me, is mind-blowing.

I've been, in my life, on so many hobby forums that I can't even remember them all.. from cars to guns to knives to fancy flashlights to cell phones to whiskies to coffee to watches... you name the hobby and I guarantee I've discussed it ad nauseum.

And, out of all those hobbies, there have always -- and I mean always -- been brands or lines or categories or whatever that the "community" generally recognizes as crap. "Noob bait." The stuff that noobs get suckered into buying that's actually considered sh*tty by people who have lots of experience. Such as, let's say, Gurkha cigars. Or Invicta watches. Or Smith and Wesson knives. Or Hi-Point guns. That sort of thing.

So to hear that there is no such general consensus about what sucks in the pipe world is beyond bizarre to me.

The thing about a "general consensus" is that not everyone is going to agree. Some people love their Invicta watches. That's great. Agreement is not necessary, but I wanted people to shout out their opinions in this thread so I could get an overarching view of the landscape.

And either there is truly no bad pipe tobacco (except for mixture 79), OR everyone is deathly afraid of offending anyone else. If the latter is the case, you're going to want to put me on your ignore list pronto because at the end of the day I hit the big red 'X' in the corner of the screen and this place disappears. It's all just words on a screen to me.

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Originally Posted by Ropey

Or Hi-Point guns. That sort of thing.

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Chumps! Um...just in case I happen to find some idiot who bought one, the bullet's not going to come out the wrong end or anything, is it?

As a newer pipe smoker on the lookout for things to avoid (and for things to try). The only blend I've seen universally panned is the aforementioned Mixture 79. Everything else seems to be fair game; go hog wild!

Ropey, the biggest problem I see to the question is that most of these guys will take a blend they don't care for and mix it to find a blend they like.They will pick out the nuance or taste of many differing tobaccos and use them to spice up or mellow others.As to newbie catchers,those big bags or burley like Smokers Pride are dry and more for the cigarette rollers than for pipes.You are going to find that it's not a risk of offending it's a respect that some people are going to like that blend you hate.Case in point,so far all the Sutliff blends I've tried I have enjoyed immensly,and the Russ's chocolate covered esspreso beans was passable but not enough for me to buy in the future.

The worst one I've had is Borkum Riff. I don't think I could suggest it to anyone.

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Originally Posted by Ropey

That's pretty damn fascinating I gotta say. Guess I won't worry about spending a couple hundred bucks on unsmokable crap that winds up in the trash then, which is what happened in my first month of cigar smoking.

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The great thing about pipe tobaccos is that many, many of them come in bulk and you can just order a couple ounces to see how you like it. I'm sure paying $5 at a time you will find quite a bit you like way before you get to the $200 mark. ;)

Also, like has already been mentioned, make sure you try a blend in different pipes. Think of how cigars taste different in different vitolas. Same with different shaped pipe bowls.

The one tobacco that I tried that I would absolutely stay away from is the Blender's Gold from Walgreens. It was the most goopy crap I've ever seen. Impossible to keep lit even after letting it air out overnight. I did eventually mix it with some Virginia and it's decent now.

Don't write off all of the OTC blends either. If all I had was Prince Albert and Captain Black, I would still very much enjoy pipe smoking.

Here's my list of tobacco I'll never buy again:
Stanwell Melange
Captain Black anything
Borkum Riff anything
Cap'n Bob's Blend
Pretty much most aromatics because wayyyy too often they smell so good but taste like nothing but hot air
Hearth and Home Stogie or any other "cigar" mixture. I'll just smoke a cigar if I want to taste cigar

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Originally Posted by Cool Breeze

The one tobacco that I tried that I would absolutely stay away from is the Blender's Gold from Walgreens. It was the most goopy crap I've ever seen. Impossible to keep lit even after letting it air out overnight. I did eventually mix it with some Virginia and it's decent now.

Don't write off all of the OTC blends either. If all I had was Prince Albert and Captain Black, I would still very much enjoy pipe smoking.

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This is exactly what I'm saying,4 years ago I bought a pound bag of Smokers Pride and promptly soaked it in scotch,let it dry a bit and have been working on it since.In short I would say that any "crap" tobacco would be supplies for future mixes and blends.That is also why I agree with your other post on humidity measures,pipe smoking can be simple or you can make it a full fledged hobby and science.I would recomend reading the reviews and find flavor profiles that appeal to you and if you find you dont like one or two try to pick out what it is you don't like and try to find a mix to make it better.A little bit of chemistry is fun.