I am a cigar smoker and have recently decided to try a pipe.  I've tried Mac Baren Scottish Mixture and a sampler of four different tobacco's from John Dengler.  I don't know if it is my palate or what.  The tobacco smells fantastic especially in the tin or pouch.  Light it up and start smoking and I honestly get very little if any flavor.  I know I'm smoking tobacco, but I don't get the nuances I get when smoking a cigar.  When I smoke a cigar I can taste the different elements:  coffee, chocolate, stewed fruit, cream etc etc.  With pipe tobacco I just get tobacco. It's not necessarily bad, but I was honestly expecting more.  What's up with this?  Any recommendations of tobacco to try that may be stronger?  Not looking for a cigar flavored pipe tobacco, but something with some taste.  Thanks.

Best to keep trying a variety.
Took me like 15 tins to find the one I liked best....then they discontinued it.

ETA:  bulk bulk varities in small (1/4 oz) quantities can get you more tastes for your dollar.

Watching this thread closely. I want good tobacco but want to be able to source it locally as well.

Been grinding up my cigar clippings, & butts for 15 years; for use in my pipe.

Cuban(s) are head & shoulders above the rest, & better than Cuban Pipe Tobacco...

Solani Red Tin

I've really thought about taking one of my D4's and chopping up enough to fill the pipe bowl just to see.  But that defeats the purpose of trying pipe tobacco.

Try something with latakia, a.k.a. an English blend.  I had the same experience with the first few tobaccos I tried, then I tried Frog Morton (unfortunately discontinued) and my reaction was, now this is what I imagined smoking a pipe to be like.  It's a fire cured tobacco that has kind of a barbecue sauce smell in the tin.  It's not really comparable to anything you find in a cigar, with the exception of maybe Drew Estate Kentucky Fire Cured.  Also give your tobacco some time to dry right before you smoke it to ensure it's burning properly, and don't over-pack your pipe.  Lastly, you may just need to adjust your expectations.  While you can definitely find stronger and bolder tobaccos, for me a great cigar will always beat out a great pipe tobacco.  I feel like tobaccos tend to be more one-note, whereas a cigar can have more complexity.  I started off with a pipe before getting into cigars more, and now the only reason I really smoke a pipe anymore is to smoke inside the house in winter without stinking it up the way a fat cigar will.

Noticed you're in AK, so tobaconists may be far and few between.
I like Pipes and Cigars, a .com due to the variety of smokes available.  They also offer house blends, available by the OZ, for a good price, so you can ship in several varieties to try.

A good english like Northwoods from boswells or a tin of nightcap might be in order. Have you tried any of the aromatics you mention flavors you are missing or rather looking for.


ETA: might order a sampler from boswells I like hunters choice. Also i like 7 seas from MacBaren

I started smoking pipe and tried cigar.  English was the way to go for me. More flavor. Love the smell of the aromatics,  but tasted mostly like hot air. Still smoke some of them, but English is preferred.  Northwoods is a good start. Smokey, but still a little sweet. Latakia... Railroad  Station!

Pipe type
Smoking rate
Tobacco dryness
Retro-haling
Smoking location
Flavor used
Quality of tobacco
What you are eating/drinking
Expectations


All these factor into your experience with your tobacco.  One ends up with a collection.  I have more than I will likely ever use.  Each has its positives and negatives.  Having a selection helps, because your choice is often dependant on mood.

Gotta be over 100 lbs now.

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With 100lbs you can’t think of one that could be a best overall, generic best? I bought some gambler reg from the gas station as I want something I don’t have to order and wait for. (All other tobacco shops are closed) it isn’t great.

Looks like I’d have to order until things get back to normal.
No recommendations? one or two?
Thanks

I would recommend shopping Boswell's.  

They have classic flavors with better base tobacco and better flavorants than most of the really cheap bulks.  Run away from gas station tobacco.

I like everything I have tried of theirs and it might be worth you calling them and talking with someone to discuss what you might like.

Thanks. Yeah, I know station baccy is junk but I remember seeing Capt. Jack(?) white is pretty commonly good and got a little antsy as I remember seeing those packages as a young lad and grabbed what was available (excitement)

I’d hate to HAVE to order online something that used to be so common everywhere. Everyone does seem to recommend different types/ flavors (to be expected) but if I/ we/ all new pipers can narrow to a few that many like, it would make it much easier.

I wish there was a common tobacco love thread (local) (cigars, chewing, pipe, roll-your-own) but everyone is looking for a different reason. Mine is to enjoy during a long drive home or at the end of a nice summer/ spring/ fall/ winter day.

I know I say this a lot here but Capt Black is Lane Limited who produce the infamous 1Q aromatic blend. In fact 1Q is actually Capt Black Royal in a pouch. I feel that lumping all gas station tobacco into 1 group and labeling them as terrible is painting with a really large brush. Some ARE indeed terrible while some a pretty decent.

C&D makes Habana Daydream and G.L. Pease makes Key Largo which is heavy on cigar leaf. I have never tried it personally but it may be something that will help one transition into pipe smoking from cigars.

One thing to remember if you find yourself not liking a blend, jar it up, date and label it, then put it away. As your tastes evolve that terrible blend may become quite enjoyable later. When I first tried Frog Morton on the Town I really didn't care for it at all. 8 years later I find quite nice. Which is sad because I am smoking the crap out of it and my supply is dwindling.

I buy a cherry flavored pipe tobacco at the local tobacco shop. It is a bulk tobacco they keep in glass jars. Real nice, i get a lot of complements on how it smells.

I'm still super to to pipe tobacco and had the same issue as OP.

I tried Habana Daydream. I enjoyed it.
I would recommend these if OP is looking for flavor. I bought a couple pounds of tobacco when I was getting started, these are the only ones I'll reorder out of the dozen or so I tried. Will be looking for similar tobacco's in the future.

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