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tedthebear
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Re: Hello From Central California
I'm looking forward to seeing the pics! What tobacco are you starting off with? Folks here will be more than willing to "review" just about anything you try. Questions? Just ask! 
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The Bear
"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it."
The PHB
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Oct/26/08, 1:51 pm
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MotoPhotoGuy
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Re: Hello From Central California
I got a couple of 1 oz. samples from Outwest Tobacco:
Cornell & Diehl Epiphany (English Blend)
Cornell & Diehl Pasha's Dream (Aromatic Blend)
I literally had NO IDEA what to get. There soooo many choices, so I just read the quick little description of them, and chose based off of that. The description for the Epiphany blend said that Einstein used to smoke it so I went for it.
Also, I have an idea of what the difference is between English and Aromatic blends is, but if you guys could give me some clarification on these it would help a lot. These are all listed on the Outwest Tobacco site:
Aromatic
English
American Classic
English Premium
Virginia
If anybody here knows what the differences are between all these, it would help me out a lot next time I place an order. Thanks in advance!
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Oct/26/08, 2:45 pm
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dixon hill
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Re: Hello From Central California
You know, I wouldn't worry about what is what; more than likely, your tastes will change. Many of us started as aro folks, then moved to other blends, to English, Virginias or Burleys. And our tastes continue to change. Take a look at some of the threads in the Pipe Tobacco section. You'll see we have a variety of tastes, which continue to shift. I started with aros, moved to English blends, shifted to VAs, and even have a favorite aro I smoke from time to time. It's one of the neat thinigs about our hobby. No telling where it will take you.
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Scott
"If it is true, as Nietzsche said, that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it; it is equally true that those who do remember the past may not know when it's over." Lane Kirkland
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Oct/26/08, 4:24 pm
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highstump
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Re: Hello From Central California
quote:
MotoPhotoGuy wrote:
I literally had NO IDEA what to get. There soooo many choices, so I just read the quick little description of them, and chose based off of that.
That is the pleasure and the pitfall of the pipe. Have a great time!
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Jim
"People are entitled to their own opinions, they are not entitled to their own facts." (Vincent Bugliosi)
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Oct/26/08, 4:25 pm
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Johnnycake
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Re: Hello From Central California
Welcome.
Like Scott, I started with aromatics and travelled through English to Virginias and then on to Lakeland scented tobacco and Burleys etc. It's all unpredictable and fun to boot. That said, don't toss anything you don't like. Throw it in a mason jar and forget about it. I smoke baccy now that I HATED when I started. I remember Ted's son Tommy sending me some MC 2015 (Virginia Perique) when I first started about 4-5 years ago and I thought it tasted like crap! Now it is one of my favorites. 
I took a look at the Outwest tobacco site briefly and here is my two cents:
House blends are often an inexpensive way to sample a variety of flavors and tobaccos in an easy to smoke format. Many times House blends have cavendish added which can make a smoke more forgiving to over-puffing, fast smoking, etc. There are some interesting ones listed on that site you could try, because many of the other tobaccos in tin and bulk from larger companies - straight virginias, burleys, etc can smoke "hot" at first, and some of the English blends can pack a punch, so I would suggest taking it that route and working on getting your "Smoking Mojo" down. I remember how hard it was at first to keep my pipe lit when I started smoking, and I had to learn how different tobaccos smoked and how to get the best flavor out of them and avoid getting discouraged with a scorched tongue etc. Hope this helps! And be sure to let us know how some of those house blends are should you try some. Post in the tobacco reviews thread so we can benefit from it as well!
Johnny 
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"If you can't send money, send tobacco." -George Washington to
the Continental Congress, 1776
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Oct/26/08, 4:39 pm
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tedthebear
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Re: Hello From Central California
C&D are good tobaccos and Epiphany is a fine English blend.
As a new smoker, keep in mind that you need to slow down your smoking cadence....just sip at the pipe, barely keeping the tobacco smoldering. Huge billowing clouds of smoke are not necessary. It's actually kinda tricky to learn at first, but slow smoking will hopefully prevent the "tongue-bite" you can experience when starting out, and allow you to taste the true flavor of the tobacco. Pack the pipe so that it draws like a runny milk shake....some resistance, but not too tight. If it's too tight, it's hard to keep lit and requires some serious puffing....which makes it hot and bitey. (is that a word?!?)   Don't worry about numerous re-lights....that's normal until you find your "groove"...and even afterwards to some extent....part of the game.
Now a bit on tobaccos.....
English/Oriental tobaccos usually have Latakia in their blend...a smokey camp-fire tasting tobacco from Syria and Cypress. These are often considered "not house-worthy" by the distaff side, but have a delicious flavor.  They are my favorite cold-weather smoke.
Virginias and Virginia/Periques are a naturally sweet, bright tobacco, the Perique adds a slight peppery taste. These take some practice for most, as they can bite if you aren't careful. However, they are a delight to smoke once you figure them out. They suit me best in warmer weather. Va's and Va/Pers tend to smoke best in a small to medium sized bowl, while English's seem to smoke best in larger bowls.
I'll leave Burleys to the others here, as we do not get along that well....it's a "chemistry" thing....
Aromatics are what most pipe smokers start with...they are "cased" or topped with a sweet flavoring, usually vanilla, cherry, chocolate etc.... They are most excepted by the ladies and non-smokers due to their nice aroma, or "room-note". However, the casing tends to make these tobaccos burn hot and wet.....gurgling pipes and a wet dottle in the bowl at the end. These tobaccos are usually light in nicotine...good for someone just starting out. Don't want you falling over..... 
There is a site called Tobaccoreviews.com that is a great resource for researching a new-to-you tobacco....just remember to take these reviews with a grain of salt! Nothing like a Virginia lover reviewing an English or Aromatic tobacco to muddy the waters....
As for your two starter blends, smoke them both slowly....get to know the differences in the way they burn. Over time, you will develop a knowledge of the oddities that each type presents to the smoker, and your tastes and preferences will make themselves known. Then look into some "samplers" to expand your horizons a bit.
Pipes....
As you progress, you will want to have more than one pipe. This allows you to "rest" your pipes, smoking one one day and the other the next day. Many of us have a rotation of numerous pipes, (I have about 70-75, ridiculous huh?) and have "dedicated" certain pipes to different blends. We find with experimenting, that a pipe will smoke, say, English's well, but not Va's, or visa-versa. As we discover the likes of our pipes, we can dedicate them to their preferred blend....makes us both happy!
BEWARE!! This is the start of a long slippery road we lovingly refer to as PAD and TAD (pipe acquisition disorder and tobacco acquisition disorder)...
Hope this has helped you a bit....others here will chime in too, I'm sure. Have fun, ask questions, and welcome to the wonderful hobby of pipes and tobacco! 
---
The Bear
"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it."
The PHB
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Oct/26/08, 6:35 pm
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MotoPhotoGuy
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Re: Hello From Central California
So much information! Thank you so much guys. You are wayyy more helpful and knowledgeable than I could've ever imagined.
From what I've been hearing, I feel like I'll take a liking to the English blends. In my experience (which is EXTREMELY limited, mind you) I have enjoyed cigars with a more natural, more tobacco-y taste, and not so much the heavily flavored/fruity ones. I'll put up a review of both blends (as per your suggestion ) in the Tobacco Review section first thing when I finish my first bowl. Can't wait!
Last edited by MotoPhotoGuy, Oct/26/08, 9:40 pm
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Oct/26/08, 9:36 pm
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DAWGR
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Re: Hello From Central California
If you really want to find out about different blends and types you can find out information on just about any blend at tobacco reviews.
Tobacco Reviews!
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Oct/27/08, 8:45 am
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highstump
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Re: Hello From Central California
quote:
MotoPhotoGuy wrote:
So much information! Thank you so much guys. You are wayyy more helpful and knowledgeable than I could've ever imagined.
Speaking strictly for myself, I am not all that knowledgeable. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
---
Jim
"People are entitled to their own opinions, they are not entitled to their own facts." (Vincent Bugliosi)
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Oct/28/08, 8:39 pm
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