Today we're gonna be talking about some of our recommendations for Aromatics for those just getting into the pipe-smoking hobby. We get this question a lot. Let's get into where we recommend starting.

[Andy Wike]: Alan, as the Customer Service Manager, I'm sure this is a question that you and your team get asked a lot: I'm brand new to pipe smoking, I want to get into the hobby, but I've never smoked anything before; Where should I start?

[Alan Britt]: Yeah, it's something we get all the time, like you said, and it's honestly one of my favorite conversations to have. Like many things, when you're dealing with someone more experienced, for a Customer Service Rep, it can be intimidating. When you have a newer pipe smoker, they trust us as the experts in this field to put them onto something they're gonna enjoy, or at least put 'em in the right direction.

I think Aromatics are a great first step, just because it's the quintessential pipe-smoking experience. I think when most people, smoker or non-smoker, think of pipes, they think of their grandpa smoking and getting that nice chocolatey, vanilla-y, generic Aromatic smell.

But the blends that I like to recommend are these handful that I think do a great job of representing that style of pipe tobacco, but doing it in a more modern way where the tobacco is the star and the topping is just an addition.

Of all the five blends that I'm gonna be recommending today, they're all available in bulk. While some of them, like Autumn Evening, can be found in a tin, I think bulk is just the natural starting point for a new smoker. You can buy an ounce, which is fairly inexpensive, and that is enough to smoke through where you're gonna get a good idea of whether you really like something or not.

[AW]: Yeah, that's a really good point. Bulk is a great place to try different blends. You don't have to commit to a 2oz or 8oz tin.

Lane Limited 1-Q

The first blend we've got here is probably the most recognizable, and one of the most popular tobaccos in the world: Lane Limited's 1-Q.

[AB]: When you think about grandpa smoking that pipe, he was likely smoking 1-Q.

[AW]: Yeah. On its own, 1-Q is recognizable, but it also has been used as a shop blend for many years. If you've ever stopped in a Tinder Box or your local tobacconist and tried one of their house blends, a lot of those blends were manufactured by Lane or Sutliff, and 1-Q is really what a lot of smokers gravitate to.

It has a very strong aroma. There's obviously natural tobacco there, but you really have a lot of vanilla, caramel, and these richer notes that I think really enhance that experience of the Virginia and the Black Cav.

[AB]: The reason I like to recommend 1-Q, and this stands true for all of these, is that the natural tobacco is the forefront of the blend, while the toppings are super pleasant and are still there for you and the people around you, and they also burn well.

We've all dealt with sopping wet Aromatics where it's more like steam than smoke. That was my first pipe-smoking experience and it turned me off. I was a cigar smoker that went to pipes and I had a bad experience and thought, this is too hard, and for a lot of people watching this video, I'm sure that was their experience. But these tobaccos will treat you well.

1-Q has been around for a long time and it's good, and that's why it's the best-selling pipe tobacco in the world.

[AW]: Yep. It's just good. And it's reliable, consistent, and it's not one of those that you have to chase down certain batches. You can buy in bulk and pack up your tobacco pouch as you're going places.

Cornell & Diehl Autumn Evening

The next one on the list is a Cornell & Diehl product. You've likely heard of it. It's Autumn Evening.

Autumn Evening is just an exceptional Aromatic pipe tobacco. There's so many things going for it that I just find super interesting as a pipe smoker.

First of all, rather than a base of Black Cavendish, it's actually a base of Cornell & Diehl's proprietary Red Virginia Cavendish. They're taking Red Virginia leaf, which is high in sugar, fairly low in nicotine, and they're steaming it, stoving it, and basically turning it into a Cavendish. The top flavors of Autumn Evening are rich maple and caramel autumnal flavors.

[AB]: Yeah, it reminds me of pancakes and syrup.

[AW]: Totally. Anytime anyone's smoking it in the office, you can immediately tell. It smells like someone's making pancakes.

[AB]: It was one of the first blends I ever smoked when I was getting into pipes as a customer at Low Country Pipe and Cigar. Tyler let me grab a pinch of Autumn Evening and it was the first Aromatic experience I had where I got what Aromatics are all about. I understood what the topping did to accentuate the natural tobacco rather than smoking flavored air.

It's just amazing. It's one of Cornell & Diehl's best-selling blends for a reason. People love it. It's got a cult-like following.

[AW]: And it's a really good representation of natural pipe-tobacco flavors that are enhanced with a top note.

[AB]: Yeah, I'm a huge fan of that Red Virginia Cavendish. One of my favorite parts of working here at Laudisi is walking back to Cornell & Diehl, and when they're steaming this Red Virginia and putting it through that Cavendish process, it just smells like the best baked bread goods you have ever smelled, and that comes across in the blend. It's available in bulk and in various tin sizes: 2oz, 8oz, and 16oz.

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. American Delite

[AW]: Next up is actually a product from across the pond, despite its name. It's called American Delite, but it's a GH&Co. product. Alan, this has always been one of your recommendations for that old-school, American-style blend.

[AB]: Yeah, it's called American Delite for a reason. This is Gawith's interpretation of that American-style Aromatic, Virginia, Burley, and Black Cav, the standard of a lot of American Aromatic blends, and Gawith just does Aromatics right.

You're probably more familiar with Gawith from their more interesting or more avant-garde blends: the ropes, the plugs, the Lakeland-essence blends, but this is just really well done. It's got that classic vanilla, chocolate, and caramel.

[AW]: A little bit of fruity notes going on too.

[AB]: I do get a slight cherry from it, and I wouldn't put it in the same vein as your classic cherry Aromatic, but it's a very slight dark cherry that I really love.

[AW]: It's just on the back of the palate. It's not a cherry bomb. Mostly it's vanilla and caramel with a little bit of fruit. But it's a really great blend.

I also love what Gawith does with Aromatics. That Kendal manufacturer is so unique in any family of tobacco that they produce, so it's definitely worth trying out if you're interested in Aromatics, just seeing what these different blending houses can do with the form. American Delite is available in bulk and in a 50g tin. It's a really good blend to try.

Rivertown Tobacco Works Custard Conspiracy

Next up is a relative newcomer to this mix, and that's Rivertown Tobacco Works Custard Conspiracy, available in bulk. This is probably the darkest blend on the table in terms of actual color.

[AB]: 100% Black Cavendish.

[AW]: Yeah, and it's a different experience than you would expect from an all-Black Cavendish blend. The top note is really this subtle vanilla quality. There's a very creamy finish and it performs really well in the pipe. This is also a really accessible product, especially in bulk when it comes to the price point. You can get a really solid vanilla-flavored Aromatic blend to start to see if you like it, and Custard's always gonna be a rec from me.

[AB]: We were actually commenting on just how amazing it smells. If you're ever able to go to a shop where you can sample things and stick your nose in jars or bags, do that. Custard Conspiracy is quintessentially what I would want a vanilla tobacco to smell like.

This all-Black Cavendish blend is gonna produce a ton of smoke. Cavendish acts as a great carrier of flavor, and there's a lot of body.

Peter Stokkebye's PS24 Nougat

[AW]: Last up in these recommendations, we have Peter Stokkebye's PS24 Nougat in bulk. I think this is a really complex blend, actually. It's what I'm smoking in my little Ropp here. It has an awesome room note. It's a blend of Virginia, Burley, and Black Cav, and the top notes are this vanilla and chocolate classic profile. It's made in Denmark, so it's a different approach to Aromatics.

What's really interesting about all of these Aromatic blends together is that they're all Aromatics, but you can see how each blending house does things a little differently. From Cornell & Diehl's Autumn Evening to Lane's 1-Q, Peter Stokkebye's PS24 Nougat to Rivertown's Custard Conspiracy, and then of course the Lakeland, Kendal-manufactured American Delite.

Nougat's great. There's a good mix of bright leaf, darker leaf, and a little bit of Black Cav. You get that body and carrier that you were talking about, but also a good bit of natural tobacco flavor.

[AB]: Yeah. Nougat, in my opinion, is probably the least flavored of all of these on the table. The natural tobacco shines a bit more than the rest of the blends, but it's still got a very good vanilla and chocolatey quality to it. I especially think the Burley's pretty prominent in this one. I just love it.

It was one that my local tobacconist recommended to me when I was first starting out. It's a homey experience to me. I think fondly of Nougat from my experience with it early on in my pipe-smoking days. It was also unofficially the tobacco smoked on set during The Lord of the Rings. So if you're a fan of those movies, smoke like Frodo.

Beginner-Friendly Aromatics

[AW]: There you have it. Those are five really solid recommendations for anyone just getting into the family of Aromatics. A variety of different blending houses here and different styles working with the same family concept. I think if you're interested in experimenting with this family of tobacco, any of these options are really good starting points. From there, you can branch off and try some other things.

I also think if you do find yourself being interested in more natural-flavored tobaccos, all of these choices are really good transition blends. Nougat and American Delite in particular, I think, and even Autumn Evening can really help you start to develop your palate for the natural flavors of pipe tobacco, and they're all available in bulk.

[AB]: I think that's a very important part of it. As a new smoker, I just encourage you to try as much as possible. These are just five good starting points, but what I would really recommend after this is finding the one you love and then branching out from that style. Although they're all Aromatics, they're all unique in their own way.

You can always contact our Customer Service team via email or phone call. We're extremely quick to respond and it's really our pleasure to help you out and put something in your pipe that you'll love.

[AW]: That's right, man. That's the goal.