Literary scholar, antique book collector & pipe smoker.

Tried out my uncle's pipe I had used as a costume prop for years, on a whim, using Captain Black Gold Tobacco after randomly meeting a pipe smoker. Loved the experience, though was very bad at it (relights, swallowing ash, etc.). Online pipe community gave me all the information I needed and I quickly graduated to better Tobacco as I found aromatics to be a bore (used to be an avid cigar smoker so I didn't fear straight tobacco's, they are just harder to find in my area. On the plus side, pipe smoke smells better indoors than cigars, so the better half approves - even of latakias which she adores the smell of). Squadron leader opened my eyes to « English » (latakia) blends, a true revelation, and I went nuts on those (Margate, Penzance, etc.) for about two or three years. My approach is now more balanced, Tobacco rotation only enhancing the flavor's of my favorite blends (latakia's and oriental's loosing their flavors if abused, I now believe). Uncomplicated Burley's are now my everyday tobacco's, Virginia's and English an occasionnal treat. Aromatics can happen, albeit very rarely, and I prefer the «half-aro » Mcclelland-type hybrids in that regards. Many PG-laced aromatic OTC's tend to make me sneeze for some reason: it's not that I don't enjoy many of them, but they cannot become my regular tobaccos for that very reason.