As you all know, I’m a brand new pipe smoker, and a new member here.  I just wanted to briefly share my experience yesterday at Iwan Ries & Co., in downtown Chicago.

 

I walked into the store; overwhelmed by the walls of tobacco, pipes on display, and the gentleman in the suit behind the counter puffing a beautiful black pipe (he said he was smoking “Davinci”). Sheepishly, I introduced myself as a new pipe smoker who was struggling with aeromatics and tongue bite.   

 

To my surprise, I was welcomed with great enthusiasm!  I was immediately led to a wall where I was offered jar after jar of tobacco to smell.  Carefully, the gentleman checked my reactions to each tobacco.  He would neutralize my smell with a jar of coffee beans and further move down the line.  Each jar would make him ponder and then move to another tobacco to see how I reacted.  After a long sampling, and a long discussion, he presented me with a corn cob and walked me through packing it.  I had really been doing that wrong, it turns out.  He showed me how to properly flake a coin tobacco cut.

 

”I think this is your tobacco,” he said.  He lit my pipe and let me go.  The smoke was cool and wonderful.  There was no bite and the pipe never needed a relight or attention.  Another gentleman walked into the place, and soon the three of us were drawing on the pipes, chatting about tobacco, and discussing the pastime of pipe smoking. 

 

Half way through a bowl of wonderful Virginia, my pipe was confiscated and repacked with another tobacco.  It was lit and off I went again.  The flavor was different; stronger.  But, the tobacco remained the same throughout.  The first sampling had changed notes as the tobacco burned down.

 

Soon, my pipe was again loaded with another tobacco.  “Try this.”  Again, the tobacco suited me wonderfully.  None of these was an aeromatic, incidentally.  Every one of these tobaccos was a success and he had figured my tastes perfectly.  It turned out that I may not have been doing everything wrong after all - I just need to smoke the right tobacco!

 

More people came in and out of the store.  I ambled around, looking at the station where they were carefully and intricately restoring estate pipes.  I was offered a cup of water as I changed tobaccos; a ‘Tootsie Roll’ to clean my tongue.

 

When it was all said and done, it was apparent that my palette was really into Virginias and Periques; to avoid European blends, and to lean into Burleys.  I’m not really sure what all that means yet, but I scribbled some notes in my phone to guide me after I left.  I bought a few tins and some packs on recommendation, as well as a gorgeous little estate pipe.  

 

As I walked out, prepared to leave, I was stopped and led into the members smoking lounge.  It was a beautiful room with comfortable chairs, a coffee bar, and a host of amenities.  Douglas - the gentleman who has been helping me - sat me down, and packed my pipe with the Cornell and Diehl ‘Davinci’ from his own tin.  “You may not like this,” he cautioned. “I’m loving this tobacco so much, though, I just want to share.”

 

I loved it.  

 

I believe that blend is about 75% Latakia, though, and it had a hard, almost leathery note throughout.  While it was a bit much for a new smoker, I can see returning to it some day when I zero in further on my own tastes.

 

What’s so important here is the value in having someone -  a real, living person -  walk you into pipe smoking.  You really can only do so much by perusing the internet.  I learned so much about it, that I’ve got a renewed vigor and enthusiasm now.  I walked through the blustery streets of Chicago, elated at my discovery and the experience I had.  

 

Moreover, Iwan Ries has earned a customer for life; they will be my first call for tobaccos and pipes.  Their effort and kindness will be remembered.  I’ve got no pipe and tobacco stores where I live - I don’t consider strip-mall vape stores with their one jar of pipe tobacco and a display of glass pipes - to count as a tobacco store.  I am sad that I have no store like this where I live, and it made visiting Chicago for the week great.