Starting a cellar.

[H.M. Murdock]

Hey guys. I didn't know about aging tobacco until I stumbled onto this place a few days ago, and I gotta say... I'm excited about the idea to the extent that I am willing to blow $50 to start a good cellar.
I don't know if my pipe figures into it, but I usually smoke a Chacom champagnne 184. I adore darker blends, but I like a sweet tang as well, without going aromatic (burley, for example, or a little hint of cavendish). My first tobacco was Captain Black, which I hated with an unbelievable passion, and on my second I graduated to Louisiana Red (pipesandcigars.com/Home & Hearth). While dark and spicy is nice, I like a sweet/spicy blend as well, because I love contrast/dichotomy in what I eat/drink/smoke.
Now for the question: For $50, what can I get to start a good cellar? $50 is my absolute limit, since I am a minimum-wage college student.

Hello, Howling Mad. Sounds like you have some experience in pipes working for you. Can't help you on a cellar, question, I'm a cigar and bourbon guy myself, so have little need for a cellar. I would assume if you are talking about an aging area for your cigar tobaccos, a cigar humi would work as well for pipe tobacco as for cigars. If that's the case, there are many humis available for $50. Many threads about this subject, too many to point out, do a search, and take your pick, probably five or six pages about start-up humis!!!

You should run over to the new gorilla forum and introduce yourself. Spend a little time reading the stickies and such!

[Alpedhuez55]

This is a good place to start for $38. It is an 8 tin sampler from Cornell & Diehl:

http://www.smokingpipes.com/tobacco/...oduct_id=16944

And if you like the Hearth and Home you can buy a couple of 12 oz Samplers of Hearth & Home for a little over $50. They are $25.99 each.

http://www.pipesandcigars.com/ruouhobl.html

[ShawnP]

[quote=Alpedhuez55;707529]This is a good place to start for $38. It is an 8 tin sampler from Cornell & Diehl:

http://www.smokingpipes.com/tobacco/...oduct_id=16944


But I would also like to point out that website has some of the best prices on pipe tobacco period.

Look around on there, for $50 you can get a nice selction.

Shawn

[Nooner]

I'd agree with the above - I'd also say to call one of the two shops above, tell them what your intentions are, have them send you some samplers that they feel will meet your specs, then pick the ones you like the most and start stocking up on tins!

I few that I would advise are: anything GLPease, anything by McClelland with a Black, Green or Brown Label, Most any of the Rattray's Blends, anything by Fribourg & Treyer, and McCrannies Red Ribbon or Red Flake.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

Hello, Howling Mad...

That is sooooo funny S'kid. I just called H'ock an insubordinate miscreant heretic in the coffee forum for other crimes. Yet another case of great minds always prepared to pick flesh off of a new guy. What a great morning! I LOVE this place.

[kheffelf]

Originally Posted by Nooner

I'd agree with the above - I'd also say to call one of the two shops above, tell them what your intentions are, have them send you some samplers that they feel will meet your specs, then pick the ones you like the most and start stocking up on tins!

I few that I would advise are: anything GLPease, anything by McClelland with a Black, Green or Brown Label, Most any of the Rattray's Blends, anything by Fribourg & Treyer, and McCrannies Red Ribbon or Red Flake.

Also, the McClelland Frog Morton blends are great, I started on the Frog Morton and that is what made me love the pipe. Another good place to look is the what did you smoke tonight for pipes thread. Everyone talks about what they smoked and most post a little review afterwards-if it was good or not.

[CigarGal]

A sampler would be a good way to go on a limited budget. You need to find what you like before you stash a bunch of it away. Be sure to read the pipe faq as there is a great link to articles about storing and aging tobacco. Welcome to the forum and don't let the old farts scare ya away

[designwise1]

Just For Him has a member setup so you get free tobacco after so many purchases. I don't remember all the details, obviously, but I do purchase a few of their blends now and then. Great brick & mortar to deal with - and they are online.

Good luck!

[H.M. Murdock]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

Hello, Howling Mad. Sounds like you have some experience in pipes working for you. Can't help you on a cellar, question, I'm a cigar and bourbon guy myself, so have little need for a cellar. I would assume if you are talking about an aging area for your cigar tobaccos, a cigar humi would work as well for pipe tobacco as for cigars. If that's the case, there are many humis available for $50. Many threads about this subject, too many to point out, do a search, and take your pick, probably five or six pages about start-up humis!!!

Ahhh, humidors. God love 'em. The problem with that theory, though, (as I understand it) is that tobacco for a pipe is different from cigar tobacco in more than just taste and appearance and requires far less humidity. If I were aging loose tobacco, I would bet that high humidity (seriously, since this is Louisiana I can store a cigar in the open without a huge risk, since I am not that picky) would encourage off flavors to form. It would also seem to push the envelope on the risk of mold, though I don't know if mold is actually a problem with tobacco. It would seem to be, but oh well. Mildew, perhaps?

On SmokingPipes: Loving those tin prices! Definitely a go-to in the future for just a tin to smoke. Which will be soon. For the past few weeks I've been committing the hersy of carrying a pouch of Walter Ralleigh in my back pocket...
Now that I've admitted to the crime, we don't enforce a stoning policy around here for drug-store smokrs, do we? That would be... bad. For me, anyway.

On Just For Him: YES. I don't care much for the tinned prices ($10 for 50g of Dunhill Nightcap, where it would cost $6 at SmokingPipes), but they have a burley/perique blend. Which is something I've been itching to try. After smoking straight burley and the strong perique/Virginia blend by Russ Oulette, I am really eager to see how they will mix. Plus, the price on their loose blends is incredible ($3/ounce? Crazy-good!).

The plan of attack thus far:
1) $10 in loose tobacco from Just For Him (Old Toby, Matured Cake Mixture 2020, pure bulk perique, Man-O-War: $10.49)
2) $30 on Hearth & Home sampler (Louisiana Red, Sunza Bitches, Victorian Stroll, Old Companion, Marble Kake, LJ Heart Burley)
3) $20 in tins, to be purchased at a later date

How does that look?

[Kayak_Rat]

Originally Posted by H.M. Murdock

Ahhh, humidors. God love 'em. The problem with that theory, though, (as I understand it) is that tobacco for a pipe is different from cigar tobacco in more than just taste and appearance and requires far less humidity. If I were aging loose tobacco, I would bet that high humidity (seriously, since this is Louisiana I can store a cigar in the open without a huge risk, since I am not that picky) would encourage off flavors to form. It would also seem to push the envelope on the risk of mold, though I don't know if mold is actually a problem with tobacco. It would seem to be, but oh well. Mildew, perhaps?

On SmokingPipes: Loving those tin prices! Definitely a go-to in the future for just a tin to smoke. Which will be soon. For the past few weeks I've been committing the hersy of carrying a pouch of Walter Ralleigh in my back pocket...
Now that I've admitted to the crime, we don't enforce a stoning policy around here for drug-store smokrs, do we? That would be... bad. For me, anyway.

On Just For Him: YES. I don't care much for the tinned prices ($10 for 50g of Dunhill Nightcap, where it would cost $6 at SmokingPipes), but they have a burley/perique blend. Which is something I've been itching to try. After smoking straight burley and the strong perique/Virginia blend by Russ Oulette, I am really eager to see how they will mix. Plus, the price on their loose blends is incredible ($3/ounce? Crazy-good!).

The plan of attack thus far:
1) $10 in loose tobacco from Just For Him (Old Toby, Matured Cake Mixture 2020, pure bulk perique, Man-O-War: $10.49)
2) $30 on Hearth & Home sampler (Louisiana Red, Sunza Bitches, Victorian Stroll, Old Companion, Marble Kake, LJ Heart Burley)
3) $20 in tins, to be purchased at a later date

How does that look?

We call it an intervention.

[pistol]

Originally Posted by H.M. Murdock

Ahhh, humidors. God love 'em. The problem with that theory, though, (as I understand it) is that tobacco for a pipe is different from cigar tobacco in more than just taste and appearance and requires far less humidity. If I were aging loose tobacco, I would bet that high humidity (seriously, since this is Louisiana I can store a cigar in the open without a huge risk, since I am not that picky) would encourage off flavors to form. It would also seem to push the envelope on the risk of mold, though I don't know if mold is actually a problem with tobacco. It would seem to be, but oh well. Mildew, perhaps?

On SmokingPipes: Loving those tin prices! Definitely a go-to in the future for just a tin to smoke. Which will be soon. For the past few weeks I've been committing the hersy of carrying a pouch of Walter Ralleigh in my back pocket...
Now that I've admitted to the crime, we don't enforce a stoning policy around here for drug-store smokrs, do we? That would be... bad. For me, anyway.

On Just For Him: YES. I don't care much for the tinned prices ($10 for 50g of Dunhill Nightcap, where it would cost $6 at SmokingPipes), but they have a burley/perique blend. Which is something I've been itching to try. After smoking straight burley and the strong perique/Virginia blend by Russ Oulette, I am really eager to see how they will mix. Plus, the price on their loose blends is incredible ($3/ounce? Crazy-good!).

The plan of attack thus far:
1) $10 in loose tobacco from Just For Him (Old Toby, Matured Cake Mixture 2020, pure bulk perique, Man-O-War: $10.49)
2) $30 on Hearth & Home sampler (Louisiana Red, Sunza Bitches, Victorian Stroll, Old Companion, Marble Kake, LJ Heart Burley)
3) $20 in tins, to be purchased at a later date

How does that look?

You're doing better than I am! I talked to a guy that should have been dead many years ago, got a pipe from him, and then I just whipped out the credit card and started buying shit! For what it's worth man, I really like the stuff I bought, but I especially like the Rattray's Old Gowrie and Frog Morton's On the Bayou. If you haven't tried them, you might want to look up their reviews and see if they're something that you might enjoy...