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5 Pipe Tobacco & Drink Pairings

Benefits of Pipe Smoking

A year ago I’ve started my journey into the hobby of pipe smoking. Influenced by a few people from within that community that described pipe smoking as a zen type of relaxing hobby, a low-effort, end of the day relaxation after a busy working day that any man can enjoy. On my year long journey my perspective on pipe smoking has somewhat changed, I still do it, but in a different way than I used to. My first text about smoking pipes was written last March, about Benefits of Pipe Smoking and you can read it here, let’s say that that was me being excited about my new hobby, and this is me talking about how to do that hobby well, and how to truly engage in it.

Know what to smoke, where to smoke and when to smoke

When I first started smoking pipe tobacco, I didn’t know much about it, I would acquire some blend whose name or look seemed tasty to me, and I’d fill my bowl and smoke it. Today I am much more of a pick-and-chooser. There are some blends and types of pipe tobacco which I adore in more situations and abhor in other.

One example I would like to mention in particular is the Stanwell Vanilla blend, a mellow tasting blend of aromatic pipe tobacco with a strong vanilla note. The first thing I noticed about this bend is that it was a very wet type of tobacco, and no matter what I did to ti it couldn’t get any dryer. It was very hard to properly lite it, but once I did I fell in love with it. The first time I smoked it was while drinking a cup of morning coffee. The strong taste of the vanilla and the smell which filled the entire room was so satisfying mixed with the bitter taste and rich aroma of the black coffee. I thought that this was one of the best blends I’ve tried thus far, and that I would be smoking it much more frequently than expected. However, once I’ve tried smoking it outside, in the evening I realized that it was too weak of a blend for such an environment. I realized that the only time I really liked it was in them morning hours, while drinking strong black coffee. It was a blend made for that type of situation, and smoking it at night after a long day’s work while reading a book, for example, wasn’t the type of environment that this blend would be enjoyed in for me. This is when I had the epiphany, that different blends and types of pipe tobacco serve different purposes. Some are for the more relaxing night-time situations, other are for when you go out walking in a sunny day and so on. All relax you and serve to bring you to the current moment and to make you enjoy the finer nuances of daily life, just in different ways and different situations.

Some blends are good for a specific season of the year. A very aromatic melange blend was the one I was smoking this winter season and it blended well with the winter weather and holiday atmosphere, while in fall I like to smoke Clan, and other rougher and stronger blends, which are less aromatic and more potent in their tobacco. Learn which blend you like in which situation and during what time of the year, it will bring you much more joy and satisfaction smoking the blend which fits the atmosphere at that moment, rather than smoking whatever is at hand.

The type of pipe you use while smoking also can effect the taste and smell of your tobacco, and thus your smoking experience. Pipes are made from all different types of wood, there are also non-wooden pipes like corncob pipes, and porcelain pipes, I’ve even seen brothers in the community smoking glass and metal pipes as well, though I think that these take away from the experience. Find the type of pipe you like for a certain atmosphere and use it when you see fit. I personally like brier pipes the most as they give a kind of wood-like aroma to the smoke. If you have the means to do it, you should buy a few of the pipes you like and have a pipe rotation, having a different pipe for every type of tobacco you smoke so that the tastes do not mix.

The ritual of pipe smoking



As I’ve said earlier, pipe smoking has a lot to do with the atmosphere that you smoke it in. The pipes serve to bring you into the current moment, to free you from the monkey mind and the perpetual chatter of your consciousness. It gives you the gift of the moment, allowing you to escape the chains of worry, and letting you observe your problems, thoughts and past actions from a third person point of view, without taking it personally. The pipe brings you to the moment, but depending on what is at that moment your smoking experience will differ greatly. It’s a very different pipe smoking session depending or whether you’re smoking it in a cabin in the woods, by a fireplace, in nature while camping, at night or in the morning, in a crowded city with busy streets filled with people, on alone in a quiet field in the countryside. All of these experience are positive in their own way, but depending on the atmosphere they are vastly different.

When I started smoking pipe tobacco, I used to focus too much on the smoking itself and not so much on the preparations, the atmosphere, and the ritual of smoking. Thus my experience was much less potent and much shallower than it should have been. Thanks to some of the brothers from the community I learned my lesson and I’m here to spread the word. Before you smoke your pipe there should be a period of preparation. Firs of all, choose the place where you want to smoke it. As I’ve said, smoking it on the roof of a building in a city and outside your house or deep in the woods are totally different experiences. Some days you would like the peace and quiet of the early morning countryside, other times maybe a crowded street of a big city where you can observe the people and the events happening around you, or maybe you would like to sit home alone and read a book, or talk to a friend in a cafe. Once you’ve chosen your location, pick the type of tobacco and the type of pipe you wish to smoke. Take into account the time of the year, the location where you’ll be smoking and the aroma which you’d like to experience. Pick the kind of tamper you’ll use, I found that the type of tamper you use, whether it’s a metal or wooden one, the carvings on it, of its shape effects the experience and should fit the atmosphere in which you’re smoking. Once you have everything ready, the final step for me would be mental preparation, what will you be thinking about while you’re smoking. If you’re smoking alone, will you be trying to perceive your life problems from a different angle, or would you like to relax and maybe think about some abstract concepts. Have a mental goal while smoking the pipe, since it’s purpose is to bring you into the current moment, and away from the chattering in your mind, it’s as important to pick your mental location as it is to pick your physical one. These are the steps I take to insure I have a great smoking experience, and come out of it a better man.

Don’t overdo it

Reading the previous part of the text, you might think that is a lot of preparation for smoking a pipe. The thing is, it’s not a lot of preparations if you don’t smoke regularly. I smoke my pipe, one to two times a week, and I think of it as a hobby you need to invest your time and your mind into rather than a thing you do everyday without even thinking about it. Smoking a pipe too often is bad for your mind as well as for your health. The most enjoyable pipes are the ones smoked rarely and slowly, with a lot of preparation and mindfulness going into the smoking session. As I’ve said on the previous article on this topic, pipe smoking is not about the nicotine high, it’s about the atmosphere, the deeper feeling, the zen mindset it provides for the smoker, if smoked well. Pipes aren’t meant to be smoked impulsively like cigarettes are, take your time, pick your type of pipes and of tobacco, go through the ritual every time, and never overdo it.

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Some useful resources about pipe smoking: