The Pipe Tobacco Guide

Every pipe tobacco and all in the following described raw tobaccos originate from the same tobacco plant. Nicotiana tabacum. Only the type of storage and processing ensues such a different raw tobacco and such a variety in the end products.

There is one more tobacco plant (Nicotiana rustica), but it´s not used as a pipe tobacco because of it´s high nicotine content. 

Raw tobaccos

• Virginia: A popular tbacco which is the most commonly used base for tobacco blends. It has high natural sugar and flavor content in it´s tobacco leaves. This makes the Virginia sweet and aromatic
• Burley: This tobacco has a very low suagr content. Often even no sugar. It is known for it´s robust aroma with a light cocoa note but without sweetness. Burley burns well in the pipe
• Latakia: Originally from Syria, this tobacco is hung over the smoke of an open fire after the leaves have dried in the sun. The tobacco leaves absorb the smoke aroma -  and you can taste and smell it when smoking, as it is so strong and spicy that it is only used as an addition. Even strong Latakia blends rerely consist of pure Latakia
•  Cavendish: This is not a natural type of tobacco, but the processing of Virginia and Burley by pressing them together while heating them with or without steam

Aroma: 

• Tobaccos are often given a light casing, i. e. an addition of natural aroma. You can´t taste or smell this aroma, as it is used to balance the tobacco
• Only the so-called top flavor, which is introduced into the tobacco using a sauce, is the well known aromatic additive that you can smell and taste

Types of cuts: 

• Loose Cut: Loosely cut pipe tobacco. Easy to stuff and enjoy. Loose cuts are not pressed
• Press tobacco: Press tobacco is created by pressing, usually under heat. pressed tobacco includes flakes (slices of pressed tobacco cubes) and curlies or rolls (tobacco rolled into a strand) The pressed tobacco can be loosened in advance (ready rubbed) or cut (curly cut, cube cut, broken flake) to make it easier for the pipe smoker to use. Here you will find instructions for smoking flakes: Flake smoking made easy
• Mixtures: A mix of loose tobaccos and pressed tobaccos