Greetings from Toronto

Igor · 2025-03-02T12:36:46-0500

Hello everyone,
I am new here, found this community a couple of weeks ago when many USA sites like tobaccoreviews blocked online access to international visitors. What's up with that!?

I smoked cigars for a few years, usually once a week, a little more during summer, I switched to pipes during the fall 2024.
I've been enjoying it so much that I rarely have a cigar now. It became a habit to wake up, have a coffee and enjoy the first pipe of the day, while doing some deep thinking, prepping work, reading, etc. It's the "me" time that I look forward the most.

My experimentations have been limited to what my neighborhood tobacconist has in stock, but a few months ago I found a favorite! Unfortunately, my favorite was custom mixed by Bennington in Sarasota, FL, so I don't buy it too often, haven't been to US in a while.

Now I am on a mission to find a blend from a brand that comes close to aroma and strength of the one I like. I have just started to read more about the different types of tobaccos and their characteristic and I look forward to learning more from this community and get some suggestions. I am looking to broaden my exploration.

Lately the range I've been enjoying is:

Mac Baren
Vanilla Cake
Vanilla Cream
Solani
Blend 779
Aged Burley Flake
Cornell and Diehl
Opening Night
Pirate Kake
Samuel Gawith CH Flake
Bennington Blend No. 10
Bennington Pirate's Gold

Singed · 2025-03-02T13:37:06-0500

Welcome! Pull up a chair and set a while. Pleased to see another Canadian in our membership. I really relate to your description of "me time".

Regarding the shut down of sites you mentioned, the closure of Sutliff/ McBaren tobaccos by STG after a corporate buyout is the cause. There are several threads that go into the transaction at length, withh some very informative interviews and releases from industry professionals that will clarify details. I would begin with https://www.brothersofbriar.com/threads/stg-closes-mac-baren-and-sutliff.41746/. The current thread, https://www.brothersofbriar.com/threads/tobacco-reviews-blocked.41875/post-621694, "Tobacco reviews blocked?", may also interest you.

I hope this helps and that you enjoy your time here. I've been here a little over a year but have found our members are knowledgeable, courteous and, most importantly, friendly.