Reflection and contemplation tend to go hand-in-hand with pipe smoking.  They pair together like peanut butter and jelly, or bacon and eggs. As I recollect and recount the many tobaccos I have had the privilege of enjoying this year, I found that my palate continues to gravitate toward similar blends and compositions that it has in past years.  However, I will admit that I was much more specific this year when it came to selecting pipes to enjoy those tobaccos.  Although I have an extensive cellar – that continues to expand even at my wife’s disapproval – I also have a pipe collection of more than 100 pipes that I am proud of.  Do I need 100+ pipes?  No.  But each of them has meaning, value, or purpose that if I attempted to explain to a non-pipe smoker, they would surely believe me to be crazy.  I do plan to write about this unique behavior in the future here on The Pipe Professor website, and possibly for the North American Society of Pipe Collector’s (NASPC) Pipe Collector publication; but, for the time being, here are some small snapshots of my collection (Note: some pipes not pictured due to a media disclosure form not being on file…in all actuality, not all of my pipes will fit on this one shelf).  

So why do such a list each year?  Bottom line is I enjoy putting together a compilation of my favorite blends and sharing it with others.  Am I asking for validation on the list?  No.  Do I feel you should agree with each selection?  Not at all.  Do I recommend using this as a potential starting point for exploring blends you may not know about or haven’t tried?  Absolutely!  Furthermore, I enjoy watching how my palate changes and adjusts year in and year out.  As Nathaniel Hawthorne notes, “Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.”  I hope these pipe tobacco reflections are the shadow I can leave behind each year, and that others may have the opportunity to dabble into the enjoyments I have experienced over the past 365 days.  Wishing each of you a wonderful and joyous 2025 and thank you for reading my nonsense for another year.        

Without further ado, I present my Top 5 Pipe Tobaccos for 2024.  Enjoy! 

Tobacco #5 for 2024

L.J. Peretti’s Midnight 

Tobacco Notes:  For anyone who does not believe Latakia/English blends do not age well, think again.  I ordered an 8oz tin of Midnight seven years ago and just opened it in spring of 2024.  This tobacco is so good I only have a bowl or two remaining from the entire eight ounces.  The blend has been nothing short of magical and I placed a restock order through L.J. Peretti during the summer as I hope to start the aging and settling process for my new 8oz tin immediately. L.J. Peretti Midnight is an all-black tobacco mixture that offers the pipe smoker a thick, rich, smokey experience.  If you enjoy the burnt wood campfire essence mixed with a natural creaminess, this tobacco is for you.  Full flavor, strong aroma (that may not be appreciated by non-pipe smokers) L.J. Peretti’s Midnight reignited its spot in my regular rotation.  Simple and delicious!

Tobacco #4 for 2024

Sutliff Molto Dolce 

Tobacco Notes: By now I’m sure you have heard that Sutliff tobaccos has been bought out and will begin to cut their portfolio beginning…..NOW!  This is highly unfortunate for us pipe smokers and potentially damning to the hobby as a whole.  Only time will tell.  With that being said, even prior to any announcement regarding the upcoming changes, I found myself continuously going back to Molto Dolce throughout the year for a sweet and flavorful aromatic smoke.  This tobacco is a high-class aromatic and clearly provides the smokers with notes of vanilla, cream, light roasted coffee, and caramel sweetness.  Want to turn others on to pipe smoking?  Light up a bowl of Molto Dolce….just don’t tell them it’s going away.      

Tobacco #3 for 2024

Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake 

Tobacco Notes:  To start, the “pop the top” video review of me sampling Samuel Gawith’s Best Brown Flake can be found here, or, you can read my the full review on The Pipe Professor website here.  To summarize, SG Best Brown Flake greets your palate with a light pepper spice (tingle on the palate), dried fig, and brown sugar, all wrapped around a tight nutty core.  On the retro-hale you will get an aged leather characteristic that is not present in the tastes while puffing.  Aromas are a rye bread and maple syrup mix.  An overarching chocolate scent will also be found by those with a keen sense of smell.  A wonderfully sweet and subtle smoke.  Easily approachable and crafted for those who enjoy loading a bowl and sitting back to puff on a fine pipe tobacco for an extended period, Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake is delicious and savory.  Highly recommended for beginning and veteran pipe smokers alike.  

Tobacco #2 for 2024

Esoterica Penzance

Tobacco Notes:  I can already hear the grunt and gruff of this tobacco being placed on the list.  Get over it.  Is the tobacco difficult to obtain?  Yes!  Will you probably overpay for a tin of this wonderful Balkan mixture?  Yes!  But it’s not impossible to find and Germain’s/Esoterica is still producing the blend (although in small quantities).  If you are looking to find Penzance on a more immediate basis, I would recommend visiting the Pipe Stud website run by Steve Fallon (www.pipestud.com) or heading over to Tin Bids and finding an auction for a tin or two (www.tinbids.com).  Yes, prepare to pay a premium, however, Penzance is typically available on one website or the other.

What can you expect in this blend?  Silky, smokey richness, that will coat your palate with tastes of wet earth, musty antique books, dried oak, and an over ripe natural fruit sweetness.  The aroma is reminiscent of an antique bookshop with a mix of black tea and damp pine woods.  This tobacco has been a favorite of mine for much of my pipe smoking journey, however, for 2024 I found my enjoyment for this glorious tobacco only exemplified.  If you have never tired Penzance I highly recommend doing so.  If you enjoy quality Balkan blends, this is a must especially if you can afford to splurge on the experience.  A true treasure tobacco.            

Tobacco #1 for 2024

Hearth & Home WhiteKnight

Tobacco Notes:  Okay, first and foremost, I once again knew Hearth & Home’s WhiteKnight was my #1 pipe tobacco of 2024 well before any announcements about Sutliff and Mac Barren were made.  Knowing that two of the top five on my list will be phased out and no longer produced is extremely disheartening, however, if you have the opportunity to try this glorious mixture before it’s gone, do it!

Being a part of their Marquee Series, and blended by Russ Ouellette, WhiteKnight is produced to be a substitute for the Original Balkan Sobronie Smoking Mixture.  Unfortunately, I was not a pipe smoker during the time of the original Balkan Sobronie white label – in fact I don’t think I was born – however, many posts on tobaccoreviews.com and the Pipes & Cigars website attest to the amazing similarities this blend exhibits. 

Cool and slow burning with notes of earth, floral/herbs, natural tobacco sweetness, mild spice, and charred barrel/wood, this tobacco is in a class of its own.  The strength is medium and the body mild to medium.  No tongue bit and just a solid smoking experience, Hearth & Home’s WhiteKnight is my Pipe #1 tobacco of 2024!  If you are looking for an all-day smoke that offers a decent level of complexity, WhiteKnight is a definite win.  I’ve made sure my tobacco cellar is stocked and can only hope this tobacco is saved from the impeding tobacco cuts to come.           

Top Two Tobacco Disappointments of 2024

Disappointment #1 for 2024

Cornell & Diehl Small Batch Steamworks

Tasting Notes: Not sure because the three tins I’ve opened this year have been full of mold…. I have no words.  Get it together Cornell & Diehl.  What a complete waste…

Disappointment #2 for 2024

Sutliff Maple Shadows II

Tasting Notes: I had high hopes for this blend as Sutliff tends to be up and up on their aromatic game, however, Maple Shadows fell way short for me.  The description reads, “…seasonal blend inspired by the eerier aspects of the Fall season. The blend is a rich and complex aromatic mixture of Black Cavendish and Dark-Fired Kentucky topped with sweet maple notes, creating a smooth smoking experience redolent with earthy spice and subtle sweetness.” I smoked several bowls and never got even an inclining of these flavors or essences.  Bland.  That’s the best way to describe this tobacco.  Bland and flavorless.  If I wanted a dry smoke that lacks flavor, I would reach for an over-the-counter drug store burley pouch tobacco (no insult intended to the pipe smokers who only smoke OTC pouches).  Ridiculous and a complete marketing trap.  This tobacco can just stay in the shadows.   

And that’s going to do it for my Top 5 Pipe Tobaccos for 2024.  Thank you again for visiting The Pipe Professorwebsite.  I hope you have enjoyed the list and stay tuned for more reviews and exciting content in 2025.  So, all my readers know, it’s my pipe smoking resolution to contribute to the website on a more regular and consistent basis.  Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me over the years.  I wholeheartedly appreciate your support.  As always, I hope each of you has a blessed new year and until next time, cheers!

* All tobacco/tin pictures and blend information (excluding tobacco notes) were taken from tobaccoreviews.com, tobaccopipes.com, pipesandcigars.com, and smokingpipes.com.  The writer of this post is not the owner of the above photos/blend information related to each tobacco and does not take credit for their creation.