10 Pipe Tobacco Recommendations (Somewhat) Similar to Haunted Bookshop

Recently, I received an email from man named Doug, who was interested in finding additional tobacco blends similar to Haunted Bookshop. After much rumination, I wound up sending him a reply with possibly more recommendations than he was looking for, but I also figured this would make for a good blog post. 

The following recommendations may prove helpful to two camps of pipe smokers: The first being those who love Haunted Bookshop but want to venture forth into other tobaccos from that starting point, and the second being those who find Haunted Bookshop interesting but not a favorite, and would like to explore other options along those lines.

Haunted Bookshop is comprised of Virginia/Burley/Perique, and over time has become one of my very favorite blends. It offers a basic tobacco smell and taste, and is satisfying without demanding too much of my attention. Some might call it an "oatmeal blend," in that it's simple, yet tasty. With that in mind, I'd recommend the following (somewhat) similar tobaccos to try, with some not straying far from the Haunted Bookshop profile, while others serve as forks in the road towards other blend types. Also, keep in mind that these are not in any kind of order. I like them all, or I wouldn't recommend them! 

1. Captain Earle's Honor Blend - Virgina/Orientals/Cavendish/Perique. Definitely different from Haunted Bookshop with the absence of Burley, but still along those lines to my taste. The Orientals give it a distinct, almost slightly sour profile. I love it.

2. Cornell & Diehl's Briar Fox - A good Virginia/Burley, without that smidge of Perique. This is a solid, no-nonsense VaBur blend.

3. Cornell & Diehl's Epiphany - Virginia/Burley/Perique, with a touch of Latakia. A good example of what Latakia can be in a blend without overpowering it. This is C&D's version of the old Revelation tobacco that is no longer available, that I've heard Albert Einstein favored.

4. Cornell & Diehl's Old Joe Krantz - Virginia/Burley/Perique. A bit stronger of a blend than Haunted Bookshop, I believe it has more Perique, and possibly more Burley, with the Virginias playing a lesser role.

5. Cornell & Diehl's Pegasus - Whereas Old Joe Krantz is heavier, Pegasus is lighter than Haunted Bookshop. It's a Burley/Virginia base, but instead of Perique, it has unflavored Black Cavendish. It's a mild mannered blend that scratches the itch of something along the lines of Haunted Bookshop, but not quite as strong. I enjoy it quite a bit, and I have a customer that smokes almost nothing else and regularly orders 10 tins of Pegasus at a time!

6. Cornell & Diehl's Three Friars - This is another Virginia/Burley/Perique blend, and falls somewhere in-between Haunted Bookshop and Old Joe Krantz in strength.

7. G.L. Pease's Cairo - A Virginia/Orientals/Perique blend, this is similar to Honor Blend, with the Orientals once again replacing Burley. A very good blend.

8. G.L. Pease's Haddo's Delight - This has the same components as Haunted Bookshop (Virginia/Burley/Perique), but with the addition of a bit of unflavored Black Cavendish. Whereas Pegasus replaces Perique with Cavendish, Haddo's Delight has both. Because of this, I'd place the Flavor of Haddo's Delight somewhere between Haunted Bookshop and Pegasus.

9. G.L. Pease's Penny Farthing - A shag-cut of Viginia/Perique/Dark Fired Kentucky, this may be a good bridge between Mac Baren's Old Dark Fired and Haunted Bookshop.

10. G.L. Pease's Sixpence - The same components as Penny Farthing, but I think with a bit more Dark Fired Kentucky Present.

And a bonus recommendation, that's admittedly a bit far from the Haunted Bookshop flavor profile, but for those who want to venture further into Dark Fired Kentucky territory:

11. Savinelli's Doblone d'Oro - Another blend similar to Sixpence and Penny Farthing, but with slightly darker notes, and leaning a bit more towards Old Dark Fired than Haunted Bookshop, but still a blend somewhere in between the two in flavor.

Well, that's it! All of the blends on this list are ones I enjoy, being a fan of Virginia/Burley blends, as well as Perique and Dark Fired Kentucky. This list is definitely a big part of my wheelhouse! I hope you'll find a new favorite or two of your own.

Keep 'em lit,
Eddie Gray