Pipe tobacco has been smoked for thousands of years. The earliest evidence of pipe tobacco were leaves and pipes found buried with Egyptian mummies. Later, on arrival in Jamestown in 1610, John Rolfe experimented with small-leaf tobacco he obtained from the Virginia Indians. Rolfe acquired Spanish tobacco in 1613, shipping it to England where strong sales made it the first successful export from the colonies.
There are three main types of pipe tobacco: Aromatic, Virginian and English. English tobacco is the strongest, while Virginian pipe tobacco is mellow and golden in color. Captain Black Pipe Tobacco is mixed with Cavendish, Burley tobacco and others for a fine, pleasant blend. Mac Baren Mixture came into being in 1958 and claims to be the most popular pipe tobacco in the world. Sun-cured tobacco is very strong with a full flavor, whereas Oriental, grown in the Balkans, provides a pleasant, aromatic smoke.
Pipe smoking often accompanies times given to pondering life. Therapeutic value varies with each brand's different blends, cut, textures, moisture, aroma and taste. Some pipe tobacco tastes better in the spring, while others taste better in the summer or fall. The pipe the tobacco is smoked from is important, too.
In the 1600s, pipe tobacco was extremely popular and frequently used to barter with, pay wages, settle debts and seal deals, working almost as an unofficial currency. In 1630, Jamestown, Virginia, was exporting a million and a half pounds of tobacco every year, bringing in substantial taxes, very similar to tobacco export companies of present day.
Grow your own tobacco from seed (see Resources) and fill your pipe with home-cured tobacco. Tobacco is easy to grow in most locations; Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky are renowned for fine tobaccos as their soils are perfect for growing it. Missouri has tobacco growing wild for anyone to pick, dry, cure and smoke.