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Note: Updated for 2026, this article was originally published August 8, 2019. It has been revised to reflect fresh perspectives and alternative tobacco choices.
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ugust, despite the influx of fall and winter holidays barreling into stores, is still summer. We here at Smokingpipes are prepared to aid in locking in your summer smoking rotation with our summertime smokes. Here are some blends we hope you'll enjoy this season.- Cornell & Diehl: Sunday Picnic
- G. L. Pease: Key Largo
- BriarWorks: Back Down South
- Orlik Golden Sliced
- Cornell & Diehl: Skyward Gate
- Peterson: Royal Yacht
- Samuel Gawith: Grousemoor
- Cornell & Diehl: Billy Budd Blonde
- G.L. Pease: Ellipsis Flake
- Low Country: Pee Dee
Cornell & Diehl: Sunday Picnic
At this point, on vibes alone, Sunday Picnic is a staple for summer smokes. It's a classic C&D blend comprising Golden Virginias, Perique, and Turkish Izmir, resulting in a memorable flake with unparalleled flavor.
"If there was a quintessential American pipe tobacco (without favored topper) this would probably be in high contention. Light sweetness, full smoke, the Perique and Izmir play very well with each other, balancing earthy & sour. This is a solid year round smoke, built well for the summer and spring, but would be lovely for winter and fall. This is also a great blend for cutting your heavy English and Aromatics. Big Fan. This is a great, great blend. The tin I opened today had been aging for 5 years. Totally worth the wait." - Peculiar_Piper, 5-star review at Smokingpipes
G. L. Pease: Key Largo
Key Largo embodies the Florida Keys and all things summer vacation through a broken flake blend of Red Virginias, Orientals, and Cyprian latakia, spiced with velvety cigar wrapper leaf. Enjoy the lingering pleasures of dark-roasted coffee, cocoa, and leather as you smoke the day away.
"For me it is a good quality tobacco with a pleasant cigar aroma. Of course everyone's taste is different, but for me it is 5 stars, a quality product, thank you." - Alexander L., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
BriarWorks: Back Down South
This hearty Virginia/Perique flake is designed for front-porch sitting and smoking during the warm summer months. Boasting delectable flavors of figs, dark chocolate, and subtly peppery spice, Back Down South is ready to join your summer rotation and add some intrigue.
"This is only the third tobacco that has earned the honors of 5 full stars from me. It's like a fruitier Orlik. Tin note is of apples and plums. First light is sweet grassy hay but by the third puff the aromas are awakened. Tart without being overbearing, blends nicely with the sweetgrass of the Virginia. Very smooth." - Monte S., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
Orlik Golden Sliced
One of the world's most well-known and iconic Va/Per blends, Orlik Golden Sliced is an essential selection for summer smokes, whether you're relaxing on a boat or unwinding in the backyard. It's a flake-cut blend that combines Virginias with a dash of Perique, resulting in a tasty, natural profile marked by sweet citrus.
"It's top. The bee's knees. The cat's pajamas, even." - John B., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
Cornell & Diehl: Skyward Gate
One of four traditional plug tobaccos in the Summit series, inspired by the natural wonder of the U.S. national parks and the American west, Skyward Gate is an all-Virginia plug of whole-leaf Red and Orange flue-cured grades, providing dark citrus, toasted grain, and soft baking spice — an all-day Virginia to smoke through summer.
Available in: 2oz
"I hand cut this plug into thin cut flakes. Hand cutting it adds to the experience of the smoke. It is an excellent smoke, has bready, grassy, and sweet notes. You can taste the different strands of Va tobacco. This is one of the best straight Virginia blends that I've tried. C&D has done it again with a well-made blend. Get yourself a tin of this stuff; you won't be disappointed." - Samuel S., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
Peterson: Royal Yacht
Peterson carries the legacy of Dunhill's blends forward with this classic blend, featuring fine Virginias conditioned carefully, ensuring sweetness before being enhanced with a secret, subtle flavoring – a delightful tobacco for languid smokes out on the deck.
Available in: 50g
"I've been smoking RY for a while now and am very pleased Peterson chose to save this blend. The casing flavor is good, it doesn't bite, and you definitely get a good nicotine hit, especially the first pipe of your day. A 50/50 blend of RY with a Va/Per like St. James Flake or Orlik Golden Sliced makes for a truly delicious smoke." - Joseph A., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
Samuel Gawith: Grousemoor
An iconic Lakeland blend by Samuel Gawith, Grousemoor is named after the field sport of grouse hunting, which is popular in the United Kingdom. The blend is a pure Virginia featuring flue-cured leaf that is steamed, then cut, stoved, and topped with seasonal scents that characterize England's Lake District.
"Grousemoor is my favorite out of all of the tobaccos that I have tried! There's a pleasant floral taste with a bit of a refreshing citrus note that presents itself more and more as you smoke it. Overall, it is very delicious and I highly recommend! Great for summer!" - Emily B., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
Cornell & Diehl: Billy Budd Blonde
A sweet sequel to the original Billy Budd blend created for C&D's late friend, Sailorman Jack, Billy Budd Blonde features Bright Virginia, White Burley, cigar leaf, and a dash of Perique, making for an unconventional summer smoke that can stand as your daily driver or join you for activities like barbecuing or sitting on the porch swing.
Available in: 2oz | 8oz | Bulk
"This blend is beautifully balanced, well behaved, and full of flavor. A perfect daily go to or social tobacco. It is very forgiving, allowing you to focus more on your conversation and less on your cadence. For a non-aromatic it gives off a very pleasant room note and is very smooth. I experience zero tongue burn nor tongue bite with a fairly aggressive cadence." - JB_S.Holmes, 5-star review at Smokingpipes
G.L. Pease: Ellipsis Flake
Sweet, spicy, and nutty, Ellipsis Flake is a medium-bodied smoke that is complex in flavor yet subtle in aroma. The fourth entry into the Zeitgeist Collection, paying tribute to avant-garde themes of the modern era, Ellipsis Flake is inspired by musical tri-tones, featuring three tones of flavor — Virginias, Orientals, and Perique.
Available in: 2oz
"When I opened the tin, the tin note was nice. The sweet figgy smell pushes me not to age this. The taste is how it smells to me. Everything I am wanting in a tobacco. I will smoke this up. I want to buy more to see how it will age. Very good." - Vincent L., 5-star review at Smokingpipes
Low Country: Pee Dee
Pee Dee honors the Great Pee Dee River in South Carolina's Lowcountry, joining the Low Country line of pipe tobaccos, all crafted by C&D. This ready-rubbed mixture is Low Country's very first Burley blend, combining heirloom Dark and White Burley with St. James Perique and matured Red and Bright Virginias. The result is rich and flavorful, and it's a classic, easy-smoking tobacco in the Burley family to help you enjoy summer to its very last moments.
Available in: 2oz
"Medium-to-strong in strength, the nuttiness of the Burley steals the show while Virginias bring sweetness and the Perique spices up this mix in a very delicate way. This is one of those blends that's right up my alley: easy to pack, burns evenly, no tongue bite, with a nice dose of N-vitamin. Recommended for the Burley fans." - brando, 5-star review at Smokingpipes
We hope these choices make what is left of your summer smokes even better. Let us know in the comments what tobaccos we missed from your top picks for warmer weather.
A note on the tobacco information.
Strength: a measure of the tobacco's body and nicotine. One is the lowest. Five s is the highest.
Room Note: a measure of the pleasantness or intensity of the smoke's odor to everyone else in the room. One is the least intense room note, while five s would be the most noticeable to others.
Taste: A measure of the the power and fullness of the smoke's flavor, with one being the most mellow and five s being the fullest.
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Comments
The new Sun Bear I think will become a quick summertime classic. The honey, tequila, and floral make it a great smoke so far on a humid night in Georgia.
I’m curious to know why all your picks are tins. I tend to lean towards bulk bag purchases. For me they seem to be more fresh, no? Please educate me if you think tins are more flavorful or more fresh. I am a novice smoker and obviously have a lot to learn. Also I do prefer flavored tobacco like my most recent purchase of egg nog flavored which is my favorite.
Very good pipe tobacco.
Which ones are good for relative newbies. I don’t even know what I enjoy yet
@Tad I inquired about this with Kaz, and in this case, it was just a coincidence that all of his favorite summer blends happen to come in tins and not bulk. He did admit that he often leans more towards tins than bulk in general, because he can toss them in his cellar quickly!
@Andy If you're looking to only try one as a starter, I'd go with the HH Pure Virginia. It'll give you a great baseline to start as this one is just a pure Virginia blend. Then you can start experimenting with some of the others on the list and see how you like the addition of some of the other tobaccos!
This is a great summertime list, and I have nearly every tin on this list, save for St. Bruno, which I'm keen on trying. I find Erinmore Flake delicious, and it does have a tin note that's reminiscent of summertime, as well as a nice strength. Similar in strength but completely different in flavor is MB HH Pure Virginia, which is a great blend, and I agree with Cassie D on her assessment. The hot pressing of the red Virginias in HH Pure Virginia do something really special to the flavor; it's rich, savory, a little spicy, and surprisingly complex for a Virginia flake. I have a tin from 2015, and it aged beautifully. On the other hand, a fresh tin tastes great too!
Perhaps the shining star of this list is MB Navy Flake, with such a perfect balance of component tobaccos and expert processing by the folks at Mac Baren. There's something special about how nicely Navy Flake tastes on a warm summer night after a nice dinner. Very few blenders have ever come close to doing so, but MB Navy Flake truly reminds me of some of the best tobacco in the world; none other than that made in Kendal, Cumbria, England.
I'd probably add Newminster 400 Flake to this list, as well as GL Pease Union Square, in keeping with the Virginia theme. Great list guys!
Was the editor drinking? 3 descriptions wrong.
Some seriously bush league editing going on here.
Hello Gabrielle Bass,Sept 8, 2023 article I believe there were two incorrect tin descriptions for: Dan Blue Note and C&D Low Country Guendalose. Otherwise I like this article and agree with most of the blends presented. SWR is 100% on the money with a summertime codger blend that keeps me stocked up on it for precisely this time of the year. The one thing about this blend is the aging process dramatically changes it and amazingly becomes so refined. Try it you won’t be disappointed -happy smokes
I'm with Eric, I can't make heads or tails of this update. Was it the summer weather? Got overheated? Or the blend you were smoking?
With Eric and the Davids, too-
Thanks for pointing out those errors, Chris and David. I'd love to say it was on purpose to keep you guys on your toes, but it was indeed an oversight on our part. For context, it looks like those three inaccurate descriptions were from the original 2019 article and weren't updated properly when we revised the post for this year. I've updated those three entries with the correct descriptions now. Really sorry for the inconvenience, and I appreciate you guys letting us know we dropped the ball here. Have a great Sunday, all.
Gawith Hoggarth's North Star gets my vote! Light airy wispy but flavorful. I don't have enough adjectives to describe this gentle smoking blend that is perfect for summer.