2023 has already been off to a fine start with January full of great releases. But we wanted to take one look back at 2022 and highlight some significant pipes, tobaccos, cigars, and accessories to hit our shelves this past year. This only scratches the surface, but here's some new releases, big and small, that we think made 2022 a great time to be in the hobby of tobacco pipes and premium cigars. 

And for a closer look at some of the great blends released in 2022, check out our end of the year Tobacco Files column.

Peterson Christmas Pipe

Since 2009, Peterson Pipes has released a line of Christmas pipes every autumn to bring in the holiday cheer with a new limited edition smoker, and 2022’s offering was as beautiful as ever. 

Each of these designs were pulled from Classic range. Smooth and rusticated finishes are complete with a dignified, warm copper army-mount making for a truly distinguished aesthetic. The first Peterson Christmas pipe to be manufactured in the Irish makers’ new factory, these elegant smokers are a reminder that our cherished traditions will come with us anywhere. Though they weren't around long but looking back on these works of art makes us all the more excited for the many seasonal pipes we'll see in 2023.

Savinelli Bing's Favorite Alligator 

Released just days before the new year, Savinelli get’s 2023 started off right with a collision of some of their most popular offerings.

Savinelli’s Bing’s Favorite line features some of the most popular pipes from the famed Italian makers. Each is characterized by its long, petite stem and shank leading to a stout, poised Billiard bowl. A classic design associated with the preferred style of Bing Crosby—hence the name. However, with this line, the repose of the Bing meets the eccentricism of Savinelli’s hallmark Alligator style. This aesthetic sees color-matching stems and bowls separated by a thin, gold band. What really draws the eye is the unique rustication and the vibrant colors used. 

Vauen Woog

Perhaps a controversial pick for the traditionalists among us, but a 3D printed pipe is certainly a novel development in the pipe world—so, in recounting 2022, it only makes sense that we look at the Vauen Woog. 

The German pipe brand is no stranger to bringing a modern art sensibility to the tobacco pipe. Vauen continues to explore in this series of two pipes, limited to 750 produced each. These intriguing instruments are made from high-quality ceramic composite, but with a briar-lined stummel, that beloved burl so ideal for pipe making isn’t totally eschewed in the Woog. 

The new age approach is complete with a new age design. The Woog’s matt black/gray stummel (the shades being all that distinguish the two models) doesn’t try to lean into familiar finishes, and its geometric bowl with its low and forward visual weight is an aesthetic all its own. If you're familiar with Vauen's white dot, you know they don't put it on just any line—it's reserved for their highest quality pipes, and it looks like the Woog made the grade. 

Diamondback Corn Cob Pipe

Look, we’re a little biased—the Diamondback cob is a collaboration between TobaccoPipes.com and our friends at Missouri Meerschaum. But I mean, having an exclusive corn cob pipe made for us by the historic company is really something special, all the more so when it looks this great. 

The Diamondback bowl is paneled and stained a rich orangish hue. It's fixed with a handsomely rustic diamond shank and stem, tapering out from the bowl and in toward the bit. Corn cob pipes have a rich history and significance in this industry and we are honored to stick our logo on this one!

Barling Ivory Meerschaum Pipes

Late in 2021, we saw the beginning of a new era for the infamous Barling trademark. The iconic brand returned with a roll out of two new styles, Trafalgar and Marylebone, but in 2022 several other lines were released. Of these, the Barling Ivory line truly stands out.

Of course, there's no actual ivory here—this line consists of stunning Meerschaum pipes. Though renowned for being one of the most prominent names in the heyday of British briar pipe carving, the Barling Ivory nods to the company's legacy in meerschaum pipe making that stretches back before the take over of briar in the mid-late 19th century.

In both smooth and rusticated finishes, each Barling Ivory mixes traditional pipe shapes and meerschaum elegance. A military mount fits the stem to the stummel with silver bands and other accents that recall Barlings jeweler origins. 

Altinay Meerschaum Bowl Filters

In 2022, we received the Altinay Meerschaum Bowl Filters from the celebrated carvers of that magnificent Turkish stone. Sometimes it’s the little things—one small piece of material with an ingenious application can make all the difference. 

These small meerschaum bits are designed to be placed at the bottom of your chamber to catch moisture and tar while creating a false bottom that reduces that leftover dottle. Lasting about 10 smokes each and fitting most any chamber, they are a great way to ensure a cool, dry smoke without obstructing airflow. 

Next to beautifully crafted pipes such as those carved by Altinay, these may seem a bit hum drum. But in this pastime of simple tools that have served pipe smokers for ages, it's fascinating to see such practicable invention still come through. 

Sutliff's Birds of a Feather Series

2022 started out with a lot of excitement in the Mac Baren USA tobacco-sphere. Master blender Per Jensen, the man behind such fantastic creations as the Mac Baren HH line and Amphora tobaccos, visited Sutliff tobacco HQ in Richmond, Virginia to create the Birds of a Feather series—six limited-production blends, each using a unique tobacco varietal. Genuine St. James Perique, Rustica, Katerini, and Katerini Perique—each mixture features at least one of these special ingredients.

So far, we’ve seen the release of four of the six blends. Uno, Whimsical, and Aberrant graced us in 2022, with Eccentric kicking off 2023 with an early January release. These have been extraordinary blends thus far and we still have two to go. 

Charatan Pipe Tobaccos

Charatan is one of the most celebrated pipe brands in the history of the hobby, but for most of us in The States, the label’s tobacco range has been out of reach. Though not exactly a new release for 2022, these wonderful blends did find their way to the US market, which has certainly been an exciting development of the year for those of us who were missing out.

These five mixtures were developed in the wake of Dunhill’s withdrawal from pipe tobacco. Tor Imports Ltd teamed up with their manufacturing partner, Kohlhase & Kopp, to offer an alternative to some of those missing gems in the Dunhill range. Lucky for us, many of the Dunhill favorites were continued under Peterson Tobacco, and we still got these great Charatan pipe tobaccos out of it. 

Briarville Cigars 

One of the most exciting things about 2022 for us at TobaccoPipes is that this was our first full year located in Richmond, Virginia. We had and still have a lot of reasons to celebrate that move, but one especially exciting opportunity it presented was the providing the space to expand our selection of premium cigars, which we had long been eager to do. You need a lot more than shelf space to keep cigars, the conditions have to be just right. We went from a modest humidor case in Florida to a whole room to fill. We relive that excitement whenever we get a new cigar in, and we’ve really taken to these multi-wrapper Briarville cigars.

These artistically crafted cigars were hand-rolled in Nicaragua and deliver flavorful smokes that are as delightful on the palate as they are on the eyes. 

Cobblestone Classic Cigars

The Cobblestone brand delivers some wonderful pipe tobacco blends and affordable accessories, but in March of 2022 they took it a step further with the release of Cobblestone Classics, a line of budget and palate friendly premium cigars. With three wrappers (Connecticut, Habano, and Maduro) and three vitolas (Robusto, Toro, and Grande) to choose from, this nine cigar lineup offers some fantastic options, especially for those starting to explore their cigar preferences. Quality sticks to traverse a range of boldness and flavor without the cost that often comes with premium cigars. 

From the continued traditions of re-released blends and seasonal pipes, to the series still rolling out, to whatever surprises are sure to pop up seemingly out of thin air, we couldn't be more excited for the year to come. 

One of the things that's so special about this hobby is how, at its core, it's the same simple pleasure known for centuries, but it keeps developing without truly feeling as though it changes. It's a joy to find new ways to engage, to fall in love with a new blend or pipe or cigar, but it still boils down to the blissful moment that we light up, reflect, and maybe even share in the company of like minded companions. 

We close the book on 2022 with many thanks for helping make this the special year it was. And whether you'll be sniffing out all the new offerings of 2023, or cruising on what you know to be tried and true, we're wishing you a blissful 2023, in each smoke and beyond.