Like it or not, summer has come to an end and the season of falling leaves, gourds, horror, and sweets is upon us. The autumn season brings some of my favorite yearly traditions—hay rides, pumpkin patches, ciders—and not least of all, the spooky, blithe rituals of Halloween.

In anticipation of the goblins and ghouls, we thought we would get together all of our favorite pipes, tobaccos, cigars, and more that best embody the delights and the horrors of the season—all available right here in the TobaccoPipes store.

Tobacco Pipes

To many, Halloween is just for the kids. It was certainly sacred to me as a young imp in a school boy uniform, duck-walking up to the neighbor’s door (I went as Angus Young) to add to my loot. As a festival all about dressing up as anyone you want, roaming the neighborhood in a mob of your best friends, and picking up outrageous amounts of sweets, it truly sounds as though some task force was created chaired only by children age 10 and under and were instructed “make up a holiday.”

Maybe it took a few years after retiring from the trick-or-treat game, but I think most of us came to realize that the adults can have their fun too. From the horror movies, to costume parties, to decorating; the Halloween spirit is one I’m always excited to lean into. There's a carefree, honest fun to the festivities—an invited rollick before the stress of the holiday season. For us pipe smoking adults who want to participate in the tidings of good fear, there are plenty of options for new, ghoulish tobacco pipes.

Peterson Halloween 2021

We need to start with this line because time is of the essence if you want to grab one of these bad boys before they're all gone. Another great seasonal pipe from the preeminent, Dublin pipe artisans, the Peterson Halloween 2021 collection is a very limited run of pipes with only 850 in existence. If you’re a Peterson collector, you ought to move fast.

The Halloween line brings us pipes similar to the rustically gothic Dracula Collection, but features the classic Peterson System. This is the unique design which Charles Peterson first patented in 1890. The system is as utilitarian as it is attractive with its graduated bore and iconic P-Lip design helping to reduce moisture and tongue bite.

 Peterson Dracula

Of course we also have to mention the progenitor to the Halloween 2021 Collection, the ever-popular Dracula. The world renowned Peterson pipe makers pay homage to the exalted, fellow Irishman of Gothic Horror fame, Abraham "Bram" Stoker. 

The Dracula series was first released in 2012, the centennial of Bram Stoker’s death. Though the vampire long existed in lore and village gossip, The Count in Stoker's genre defining novel gave a take on the creature with new attributes—such as his aristocratic poise—which have shaped how the classic monster is portrayed and explored in movies, shows, and books to this day. In this way, the Dracula line features classic pipe shapes with a gothically sleek update. Especially eye-catching are the acrylic fishtail stems embellished with black swirls on a blood-red backdrop. Like Stoker's Count, the Dracula pipe, with its elegant stem leading to a craggy, rusticated finish, toes that line between beastly and dashing. 

Rattray’s Goblin

We cross the Irish Sea over to Scotland to take a look at another ghoulish instrument—the Goblin. When Charles Rattray opened his tobacco shop, The House of Rattray, in the old Scottish capital of Perth in 1911, he quickly gained a reputation for his fantastic blends. It wasn’t long before the tobacconist moved into pipe manufacturing, and the company has since been lauded for their craftsmanship and creativity as pipe makers.

The Goblin is no exception. True to their name, these little Rattray pipes are super light and hard workers. If you appreciate a petite pipe for mobility, the Goblin brings ease and style to a smoke on the go. 

Davorin Denovic Morta

Davorin, a skilled artisan based out of Croatia, makes some of the most fascinating morta pipes. Briar has long had a mandate on wooden pipe making since it rose to prominence in the mid-19th century, but we’ve seen morta become a popular, though rare, choice as well—and for good reason. Despite the material’s conduciveness to top-of-the-line pipes, it isn’t easily sourced. Morta is a semi-petrified wood that has spent thousands of years submerged in bogs where the soft qualities of the wood slowly are replaced with minerals from the swamp water, leaving an exceptionally hard wood. You can imagine how difficult that makes retrieving the material, but even once retrieved, much of a log can’t be used, there must be a good intact piece in pristine condition. This makes these pipes all the more special.

Morta is found in a few different colors, but the black morta wood is especially striking. Davorin is a master of crafting with morta, and his pipes feature the most pleasingly bizarre silhouettes, straddling the line between free-shape and recognizable styles. This Acorn in particular is eerily reminiscent of the Grim Reaper, I just had to include it here. 

Pipe Tobaccos

All of the seasons have their associations, but to me, fall seems especially defined by the colors and tastes it ushers in. They build an aesthetic world that feels like stepping into a lateral universe from that of the lush green summer. With autumn comes a solidarity between visual and gustatory palates—the bouquet of red-brown tones in the drying leaves, the flavors of cider, ginger, apricot, nutmeg and so many more—all these components are like dots in a Pointillist work of art. When we step back, the aggregate is a whole of its own that is familiar and distinct.

But it doesn’t last long. We may think of autumn as spanning a whole quarter of the year, but that picturesque window is a stunning float in the middle of the parade—a wink between the dwindling heat and the bare trees with their contorting branches. With this in mind, I always make the effort to really indulge in staples of the season; the tastes, aromas, and of course, the traditions of one of my favorite holidays. In embrace of that effort, there's no doubt I'll be packing my pipe with all of these fall-inspiring tobacco blends throughout the next couple of months.

Cornell & Diehl - The Old Ones Series

This line of scary-good blends from Cornell & Diehl takes inspiration from the wicked writings of the horror heavyweight H.P. Lovecraft. From Master Blender Jeremy Reeves, each mixture in The Old Ones series offers a unique profile that will possess the palate. A few of these incredible recipes:

• Innsmouth achieves nuance and dynamic contrast between light and dark Virginias for a great mild to medium strength blend.
• Visions of Celephaïs is the perfect choice for smokers picky about their Aromatics, skeptical of added flavoring that shrouds tobacco instead of working with the natural attributes. This blend is certainly not that. The foundation of Virginias make the perfect bed for the interestingly delightful notes of fruit and Dark Fired Kentucky.
• Miskatonic Mixture offers a Virginia based all-day smoke. The woody, earthy, herbal notes make this a particular favorite for the fall season, it asks to be smoked out in the nippy mornings when the air is crisp.

There’s no better time to try any of these amazing blends, the season is right and they may not last long.

Sutliff - Pumpkin Spice

It’s just not autumn without a little pumpkin spice, is it? This Aromatic from Sutliff invites in the season with a warmth. The star flavor, of course, is that big orange gourd, but right beside are compliments of cinnamon and nutmeg making for a wonder mix that brightens and spices up the season. Especially a nice one to light up when amid company that doesn't mind a little smoke so long as the scent is nice—what a room note.

Peter Stokkebye - PS 24 Nougat

PS 24 Nougat is the delightfully sweet bestseller from Peter Stokkebye. In this blend, Black Cavendish, Burley, and Virginias mix perfectly with the Aromatic flavorings of chocolate and vanilla, giving the sensational taste reminiscent of the center of a great candy bar. But unlike a candy bar, you can enjoy this one all day without upsetting the stomach. 

Cult - Blood Red Moon

With notes of cherry and chocolate, Blood Red Moon is a  Cult classic just right for fulfilling that Halloween sweet tooth. Although the Aromatic blend does have a rich sweetness, it departs from the cherry flavors in your trick-or-treat stash in that it doesn’t have that artificial taste. The pleasant cherry flavor and aroma of Blood Red Moon has made it many pipe smokers go-to Aromatic.

Cigars

Furthering our venture for great flavors this fall season, we turn to cigars. Now is a great time to check out our vast collection of premium cigars, as we at TobaccoPipes have been expanding our collection these last few months and we aren’t done yet. But here are a few favorites that bring the spook and the flavor for an awesome autumn stogie.

Asylum - 13 Ogre

From the looks of that ogre-green and brown wrap, it seems this premium smoke from Asylum cigars is dressing up as the haunted bayou barber-shop pole this Halloween. But if we should know anything about ogres, it’s that you have to get to know them on the inside to truly understand them. Well, getting to know this cigar from the inside is getting to taste a complex blend of premium Nicaraguan tobacco culminating in an easy draw of earthy and vanilla delight.

Casa Turrent - 1973 Torpedo

This wonderful Casa Turrent cigar was a favorite of the last autumn season, earning a 93 point rating from Cigar Aficionado and being featured on their best cigars you need for the fall line-up. This cigar comprises the best tobacco Mexico has to offer, grown by the famed Turrent family who have perfected the art of tobacco farming over five generations. With some Nicaraguan filler mixed in, you have a wonderfully complex cinnamon, chocolate, nutty sweetness that you’re sure to enjoy. 

Tatiana - Cherry Classic

Here’s another one to fulfill the hankering for sweets in this season of candy. When it comes to flavored cigars, Tatianas are the gold standard. And they offer a large range of flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, rum, and more. So if you think a flavored cigar might be up your street, but you’re not sold on cherry, check out the selection in our store and find the right one for your palate. 

Accessories

Finally, here are a few spook worthy accessories to usher in the spirit of Halloween.

Woodwater - Magnetic Skull Pipe Stand

The Magnetic Skull pipe stand from Woodwater is the perfect piece for those of you who like to do a little Halloween decorating, give the house a little aura of eerie—a strong spook note, if you will. Have your favorite pipe on display and ready to pack. You can even dress up as Hamlet with the perfect prop on hand if you feel compelled to break out into a soliloquy (pipe and leotard not included). 

Zippo Lighters

Within our wide selection of Zippo lighters, donning all kinds of graphics, you’re sure to find some creepy, seasonally apt designs. These make for great pipe lighters, especially when equipped with a pipe insert (which you can learn more about here). Just don’t go using them to light any paper bags filled with you-know-what to leave on the curmudgeonly neighbor’s porch.

Happy Halloween!

We hope this article has helped the tobacco lover in you find some great new ways to enjoy your Halloween and fall season in all its frights and flavors. Be sure to check out our Holiday Shopping Guide as well for all the tobacco pipe gift ideas (or treats for yourself) you could need for the season to come!