Best Rolling Tobacco

When it comes to tobacco products, we are completely spoilt for choice. There’s hundreds of different brands of cigarettes, there’s vaping, lots of different cigar brands and of course - there’s rolling tobacco.

Rolling tobacco is generally considered to be cheaper overall than purchasing cartons of cigarettes and many rolling tobaccos have a much better taste! Not to mention the fact that you are in control over where the tobacco goes, the size of your smoke etc. 

However, as with all of the other tobacco products, rolling tobacco is also a minefield of choice! So when you’re thinking about purchasing rolling tobacco, you might wonder - what exactly is the best rolling tobacco?

Well, we wondered that too so decided to do plenty of research and testing. In this comprehensive guide below, we’ll give you a buyer's guide for everything you need to consider, our top picks along with their pros and cons and some handy FAQs for you.

So, if you’re ready to learn much more about the best rolling tobacco on the market - then read on and discover the answers! 

Best Rolling Tobacco

Let’s kick off this guide by giving you our picks for the best rolling tobacco out there today!

Buyer’s Guide 

Of course, there’s a lot of things you will need to consider before you go out and buy a packet of rolling tobacco.

Below, we’ve got all the essential considerations you need to think about before you make your final decision. 

Uses

The first thing you need to consider before buying rolling tobacco is what the primary use for it is going to be.

While this might sound ridiculous, many people will buy rolling tobacco solely for cigarette smoking - whereas others will use rolling tobacco for joints too.

However, some rolling tobacco does not mix well with weed and some rolling tobacco can get very harsh on your throat if you’re making large cigarettes or joints. As a result, you will need to think about what you’re going to use the tobacco for.

If you’re hoping to save a bit of money and use the tobacco for both weed and cigarette use, then you will need to look for a rolling tobacco that is somewhat dry but not too dry.

You will also need to think about how long it will take you to smoke the rest of the tobacco. 

What we mean here is, some rolling tobacco when left unused for too long will go very dry to the point where it can seriously be rough on your throat and chest when you smoke it! Not to mention the smell changes when lit and becomes very strong (see also "How To Get The Weed Smell Out Of Your Car"). 

If you are just going to use rolling tobacco for weed, then try to source a small packet size that you expect to last until your weed has run out.

However, if you’re going to use rolling tobacco solely for cigarette smoking - you have many more considerations.

We will look at more of these next, but this point is probably the most important!

Kentucky Vs Virginia Tobacco 

This consideration is much more for the rolling tobacco cigarette smokers, but anybody who wants to use rolling tobacco should think about this point. 

Like with any product that you consume, you will want to buy something that tailors to your tastes, whether that be desserts, pizza, drinks and yes - even tobacco. However, instead of weighing up the classic “Coke vs Pepsi”, tobacco is largely Kentucky vs Virginia. 

Kentucky tobacco is a very traditional and classic style of rolling tobacco. It tends to be very dry and harsh with a much darker color. This is likely due to its origins where tobacco producers would fire-cure the tobacco for chewing tobacco usage. 

Of course though, as time progressed, Kentucky tobacco became available loosely - meaning pipe and rolling cigarette tobacco.

If you’re somebody who likes a strong, dark aroma, taste and appearance with your tobacco, you should certainly consider Kentucky.

However, if you’re looking for a much more mild, smoother aroma, texture and flavor - then Virginia tobacco is the option to consider. There are far more Virginia tobacco options on the market too.

And this makes perfect sense when we consider that Virginia tobacco was among the first that made tobacco products how we know them today. Virginia tobacco is very popular given how smooth, aromatic and mild it is.

As a result of this, if you are going to have multiple uses for rolling tobacco - then Virginia tobacco is the option for you!

Budget And Multipack Purchasing 

Every purchase you make will inevitably have budgetary considerations, and rolling tobacco is no exception. With so many different rolling tobacco products on the market, you will likely be wondering what sort of price range you should be looking at.

Well, it will mostly come down to our previous point, as in what you are going to use the tobacco for and how long you expect it to last.

When you’re purchasing rolling tobacco, generally you can either purchase one packet, five packets or ten packets. 

While purchasing larger quantities of rolling tobacco could save you money in the long run, it becomes a false economy if you do not smoke enough rolling tobacco before the open packet goes very dry and pretty much unusable. 

Of course, you will also have your own budget to consider.

The best thing you can do when it comes to working out what the “right” price is, is to examine the average price for the type of tobacco you are looking for and try not to sway too far away from it. 

“Damp” Vs “Dry” 

As we know, there are plenty of different types of rolling tobacco out there, which can be used for pipe tobacco smoking or rolling cigarettes - and of course, for use in joints or a bowl. 

One huge consideration that you need to make is what texture of tobacco you should opt for. Virginia style tobacco tends to be more “damp”, and what you will notice is that the tobacco tends to stick together much more when you first open the packet.

Over time, it will dry and become much looser. However, with other tobaccos, they are already dry and loose. This can be useful for some things, but not necessarily for cigarette smoking alone. 

It can often be more difficult to be economical with damp tobacco due to their nature. As it sticks together, it’s often easy to use much more of it than you need to. Of course, the opposite is true for dry tobacco. 

Rolling Tobacco Accessories

Now, this is a consideration that you should absolutely think about before you finish your purchasing journey. Like with tobacco alone, rolling tobacco accessories are in huge variety and there are many accessories that could be seen as essential purchases. 

Of course, the accessories you need to think about purchasing will largely depend on the way in which you use the tobacco. Let’s take a look at a few accessories that you might need.

Lighter

You’re certainly going to need a lighter, but depending on how you plan to smoke the rolling tobacco, the type of lighter you need will differ.

For example, pipe smoking may require a windproof butane lighter, whereas cigarette smoking can use plenty of different types.

Generally speaking, you’re better off with longer flamed lighters and it’s not always the best choice to opt for a Zippo - despite how awesome they look. 

Rolling Machine 

Loose tobacco can be used in a ton of ways, but if you’re going to make cigarettes, there are two different types of machines you can purchase if you’re not going to make them 100% yourself.

The first type of machine is a small dual roller. The way this works is by placing the tobacco into the center of the two rollers (see also "How To Use A Joint Roller"), in the dip of the leather belt . You then close the rollers and turn them several times, allowing the tobacco to be made into a hot dog shape. 

You then place your rolling paper in between the rollers and lick the gum. Continue to roll and open the machine - and voila, you have your rolled cigarette. 

Another machine is not technically a rolling machine, but it completes the same task. Essentially, you have to purchase empty cigarette papers with connected filters. You then place your rolling tobacco inside this machine.

At the end of the machine, you put the empty paper and then push the tobacco using the machine upwards. This then finishes into what looks like a normal cigarette. 

Pipe

If you’re purchasing rolling tobacco for pipe smoking, you’re of course going to need a great pipe! There’s not a great deal of difference with traditional pipes, aside from the size and slight shape differences.

However, many are made using different materials and some have their own designs, so it will largely come down to which pipe you like the look and feel of. On top of this though, you will of course have budgetary and other considerations. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Of course, you will probably have plenty of extra questions, so we’ve got some of the most common questions here with our answers. 

Can I Use Any Rolling Tobacco For Cigarettes?

Technically yes, but pay attention if the rolling tobacco is specifically for pipe smoking. While you can smoke pipe tobacco in cigarettes, you will find the tobacco is usually much harsher on your throat. 

This is because pipe smokers do not usually inhale the tobacco smoke, rather it’s like cigar smoking. The difference is what part of the tobacco is used and what it is used for. 

Does The Lighter Really Matter?

This is an interesting point. We’ve always said yes to this because there’s a vast taste and aroma difference when you light up something to smoke using a gas lighter versus using a butane lighter. 

In fact, cigar smokers avoid using lighters at all so they do not ruin or affect the taste and aroma of their cigar. The same applies when it comes to rolling tobacco, regardless of how you are going to use it. 

Of course though, the decision is ultimately yours - choose between appearance and practicality!

Is Rolling Tobacco Best For Joints?

It depends on your own tastes and preferences. If you’re going to use tobacco with your weed, then rolling tobacco is fine, but some people prefer to empty cigarettes or use blunt papers instead (see also "How To Light A Blunt"). 

A consideration of course is the dryness of the rolling tobacco and how overpowering the taste and smell is - and perhaps something that gets very overlooked is the nicotine content. 

Some tobaccos have a very high nicotine content, like Kentucky tobacco for example, whereas others have much lower nicotine content. If you’re not used to smoking tobacco or you do not smoke a lot - you need to be aware of this.

It’s a really good idea to check the label for the amount of nicotine the tobacco contains before you purchase it. This is normally on the back of the packet or in the product outline if you’re purchasing the tobacco online. 

Should I Buy Tobacco On Vacation?

If you’re thinking about purchasing some rolling tobacco when you’re on vacation and bringing it back to the United States, the first thing you will need to know is how much you are allowed to bring back home, as there are limitations. 

However, if you’re asking about purchasing foreign tobacco in terms of their taste, texture and aroma - then this is a little tricky. Many countries that have hotter climates will have extremely dry tobacco which can be harsh to smoke. 

However, some other countries have perfect tobacco standards, so it really depends on where you are going on vacation!

Can I Chew Rolling Tobacco?

No. Chewing tobacco is a separate tobacco product entirely and is designed for chewing specifically. Rolling tobacco, as its name implies, is meant for rolling tobacco products. 

Final Thoughts 

Rolling tobacco is in huge variety and is still in huge demand. While it can be a little tricky to know what to look for and what considerations to make, we hope we’ve helped to clear up most of the confusion with our guide above. Good luck and happy smoking!