I'm the co-founder of a San Francisco company that recently launched a new pipe tobacco product called Ploom.
It heats special tobacco-containing capsules called "Ploom Pods" to just the point where they release a flavorful vapor, without burning or the side effects of combustion.
We've seen a lot of sales and interest from cigar smokers. The experience is quite different, but many cigar enthusiasts are surprised by the clean, intense tobacco flavor. This surprised us, too, since many of our blends have a good deal of top flavoring and were aimed more at the social cigarette or hookah smoker.
Due to the interest in pure tobacco, we're starting to work on lines with no added flavor. We've experimented with tobacco taken from some famous cigars, and the results are very promising. The process is more like steeping tea, so we can preserve the aroma of the unlit tobacco. Even non-smokers don't find the smell offensive. To the contrary, most everyone finds it pleasant, and it can be used indoors even most places where smoking is banned.
I wanted to get a discussion started online about how the product is perceived relative to cigars.
Also, we are looking for territory reps in all corners of the U.S. If you are interested or have any recommendations, please let me know.
For more info on the product and company, you can visit: ploom.com
Our first unflavored blend is affectionately called Naked. It's not in the main storefront yet, but you can find it with this link: ploom.com/blendx
Regards,
Adam
