Hey Scott
Don't give up on the pipe yet..
It might just be a tobacco that you don't like or its too wet, or the bowl is filled wrong..etc, etc..
I like to sprinkle some of the tobacco on a small plate and let it air out/dry for maybe a hour or so before I load up a bowl and smoke it. It seems to burn a little easier so you can get the little sips without puffing hard to keep it burning and then cause "tongue bite".
Find a shop that has some bulk tobacco and buy some small samples to try.
Once you get it going right there are some great smokes out there..Davidoff Scottish Mixture...yum
http://www.pipesandcigars.com/scotmix.html