So what tobacco to stick w/ for a while? (noob)

[Vrbas]

So as noted, i'm fairly new to pipe smoking (maybe a couple of months). As of now i have the following blends:

BCA
A-2100
Evening Stroll
Captain Black Gold (i just had to)
Anniversary Kake
Capitol Stairs
Victorian Stroll
Larry's Blend

So far i've smoked BCA, A-2100, CBG, Kake, Evening Stroll, and Larry's blend. My favorite of them all is probably Evening Stroll (and then Anniversary Kake or BCA, though A-2100 is growing on me too). It's taken a couple bowls for me to distinguish the flavor but the more i smoke it the more i like it. Almost has a cinnamon flavor to it, just a real smooth and tasty smoke.

Least favorite has been Larry's Blend, which was described to me as an English blend. Tastes too much like smoking lightly sweetened wood or hay. Maybe i'm not ready for English blends yet?

The help i'm seeking is regarding to what I should smoke for a while until I develop a trained taste for pipe tobacco. I really wanna try Capitol Stairs as it has the addition of Deertongue, so if not solely for the purpose of curiosity, the fact it's not an aromatic. But would it be a good idea to stick w/ say, my aromatics, for a while? Or should i "force" an English blend?

[dogsplayinpoker]

I wouldn't FORCE anything! If you feel like trying something new, try it. If you are content with a blend you have smoked, stay with it. Remember, this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby/

[dillonmcmurphy]

Originally Posted by dogsplayinpoker

I wouldn't FORCE anything! If you feel like trying something new, try it. If you are content with a blend you have smoked, stay with it. Remember, this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby/

I agree 100% with that. I just attained some English style blends and feel like I'm ready to move on to them instead of smoking aromatics all the time.

[Mister Moo]

I rarely met an aromatic I liked;
I rarely met an english blend I disliked.

Tastes vary and tastes often change over time. Smoke what you like and send the rest to a soldier in Iraq. FWIW, I think Squadron Leader is one of the acid test benchmark english blends in the universe of pipey filler. Almost anyone who likes english blends comes back to it once in a while. If a tin of that stuff won't float your boat... go on to another family of tobaccos and fergettabowdit - for a year or so.

[Vrbas]

Understood. I think i'll stick to smoking a few blends at a time, figure them out, finish them off, and move on to the next few. I'm in the distinguishing phase right now, I just want to make sure I understand all the tobacco I have on hand before I go trigger happy on another order. It's just really hard not to give in to the impulse of stocking up on as much as I can.

[uncballzer]

will try to post more later as this important enough to try from the phone. DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING. Youll find you will grow into blends.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I rarely met an aromatic I liked;
I rarely met an english blend I disliked.

Tastes vary and tastes often change over time. Smoke what you like and send the rest to a soldier in Iraq. FWIW, I think Squadron Leader is one of the acid test benchmark english blends in the universe of pipey filler. Almost anyone who likes english blends comes back to it once in a while. If a tin of that stuff won't float your boat... go on to another family of tobaccos and fergettabowdit - for a year or so.

I disagree with the Moo-man. SL never floated my boat. If you don't like it maybe try a heavier latakia blend. Lats almost always seem to appeal to new smokers because there's no trick to getting the flavor from them. For new guys finishing their aromatic infatuation I'd also suggest a list of tobaccos that smoke with ease, something a newb can appreciate the flavors of without coddling their smoking technique. Solani Silver Flake and Virginia Flake are dead on with this and they taste great too. MacBaren Scottish Blend is another that comes to mind as well as Sam Gawith Full Virginia Flake and Kendal Cream Flake. These are all easy to smoke and don't take much finesse to appreciate.

[Rolando]

You may never be ready for english blends. What you might want to try at some point is a tobacco that is described as an english-us blend or a crossover blend. But don't be in any hurry. There is a reason aromatics are so widely available.

[Doc Holiday]

[SIZE=3]I would have to repeat “do not force anything”, and do expect your tastes to change.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]When I first started smoking the pipe latakia was THE tobacco for me, I couldn’t get enough of it. Then, literally one day, I could not stand it. I still cant stand to smoke it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Don’t force yourself to like something, or smoke something, just keep trying different tobaccos. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]We all like different tobaccos at different times.[/SIZE]

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

These ... don't take much finesse to appreciate.

Gee. That sounds more like EvanS area of expertise than yours, Joe.










(Loving that mindless McConnell Red, by the way. )

[uncballzer]

As I was saying earlier, don't force trying to enjoy a blend. If you don't like it, don't smoke it. Stick with something you enjoy. All the blends you listed though, I've not heard of, so I probably can't give you much info. But if you like aromatics, stick with them, and once you get the flavors you want to taste, try moving on to other things. I get more out of english blends than anything else, so they work for me, but there's some older guys (ie more experienced pipers) on here that won't touch an english blend. So, smoke what you like, and as someone else said earlier, trade Larry's blend off to someone who may want to give it a try.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Gee. That sounds more like EvanS area of expertise than yours, Joe.










(Loving that mindless McConnell Red, by the way. )

So that's why Evan digs the burleys .............hmmmmmm. Maybe he should give that Red a try too. Its is pretty carefree

[Arizona]

Just pick the blend you enjoy the most and "study" it intensely with daily smoking... learning it inside and out. Skipping around too much confuses my palette so I smoke the same blend all the time. I havent smoked anything else in over a year now in fact and I'm still completely satisfied with it... In fact we're old friends you might say. I look forward to ever bowl and enjoy them all day in and day out.

[Sovereign]

The best thing to do is try a bunch of stuff. That's what I did (and still doing), and it didn't take long for me to realize I REALLY like Virginias, and don't really care for much englishes or aromatics. Variety is key.