Recommend me an English Blend

[gillywalker]

If anyone has paid attention to my previous posts you'll know I'm new to the realm of pipe smoking and I've been smoking a pipe for only about a week now. I have just been smoking a few aromatics through cobs and I want to work my way up to some English blends through a briar. I've inherited over a dozen briar pipes and some older Dunhill mixtures from my dad and it looks like, and this is just based on simple web searches, that most of these Dunhill blends my dad smoked have been canceled or changed?

I picked up a new briar online and I'm awaiting shipment, I also ordered some Altadadis Nightcap, but I may have made an uneducated purchase as to some of the reviews I'm reading claim this tobacco is nothing more than an aromatic.

Nightcap looks the most intriguing. Can anyone recommend anything similar that I can try through my new pipe before I deflower my dad's old pipes.

Here's some of the tins I found of his, can any recommendations be made based on these?

[drastic_quench]

Try a 2oz tin of GL Pease's Westminster. It's one of the best reviewed Englishes on tobaccoreviews, and I prefer it.

[tzilt]

Commonwealth by SG is pretty tasty.

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by gillywalker

If anyone has paid attention to my previous posts you'll know I'm new to the realm of pipe smoking and I've been smoking a pipe for only about a week now. I have just been smoking a few aromatics through cobs and I want to work my way up to some English blends through a briar. I've inherited over a dozen briar pipes and some older Dunhill mixtures from my dad and it looks like, and this is just based on simple web searches, that most of these Dunhill blends my dad smoked have been canceled or changed?

I picked up a new briar online and I'm awaiting shipment, I also ordered some Altadadis Nightcap, but I may have made an uneducated purchase as to some of the reviews I'm reading claim this tobacco is nothing more than an aromatic.

Nightcap looks the most intriguing. Can anyone recommend anything similar that I can try through my new pipe before I deflower my dad's old pipes.

Here's some of the tins I found of his, can any recommendations be made based on these?

Are these tins sealed? I never tried the Aperitif but Nightcap is fairly potent. Try the London Mixture first (unfortunate that he didn't have any Early Morning Pipe but with all this cool tobacco, you're the winner!) as it's easier on the palate. Still might be a bit much if you're not used to the taste of latakia.

The MacB's aren't English blend per se, if my recollection is correct. I think the burley is fairly aromatic. At any rate, I can't really recommend a light English because I prefer the heavier ones. Read the review on the previous posters rec and see what you think.

[JAX]

Originally Posted by tzilt

Commonwealth by SG is pretty tasty.

+1

Would also add:
SG Squadron Leader
Dunhill Nightcap

[Kayak_Rat]

Where did you find these tins?? They seem to have a decent amount of age on them. The Burley should have a nice berry floral taste to it.

[Alyks]

How's about McClelland's bulk #5110, and Samuel Gawith Perfection.

[The Pirate]

If you want to start on the lighter end of English blends, give Middleton's Walnut a try. It is available only in 10 oz tubs. There are many other fine choices available and I am sure some of the people here will list their favorites.
Ken

[Professor Mike]

You might try Esoterica Margate.

Mike

[Subotaj]

Try GL Pease and Hermit tobaccos, they are both have some very, very good English blends.

[smokinmojo]

Some people like to start with a crossover English Such as McClelland Frog Morton or Just For Him Shortcut to Mushroom..etc.

IMO Dunhill Aperitif would be a great intro to English blends. (good luck finding more of the old stuff.)

Smoke more of the blend(s) you start with and buy less. I think it helps with the learning curve and you just might end up with a companion blend for life.

[DubintheDam]

Solani's English Lux Mix or McConnells Scottish Blend, sweet, fruity and both good intro latakia's.

[Vrbas]

Larry's Blend from PipesandCigars is pretty decent as well. I'd vote for Nightcap just because all the positive things i've heard about it.

[gillywalker]

Wow, some really great recommendations here. Thanks.

GL Pease's Westminster and SG Squadron Leader sounded the most interesting so I headed out to the pipe shop after work this afternoon and they had neither, but they had 2 tins of the discontinued Nightcap so I grabbed one. I smoked a bowl of it in my cob that I've recently smoked 3 bowls of aromatics in, I know not proper, but I'm still hesitant to light up my dad's old briar pipes.

Holy crap! This is strong stuff, I'm not wiped out dizzy like I've read from some first time reviewers, but I've got quite a little buzz. Certainly, one bowl a day of this is enough for me. It took me about an hour to work my way through with about 5 relights. Very VERY enjoyable! I'll compare this experince to smoking a Cohiba compared to a Swisher Sweet.

Thanks again everyone!

[yellowgoat]

Maltese Falcon is my first love of English and stand by it.