Beginning the Aromatic Journey

I started out with aros, and then once I began to "get" Vas, VaPers, and particularly English blends I went full goofball on them and didn't smoke an aro for months. When I went back to them they turned out to be a totally different experience than when I first started out. Much more pleasurable. I include them in a somewhat organized rotation now (VA, VAper, Va/Bur, Burley, lighter English, Heavier English, Aromatic, Gawith Rope/other beast, repeat). That usually takes about a month at my pace, haha, and the rules/rotation is often broken.
ANYHOW, there are just too many of the damn things out there and some of them sound absolutely refonkulous (like your aforementioned Sillem's) so it will be a slow process but eventually I'm sure I'll find the perfect pineapple banana cinnamon cream vanilla chocolate raspberry bourbon tonquin rose petal blend for me.
So far Nording Hunter's blend Labrador (unfortunately) is one of my faves, as well as a local blend by G&P Tobaccos called Stoney's Blend. Fan of Scotty's Trout Stream, Angler's Dream as well, and also Rattray's Bagpiper's Dream.
Mostly always smoked in Cobs, due to my fear of ghosts.

Hahaha, neither am I honestly if the briar is not one dedicated to specific blend types. With one exception, that being those on the upper end of the patented jaytex969 Lakeland Sauce Scale. They make me want to sleep with the lights on. The two lakeland pipes I use sit in a far corner with their heads turned toward the wall.

Don't punish those Lakeland pipes...they don't deserve to be treated that way...they served your function very well and should be at least taken to lunch for their efforts.

Don't punish those Lakeland pipes...they don't deserve to be treated that way...they served your function very well and should be at least taken to lunch for their efforts.

Click to expand...

I didn't put them there, they do it on their own. I put them back in the rotation every night before bed and in the morning they have migrated to one corner or another. *eerie horror movie music*

I enjoy my English's, Aro's, Virginia's, all at the proper time, proper mood and drink. The only constant is a good hot, fresh Cup of Joe. Must be hot enough to make your lip quiver though... :crying:

The only constant is a good hot, fresh Cup of Joe.

Click to expand...

My only regret about being a once a week smoker is that I rarely get to smoke early in the day. There are few things better in this world than a hot cup of delicious coffee and a bowl full of VA/VaPer or a Connecticut Cigar.

"Don't punish those Lakeland pipes...they don't deserve to be treated that way...they served your function very well and should be at least taken to lunch for their efforts.
I didn't put them there, they do it on their own. I put them back in the rotation every night before bed and in the morning they have migrated to one corner or another. *eerie horror movie music* "
Stranger things have happened..I bought a cd of Ky. fiddler music for a friend and now has disappeared (the cd, not the friend).

I was a pure English smoker. Then migrated to VaPers/Virginias. Then started picking up some aros that are very fruit flavored. I must say that I do enjoy them a lot.
As p40 mentioned. Everything has it's place and time. A big hot cup of joe seems like it's my most frequent companion with the pipe. Occasionally hot tea if I want to change things up a bit. Diet Coke/Pepsi on ice if it's brutally hot on the back porch.

Alaskanpiper, I too very much enjoy Labrador Blend. Even as an English smoker it is hard to beat it in the morning with a cup of coffee.

I seem to be more picky about aromatics, needing them to be tobacco forward, but having the flavoring give the tobaccos a distinct boost. I don't want the flavoring to be the main taste. When you find a few you really like, they provide nice variety in rotation. Some aros are just too mild, so neither the tobacco nor the flavoring gives much. Then again, mild tobaccos can be excellent, selectively.

I also started on aromatics and nearly quit. Most aros need to be smoked with a slow cadence and good overall technique. I’ve enjoyed a few aromatics lately and will continue the journey slowly.