Dir Sirs and Ladies,
(Post-pre-note, sorry for the length of the post.)
I am a newbie here, and I seek guidance. I have been smoking a pipe for a little while, picking it up again after some years away from tobacco. In the time since I have taken to it again, I have been fortunate enough to receive a little guidance in the matters of good tobaccos. The pleasures and nuances of the smoke are not alien to me at all, however, the immense options for next choice tobaccos to try appear as a grand abyss, the center of which is found a black hole asking only to be blindly fed my dollars.
I have taken well to a few tobaccos, and I will attempt to describe what it is I like about them, so I might receive the best feed back. I have tried a few genuine aros, and really seek no other exploration there. I enjoy Mac Baren's Navy Flake for its mild spice, strength, mild sweetness, and the general purity of its experience. I enjoy Pete's University Flake for the same reasons, though it is a less sweet, and it is gamesome toy for me in its overall nicotine strength--not one to reach for every day, but when the mood hits, it scratches a certain kind of itch. Both of these satisfy something of the child in me that is reminded of sneaking a sniff of chewing tobacco.
I have tried MB's Vanilla Flake, which will remain a go to. It is delicious and easy in every way imaginable. Other light (semi-aros ???) of this sort, I would love to have recommendations on what other dryer, light aros (flakes too) to try. I tried Firedance Flake, and it was too wet and did not impart that true tobacco flavor I found Mac Baren merges so well with topping in Vanilla Flake.
I have also tried Penzance, Dunhill 965 and Pete's Old Dublin. I very much enjoy Penzance and have cellared quite a bit (some years worth). And while my expectations for 965 and OD were high, their tin note and over all smell were overbearing. I could not stand to be in the room with an open tin of either (even parting from them, I had difficulty escaping their phantom), though the smoke they gave, flavor, etc..., though potent, were pleasant enough. I will not be looking for more of these two for that sole (however superficial) aesthetic experience of tin note.
Here, I find myself between a rock and a hard place as my inexperience shows through. I want to try other baccos, but worry about such an experience. So far I have singled out a few I think I might like to try, adhering to the understanding I have from the above experiences. They are Pirate Kake, Frog Morton Blends, Three Oaks Syrian, Tree Blend, Gold Bar, Pirate Kake, Lancer Slices, Black House, Squadron Leader, St. Ives, Solani Black & White... to name a few.
I know it seems I've just listed off what I "want to try," but I worry I may have the same subjectively bad experience as I had with 965, Ol' Dublin and Firedance; thus, I seek guidance.
Any suggestions, I would love to have. I am looking to fill out my smoking experience, not replicate by seeking similar baccos. MB Van Flake is Mb Van Flake, and Penzance is Penzance.
I am looking for opinions based on what I have described above. If you think something might have a tin note like Ol' Dub or 965, or an irksome wetness with little reward for effort such as Firedance, I'd be happy to hear.
Let opinion rain down. I know my experience is subjective. I'm looking for doctor's orders based on the opinion-based appearance of my situation.
Thanks!
