Variety in English Blends.

Hello briar folk. It is awesome to be joining this community.
I recently got a Stanwell 32 along with some Lane 1Q, Sutliff Rum & Maple, Dunhill EMP, and Peter Stokkebye's Proper English. I tried a few bowls of the 1-Q on an Dr. Grabow Billiard I have and also on a MO Meerschaum Diplomat. I then did the same with the Sutliff tobacco, which I had to leave drying a bit because it was too moist. I have to say I didn't particularly care for either.

In between those, I broke out my new pipe with the EMP and I was really pleased with it, although I found it a bit light. A few days later I tried Peter Stokkebye's Proper English and I really believe it was my first "aha!" experience with a pipe. What a pleasant smoke! I'm not sure if it is a fair comparison, seeing that I'm smoking the English blends on a better pipe than the aromatics; but there is something about the peppery, leather-like, almost peaty qualities of the Latakia that I'm really liking.

I think I'm gonna go with english blends for a while, and maybe some day I'll try and find one or two aromatics that suit my taste.

I'm planning on ordering this week some Revelation (a match), Hearth & Home Ambassador's Blend, and tins of GL Pease Westminster, Lane Crown Achievement and Mac Baren Solent Mixture (to try out the Syrian Latakia). I have also on my to-try list Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader, H&H Blackhouse, H&H Magnum Opus, Capstan Gold Flake, and the rest of the Dunhills (My Mixture 965, Nightcap, London Mixture, etc.)

I know the term 'english blend' is really broad, that is why I want to begin sampling as eclectically as possible. Some of the tobacco I mentioned I'm gonna get is very different from one another, yet I know some blends may be a bit too similar, so I'd thank your recommendations into making my next purchase as varied as possible. Cheers!

Thank you guys, both for the welcome and the recommendations! I'll start reading up on the reviews, tweak the list and come back with any questions.

Hey guys. The order came in Friday. Most of your suggestions went into the to-try list and I'll be getting them little by little in the next few weeks. I'm also welcoming this nice Bjarne Viking Rhodesian into my rotation. I'll keep you posted as I try these tobaccos and get others. Thank you all.

Here's the latest TAD. I'm gonna try and smoke a couple of these (plus the ones in the previous pic I posted) before I decide to make the next order. I'm really grateful for the recommendations. For the next round I'm buying some Presbyterian Mixture; Frog Morton On The Town and Across The Pond; Balkan Sasieni; GL Pease's Meridian, Oddysey and Chelsea Morning; Nat Sherman Blend #536; Peterson Old Dublin; and some H&H Magnum Opus. I look forward to these next couple of months.

Oh, sorry about that. I know that Erinmore and PS Luxury Navy Flake are not English/Balkan. I just uploaded the picture of the whole order that arrived. Thanks for pointing it out.

Just popped open the tin of 3 Oaks Syrian. I let it rest a few minutes (it wasn't moist but a bit oily), boiled some Earl Gray and sat down in my terrace with a bottle of water also. My pipe lighter had run out of butane so I took with me the last box of matches I had. When I opened the box, JUST TWO MATCHES LEFT! Hahaha. Turns out it was all I needed (lucky as hell there was no breeze). Wow, what a pleasant smoke! Smooth all through the bowl. Tin/room note wise I certainly got the more wine-ish quality of the Syrian Latakia vis-à-vis the BBQ-ness of the Cyprian. Taste wise, it had a certain creamy etherealness, like my bowl was empty and I was just breathing air but that air had a pleasant taste to it. I also tasted some tanginess and sourness (not the "somethings gone bad" sour, I mean the "adding one or two olives to a stew" sour) that didn't dominate the smoke but faintly stayed in the background complementing it. I'll leave it in the tub for the rest of the week and then put it in a mason jar. If this is how it tastes fresh out the tin I can't wait to see how it develops with maturity.

I was 17 when the fire that destroyed most of the Syrian Latakia happened. When I started smoking pipes I read about it and though "well that must've sucked." After this smoke, I now GRIEVE for that Latakia in my bones. Thanks to Andy and papipeguy for the recommendation!