My Tobacco Smoking Rotation Strategy

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Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,605
66
Sarasota, FL
I smoke 5 to 7 bowls most every day. I have a reasonably well defined strategy for what I'm going to smoke and more important, the order I smoke in. I started this when I used to smoke the same amount of cigars each day.

I smoke in order of strength, milder to stronger. My first bowl of the day will be a milder, light Virginia such as Vauen No 14, Wessex Gold Virginia Flake or Gold Slice or Mac Baren Virginia Flake or Vanilla Roll Cake. Something light and sweet.

My second bowl will be a step up in strength, perhaps OGS, F&T CVP or MB HH Pure Virgina. Something along those lines. OGS is rather versatile, depending upon my mood, it is enjoyable just about anywhere in the rotation. My third bowl is generally a lighter brown Virginia such as Dunhill Virginia Flake, Aylesbury Classic Flake, F&T Special Brown Flake or SG BBF.

Fourth Bowl would be a fuller bodied brown Virginia such as Wessex Campaign DF, Astleys 44 or F&T Vintage. Fifth bowl would often be a Red Virginia, C&D Carolina Red Flake, McClelland 40th or SG FVF.

Sixth and seventh bowls are something stronger and fuller, at least to me. Maybe a VaPer such as SG SJF or a VaOr, VaBur or VaOrBur such as Eight States, MB Stockton, London Burley, Sunday Picnic, Sun Bear, ODF, Ascanian No 1 or something along those lines. Some days, those are my fifth and sixth bowls.

I usually keep two tins or jars of each type open and smoke through those before moving another into the smoking rotation. I also open a tin or two of each type to breathe and dry out a bit for two or three weeks as I smoke through the ones in the active rotation. Right now, open in my smoking rotation are Wessex Gold Slice, Vauen No 14, OGS, Aylesbury Classic Flake, Wessex Campaign DF, Carolina RVF, McClelland 40th, HU Dockworker, Sun Bear, SG FVF and SJF and Stockton. The past couple of days, I finished up tins of Wessex RVF and Eight States.

I've found this works well for me and it makes choosing what tobacco I reach for quite simple.
 
Jun 9, 2018
4,012
12,928
England
I smoke 5 to 7 bowls most every day. I have a reasonably well defined strategy for what I'm going to smoke and more important, the order I smoke in. I started this when I used to smoke the same amount of cigars each day.

I smoke in order of strength, milder to stronger. My first bowl of the day will be a milder, light Virginia such as Vauen No 14, Wessex Gold Virginia Flake or Gold Slice or Mac Baren Virginia Flake or Vanilla Roll Cake. Something light and sweet.

My second bowl will be a step up in strength, perhaps OGS, F&T CVP or MB HH Pure Virgina. Something along those lines. OGS is rather versatile, depending upon my mood, it is enjoyable just about anywhere in the rotation. My third bowl is generally a lighter brown Virginia such as Dunhill Virginia Flake, Aylesbury Classic Flake, F&T Special Brown Flake or SG BBF.

Fourth Bowl would be a fuller bodied brown Virginia such as Wessex Campaign DF, Astleys 44 or F&T Vintage. Fifth bowl would often be a Red Virginia, C&D Carolina Red Flake, McClelland 40th or SG FVF.

Sixth and seventh bowls are something stronger and fuller, at least to me. Maybe a VaPer such as SG SJF or a VaOr, VaBur or VaOrBur such as Eight States, MB Stockton, London Burley, Sunday Picnic, Sun Bear, ODF, Ascanian No 1 or something along those lines. Some days, those are my fifth and sixth bowls.

I usually keep two tins or jars of each type open and smoke through those before moving another into the smoking rotation. I also open a tin or two of each type to breathe and dry out a bit for two or three weeks as I smoke through the ones in the active rotation. Right now, open in my smoking rotation are Wessex Gold Slice, Vauen No 14, OGS, Aylesbury Classic Flake, Wessex Campaign DF, Carolina RVF, McClelland 40th, HU Dockworker, Sun Bear, SG FVF and SJF and Stockton. The past couple of days, I finished up tins of Wessex RVF and Eight States.

I've found this works well for me and it makes choosing what tobacco I reach for quite simple.
Starting with milder tobaccos then gradually smoking fuller blends as the day goes on is a good idea. I do the same thing with coffee. If I drink something milder after having stronger coffee beforehand it simply doesn't have any flavour.
 
C

Corcoran-Rooney

Guest
I smoke 5 to 7 bowls most every day. I have a reasonably well defined strategy for what I'm going to smoke and more important, the order I smoke in. I started this when I used to smoke the same amount of cigars each day.

I smoke in order of strength, milder to stronger. My first bowl of the day will be a milder, light Virginia such as Vauen No 14, Wessex Gold Virginia Flake or Gold Slice or Mac Baren Virginia Flake or Vanilla Roll Cake. Something light and sweet.

My second bowl will be a step up in strength, perhaps OGS, F&T CVP or MB HH Pure Virgina. Something along those lines. OGS is rather versatile, depending upon my mood, it is enjoyable just about anywhere in the rotation. My third bowl is generally a lighter brown Virginia such as Dunhill Virginia Flake, Aylesbury Classic Flake, F&T Special Brown Flake or SG BBF.

Fourth Bowl would be a fuller bodied brown Virginia such as Wessex Campaign DF, Astleys 44 or F&T Vintage. Fifth bowl would often be a Red Virginia, C&D Carolina Red Flake, McClelland 40th or SG FVF.

Sixth and seventh bowls are something stronger and fuller, at least to me. Maybe a VaPer such as SG SJF or a VaOr, VaBur or VaOrBur such as Eight States, MB Stockton, London Burley, Sunday Picnic, Sun Bear, ODF, Ascanian No 1 or something along those lines. Some days, those are my fifth and sixth bowls.

I usually keep two tins or jars of each type open and smoke through those before moving another into the smoking rotation. I also open a tin or two of each type to breathe and dry out a bit for two or three weeks as I smoke through the ones in the active rotation. Right now, open in my smoking rotation are Wessex Gold Slice, Vauen No 14, OGS, Aylesbury Classic Flake, Wessex Campaign DF, Carolina RVF, McClelland 40th, HU Dockworker, Sun Bear, SG FVF and SJF and Stockton. The past couple of days, I finished up tins of Wessex RVF and Eight States.

I've found this works well for me and it makes choosing what tobacco I reach for quite simple.As far as I can see

I smoke 5 to 7 bowls most every day. I have a reasonably well defined strategy for what I'm going to smoke and more important, the order I smoke in. I started this when I used to smoke the same amount of cigars each day.

I smoke in order of strength, milder to stronger. My first bowl of the day will be a milder, light Virginia such as Vauen No 14, Wessex Gold Virginia Flake or Gold Slice or Mac Baren Virginia Flake or Vanilla Roll Cake. Something light and sweet.

My second bowl will be a step up in strength, perhaps OGS, F&T CVP or MB HH Pure Virgina. Something along those lines. OGS is rather versatile, depending upon my mood, it is enjoyable just about anywhere in the rotation. My third bowl is generally a lighter brown Virginia such as Dunhill Virginia Flake, Aylesbury Classic Flake, F&T Special Brown Flake or SG BBF.

Fourth Bowl would be a fuller bodied brown Virginia such as Wessex Campaign DF, Astleys 44 or F&T Vintage. Fifth bowl would often be a Red Virginia, C&D Carolina Red Flake, McClelland 40th or SG FVF.

Sixth and seventh bowls are something stronger and fuller, at least to me. Maybe a VaPer such as SG SJF or a VaOr, VaBur or VaOrBur such as Eight States, MB Stockton, London Burley, Sunday Picnic, Sun Bear, ODF, Ascanian No 1 or something along those lines. Some days, those are my fifth and sixth bowls.

I usually keep two tins or jars of each type open and smoke through those before moving another into the smoking rotation. I also open a tin or two of each type to breathe and dry out a bit for two or three weeks as I smoke through the ones in the active rotation. Right now, open in my smoking rotation are Wessex Gold Slice, Vauen No 14, OGS, Aylesbury Classic Flake, Wessex Campaign DF, Carolina RVF, McClelland 40th, HU Dockworker, Sun Bear, SG FVF and SJF and Stockton. The past couple of days, I finished up tins of Wessex RVF and Eight States.

I've found this works well for me and it makes choosing what tobacco I reach for quite simple.
As far as I am aware, there are no English blends in there. Not a fan?
 

d4k23

Can't Leave
Mar 6, 2018
426
672
Texas
I trust your taste in tobacco it seems 9 out of 10 times! The one I am not a big fan of is OGS, seems like a brother to LTF and not my tea.

Where would you put Opening Night in those categories? I think it’s fuller but not quite as much as FVF or the Reds.
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,605
66
Sarasota, FL
I trust your taste in tobacco it seems 9 out of 10 times! The one I am not a big fan of is OGS, seems like a brother to LTF and not my tea.

Where would you put Opening Night in those categories? I think it’s fuller but not quite as much as FVF or the Reds.
I think Opening Night would fall into the third or fourth spot. It's not that full bodied but has enough of that codger edge flavor for Virginia it could fit into fourth. Good blend regardless.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
That's a thought out experience every day. It's the way wine tastings are usually arranged, with the milder wines at the beginning, proceeding to the fuller bodied, and finally to the most complex. Since I usually smoke a bowl a day, the selection is scattershot. I do go on trends, toward milder or fuller strength blends, and these usually last about a week.
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,756
30,562
71
Sydney, Australia
I usually smoke 2 bowls a day, max 3, on weekends and not before lunch, so I pretty much smoke what takes my fancy. Except if I pick out an aromatic blend - that's the last smoke of the day (dessert after the main course !)
 
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