Aro's to English... How did it happen?

[fireman03]

As an avid cigar smoker and newbie pipe smoker, I am starting to get bored with the aromatics. When I first tried English, I was like "what is this crap". The Latakia flavor was very strange to me. Know, I find myself craving them. I love the complexity of the English blends. The Aro's are so one deminsional. Anyone else have a similar transformation?

 

[baronsamedi]

The seduction of Lady Lat. Welcome to the dark side!

 

[judcole]

That's very common. Moving from aros to latakia blends, which are more complex, as a rule; then later acquiring a taste for virginias, which are frequently quite subtle, as opposed to in your face lat blends. Doesn't work this way for everyone, but it is quite a common progression.

 

[kasbah]

Other than my earliest venture into pipe smoking (OTC goopy blends) my first real smoke was MC Syrian Full Balkan. What drew me to it was the fact I'm Syrian and not only have I visited a tobacco farm in the outskirts of Latakia, but my mom was born there. At first I was like "ughh, tastes like a campfire" but I really learned to love, and as you said, crave the taste. After that I started trying VAs and quality Aros, I guess I started in reverse :lol: That said, I really need to try more English blends.

 

[baronsamedi]

A lot of us will pick a tobacco for the weather and time of year. On a cool fall day, nothing beats Latakia. On a summer morning a VaPer with some coffee hits the spot.

 

[ghost]

Personally I haven't gotten bored with aromatics at all, I still prefer them, but recently I've made a big effort to branch out into non-aros with varying results. Some I like better than others, and I do enjoy how much easier they are to smoke. I agree with you on the 'complexity' involved.
There is one lat blend in particular, a balkan, that I've grown very fond of recently. It hasn't made me want to bypass aromatics altogether, but I love it when the mood dictates I have it. In musical terms, it's the Napalm Death of my tobacco collection.

 

[fireman03]

Napalm Death??? Thats how my tongue felt the first month of pipe smoking. :rofl:

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I'm still big on aros. I've tried a few Latakia blends like Old Dublin and Plumcake, which as a bit of a rum flavoring, but I still haven't learned a love for Lady Latakia. I did get a good sample of an English blend at the West Coast show though which I will give a go. For those of you who haven't gotten into English blends don't get frustrated. A number of guys I've met here and at local pipe club meetings have said they didn't get into Latakia/English blends until after smoking for a good ten years or more.

 

[daytonsean]

I was the same way when I started smoking. I had some Devil's Holiday and a little CBW that was given to me. Smoked that way for quite a while before I got into some house blend english. Now my main smokes are Frog Mortons, Old Dublin, EMP, and Blue Mountain. Not much into the Virginia's yet. I like them but I honestly don't have the money for a dedicated VA pipe. The red's that I've smoked get lost in my english pipes, and I haven't had that good subtle flavor from them yet.
I still enjoy Blue Note; Altadis only, not big on the Dan's.

 

[weezell]

baronsamedi
Black House Whore

Yes Master,I hear you... Welcome to the dark side!

 

[profpar]

When I first started with the pipe many years ago, all I ever really new about was areos. They always smelled good, but seldom had the matching tast, and were annoyingly wet. Fast forward to a year or so ago, I started trying some virginia's (some with perique) which were much better. During our first NE Georgia pipe club meeting I got a chance to sample some English.

The experience was likened to when I discovered imported ales and stouts. (Hence forward I could never go back to the domestics I had previously consumed). After that first encounter with English, I have been consistently in that arena. The complexity of flavors, the addition of latakia into the mix was wonderful.

 

[juvat270]

Aromatics attract people to the pipe. English blends make them stay. ::

 

[baronsamedi]

:rofl: @ weezell
If you are looking for a new aro, try these- http://pipesandcigars.com/brblpex.html I got the Bull Run which is a vanilla flavor and it's pretty tasty and the tobacco quality is what you'd expect from a P&C blend. I'd snag a tin of that before smoking CBW if I had the choice.

 

[smokey422]

I'm an eclectic pipe smoker. I started out with Carter Hall burley, smoked it for many years, and then, through the late Bob Runowski, discovered premium burleys like Morley's Best. Craig Tarler got me into lats when I placed an order and later I tried VA/Pers. Through all this time I had aromatic blends I liked, particularly when I discovered Boswell blends (also their GREAT English, Northwoods). I would be very unhappy if I was restricted to only one type of tobacco.
Smokey

 

[fireman03]

I definitely love variety, but find myself "craving" the English right now. As a cigar smoker, it kind of reminds me of being out in public somewhere and you catch a whiff of somebody smoking a good cigar. Puts me into full blown addict mode! :lol: The thought of English does the same.
It still strange that just a few weeks ago the English blends reminded me of car tires (or beef jerky to the fiancée). At the time, I couldn't figure out the appeal.

 

[hawk60ce]

I went aro to VA to English. Still smoke all 3 but VA's are my favorite. VA's with a slight hint of some black cavendish are the best. Probably classified as an aro by most though. I wish I had started out with more of a VA blend than cavendish and burley blends. I think I would've enjoyed it much more.

 

[hawk60ce]

Double post. Damn smartphone.

 

[cortezattic]

If you're into quality aromatics, yet crave a little Latakia, try Two Friends' Valle Crucis.

The best I can describe it is "Haddo's Delight with Latakia." Pease's creativity with Tarler's quality leaf.

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Woo-hoo! This is post #5000! (Where's my Beanie?!)

...and what a way to celebrate! My cartoon contest prize Sebastian Beo pipe is due in today! :clap:

 

[cigrmaster]

I began with English blends and really enjoyed them in the beginning, but once I began smoking va and vaper flakes, I have not looked back. Many people start with one type and then gravitate to another. Luckily we all have different tastes because if we all liked the same things, it would be a bitch getting our favorites.

 

[kris]

I like them all, depending on which mood I'm in...