Well I have quite a few to put on the list for future orders! I do really appreciate all of your suggestions and feedback.
Beginner Seeking Guidance on Tobaccos
- Thread starter Micklander
- Start date
You’re right, there are many tobaccos that add dimension to that blend and I shouldn’t discount the others. I already know that SG can be hard to find but I’ll keep an eye out for the balkan flake and snag one when I can!
Presbyterian is hard to beat. Just like experiencing, and not chasing flavor with a rapid cadence that will cause it to disappear…thats how I view the lat. Present and noticeable without wearing it out. Good luck and welcome!
Try Old Ironsides. Got steered towards it by Trever Talbert when he used to post about his favorite tobaccos. I find it can move towards one dimensional after time, but it's a fine dimension!
My personal opinion is that I consider Balkan Supreme to be a requirement for every pipe smokers cellar. It's not a lat bomb but still a rather quintessential blend.
I'm buying to cellar latakia forward blends currently because I think it will dry up soon or become very expensive. I don't know much about it though so there is that. I'm not worried about va or burs or most of it because we make that here.
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No. Nic bomb, though.
I do agree that you should try a whole range of latakia blends. I would second the Quiet Nights, Balkan Sasieni, and White Knight. I would also suggest Peterson Old Dublin and Standard. Enjoy.
As noted already, you may want to be careful going after the lat bombs right away. Not that you shouldn't, but if you seek out stronger and stronger latakia heavy blends and smoke only those, you may run the risk of "palette fatigue." You become used to them and then even the strongest heaviest lat blend is bland to you. Then what? I love them, (Ten Russians, Pirate Kake, etc.) but for me, they are not everyday smokes. I mix up my rotation so that everything kind of stays fresh and vibrant on my palette. I will smoke a Virginia one day, burley the next, maybe a lighter blend like Presbyterian the following and then on another light up a lat bomb. For me anyway, when I do get to Pirate Kake for example; it retains the flavor and "wallop" I am looking for.
Excellent suggestions already on blends. I however, thought I could offer a suggestion on approach.
Just an opinion as you had asked. Enjoy the adventure as you go!!!
Excellent suggestions already on blends. I however, thought I could offer a suggestion on approach.
Just an opinion as you had asked. Enjoy the adventure as you go!!!
I really appreciate your perspective and I think it’s a solid approach! Mixing things up should be easy as I have a variety on hand (although I did place an order last night for a couple more Englishes). I’ll have time to enjoy what I have now seeing as I’ve spent my tobacco budget for a solid few months! ?
Gawith Navy Flake is a favorite of mine, and GL Pease Quiet Nights of course. I also enjoy Night Watch from Capt Earles. I'm one of those ex-lovers of latakia. I smoked so much of it early on, and strong blends. Now I just don't care for it. But occasionally I enjoy a touch of it, and Navy Flake is perfect for that.
Hell, I have a whole English selection in my cellar that I don't smoke. I could send you samples. Pm if your interested.
Hell, I have a whole English selection in my cellar that I don't smoke. I could send you samples. Pm if your interested.
SO many good latakia heavy/forward blends: Gaslight, Quiet Nights, Father Dempsey, etc. But I would agree with the suggestions above because it's a mistake that I think I made myself, and that's now that you've got a real taste for latakia on your palate back off of the latakia and try some blends where it's only a condiment and you'll be able to pull out that flavor from among the other things going on, rather than it being the only thing going on. Morley's Best or something like it maybe. I'm sure others can give you much better suggestions.
Think of a lat bomb as a really great soloist. But a more balanced blend is like a hot little jazz combo featuring that soloist. Much more interesting to spend an hour with.
Think of a lat bomb as a really great soloist. But a more balanced blend is like a hot little jazz combo featuring that soloist. Much more interesting to spend an hour with.
Quiet nights here also.
Smoking heavy Latakia blends in the beginning can be nice because you get that flavor explosion.
The bad thing about it is that it kind of shuts down your palate to everything else.
I’ve done this back then, and while in the Latakia train, everything else I tried to smoke (burley, Virginia, aros..) seemed like hot air and tasteless.
Once I got rid of the “Latakia palate”, it all opened up and now I only search for blends that use the leaf in a minimal way.
Do it in your own time, it’s part of the fun.
And maybe try some blends with a lighter Latakia touch, maybe burley forward like C&D epiphany or 4noggins bald headed teacher and painter hills (revelation match).
Smoking heavy Latakia blends in the beginning can be nice because you get that flavor explosion.
The bad thing about it is that it kind of shuts down your palate to everything else.
I’ve done this back then, and while in the Latakia train, everything else I tried to smoke (burley, Virginia, aros..) seemed like hot air and tasteless.
Once I got rid of the “Latakia palate”, it all opened up and now I only search for blends that use the leaf in a minimal way.
Do it in your own time, it’s part of the fun.
And maybe try some blends with a lighter Latakia touch, maybe burley forward like C&D epiphany or 4noggins bald headed teacher and painter hills (revelation match).
As some have suggested, going for Lat heavy blends runs the risk of latakia burnout, which caught me pretty quick actually. All I can taste in a lat blend now is the lat, no matter how much or little is in it, and I can't stand the stuff. I've come to the conclusion that Latakia is basically an aromatic for people who don't want to smoke aromatics.
However, the best blends with it are the ones that use it very sparingly, and I'd say Sam Gawith's Skiff mixture is the best example if you can find some in the US.
However, the best blends with it are the ones that use it very sparingly, and I'd say Sam Gawith's Skiff mixture is the best example if you can find some in the US.
To everyone who suggested Quiet Nights, I thank you kindly. I received an order in the mail yesterday with a tin and I lit up my first bowl of it this morning. Wow, what a blend!
I am now pacing myself on the heavier blends and am breaking them up with my PS navy flake and cube cut, which I also thoroughly enjoy, and a tin of Tilbury that I managed to get my hands on by chance during the last tobaccopipes drop. (I also am jarring up a bit of that to save for a later date.) I really don’t want these lat blends to lose their magic!
I am now pacing myself on the heavier blends and am breaking them up with my PS navy flake and cube cut, which I also thoroughly enjoy, and a tin of Tilbury that I managed to get my hands on by chance during the last tobaccopipes drop. (I also am jarring up a bit of that to save for a later date.) I really don’t want these lat blends to lose their magic!
Yeah, it's best to get Latakia out of your system at the get go. Soon, they won't be as amazing as they were at start. I still love Lat, but at small dosage. I haven't heard GLP's Odyssey in awhile, but that's a good solid Lat blend.
Burley Breath makes a significant point.
Many smokers over-dose on heavy Latakia blends to a point where they're no longer able to enjoy the leaf - the same thing can happen with rich foods.
It's common practice in many food and confectionary makers to tell new employees to "eat as much as you want" because they know they'll gorge themselves to the point where they never want to eat the stuff again.
I'm no fan of Lat-bombs much preferring blends where it's used as a condiment.
Since I enjoy most genres it would be a shame were I ever turned off one from overdoing it.
If you can, you really should grab a tin of Eight State Burley. Other tinned recommendations are Capstan Blue Flake and Savinelli Brunello Flake. Once you can dedicate a cob, you should try St. Bruno.
I personally enjoy Pirate Kake. The little bit of burley makes a big difference; I find it much more satisfying than Star of the East Flake.
Other than that go crazy with 1 oz samples on smokingpipes of C&D and everything else.
I personally enjoy Pirate Kake. The little bit of burley makes a big difference; I find it much more satisfying than Star of the East Flake.
Other than that go crazy with 1 oz samples on smokingpipes of C&D and everything else.