English Blends

[eljimmy]

I started my Pipe journey not too long ago, I absolutely loved English blends in the beginning and now I can't stand smoking them. Heavy Latakia just isn't it for me anymore. I've read that it has happened to some on here and my question is, does the love come back?

 

[Grangerous]

For me it never did. MM965 was magic once. Today, I can’t tolerate Latakia except in the smallest doses. As in Presbyterian - it’s definitely there, but it weaves in and out. Even then, I need to really be in the mood for a Latakia blend.

 

[eljimmy]

For me it never did. MM965 was magic once. Today, I can’t tolerate Latakia except in the smallest doses. As in Presbyterian - it’s definitely there, but it weaves in and out. Even then, I need to really be in the mood for a Latakia blend.

I was on the same boat. I loved MM965 and the reason for this post is because I tried smoking some just now and I dumped it halfway. Just can’t do it.

 

[judcole]

The crucial question seems to be, "Is there a noob question book that they refer to before they post?" Some questions come up all the time.

I know I use some of the same answers all the time. Here we go again:
Pipe smoking is very much an individual thing. What happens for me might not happen for you.

I started smoking a pipe 50 years ago, in college. I had very little money, which meant I had one blend at a time, from the nearby drug store. My journey has been very different from yours.

 

[eljimmy]

The crucial question seems to be, "Is there a noob question book that they refer to before they post?" Some questions come up all the time.

I know I use some of the same answers all the time. Here we go again:
Pipe smoking is very much an individual thing. What happens for me might not happen for you.

I started smoking a pipe 50 years ago, in college. I had very little money, which meant I had one blend at a time, from the nearby drug store. My journey has been very different from yours.

I’m actually asking because I have read there is plenty of people that have gone through the same thing I am experiencing. I am simply asking if the love comes back. That question is for the smoker that has gone through this.

 

[JOHN72]

When I was a real ignoramus in this world of pipe tobacco. I started smoking English blends. I bought 90% and yet I was ignorant of the world of sweet Virginias. Ok, but I still smoke the English blends or latakia bombs, and I don't regret having these blends. And luckily I was able to buy some to keep in the cellar, thanks to the fact that some time ago I was able to buy from SP USA. I would give myself more time before getting rid of the English blends. Besides, you didn't make a bad investment either, you know. Tobacco is trading very well on the forums. But this is just a personal opinion.

 

[Peter Turbo]

I started a couple years ago heavy on the Latakia blends and then gravitated towards VAs and the like.

I still smoke both, I love that smokey flavor from Latakia its why I picked up pipe smoking to begin with. I like campfires and smokey scotch, it made sense.

The thing about English blends for me, at least the heavier ones, is that that smokey flavor sticks to my pallet for most of the day and while I dont mind it usually its not something I want all the time. So the frequency of my English blend smoking has gone down, as well as purchasing.

I find LJ Perettis Tashkent to be the perfect latakia blend for me. Maybe Margate too but its so much harder to get.

 

[Grangerous]

“I llove that smokey flavor from Latakia its why I picked up pipe smoking to begin with. I like campfires and smokey scotch, it made sense.

…while I dont mind it usually its not something I want all the time.”

THIS
While I can enjoy an occasional dram of Laphroaig or Lagavulin, it’s not something I would want often.

Too rich for me personally. But when first experienced, I was all in.

The balance, as in Latakia blends, differs by individual.

 

[mso489]

I like English blends, but I've never smoked them exclusively, so I've never burnt out on them. Lat and Perique have become almost default condiments much overused. I also smoke various burleys and burley-based blends, or blends with burley as a condiment, mostly non-aromatics, but some tobacco-forward aromatics too. If you smoke a lot of alternatives, you may well come back to enjoy English blends with Latakia from time to time. And it won't matter if you don't.

 

[Terry Lennox]

I have experienced this when I started out. Went through a long break from English blends and then came back to them after I discovered that what I really liked about them was the Oriental leaf rather than the Latakia bombs. I found more mild mixtures with just a bit a Lat worked well.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Lost my taste for them six or seven years ago and it hasn't come back yet. I did find more of an ability to taste Virginias and aromatics though and after finding love for straight oriental blends, I don't remember latakia blends being that interesting.

 

[ray47]

Over the past 10 yrs I've grown weary of blends containing Latakia. I've found however that I like Latakia in small amounts like what's represented in Lane's HGL, an aromatic and Edward G. Robinson. However, I do have Latakia based blends like Balkan Supreme, MM965, Squadron Leader and other similar blends in mason jars because you never know when the urge for such blends will rear its head again.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

God I hope I never lose love for latakia or english/balkan blends. I dont find the love for virginias that others do, I suspect because my taste buds are shot.

 

[--dante--]

I had a 'falling out' with latakia a few years back. Couldn't stand the slightest trace of the stuff in a blend. Then I decided to try Old Joe Krantz Red Label despite it having a bit of latakia as a condiment. I like the other Old Joe Krantz blends, and burley/va in general, so I thought I'd give it a try. After a while, I was occasionally craving it, and now I've gone so far as to be cellaring Ten Russians. I don't want it in every pipe, but I do want it often enough. The short answer is yes, the love _may_ come back.

 

[Chasing Embers]

God I hope I never lose love for latakia or english/balkan blends. I dont find the love for virginias that others do, I suspect because my taste buds are shot.

It can sometimes take years if at all.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I don't hate latakia I simply like Virginias a lot more. I'll do smoke an occasional English blend but not often.

 

[timelord]

I guess one question is how many pipes a day does the OP smoke and are they all the same blend?

I started with English blends and typical smoke 4 or 5 pipes a day but they are usually different blends and will include English, Oriental and other styles; even the odd aromatic. I typically have 4 or 5 tins of tobacco open at a time.

The only consistency at the moment is that my first pipe of the day is usually filled with Chelsea Morning and my last pipe of the day is usually filled with Key Largo (I say usually, probably 80% of the time, but occasionally I'll fancy something else).

I also love Laphroaig...

 

[bullet08]

Don't hate Latakia. But don't enjoy it like I used to. Never really smoke Lat blends exclusively. Always rotated around to prevent this situation. Still, don't enjoy Lat bomb at all.

 

[kcghost]

I loved English blends until I was about 65 and then all of a sudden I became a VaPer smoker. I guess my taste buds which loved Englishes just vanished. This is very common thing that happens to pipe smokers.

 

[Snow Hill]

I've found that latakia blends mellow quite a bit over the years. So what was once a big hit of creosote and/or burning brush, becomes a softer punch of smokey pine.