English Fatigue?

[larryspencer]

I too, have tired of English variants, after smoking them for years. Sometime back I started branching out toward Va/personal. I found, like many, that the taste of pure tobacco comes through, for me at least.

 

[tirefire]

Yep.

I get worn out from latakia every so often and have to take a break.

Yep, me too. Can't smoke latakia every day. I need to skip a day or two between smokes.

 

[snooppartlow08]

I have been smoking Englishes almost exclusively recently, but today I can't sense much else but ash. I can barely taste any Latakia.
Smoking Sutliff Vanilla Custard now in hopes to reset my palate and get a feel for English blends again.

Do you have to ditch your favorite blends for a while and reset your palate? How long does fatigue last for you?

same with any type tobacco with me i lose taste fot it smoking too much.

 

[Clip]

I actually started with codger blends! Velvet, Half & Half, and SWR (terrible vinegar taste!) were the first ones I had. But Englishes won me over pretty quickly.

So I’m not the only one who gets that super harsh vinegar taste from SWR? Are all the codgers like that?

 

[andrew]

In the beginning, latakia was my favourite, I find English blends very easy to smoke. I never hit a wall with it, i just discovered Virginia's. I prefer very light latakia now like early morning pipe.

 

[elvishrunes]

I am just returning to lat blends after about a 4 year break. Not sure if that is typical, but that's my scenario

Quite common. I went aros, Lat for almost 10 yrs, quit, then Virginias, Kentucky, a mix,,, Now I enjoy most genres, a bit of each each month. Maybe 10% Lat blends now, Nightcap, all in or all out.

 

[antonine]

I'm (sorta) moving on from English blends because my dwindling cellar of Syrian latakia has forced me to... I occasionally enjoy a good blend with the Cyprian variety but, for the most part, it's really just not the same.

 

[ziv]

So I’m not the only one who gets that super harsh vinegar taste from SWR? Are all the codgers like that?

From my understanding, it's only SWR.

 

[samuelgawith01]

I have been smoking Englishes almost exclusively recently, but today I can't sense much else but ash. I can barely taste any Latakia.
Smoking Sutliff Vanilla Custard now in hopes to reset my palate and get a feel for English blends again.

Do you have to ditch your favorite blends for a while and reset your palate? How long does fatigue last for you?

Try to stop smoking for a week just to clear out all your faculties.I smoked various Latakia mixtures for 10 years straight and nothing else starting in '96,then one day,just like someone had closed a switch in my brain, I didn't want it, couldn't stand it,and didn't smoke it any more.This marked my transition over to the stronger VA/PER blends.A few years ago,I went back to it,but just a little bit,smoking only light to medium bodied lat mixtures once in a while.I still don't want the heavy stuff like capt earles and pirate cake.Hope this helps.

 

[irishearl]

It’s pretty typical to eventually burn out on Lat blends to some degree. Most folks just move on to VaPers or Burley blends. Some smoke Lat blends occasionally and others end up abandoning them pretty much entirely.

I still smoke Lat blends occasionally but now it’s maybe 10% of the rotation.

Smoke what you like. Taking a break for a few days or changing what you’re smoking usually refreshes the palate.

That's my experience. Smoked lat blends the first 10 years and then hit the lat wall and didn't want to touch then for the next 20 years. After that, desired smoking them rarely.

 

[First Sealord]

I have been smoking Englishes almost exclusively recently, but today I can't sense much else but ash. I can barely taste any Latakia.
Smoking Sutliff Vanilla Custard now in hopes to reset my palate and get a feel for English blends again.

Do you have to ditch your favorite blends for a while and reset your palate? How long does fatigue last for you?

This happened to me in the past. After noticing the cake in my pipes was getting fairly thick, I removed some and I could taste the tobacco once more.
How thick is the cake in your pipes? Often we don't think about removing cake, so it builds and when it becomes thick enough, you won't taste anything but ash and it doesn't matter what you pack your pipe with.
So, have a look and if it seems thick, remove some with a pipe knife, then give it a try.

 

[ziv]

This happened to me in the past. After noticing the cake in my pipes was getting fairly thick, I removed some and I could taste the tobacco once more.
How thick is the cake in your pipes? Often we don't think about removing cake, so it builds and when it becomes thick enough, you won't taste anything but ash and it doesn't matter what you pack your pipe with.
So, have a look and if it seems thick, remove some with a pipe knife, then give it a try.

That's a good point, thanks!

 

[khiddy]

I'm still very much in my Latakia-loving phase. Favorites currently include Balkan Sasieni, Peterson Nightcap, Captain Earle's Ten Russians, and C&D Mountain Camp. I just ordered some purportedly 60% Latakia WCC Ahab's Comfort along with my Rouxgaroux. The smell of Lat in the tin is just pleasant to me, and I find the smoke tasty and... comfortable. I enjoy straight Virginias and Orientals as well, but usually try to have at least one bowl of a Lat-heavy blend per day.

This week, with a work conference keeping me occupied sunup to well beyond sundown, I've not had time for a single pipe. But I'm really looking forward to having a few bowls tomorrow, including some Ten Russians, Sasieni, and Country Squire Faulkner Flake.

 

[Choatecav]

Smoked them nearly exclusively for two decades and suddenly Latakia was all I could taste in the blends. Presbyterian and Pirate Kake tastes exactly the same now.

CE, I know you said you smoked them for two decades, but how long has it been that you moved away from them?

 

[Chasing Embers]

CE, I know you said you smoked them for two decades, but how long has it been that you moved away from them?

Just over 10 years ago. 2013 was when I started branching out more to Virginias and Orientals.

 

[Choatecav]

Just over 10 years ago. 2013 was when I started branching out more to Virginias and Orientals.

And still you are burned out on them??

 

[Sig]

I actually started with codger blends! Velvet, Half & Half, and SWR (terrible vinegar taste!) were the first ones I had. But Englishes won me over pretty quickly.

Me too.
When I started piping I got a MM Legend cob and a pack of Carter Hall, Prince Albert and H&H.
This was from advice I got from a codger on a cigar forum I belonged to.
It was OK...but not great.
Then I joined Smokers Forum and had a box load of samples sent my way.
FVF, OGS, OJK, Vintage Syrian, Three Nuns, Bengal Slices......and THEN I got it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

And still you are burned out on them??

Oh yeah. Once I found out what Smyrna tastes like before being turned into Latakia it was game over. All i can taste in blends with Latakia is the Latakia unless it's very minute.

 

[BingBong]

I'm smoking Germain's Special Latakia Flake in a Peterson bent bulldog at the moment; no lat bomb, more virginia/oriental with lat in support. Even though I've kind of moved on into VaPers, I don't think I'll ever tire of this stuff now and again. Variety is the spice etc.

 

[sardonicus87]

As much as I love English blends, they can be quite rich in flavor, especially if you like heavier English blends.

I can get burnt out on any genre though if I smoke that genre too much... it's why I keep two of each (aro, va, burley, English) open at any one time so I can keep it mixed up.

Though, I can smoke a hell of a lot more burley before burning out than I can any other genre.

Treat English blends like they're decadent. You might like cake or pie, and a slice is great, but try to eat a whole one and it'll make you sick of it quick.