English Never Grows Old

[madox07]

It has been 6 months since I have last smoked an English blend. During the summer I hardly smoked English blends anyway ... but this year was completely different. I guess with the pandemic and spending some time at home, I grew some odd sense of consideration for my wife, who always complained about the smell, or I just simply grew bored of it. It was about mid march when I smoked my last bowl of a Wild Atlantic by Peterson, and after that I didn't touch it ... in fact I began wondering what the heck am I going to do with all this balkan and english stash I have gathered over the years. I even thought that I reached that time when I would leave these types aside completely. I remember having a conversation with forum member Ashdigger who pointed out that after so many years of smoking english blends he just switched to Virginias and never looked back.

Today I got this urge for a classic English, lat heavy, plain old classic. I must admit that I did experiment with some Dan's Old Iron Side over the summer, and I found that to be more oriental and kentucky heavy than Latakia, which is only a starter that fades away after that ... besides a bit on the too heavy kentucky for my taste, so not an every day smoke. So I come home today and going through my cellar I find this old tin of Hearth and Home - Black House (I know, not that classic but lat heavy non the less ) . Oh BOY .... what a joy ride, this is the best English tobacco experience since Syrian Latakia Artisan's Blend by Ashton, and some more on top of that.

I wanted to share with you that I am cured. I am far from being done with English blends, and now that the cold air is slowly creeping in with the cold front this weekend, I think I may lock myself in my den, and won't come out even if the wife shouts "Fire" and calls the fire fighters.

 

[mso489]

Everyone is a little bit different, but I share some of your inclinations. I do love a good English, and what's good varies from time to time. English blends are better to me interspersed with other genres -- burley, Virginia, Oriental, Va/Per and select tobacco-forward aromatics. But when it is time for a good bowl of English blend, I couldn't be more pleased.

 

[bullet08]

I actually like English blend in summer. Somehow, English blend feels refreshing to me and gives feeling of being cooled down.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm different I guess. I mostly dislike Latakia equally in all seasons.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

Colder weather gives me a hankering for Latakia... I suppose colder air makes the smoke less flavorful?
I dunno... I only smoke outside.

I like VAs, VA/Pers and mild aros in the heat

 

[eugenepark]

I've been working through a tin of London Mixture and am just loving it.

 

[tomatamot]

I'm different I guess. Me too. I mostly like Latakia equally in all seasons.

And that’s, IMHO, my handicap, a poor nose.

p.s. but still a happy smoker.

 

[scloyd]

I mostly like Latakia equally in all seasons.

Same here. It's my blend type of choice almost ever time.

 

[irishearl]

Actually, for me latakia does occasionally get old. Over my decades of smoking I've gone through periods of loving it, hating it, and tolerating it. Now in a like to tolerate it phase. Once my lat blends are gone, plan on not ordering anymore for a while.

 

[Dimitri]

English blends are my go to for sure...
I have the odd aromatic and have recently discovered that I really like va/pers

But englishes are my baseline if you like, and rightly or wrongly I compare everything I smoke to them

Then again they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder!

 

[seanv]

Nothing like a good smoky English when the time is right. I don't smoke Latakia blends often but when I do I really enjoy it

 

[HitchensDog]

English blends work better for me when it gets cold. I only smoke a bowl a day and I'm usually all over the place with what I smoke, but on a chilly Autumn day, or Winter day I will reach for the occasional English blend and enjoy it.

 

[logs]

Today I got this urge for a classic English, lat heavy, plain old classic. I must admit that I did experiment with some Dan's Old Iron Side over the summer, and I found that to be more oriental and kentucky heavy than Latakia, which is only a starter that fades away after that ... besides a bit on the too heavy kentucky for my taste, so not an every day smoke. So I come home today and going through my cellar I find this old tin of Hearth and Home - Black House (I know, not that classic but lat heavy non the less ) . Oh BOY .... what a joy ride, this is the best English tobacco experience since Syrian Latakia Artisan's Blend by Ashton, and some more on top of that.

Nothing wrong with Black House. It's a really good Balkan to be sure.

If you're motivated, I'd suggest working your way through the GL Pease catalog. Nobody offers a wider range of excellent latakia blends with a remarkable variety of flavors and variations. Having Syrian out of the picture is a big loss but there's still quite a range to explore and Pease can take you there.

 

[HitchensDog]

Nothing wrong with Black House. It's a really good Balkan to be sure.

If you're motivated, I'd suggest working your way through the GL Pease catalog. Nobody offers a wider range of excellent latakia blends with a remarkable variety of flavors and variations. Having Syrian out of the picture is a big loss but there's still quite a range to explore and Pease can take you there.

My knowledge of English blends is limited, but I have to say G.L. Pease Kensington is one that I enjoy on occasion.

 

[Wellington]

I hear you, lat heavy almost all the time for me. The first lat blend i bought was almost 10 years ago when I had started getting into pipe smoking, it was a Brebbia Latakia blend, don't think they make it anymore. I lit it and was pretty much in shock, I was thinking 'what in the hell am I smoking?!', it wasn't love at first puff but it was really interesting. Put it away but I started remembering the taste and smell and was drawn to it, tried it again, after a couple bowls (after the first smoke it may have been months before that second try) I was like 'this is the best' and I've never looked back. It's been english blends ever since as well as some trusty OTC's. Once and a while I try a virginia forward non lat blend, but I just never had yet.

 

[mso489]

I want to make some sort of pun about English (blends) as a second language.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I remember having a conversation with forum member Ashdigger who pointed out that after so many years of smoking english blends he just switched to Virginias and never looked back.

That's mostly me. Latakia, especially in more than minuscule amounts destroys the enjoyment of smoking. It will overwhelm a blend that I'm smoking to a point that I can't taste the other components. It used to not be like that, but once it happened, it hasn't undone itself.

 

[anotherbob]

It has been 6 months since I have last smoked an English blend. During the summer I hardly smoked English blends anyway ... but this year was completely different. I guess with the pandemic and spending some time at home, I grew some odd sense of consideration for my wife, who always complained about the smell, or I just simply grew bored of it. It was about mid march when I smoked my last bowl of a Wild Atlantic by Peterson, and after that I didn't touch it ... in fact I began wondering what the heck am I going to do with all this balkan and english stash I have gathered over the years. I even thought that I reached that time when I would leave these types aside completely. I remember having a conversation with forum member Ashdigger who pointed out that after so many years of smoking english blends he just switched to Virginias and never looked back.

Today I got this urge for a classic English, lat heavy, plain old classic. I must admit that I did experiment with some Dan's Old Iron Side over the summer, and I found that to be more oriental and kentucky heavy than Latakia, which is only a starter that fades away after that ... besides a bit on the too heavy kentucky for my taste, so not an every day smoke. So I come home today and going through my cellar I find this old tin of Hearth and Home - Black House (I know, not that classic but lat heavy non the less ) . Oh BOY .... what a joy ride, this is the best English tobacco experience since Syrian Latakia Artisan's Blend by Ashton, and some more on top of that.

I wanted to share with you that I am cured. I am far from being done with English blends, and now that the cold air is slowly creeping in with the cold front this weekend, I think I may lock myself in my den, and won't come out even if the wife shouts "Fire" and calls the fire fighters.

yeah that's about where I'am at with English blends. Not into them all the time but when I get that itch it takes about week to fully scratch it and then I'll be a while before my next english jag.

 

[Ryszard]

I like Latakia when it is well-balanced with other components in a blend and mixed with thought. Some mixtures are being advertised as "contains 90% Latakia" and I just do not see how this could be such a positive attribute that I'd write it on a tin. In my experience, just throwing in a large quantity of something is usually not improving things.

I love myself a fine English or Balkan blend, but - as others have pointed out - at some point Latakia just mutes the other components, which might potentially make a mediocre blend really shine. Hence Latakia on its own does not really appeal to me all that much.

On some days I even get fed up with tasting it and just switch to other natural tobaccos specifically without any Latakia.

 

[virginialover]

Cold weather = Latakia for me but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy Germain's Special Latakia Flake on occasion in the Summer. I like Virginia, Va/Per, Kentucky, Latakia and Oriental, in that order but there's something special about a well made " English Mixture " like the old school Dunhills or the Samuel Gawiths and of course the plethora of G.L. Pease mixtures.