Enough Latakia... I can't get enough..

[lochinvar]

When I started on pipes, I soon wanted everything to be a 759 type Balkan. When a friend gave me my first bowl of Escudo, I complained because there was no Latakia. Today, most of the time I prefer Latakia to be a third player at the highest in any blend. I still like the occasional latakia punch, I quite enjoy Lancer's Slices, Star of the East and Commonwealth, but more often I smoke things like McConnell's Oriental or the McClelland Grand Orientals, with little to no latakia. I've found that very much latakia drowns all other flavor out for me, and I really prefer the Oriental and Virginia interplay, more than the smoked leaf.
All that said, if you want to try a good hefty latakia flake, Lancer's Slices is the cat's pajamas.

 

[stanlaurel]

Now that you have ordered such a large number of blends, it would be a good idea to stop ordering now, slow down and try them in a relaxed way to find out which ones you really like.

 

[oldreddog]

Old Ironsides is a great flake and worth trying.

 

[welsh1]

Is latika suitable for beginners?? Which one to try based in the UK

Thanks

 

[oldreddog]

Welsh1, I would say that latika is suitable for beginners as its flavor is very easy to discern.
I would recommend Petersons Old Dublin, Dunhill MM 965, or the truly excellent Squadron Leader by Sam Gwaith, all of which should be easily found in the UK.

 

[welsh1]

Thanks old Red dog I will try out one

Thanks

 

[shanelktown]

Yes I will say Latakia is an easy tobacco for a beginner to pick out. I would try the frog Morton series.

 

[freakiefrog]

Just as a note, C&D's - 5 O'clock Shadow doesn't have lat in it. It's a Va/Per with a little Dark Fired thrown in.

Right you are sir. Toss that one out. It's a really tasty smoke either way..

 

[allan]

Along with others mentioned, 4Noggins blend 'bald headed teacher' is an excellent burley with some lat added; although the reviews say light on the lat, I think it has more than described.
Pelican? Impossible to get.
For 2 minutes smoking pipes had it, and by the time Peck told me about it, gone!

 

[shanelktown]

I got my two pelican tins today.... Needless to say really good stuff I opened one and I put the other in the cellar.

 

[ericusrex]

Why not try 100 percent Latakia? I see the McClelland blending Latakia above but that's cyprian. I don't recommend that one straight up. But Syrian Latakia is much more enjoyable straight. Robert McConnell's Pure Latakia is completely Syrian Latakia. Surprised it hasn't been mentioned so far. If you don't like it straight up you can use it to juice up other blends.

 

[supdog]

You really should smoke some straight, it's good. One of my last orders contained 2ozs of blending latakia each fro McClelland, Sam Gawith, Gawith,Hoggarth,and Co, and Cornell & Diehl. Haven't tried them all yet, but what I have smoked was very enjoyable.