Chevronpiper:
Your question is making me nostalgic for the old Tinder Box stores…where you could pretty much walk into any mall and sample a bowlful of one of their “house” blends. Because now…well, you could easily get several dozen recommendations for a light, “beginner’s” English blend here, which might not be much help at all.
Having said that: Arguably the most distinctive difference between English and aromatic blends is the presence of latakia in English blends. (They can also be much more flavorful than aromatics, since the focus is on the tobaccos and not on creating a pleasant aroma for passersby.)
At the risk of playing it really safe, I’d suggest maybe starting with Boswell’s “Mild English,” since you’ve enjoyed at least one other of their blends. Now, I will say that this is not what I would call a “standard” English—others here may argue with me—because it contains both burley and cavendish. So you’ll get to see how you feel about latakia, but it won’t give you the full English-tobacco experience, in my opinion. (FYI: I define a standard English as consisting of Virginia, orientals, and latakia. Period.)
OTOH, if you’re willing to purchase a tin, I don’t think you could go wrong with Peterson’s Standard Mixture. The name pretty much says it all. (It used to be sold as Dunhill’s Standard Mixture.) I would also recommend GL Pease’s Westminster, which is a full English; it might be a lot more than you’re looking for at the moment…or it might be life-changing.
I’m eager to see what others here recommend.
And, yes, welcome from a former Chicagolander (Downers Grove/Elgin) and current Michigander!
