How Long Did It Take To Find Your Favourite Blend?

[frozenchurchwarden]

I just had an epiphany while reading the Tea thread.

I drink tea like most people smoke a pipe.
I found something I like (Earl Grey), and I drink that once or twice a day until it's all gone, then I go get more Early Grey. Also it's almost always the same brand, having found something that's better than most but still a decent price and sold in bulk.
This has been going on for years without giving it a second thought, and here I am getting all worked up about "maybe missing out on a couple of tobacco blends."

So unnecessary. It seems like I'm never satisfied with what I have just due to the possibility of there being something incrementally better.

However, even though I may have found SG St. James Flake very early on, not everyone is going to have that kind of luck.

Right now I'm thinking "surely after a few dozen blends (well researched mind you, not random), I should be confident of having sampled enough of the industry to know what is good".

But is that really enough?

And my supermarket blend Earl Grey is probably pretty average compared to what's out there. If I can do that with tea, surely some people will keep using their regular even after having tried something better.
Some questions for those who have been around a while.
How many blends did it take to find your regular blend?

How many blends did it take before you knew what you had was good?

If you developed a routine before exploring a wide variety of blends, did you keep using your routine favourite even after finding something better?

 

[oklansas]

I got lucky, in that my goto blend was discovered amongst my second tobacco purchase. Took me a few months to realize just how much I enjoyed it. Although, I don't think I can ever really say, "I found my one blend" - there are just so many tobaccos out there to try...

 

[natenice1]

I guess the adage "Smoke What You Like" goes right on here! I am 42 and stole gramps' cob with Liberty at 10. High school was Captain Gold and a broke college student Granger, Carter Hall and Half & Half. For years 1Q and BCA mixed. I moved from NY to Columbus last year, since returned to NY. In Columbus the wonderful B&M Smokers Haven sampled an array of blends some awesome some not. NY is home internet surfing I came across Pipeworks & Wilke in Dec ordered a sampler I was hooked Carole's blends are excellent mostly an aro smoker but some of her light English blends are wonderful too! I keep a regular rotation of my fav aro's and English on hand, a new member of a pipe club and will sample their new blends but nothing in three months has jumped at me! I smoke one tobbaconistas different blends. "Smoke What You Like!" ::

 

[simnettpratt]

Like beer, for me my favorite blend is the one I haven't had before. I started liking aros (RLP-6 and Shortcut to Mushrooms my favorites), got tired of the sweetness, and now like Englishes more. I'd have to say though, if I could only smoke one blend, it'd be the most excellent VaPer Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake.

 

[andystewart]

After 30+ years I haven't yet found my 'regular blend'. I have some tobaccos I currently love - Bombay Court, Chelsea Morning, Dunhill DNR, Capstan Blue - but there were any number that were in that category but have faded away. Sometimes it's boredom, other times lack of availability, but often because my tastes have literally changed. A major reason, however, is that there's so many blends and styles to try! Especially as the mass blenders are pumping out so many 'new' blends to capture a smidgen more of our limited market. (It will be interesting to see whether the full of C&D marques will diminish their sales or create more demand for the ones still available.)
I've currently stumbled into Burleys through Solani Aged Burley Flake and I'm looking forward to exploring that genre, but I don't expect I'll find The One for some time yet - if ever!
Andy

 

[ericthered]

I was both blessed and cursed to have found my current (I say current because I continue to look for new favorites) favorite blend, Mac Baren's HH Highland Blend, in my very first tobacco purchase. Blessed, because I was extremely fortunate to be able to smoke something I liked right away. Cursed, because Sutliff discontinued it soon after I discovered it! :crying:
Shameless begging: I know a lot of people get bit by Mac Baren blends. If that is you and you have some HH Highland that you don't know what to do with, I will gladly take it off your hands!

 

[gregprince]

When I started, fifty years ago in college, there were no tobacconists in the area. Flying Dutchman was available locally, as were the Sail and Amphora blends. In grad school I moved to the Columbus area and found the great old Smoker's Haven. There I tried a lot of great tobaccos, many of which are no longer available. I realized that, no matter what else I was smoking, there were a couple of Dunhill blends that I always kept on hand and returned to. They became my go to blends. When they were no longed available I went into mourning. Now, once again they are my go to's.

 

[papipeguy]

My favorite blend was Lane Ltd.'s Highland which was, sadly, discontinued sometime in the 1980's. So, the search goes on. I have many blends going right now and I enjoy many of them. I had "The One" and lost it and I doubt that I'll ever have just one blend that supplants the others in my rotation. That's not a bad thing as I'm still having fun trying new blends.

 

[gregprince]

Sorry, double post.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I don't ever want a goto blend. I smoked one brand of cigarettes for decades, and what I have come to love about the pipe, is continual exploration. The blend I have right now in this exact moment can be my favorite, just as whatever I will smoke next will be. For me, it's not about whether I like it more or less or even hate it, but about finding enjoyment in what I have. I don't want a blend that I can take advantage of, smoking without any attention or enjoyment to flavor. I want to find that something special in whatever is in my pipe at the moment.
I do have one blend that I have a special affection for, because it gave me that "aha" moment. But, that doesn't mean that I want to keep chasing that "aha" dragon like a coke fiend looking for that first high all over agin. Nope, I'm an adventurer who enjoys the romp of looking for the holy grail, only to find that the grail has been in my pipe all along. ::

 

[numbersix]

I found mine fairly early on. I wanted to start stocking up as quickly as possible, so I must have tried 50 blends in the first 6 mos (usually buying in small quantities) to find what I liked.
I also used TobaccoReviews.com to help figure which ones I should try.
I am also on a tight budget, so I gave many budget blends a try and found an aromatic that I really enjoyed and still do: Newminster's Danish Black. Has a good nic hit, not goopy, offers a nice flavor and aroma and it's very affordable.
To this day it is still my go-to blend, esp in the morning with coffee.

 

[decigar]

This is often why I won't participate in the smoking "hard to find blends" or trying something that has been discontinued.

This is something I have run across only on Pipe Forums and Pipe Club meetups. I am astonished how often I see this sentiment. This genuinely baffles me. I am responding not to criticize but hopefully get more of a clarification.
We dont do this in any other aspects of our lives:
Vacations - lets not go there, we might have too good of a time?

Restaurants - Lets not eat there, the food might be too good?

Movies - Lets not see that, we might enjoy it too much?

Kate Upton - Sorry Kate I do not want to have a 1 night stand with you since it might be too good?
On the contrary we all want the above experiences to be great. So why not pipe tobacco?
Even other hobbies like craft beer or cigars do not have this sentiment. When offered something rare or HTF almost always the answer is yes. Want a Cuban, hell yes. Want a beer, hell yes. The only issue would be cost in terms of accepting something free. Pipe tobacco is relatively cheap.
I feel Life is all about experiences. Hopefully more good than bad. I also feel pipe tobacco is seasonal or mood based. What am I in the mood for tonite? I dont think I will ever have a single favorite blend. But rather a fun game a few of my pipe friends play is what is ur top 3 Balkan blends right now? Top 5 Vas? etc And how is #1 diff from #2? Or course the list is always in flux and ever changing with the last bowl I had.
I know in the good ole days, a man had 1 pipe and 1 tobacco. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But as stated above, there are so many good tobaccos right now why not try them?
Hopefully some1 can shed some lite why this only happens with pipe tobacco.

 

[schaum]

I spent well over $500 on various tins and bulk tobaccos so probably around 100 different ones until I found "it", but that was before I joined a forum and could tap other peoples experiences.
Once I narrowed my search to Virginia tobacco it became easy to realize what I had picked as a favorite was good.

Probably 30 different taste tests to confirm my choice.
Once my routine pinpointed a better blend I still kept some other favorites in rotation. I'm a tobacco whore and no one blend can tie me down. Still looking for something better.

 

[decigar]

Ah its beginning to make sense to me now. It is a 2 part equation: Repeat and/or Replacement.
I guess for me, rare and HTF things and experiences never had the expectations of repeat or replacement.
For example if you let me take your Ferrari out for a spin, I dont expect to buy 1 myself or look for an alternative ie Corvette?
Or if gifted the a seat on the first commercial space flight, i would not expect to do that again or buy my own plane?
I still wouldn't pass on Kate Upton though =)
I guess pipe tobacco is relatively cheap and ubiquitous, therefore the expectations of repeat and replace doesn't seem all that out of line compared to my exaggerated examples above.
I do enjoy obsessing over tobaccos. There are things i want to try so I must hunt. I do enjoy the hunt. Sometimes a little too much.
I also like to see if I can find similar blends. But I don't have the urgency that you have.
Sparks - Thanks for clearing that up for me!

 

[mso489]

I enjoy the journey. I have a number of favorite blends, and they change over time. So in a sense,

finding my favorite blend is an ongoing experience. One fundamental blend for me is Dunhill MM 965,

but right now I'm off on an expanded exploration of burley-forward blends. I've always liked over-the-counter

burleys, but now I am enjoying Cornell & Diehl's impressive selection of burley blends, which are so artfully

done. When I started smoking, for several years, I enjoyed some of the Tinder Box house bulk tobaccos,

aromatics, like North Sea, which I think is Peter Stokkebye's Nougat. I didn't try around a lot; that was good

enough. I think this is a golden age for tobacco blending, and I'm enjoying it to the hilt, within my rather

moderate smoking routine.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I actually have a few favorites of two different genres... I was lucky enough to find Black House early on due to this forum and it seriously wowed me. And then there is Blue Mountain (Now called Balkan Blue but I prefer the old name lol) same genre but I love it for different reasons if that makes sense. Man that stuff is tasty! And then there is Lane BCA which I originally acquired as a Christmas present my brother in law picked up for me at a B&M that was calling it Mist. I loved it so much that for last Christmas he bought me a pound (WOOOHOOO!) And in the same genre, as aromatics because the two are totally different, is Rattray's Bagpipers Dream. I gotta tell you those are great. :D

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Lots of good posts, though I think I labelled the thread wrong.

What I'm looking for is more a realization of competency than a choice (suggestions are still welcome, of course).
So for people like Cosmic and Rsuninv, the question would be, "at what point could you define a blend?"

Taste is entirely relative, but eventually you're going to be able to recognise the characteristics of what you have, and not treat each now blend as a complete stranger.

 

[mcitinner1]

Three days, then a week, then 3 weeks, then a month or two, then a month, then a week again, then....
tinner ::

 

[phred]

Funny you should mention the tea analogy - I have a couple of favorites, and I keep a box or bag on hand at my work desk (Lapsang Souchon, Fast Break from Celestial Seasonings, Morning Thunder ditto, and a lovely white Jasmine tea that lets me get 3-4 cups off a single tablespoon of leaves...). My wife, on the other hand, collects like there's no tomorrow, and we have half a shelf in the pantry devoted to various teas, tisanes, and other herbal concoctions. Whenever she gives me grief about my tobacco collection, I have but to ask "so how many boxes of tea do you have downstairs?" :D
That said, I haven't really found a single go-to blend that I always feel like smoking yet. There are several that I like to have on hand - Black House, 1Q, Escudo, Luxury Bullseye Flake, and dang near anything with Latakia in it - but I suspect I'm going to be one of those guys with a 10-12 jar "current rotation" that involves 5-6 "regulars" and a selection of "what I'm trying next". I'm just now to the point of being able to pick out more of the subtleties of the blends I like after smoking for a year and a half, and that's really only among the Latakia blends and the Va/Pers - I have yet to really dig into straight Virginias or Oriental-forward blends, so I still have a lot of learning to do.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

at what point could you define a blend?

I had an epiphany moment with Astleys 109. I smoked it to death after I discovered it, and I found nuances of teas and herbs and dried fruit in the flavors. I then started adding things like perique and cigar to the Astleys and concentrated on what those did to the Virginias. Then after a few months of exploring Virginias of other blenders I could appreciate the differences. Astleys 109 is still a staple in my rotation, but I use it as a measuring stick for the other blends that I explore. I've broadened my scope, trying the latakias that I hated in the beginning, and now I am fairly open minded to all of the blends that I try. I am stepping out into a few burley blends, but they are a bit more trying to my palate, because I really enjoy the sweetness of the Virginia. But, I now realize that when I don't like something that it is more about me adjusting and less that the blend is just bad... except for the flavored blends like Lakelands and such. I have yet to really be able to appreciate those. But, who knows, maybe one day, ha ha. Hopefully a long time from now ::
Is that what you were looking for? That's how it worked for me, YMMV.