How Many Blends In Your Rotation

[Grangerous]

I can tell you the day of the week by what I’ve smoked on the morning before. Being retired, it’s one of the main ways my brain knows...

I have about two dozen to choose from but 3-5 that I’m sure to smoke each and every week.

 

[FurCoat]

I have 24 blends in rotation which are my 2oz perserve jars out of 118 different blends on hand. The rest are in tins and quart jars.

 

[tschiraldi]

I have 3 or 4 favorites, but am constantly looking for a 5th. I usually have 2 tons of my regular blends open and 1 ton of something new to try.

 

[beezer]

My entire cellar is in play as far as my rotation goes, so I'd say maybe 100+ blends. When I feel like a pipe I never know what I might reach for. I might have my mind on one jar and decide I'll crack an unopened tin instead. I might have my heart set on a 5 year old blend and go for the blend I bought last week.

 

[dcicero]

I have 3 or 4 favorites, but am constantly looking for a 5th. I usually have 2 tons of my regular blends open and 1 ton of something new to try.

I feel like this model would fit me well. Right now I've got a few that I know I like...and some I think I like at first then they have no staying power.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I have about 80 jars that I consider “open,” and I’ll just smoke from whatever strikes me at the moment. I do have some blends that are favorites that I’ve started trying to focus on cellaring deep, and some that are put away with the intent of aging, but mostly it’s a free-for-all among those “open” jars.

 

[jvnshr]

When I started smoking a pipe I went for the variety, I have always been a curious person. I was getting a tin/pouch/sample of a blend, trying it and jumping to another one. I had so many open tins/samples that it was even impossible to go through them with the rate I was smoking (1-2 bowls a day). When I realized that it won't take me anywhere, I came up with a system. At any given time I have one, max. two open tins from each genre. For example, at the moment the blends I am smoking are:

1. VaPer - Scotty's VR Blend by P&C
2. American - C&D Bayou Night (something with Latakia)
3. Aromatic - Tewksbury Hobbit's Weed Match by 4noggins; Rattray's Buckingham
4. Virginia based - Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake
5. Burley based - Five Brothers
6. VaBur - Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation 1931, War Horse Green

When I finish the pouch of Five Brothers for instance, that spot is going to be filled by C&D Burley Flake #3.

My problem is I am realizing that I have too many blends with Latakia, I don't smoke them that much.

 

[lelik]

Only two for now : Peterson's Perfect Plug and Gawith Hoggarth & Co. Dark Plug.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

20 ish

 

[mso489]

About twenty, but probably more honestly, indeterminate. I have small samples from Forums members, and a dozen jars, tubs and tins, I regularly visit, and others I delve into only from time to time. Some sealed tins and tubs are "aging," as are several jars I don't open and close. But for regular use, about twenty is a good guess.

 

[kcghost]

I have a mere three in my rotation.

 

[Worknman]

I have about 50 or 60 jarred up that I randomly select from.

 

[pip01]

I have a dozen or so I typically pull from that change with the seasons and another dozen or so I take from when ever the mood hits me (mostly Lakelands and other hard to finds)

 

[bullet08]

7 that I smoke, and 2 aromatics that I haven't touched in few years.

 

[mordy18]

48 at last count, in mason jars. Wouldn’t call it a rotation - I just take from whatever jar strikes at the moment. Kind of ridiculous frankly. But curiosity regularly got the best of me and I dont’ smoke more than one or two bowls a day, so the open jars just piled up.

 

[Grangerous]

I am fast becoming a one blend smoker. Almost every time I’m smoking something else, my brain is comparing it to Granger and I will inevitably light up a bowl of Granger immediately thereafter and I lament that I would’ve enjoyed my morning smoke more if I’d have gone with Granger.

But I have four in my rotation.

Pegasus, Carter Hall, Prince Albert and Granger.

 

[dcicero]

I am fast becoming a one blend smoker. Almost every time I’m smoking something else, my brain is comparing it to Granger and I will inevitably light up a bowl of Granger immediately thereafter and I lament that I would’ve enjoyed my morning smoke more if I’d have gone with Granger.

But I have four in my rotation.

Pegasus, Carter Hall, Prince Albert and Granger.

I felt this way years ago when I would smoke cigars infrequently. I knew I liked Padron 5k. But each time I smoked a cigar I'd try something new, and was ultimately unhappy. Eventually I just smoked my padrons and didn't care about trying anything else. Same thing is happening now with blends. I get sucked into trying new blends all the time, but really I know what I like. So why not just smoke those few more? Also, the more I like the harder it is to choose one, for me, when I want to smoke. Right now I'm working on 3 groups - latakia, va, and vabur. And then have 1 maybe 2 opened in each category and thats it.

 

[musicman]

I have a lot of "open" jars. I have a somewhat serious case of pipe ADHD, and when you combine that with the fact that I bought a lot of bulk when I was first getting into pipes, that means a lot of open blends. I do sample widely, though, and if I have anything that could be called a "rotation," it's probably at least 25-30 blends. There are definitely a few that get more attention than others, though.

 

[Elric]

That’s almost exactly where I’m at. I have a shit ton of what I like and I mix it up just enough.

+1 to this approach.

 

[Grangerous]

I felt this way years ago when I would smoke cigars infrequently. I knew I liked Padron 5k. But each time I smoked a cigar I'd try something new, and was ultimately unhappy. Eventually I just smoked my padrons and didn't care about trying anything else. Same thing is happening now with blends. I get sucked into trying new blends all the time, but really I know what I like. So why not just smoke those few more? Also, the more I like the harder it is to choose one, for me, when I want to smoke. Right now I'm working on 3 groups - latakia, va, and vabur. And then have 1 maybe 2 opened in each category and thats it.

Dcicero said, “Right now I'm working on 3 groups - latakia, va, and vabur”

Dcicero,
I get it. Buying/trying new blends is exciting. I love reading reviews and then want to try them.

But whereas you have identified three avenues to explore, I am coming to realize that I have but ONE and I’ve already thoroughly explored it, Burley/Burley Blends.

I’ve tried many CD blends, HB, BNB. OJK of which Pegasus is as close to home plate for me. But it’s not leading the way. Instead, it’s a small (and shrinking) handful of the American Classic OTC’s that really do it for me. SWR, CH, PA, Granger.

But it’s narrowing down to the point where I could happily smoke Granger every day and be content. It is essentially, what I do now, no matter how I try to fight it.

I am become, a Codger.