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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,865
29,755
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Handful.
Dunhill Nightcap Match
Artisan's Blend
GLP Cairo
GLP Meridian
Back Down South
Dunhill/Peterson Navy Roll
Funny Glp Cairo is great! But my first smoke was slightly disapointed. I liked it but didn't get anything extra special. And Back Down South was one of my bigger disapointments. I liked it but again nothing special. Just to restate it though Cairo is a current favorite and like every Glp blend one I save for when I really want to just enjoy a pipe and comb through all the nuances.
 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,144
6,990
Florida
Starting out, 9 yrs ago, I was just learning how to smoke and taste pipe tobacco. Once I discovered this forum and its overwhelmingly enabling membership, I began to try to find my way, as one does.
I think early on, and if I thought about it, still today would be great, SWR was my first love. However, I did a fairly comprehensive study of various codger blends and found them all to be just about as enjoyable as SWR, but none really impressed immediately.
The palate is learning to deal with its job and communicating what it can via your technique and components, to your brain.
I've enjoyed at least 20 to 40 tinned, or bagged blends, I've never really stopped to consider, so, that's a wag.
As to the question? An instant 'favorite'?
It would be when I first smoked Escudo. I don't think I'll have that first time delight again, but I would still enjoy smoking it if I couldn't mix my own very satisfactory VaPer's much more economically.
 
Dec 11, 2021
1,500
7,412
Fort Collins, CO
I don’t know if it’s going to be a “favorite”, but the first non-aro I ever tried was Country Squire’s Faulkner Flake. I ordered three ounces to stash away as I had plenty of open tins at the time, however, the folks at Country Squire, being awesome as they are, sent about 3.6 ounces. I couldn’t quite jam it all in my little half-pint jar, so I sampled what was left over.

Right away, I knew that Virginia tobacco was gonna be a favorite. I’ve tried several others since, and have enjoyed them all. I haven’t revisited the Faulkner Flakes since those first few bowls, so it may not be a “favorite” in the end, but it certainly sent me off down the Virginia/VaPer path with a bang!
 

Sobrbiker

Lifer
Jan 7, 2023
2,438
29,929
Casa Grande, AZ
I’m new enough that I’ve come across many that I thought “this is it” after one smoke, only to be not so enamored soon thereafter.
One thing interesting, being in the desert southwest I have seen quickly that blends and genres will be seasonal. The aros and heartier Balkan/English blend that were so good in cold and wet weather will probably be supplanted by Va flakes as the daytime lows go above 80*.
In a nutshell, Devil’s Holiday was an immediate hit with me, and I’m pretty sure 507C VaSlices will be a summer staple.
 

vosBghos

Lifer
May 7, 2022
1,540
3,395
Idaho
Some have had to grow on me Like Presbyterian and Pegasus once they did I was all in but the only one that I ever smoked just once and was like "OK I'm ordering a sleeve right now" was the first time I smoked Peterson Flake IDK I just love the stuff. I guess now that I look over this text I really need to crack open a tin of Three P's as I'm detecting a pattern...
 

Grangerous

Lifer
Dec 8, 2020
3,267
13,165
East Coast USA
Granger - Instant love of this.

Winchester - I Immediately knew. I ordered six pounds of Winchester. No kidding. It’s that good.

Pegasus I really liked and learned to love.

Crooner is also in this category.

As are many other blends that I care to revisit:

University Flake
Burley Flake #2
Old Joe Blue Label
Uhles 00 and to a lesser degree 300
 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,221
Austin, TX
The ones I tend to love right away, get boring really quick. Kind of like a pop song that has a good hook but after several listens I just can’t stand it anymore. My true loves are the blends that took awhile to really get to know and fully absorb. Some of them I really didn’t even like the first time around but after some time, little by little, they slowly reveal their true beauty, complexities and nuances, those are the keepers.
 
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