Latakia Burnout - How Long does it Last?

[alexnc]

Title edited: Capitalize important words. -jpm

Four years, for me, apparently. Swore it off and almost traded it all away several times. Happily now exploring my old jars. If you’re there too, hang on to those English and other lat blends. I thought I was done with latakia forever.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Good advice!

Please put your location in your Profile, as people are forgetful.
Why:
That will save questions in the future as to where you live when you later mention local stores, weather, tobacco prices, availability, regulations, location of photos, wildfires, air quality, etc. In many instances that saves time for those who read your posts. It cuts down on posts or PMs asking where you are.
How:
Under your avatar, (top right, left most of three symbols) you choose "Account Details", which brings up "My Account". "My Location" is halfway down. Whatever you're comfortable with- town, city, county, state. province, etc.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Funny story about Latakia, last night I ran the dryer and noticed a burn smell, like burnt wood. I got concerned until I realized there was and English blend in the overhead storage...LOL!!

 

[TheWhale13]

As with a lot of things, I find that my tastes change and evolve over time, of course. But I have periods that I just enjoy latakia and barely Va, and vice versa. I'm kinda glad I do, I enjoy the variation. Also, I've noticed that the seasons affect my moods and tobacco choices.

 

[fightnhampster]

Title edited: Capitalize important words. -jpm

Four years, for me, apparently. Swore it off and almost traded it all away several times. Happily now exploring my old jars. If you’re there too, hang on to those English and other lat blends. I thought I was done with latakia forever.

+1

 

[Merton]

I smoked English blends for years. Three or so years ago i began to have almost visceral revulsion at the smell of latakia in the tin, jar or unlit pipe. I did give some tins away but saved a few others and they went way back in the cellar. In the last few months i have included a tin of English blends in larger tobacco purchases. Just yesterday, with temps in the 30s and a bracing wind i opened a tin of Presbyterian which I have never previously tried and bought as it is not a Lat bomb. And, i liked it. Might smoke another bowl today. Unlikely for me that I will again become a predominantly English smoker, as i happily have moved on to the varied world of Virginias, but you can, it turns out, go home again for a visit.

 

[JohnClyde]

I went about three years without any and then out of nowhere came the pangs.

Chris @ Eldritch pipes in his videos makes a good distinction between sweet and savoury Englishs. Sweet I can cope with, savoury I've still rarely returned to.

 

[alexnc]

I smoked English blends for years. Three or so years ago i began to have almost visceral revulsion at the smell of latakia in the tin, jar or unlit pipe. I did give some tins away but saved a few others and they went way back in the cellar. In the last few months i have included a tin of English blends in larger tobacco purchases. Just yesterday, with temps in the 30s and a bracing wind i opened a tin of Presbyterian which I have never previously tried and bought as it is not a Lat bomb. And, i liked it. Might smoke another bowl today. Unlikely for me that I will again become a predominantly English smoker, as i happily have moved on to the varied world of Virginias, but you can, it turns out, go home again for a visit.

Actually it was trying Presbyterian that Jogged me into opening that jar of Balkan!

 

[mso489]

I think because I have always been a burley smoker too, Latakia has never worn thin with me. I'm not that aware of it, and I just expect it with most English blends, and I always smoke them in alternation with burley and burley based blends, and some oriental and Virginias and Va/Pers. I just like variety, but it also keeps any one genre or condiment from becoming tiresome. I do occasionally carp about Latakia and Perique being overused in English blends. I love 'em both, but sometimes they just seem like a blending default. When they're used well, they are exciting.

 

[cfreud]

Yeah, four years or so for me, too. I'm turning 50 next month and had smoked and stored a ton of English/Balkan/Latakia, having bought during The Great Deeming Panic of the 2010s. When I switched over to Virginias, Vapers, Vaburs and Vaperburs during the last four years, I was so pissed that I had two big tubs of English, probably in the neighborhood of 25-30 lbs. About three months ago, my body just desired Englishes again. And so I have a stunning collection of aged tobacco. I am enjoying the hell out of everything.

The moral of the story. Keep your tins. Either your tastes change again and you have tobacco or you probably have a nice stash to sell to Pipestud, which I will not be doing. Sorry, Steve. No tobacco for you.

 

[That Guy]

"Latakia burnout"? Never heard of such a thing ?. Probley 60-70% of my blends have Latakia. A good Balkan has always been my go to when nothing else sounds good.

 

[karam]

Going for a year now where every Lat blend tastes the same :/

 

[bullet08]

I don't know if it helps, but I rarely smoke Lat back to back. Sometimes, I'll go few days between Lat. Just don't wanna burn out.

 

[Curtas Loew]

I smoke a few bowls of Balkan style blends daily and have luckily never had a Latakia "burnout".

 

[irishearl]

Have always had my ups and downs with latakia. The downs seem to hit almost out of the blue. There was a period where, after initially smoking it for about 10 years, didn't want to touch it for 20. While I had recently been in a latakia upswing, it's starting to wear down again. So, only smoke it a handful of times a week at night now.

 

[warren]

Thankfully, I've not experienced such a downer. But, I have tired of bologna sandwiches. Luckily that never lasted more than a few hours.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Going for a year now where every Lat blend tastes the same :/

Seven years of exactly the same thing here. No complaints, it led me to better things.

 

[kcghost]

I lost my love of latakia a few years ago to the siren call of VaPer, but I find as time marches on I buy a tin of latakia based tobacco just for a change of pace.

 

[forloveoffreedom]

Hopefully my burnout lasts forever, I have purchased far to much va and zero latakia for my tastes to change again lol.

 

[SBC]

I'm grateful to you for making it known that Lat-burnout is sometimes gotten over. I had never heard that.

I've heard again and again guys saying that they smoked Lat for years and then suddenly it muddied everything else. Usually they then turn to VAs. I always assumed that this was an irrevocable phenomenon.

I'm just now beginning to experience it. After years of smoking mainly Lat-forward blends, the smell of Lat in the tin is now turning me off.

(Interestingly, when I push ahead and smoke it anyway, I find that I enjoy the smoke far more than the tin note.)

With respect to the other thread on "Rotations," perhaps this is a good reason to rotate tobacco genres? If you get to Lat blends just once or twice a week, perhaps burnout is less likely? I have no clue -- just wondering.

In any case, I'm glad to hear that the taste for it can come back. I'll cellar some of it until the day I want it like I used to.