Latakia Reversal?

[OlJawBone]

I have only been smoking a pipe for about a year, but when i first started, i couldnt get enough latakia. I was smoking pirate kake, ten russians, quiet nights, ten to midnight, nightcap, and presbyterian all the time.

now the only of the blends that are palatable to me are presbyterian (which has only a tiny bit, or quiet nights, where the red virginias do the heavy lifting to me.

now for five months or so i only have really been wanting to smoke virginias/vapers and lakelands.

i cant think of another time in my life my tastes changed so fast

is this common/did it happen to any of you? Its quite strange. I am setting aside all my latakia blends for the forseeable future.

 

[Chasing Embers]

is this common/did it happen to any of you?

Been that way for me for years now. If a blend has more than a minute amount of latakia in it now, that's all I taste.

 

[GCW]

I have only been smoking a pipe for about a year, but when i first started, i couldnt get enough latakia. I was smoking pirate kake, ten russians, quiet nights, ten to midnight, nightcap, and presbyterian all the time.

now the only of the blends that are palatable to me are presbyterian (which has only a tiny bit, or quiet nights, where the red virginias do the heavy lifting to me.

now for five months or so i only have really been wanting to smoke virginias/vapers and lakelands.

i cant think of another time in my life my tastes changed so fast

is this common/did it happen to any of you? Its quite strange. I am setting aside all my latakia blends for the forseeable future.

Pipe Tobacco Genres and Phases :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

@sablebrush52 suggested I post this as a stand-alone thread so here goes: On more than several occasions I've read veteran members post of their migration away from latakia blends. From what I can discern this tends to be toward the latter part of their respective smoking journeys...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[zitotczito]

Maybe I am just different but I have never lost my love of latakia even after smoking the pipe for 7 years.

 

[OlJawBone]

Maybe I am just different but I have never lost my love of latakia even after smoking the pipe for 7 years.

I am hoping mine comes back one day

 

[ofafeather]

I think it’s fairly common. Latakia can be overpowering. If you dial back or cut it out completely you may find a comfortable return, especially in the lighter lat blends.

 

[zitotczito]

My favorite blend is Gaslight and I have a lot of it. The tins have all swelled and the taste is to me sublime.

 

[MarcosEZLN]

Latakia blends were some of the first that didn't just taste like cigarettes to me and got me excited about smoking a pipe. Like you, though, after trying enough of the other blend types I started to lose my interest in that campfire/creosote flavor. Now I can't stomach Latakia even in small amounts. I bought a bag of Samuel Gawith Navy Flake thinking I'd like it as a condiment but nope, couldn't even finish the 1 bowl I tried. I see periodic trading posts by people looking to unload Latakia in return for virtually any other blends, so it must be a fairly common experience.

 

[jpmcwjr]

A dozen folks have so experienced, and that's not to say/prove it's common. Sorta the reverse. At least I sure hope so. First started with a Latakia blend after smoking a lot of other types, in 1965.
Long layoff, and now another 6-7 years of smoking, I treasure my lat blends, and also want to enjoy VA's and Va-Pers.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Maybe I am just different but I have never lost my love of latakia even after smoking the pipe for 7 years.

I did for the first 10-15 years, then just out of the blue, all English blends tasted exactly the same.

 

[workman]

Latakia blends were some of the first that didn't just taste like cigarettes to me and got me excited about smoking a pipe. Like you, though, after trying enough of the other blend types I started to lose my interest in that campfire/creosote flavor. Now I can't stomach Latakia even in small amounts. I bought a bag of Samuel Gawith Navy Flake thinking I'd like it as a condiment but nope, couldn't even finish the 1 bowl I tried. I see periodic trading posts by people looking to unload Latakia in return for virtually any other blends, so it must be a fairly common experience.

I have almost the exact same experience. It happened almost overnight for me. I also bought a tin of SG Navy Flake and got put off by it. I forced myself to smoke most of it, but in the end I couldn't finish it and threw it away. Haven't had any latakia since.
I have a few tins of Nightcap and Red Rapparee left in the cupboard. I have no desire to pop them at all, but who knows what the future might bring

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I used to drink black coffee. Now I add whipping cream. Things change and who knows why??

 

[ofafeather]

I smoke a lot of non-Latakia blends these days but like to switch off periodically. When I first was smoking Latakia, many moons ago, I was pushing the envelop of Lat content and I found that I wasn’t really satisfied with lighter doses - the Latakia just faded to the background. After a lot more experience I found that, yeah, I was missing out on a lot of other flavors in the blends because Latakia was just too present. These days I enjoy a lot of different types of blends but when it comes to Latakia, the subtle blends have been shining more and more. Wilke 111, Presbyterian, even Edward G Robinson. A new favorite is SG Perfection. More medium Latakia but a subtle vanilla topping which comes through at times. Something else to taste. Same with Wilke Blood Red English. There’s a good dose of Latakia but the blood orange topping gives it another dimension.

 

[chopper]

Latakia burn-out is not uncommon with those who smoke mostly Lat forward blends.

Latakia is an aquired taste for some.
When I first tasted a Latakia blend [a generous sample of Becks ol' Limey Bastard from 4 noggins] I described the bag note as "burnt rubber, asphalt and butt"
Thinking 'do people actually smoke this crap?' of course I had to try a small bowl.


Did not like but there was something enticing there. I found that once I diluted the BOLB 50/50 with Windsail Virginia, I enjoyed one small bowl at night [two bowls was one too many] and I missed it once it was gone.

Now I really enjoy blends where Latakia has not been applied with a heavy hand. EMP Match, Count Pulaski and Plum Pudding for example but I would not smoke them to the exclusion of other blends for fear of turning off them after a while.
Same goes with any other genre for that matter. By mixing things up I don't get tired of one or the other.

To avoid Latakia burn-out, mix up the genres over the course of a day or reserve the Lat-bombs for the evening.

 

[ofafeather]

The other thing is that if you smoke multiple bowls in a day, smoking Latakia blends in order of increasing Latakia presence is helpful. Like EMP, Standard Mixture, Nightcap. If you go the other way, you might lose the sense of the Latakia.

 

[chopper]

I smoke a lot of non-Latakia blends these days but like to switch off periodically. When I first was smoking Latakia, many moons ago, I was pushing the envelop of Lat content and I found that I wasn’t really satisfied with lighter doses - the Latakia just faded to the background. After a lot more experience I found that, yeah, I was missing out on a lot of other flavors in the blends because Latakia was just too present. These days I enjoy a lot of different types of blends but when it comes to Latakia, the subtle blends have been shining more and more. Wilke 111, Presbyterian, even Edward G Robinson. A new favorite is SG Perfection. More medium Latakia but a subtle vanilla topping which comes through at times. Something else to taste. Same with Wilke Blood Red English. There’s a good dose of Latakia but the blood orange topping gives it another dimension.

Love crossovers. Wilke Blood Red English sounds tasty.

I had 1lb of Mark Twain, an aromatic that was too sweet, and a bag of London Squire [a dry English blend] that was too astringent.
When I mixed around 70-75% MT to 25-30% London Squire, one balanced out the other and made a lovely all day smoke.

Have you also tried Count Pulaski? It's one of my favourite crossovers.

 

[mso489]

I was pleased to discover Latakia. I though it added something to its blends and I still enjoy its presence, but it's never been a particular craving for me. I only think it is overused, as a sort of default condiment. But my tastes have certainly changed. I'm a faithful burley-first smoker; I mean I like it a lot both as a single-leaf and as a base or condiment in blends. I went through a phase of all strong tobaccos, but have dialed back. I still enjoy Bayou Night and Stratfordshire, but I like milder blends, and even very mild blends like Stilman Mixture, and aromatics if they let the tobacco lead the taste. I think variety is important, in these times when it is still possible. If we get down to where all you can get is Admiral's Choice Cherry, I'll see how I do, but for now, I like playing the field and enjoying what's out there in an ever-changing scene.

 

[cigrmaster]

I lost my love for Latakia over a decade ago. I honestly don't miss it at all. It was a tongue saver in the beginning.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with liking latakia. But, smoking it is a different story. I kid, I kid…

I smoke it occasionally. I have some Purple Cow open at the moment. But, in the winter, the trees all bare, the ground 6” deep in mud, burning off the brush, a chill 80F breeze giving me goosebumps…. I tend to smoke it more often.

 

[Dudditz]

Latakia burn-out is not uncommon with those who smoke mostly Lat forward blends.

Latakia is an aquired taste for some.
When I first tasted a Latakia blend [a generous sample of Becks ol' Limey Bastard from 4 noggins] I described the bag note as "burnt rubber, asphalt and butt"
Thinking 'do people actually smoke this crap?' of course I had to try a small bowl.


Did not like but there was something enticing there. I found that once I diluted the BOLB 50/50 with Windsail Virginia, I enjoyed one small bowl at night [two bowls was one too many] and I missed it once it was gone.

Now I really enjoy blends where Latakia has not been applied with a heavy hand. EMP Match, Count Pulaski and Plum Pudding for example but I would not smoke them to the exclusion of other blends for fear of turning off them after a while.
Same goes with any other genre for that matter. By mixing things up I don't get tired of one or the other.

To avoid Latakia burn-out, mix up the genres over the course of a day or reserve the Lat-bombs for the evening.

Excellent advice and a practice I have used to avoid palette fatigue. Keep it mixed up and you don't get a chance to tire of any one thing.