Lets Talk Blends! Jsiddle's Q&A

[doctorthoss]

If money is a big consideration, look up Cornell and Diehl's web site and order one of their five-blend samplers. This will give you a GOOD selection of blends to choose from. I would recommend ordering the following, as each of them are top-shelf examples of their genre. I can't imagine you not discovering a favorite smoke among these:
Autumn Evening (aromatic all the way)
Chelsea Morning (a fantastic "light" or "mild" English)
Redwood (a top shelf virginia/perique blend with added cavendish that even new smokers can enjoy)
Epiphany (this is burley, latakia, perique and virginia with a mild aromatic flavoring -- it's a copy of Einstein's favorite blend)
Old Joe Krantz (possibly the best burley blend on the market today)
All of these should be okay for your tongue, assuming you smoke them slowly, and all of them will give you LOTS of flavor with at least acceptable room notes.

 

[jsiddle]

Also, if you can't blow smoke out threw your nose (without inhaling the smoke) you're losing a lot of flavor.

Please explain how to do this.

 

[jsiddle]

Virginias are popular, but I recommend staying away from them until you get a little more experience under your belt. If you do want to try some VAs now, I suggest starting with McClellands products. You might also want to look into Va/Per blends (Virginia with added perique) as they tend to be a little easier to smoke.

I would be very careful of a Mclellend virgina, many people myself included cannot smoke them do to an acid burn on the tongue. They are loaded with red virginia's which have a tendency to bite very badly. Now you may be able to smoke them without issue as many do, but I would start off with a no bite virginia that is mild and sweet.

So orlick golden sliced?

 

[crpntr1]

room note for PA is mildly roasted nut according to my wife. and is a very good burley IMHO

vanilla creme is definately an aro, I think jud might have been referring to From Morton and others like it.

1Q is an aro and its not like butternut burley...

mv-1000, also from lane ltd, is a good, mild virginia

frog morton on the town is a good mild english

1Q for an aro

and Peter Stokkebyes Bulls eye flake or luxury twist flake for VApers

 

[jsiddle]

Can't wait to try all of em

 

[judcole]

I would suggest Peterson's Old Dublin for a beginning English, a;tough i think English blends a bit complex for new smokers. But I would put Old Dublin ahead of any Frog or Dunhill blend.

 

[bigvan]

Personally I'm not a fan of 1Q. I smoked it for 10 years and thought it was the beginning and ending of all tobaccos. Then I discovered latakia. And red cake Virginia. And then orientals.
I can't stand the stuff now.

 

[sparroa]

Everybody has made good suggestions.
All I recommend is that you try 1-2 of each category ASAP and let that guide your future buying decisions.
That way you will waste less tobacco than just randomly buying tins based on a whim...
I think that pipe smokers found on online forums usually have pretty broad tastes, but you will find that the majority prefers the less cased tobaccos. The opposite is true for the public at large (who can also be very brand loyal - often smoking one thing exclusively). So there is only one way to find out where you stand - get your hands on some good blends and fire them up!
BTW, I am personally a big fan of Samuel Gawith blends so if you place any online orders in the immediate future there seems to be a variety available at the present time. (Although some of the most popular blends such as Full Virginia Flake are out of stock, as usual).