Looking to Slim Down My Rotation 12/17/21.☕️

[Simmerdown☕️]

I think I’m getting to a point where I’d like to slim down my tobacco rotation to 7 blends max. I’ve accumulated a good bit of lots of stuff. And, I’ll likey smoke through most of it. However, going forward I think I’m only going to stock up on blends that I know I love & are easily attainable…
1.Haunted Bookshop
2.HH Burley Flake
3.MacBaren Vanilla Roll Cake
4. PS Luxury Bullseye Flake
5.
6.
7.
I think I’m gonna leave the last 3 slots open for Esterval’s orders where I can stock up on a combination of Virginia/VaPer/Burley options.

I’ve been selling off or gifting what’s left of my English cellar as I’ve almost completely been turned off by Latakia. I used to love it, but my taste has changed over the past couple years.

1. Has anyone decided to slim down to a simpler 7 day rotation and basically nothing else?
2. Considering my taste above…what blends do you recommend stocking up on from Esterval’s ?

Thanks Fellas! ?️

 

[deuceswild818]

I've mostly bought pounds of red virginia in bulk and been mixing it myself, seeing what I come up with. That makes up my major rotation, sprinkling in bits of brands to make me realize I can't really blend yet haha.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

My rotation is simpler even than that, just two tobaccos recently.
if you can get hold of it, for a good VaBur, you can't go wrong with with GH Dark Birds eye.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Oh, I forgot I definitely be re-upping on my St. James Plug…so that will take up spot 5.
Now, only if Rich Dark Flake were easier to get. That would definitely be added to my list. It’s one of my all-time favorites, but considering we can’t get it over here in the States. ?‍️

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Tobacco is for my enjoyment, I see no reason to apply rules or limitations. If I like a blend, why not cellar some of it? I'm more interested in the total amount bring greater than what my lifetime consumption will be.

As far as Estervals, I'd think your interest is primarily in HU. However,if you like oriental blends, I'd highly recommend Dan Tobacco Ascanian No 1 and 2. HU recommendations are Directors Cut, Dockworker, Flanagan, Manyara, Nashville County, Nyala, Old Fredders, Joschi's Oriental Sunrise.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

My rotation is simpler even than that, just two tobaccos recently.
if you can get hold of it, for a good VaBur, you can't go wrong with with GH Dark Birds eye.

That is definitely good stuff for sure. I’m more partial to Rich Dark Flake. ?️

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Tobacco is for my enjoyment, I see no reason to apply rules or limitations. If I like a blend, why not cellar some of it? I'm more interested in the total amount bring greater than what my lifetime consumption will be.

As far as Estervals, I'd think your interest is primarily in HU. However,if you like oriental blends, I'd highly recommend Dan Tobacco Ascanian No 1 and 2. HU recommendations are Directors Cut, Dockworker, Flanagan, Manyara, Nashville County, Nyala, Old Fredders, Joschi's Oriental Sunrise.

I hear ya. I’ve got many tins of stuff here that I can pick through. And, variety is definitely the spice of life. Just looking to organize/simplify my ? a bit. Ultimately, I’m looking to slim it down to that one blend. Probably never gonna get there as variety still calls to me. That Joschi’s Oriental Sunrise sounds good as I don’t have a good VaOr in my rotation yet. Thanks for the recs Mark. ?️

 

[DanWil84]

In my slim experience and ordering at estervals I limit myself to HU and DTM blends:

Haymaker
Dockworker
Ascanian #2 or Directors Cut
Nyala for a cigar leaf blend

I like ascanian #2, the others I would see myself ordering

There is also the Hamborger Veermaster offerings that with age get a lot better I heard.

 

[Chasing Embers]

1. Has anyone decided to slim down to a simpler 7 day rotation and basically nothing else

I've never been much on the notion of a rotation, just smoke whatever, but for months I've mostly only smoked two blends.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I've never been much on the notion of a rotation, just smoke whatever, but for months I've mostly only smoked two blends.

Nice. We’ve probably a good idea of those blends if we’ve been paying attention. However, don’t tell anyone what they are explicitly. A run will happen no doubt. ??️

 

[DanWil84]

On the rotation question, I want a 10 a week smoking rotation as a starting point, so smoking each blend once a week. If that rotation grows fine, I'll just make it a X amounts of tobacco rotation, but my goal is to limit it to smoking one blend once a week or longer.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

If I limited to a rotation I'd have to stop buying tobacco and experimenting! My mail delivery person might approve, but for now I'm just buying a combination of aged tobaccos (the for sale subforum here has been great for that as well as several from @pipestud and Secret Santa @captainsousie really upped the quality of my "cellar") and whatever is in current production that seems to be well received and in line with what I'm finding I like, but again, still experimenting so no particular ingredient is off the table.

My cellar is small, will never be huge, but there is a variety and I just look in and usually have an idea of which two or three I want to try next and pick one and go!

 

[deuceswild818]

If I limited to a rotation I'd have to stop buying tobacco and experimenting! My mail delivery person might approve, but for now I'm just buying a combination of aged tobaccos (the for sale subforum here has been great for that as well as several from @pipestud and Secret Santa @captainsousie really upped the quality of my "cellar") and whatever is in current production that seems to be well received and in line with what I'm finding I like, but again, still experimenting so no particular ingredient is off the table.

My cellar is small, will never be huge, but there is a variety and I just look in and usually have an idea of which two or three I want to try next and pick one and go!

Haha, I haven't bought tobacco in 6 months, save the cringle flake 2021.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

I think I’m getting to a point where I’d like to slim down my tobacco rotation to 7 blends max. I’ve accumulated a good bit of lots of stuff. And, I’ll likey smoke through most of it. However, going forward I think I’m only going to stock up on blends that I know I love & are easily attainable…
1.Haunted Bookshop
2.HH Burley Flake
3.MacBaren Vanilla Roll Cake
4. PS Luxury Bullseye Flake
5.
6.
7.
I think I’m gonna leave the last 3 slots open for Esterval’s orders where I can stock up on a combination of Virginia/VaPer/Burley options.

I’ve been selling off or gifting what’s left of my English cellar as I’ve almost completely been turned off by Latakia. I used to love it, but my taste has changed over the past couple years.

1. Has anyone decided to slim down to a simpler 7 day rotation and basically nothing else?
2. Considering my taste above…what blends do you recommend stocking up on from Esterval’s ?

Thanks Fellas! ?️

For me, a great joy of the hobby is the insane diversity in blends. I usually maintain a "stable" of a few of my favorites from each general category, but I find experimenting with a couple of tins of this and a couple tins of that to be a big part of the hobby.

What is this arbitrary 7 blends you're trying to get to? One blend a day? That sounds a little more antagonistic than it's meant to sound, but I am curious as to why not 6 or 8 max?

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

For me, a great joy of the hobby is the insane diversity in blends. I usually maintain a "stable" of a few of my favorites from each general category, but I find experimenting with a couple of tins of this and a couple tins of that to be a big part of the hobby.

What is this arbitrary 7 blends you're trying to get to? One blend a day? That sounds a little more antagonistic than it's meant to sound, but I am curious as to why not 6 or 8 max?

Originally it was an arbitrary weekly decision. The more and more I think of it, my number will likely be 10 blends. And, I’ll try new blends here and there. But, want to narrow down my cellaring to one’s I know I can’t do without. Sorry if I was confusing in my opening statement. ️

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Originally it was an arbitrary weekly decision. The more and more I think of it, my number will likely be 10 blends. And, I’ll try new blends here and there. But, want to narrow down my cellaring to one’s I know I can’t do without. Sorry if I was confusing in my opening statement. ️

Nah that's fair. "Cellaring" is such a difficult concept to pin down, all this plethora of discussion on the internet hasn't exactly helped either.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

I have open a jar of c&d dark burley, another of their white burley. I mix them according to my mood. That’s my “rotation “

 

[timt]

If anything, I’m widening, not narrowing. Minimalism is something I’m drawn to in other areas, just not pipe tobacco.

 

[mso489]

Keep it simple is good. I have a lot of blends, but not much of a cellar overall. That's my way of not burdening myself. When I've felt like I was just storing pipes, I cull, usually doing store credit for my "estates," toward one pipe. Now and then something new is good, but not so it complicates life.

 

[sablebrush52]

With HU it's hard to know because K&K screwed with a number of them to pocket a few cents more per tin. Apparently, after Hans had a chat with them about the situation, they've at least restored Director's Cut to Han's formulation and we may get an actual confirmation of that in the near future. If you're willing to try some test tins, I'd recommend that you test out 5th Anniversary Blend, Edward G, Makhuwa, and Morrocan Bazaar. Ascanian is good, try Meistermischung 88 - a Vriginia Blend with a Geranium topping. You can also order Capstan in bulk for a lot less than the tins that are sold here.
I agree with you about Rich Dark Flake, the kissing cousin to Stonehaven, and the prettier of the two.
Closer to home, have you explored any of Watch City's offerings?