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Philosopiper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 26, 2021
115
393
A recent thread by @Etipton had people mentioning things like warming up to a tobacco, never finding a tobacco that they loved from the get-go, loving the first smoke but getting bored later on, etc.

What about tobaccos you loved at first smoke, and that immediately became a daily smoke?

Having tried ~25 tobaccos, only Luxury Navy Flake has been like this for me. The deep, wheat toasty flavor of this VaPer won me over immediately.
 

Philosopiper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 26, 2021
115
393
Frog Morton original, Balkan sobrani, PS luxury navy flake, war horse green, GLP spark plug, Warped the red hunt, rattrays marlin flake, Seattle pipe clubs plum pudding. Just to name a few. These were all wow blends for me and still are.
Capstan blue
Full Virginia plug
St. James plug
Curly cut deluxe
Brown No 4 rope, to name but a few.
Blessed by the pipe gods are those who can answer with many tobaccos.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,347
Ennerdale Flake
1792 Flake
Yenidje Highlander
Black Frigate
Deep Hollow
40th Anniversary
Angler's Dream
Devil's Holiday
Salty Dogs
Exotic Orange
Three Year Matured Virginia
Sixpence
Watch City Slices
Rouxgaroux
Luxury Twist Flake
Engine 382
Sutliff TS24
 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
Here are some of my love at first smokes.
Fribourg & Treyer Cut Virginia Plug
Rotary Navy Cut
Brigham Klondike Gold
Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake
Wessex Brown Virginia Flake
Capstan Blue Flake
Astleys no 44 Dark Flake
Esoterica Stonehaven
Escudo
Dunhill Flake
Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls
Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky
John Aylesbury Luxury Flake
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
Carter Hall and Ryback regular. 99% of the blends I smoke these days. Love from day one.

Yes. Carter Hall was the first codger burley I tried, and it was a few years until I tried another. I just never thought to try any others because I was so satisfied with CH. I eventually got around to trying most of the other popular codger blends, and I was right the first time, to my taste anyway.

Frog Morton original, Balkan sobrani, PS luxury navy flake, war horse green, GLP spark plug, Warped the red hunt, rattrays marlin flake, Seattle pipe clubs plum pudding. Just to name a few. These were all wow blends for me and still are.

+1 on both of those

Capstan blue
Full Virginia plug

St. James plug
Curly cut deluxe
Brown No 4 rope, to name but a few.

My first experiences with Virginias were pretty "meh" when I first started smoking a pipe. Once I figured out that I was smoking too hot and too fast, and learned to dry my tobacco and slow things down, I revisited some Virginia blends and loved Capstan Blue and Full Virginia Flake right off the bat. They are still my favorite Virginia blends, along with my handful of old tins of Christmas Cheer.
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
Escudo
Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls

I just ordered a tin of Navy Rolls for the first time and am very much looking forward to trying it. I've probably smoked a pound or so of Luxury Navy Flake over the past couple years, enough to know I like the VA/Per style, but have tried only a couple other blends in the style. I am pretty confused about some of this "Escudo is exactly the same as Navy Rolls" thing, so perhaps I will have to give Escudo a shot as well.
 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I just ordered a tin of Navy Rolls for the first time and am very much looking forward to trying it. I've probably smoked a pound or so of Luxury Navy Flake over the past couple years, enough to know I like the VA/Per style, but have tried only a couple other blends in the style. I am pretty confused about some of this "Escudo is exactly the same as Navy Rolls" thing, so perhaps I will have to give Escudo a shot as well.
My experience with Escudo and Navy Rolls is the Navy Rolls is sweeter and the Escudo is more peppery. When aged the Escudo gets creamier and the pepper smooths out. The navy rolls gets sweeter and the flavors of raisins and figs are more pronounced.
I have to tell you that all of my navy rolls is from 2011 and 2012. Most of my Escudo is 2012 and I also have some 2008 and one last tin of 2001. I have no experience with anything later than 2012.
 

pip01

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 3, 2018
518
6,589
NJ
GLP Union Square
GLP Barbary Coast
GLP Abingdon
GLP Chelsea Morning
GH Dark Bird's Eye
GH Bosun Cut Plug
GH Brown Flake Licorice
GH Brown Flake Scented
GH Glengarry Flake
GH Coniston Cut Plug
Solani ABF
SG St James Flake
Erinmore Flake
Peterson Royal Yacht
Escudo
HH ODF
McBarren Golden Extra
Penzance
Lux Navy Flake
Frog Morton on the Town
Christmas Cheer
4th Gen Peaty KY
Rattray Old Gowrie
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
My experience with Escudo and Navy Rolls is the Navy Rolls is sweeter and the Escudo is more peppery. When aged the Escudo gets creamier and the pepper smooths out. The navy rolls gets sweeter and the flavors of raisins and figs are more pronounced.
I have to tell you that all of my navy rolls is from 2011 and 2012. Most of my Escudo is 2012 and I also have some 2008 and one last tin of 2001. I have no experience with anything later than 2012.

Thank you for the thoughts. I understand that both of those blends have changed over the years, so YMMV and all that. I'm sure I will pick up some Escudo at some point. I like a little pepper in my Virginia.
 

--dante--

Lifer
Jun 11, 2020
1,062
7,165
Pittsburgh, PA USA
I've had a few I 'loved at first smoke' that didn't in the long stay in the daily smoke category for me. Three that were 'love at first smoke' and _do_ remain in my daily (or at least every other day) rotation are Kramer's Father Dempsey, Billy Budd, and Ten Russians.