Love/Hate Blends That You Love or Hate, and Why?

[hawky454]

I second absolutely hating Haddo's Delight. I purchased an aged tin (8-10 years), the tin was so I was excited. Such a letdown!! It tasted and smelled like I was smoking someone dipped in Hawaiian Tropic (think Bay Watch Port-a-Potty)

:rofl:
Love that description! Have you tried a fresh tin? Maybe it just didn't age well or wasn't stored properly. I didn't realize that Haddo's was such a polarizing blend, I'm seeing a lot of dislike for it lately. Interesting.

 

[pepesdad1]

Love Irish Condor Long Cut and Plug...unfortunately it is a thing of the past...the new iteration is an abomination so that Polish mess is something I hate.

War Horse Bar and Plug (Green) is also on my love list, as is Royal Yacht and a host of others. Red Va's tear up my mouth unless they have 5 years age on them...fortunately, all My McClellands have 5 years in the can or more.

Lakelands also are a love item...as is Butternut Burley which is at the top of my love list...can smoke it all day every day and not get tired of it.

That would be most of my list.

 

[snagstangl]

I hate Granger and modern version of Half and Half. I have some 70's Half and Half, love it.

 

[ashdigger]

Snag, aged Granger is fantastic as is aged Half and Half.

 

[dottiewarden]

Samuel Gawith Grousemoor: Love it! Most among us probably hate it.

 

[charf]

Love anything that’s a Flake but they drive me crazy trying to smoke them. Rub this, fold that, twist this way, dry for this long...

 

[tavol]

I loved the flavor of the discontinued Mcquaid plug but smoking it would tear up the back of my throat, must have been a chemistry thing :crying:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Wow, I never imagined someone not liking Haddos; however, if you hate Haddos, avoid his Virginia Cream, because it has that same bourbon topping.
But, all of my hate/love blends have been mentioned. I don't really hate any blends, except maybe a few that have that rose geranium topping. I can handle most of the other Lakeland essences, except that one, as they smell like grandma soaps to me.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I don't hate any blend, as if I don't like it I don't buy or smoke it. Most disappointing: Pembroke. (Don't like the topping)
I don't love any blend, but like most English and Balkan blends. With the probably exception of a few with more Red Virginia than I can tolerate. TBD.

 

[timt]

I didn't hate Haddo's but I was still pretty new to perique. Plus the topping in a fresh tin is pretty bold imo. The bowl I had yesterday from a year old jar was excellent. That's probably because I've become a fan of perique in general as well as the liquor being more in the background.
As far as blends I hate, I don't know if I hate anything as far as ruling it out forever. But I do know that at this time, I don't enjoy in the least latakia forward blends. The only blend up to this point that has made me stop smoking a bowl and dump it is Plum Pudding Special Reserve. It's in a jar for later testing.

 

[orthodoxpiper]

Love: Royal Yacht. I actually didn't think the topping was strong enough to overpower the tobacco. This is one I have a hard time understanding when people hate it, to be honest. I haven't tried any 1792 Flake yet, but I have this feeling I'll like it whenever I can get my hands on some.
Hate: Haddo's. I smoked my way through a tin over the course of a year and regretted every smoke. Tasted like someone dumped a load of grape soda over the tobacco. Also hate Edward G. Robison's blend, but I wasn't surprised about this - I'm no real fan of Latakia, and an aro blend with Latakia didn't make sense to me to begin with. I got it for free though, so I finished the tin eventually. I also used to see Trout Stream bandied about as a decent aro, but it just tasted like steam to me. No flavor at all, but the wife liked the room note.

 

[snoopy311]

No mention of Mixture 79? Can’t say that I like this one. Pretty much a hate relationship.

 

[whitebar]

One blend that I love is Gawith Hoggarth & Co. Brown Flake Liquorice. I know for many just the name is a turn off but this is really good stuff. The liquorice is subtle and just lightly accentuates the brown flake taste. I don't get a lakeland taste from this one and it has really become a favorite.

 

[paulfg]

@hawky464 have you been raiding my celler? My loves match yours almost exactly.

Dark Flake aromatic,irish condor,dark birdseye, ennerdale & bosun cut plug are my favourites

 

[krizzose]

Love: (this is just a few that would fall in that category and still available) Marlin Flake, Anniversary Kake, Barbary Coast, OGS, Capstan
Hate: 1792 Flake (there’s a petroleum taste there I just can’t get around), anything Lakeland floral.

 

[tabakpfeife]

I love Old Gowrie. I actually tossed 4 Noggins Bald Headed Teacher. Not sure why; I don't object to any of the ingredients but I couldn't stand the blend, aged it a couple of years, and still didn't like it. I stay away from burley blends generally, but I like it when used as a condiment; i.e.: Old Gowrie.

 

[kimbiker]

Love it... Gawith Hoggarth No.7 broken flake, great taste and a proper pipe smokers aroma.

 

[recluse]

Love:

• Pirate Kake[/*]
  
• Escudo[/*]
  
• Capstan Blue Flake[/*]
  
• McClelland Frog Morton on the Bayou[/*]
  
• Blackpoint[/*]
  

Hate:

• McClelland Personal Reserve: Blackwoods Flake. It tasted like ketchup. Horrendous.[/*]
  
• Haunted Bookshop. Second puff and I dumped out the pipe and rinsed with mouthwash.[/*]
  
• Orlik Golden Sliced. Couldn't get into the citrus flavor at all.[/*]
  

 

[seanv]

I don't have anything except for goopy PG soaked aromatic blends.

I love haunted bookshop and ps bullseye flake.

Haunted bookshop is like baseball, there is something romantic about it lol

 

[rmpeeps]

The tag on this thread is “controversial”, so here’s my take.

There’s not really any blends in my Hate category, but those I really dislike are:

Rattray’s Exotic Orange - chemically altered Tang flavored urinal cake (too harsh? too bad)

Wessex Campaign Dark Flake - just don’t like the dark VAs

Dunhill Dark Flake - just don’t like the dark VAs

Most of the Lakeland Essence blends - I appreciate the Empire Leaf , just not the added essences.

Stonehaven and Penzance - OK, but prefer not.

Anything with a high DFK content.
As far as my Love list:

McC 97 CC, McC 2000 CC, aged GH&C BSC, McC 2025-2015-#24-#25, Brunello Flake, SG B.S.Flake, GLP Cumberland-Haddo’s-Union Square, and on and on and on.

I do really appreciate Dunhill’s Royal Yacht.