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

[puffthemagicpiper]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

I’ll start: Sutliff’s 523 Voodoo Queen. This seems to be a love it or hate it blend.
I love it! Delicious chocolaty burley, a touch of smoky Lat and cool sweet Va! 3 pounds in the cellar.

 

[puffthemagicpiper]

Hate: any Old Joe Krantz. Odd, b/c I’m a burley lover, but this blend in any three of its incarnations is just awful IMHO. I’d rather enjoy a good cigar! (I adore Runowski’s Morley’s Best & Haunted Bookshop however.)

 

[workman]

I love Royal Yacht! And 1792 Flake! I am not man enough to smoke them daily, so they are special treats to go with one of those beverages that man you up.

 

[ray47]

The one I hate the most and always have since I first started smoking a pipe 50+ yrs ago is John Middleton's Cherry Blend. That blend bites me terribly. I've tried sipping it and smoking it in different pipes, but I get the same results. Must be a body chemistry thing.

 

[Olkofri]

No loves or hates so far, though Lane's BCA seems to want the Olkofri's First Hated Blend badge.

 

[sablebrush52]

Germain's Balkan Sobranie - This isn't the old stuff, not by a long shot. I find it disgusting. I can't finish a bowl. The first puff just makes me want to hurl.
Penzance - I find this a very badly balanced blend. I thought I'd age it for a few years and give it another try. Hated it just as much, so I bring it to pipe club meetings to be enjoyed by those who like it.
Orlik Golden Slices - I simply hated the way it tasted. Period. It should be renamed Orlik Golden Showers. So, I sent the tin to someone who likes it.
I love Haddo's, Dunbar, RO Perique Series GP-11, Sixpence, Telegraph Hill, Dorchester, Tilbury, Union Square, GL Pease Renaissance, Bohemian Scandal, McClelland 40th Anniversary, Christmas Cheer, McCranie's Red Ribbon and Flake, PS-LBF, A&C Peterson Escudo, McClelland 2015 and 2010, and a whole lot of others.

 

[thefishguy]

Virginia blends. Yuck, why in the world do you people like smoking dried up grass clippings? I’ve tried a bunch of them, McClelland’s, C&D’s, S. Gawith, and several others. Where are these sweet flavors I keep hearing about? I’m not giving up on them but they’ all ferreted away in mason jars in the hopes that my tastes will change eventually.

I love Dark Birds eye.

 

[blackadderlxx]

Love: Chelsea Morning - IMO the perfect morning coffee blend. Not too strong, but very flavorful.
Hate: 95% of American Aromatic blends. Those wet goopy blends composed entirely of cavendish that taste like hot air.

 

[ashdigger]

I have a love/hate relationship with Motzek Strang. I love the way it tastes, but it destroys my throat.
I love/love Klondike Gold and JA Luxury Flake. Perfection in flake form.

 

[puffthemagicpiper]

Oops - I probably should have put this in the tobacco discussion thread, not review.
My bad. New to forum, but that no excuse - I’ll be more careful in the future

 

[scloyd]

Love John Cotton's Smyrna. I get a floral/incense type flavor that I find hard to describe. The room note reminds me of camping/campfire.
Hate Tinder Box Mango Tango. One of the first aromatics I ever purchased. I only bought an ounce and it's the only tobacco I actually tossed in the trash.

 

[hawky454]

I’m taking this as a “what is a love/hate blend that you either love or hate”? Meaning blends that are in the love it/hate it category and nowhere in between. I usually end up loving the love it/hate it blends just because a lot of them tend to be odd and I’m a fan of odd flavors, I appreciate odd foods too.
Here is my list of polarizing blends:

Dark Fake Scented - Love it! The scent adds the perfect nuances to this bold Smokey Olde Worlde Tobacco it’s like a strong black tea with a splash of rose water.

Condor - Love it! A lot of Americans seem to hate this one but I think it’s exactly what pipe tobacco should be, the Plug cut is absolutely perfect in every way (my holy grail).

1792 Flake - best breakfast blend ever made, pairs well with a cup of black joe.

Ennerdale Flake - Just a beautiful medley of flavors, truly unique.

Royal Yacht - honestly don’t know why this one is so polarizing but it is, I really like it but not any everyday blend for me.
Would also mention Daddy Gefftl & Sisinghurst by HU but I don’t think those two are popular enough to be in the love it/hate it category
Man, I could probably sit here for hours coming up with blends but I’ll just leave you with this for now.
Good subject by the way.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Love: Many A few favorties, F&T CVP and Vintage; GLP Union Square, Quiet Nights, Chelsea Morning, Maltese Falcon; SG FVF, BBF, SJF, Balkan Flake; Astley's Artisan Blend; numerous HU Blends.
Hate: Haddo's Delight, Royal Yacht, anything with the soapy Lakeland essence.

 

[puffthemagicpiper]

hawkey454 - that’s what I was going for but I was kind of vague about it
ETA: it took me a bit, but I got to where I love Haddo’s. I’ve got 8oz that’s aged for close to six years. I’m curious to break into it but I’ve got a current stock of it which keeps me honest.

 

[hawky454]

That aged Haddo’s gonna be mighty fine my friend. I love me some Haddo’s!

 

[ashdigger]

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)

 

[timt]

Haddo's Delight is a blend I picked up about a year ago. I remember trying it and thinking it had a strong booze topping and was too peppery for my liking, so I jarred it up and moved on. This thread got me thinking about it and I dug the jar out (dated 2/18). I'm smoking it right now and honestly, I like it a lot. Sweet and peppery but not overly so and I don't detect the over the top boozyness that I thought I remembered.

 

[bent1]

Escudo is a blend that tastes toxic to my chemistry. It’s a well loved blend, but I just can’t get my taste buds to behave.

 

[madox07]

I hate soapy smelling aromatics, the reason being that I can't stand the artificial smell. They don't taste as anything also, in my opinion. Other than that I can't say I ran across many blends that I can say I can't stand. I found some that I am not particularly fond of, but can't say I hate them.
I simply love Royal Yacht, as some people may know. Not enjoying it as much nowadays, since cellar stocks are dwindling, and I can't easily resupply.

 

[mso489]

Love: Tabac-Manil Semois thick cut (and medium cut). I don't hate it, but I can't taste anything with Sir Walter Raleigh, though I like SWR Aromatic very much, because they add Virginia as a condiment and it's flavored with three liqueurs. If I don't enjoy something, I either give it away or age it to see if I like it better later, and sometimes I do.