My First English Blend Has Arrived

[mrlblackbird]

And now I'm eagerly waiting for my Missouri Meerschaum cob. Regarding my Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, I've got to say, I'm really not a fan of the odour it gives off. Is it a fairly common thing to find the smell of English Blends unpleasant when you first start with them?

 

[marmal4de]

I don't like EMP, unless of course it has an extremely healthy pinch of blending lat. The Orlik production IMO is terrible. As for the smell, it'll grow on you.

 

[pstlpkr]

Welcome to the Dark Side!

:D

 

[mrlblackbird]

Lawrence, I laughed so hard it hurt. Classic :lol:

 

[pstlpkr]

LOL!

I love EMP.

That was my first foray into Latakia as well.

::

 

[gecko13]

My first experience was "ewwwww", what heck is this, "Smells like something from the barn floor." About an hour after my first bowl, I wanted more. And so it began; my continued spiral into the dark side.
:puffpipe:

 

[harrier52]

Yes the smell at first is very bad. It actually kept me from trying it for nearly a year or more. But finally i couldnt get the satisfaction i was looking for in an aromatic and said the hell with it. I packed up a bowl of Old Dublin ignored the smell and found out it was great. To date ive yet to smoke anything without a good dose of lat in it since that day. Now I also enjoy the smell to. Everyone else hates it but oh well.

 

[bigvan]

I never thought latakia blends smelled "bad", just "different". Not at all sweet or fruity like aromatics; to me they smelled like pencils. Not pleasant, but by no means unpleasant either.
But I grew up around my father and grandfather (both of whom smoked pipes) so maybe you have to be "raised in it".

 

[gecko13]

After my initial period of olfactory indoctrination into the dark side, I find the smell of most English blends very acceptable. If I could get it in cologne or bath spray form I'd probably give a bottle to my wife. (I can say things like that on here since she can't see my posts.)

 

[philip]

I enjoyed the earthy flavor and aroma of the first English/latakia blend I tried. SPC Plum Pudding. It reminded me of younger days playing in the hay.

 

[morlader]

I am a fan of Sam gawiths Latakia blends and I find the smell OK.His Balkan Flake is really smokey out uf the tin.I have not tried any of the Dunhill blends so I can't comment there but SG smells just fine to me,but then my nose is firmly on the dark side ( I did drift away for a while but soon came back again ) :: btw looks like you upset Jeremy Clarckson

 

[judcole]

The worse it smells, the better it tastes. :puffpipe:

 

[loneredtree]

I have enjoyed the smell and taste of lat from my first encounter with the stuff. It is why I started pipe smoking. For most, it is an acquired taste,like beer. I have 4 tins of 3 year old EMP to work through before I try the Orik product.

 

[rigmedic1]

My first was Dunhill 965, and I couldn't believe what i had been missing. 90% of my stash is Balkan now. Aros are great for the ladies, but Latakia is for me!

 

[markw4mms]

90% of my stash is Balkan now.

Same here, but I do still enjoy an occasional bowl of an aro, especially if I'm going to be smoking in the car if my G/F is with me.

 

[ohin3]

@bigvan: I too think of pencil shavings when smelling English blends. I tend to get it in the smoke as well.

 

[stryder]

To me unfired I get BBQ smell, then fired a hint of smoke in the smoke...I know sound weird but English has grown on me as well. Still like a nice aro especially around the ladies.

You might contact Sterling and discuss with him. He is a master of understanding what you should like and does business the old fashion way - customer is king.

 

[baronsamedi]

It's like a certain other activity. Once you get past the smell it's all good. The smoke is vastly different than the tin aroma.

 

[stryder]

Shame shame but very freak'n true baronsamedi!

 

[lordnoble]

It's funny... My daughter commented on my "stinky" blend (H&H Blackhouse) that she caught a whiff of from outside and asked why I smoke it if it smells like that. I told her that the good smelling ones are for everyone around me and the stinky ones are for me because they taste good.
-Jason