My Intro to English Blends

[shillelagh3]

In a previous post, I pondered what all the fuss about English blends was about. Now I know. I recently ordered a tin of Cornell & Diehl "Good Morning," and although I haven't tested the name in the early hours, I've had a Good Evening and a Very Good Afternoon with this stuff. I can say that MacBaren Plumcake was a pretty good segue from aromatics to Englishes for me, since you get some aromatic qualities with the Latakia, but Good Morning really changed the way I look at tobacco. It's just so much more flavorful. I've read about the peppery spiciness of Latakia and was a little leery, since I'm not a spicy kind of guy, but this stuff was incredible, and I found myself fiending for it like a crackhead for crack. It was a beautiful experience and I can't wait to try more English blends in the future. I think I'll still keep some aromatics on hand and try some new ones, too, but I definitely like the English. I never thought I'd ever say that. I almost feel like I'm betraying my race by saying that. :mrgreen:

 

[bubbadreier]

Welcome to my world! Although I still love my aromatics, I now love my english blends as well!! I would say I smoke 50% Aros and 50% English blends, currently I have about 20 pounds of Aros and 5 pounds of English... I am going to stop buying Aros until I have the same about of English blends!

 

[lagavulin92]

I immediately fell for English blends when I tried my first one: Erinmore Balkan Blend. Strong, serious, complex, and not too sweet, it was just the right thing for me. The Latakia really touched me, but blends with little to no Latakia are also fine. What's more, they are incredibly easy to light and the burn is incredibly easy to maintain. If you can't light up with 2 matches, even if the English Blend is slightly wet, you are probably doing it wrong. It is strange that while English blends are the easiest to smoke, its taste is the hardest to accept.
@Bubba: Damn you! I want a stock, too! :? If only I were older...

 

[bubbadreier]

Hey I am only 21!

 

[bootlegbonvivant]

I was introduced to English blends starting with Dunhill's 965 and early morning blend. Since then I've ugone to Mac Baren and a few others. Good stuff for sure! Now, I rarely smoke aromatics, but have enjoyed a couple here and there

 

[unclearthur]

Be sure to sample the great English blends by Peter Stokkebye. English luxury is a great lighter blend.

 

[ohin3]

I started smoking a pipe with aromatics and was going to give up the pipe because it just wasn't giving me what I had expected from pipe smoking. A tin of Penzance started me on the hunt for things like Dunhill light flake, more Penzance, Dunhill London Mixture, more Penzance, Esoterica's Margate and Dorchester, more Penzance,SG FVF...and such. Just recently started dabbling back into well made aromatics. Larsen's Signature Vintage Mixture is out of hand, and I do rather enjoy a lazy afternoon bowl of 1Q. I am still primarily an English smoker, and by English I mean nonaromatics in general. I'm more likely to be smoking Va or Va/per, or Oriental and latakia based mixtures. I'm just prone to enjoy savoury flavors over sweet flavours when it comes to my pipe and tobacco habits.

 

[greggors]

Agreed Latakia is like crack. I still smoke mainly aros but the latakia blends give me a nice wake up call lol

Hey I am only 21!

I think its your avatar Bubba, I thought you were as old as your avatar until I saw the pics from the Vegas show lol

 

[lagavulin92]

Bubba, you're still 3 years my senior.

Dunhill's 965 could be a great introduction to English blends, but it's still too sweet for me.

 

[shillelagh3]

I think my next planned English purchase will be McClelland's Frog Morton and G.L. Pease's Blackpoint (judging by the label), particularly the Blackpoint as it is a VA, Lat, Perique, and Oriental mixture. I'm getting it for the Perique. Suddenly, I'm not so fearful of the Perique anymore. I think I was originally scared of it, since I once thought I was being abused by it in a tin of Peterson's Irish Oak. I assumed it was the Perique, since I'd never had it before. It was some strong stuff. I was young...(er). I'm also interested in the Penzance since everybody's talking about it.

 

[bubbadreier]

Frog Morton is great!! I think you would really like it! As for Penzance, I got a tin from bowhatchie just about a week and a half ago and I love it, the only problem is you can't find it. So I am going to enjoy the tin I got and when it is gone, I will keep an eye out for another, I doubt I will be able to ever cellar any. I have never tried the Blackpoint but so far I have been impressed with Pease's offerings!

 

[tedswearingen]

If you can't find Penzance grab a tin of Quiet Night's by Pease. They are very similar blends although Penzance comes in a flake presentation and Quiet Nights is a broken flake.

 

[pstlpkr]

Shillelagh3 I too enjoy English blends. However; since I do most of my smoking in my man cave and the War Department strolls through it on a regular basis, and there are numerous heavy objects like golf clubs readily at hand... I tend to smoke Aros and VaPers for safety reasons.

::

 

[papipeguy]

Good for you, Shilllelagh3. Maltese Falcon and C&D Pirate Kake next. Pretty soon you'll be up for SG's 1792. A real test of a tobacco.