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Canuck1

Lurker
Apr 1, 2021
6
6
I have ordered Mac Barens Vanilla Cream to start my pipe smoking but would like to order a "tobaccos only" blend. Maybe a mild English blend??? There are so many choices!!! Suggestions with reasons for the recommendation would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
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Servant King

Lifer
Nov 27, 2020
4,112
22,277
38
Frazier Park, CA
www.thechembow.com
I started with VC and Original Choice. My first non-aro was Peterson Sherlock Holmes. A nice mellow VA. Seemed like a good place to start, and it did me well. For a mild English, I would recommend John Bull Royal English. Also, I just tried a sample of MacBaren's Latakia Rolls blend. Pretty stellar. I'd start with a light VA first, though, if I were you.
 
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kg.legat0

Lifer
Sep 6, 2019
1,028
10,408
Southwestern PA
In my opinion, I would possibly go with: Orlik Golden Sliced, Mac Baren Golden Extra, Mac Baren Scottish Mixture, any of the Peter Stokkebye flakes, Newminster 400 Superior Navy Flake ...I started off with aros and had never been much of a tobacco guy in life previously...those blends totally changed my entire palate and approach to the hobby.

Let any of these dry out nicely, smoke slow, and retrohale...you'll be headed for the heart of flavor country :)
 

elvishrunes

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 19, 2017
268
485
So many choices out there, and here already:) My first English was Peterson Old Dublin, it’s a middle English. Not too light, but not too strong either, and full flavoured. It has Cavendish which English’s usually don’t have, making it a bit sweeter.
 
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pantsBoots

Lifer
Jul 21, 2020
2,132
7,517
Terra Firma
I have ordered Mac Barens Vanilla Cream to start my pipe smoking but would like to order a "tobaccos only" blend. Maybe a mild English blend??? There are so many choices!!! Suggestions with reasons for the recommendation would be appreciated. Thanks.
Presbyterian is about the best mild English out there, with a minute amount of Latakia and mellow Orientals.

I'd also suggest Orlik Golden Sliced for a great Virginia to learn on (has just a hint of Perique).

Your best bet is grabbing one from each genre to test the waters. As you find things you like, you can start branching out.
 
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pantsBoots

Lifer
Jul 21, 2020
2,132
7,517
Terra Firma
For an easy English, try the Peterson's Night Cap.
You and I have different ideas about "easy," fella. :) I do like Nightcap, but I usually leave it for when I want an English to dump some Perique on me, or else on days when I've smoked several bowls, my palate is shot, but I want to taste what I'm smoking.

Are recent Peterson Nightcap releases more mellow than the Dunhill? I've got some Peterson saved back, but am working through some aged Dunhill bulk I happened upon.
 
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Merton

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 8, 2020
941
2,499
Boston, Massachusetts
I agree with other posters that Orlik GS is a good choice. You also might want to try a good transition tobacco such a MacBaren Mixture, Golden extra or Amphora Original or even Amphora full aroma which, while somewhat aromatic, sort of straddles the genres. You also cannot go wrong with any number of blends from L.J. Perretti in Boston. They produce a variety of burley blends (as well as others) which are almost all tobacco forward even if they have a light casing.
 
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jyrreb

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 6, 2019
138
1,444
If I could go back and try it all for the first time, I would start with the HH line from MacBaren. I think they’re exceptional blends that showcase the tobaccos well. It’s good quality leaf all from the same blender so you can get an idea of different tobaccos. If after trying the entirety of the HH line you don’t find anything you even remotely like... then you’re an aro guy.
 

lochinvar

Lifer
Oct 22, 2013
1,687
1,632
My first foray into the English tobaccos was Rattray's Highland Targe. It's a phenomenal tasting and smelling (via nose buried in can) blend, easy smoking and well behaved. Old Dublin, 965 and Squadron Leader are also pretty good starts.
After you mess around with some Latakia mixtures, then move to some Virginias like Orlik Slices or the Stokkebye flakes, maybe Hamborger Veermaster.
 
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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
An agreeable mild/medium English is John Bull in a pouch from PC. A pleasing Virginia/Perique is Sutliff Match Elizabethan. And an easygoing burley is Amphora Burley. All can be sampled in a pouch, or the Sutlff in an ounce or two in bulk. Keep quantities small until you find what your like after two or three years, and what you don't like, jar and try again later. Either a little aging may improve it, or you tastes will develop. You'll be surprised at how something you find harsh, bland, or too strong, etc. can suit you better over time.
 
Jan 30, 2020
1,850
6,089
New Jersey
If I could go back and try it all for the first time, I would start with the HH line from MacBaren. I think they’re exceptional blends that showcase the tobaccos well. It’s good quality leaf all from the same blender so you can get an idea of different tobaccos. If after trying the entirety of the HH line you don’t find anything you even remotely like... then you’re an aro guy.
Agree with this for sure. A tin of each would give a good idea of some directions of basic profiles as long as one doesn't mind mostly flakes.
 

Suilven

Lurker
Mar 11, 2021
42
81
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
I'm a recent pipe smoker and a Canuck as well. When I began I was truly confused about tobaccos. I had no idea what Virginia tasted like, as opposed to Burley or whatever, not to mention how to choose between the hundreds of blends. Expense was an issue too, what with the high cost of tobacco in Canada, and I didn't want to throw money away. Finally I sorted out an approach that worked for me. I decided to order several Amphora blends in pouches (Virginia, Burley, Black Cavendish and Original). This provided me an inexpensive way to sample different non-aromatics in order to see what suited me, as well as to discover the differing tastes of Virginia, Cavendish and Burley before plunging into the multitude of more complex blends. Might be a worthwhile approach to consider. Cheers!
 
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kschatey

Lifer
Oct 16, 2019
1,118
2,271
Ohio
If you want to go English, try:
Arrango Balkan Supreme
Rattray's Red Raparree

If you want to go Virginia, try:
Newminster 400
Watch City Flake 558

If you want to go Red Virginia, try:
Watch City Simply Red

If you want to go VaPer, try:
Hearth & Home Anniversary Kake (or Flake)
Watch City Old Dominion

If you want to go burley, try:
Watch City Slices
Uhle's Crushed White Burley
Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired

If you want to go English Aromatic, try:
Two Friends English Chocolate
Gawith Bob's Chocolate Flake
 
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