I like Capstan Blue and there are MANY that are OK and some I dislike like EGR. Jury is out on Granger. I don't dislike it but I don't crave it. Need to try it more until it moves me one way or the other.
Regular Rotation?
- Thread starter anotherbob
- Start date
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I only smoke 3 tobaccos regularly: Mixture 79, Visions of Celephais, and Crooner. Once in a while I'll try something else...I've recently been enjoying St Bruno, and I MIGHT add that to my must haves.
I jump around quite a bit on tobaccos and same with pipes. I don't enjoy a bowl as often as many and don't do a lot of repeat blends at the moment -- so many to try -- and fun to use the different pipes I have. There are a couple I've gravitated to lately -- I'm really enjoying the Peterson 999 shape in "short" and regular and trying to get some other pipes some time that's been crowded out by various Sherlock Holmes pipes. Even did a significant herd thinning recently (but I see the new Iora spigot arrives tomorrow, lol).
BurleyI have this weird sense there is some commonality between those blends. Like I should be able to figure it out but it's just a mystery.
I have a few that I keep deep in my cellar like Escudo, Stokkebye luxury flakes (all of them), Windjammer, HH Dark Fired, and Bayou Morning Flake. But I always try to buy a couple tins of something new. Just in case.
Good thread. I hope to someday have a small rotation of blends, but that's a ways off. That's just what happens when you impulsively buy an "insta-cellar" off of someone, and for the following X amount of months (about 20 currently), it becomes an immersion into an overwhelming smorgasbord of variety. There are more pros and cons to this strategy, I have found, but it does take a considerable amount of time to try everything and suss out one's preferences, especially at the rate that I smoke. I have no regrets, but if I had to start over from scratch, my basic rotation sans discontinued blends* would look something like this:
1) Ashton Gold Rush
2) Capstan Blue
3) GLP Windjammer
4) PS LBF
5) Mac Baren Vanilla Roll Cake
6) Ashton Winding Road
7) Peterson EMP
8) Sutliff Balkan Sobranie Orig. Mix Match
* Two discontinued blends I'd add to make an even 10 would be my favorites from Drew Estate, Gatsby Luxury Flake and Grand Central.
1) Ashton Gold Rush
2) Capstan Blue
3) GLP Windjammer
4) PS LBF
5) Mac Baren Vanilla Roll Cake
6) Ashton Winding Road
7) Peterson EMP
8) Sutliff Balkan Sobranie Orig. Mix Match
* Two discontinued blends I'd add to make an even 10 would be my favorites from Drew Estate, Gatsby Luxury Flake and Grand Central.
There are blends I always keep in rotation:
There are other blends I have stashed away that I pull out from time to time - I have some Balkan Blue open right now, for example.
And then there's the things I am trying out - GLP Westminster and Lombard are currently in that category.
- HH Burley Flake
- Mac B Golden Extra
- Lane RR
- One of Amphora Original or Burley
- Peterson Standard
- Peterson Old Dublin
- One of SG Balkan Flake, Navy Flake, Bothy Flake
- HH Latakia Flake
- Mac B Mixture (Scottish)
- Sutliff Va Slices
- PS Natural Dutch Cavendish
- PS Norwegian
- McCranie's Murdoch's Pipe
There are other blends I have stashed away that I pull out from time to time - I have some Balkan Blue open right now, for example.
And then there's the things I am trying out - GLP Westminster and Lombard are currently in that category.
I'm generally intending to have open 1 type of tobacco I like, so a straight burley/VA, vabur, vaper and a English mixture.
I tend toward endless variety. There are many blends I savor that I don't reorder, simply because I have so many others on hand or waiting. I enjoy greatly, but don't have any on hand, a whole list including the oft mentioned Pegasus, Billy Budd, Dark Burley, Haddo's Delight, and so on.
At the moment I am rotating between Lane 1-Q, Early Morning Pipe, Presbyterian, Orlik Golden Slices, Plum Pudding, and Astley's #109. It sort of vaguely seems like I should concentrate on a smaller number, but then again… each of them sort of calls in its own way. ?
seems like a pretty solid rotation. Like it covers a good amount of ground without getting confusing. Though one question where is the burly?
I love my 1Q. I always do some reading on different tobaccos and order an ounce of something that intrests me to try. I just ordered an ounce of RLP 6. I like it. Going to order more with my next purchase.
Jef
My rotation list is categorized in Tolkienian terms --
And finally, to the tobaccos:
The Green Dragon
I'm not closed to adding and adjusting, I guess, but at this point I'd prefer just to settle into this list.
- "The Green Dragon"
These tobaccos are akin to one's local pub. They are my daily go-tos. My comfortable, homey, settled rotation.
- "There and Back Again"
These tobaccos are less frequent choices for me, but I want to always have them on hand. Many of these are my "red ribbon" tobaccos -- I strongly like them, but perhaps not quite as much as those in the above list. Some of them I may enjoy about as much, and yet in a way that I'm not always in the mood for. Some might be here for situational reasons.
- "Lothlorien"
These tobaccos are too rare/expensive to have often. I love them, but they'll have to remain special-occasion smokes.
- "The Book of Lost Tales"
These tobaccos are loves who've passed away. I have a little left of these, but I'll never finish the last bowl. RIP, old friends.
- "The Book of (Might as Well Be) Lost Tales"
These tobaccos are theoretically still alive, but where? I'll keep in stock for rare use, if I ever can.
And finally, to the tobaccos:
The Green Dragon
- HH Pure VA
- Newminster 400 Superior Navy Flake
- Luxury Navy Flake
- J.M.’s Private Stock (Boswell)
- Plum Pudding
- C&D Super Balkan
- "The Floating Log’s Finest"
(This is my own, carefully dialed-in blend of existing mixtures, meant as a tribute to the dearly-missed Frog Morton series. It is most like FMC.)
- Capstan Blue
- Union Square
- Aged OGS
(I adore it at 10 years, but don't love it fresh. The age requirement is the only thing keeping this off my regular rotation.) - Squadron Leader
- Mississippi Mud
- Ennerdale Flake
(this would be in my weekly rotation if the sauce were as strong as it used to be)
- Esoterica Penzance
- Esoterica Dunbar
- Wessex Classic Virginia (ORIGINAL)
(This changed around 2014. Tins older than that are the best VA I've ever had. Post 2014 I strongly dislike.) - Frog Morton’s Cellar
- Shortcut To Mushrooms (Just For Him)
- Butera Pelican
I'm not closed to adding and adjusting, I guess, but at this point I'd prefer just to settle into this list.
I have about 75 blends open (in jars). My cellar is not nearly so diverse, but it’s not just a few blends either. I like variety, and I’d estimate 75% of my smoking is of 20 or so blends, with the majority of that of 10 or so of those 20.
I too have a few favorites that I keep on hand and some others that I’ve tried and liked but might not buy again. There are so many blends out there that I couldn’t possibly keep everyone I like in any kind of rotation. I stick with my old reliables and venture into something new once in a while.
I don't actively cellar any more. I have but one solitary jar of Mac Baren's Latakia roll cake left.
After losing my McClelland's blends, I'm now in "discovery" mode, exploring GLP and C&D etc... to find new pipe partners.
After losing my McClelland's blends, I'm now in "discovery" mode, exploring GLP and C&D etc... to find new pipe partners.
I think the longer I smoke the more I feel like most of my smokes should be old reliable. Though that curiosity itch is like that itch on the back of my knee. It's not an often itch but dang it if it's not a demanding itch when it shows up.
Nothing "regular" about my rotation. Depending on the type of blend I intend to smoke I just scan my pipes and pick one I haven't smoke in a while. 
with pipes I just pick one on a whim. It's a semi regular rotation some end up in it more then others but generally usually smoke each pipe a few times in a two week period.Nothing "regular" about my rotation. Depending on the type of blend I intend to smoke I just scan my pipes and pick one I haven't smoke in a while.
I have a two pipe rotation. Peterson Standard System 303s, one smooth, the other rusticated so I can tell 'em apart.
I have other pipes, but my brace of 303s seem the do most of the heavy lifting.
I have other pipes, but my brace of 303s seem the do most of the heavy lifting.