So Many Choices, So Little Time

[boudreaux]

First, I'd like to thank those of you who've all made satisfying recommendations as to tobaccos to try after an almost 40 year hiatus from pipe smoking. Each has been pretty much as you described, whether it was taste, tin note, room note, or just general "smoothness," as I call it.
I see many more choices to sample. What concerns me is that due to budgetary and time restraints, I may not settle on some blends to stockpile before the outrageous price increases may settle in.
Any suggestions for a good methodology to use for this?
I lean toward aromatics, but have sampled Dunhill Flake and Mac Baren Navy Flake and found them pleasant. First impression is that I liked the Navy Flake better, but I did not use the same methods in preparing each, or the same pipe.
Aromatics I've tried and liked were Molto Dolce; Wike's Rumcake; Wilke's #191 and #192, Wilke's Bleeker Street; Carey's Grandma's Apple Pie (too chemical and did not like, but maybe it was the pipe), and several B&M blends from local shops and from 30 years ago in a Texas shop.
If you can get a sense of what I might like, I'm all ears. Keeping hearing and reading about Stokebeye's(sp?) Nougat and Lane 1Q and Black House, but also many others. In the past, I smoked a lot of the Mac Baren round tin blends, like Symphony (forget the names of others by MacB, or whether I ever tried any Dunhill blends. Remember visiting the Alfred Dunhill store on 5th Avenue in NYC long ago, but don't recall if I bought any tobacco there.
Again, thank you for all of the great recommendations.

 

[cigrmaster]

boudreaux, when I am testing a new blend, I will smoke multiple bowls in a variety of pipes to get a feel for it. In regards to flakes, I cube cut all of mine and smoke them in dedicated pipes. I have my VA flake pipes and my Vaper flake pipes. If you have a group 4-5 Dublin, Billiard, Apple, Lovat try the flakes in those but I believe to get their full flavors they need to be smoked in dedicated pipes.
Here are a few flakes that I can recommend. I do have many others but these are readily available and I do not want to give you a huge list.
Solani Silver Flake for a Virginia/kentucky

Peterson University Flake, I think since you enjoy aromatics, you will find the plum casing on this enjoyable.

Escudo for a Vaper Flake

 

[rmbittner]

Remember visiting the Alfred Dunhill store on 5th Avenue in NYC long ago, but don't recall if I bought any tobacco there.

Alas, that window has closed. The last time I was at that shop -- maybe in 2009 -- they had stopped selling anything tobacco related. No pipes, no cigars, and definitely no more tobacco.
As for the methodology for exploring blends. . . Wow, that's a tough one. The "biggies," as you've noted, are Stokkebye's Nougat and Lane's 1Q, the best-selling aromatics from those two blenders and some of the best-selling aromatics in the world. (And, since I'm not much of an aromatic smoker, the only ones on your list that I've tried!) But I'd suggest starting with those. They are more similar than they are different, though, so they won't help you focus in on any specific type of aromatic to try next.
I guess I'd have to say that your exploration should focus first on those companies well-known and respected for high-quality aromatic blends. That means you can pretty much ignore the fine GLPease blends, Dunhill, Butera, Germain/Esoterica, Rattray's, and nearly all of McClelland's line. Those blenders are best known for other types of blends. I would suggest -- and, again, this is coming from someone without much depth of experience in this area! -- focusing first on tinned blends from Cornell & Diehl, as well as the aromatics from Peterson and MacBaren (although I'm not a fan of most of their blends). Another highlight would be Dan Tobacco's Blue Note. Both Stokkebye and Lane produce a ton of bulk aromatics; it might help to at least consider the reviews of them posted at TobaccoReviews.com to help narrow the field. Other companies produce aromatics, of course, but I've heard very little comment about them: Brebbia and CAO come to mind. If you'd really like to adventure beyond the norm, you might consider some of the aromatic-y blends from Samuel Gawith and Gawith & Hoggarth, although these will likely be far different from what you're used to.
Bob

 

[supdog]

boudreaux, I'm in the same boat. The only difference is I prefer english/balkan blends. For me it's the combination of oriental and latakia that I like. I need to place an order soon. I want to try some more of Mr Peases blends (Caravan is a fav of mine). I've had most of Russ's blends and like them all (some more than others). Pirate Kake and Star of the East are two I also want to try. The list goes on and on, too many blends ,too little time!

 

[numbersix]

I think you speak for many of us boudreaux. I am still trying as many tobaccos as I can - buying them in small bulk amounts when possible and single tins when necessary.
I would recommend trying one from each group of tobaccos, VAs, VaPers, VaBurs, English blends, etc. etc. There's lots of recommendations here and at tobaccoreviews.com.
I will say that according to some here, aromatics, if sealed properly, can go 10 years or more with no ill effect. One of our members wrote:

Over the last 10 years I have been heavy into Aro's. Some of my first blends from 15 years ago are still in good shape. I smoked a blend I stored 17 years ago last week, and it smoked and tasted just like it did 3 years ago, which I remember was what it tasted like 7 years ago.

Captain Bob once wrote about aros:

I have mixed five-pounds and stored it in quart mason jars simply sealed with a twist of the cap and opened them three years later with absolutely no change in smoking pleasure at all.

But also keep in mind that what you might not be impressed with now you might love years from now.
Here's some recommendations I've saved from members here:
English (with latakia): Dunhill's Standard Mixture, Dunhill's London Mixture, GLPease's Westminster, Esoterica's Margate
Balkan Blends: McClelland's Grand Orientals: Yenidje Highlander, GLPease's Caravan
Oriental Blends: Presbyterian Mixture, Rattray's Red Rapparee, Robert McConnell's Oriental Mixture
Virginia Blends: Rattray's Old Gowrie, Rattray's Hal o' the Wynd, GLPease's Embarcadero
Virginia Flakes: Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake, Rattray's Marlin Flake, Butera's Royal Vintage: Matured Flake
Virginia/Perique Blends: A&C Peterson's Escudo, GLPease's Haddo's Delight
Virginia/Burley Blends: Esoterica's Stonehaven, Solani's Aged Burley Flake, Gawith and Hoggarth's Bob's Chocolate Flake and Best Brown #2, Samuel Gawith's Best Brown Flake

 

[boudreaux]

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice. Always good info from members here.