Some direction?

[seagullplayer]

So far I have tried:
Captain Black

A tobacco store cherry blend

A tobacco store "Hoosier" - Their Captain Black knock-off IMO

Middleton Cherry Blend

Carter Hall
I know this is a very small sample of low end offerings.
But my favorite so far is Carter Hall.
I don't think I can tell you at this point why I like one over the other, but I can tell that I do.

I don't find any of them gut wrenching, and will end up smoking them all over time.
But based on this very small data sample, where should I go next? I would like to try a shot at a higher end blend, but I hate to shoot into the dark. Can you offer some suggestions?

 

[jgriff]

It's a pretty small selection of data but the consistent answer there may be keep a little distance from aromatics. You probably want to try more "natural" tobaccos. I'd worry more about styles, than particular brands at this point. If you have a local tobacco store, then you may want to try their bulk offerings but there are obviously a ton of choices online as well.
I'd try a light English (maybe McClelland's Frog Morton, Middleton's Walnut, Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe) and a straight virginia (Rattray's Old Gowrie or McClelland's Red Cake or Black Shag).

 

[johnnyiii]

Im the opposite. After trying many blends I still love my aromatics the most and the people around me like them better to. I've grown to like the sweeter and nutty ones though over the fruity ones.
But to jgriff's point you won't know if you like english blends until you try one. They also grow on you. I would add to his list above Mac Barren Latakia Role Cake. Note though that some of the english blends will be different then what you might be use to if you never had them, and will burn your tongue / bite it unless you smoke it slower and easier. Especially Early morning pipe and straight virginia.
If you don't have a local tobacconist try someone like smokingpipes.com. They can offer some bulk 1oz samples for you to buy and try and will through in a free 1oz most times. A local guy though will likely let you try some pinches onsite for free. Either way they will be better quality then the over the counter stuff.
My favorite aro's at smokingpipes is Mcclellands chocolate cream, and amaretto amore. Just Plain nut is really nice as well. the latter two light and burn really well.
my 2 cents and lessons learned after returning to pipe smoking since thanksgiving.

 

[rmbittner]

I'm not familiar with Carter Hall's flavor profile, but I did notice that you've tried two cherry blends.
If you'd like to "step up" a bit, I'd recommend a tin of Rattray's Terry Red; it won't overwhelm you with cherry flavor, but it will bring some real -- and high-quality -- tobacco flavor to the mix. I think of it as an austere cherry (which may not be what you want at all), but it'll at least show you a different facet of the cherry-aromatic style.
Honestly, though, 100 of us could suggest 100 "next steps" for you! But I'll suggest a blend I've enjoyed for a number of years that is easy to smoke but rewarding in terms of flavor: McClelland 221B: Honeydew. (No, there's no honeydew in it!) It's a Virginia-based blend that has been lightly sweetened with molasses. It will only taste lightly sweet in the bowl; the predominant flavor is of rich, high-quality Virginias. I think this one would be a great introduction to VAs, with the molasses added a tiny bit of something extra to help ease the transition for you. ("Honeydew" can mean different things to different blenders; this style -- VA with molasses -- is known as an Irish honeydew.)
I don't care for "light" English blends; to me, they're just insipid. But if you'd like to jump into the "English" style -- meaning a VA-based blend "seasoned" with latakia and other oriental leaf -- with both feet, I'd suggest Dunhill Standard Mixture or Butera Royal Vintage: Latakia No. 1. Both of these are excellent English blends that are easy to pack and smoke.
Bob

 

[virginiacob]

Another OTC blend that I've found that has a good flavor but is still a fairly mild blend is Prince Albert which is a traditional Virginia and Burley blend.
As for as higher end blends, my advice if you have a local pipe and tobacco shop in your area, is to see what blends they have to offer and don't be afraid to experiment with different blends until you find the ones that you truly like. There are plenty of online sites (including many sponsors on here) who sell top quality blends and there are plenty of good folks on this forum who will recommend some really great blends, but ultimately your taste in tobacco is very individual and being able to visit a shop where you can smell the different blends and consult with a local tobacconist should add to your pipe smoking enjoyment. If you don't have a pipe tobacco shop in your area, then I know that many of the folks on here can offer you some good suggestions and any of the site sponsors who sell tobacco would be more than happy to help you with your next selection as well.

 

[Perique]

If you like Carter Hall, I agree with the post above: give Mac Baren Golden Extra a try.
If you like Captain Black, why not try your first flake: Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake.
Other than that, your best bet may be to go onto a sponsor's site and order a bulk blend sampler. Pipes and Cigars .com, for example, has a great variety of their Hearth and Home house brand and offers sampler packs. Get a little taste of each blend style. You may find you like English blends, VaPers, or etc far more than the OTC offerings.