Subtle but Flavorful Aros
- Thread starter Verdant
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I like Mac Baren Vanilla Roll Cake, Dark Twist and also, University Flake. Lighter toppings/casings that do not overwhelm the tobacco taste.
I second @hoosierpipeguy and cast my vote for MacBaren VRC. Just the tin note is incredible, but the flavor is super mild and never overly dessert-y. Likewise, two other MacB aros I had right out of the gate, Vanilla Cream (flake or ready rubbed), and Original Choice.
Just as a side note, a while back, @mso489 gave a pretty sound piece of advice that spoke to me quite strongly: if the blender makes exclusively aromatics and nothing else, proceed cautiously, since you might be setting yourself up for a trip to Goop City. Take CAO, for example. Four blends in production, all aros. Moontrance I like, but only when properly dried. The other three? For me, that was more than just a trip to Goop City...that was an extended stay! So FWIW, it's a good idea to look into what the blending company is all about beforehand. No need to know its whole history or anything, just a cursory knowledge. If I had looked into Sutliff or Lane a little bit in the beginning, I might have only tried a couple different things, instead of snatching up anything that looked like it would satiate my sweet tooth. Live and learn, right?
Good luck on your search. Lots of good suggestions on this thread, for sure.
Just as a side note, a while back, @mso489 gave a pretty sound piece of advice that spoke to me quite strongly: if the blender makes exclusively aromatics and nothing else, proceed cautiously, since you might be setting yourself up for a trip to Goop City. Take CAO, for example. Four blends in production, all aros. Moontrance I like, but only when properly dried. The other three? For me, that was more than just a trip to Goop City...that was an extended stay! So FWIW, it's a good idea to look into what the blending company is all about beforehand. No need to know its whole history or anything, just a cursory knowledge. If I had looked into Sutliff or Lane a little bit in the beginning, I might have only tried a couple different things, instead of snatching up anything that looked like it would satiate my sweet tooth. Live and learn, right?
Good luck on your search. Lots of good suggestions on this thread, for sure.
Wowza, thanks all for all the great recommendations. Nice to at least have the field narrowed some. Picked up some dark flake b/c it was all I could find at a local B&M on your suggestion list and it sounds like the maple takes a back seat.
Also very intrigued by Sillem’s Black, but it sold out on smoking pipes and I life in WA
. Glengarry Flake and
PS Luxury Twist Flake also caught my eye.
Can you guys defend English Chocolate, Mac Beren Vanilla Flake, or DT Sweet Vanilla Honeydew to me? Anything with a flavor in the name normally is a signal to me to look elsewhere. So engrained I'm unlikely to ever try them. Goopy? Sweet? Or more of a hint/nudge?
Also very intrigued by Sillem’s Black, but it sold out on smoking pipes and I life in WA
. Glengarry Flake and PS Luxury Twist Flake also caught my eye.
Can you guys defend English Chocolate, Mac Beren Vanilla Flake, or DT Sweet Vanilla Honeydew to me? Anything with a flavor in the name normally is a signal to me to look elsewhere. So engrained I'm unlikely to ever try them. Goopy? Sweet? Or more of a hint/nudge?
I'm going to send you a PM. I can get you squared away on a few things.Wowza, thanks all for all the great recommendations. Nice to at least have the field narrowed some. Picked up some dark flake b/c it was all I could find at a local B&M on your suggestion list and it sounds like the maple takes a back seat.
Also very intrigued by Sillem’s Black, but it sold out on smoking pipes and I life in WA
PS Luxury Twist Flake also caught my eye.
Can you guys defend English Chocolate, Mac Beren Vanilla Flake, or DT Sweet Vanilla Honeydew to me? Anything with a flavor in the name normally is a signal to me to look elsewhere. So engrained I'm unlikely to ever try them. Goopy? Sweet? Or more of a hint/nudge?
War horse green, sutliffs eastfarthing, Mac baren plumb pudding, Bengal slices, PS luxury navy flake, just to name a few. These aren't strictly aromatic blends but do have some taste and flavor. I can smoke Lane 1-Q every now and then but it's more like a desert tobacco after I've smoked a strong English and want a bowl of something else right after.
Amphora Red Full, Erinmore flake, St Brunos and G&H Co Best Brown nro 2, all these aforementioned are medium strength tobacco forward,subtle blends
I find Dark Strong Kentucky to me a light aromatic on an aromatic fire cure, IMO. Also, Astleys 44 is a nice licorice aromatic also. Heck, everything Esoterica makes is an aromatic, if we are talking about just being able to taste something sweet and licoricey or treacly in the mix.
I think DSK is unavailable but Peter Heinrich Dark Strong Flake is similar (maybe the same?)
It's funny how many people now say that they like Royal Yacht. For years it has been a pariah of blends, usually blamed for making pipesmokers sick at the taste. And, those of us who liked it were seen as strange or odd. Of course me are, but I wonder if the recipe has changed. No one has called it Royal Yuck yet.
I know. Kept me from trying it for 20 years! Big mistake. A favorite blend now.
Sounds like something has gone wrong with the recipe. Ha ha. I will have to try it again. I may not like it now, ha ha.
I bought my first tins of Royal Yacht several years ago. My first impression was that it sucked and tasted like ass! The medium level nic hit brought me back to it a couple times and then I was reaching for it frequently. Now I am cellared deep in it and crave it when I stray too far into other blends.
Tried the MB's Dark Twist today and my opinion of it is skewed because of a hurried packing job --- more than average relights, smoked a little hot, tiniest bit of tongue bite b/c of that but I would attribute that to my worst pack in who knows how long.
I definitely appreciated how much the maple took a back seat --- really just seemed to complement the Kentucky. I picked up on mostly dark-fired Kentucky with just a hint of Virginias. It didn't knock my socks off, but it was good. Interested to see how this does with a better pack since that can change a lot. I found myself missing my Orientals and perique, but that's the point of asking this question. Trying to branch out just a bit. Still look forward to trying Sutliff Black.
I definitely appreciated how much the maple took a back seat --- really just seemed to complement the Kentucky. I picked up on mostly dark-fired Kentucky with just a hint of Virginias. It didn't knock my socks off, but it was good. Interested to see how this does with a better pack since that can change a lot. I found myself missing my Orientals and perique, but that's the point of asking this question. Trying to branch out just a bit. Still look forward to trying Sutliff Black.
Even though those three have flavorings in their names, they aren't overpoweringly flavored?