It seems as time goes on, and I try new blends, what I liked before satisfies me less and less. This last year, my first year of pupe smoking, I fell in love with C&D blends. Thinking now it was mainly the marketing. As I've ventured away I have discovered a few that are just...richer? Fuller? More complex? I dont know. The only C&D blend that I think stills holds up, that I've tried, is Old Joe. The ones I loved before feel a bit hollow. They are good, no doubt, but they no longer seem great. Right now, great to me would be Erinmore, OJK, Presb, and Newminster Navy. I want to find more. What are some blends are known for truly being great?
Time Tested Blends
- Thread starter dcicero
- Start date
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Answers to your question are going to vary greatly.. Smokers like different kinds of blends and some prefer specific blenders. So to set off the first landmine, here's a few of my favs:
Ogdens St Bruno
Gawith FVF
Gawith SJF
Capstan Blue
Solani Silver
Esoterica Dunbar
Gl Pease - Union Square
F&T FVP
Rattray's HOTW
That's a few to start off with. I could easily multiply this by a factor of 8.
Ogdens St Bruno
Gawith FVF
Gawith SJF
Capstan Blue
Solani Silver
Esoterica Dunbar
Gl Pease - Union Square
F&T FVP
Rattray's HOTW
That's a few to start off with. I could easily multiply this by a factor of 8.
For another good Virginia flake, Capstan Blue. I’ve tried quite a few of the more popular blends of this style, and this is among my favorites. Less finicky than many similar blends as well.
Since you mentioned Presbyterian, I’d also recommend hearth and home White Knight. Both are pretty forward on the orientals, and white knight certainly has more Latakia. They are different blends for sure, but white knight has a sweetness that I think Virgina smokers would like, if you at all enjoy Latakia that is. FYI white knight was designed as a match for the old Balkan Sobranie from the 70s. Never had the original Balkan Sobranie, but I’ve had the new version and much prefer White Knight.
Since you mentioned Presbyterian, I’d also recommend hearth and home White Knight. Both are pretty forward on the orientals, and white knight certainly has more Latakia. They are different blends for sure, but white knight has a sweetness that I think Virgina smokers would like, if you at all enjoy Latakia that is. FYI white knight was designed as a match for the old Balkan Sobranie from the 70s. Never had the original Balkan Sobranie, but I’ve had the new version and much prefer White Knight.
Amphora original blend. Early Morning Pipe. Squadron Leader. Irish Flake. Deluxe Navy Rolls.
SG Best Brown Flake (it even has the word "Best" in the name)
Orlik GS (smoked by more than shrewd judges, these days)
2 of my favorites right there
Orlik GS (smoked by more than shrewd judges, these days)
2 of my favorites right there
At least a few people must think every blend out there is great. Otherwise, nobody would buy it and it would cease to exist. The OP listed 4 blends he thinks great. None of the 4 would be packed in one of my pipes. So the question is futile due to the complete subjectivity. I would agree with Jesse on 90% of his list.
I am not giving any advice of a specific blend with purpose first of all because we have all different tastes and what is good for me is bad for another one and second because our taste and preference can change quite a lot particularly at the beginning of the pipe experience.
What I would suggest first to look at tobacco reviews for each genre the blends with the highest score (with at least 30 reviews). And second don't be afraid to cuts different from the ribbon such as flake, plugs, twists and coins because IMO are always the best (never had a bad one) and you also learn how to manage tobacco.
What I would suggest first to look at tobacco reviews for each genre the blends with the highest score (with at least 30 reviews). And second don't be afraid to cuts different from the ribbon such as flake, plugs, twists and coins because IMO are always the best (never had a bad one) and you also learn how to manage tobacco.
Esoterica Dunbar has already been mentioned. Dunhill (Peterson) blends might intrigue you too: Elizabethan Mix and Nightcap come to mind. If there ever were blends that were "time tested" those two would be it.
You liking Erinmore Flake and all I would highly recommend you try St. Bruno, it’s definitely tried and true.
As was pointed out, this is totally subjective. It varies from smoker to smoker, and is apt to change for an individual smoker as their tastes change, over time.
What’s really going to fry your noodle is when you are able to finally come full circle and find things to appreciate in a blend you only tried while starting out.
Except all those C&D blends. Meh.
Except all those C&D blends. Meh.
A fellow at the church I attend once told me "time is a testament". That phrase has stuck with me.
I won't bother recommending specific blends, but it's worth noting that some blends on the market have a very long lineage (even if their current incarnations are reputedly different from their predecessors). I'm always interested in trying venerable old blends, because there's usually a reason they've remained popular for 50+ years. Time is a testament.
I won't bother recommending specific blends, but it's worth noting that some blends on the market have a very long lineage (even if their current incarnations are reputedly different from their predecessors). I'm always interested in trying venerable old blends, because there's usually a reason they've remained popular for 50+ years. Time is a testament.
Escudo is awfully good and several of the Dunhill series, particularly Nightcap, Early Morning Pipe, and Ye Olde Signe.
+1
If you enjoy flakes then Capstan Blue is a perennial favorite and has earned the title of a time tested blend.
IMO flakes don’t get any better than Gawith‘s FVF and SJF, particularly with 5+ years aging. That said, enjoyment of Gawith flakes seems to be an elusive mystery to some smokers as documented on various threads. They can demand some experimentation to dial in a method that works for you.
I'm still a fan of C&D blends, specific ones, but I'll steer clear of those. You might try small quantities of various Daughters and Ryan blends, depending on what sounds good to you. I was greatly surprised to find SWRA to my liking; it is burley based, but has Virginia as a condiment, and is flavored with three liqueurs but is tobacco forward. I like PS Amsterdam as a regular in my rotation.
I've got a pouch of SWRA in the mail which I tacked onto an order earlier this week. After seeing you mention SWRA several times describing it as you do above, I thought it might be up my alley, so I checked into it and saw lots of good reviews on Tobaccoreviews. I smoke a lot of burley (since I love the burley and cob combo - probably no surprise to anyone since I mention it constantly) and the tobacco-forward aro sounds like something I would enjoy, maybe like Carter Hall but a little different, maybe just a little more aromatic. I've actually got a few other similar burley-based light aro blends on the way with that order, and I plan to post a burley cob showdown review once I smoke through enough of each blend to familiarize myself with them, so thank you in advance for your recommendation.
Based on some of the blends you've named, I highly recommend you try GL Pease Barbary Coast.