Tried to speak English today

[uperepik]

I've only had aro's and a few burley's so far which I enjoy. I figured I would give a English blend a try so I Bought a tin of Dunhill My Mixture 965 since it was the number one seller. First I want to say I have no doubt that's a great tobacco and I'm a total noob. however I had a hard time with it. It smells like Copenhagen fine cut, and had a spice taste to eat that was a bit funky. So do these things change with aging or is this just the kind of taste to expect from a English? Is there another that would be better for a beginner to try? What tobacco gives that Copenhagen smell?

 

[stvalentine]

Well, the first try on English or Balkan tobaccos is always very special, especially when you come from aros. Some people will never get it and some are instantly hooked (or get to love them over time). So keep trying for a while. The slight tanginess is one of the characteristics but it is less with Balkan mixtures.

 

[pagan]

Might be the orientals your not used to, give Dunhill BB1938 and EMP a try, bit milder and a great way to break into English, and both are great smokes

 

[mso489]

Definitely jar it and keep it in the cabinet. You'll come back to it and be delighted, eventually, I think. In the meantime, if you'd like to try a mild, extra refined English, I'd suggest Nat Sherman 536. You can buy it online in a tin. I tried it at the store in Manhattan, bought in bulk, and was immediately pleased. I have another tin on hand. Another milder English available in bulk is Peter Stokkeby's Proper English. Buy in small quantities until you get a range on what you like. Your tastes will evolve a lot over a year or two. What you find harsh now will later unfold for you, in all probability.

 

[uperepik]

Thank you guys. I know taste will definitely change over time, is there a particular leave that takes over and gives it that smell or is it just so different because there's no topping

 

[jpmcwjr]

Probably Virginias, cased less than that found in aromatics. You might trying drying that tobacco down a fair amount before loading. Many Dunhill tobaccos are overly moist for optimum smoking right out of the tin.

 

[mortonbriar]

I always suggest the Mcclellands red cake 5100, its available everywhere online and in bulk and is naturally sweet if that is still what you are looking for after the aromatics.
Isaac

 

[jmagen]

Yeah I know where you're coming from. 965 first tasted like an old ashtray (or a "tire fire" as it were). Came back to it a couple months later, now I'm a total fanboy of the stuff.

 

[pipestud]

I try to speak English every day... without much success.

 

[toobfreak]

From aro to 965 is going pretty cold turkey. You have gone one of the most extreme jumps you can find! Maybe soften it a little by mixing a little aro in with it or some sweet Virginia and take it is smaller steps, putting the rest away to age a little.

 

[ophiuchus]

Mixing with something neutral, mild or pleasant is a good idea.
For something a little less on the edge than MM965 ... maybe a Froggie? Frog Morton On the Town (if you like an Oriental inflection) or Frog Morton Cellar (smoky Virginia/Lat with a hint of whiskey)? ::

 

[monty55]

GLP Chelsea Morning will get you there, and back again!

 

[wyfbane]

+1 ophiuchus. The McClelland Frog series was always how I was told to bridge to Englishes. I used SPC Plum Pudding, instead. I don't do things easy in life. Lol

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Do try some Frog Morton Cellar.
My favorite English blends are Cornell & Diehl Star of the East for a good full bulk Latakia blend, then G.L. Pease Gaslight and Captain Earle's Stimulus Package for some more premium blends.

 

[kiel]

Did you try letting it air out? I often find that tobacco straight from a freshly opened tin doesn't smoke at 100%. With some breathing time it should taste better.

 

[deathmetal]

I often find that tobacco straight from a freshly opened tin doesn't smoke at 100%.

I have noticed this with some blends as well.
Another suggestion above was a good one: mix it with something fairly neutral, like a Burley blend.
This minimizes the English flavors and lets your tongue sort them as background influences, so that the next time you smoke this blend, they will be more familiar to you.

 

[fuzzysocks99]

I too am trying to expand my field of non-aro blends but am finding most have Latakia in them! Should I try for more of a Va/per?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Sounds very reasonable! Or a straight VA.

 

[shutterbugg]

MM965 is not an English by the strictest definition, although it contains Latakia. It's more correctly a Scottish, as it also contains ample quantity of unflavored brown cavendish. I happen to like MM965, but even better Aperitif, which is very similar but less Latakia-forward, allowing the other components to share their voices.

 

[hawky454]

Ive been dipping Copenhagen far, far too long and I don't pick up anything even remotely close to that in 965 or any other English for that matter. When I first smelled it I was floored with how wonderful the aroma was, I get more of a smoky BBQ type smell than dip. That being said, I think I've heard others say the same thing about English tobacco and those are the folks who usually don't get along with them for what ever reason. Strange how we perceive things so differently.

Did you try letting it air out? I often find that tobacco straight from a freshly opened tin doesn't smoke at 100%. With some breathing time it should taste better.

This is most certainly true. It took me a long time to figure this out but I started noticing that the blend started tasting amazing by the bottom of the tin so it turns out I've been waisting the first 3/4's of a tin because I was smoking it right away. Oxygen can do wonders for tobacco. I find this to be true even with aged tobaccos, however, most people will tell you to smoke it up as soon as possible but in my experience it pays to wait.