Try More Blends or Cellar What I Know?

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TheWhale13

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 12, 2021
803
3,417
Sweden
Title edited for caps. Rule 9! Thank you.

I am facing a bit of a dilemma right now. I don't know if I should prepare myself for the tobaccopocalypse and rising prices by buying what I like now, or if I should try new things? I am a beginner still, so I have not experienced a lot of tobaccos, and that is why I'm so hesitant about cellaring right now. Maybe I should compromise and do a bit of both?

Does anyone have some wisdom to share?
 
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Andriko

Can't Leave
Nov 8, 2021
379
939
London
If you've found sutff you really like, go deep on it and get the occasional of something else. I've only been smoking about a year, and already a few of the blends I liked are gone.
 
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Peter Turbo

Lifer
Oct 18, 2021
1,157
8,292
CT, USA
I'm two years deep and still in the try phase, basically anything I taste now that impressed with from the first bowl goes on a list. There's only been a few blends, less than 5 maybe, where I've tried and been like "damn I'm ordering more of this right now". I probably have over 120 different blends at the moment and most of those are just one timers, things I have 2oz or less of because I bought them to try.

This brings me back to my rant about not being able to purchase tobacco in grams to try in the USA, like they have in the UK (not sure if EU gets this as well) where they can get 10g samples. Honestly I weighed it out and I'd be fine anywhere between 5-7g for samples. I don't need an ounce (in some case minimum two ounces! kbv and wcc I'm looking at you!!) of something to tell if I'm gonna like it or not.

Tough call to make since you're new I'd say keep trying new things but you could end up strung out like me trying to figure it out after two years still. It's annoying to be like "yeah id be good with this xyz blend i just tried" only to find something you like more a week later and now we're starting all over again.

Good luck.
 
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reloader

Lifer
Dec 5, 2021
1,978
23,976
Southern, NM
I try to cellar the blends I like the most and get an oz. of several new blends each time I order. I like to have at least an oz. of something I haven't tried because there have been a few blends that the first bowl was not enjoyable, but when I went back for subsequent bowls I realized I liked the blend. I think you have a bit of time until the hammer falls so order small amounts of the things you want to try. Your tastes may also change over time, so the blends you find you love in the near future may not be the ones you love 15-20 years from now. My cellar isn't big enough to last that long so I don't have to worry about that just yet.
 

Servant King

Lifer
Nov 27, 2020
4,111
22,270
38
Frazier Park, CA
www.thechembow.com
I'd go with cellaring. As time goes on, this will be the more difficult of the two options to pursue successfully, both in terms of availability and cost. I've obtained samples from more fellow forum members than I can count on one hand, so that's certainly an option for you. It's a great way to try a variety of new blends. Pipe smokers are a generous lot, by and large. puffy
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,223
Alaska
This brings me back to my rant about not being able to purchase tobacco in grams to try in the USA, like they have in the UK (not sure if EU gets this as well) where they can get 10g samples. Honestly I weighed it out and I'd be fine anywhere between 5-7g for samples. I don't need an ounce (in some case minimum two ounces! kbv and wcc I'm looking at you!!) of something to tell if I'm gonna like it or not.
Agree. Bigtime. I would have less than half the tobacco I have now if samples were available.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,831
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
I am facing a bit of a dilemma right now. I don't know if I should prepare myself for the tobaccopocalypse and rising prices by buying what I like now, or if I should try new things? I am a beginner still, so I have not experienced a lot of tobaccos, and that is why I'm so hesitant about cellaring right now. Maybe I should compromise and do a bit of both?

Does anyone have some wisdom to share?
Do both.
 

brandaves

Can't Leave
Jan 5, 2020
347
2,661
Kentucky
I say do both.

When I first jumped in I ordered a lot of everything. Most of it tinned. That was a good thing and a bad thing. I now have anywhere from 7 ounces to a pound of some blends that I don't consider necessary for my cellar, but what I do have is trade stock, PIF candidates and things to revisit should my tastes evolve over time.

I have begun to gravitate my deep cellaring to inexpensive staples that I can get in bulk. I'm a Virginia lover so for me things like Newminster 400, Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, Luxury Navy Flake and 507C. I can get a pound of those for $40. I cellar a handful of tins as they become available such as the Rattray's usual suspects and Wessex. A collector is a collector so I hesitate to say my cellar will ever truly be "done" but I could happily make do smoking any of those Virginia blends and breaking up any boredom with a tin of this or that along the way.

To sum all that up, I'd suggest finding some inexpensive bulk blends that you can cellar and enjoy later. As you do that include a tin or two of something new you'd like to try. If those tins become cellar candidates then you know what to do from there! There is really no wrong way to go about it so long as you enjoy the hobby.
 
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I think I am getting my new members mixed up. I was thinking that you had said that you don't smoke, but just enjoyed the camaraderie on here. Maybe it was someone else.
Lots of guys on here want to read your mind and predict your future, but I am not going to be responsible for your disappointment down the road. This is a very personal decision, like selecting a lover or choosing a sexual position that fits you best, ha ha. Just do what your heart desires most.
 

scloyd

Lifer
May 23, 2018
5,938
12,031
If there's a blend you really like, buy more. You never know when it'll be no longer available.

One of my favorites is John Cotton's Smyrna. When I was down to my last two unopened tins, I tried to order more and it was no longer available. Luckily, a generous forum member sent me his JCS leftovers. Now, I'm down to one tin and one jar. When it's gone, it's gone.