Update this general recommendations list:

[GKChesterton]

The list below is excellent, but somewhat outdated. What would you add or remove?

This is a list of widely available reference blends for folks interested in exploring new genres. These are not meant to represent "The Best" nor are they necessarily our Favorites, they serve as good starting points and useful benchmarks.
No Unicorns here.

Aromatics:
British/Lake District:
Bosun Cut Plug
Coniston Cut Plug
Gawith & Hoggarth Co. Brown Flake, Dark Flake/Plug (scented or unscented), Ennerdale Flake, Broken #7 Flake, Best Brown #2

European:
Davidoff Danish Mixture
Dan Tobacco Blue Note
Peterson Connoisseur's Choice
Solani Blend 369 Blue Label
Peter Stokkebye (pick one)

U.S.A.:
Boswell's (pick one)
Cornell & Diehl (pick one)
The Country Squire (pick one)
Lane's 1Q and RLP6
Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic
Sutliff (pick one)
Watch City Deluxe Crumb Cut
Wilke Tobacco's (pick one)

American OTC:
Carter Hall
Half & Half
Prince Albert
Sir Walter Raleigh

British OTC:
Murray's Revor Plug
Original Flake
St. Bruno's Ready Rubbed and Flake

Burley (Non-Aromatic):
Peter Heinrich's Dark Strong Flake
Peretti's Burley Plug Cut
Solani Aged Burley Flake
Uhle's 00 and Perfection Plug Burley
Wessex Burley Slice

Virginias:
Light to Medium:
4th Generation 1855
Capstan Yellow
C&D Yorktown
Dan's Hamborger Veermaster
F&T Cut Virginia Plug
Orlik Golden Sliced (*very light perique)
Peterson Flake
Samuel Gawith Golden Glow

Medium to Dark:
Astley's 109
John Aylesbury Classic Flake
Capstan Blue
GLPease Union Square
Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake and Full Virginia Flake
Watch City Rhythm & Blues

Dark:
Astley's # 44
Rattray's Dark Fragrant
Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake

Red:
C&D Bijou, Interlude, Opening Nights
F&T BlackJack
MacBaren HH Pure Virginia
Sutliff Matured Red Virginia 515 RC-1
Watch City Simply Red
Wessex Red Virginia Flake

Virginia/Perique (VaPer):
Escudo
HU Director's Cut
Samuel Gawith St. James Flake and Cabbie's Mixture
GLPease Telegraph Hill
Peterson DeLuxe Navy Rolls
Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake and Luxury Navy Flake
Watch City Rougaroux and Old Dominion

Virginia/Burley (VaBur)
C&D Pegasus
Erik Stokkebye 1931 Flake
MacBaren Navy Flake and Old Dark Fired
Solani Silver Flake
Uhle's 44

Virginia/Burley/Perique (VaBurPer):
C&D Old Joe Krantz
HU Edward G
McConnell Scottish Cake
Peretti's No. 8 Sliced
Rattray Hal o' the Wynd
Reiner's Blend 71 aka Long Golden Flake
Watch City Slices

English:
Classics:
Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader and Skiff
GLPease Westminister
Peterson Early Morning Pipe, Standard Mixture, MM 965, and Nightcap
Peretti's Tashkent
Rattray's 7 Reserves
Peter Stokkebye Proper English

Crossover English:
Boswell's NorthWoods
C&D Epiphany
Kramer's Cary Grant & Danny Kaye
Lane HGL
Peter Stokkebye EOS & Luxury English
Sutliff Match Revelation

Scottish:
MacBaren Scottish Mixture
Perretti Pride of Loch Lomond
Rattray's Red Rapparee and Black Mallory

Balkan:
Balkan Sasieni
GLPease Odyssey
Hearth & Home Black House and White Knight
Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding Special Reserve
Peter Stokkebye Balkan Supreme

 

[Servant King]

 

[sardonicus87]

List seems super Virginia-biased, but that's really no surprise.

If I were to make changes, I would add to the English list:
• Drucquer & Sons "Merry Monk"
• GLP - "Quiet Nights" (how anyone made an English rec list without this is beyond me)

To the burley list I would add:
• LJP "Blend 102" and "Blend 52"
• C&D "Eight State Burley" (yes it's limited release, but it's hardly a unicorn)
• Tabac Manil Semois "Le Petit Robin" and "La Brumeuse"

To Aromatics:
• Dan Tobacco "Devil's Holiday"

I would also argue Mac Baren Naby Flake belongs in the Burley list, not VA-burley. I also wouldn't make those distinctions, only Virginia based, Burley Based, Aromatic, English... and that's it. This isn't EDM, no need for 10,000 contentious subgenres nobody agrees on.

 

[spearheadbill]

Ugh… I remember seeing this list on another forum a couple years ago and taking a cue I picked up some Wessex red Virginia flake. I was instantly mad at whomever inserted that on the list as it tasted like diet strawberry Kool-aide was used for casing!
Any list without CONDOR needs updating ASAP

 

[wyfbane]

To Aromatics:
• Dan Tobacco "Devil's Holiday"

+100 for this. It is my absolute favorite Aro.

Only change I would make is that Plum Pudding regular is just fine. No need to be bougie with the SPC stuff. lol

 

[GKChesterton]

Updated:

Aromatics:
British/Lake District:
Bosun Cut Plug
Coniston Cut Plug
Gawith & Hoggarth Co. (any scented flake)

European:
Davidoff Danish Mixture
Dan Tobacco Blue Note
Dan Tobacco Devil's Holiday
Peterson Connoisseur's Choice
Peter Stokkebye (pick one)

U.S.A.:
Boswell's (pick one)
Cornell & Diehl (pick one)
The Country Squire (pick one)
Lane's 1Q and RLP6
Sutliff (pick one)
Watch City Deluxe Crumb Cut
Wilke Tobacco's (pick one)

Over the Counter:
Carter Hall
Half & Half
Prince Albert
Sir Walter Raleigh
Murray's Revor Plug
Original Flake
St. Bruno's Ready Rubbed and Flake

Burley (Non-Aromatic):
Peter Heinrich's Dark Strong Flake
Peretti's Burley Plug Cut
Solani Aged Burley Flake
Uhle's 00 and Perfection Plug Burley
Wessex Burley Slice

Virginias:
Light to Medium:
4th Generation 1855
Capstan Yellow
C&D Yorktown
Dan's Hamborger Veermaster
F&T Cut Virginia Plug
Orlik Golden Sliced (*very light perique)
Peterson Flake
Samuel Gawith Golden Glow

Medium to Dark:
Astley's 109
John Aylesbury Classic Flake
Capstan Blue
GLPease Union Square
Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake and Full Virginia Flake

Dark:
Astley's # 44
Rattray's Dark Fragrant

Red:
C&D Bijou, Interlude, Opening Nights
F&T BlackJack
MacBaren HH Pure Virginia

Virginia/Perique (VaPer):
Escudo
Samuel Gawith St. James Flake and Cabbie's Mixture
GLPease Telegraph Hill
Peterson DeLuxe Navy Rolls
Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake and Luxury Navy Flake

Virginia/Burley (VaBur)
C&D Pegasus
Erik Stokkebye 1931 Flake
MacBaren Navy Flake and Old Dark Fired
Solani Silver Flake
Uhle's 44

Virginia/Burley/Perique (VaBurPer):
C&D Old Joe Krantz
HU Edward G
McConnell Scottish Cake
Peretti's No. 8 Sliced
Rattray Hal o' the Wynd
Reiner's Blend 71 aka Long Golden Flake
Watch City Slices

English:
Classics:
Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader and Skiff
GLPease Westminister, Quiet Nights
Peterson Early Morning Pipe, Standard Mixture, MM 965, and Nightcap
Peretti's Tashkent
Rattray's 7 Reserves
Peter Stokkebye Proper English

Crossover English:
Boswell's NorthWoods
C&D Epiphany
Kramer's Cary Grant & Danny Kaye
Lane HGL
Peter Stokkebye English Oriental Supreme & Luxury English

Scottish:
MacBaren Scottish Mixture
Perretti Pride of Loch Lomond
Rattray's Red Rapparee and Black Mallory

Balkan:
Balkan Sasieni
GLPease Odyssey
Peter Stokkebye Balkan Supreme

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

For the UK I would definitely add Dunhill/Peterson Dark Flake to the Vaper list. It used to be available in the US but I believe they discontinued it a few years ago.

 

[spearheadbill]

Updated:

Aromatics:
British/Lake District:
Bosun Cut Plug
Coniston Cut Plug
Gawith & Hoggarth Co. (any scented flake)

European:
Davidoff Danish Mixture
Dan Tobacco Blue Note
Dan Tobacco Devil's Holiday
Peterson Connoisseur's Choice
Peter Stokkebye (pick one)

U.S.A.:
Boswell's (pick one)
Cornell & Diehl (pick one)
The Country Squire (pick one)
Lane's 1Q and RLP6
Sutliff (pick one)
Watch City Deluxe Crumb Cut
Wilke Tobacco's (pick one)

Over the Counter:
Carter Hall
Half & Half
Prince Albert
Sir Walter Raleigh
Murray's Revor Plug
Original Flake
St. Bruno's Ready Rubbed and Flake

Burley (Non-Aromatic):
Peter Heinrich's Dark Strong Flake
Peretti's Burley Plug Cut
Solani Aged Burley Flake
Uhle's 00 and Perfection Plug Burley
Wessex Burley Slice

Virginias:
Light to Medium:
4th Generation 1855
Capstan Yellow
C&D Yorktown
Dan's Hamborger Veermaster
F&T Cut Virginia Plug
Orlik Golden Sliced (*very light perique)
Peterson Flake
Samuel Gawith Golden Glow

Medium to Dark:
Astley's 109
John Aylesbury Classic Flake
Capstan Blue
GLPease Union Square
Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake and Full Virginia Flake

Dark:
Astley's # 44
Rattray's Dark Fragrant

Red:
C&D Bijou, Interlude, Opening Nights
F&T BlackJack
MacBaren HH Pure Virginia

Virginia/Perique (VaPer):
Escudo
Samuel Gawith St. James Flake and Cabbie's Mixture
GLPease Telegraph Hill
Peterson DeLuxe Navy Rolls
Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake and Luxury Navy Flake

Virginia/Burley (VaBur)
C&D Pegasus
Erik Stokkebye 1931 Flake
MacBaren Navy Flake and Old Dark Fired
Solani Silver Flake
Uhle's 44

Virginia/Burley/Perique (VaBurPer):
C&D Old Joe Krantz
HU Edward G
McConnell Scottish Cake
Peretti's No. 8 Sliced
Rattray Hal o' the Wynd
Reiner's Blend 71 aka Long Golden Flake
Watch City Slices

English:
Classics:
Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader and Skiff
GLPease Westminister, Quiet Nights
Peterson Early Morning Pipe, Standard Mixture, MM 965, and Nightcap
Peretti's Tashkent
Rattray's 7 Reserves
Peter Stokkebye Proper English

Crossover English:
Boswell's NorthWoods
C&D Epiphany
Kramer's Cary Grant & Danny Kaye
Lane HGL
Peter Stokkebye English Oriental Supreme & Luxury English

Scottish:
MacBaren Scottish Mixture
Perretti Pride of Loch Lomond
Rattray's Red Rapparee and Black Mallory

Balkan:
Balkan Sasieni
GLPease Odyssey
Peter Stokkebye Balkan Supreme

Condor goes under the British OTC and in Ireland it’s the only brand available essentially

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

I never considered Coniston or Boson aromatics. They're decent blends for sure but I‘d be more inclined to include American Delight over either if these as its more if what I think an aromatic is. Now Lakelands on its own could be a more appropriate category.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

Crossover English should also be marked as English Aromatic IMO and id add Voodoo Queen but sadly it was murdered like so many others by STG

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

The Gawith twists should be on this list. Samuel Gawith Brown No4 twist has an amazing cigar note and the various scented and unscented brown/black Gawith ropes are all a must try.

Maybe the twists should have their own category?

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

The Gawith twists should be on this list. Samuel Gawith Brown No4 twist has an amazing cigar note and the various scented and unscented brown/black Gawith ropes are all a must try.

Maybe the twists should have their own category?

Agreed. Add Brown Bogie and/or Brown Irish X to the list.

Maybe have a sub category called “sirloin/well seasoned grill grate” and add Black Irish X

 

[sablebrush52]

The ultimate curmudgeonly edit:

Nothing released after 2018, the exception being Escudo, nothing released after A & C Petersen.

 

[Sig]

Solani Silver seems like a unicorn to me. Its NEVER in stock!!

 

[wyfbane]

Updated:

Aromatics:
British/Lake District:
Bosun Cut Plug
Coniston Cut Plug
Gawith & Hoggarth Co. (any scented flake)

European:
Davidoff Danish Mixture
Dan Tobacco Blue Note
Dan Tobacco Devil's Holiday
Peterson Connoisseur's Choice
Peter Stokkebye (pick one)

U.S.A.:
Boswell's (pick one)
Cornell & Diehl (pick one)
The Country Squire (pick one)
Lane's 1Q and RLP6
Sutliff (pick one)
Watch City Deluxe Crumb Cut
Wilke Tobacco's (pick one)

Over the Counter:
Carter Hall
Half & Half
Prince Albert
Sir Walter Raleigh
Murray's Revor Plug
Original Flake
St. Bruno's Ready Rubbed and Flake

Burley (Non-Aromatic):
Peter Heinrich's Dark Strong Flake
Peretti's Burley Plug Cut
Solani Aged Burley Flake
Uhle's 00 and Perfection Plug Burley
Wessex Burley Slice

Virginias:
Light to Medium:
4th Generation 1855
Capstan Yellow
C&D Yorktown
Dan's Hamborger Veermaster
F&T Cut Virginia Plug
Orlik Golden Sliced (*very light perique)
Peterson Flake
Samuel Gawith Golden Glow

Medium to Dark:
Astley's 109
John Aylesbury Classic Flake
Capstan Blue
GLPease Union Square
Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake and Full Virginia Flake

Dark:
Astley's # 44
Rattray's Dark Fragrant

Red:
C&D Bijou, Interlude, Opening Nights
F&T BlackJack
MacBaren HH Pure Virginia

Virginia/Perique (VaPer):
Escudo
Samuel Gawith St. James Flake and Cabbie's Mixture
GLPease Telegraph Hill
Peterson DeLuxe Navy Rolls
Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake and Luxury Navy Flake

Virginia/Burley (VaBur)
C&D Pegasus
Erik Stokkebye 1931 Flake
MacBaren Navy Flake and Old Dark Fired
Solani Silver Flake
Uhle's 44

Virginia/Burley/Perique (VaBurPer):
C&D Old Joe Krantz
HU Edward G
McConnell Scottish Cake
Peretti's No. 8 Sliced
Rattray Hal o' the Wynd
Reiner's Blend 71 aka Long Golden Flake
Watch City Slices

English:
Classics:
Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader and Skiff
GLPease Westminister, Quiet Nights
Peterson Early Morning Pipe, Standard Mixture, MM 965, and Nightcap
Peretti's Tashkent
Rattray's 7 Reserves
Peter Stokkebye Proper English

Crossover English:
Boswell's NorthWoods
C&D Epiphany
Kramer's Cary Grant & Danny Kaye
Lane HGL
Peter Stokkebye English Oriental Supreme & Luxury English

Scottish:
MacBaren Scottish Mixture
Perretti Pride of Loch Lomond
Rattray's Red Rapparee and Black Mallory

Balkan:
Balkan Sasieni
GLPease Odyssey
Peter Stokkebye Balkan Supreme

Balkans: I said regular SPC Plum Puddung, NOT remove Plum Pudding. Lol

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

These are what I cellar and smoke.

Virginias:
Light to Medium:
Aylesbury Sir John's Flake Virginia
Pfeifen Huber Virginia Golden Flake
Capstan Yellow
MB Virginia Flake
Dan's Hamborger Veermaster
Wessex Gold Virginia Flake

Medium to Dark:
Vauen No 14
Capstan Blue
GLPease Union Square
Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake
F&T Cut Virginia Plug

Dark:
Astley's # 44
F&T Vintage
Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake
F&T Special Brown Flake

Red:
F&T BlackJack
MacBaren HH Pure Virginia
Wessex Red Virginia Flake

 

[BronzeAgePiper]

Ugh… I remember seeing this list on another forum a couple years ago and taking a cue I picked up some Wessex red Virginia flake. I was instantly mad at whomever inserted that on the list as it tasted like diet strawberry Kool-aide was used for casing!
Any list without CONDOR needs updating ASAP

This is similar to what irks me about Cut Blended Plug, what the heck is up with that stuff anyways. I love the brown, black, vintage and especially CVP but man the blended is like Robotussin or something.

 

[HeadMisfit]

Solani Silver seems like a unicorn to me. Its NEVER in stock!!

country squire, its on SALE at only 45 each. limit of two.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Erinmore should probably be on the list. I tried it years ago when I first started smoking a pipe. I didn't like it but plenty of people do. It must be doing something right as its been around a long old time.

 

[VDL_Piper]

You can’t have a list unless it’s got black Irish x twist in there, actually you can delete all the rest and just have this tobacco as the list.