What I like, What I dislike, What next

[cornleader]

I've been reading tobacco suggestions for over an hour now. Been looking for something new to try but can't find a post that shares my taste. I thought I would post my likes/dislikes and see what the experts might recommend. I tried a few of those online tobacco finders but they lack that personal touch that comes with experience. I haven't tried too many different blends in my life and the selection is overwhelming... this is good! I'm still trying to understand some of the review descriptions. Grasping the "fruity" taste for example.
What I dislike.

I tried a few aromatics. Nuts, cocoa, coffee, liquor flavors. Smells good in the tin but tastes like crap when smoked. Even worse toward the bottom of the bowl. I don't like the cherry or licorice aromatics stuff at all.
On the fence

I wanted to try the straight tobacco blends, non-aromatics, to get an idea what they tasted like. I tried some VaPer, Orlik Golden Slice. Not bad, stung a bit while pushing through my nose, (a bit wimpy I am lol). Kept it's flavor through the bowl. I think it might grow on me. Looking for another quality VaPer perhaps a bit lighter. Tried some burley, Wessex Burley Slice and HH Old Dark Fired. Both too strong. I liked the rich tobacco flavor but too harsh for me. Burley must have been present in the drugstore blends I liked and my dad smoked. Pouches of Amphora and Sail, and not too bad.
What I like

Tried Frog Morton Cellar. First taste of latakia... Loved it. Wanted to try more so got some Across The Pond. Not as good as Cellar and it tasted like crap at the end of the bowl. Tried the original, loved it.
My Plan

I'm gonna try different English blends as I seem to favor them at the moment. Got some Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake. Only had one bowl so far. Not enough to decide. Looking for lighter VaPers, lighter Burleys, might add a light VaBur. Looking at the ingredients, any blend that is too strong or has orientals turkish perique additives are not as favorable to my palette. However I won't rule out anything including aromatics. As in food, certain combinations are great.
Hoping to see some feedback. Thanks for reading.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Vintage Syrian

Balkan Sasieni

McClelland Anniversary

HH Latakia Flake

Pirate Kake

Sounds like these may be your cup of tea.

 

[stickframer]

IMO Petersons Old Dublin is a great English style blend. When I first tried it I had just begun exploring latakia blends in favor of aros. I enjoyed all the latakia blends I tried, but that first bowl of Old Dublin was one of those "Ah Ha!" moments for me. I'd say it's got medium nicotine and a nice medium-full flavor.

 

[cornleader]

Vintage Syrian

Balkan Sasieni

McClelland Anniversary

HH Latakia Flake

Pirate Kake

Sounds like these may be your cup of tea.

3 of these were all ready on my to do list!

 

[Chasing Embers]

:mrgreen: Black Frigate is another you may enjoy.

 

[davet]

+1 on the Black Frigate and the blends you didn't take to, put them away and revisit them after a month or two. Some blends I didn't care for I can't get enough of now.

 

[cortezattic]

Looking for lighter VaPers, lighter Burleys, might add a light VaBur.

4noggins' Weybridge will scratch that itch.

 

[mso489]

cornleader, it's going to be hit and miss with recommendations, so just try a number of different blends that sound up your alley in small quantities. +1 on HH Latakia Flake. For a really elegant non-aromatic blend with light Latakia, Nat Sherman 536 is pretty wonderful, to me anyway. Sutliff's Westminster is a really tasty, low key English. I am very pleased with P&C Hearth and Home Mid-Town series Chestnut, the only non-aromatic in the series, available in a pouch before you commit to a tub. If you can find three blends that please you, you'll have a rotation for a long time. Despite the hundreds of blends on the market, contentment can be attained with just a few.

 

[cornleader]

Balkan Sasieni

Anniversary

HH Latakia Flake
These ones have promise. I enjoy milder tobacco. Some of the recommendations here look great, some look a bit strong for me. I looked into these 3 in the past, very possible they will end up on my next order. Nat Sherman 536 looks good.
What about some milder VaPers and VaBurs? Weybridge is something I'll think about.

 

[Chasing Embers]

My favorite VaBur would have to be Old Dark Fired.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Pretty sure Half and Half is a VaBur as well.

 

[wilson]

Nat Sherman 536 and Peterson Old Dublin.

 

[loneredtree]

Vintage Syrian

Early Morning Pipe. (more a Turkish light on the Latakia) Mild. Some think it has a strong Nic Hit but not me.

 

[dmcmtk]

Va/Per, Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake; Former's Birdseye Flake and Cross Grain Flake. The Birdseye is the lighter, both are excellent tobaccos.

 

[supdog]

One of my favorites is Ambassador blend from P&C. I also love Sunjammer and Mt. Marcy. Try some McClelland, most of their stuff is low in the nic dept. Two I like from McC are British Woods and 5125 Coyote Classic (which reminds me of FMC).

 

[cornleader]

Some great choices here. Looks like I will have to watch some youtube and check out some review sites. I have some great English options, I need to research the Virginia blends.

 

[markus]

I'm kind of in the same boat that you are as far as my tastes are concerned, and I found that I'm very fond of the english blends that contain cavendish to kind of sweeten and balance things out. Try H&H Blackhouse or Fusilier's Ration. These blends tend to be not quite as strong as some of the other english blends. I think of them as aro-english, kind of the best of both worlds and I still get a good latakia fix. The wife likes them a little better too. You should also try 4 Noggins, Bald Headed Teacher and P&C's Yule Log. Good luck and good smoking my friend!

 

[cornleader]

I rubbed out some Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake before I went to bed last night, to dry when I woke up. I stuck it in a jar with a humidor for about 30 minutes and it took the moisture great, spongy after only 30 minutes and the rubbed out ribbons didn't crumble. Man does it ever smoke cool! Now I see what leathery means. Tasted very leathery at the beginning, became more smoky towards the middle and tasted bad at the end. The only latakia I tried was in the frog blends so that's all I have to really compare it to for now. The Balkan Flake is stronger, (I don't want anything stronger then this), the taste is ok at the start but the whole bowl made my throat scratchy. Frog Morton Cellar and original don't do this. I did like it better than Across the Pond though. I still want to try true English/Balkan blends. I seem to prefer virginia/latakia with nothing else added but as I stated before I am still open to anything at this point.

 

[perdurabo]

Try Hearth and Home Larry's Blend it's a mild to medium Balkan IMHO. Also try Sutliff Court of St. James, if you are looking for a VaPer, has a splash of Latakia.