I never went from one type to another myself. Since the beginning, I smoked all blend types. I find that jumps in style at least every other bowl helps to keep everything tasting new by contrast, and helps prevent getting burned out on a type or flavor. I'd actually suggest trying ALL styles randomly, rather than switching to one genre exclusively for a while before switching again.
There's no real logical progression from one type to another, and I never understood that whole thing of starting with one type first, then another, beyond I get why new people often start with aromatics first (lured by the appealing scents), even though English and burley blends are often what is recommended for beginners, and I guess I get why that too (VA takes a little more care to avoid getting too hot, and aros to a degree too, burley and English being most forgiving of poor technique).
They all have their nuances. If you like sweeter flavors and want to try a VA, I can't recommend Savinelli Brunello Flake enough. It's not going to be overtly sweet, but would make a decent transition from aros to VAs. Another one I might recommend here is Peter Stokebbye Luxury Navy Flake.
If you want to try a Burley based, maybe Mac Baren Navy Flake or C&D Old Joe Krantz (original brown label).
For English, maybe Drucquer & Sons Merry Monk or Peterson Early Morning Pipe.
I'd actually recommend both recs of each of the above because it will start to give you some sense of some the range of those genres, each of the two I picked for each genre are quite different from one another. But, they're also not polar opposites, so don't think one vs the other is a linear, one-dimensional line where everything else falls somewhere in between. All of those are also very easily obtainable.
There's no real logical progression from one type to another, and I never understood that whole thing of starting with one type first, then another, beyond I get why new people often start with aromatics first (lured by the appealing scents), even though English and burley blends are often what is recommended for beginners, and I guess I get why that too (VA takes a little more care to avoid getting too hot, and aros to a degree too, burley and English being most forgiving of poor technique).
They all have their nuances. If you like sweeter flavors and want to try a VA, I can't recommend Savinelli Brunello Flake enough. It's not going to be overtly sweet, but would make a decent transition from aros to VAs. Another one I might recommend here is Peter Stokebbye Luxury Navy Flake.
If you want to try a Burley based, maybe Mac Baren Navy Flake or C&D Old Joe Krantz (original brown label).
For English, maybe Drucquer & Sons Merry Monk or Peterson Early Morning Pipe.
I'd actually recommend both recs of each of the above because it will start to give you some sense of some the range of those genres, each of the two I picked for each genre are quite different from one another. But, they're also not polar opposites, so don't think one vs the other is a linear, one-dimensional line where everything else falls somewhere in between. All of those are also very easily obtainable.
