Why Have I Never Lost My Taste For Latakia?

[craig61a]

I have a good stash of Latakia blends, I usually smoke Latakia blends 10-15% of the time. I like it after a big meal, paired with a bourbon or scotch.

I first tried a Latakia blend over 30 years ago. It was from a small local shop. It was brutal. Like old leather shoes and armpit sweat.

Blends with several years of age aren't as overpowering. But if I smoked several bowls a day, I would get burnt out on it.

 

[zitotczito]

Thanks for some great comments. So I now realize that I am an Alpha who smokes the most delicious variety of pipe tobacco so I am going to toss all my vile VA Christmas Cheer in the trash.

 

[timt]

For some that it's happened to, it's often not gradual it happens overnight.

That’s me. Not only overnight but almost immediately. I remember trying different blends with Latakia for the first time and smoking some Frog Morton on the Town. The first bowl was sort of incense-y and very enjoyable. For the life of me, I couldn’t recapture the same experience. They all pretty much tasted like ass after that. Just a tiny dusting in a blend is enough for me.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I have a good stash of Latakia blends, I usually smoke Latakia blends 10-15% of the time. I like it after a big meal, paired with a bourbon or scotch.

I first tried a Latakia blend over 30 years ago. It was from a small local shop. It was brutal. Like old leather shoes and armpit sweat.

Blends with several years of age aren't as overpowering. But if I smoked several bowls a day, I would get burnt out on it.

Yeah, if I still drank bourbon/scotch I’d likely love the pairing of Latakia. ?️

 

[jpmcwjr]

<< Snipped bits out >> .....People have often stated here that they moved on from Latakia to VA's and I have been cellaring various straight VA's awaiting the day that my love of Latakia lessens but it just does not want to happen. I love my Gaslight more now then when I first tried it.

Is my palate broken?

Nope! The impression above has been promulgated by a member who said that Latakia was for the JV, and that real smokers on the Varsity preferred Virginias. Plus a few of our most esteemed smokers personally preferred Virginias.

If it's a sign that we who prefer Latakia have no taste or are feeble minded, so be it. We are smoking what we like and liking what we smoke!

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Started Lane 1Q & Captain Black. Then switched to light English blends…they were very tasty. ? Then I jumped into VaPers & then straight Virginias. This chronology is likely cause I didn’t truly know how to smoke and enjoy a pipe for almost 1.5 yrs from beginning. I mean you don’t want to ? VaPers & Virginias…proper recipe for ? ?. English blends are more forgiving that way, as they tend to smoke cooler and require less shepherding particularly for a novice smoker.

Now, I humbly consider myself a decent pipe smoker (always learning though) as I’ve figured out a way to enjoy most any blend (except Latakia). My patience & effort to make this part of me has paid off I think. ?️

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Nope! The impression above has been promulgated by a member who said that Latakia was for the JV, and that real smokers on the Varsity preferred Virginias. Plus a few of our most esteemed smokers personally preferred Virginias.

If it's a sign that we who prefer Latakia have no taste or are feeble minded, so be it. We are smoking what we like and liking what we smoke!

I know the interwebs doesn’t always convey intent. I usually give folks the benefit of doubt…along with a rib shot when they seem to convey opinionated criticisms. ?

Latakia & English blends are absolutely delicious…just not my flavor any longer. But, I’d not denigrate any blend or anyone that enjoyed them.

Yeah, just a heads up to those that throw their supreme critical smoking judgment around like a javelin…that stuff don’t go round here…SAVVY?! ?️

 

[cigrmaster]

I lost my taste for Latakia and Oriental tobacco over a decade ago and the only thing I can think of my is I moved to Florida.I used to love my Two Friends Deacons Downfall, Penzance, Dunhill London Mixture, some 965, lots of Elizabethan. and a few others. When I lost my tastes for it I let it age and make me money as all of my Dunhill blend were Murry made. I was buying all my Dunhill from JRcigars for 5 bucks a tin.

I ended up waiting till the ten year mark then sold it all off. There were lots of GL Pease blends from back then as well. I gave all my tins to 4noggins as he was asking far and a way more money than pipestud. All my Dunhill and Penzance I got 65 a tin, back then it was a score.

 

[karam]

Thanks for some great comments. So I now realize that I am an Alpha who smokes the most delicious variety of pipe tobacco so I am going to toss all my vile VA Christmas Cheer in the trash.

Real Alphas smoke Lakelands, while wearing a pink shirt by Pink, with a badger in their trousers.

 

[mso489]

I AM a burley devotee, but I enjoy some blends in other genres without burley. Only smoking Latakia intermittently could be the reason I continue to like it. I must say, I'm not extra aware of how much Lat is in a blend, and I neither crave nor recoil from it. It's part of so many English blends, I think I am attending to other component leaf. I do think sometimes Latakia and Perique are used too much as default condiments, though I like them both very much. Dark fired is getting into that same role. Variety is as important to me as any one tobacco, I think.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I guess the old saw about there's no accounting for taste applies here!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm guessing there's been people that have evolved from Virginia blends to English blends. Don't look a gift house in the mouth, enjoy your English blends, the grass isn't always greener.

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

I loved it from the 1st bowl till today and there is always a tin/pouch open (my Lady has a different opinion).

 

[anotherbob]

I've been drinking coffee for over 40 years, and I've yet to lose my taste for it. Am I supposed to? I still kinda like water also, and I've been drinking that for way longer. I probably should just give it up altogether.

Of course you're a freaking water drinker. It all makes sense now. (love water keeps people alive and stuff.) I just vowed to be angry at you for whatever the first thing I read you say. Why? Because we have to make our own entertainment.

 

[anotherbob]

I drink either fresh ground Kirkland, 8 O’Clock, OR yes the ️ from da blue can. Maxwell House is imbedded in my Psyche…always have some on hand. Then, I don’t consider myself a ️ or ? snob…smoke & drink what ya like. ?

me too sometimes. All depends on budget. But not in a oh I really can not afford better. More I am don't have enough extra money to care about it being better.

 

[JimInks]

Nope! The impression above has been promulgated by a member who said that Latakia was for the JV, and that real smokers on the Varsity preferred Virginias. Plus a few of our most esteemed smokers personally preferred Virginias.

If it's a sign that we who prefer Latakia have no taste or are feeble minded, so be it. We are smoking what we like and liking what we smoke!

Three years ago on another forum, I posted an aro that I was smoking. A young moron dressed me down saying that when I gain some experience in pipe smoking that I would realize that grown ups smoke English blends and not aromatics. I answered him by posting a link to my Tobacco Reviews user page. He just about broke his typing fingers apologizing for his snobbery.

 

[karam]

Three years ago on another forum, I posted an aro that I was smoking. A young moron dressed me down saying that when I gain some experience in pipe smoking that I would realize that grown ups smoke English blends and not aromatics. I answered him by posting a link to my Tobacco Reviews user page. He just about broke his typing fingers apologizing for his snobbery.

That’s a dick thing to say, either to you or someone who picked up a pipe today. And that’s what kids these days lack, being put in their place until the MAKE a place in the world.

 

[5star]

Why ? because it’s the greatest stuff ever. It reminds me of great times up in the mountains in front of a campfire. It reminds me of hunts and fishing high alpine lakes. That, plus it tastes damned good.

 

[anotherbob]

Three years ago on another forum, I posted an aro that I was smoking. A young moron dressed me down saying that when I gain some experience in pipe smoking that I would realize that grown ups smoke English blends and not aromatics. I answered him by posting a link to my Tobacco Reviews user page. He just about broke his typing fingers apologizing for his snobbery.

Jim I've always been platonically found of you. Now I officially platonically love you. That's so awesome.
Years ago I didn't join forums cause I kept running into that real smokers like and new smokers are dumb and like blank. It was at that time real smokers like English and VAs are for medium advanced smokers. That crap is stupid. We're talking about preferences for the type of plant leaf we think is most enjoyable to smoke. It's like we're already standing out in left field being slightly eccentric might as well not pick fights over the subtle differences in taste.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

me too sometimes. All depends on budget. But not in a oh I really can not afford better. More I am don't have enough extra money to care about it being better.

More kinda like I’m not hip on searching for something “better” when I’m quite happy with the selection I’m drinking. Same for my ?…I’m not chasing blends for the “best of all time” or the “next best thing”. I’ve plenty of what I like & very much enjoy what I have. ?️