Why It's A Good Idea Not To Cellar Latakia Blends

[irishearl]

It's because of the proverbial, legendary latakia wall. Something you never hear of happening with non-latakia blends. The first 10 years of smoking I regularly smoked English blends. Then hit that wall seemingly overnight and could not abide any latakia for the next 20 years. Then regained my desire for it 10 years ago and smoked at least 1 latakia blend daily for the next 10 years. Heck, just a month ago while fantasizing about a cellar I'd never put together I figured I'd have to stock it halfway with latakia blends I'd been enjoying, say 35-40 pounds worth. Then shortly thereafter, Bam, hit that magical wall again and have no desire for any amount of latakia. If my fantasy had been reality I could have been stuck with 40 pounds of latakia blends with no guarantee my tastes would change back before I die.

 

[logs]

Yeah, been there. It happens with perique too.

 

[BROBS]

Yeah, been there. It happens with perique too.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[BROBS]

It's because of the proverbial, legendary latakia wall. Something you never hear of happening with non-latakia blends. The first 10 years of smoking I regularly smoked English blends. Then hit that wall seemingly overnight and could not abide any latakia for the next 20 years. Then regained my desire for it 10 years ago and smoked at least 1 latakia blend daily for the next 10 years. Heck, just a month ago while fantasizing about a cellar I'd never put together I figured I'd have to stock it halfway with latakia blends I'd been enjoying, say 35-40 pounds worth. Then shortly thereafter, Bam, hit that magical wall again and have no desire for any amount of latakia. If my fantasy had been reality I could have been stuck with 40 pounds of latakia blends with no guarantee my tastes would change back before I die.

Yeah I tried to get into it and bought tons of the classic Dunhill blends etc. ended up trading it all. Couldn’t get into Latakia and if I don’t like it I’m not forcing myself to like it. Made good trade material, though!

 

[logs]

Doesn't take me 20 years to recover though. Just a few weeks, maybe a month to get back into latikia. On the other hand, I've never really recovered from the perique frenzy I went through in 2010. I got so into it I was spiking everything with perique and then eventually just starting smoking McClleland's blending perique straight up.

 

[Jaylotw]

I’m yet to hit that wall, at least as hard as you’ve hit it. Often for me, it’s a time thing. If I’ve only got, say, 20 minutes to smoke, I’m grabbing a burley. A little longer to smoke, a VaPer or VA.

Latakia is a bit of a palate overload, but if I can stretch the smoke out at a leisurely pace i really, really love it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

There's a for sale section of this forum.

Operators are standing by.

 

[irishearl]

Doesn't take me 20 years to recover though. Just a few weeks, maybe a month to get back into latikia. On the other hand, I've never really recovered from the perique frenzy I went through in 2010. I got so into it I was spiking everything with perique and then eventually just starting smoking McClleland's blending perique straight up.

Perique blends are what I'm into now, either VaPers or Oriental blends.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've had it happen with Latakia. Any blend with more than a condiment amount of Latakia all tastes the same to me now. No feelings of loss though, they were replaced by Virginias and Orientals blends.

 

[Chasing Embers]

The first 10 years of smoking I regularly smoked English blends.

That was me too.

 

[Blue ridge smoke]

I dont do much latakia. 10 years ago that was all I smoked and i loaded up. Enough larry's blend, ambassador blend, and balkan supreme to last two lifetimes.

 

[mityahicks]

Yeah, I smoke significantly less Latakia than other blends, still like them better than most Aros, but the good news is they are not that tempting on the TAD front.

That part of my cellar is essentially complete. In fact, sans a couple unobtainable blends I can move the focus to more fine pipes.

This is a good problem to have.

 

[elasmo]

If I ever lose my love for latakia, you all have my permission to kill me.

 

[jguss]

Tastes change. I don’t worry about it. The pendulum often swings back. I have pipes I bought years ago which lost their appeal, eventually got rediscovered, and enjoyed again. Ditto for tobaccos. For me shifting preferences are part of the fun.

 

[logs]

Tastes change. I don’t worry about it.

Indeed. I used to think Captain Black Gold was the cat's meow.

 

[Chasing Embers]

If I ever lose my love for latakia, you all have my permission to kill me.

It's not a gradual thing either. If it happens, you'll love it one day and the next not so much.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Since my ideal rate is just a few bowls a week I doubt I'd ever get tired of Latakia.
The bigger issue is Latakia becomes more subtle if cellared for more than 10 years. I would never want to have a large cellar of Lat blends.

 

[irishearl]

It's not a gradual thing either. If it happens, you'll love it one day and the next not so much.

Yep, that's exactly why I call it the "latakia wall."

 

[seanv]

Since my ideal rate is just a few bowls a week I doubt I'd ever get tired of Latakia.
The bigger issue is Latakia becomes more subtle if cellared for more than 10 years. I would never want to have a large cellar of Lat blends.

This ^^
I enjoy some latakia blends but I usually buy in small quantities for this reason.
On the other hand, some latakia blends mellow out and become really nice.

 

[ram74]

I have been smoking Latakia blends daily for 8 years and about 6 months ago I started experimenting with vapers, oriental blends and straight virginias. While I like them for change of pace I don’t love them like Latakia blends. I just find most vapers and straight virginias bland and not complex. I am still forcing myself to smoke them, to see if I learn how to coax more flavor out of them and honestly I find them an ok lunch time smoke but nothing special. I don’t doubt it may be just me, that I just have not gotten the hang of smoking them but I don’t think I will ever love them like I do Latakia blends.