Worst Tasting Blends Ever

[grue]

The one blend I have not been able to finish a bowl from those I've tried so far is Clan. For a strange reason it is among the handful of blends that get stocked here in Greece. Burned my tongue to a crisp and had no flavour whatsoever...

 

[hawky454]

I don't get mushrooms in Shortcut To Mushrooms. It tastes like 1Q with added Latakia. I think the name is very suggestive and people start tasting things that aren't there.

 

[warren]

Or...could it be that everyone's taste buds are different?

 

[noquarter]

OJK on the first third of the bowl is just horrible for my tastes and body chemistry, then its pure heaven. Tastes are very subjective obviously and its always the individual's opinion that matters.

 

[tmb152]

Or...could it be that everyone's taste buds are different?

Everyone's tastes are different. If we listened to what is "good" by some people, we would only have about 50 varieties out there rather than about 2000.
"What tastes good" depends in part on natural variation in how we interpret our taste buds and sense of smell, and that in part is affected by body chemistry / blood pH, which is largely the result of diet.
Eat a lot of meat mostly: you have an acidic blood pH.

Eat mostly a veggie diet: you have a much more alkaline blood pH.
The same holds true for the photo-receptors in the eye; the color blind person is an extreme example of this. In astronomy, different people looking at the same double star, one will see the pair as being emerald green and dusty yellow, while another person looking at the same stars with the same optic might interpret them as being pale blue and an antique white.
There are no bad blends, only more or less popular ones enjoyed by the mainstream. I do not think any blender out there creates a new blend that tastes bad to him, but says, hell, let's put our name on it, maybe it will sell anyway! I think blenders are looking to both improve on old favorites and past experiences as well as come out with something new and different no one has thought of before.
I've bought a very few tobaccos that I absolutely did not like at all. In one case, it still tasted bad despite repeated attempts; eventually after aging, I will find something to blend it with. Another, on second try, I was shocked that it was now delicious! If I did not know better, I would not have believed it was the same tobacco.

 

[moriarty]

I tend to like most blends and all types of pipe tobacco but I could not finish a single bowl of either Gawith's Celtic Talisman or McClelland Frog Morton's Cellar. They were both absolutely nasty, to my palate.

 

[andrew]

C&D epiphany, it's the one tobacco I can't finish, also semois

 

[weezell]

WTF happened to Half & Half

No kidding! Gave away a big tin of it because it was shit to me...

 

[dottiewarden]

The Cherry blends seem to be disliked by many who have tried them, and I can be included here as I've been battling through a tin of Cherry Ambrosia and it took a lot of work to get anything good out of it, but we all know the cherry blends sell well so somebody must be enjoying them.
The Borkum Riff and Half and Half took some good kicks but in the OTC crowd I'm sure there are plenty of happy campers. The Non Ultra Plus sounds bad enough to me by the strong feelings expressed here. Mixture 79 isn't sounding too appealing either.
It seems there's not much consensus on this topic, nonetheless I won't likely be trying many of the above mentioned blends for myself in this lifetime.
Conversely, I'd give the Lakelands and the Semois a go, despite respected opinion, as my curiosity gets the best of me on those ones.

 

[jvnshr]

I don't get mushrooms in Shortcut To Mushrooms. It tastes like 1Q with added Latakia. I think the name is very suggestive and people start tasting things that aren't there.

Maybe I am just biased, but I can swear that I get mushroom taste.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Are there actually mushrooms in that? If so, what's the concern over smoking moldy tobacco? :|

 

[dottiewarden]

Moldy tobacco is one thing I won't risk smoking. I don't care what blend it is. And the whole idea of a Mushroom blend doesn't appeal to me from the get go. How about a Potato blend or perhaps Celery?

 

[beastinview]

Conversely, I'd give the Lakelands and the Semois a go, despite respected opinion, as my curiosity gets the best of me on those ones.

Personally, I'd start of with something milder like Dark Flake Scented, and not go straight for Ennerdale. The Dark Flake is a better flake to me to begin with (with a huge nicotine kick), and it has a milder topping to boot. Trust me, if you don't like Lakelands, it will be PLENTY strong enough. If you do like Lakelands, then you can always go to Ennerdale, or even Grousemoor.

 

[dottiewarden]

Personally, I'd start of with something milder like Dark Flake Scented, and not go straight for Ennerdale.

Thanks for the tip beastinview, although I have my heart set on starting with Condor Green, any thoughts?

 

[beastinview]

Thanks for the tip beastinview, although I have my heart set on starting with Condor Green, any thoughts?

I've never had Condor, but I hear good things about it. My general impression is that it is a more reasonable Lakeland.
I like Ennerdale OK--but I just wouldn't recommend it to someone new to Lakelands.

 

[dottiewarden]

Honestly, I'd try the first Lakeland I could get my paws on. Which are the easiest to get in the States?

 

[philobeddoe]

Condor is no where near as "scented" as Ennerdale, I get a kind of Simple Green flavor from Condor.....but in a good way! Ennerdale was just too strong for me, it is definitely a good base tobacco, but the sauce is just too strongly flavored for me.
BTW: I don't want anyone to think that I'm adding Ennerdale to the shit list, Ennerdale is good stuff, just not for me.

 

[andrew]

I would say the best tobacco to start into lakelands would be Best Brown #2 by G&H, the floral flavor is there, but in the background, then after smoking it for a bit you have to really search for the flavor. I've tried the dark flake unscented but found it was too strong for my liking. After getting used to the BB#2 any unscented G&H offering simply has a nice nutty taste to it, and now I would like to try something stronger. I was also really impressed with Kendal flake, I was really surprised when I read the flavors used in it, as to me it just tasted very citrus.

 

[tmb152]

Condor is no where near as "scented" as Ennerdale,

Maybe if you let the Ennerdale sit out a bit, some of that floral scent will dissipate? I wonder if something could be stuffed into the jar with the tobacco, like an activated carbon pouch, that might absorb the aroma and pull it out of the blend while not letting the stuff actually dry out?

 

[beastinview]

Honestly, I'd try the first Lakeland I could get my paws on. Which are the easiest to get in the States?

I just order from SmokingPipes or P&C, and they have quite a few on hand. I think Condor is a little more difficult to order, as I've only seen it on UK-based sites, but I haven't searched too hard for it. Gawith has a number of "scented" varieties of flakes and plugs available.
As those above have stated, watch out for the Dark Flake, as it is quite strong nicotine wise. It is in stock on both sites right now.
It has a distinct aroma of Bergamot--the flavoring in Earl Grey Tea. So if you've smelled an Earl Grey teabag, then the tin note is almost identical, as if someone threw a bag of Earl Grey in with a really robust flake. If you hate the smell of Early Grey, this one might not be for you.
I absolutely understand how it is a bit much for many smokers, but DFS was actually a big hit at my little pipe smoking group.