Wow, I Think I Like Englishes

[simnettpratt]

When I revisited piping a couple of years ago, I bought an assortment of Englishes from my local B&M. I wanted to like them, but didn't like a one. I went back with my head hung low and asked for something he'd give to a rank newbie. He immediately reached for a jar of Chicks Dig It.
I was like, what you can't name it Flaming Death Chopper or Nuclear Skeleton Zombie or anything? Chicks Dig It; seriously? He explained it was named by a customer. Ok, so I went down the aromatic road for a year and a half. Then I got tired of the sweetness, and got some Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake, and really liked it.
Well, I just went to smokingpipes and got 4oz of LNF, and was planning to get 4oz of Altadis Blue Note, recommended to me by a poster here, but they only had 2oz in stock, so I just randomly picked another: Altadis Fox & Hound.
It's air-cured Red Virginia, Turkish, Burley, Latakia and Perique, and man I love it. I guess I like Englishes after all.
I took a wine tasting class from a snooty jerk here in Dallas, and he scoffed at our preferences for light German wines, and told us once we became 'sophisticated', we would only drink reds. He was a jerk about it, but he ended up being right.
Bottom line is to enjoy what you smoke, whatever that may be.

 

[simnettpratt]

Lawrence, I forgot to capitalize my title; I'm sorry.

 

[numbersix]

Great post simnettpratt. I too didn't like English blends the first time around, now I like them (still don't love them, but I do enjoy them from time to time).

I took a wine tasting class from a snooty jerk here in Dallas, and he scoffed at our preferences for light German wines, and told us once we became 'sophisticated', we would only drink reds. He was a jerk about it, but he ended up being right.

I think as we gain greater taste experiences, our tastes naturally change. But I would argue —and maybe I'm wrong but I'll argue it anyway — it doesn't necessarily mean our taste buds are more sophisticated - I think that's a perception rather than an actual fact.
One example: previous generations, especially the wealthy with "sophisticated taste buds" scoffed at the idea of eating inexpensive cuts of meat. Now many top chefs have gone back to these cuts, dressed them up a little, and suddenly they're the rage of the "sophisticates" and commanding high prices in restaurants.

Bottom line is to enjoy what you smoke, whatever that may be.

+1

 

[fitzy]

Great post simnettpratt. I get so excited when I come across posts just like this.
I was the same way. I had a friend that loved English style blends and I thought it was gross.
That was until I smoked Frog Morton's Cellar. That stuff is like a stepping stone to Latakia blends. Now I love all Latakia blends and Oriental blends.
I swear to you that you will not be disappointed if you were to try it. From there you can spring to the other FM's and then try some Oriental leaning blends like Heart & Home's Magnum Opus or McClellands Yenidje Highlander. Both are absolutely amazing to me. I wouldn't even mention Black House I'm sure you've heard all over this place about it. That maybe something you have to build up to.
I'd also recommend you look at Squadron Leader and some of GL Pease blends like Cairo or Chelsea Morning. Then build up to Westminster and Charing Cross.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Latakia. It's like opening a whole new door to your pipe smoking life. I'm really stoked for you.

 

[simnettpratt]

Wow guys. Thanks six! Thanks fitzy! Very sweet posts; thank you very much.
We'll see where it goes. Maybe I'll be 'sophisticated' one day. Yeah, probably not. But I do like this Fox & Hound stuff.

 

[fitzy]

Ha. I don't think I'll ever be sophisticated.

 

[brewshooter]

Wow, I think I like Englishes

...course ya' do!!! :mrgreen:

 

[judcole]

Fox and Hound is a very nice little English blend. You can do much worse as an inexpensive intro to blends of this sort.

By all means, try the Frogs. I don't care for them - I am not a big fan of crossover English blends, which the Frogs are, but you might.

Try some blends that are light on latakia and heavy on orientals, like SG Skiff or Dunhill EMP. Try some where the latakia drives, like Hermit Tobacco Ten Russians or SG Balkan Flake, and some where the orientals and latakia are balanced, like SG Squadron Leader or Peterson Old Dublin. You're going to like some and dislike others. You may keep smoking aros; you may not.

Enjoy the journey!

 

[erichbaumer]

English blends are the reason I smoke a pipe-I didn't get enthusiastic about it until finding Nightcap. Oddly enough, it was only the second English blend I tried and I loved it, high N, perique and all. My advice is try what sounds good too you and ignore the "for the experienced smoker" hogwash.

 

[foggymountain]

The question is, do the English like you?

 

[weezell]

I hopes to be "phisticated" some day. Hope it don't hurt...

 

[kashmir]

I see English and Balkan blends both as Latakia forward blends. Here are a few for you to try: Dunhill's London Mixture, Nightcap, Balkan Sasieni, Penzance, Margate, Star of the East, Pirate Kake, Engine 99, Odessa, Westminster, Charing Cross, Abingdon. These are some of my favorite Lat blends.

 

[supdog]

When I started I too was mostly into aros. Then, one day I was at my local b&m, where you can sample a bowl for free if you bring your pipe. I tried PS English Oriental Supreme and have been in love with english blends ever since.

 

[tennsmoker]

Simnettpratt: To give you an idea of how long I've been smoking a pipe (not that it matters, but just for dating purposes) I began with Green Sail and a $5 basket pipe. When I found an Edwards Pipe Shop in Atlanta, I smoked about all their aros for several years. Even got on a steady order of a pound every two weeks with them. I burned a black hole on an Edwards Canadian I smoked so much.
Then someone suggested I try English blends. I had never smoked English blends, and so I called Craig Tarler at C&D home office in North Carolina. Craig died recently (in my mind it was recent anyway, and the pipes and tobacco world lost a dear friend). I told Craig that I wanted to try English Blends.
He started me on C&Ds 416 Plantation Evening, 530 Old College and 531 Yale Mixture. Next I moved on to 965 Tuggle Hall. I still smoke those blends.
You can also find many more English Blends at C&D, one of the forum's sponsors, and some of the finest folks on the planet.
BTW, I still have that first basket pipe. I no longer smoke Green Sail, however.

 

[simnettpratt]

@foggy, I AM English, so yeah...
@weezell, it might! I wouldn't know.
@kashmir, thanks for the tips. Man, there's a lot of tobaccos.
@tenn, of course I've never heard of Green Sail. I believe you when you say C&D folks are some of the finest on the planet. Thing is, smokingpipes sent me a free Brigham for coming in 2nd in the December cartoon contest, so I kinda feel I owe them. Still don't know what a basket pipe is either.

 

[dragonslayer]

+1 on PS English Oriental Supreme I reach for it every couple weeks. With about 20 blends in my smoking box I'm always jumping around. Most of course are VA/Vapers but there's actually 1Q in there OMG! Though it's been probably 6 months since I had a bowl. Mostly for visitors who want to try "the pipe". Unlike the EOS which I needed to through in a moisture coin the 1Q will last years. I touch into English blends for the quality of the leaf and as long as the Latakia is more in the background (way back) and not soaping my mouth out, there's some nice VA with some spicy leaf, and usually a light bit of Perique.

 

[smeigs]

Im not sophisticated in any way!! But, I love englishes!

 

[mrjerke]

I've found 965 in my Irish Harp seems to really hit the spot. Enjoy Nightcap as well.
Really just love me some English!

 

[bryanf]

If you want to try an English that isn't quite so Latakia forward, might try sg westmoreland mixture. I love that smoke. An herbally flavour if that's even a word. Different. I really like it, as I don't care for too much Latakia. About the most latakia I can enjoy is squadron leader or english luxury.

 

[pipepioneer]

i started out with a cherry aromatic that was good but i still found wanting and a classic old English mix from my tobacconist that really satisfies, needless to say the old english will be gone before id like simply because its just to damn moreish!