Would Love Recommendations on Blends.

[Cucamonga95]

Title edited for caps and brevity. See Rule 9. Original:
At a dead end and would love some recs on blends to try next.

What would you recommend me based off this information?

My favorite blends are John Marr, Sansepulcro, Cloud Hopper, Bayou Night, Windjammer, and Newminster No. 400. I smoke on average 10-15 bowls a week, at most three or four in a day. I retrohale at least 50% of my puffs.

I like at least medium in strength and body. I don't need my smoke to smell great. I like incense, ferments, dirty socks, "kind bud," kombucha, wet dogs, ferrets, etc. and am unmarried. The two are unrelated.

The blend I want to try more than any other is Cabbies Mixture. Maybe I'll find some one day.

I don't mind a lightly sauced aro usually if it's not going for blueberry key lime coco-orgy donuts and sprinkles... John Marr being tied for my favorite blend. I think it's topped with whisky and vanilla, but it's faint. God I love that stuff. Also dig Shandygaff. I'll cut some Salmon River with some crumbly LNF to balance it out a bit.

I like Latakia less and less as my pallete develops, but love it in Bayou Night..... Which reminds me of Elmer's glue in the best way. I've got Mac Baren's Ltd Ed. Latakia Rolls, Rajah's Court, Seattle Evening, Bengal Slices, a few others and just... Not loving Latakia unless it's in Bayou Night lately. Or rather.... I'm not reaching for it. I crack a jar of an English, grab a whiff, and reach for Windjammer instead.

Thanks!

 

[Piping Abe]

Go for some DFK. GL Pease Sixpence or Jack Knife Plug

 

[didimauw]

Sounds like a nice strong burley would fit in there! Anything by C&D would be great.

Love the descriptive post!

 

[MattRVA]

I’d recommend C&D Orion’s Arrow and Three Friars. Maybe their burley flakes too.

 

[Cucamonga95]

Go for some DFK. GL Pease Sixpence or Jack Knife Plug

Have only smoked it condimentally; will definitely keep it in mind. I've like blends with it- Dreams of Kadath, Savinelli 149 had a fermented dark fried leaf in it and I loved that. Thanks, noted

 

[Sigmund]

If you aren’t ready to give up on Latakia give HH Latakia flake a try. Despite its name its not a lat bomb. Its got a lot of other flavors that come through and some sweetness as well. Sometimes the lat almost fades out. Its a really smooth tasty smoke.

 

[Ghosted Tamper]

I'd recommend the following blends/baccys based on your requirements/preferences:

-Gawith Hoggarth Glengarry Flake. Should satiate your request for a lightly topped Aromatic (in this case honeydew), along with being similar in profile to Newminster 400 (topping differences aside).

-Gawith Hoggarth Brown Bogie, or Brown Irish X (Black Irish X if you really fetishize the taste of burning rubber upon asphalt). The Brown Twists have some cigarish notes and a robust tobacco flavor. Might be a stand-in for your Sansepolcro based on Sanse having cigar-leaf. I have never smoked Sanse, so take that with a sack of salt. I am not recommending based on flavor similarities, I just love this tobacco, so you should too. Will put some hair on your chest if you ain't got none (will not regrow head hair).

-C&D From Beyond 2023. Just released and whilst I am hesitant to recommend limited run blends, it is an English in the year of our lord 2023, so it will be available for quite some time, Small Batch aside. Jeremy Reeves got ahold of Turkish Latakia for this blend, which has a rich woodiness, and is quite light on the usual "Cyprian sauce" (leather, smoked burnt incense...). It is a great English, and I'm not a Lat fan myself.

-GL Pease Laurel Heights. Exceptional Red VAs with the slightest addition of Latakia. Absolutely delicious blend. Nothing more to say. If you don't like this blend, you don't like tobacco, period

 

[litup]

Sounds like you like Navy Flakes (Windjammer and No. 400). If you want to stay in that lane, I recommend Mac Baren's Navy Flake and Same Gawith Navy Flake.

You've got a few VaPers on your list too so Escudo always comes out when people talk about their favorites. If you can get your hands on Cabbie's (especially well-aged) it's delicous.

 

[sardonicus87]

I'll second Mac B's Navy Flake and add also their HH Burley Flake as a recommendation. Maybe give Old Joe Krantz (original brown label) a swing.

If you're not afraid to give lat another go, GLP Quiet Nights—might either change your mind about not loving lat at the moment, or might help solidify your not liking it, but should not be offensive regardless.

 

[Cucamonga95]

Sounds like you like Navy Flakes (Windjammer and No. 400). If you want to stay in that lane, I recommend Mac Baren's Navy Flake and Same Gawith Navy Flake.

You've got a few VaPers on your list too so Escudo always comes out when people talk about their favorites. If you can get your hands on Cabbie's (especially well-aged) it's delicous.

Will grab Gawith Navy when it's available. Have added MB Navy to explore that vein a bit more. Didn't realize it but I do have a thing for Navy blends... I have a large stock of all of the bulk Navy blends offered by Newminster and Stokkebye and I have a hard time choosing between them.

Escudo I liked... But it bored me compared to Fillmore and wasn't any better to me than some of the bulk VaPer I've tried, specifically Bayou Morning.

I want more than anything to get my hands on some Cabbies Mixture. Learned of it in 2018 and have been longing for it since.

Cheers, thanks for the tips.

 

[Cucamonga95]

I’d recommend C&D Orion’s Arrow and Three Friars. Maybe their burley flakes too.

Reddit concurs unanimously that Three Friars should be on my list. Thanks, will defo get some when the budget allows tins again.

 

[Cucamonga95]

If you aren’t ready to give up on Latakia give HH Latakia flake a try. Despite its name its not a lat bomb. Its got a lot of other flavors that come through and some sweetness as well. Sometimes the lat almost fades out. Its a really smooth tasty smoke.

Noted, thank you. I don't want to give up on Latakia. I have had some really good smokes with Latakia present and the blend I say is my favorite 50% of the time (Bayou Night) has a friendly helping of the stuff. It's not that I've grown to dislike the taste of it, it's moreso that it doesn't interest me. I don't find anything new when I return to it so I just don't reach for it.

Thanks, noted.

 

[Cucamonga95]

I'll second Mac B's Navy Flake and add also their HH Burley Flake as a recommendation. Maybe give Old Joe Krantz (original brown label) a swing.

If you're not afraid to give lat another go, GLP Quiet Nights—might either change your mind about not loving lat at the moment, or might help solidify your not liking it, but should not be offensive regardless.

Love love love HH Burley... A cob's best friend. Haven't tried any of the labels of OJK, thanks for the reminder! Also- I have a tin of Quiet Nights I've not popped yet and a few cobs on the way, I'll give it a fair shake one of these eves. Thanks.

 

[Cucamonga95]

I'd recommend the following blends/baccys based on your requirements/preferences:

-Gawith Hoggarth Glengarry Flake. Should satiate your request for a lightly topped Aromatic (in this case honeydew), along with being similar in profile to Newminster 400 (topping differences aside).

-Gawith Hoggarth Brown Bogie, or Brown Irish X (Black Irish X if you really fetishize the taste of burning rubber upon asphalt). The Brown Twists have some cigarish notes and a robust tobacco flavor. Might be a stand-in for your Sansepolcro based on Sanse having cigar-leaf. I have never smoked Sanse, so take that with a sack of salt. I am not recommending based on flavor similarities, I just love this tobacco, so you should too. Will put some hair on your chest if you ain't got none (will not regrow head hair).

-C&D From Beyond 2023. Just released and whilst I am hesitant to recommend limited run blends, it is an English in the year of our lord 2023, so it will be available for quite some time, Small Batch aside. Jeremy Reeves got ahold of Turkish Latakia for this blend, which has a rich woodiness, and is quite light on the usual "Cyprian sauce" (leather, smoked burnt incense...). It is a great English, and I'm not a Lat fan myself.

-GL Pease Laurel Heights. Exceptional Red VAs with the slightest addition of Latakia. Absolutely delicious blend. Nothing more to say. If you don't like this blend, you don't like tobacco, period

Haaaa. Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I may have to pull the trigger on From Beyond, the Turkish Latakia sounds more up my alley. Yes, it's the leather that turns me off. Also- do you mean to say English blends have fallen out of favor?

Brown Irish X is in my wishlist. I miss Sansepolcro. I have a few bowls left that I just can't smoke until I get more. It is the most singular, captivating blend I've had. I am not even really a cigar fan. Though I do enjoy most of the Warped series.

Laurel Heights is top priority when my budget allows tins again.

Thanks again for your reply

 

[Ghosted Tamper]

Also- do you mean to say English blends have fallen out of favor?

Seems so (at least where I frequent). With the Night Kin... I mean winter coming, I'd expect an uptick of English consumption. I'd sure smoke more Englishes if this Turkish Latakia gets around to more blends.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I like funky flavors too, which leads to dark Virginias and heavy orientals.
I'd you haven't tried, I'd recommend:
HU Soraya
Fox Campanile
C&D Steamworks
HU Flanagan
Gawith Sams flake
C&D Miskatonic Mix
RO Firestorm

 

[Ghosted Tamper]

RO Firestorm

Overlooked and under-appreciated blend right here .

 

[ParkitoATL]

If you like John Marr, I would highly rec you try an oz of Peter Stokkebye PS1 Classic Natural. It's a lightly cavendished VA with a touch of burley and a lovely but light aromatic topping. It's quickly become a real favorite.

Also, PS301 Natural Dutch Cavendish which is the same VA without any topping and a bit more burley. It's sweet and fruity with just enough pop to keep it real. I can retrohale this all night.

Both of these have a terrific cut, super easy to pack and burn. Both are everyday smokes for me. Simple, delicious, unpretentious and uncomplicated.

If you haven't tried Luxury Twist Flake, grab that one as well. Currently my favorite VA. I like it a bit more than the Newminster 400, which is in the same ballpark.

 

[simong]

St. Bruno...

 

[kcghost]

Lots of flavors to try I am not sure why you want recommendations. You realize that they are like rear ends, everybody has one. For classic Virginia though not the powerhouse it once was try Escudo.