S.G.'s Kendall Cream and a pinch of...

[Corncobcon]

To me, this stuff smells like roses and rubber muck boots!  So I cut it with a pinch of  Carter Hall just for the hell of it!  Hey, this is a lot better now!  I have a tobacco I actually like!  Now I have to get the measurements just right.  I smoked it in my dedicated MM cob.  I think the CH toned down the tonquin in this tobacco. This was fun!

 

[Brewdude]

Always great to read threads like this. Thanks Con, as there are countless ways in which a ho-hum or disagreeable blend can be made mo betta by the addition of something else!

8)




Cheers,

RR

 

[huffelpuff]

Glad to hear you found a way to enjoy one of the dreaded lakeland blends. They seem to be an acquired taste. The only one I've found that I enjoy is G&H Cherry Cream Flake. It only seems to work for me in a pot style pipe though.

Jim

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Kendal Cream is an oddity. I like to smoke it once in a blue moon when I am feeling masochistic. Aside from that, if you’re going to reach for the tonquin, just go balls out and smoke 1792. The end effect is the same but the 1792 does it with a lot more umph.

 

[Blackhorse]

Eeee Gods. Death wish. 1792 is one of the very few Gawith blends I can’t abide. It’s as detestable as Ennerdale to me. That Tonquin is sooo gaggy. How about 100% CH and zero 1792?

Well, we can’t like ‘em all. Both of those Gawiths are fine blends, for other folks. It’s not the blend...it’s me.

But then I hate 98% of all Latakia blends too. What does that say? Am I just a hater? I’ll smoke Samarra. It’s got just a little. But I’ve even stopped smoking Dark Fired blends. I’m just buying sweet VA and burley and even aros! Is this the beginning of the end? Sigh. Maybe just a hard week.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I’ve even stopped smoking Dark Fired blends. I’m just buying sweet VA and burley and even aros!  Is this the beginning of the end?  Sigh.  Maybe just a hard week.

Interesting. I thought you were an "end of the line" tobacco guy? G&H Dark Flake, Plug, Coniston, etc.

I have become more finicky about latakia blends. I am pretty much through with most of the blends that have a heavy amount of it. I agree that Samarra is very good. IMHO, GLP's most refined and fully realized English blend. But I really like what McClelland did with Latakia, and most reviews I have read seem to trend toward the opposite opinion. Especially with those under appreciated Green Label mixtures. I guess I really enjoy the flavor of the Red Cake base, which I am sure was used in most, if not all of the McNeil's English blends. I also really like the Peretti Englishes.

More and more, I am warming to burley. It really does seem like the most appropriate tobacco to put in a pipe on a regular basis. Very American, sturdy, simple but flavorful. I do like Dark Fired blends but too much of it reminds me a lot of too much Latakia. Some kind soul sent me some Old Joe Krantz, which I had smoked in its past chunky cube cut format. This was the same stuff, but a fine ribbon cut. I am enjoying it. It's strong, but it has a sweeter tone.

Aromatics are fun! So is 1792. The last time I smoked 1792, my wife came into the garage for a beverage from the spare fridge and said "Which one is that?" "Why do you ask, I said" "It smells really good. You should smoke that one more often," she replied.

WTF!?  :lol!:

 

[huffelpuff]

Dude???!?!?!?!? I'm not in love with1792 but I smoke it now and again. I've never gotten a word one way or the other from the spousal unit.

Jim

 

[Blackhorse]

Drums... am still very much into almost all other Gawith items but do have favorites and ones that are so so. I like the floral scenting of Broken Flake #7 best, and that family of blends. It’s just the 1792 & Ennerdale I find distasteful. I still love the pigtails and twists and many of the flakes both scented and not. Aside from the scents and flavors I think the base VA and Burleys are rich and fairly sweet. So that segues into my other favorite genres...the dark sweet non Gawith flakes. Then there are the John Patton style melange blends using a VA/Burley base with condimental use of Turkish, Cigar Leaf, some Perique...etc. C&D makes these too...Riverboat Gambler, Oriental Silk, Honor Blend. Then there are the straight and strong Burleys like Peretti’s, Uhle’s, C&D and such. And perhaps finally the aromatics and semi-aros. Basically...anything really good which is maybe 5% of all the blends out there. Is that terminal status?  I think it probably is. That’s six basic genres from which to pick. But I have good stocks of almost everything...except the aros. So I’m buying some flakes...testing here and there trying very highly rated aros...some of which work. I’ve got so much other stuff I’m not buying the other stuff. Hmm...sorry, that’s making a short story long. I was kind of sorting things out as I went along.

 

[user 2027]

I'm not an aromatic guy. Everyone around me rants how good Cult Blood Red Moon burns clean and zero bite. Gave that a try and it is true. Every so often there is a nice hit of cocoa and cherry. When it went out and I dumped it was nothing but ash.

Samuel Gawith FVF and finally got Brown Bogie have been both I have enjoyed. I have Black XX but haven't tried it yet. Not a fan of 1792 or heavy Turkish blends. Also added Sam's flake to try. What else should I add to my list? Should I branch out to aromatics?

Sent from Topic'it App

 

[Blackhorse]

If you want to try a classic Lakeland...get a small amount of the Gawith Blend that the guys who make it claim to be the best thing out of the factory...Broken Flake #7. It is about the strength of FVF but strongly floral. It tones down when smoked.

If you want to put you toe into the STRONG tobacco pond...pick up some Gawith Brown Twist Sweet Rum or Sweet Maple...or some Dark Flake either scented or not. The twists are in no way aromatic. They are very slightly sweetened to take the edge off. The Dark Flake is either strongly floral or not so much.

My current favorite aromatic is Rivendell from The Country Squire. Wonderful stuff.

Go over to The Tobacco Jar section here. Look up at the top for a thread that has recommendations from a fair number of members on blends in various specific categories. It might be very helpful.

Finally, if you find something you really like...keep going in the same direction.

That’s my spin.