Talk to me about English blends

[Pippin Took]

What are they like [ I am new to pipe smoking ] and what the heck is "perique"?? And what, exactly are oriental tobaccos?

 

[Ranger107]

PT, English typically refers to blends with Latakia and/or Oriental. Latakia is usually from Cyprus these days, used to be Syrian. Orientals are typically from Turkey or that region, ez. Izmir. Perique is grown exclusively in Louisiana. Lots of English blends out there. Check out Tobaccoreviews.com for more info. English blends are good but may take some getting used to, lol.

 

[Balisong]

I lump English and Balkan blends together and limit the ones I smoke to a combination of Virginia, Latakia and Turkish/Oriental. If the Orientals are very noticeable I put the mixture more into the Balkan category. I avoid English Mixtures with Burley and especially Perique. My introduction to them was Dunhill, now Peterson Early Morning Pipe and Presbyterian Mixture, not the new Presbyterian Ordained which is a Virginia only tobacco. BriarWorks Pete's Beard is a good introduction to a Virginia and Latakia blend.

 

[Pippin Took]

I lump English and Balkan blends together and limit the ones I smoke to a combination of Virginia, Latakia and Turkish/Oriental. If the Orientals are very noticeable I put the mixture more into the Balkan category. I avoid English Mixtures with Burley and especially Perique. My introduction to them was Dunhill, now Peterson Early Morning Pipe and Presbyterian Mixture, not the new Presbyterian Ordained which is a Virginia only tobacco. BriarWorks Pete's Beard is a good introduction to a Virginia and Latakia blend.

Thanks. How would describe "orientals" taste and smoke-wise? And "Perique"? Trying to figure out of its something i would like.

 

[ftrplt]

Only way to know if you will like a particular pipe tobacco is to try it!! You might explore the Smoking Pipes selection of bulk tobaccos. For starters, I would suggest Kramer's Father Dempsey (or another of the Kramer's), Arango Balkan Supreme, or any one of the C&D English/Balkan blends (there are many!!). Buy an ounce or two of each, get yourself a good Corncob pipe, and give them a try! Enjoy the adventure!! FTRPLT

 

[Balisong]

How would describe "orientals" taste and smoke-wise? And "Perique"? Trying to figure out of its something i would like.

Orientals are used more as a condiment as opposed to a main ingredient. They can impart an incense like aroma and add an interesting twist to the flavor. There are multiple types of Orientals and the flavor and aroma varies by growing region. Perique is a cured American grown Burley that can add a plum flavor to a blend. I don't smoke blends with it because Burley tends to give me the hiccups!

 

[Musicus]

I use perique very sparingly, as well as Turkish or latakia. The main tobaccos I use are Virginia and burley. They are like the bread and butter, the others are like the jam or spice.

 

[user 6274]

English blends usually don't have heavy casing added to them as the combination of Latakia, Orientals, Virginia and, in some cases, Burley and Perique, create a satisfying taste which is usually slightly sweet, spicy, and smoky. Some do have casings but they're another story.

The tobacco aroma might not be that enticing at first but when smoking it, it is very agreeable. Pleasant. When I discovered English blends, I significantly reduced the aromatic tobaccos I was buying as I found them to lack taste, beyond the obvious casings.

As @ftrplt mentioned, it's best to try for yourself, to really understand. If I may, though, I would suggest Peterson Early Morning Pipe and Peterson Old Dublin to get you started. EMP has more Virginias and Orientals than Latakia and OD is more of what we call a Scottish blend, because it contains some Black Cavendish into it.

 

[Eutychus]

All good advice above. You won't go wrong. Here's a helpful introduction to tobaccos:

Tobacco - A Rough Guide

A bulk English blend you might care to try out is Peter Stokkebye English Oriental Supreme. It's mild but gives you a good sense of what to expect in English blends.

 

[Carl]

All good advice above. You won't go wrong. Here's a helpful introduction to tobaccos:

Tobacco - A Rough Guide

A bulk English blend you might care to try out is Peter Stokkebye English Oriental Supreme. It's mild but gives you a good sense of what to expect in English blends.

Proper English is my daily first bowl, and it's good. I do not have finely developed palate, but I do like that blend a lot. Good luck in your search, since there's plenty to experiment with.

 

[JimPM]

All good advice above. You won't go wrong. Here's a helpful introduction to tobaccos:

Tobacco - A Rough Guide

A bulk English blend you might care to try out is Peter Stokkebye English Oriental Supreme. It's mild but gives you a good sense of what to expect in English blends.

My personal favorite as well

 

[JimPM]

What is actually an English versus a Balkan versus a Scottish has gotten so diluted that it is simpler to say the when you hear "English", at least now a days, is that the blend contains Latakia. It is not what was the original branding entailed. I am an avid "English" smoker and I will tell you that you might want to start with a blend that has lighter contents of Latakia, Perique, or Orientals. TR is a good source to learn of others experiences.

If you are just smoking aromatics, then English blend are going to seem strong to you at first, that is what I myself experienced decades ago. Most of the manufacturers and reputable B&Ms make lighter to medium bodied blends. Stokkebye, Boswell, Watch City, Wilke, Sutliff, C&D make their share of very nice English/Balkan/Scottish blends. I would start there and try different ones to work my way into the stronger sorts that meet my fancy

Perique is a wild card condimental leave and definitely has a strong character that either you like or you don't. Orientals are a very broad category, they basically add colorful spicing from sweet to floral to sour/tart to the profile of typical English blends.

 

[user 6310]

What is actually an English versus a Balkan versus a Scottish has gotten so diluted that it is simpler to say the when you hear "English", at least now a days, is that the blend contains Latakia. It is not what was the original branding entailed. I am an avid "English" smoker and I will tell you that you might want to start with a blend that has lighter contents of Latakia, Perique, or Orientals. TR is a good source to learn of others experiences.

If you are just smoking aromatics, then English blend are going to seem strong to you at first, that is what I myself experienced decades ago. Most of the manufacturers and reputable B&Ms make lighter to medium bodied blends. Stokkebye, Boswell, Watch City, Wilke, Sutliff, C&D make their share of very nice English/Balkan/Scottish blends. I would start there and try different ones to work my way into the stronger sorts that meet my fancy

Perique is a wild card condimental leave and definitely has a strong character that either you like or you don't. Orientals are a very broad category, they basically add colorful spicing from sweet to floral to sour/tart to the profile of typical English blends.

thanks,JimPM, that's the most straight forward advise I've heard on this subject, very informative!

 

[Pippin Took]

Thanks for the advice guys. Im ordering a number of the blends recommended. One thing I have found with aromatics is they smell great but the experience of smoking them has little to do with the aroma. They dont smoke the way they taste, and Im finding sometimes the more enjoyable smokes arent always the best smelling.

Sounds like the English blends are more focused on the smoke experience. Ill give it shot and see.

 

[arich52]

Try Arango Balkan Supreme.

 

[UkuleleDude67]

Thanks for the advice guys. Im ordering a number of the blends recommended. One thing I have found with aromatics is they smell great but the experience of smoking them has little to do with the aroma. They dont smoke the way they taste, and Im finding sometimes the more enjoyable smokes arent always the best smelling.

Sounds like the English blends are more focused on the smoke experience. Ill give it shot and see.

That was my same ah ha moment. I now Frankenstein most of the aromatic blends I have in my collection. I mix in half best of the rest english to each bowl. Makes for best of both worlds. I have now found I am particularly fond of the English, as in made in England, blends. I don’t mind the floral. And like the nic level.

 

[Zeno Marx]

I don't personally care for this blend, but we sold a lot of it where I worked many years ago. Lane's HGL. It's basically RLP-6 with latakia, so you get...at least theoretically...the smoky flavors of latakia with the vanilla/caramel room note of the Captain Black series. Multitaskers don't usually do any one thing particularly well, which is the case with it, but you know...different strokes for different folks.

 

[UkuleleDude67]

I don't personally care for this blend, but we sold a lot of it where I worked many years ago. Lane's HGL. It's basically RLP-6 with latakia, so you get...at least theoretically...the smoky flavors of latakia with the vanilla/caramel room note of the Captain Black series. Multitaskers don't usually do any one thing particularly well, which is the case with it, but you know...different strokes for different folks.

I have 4 oz of HGL on the way. I am going to use it as my bookbag blend. As in I always have a pipe and tobacco in my bag

 

[Aussiemike]

I love Rattrays Professional mix Pippin If you want to ease into english blends, it might be a mellow one to start with. Does anyone else think it would be a good starter ? Jim?

​

 

[BriarPipeNYC]

Very informative thread, loaded with information that I had forgotten long ago. This refresher course thread is great for both the newer and older pipe smokers.

Sometimes, especially me, many of us "golden oldies" forget or don't care to remember what tobaccos are in what blend...when one finds a perfect mixture, who cares?

But it does help to nail down what you like and what you don't when searching for a good balanced blend, or, that all-day smoke.

The only thing I dare add to all the great suggestions: DON"T buy in large quantities. Find a tobacco retailer who sells tobacco mixtures by the ounce or small amounts. Also seek out and buy tobacco "samplers"...and get to taste and smoke a number of different blends. Samplers usually are marketed as: "English" and "non-English" mixtures. If I remember correctly, "4Noggins" sells samplers, and maybe "John Brandt/Wilke's Tobaccos" also sells samplers....or, just ask retailers. Buy small amounts of tobaccos you want to try......

Lane Ltd makes a blend called "HGL" which is nothing more than Captain Black-original with the small addition of some Latakia. We call it a "transitional blend". Also: No. "10 Downing Street" is also another "transitional blend" = milder Englishy type blends, but not the full blast English mixtures loaded with Latakia and Perique. But ultimately, you'll have to do all the experimenting. Making notes and writing down some critiques will help you nail down what you like.

GOOD LUCK!