What blends to you smoke, and when?

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Since it is always summer here in Florida, I smoke only Va, Vaper and Vabur flakes year round. I start out the day going up the strength ladder and I have a rotation of around 27 blends open at any given time. I love variety and have found a system to keep all my blends fresh for whenever the mood strikes. I smoke 4-5 bowls a day so I might go on a kick where I will smoke Stonehaven for example as one of my bowls 6 or seven days in a row and then lay off it a week or so. I do have a set list of first smoke of the day blends that consists of the following.

Dunhill Flake
F&T Cut Virginia Plug
Wessex Gold Virginia Flake
Capstan Gold or Blue Flake
Astleys 109
Rotary Navy Cut

I then move on to a darker VA flake such as Astleys 44 or Wessex BCDF or JA Luxury Flake or Wessex Brown Flake. Then I usually pick a Vaper such as Escudo or Solani 633 or SG St James. Next I will go to a Vabur like Stonehaven or Old Dark Fired or Solani 660 or GL Pease Navigator. For a last bowl I might go for Peterson Irish Flake University flake, 3P's or maybe SG FVF. The Vabur and Vaper selections can be flipped on any given day depending on my mood. I have so many blends that I really enjoy that sometimes it takes me a good few minutes trying to decide what the heck I feel like smoking, it is a good problem to have I think.

I believe every new pipe smoker should try a sampling from all the different categories and see what they are all about. When I was new, I was an English and Vaper only guy, then I lost my taste for Latakia which happened when I moved from Rhode Island to Florida. I think the warm weather all the time made my English blends not taste so great and after laying off them for years, when I tried going back, they tasted awful to me. Last summer I dabbled in some aromatics( Boswell's) and while I enjoyed the flavors, the amount of PG in them dried my mouth something fierce and even Biotene would not help so I gave up on them. Everyone's tastes are so different that I believe everyone needs to experiment a great deal in the beginning to find out what blends and categories floats their boats.
 
Yay... i started a lively thread! :)

Some very interesting posts here, so thanks for everyone so far!

as i am new, i can clearly see i need to try a few more different types.

I had a 5gr sample of a choc flake (my first and only flake) and i think i failed!! so flakes...god knows where to start, i see Dunhill flake, ill try that. (i understand flakes burn different to normal rubbed/rippen/cut etc.. any other differences?)
and i dont think ive tried a straight VA.. so will try one of those too.

im living in the UK atm just south of London, the summer ist very hot, and the winter is cold.
 
It doesn't take much to get us going, Ozz. We're simple folk in some regards. :tongue:

I like having four distinct seasons. Makes the approach of each of them just as sweet as entering into a new one, and all the joys of each.

8)
 
i usually smoke a bowl before work as i work third shift. I tend to stick to cherry tobaccos but lately i have been puffing on mcclenlands three cherry exclusively
 

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