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Love at first light

Going through my humble cellar, perusing my tobacco jars and tins, I began to ponder. What tobacco has captured my attention from the first light of the first bowl and continues to be exceptionally enjoyable?

This may be a little different for everyone because your preferences change over time; as do mine. For example, Northwoods was one of my favorites when I first tied it, and I still love it. Having said that, recently the sweetness in it has been a little too much for me and I sometimes choose other Latakia blends over it. EMP is probably my favorite "English" tobacco now and will always have that in my cellar. But I didn't feel that way when I lit my first bowl of it.




The blends that have made it into my "Love at first light" group are the following:


Holger Danske Royal Navy Flake- From the first time I fired up a bowl of this stuff, I knew it was special. I'll never forget that first time :wink2: I was driving home from Sendai and had just smoked a bowl of OGS. I wanted to pack one for the road because it's a 3 hr drive. I filled my Alexander Briar Poker and let the flame dance It was wonderful VA heaven and I stopped my car after the first bowl was done and packed another one right after that. I've been through a few tins now and have two just waiting to be enjoyed. My only complaint is that I can't get it in bulk :001_tongu


Solani ABF I was very excited to try this as I noticed I tended to like blends with Burleys. My first bowl of it was in my Stanwell De Luxe freehand and I was on a trip through Aomori Prefecture. It was just so wonderfully smooth and nutty with some earthy notes as well. Been through a couple of tins of this and am excited for the next time I buy one. It's the ultimate Burley IMO.


Carter Hall- I've been on somewhat of a quest to find The greatest OTC blend. Not only to save money, but rather to have an old faithful tobacco to enjoy that is readily available. I had heard so much about this tobacco and almost couldn't believe that something like this would be so wonderful. I was sitting in my car on a lunch break and packed my Savinelli 320 with this. It was so easy to pack and when lit, it was just pure pipe smoking bliss. It's so nice to smoke a simple blend like this when it seems so many people are pleased with nothing less than Latakia bombs. Since then I've smoked PA, SWR and Half n Half. CH takes the cake easily every time.



I know I listed the places and pipes that I used but it's not necessary. I just have such vivid memories because it was so lovely right from the start. But what about you? What blends have been your .....:001_wub:Love at first light:001_wub:
 

Kilroy6644

Smoking a corn dog in aviators and a top hat
That's actually a tough one for me. I tend to suffer from tobacco infatuation. I'll try a particular blend for the first time, and it blows me away, but after the infatuation wears off, they don't wow me as much anymore. Captain Black Royal is a good example. It amazed me how much better it was than the regular, but now that I'm used to it, it's not nearly so spectacular. Still good, but not amazing. Sometimes it's a fluke. In the winter I was sent a sampler by another member. Between being packed in ziploc bags and being frozen, most of the samples were pretty dry by the time they got to me. No complaints on my end; my tobacco usually ends up getting fairly dry anyway. But one of the samples was Nording Hunter Labrador, and it was phenomenal. So when I finally had the money to order some tobacco, I made sure to get some. But it wasn't the same. The smell and the taste were quite a bit stronger. The freezing and drying had mellowed it out, and made it perfect for me. The fresh stuff couldn't compete.

Sorry about the detour. Back on topic. I'll second you on Carter Hall. It was the second tobacco I ever tried, back when my Legend was my only pipe. It kills me that nobody carries it here.
 
3OS and Nightcap. Two staples of my rotation that I smoke on occasion as a treat. Never had a bad bowl with either of them.

Everything else I've either needed to warm up to, or varies bowl to bowl.
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
Penzance, for me, was love at first light. I cannot be without it now. 3 Oak Syrian took three bowls, but I won't be without that, either.
 
Penzance, for me, was love at first light. I cannot be without it now. 3 Oak Syrian took three bowls, but I won't be without that, either.

Exact opposite for me. 3OS was love a first light, while Penzance took some coaxing but now she is my mistress.
 
So when I finally had the money to order some tobacco, I made sure to get some. But it wasn't the same. The smell and the taste were quite a bit stronger. The freezing and drying had mellowed it out, and made it perfect for me. The fresh stuff couldn't compete.

That sounds easy enough to remedy...
 
For me:
Northwoods and Balkan Sasieni for sure. FMO, though not to the same degree.

3OS took a few bowls for me to grok, then I loved it. Same for Milan Sultan's Blend, but then that was one of the first blends I ever smoked and I didn't know what I was doing.

I tried a couple bowls of Penzance (thanks JeremySeattle!) and failed to grok it, but I still have a generous sample remaining. I also failed with EMP despite repeated attempts. I suspect there's something in them that I'm just failing to notice, not merely a case of not liking them (though I might also just not like them).
 
Frog Morton original, Orlik golden sliced, 3 oaks Syrian. Still to this day. Bliss. Great thread. Reading with interest.
 
All these comments about 3OS and loving it, I really gotta pop my tin open!

The blends I've loved at first light often go the way of Northwoods as Senshi said, I feel the same way. I really loved Molto Dolce and Northwoods the first time I've tried them, but after adjusting to them they are a bit too sweet, and I treat them as an occasional dessert rather than a staple.

But the one of the blend I have Kept around no matter what to date

Sutliff's Medium English - Its a nice balance between a lat bomb and an oriental heavy smoke. I've never had a bad bowl of it, and in the right pipe it feels like a walk in the park with an old friend. It helps that its available locally in bulk too though.
 
For me it was FM Original, Pembroke and Solani 633 that Price sent for the taste test...ive got 2 tins of the 633 on their way for Father's Day:)
 

Commander Quan

Commander Yellow Pantyhose
Although my infatuation as died down, after opening it, I finished a tin of Two Friends English Chocolate faster than any other blend I've ever had.

HOTW is probably the only other blend that that I've really gone crazy over instantly.
 
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