Newminster Ultimate English, very good English blend, it falls between Stokkeby Proper English and McClellands 5110 Dark English, Going to get more for the cellar.
For good English blends, I purchased Boswell's Countryside and Northwoods when I first got into pipe smoking. Both are very solid blends, with Countryside being milder, while Northwoods has a fuller body.
Today, I went to Uhle's Tobacco Shop in Milwaukee, WI and Picked up Bishop's Move. I had heard it was a fine English blend, and after a bowl I'd have to agree. It's mild, but I quite like it.
Other English favorites are SG's Squadron Leader, Butera's Pelican, and C&D's Epiphany.
I have a Ben Wade Golden Walnut by Preben Holm that was dedicated to the Bengal Slices of the early 70's. It hasn't been smoked since the tobacco was discontinued way back when. It seems like I smoked bales of the stuff. Now I have a couple a couple tins of Russ O's recreated Bengal Slices to try and I've been savoring the anticipation of the combination. I'm masochistic that way
If I was beginning to try some English blends, I'd start with that or Fusilier's Ration by Hearth & Home.
Just had some Elizabethan yesterday. I like it a lot but don't plan on buying anymore since I'm sticking to only my favorite Dunhill blends to hoard and I don't want to add another at the last minute, I'll go broke.
It's a bit more 'fruity' than the Escudo, a tad of that orange or lemon you get with something like the Orlik Golden Sliced but not as much. I've only bought a few tins of it but it's always at the perfect moisture and I like the cut. I tend to pack a bit tight and this has been forgiving with me staying lit and burning cool. I can easily get an hour plus out of a bowl, tasting great all the way. It has a bit of that nicotine punch to it but not too bad, but enough to notice. If you like VaPers I'm guessing you would really enjoy it, I do.
If it were not for the fact that it's going away I would without a doubt stick with it but that doesn't seem like it's going to happen.
I really like GLP Quiet Nights. A very smooth, dense smoke. The red virginia in it gives it a fruity sweetness and the latakia is smokey but does not overwhelm. the Perique is not that noticeable but does give a touch of pepper in the background...... And i can puff like crazy and i never seem to get bitten. I've seen folks on other forums compare it to Penzance or a least talk about it as a substitute to Penzance. I dunno, never tried Penzance.
Dunhill's London, Early Morning, and Standard Mixture Mellow are good English tobaccos and on my rotation list of English blends. Also G.L. Pease - Sixpence is pretty good. Sort of reminds me of days gone by of a different era.
In all honesty, I can recommend only three, my favorites from my first life as a pipe smoker:
Balkan Sobranie (Not the same as today's iteration)
221B Baker Street (Dunhill? But it wasn't marketed as part of the My Mixture line.)
Dunhill Aperitif
I tried others, as one will, but the only outlier was Copes Escudo, a VaPer, which I smoked from time to time. My pipe tobacco consumption, mid Sixties to the mid Eighties, was much, much greater than it is now, and my number of pipes and tobaccos onhand was much greater, too. Back then, I smoked several bowls a day; today, I often smoke one bowl a day.
I've been exploring a tin of Payless Pipes Custom Blend No. 230. I got it from paylesspipes.com as a freebie and it had been sitting on a shelf for about 6 months. It's a decent English Blend and it reminds me of another I've smoked.
Comments
Today, I went to Uhle's Tobacco Shop in Milwaukee, WI and Picked up Bishop's Move. I had heard it was a fine English blend, and after a bowl I'd have to agree. It's mild, but I quite like it.
Other English favorites are SG's Squadron Leader, Butera's Pelican, and C&D's Epiphany.