Full Bodied English?

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Davey

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Looking for a REAL full bodied english. I currently enjoy Penzance and Nightcap. Looking to add a real punch to my rotation....anyone? :eek:
 
From C&D, I realling like Engine 99. Then, the ultimate for me is Odyssey from GLP. Blackpoint is an interesting blend as well.

:D Paul
 
Davey:

OK...you want full-bodied and Penzance doesn't do it for you? No problem. Try these:
  • G.L. Pease – Abingdon
  • Charles Fairmorn – Lancer's Slices
  • Cornell & Diehl – Da Vinci
If those don't do it for you, you're probably looking at the wrong kind of "English" tobacco. There's an entirely different genre of "English—what are sometimes called "traditional English"—tobaccos that have very little in common with the Oriental/Latakia types of English blends.

The Oriental/Latakia mixtures have their roots in the British military and colonial exploits in the Middle East and India. But there's another flowstream rooted in the British merchant marine, who carried wool from the Lake District mills to the Americas, and on the return trip brought back American tobacco. Kendal—in the heart of the Lake District—thus became not only an exporter of wool but an importer of tobacco and producer of the dense twists and plugs that became the mainstay smokes and chews of sailors.

I'm referring to the Lakeland weedage from Kendal—the flakes, ropes, and mixtures made by Gawith Hoggarth and Samuel Gawith. They include the most powerful tobaccos in the world—weedage that well set you on your ass and teach you the meaning of "full-bodied" in a way you'll never forget.

But first try the three I've listed above. :mrgreen:

Vito :joker:
 
C&D Pirate Kake. It's 70% Latakia and about as full as an English blend gets.

Smokey
 
smokey422":2nyo87rh said:
C&D Pirate Kake. It's 70% Latakia and about as full as an English blend gets.

Smokey
Davey:

Smokey's right, of course; Pirate Kake is indeed a full English blend, and there are others in that same crumble cake genre. For example, here are two more of similar character, both from Cornell & Diehl, with their accompanying descriptions:
  • Black Frigate – "Latakia and Turkish are added to Navy cavendish, pressed and sliced. A Royal Navy blend, not for the faint of heart."
  • Bow-Legged Bear – "This is a departure from other blends in that it is stoved and pressed hot, then sliced into a crumble cake. It is a full English blend with red and bright Virginias, Latakia, Perique, Turkish and unsweetened black Cavendish."
I didn't steer you toward the cakeweeds because I figure that, if Penzance didn't do it for you, you might really be looking for something with a bit more oomph, and that doesn't necessarily come from the Latakia. I smoke all of the above blends (including Pirate Kake). They're all pretty stout, and they all contain lots of Latakia, but Latakia alone is not the whole story. If it were, you could just smoke straight Latakia and be done with it. There's more to it than that, and if your tastes are anything like mine, pure Latakia probably wouldn't satisfy your quest for a "full-bodied" tobacco.

For example, C&D's Da Vinci is 75% Cyprian Latakia, but that's not why I put it on my original list...well, it's not the only reason. The reason Da Vinci kicks butt is because of its Turkweed component. You can prove it to yourself. Get some of C&D's pure Latakia, and some of their Turkish, and smoke them separately. That's right—smoke them straight. That's how you'll gain an understanding of the individual tobaccos, and what they contribute to a blend. You'll find that, although the Latakia is very flavorful, it's actually a relatively sweet and mild tobacco, with lots of spice. Then smoke some of the Turkweed (in a different pipe); it roars into your mouth like the Orient Express, and chances are good that, unless you have a high tolerance for high-octane (HO) weedage, you'd best not be operating any heavy machinery when you smoke it. (And don't try it on an empty stomach!) Put the Latakia and the Turkish together and—to my way of thinking—that's "full-bodied".

Of course, this entire discussion sort of hinges on how you define full-bodied, not how anyone else defines it. And there's that other undefinable element—personal taste—that makes it pretty close to a crap shoot as to whether any two smokers' perceptions are going to match up on any given tobacco. The suggestions Smokey and I have made might be a bullseye for you, or not. Speaking for myself, I'd be interested in knowing whether any of the tobaccos we've suggested hit the "full-bodied" mark for you. If not, report back here, and I'll steer you toward some other tobaccos — the "traditional English" types — that will open up a completely different world.

Vito :joker:
 
Thanks a bunch Vito (and all).

I will put those on my emmediate list. I'll keep you guys posted.
Great info...man i have a lot to learn!
 
Man, I haven't had Lancer's Slices in a long time! They are definitely good! I use to really like SOTE also. I remember when SOTE had an almost cult like following on the old Stoker's board.
 
Vito wrote:


Of course, this entire discussion sort of hinges on how you define full-bodied, not how anyone else defines it. And there's that other undefinable element—personal taste—that makes it pretty close to a crap shoot as to whether any two smokers' perceptions are going to match up on any given tobacco.
Granted that my experience with Lat blends is limited, but back in the day I smoked quite a few and none of them were full-bodied in the sense that I use the term-a strong nico-punch. You can rachet up the amount of Lat in a blend by smoking Da Vinci or Pirate Kake; what you can't do, unless you blend in GH Brown Irish X (stay away from their Black Irish X as it will dominate, even at a small percentage; ditto Happy Brown Bogie as its flavor is more intense, and you want the emphasis to stay on the Lat; ditto the Samuel Gawith ropes as from what little of their Brown Rope #4 that I have smoked was more flavorful than Brown Irish X but lacked appreciable nicotine). Brown Irish X packs a mule-kick of nicotine but in taste is bland. This would thus, for your purposes, if our definitions of full-bodied are the same, give you the body you seek but with the least change to your experimental English.
 
Thomas had sent me some Odyssey which I tried again last night. I really enjoyed that ( bit tought to keep lit in my BBB, maybe did not dry enough).

Penzance I enjoy, but lacks the punch I am looking for...
 
I don't know if it would fit the bill for you, but I immediately thought of Durbar. Sad to say, it has been discontinued by Dunhill.

This tobacco kicks my arse everytime I smoke it, but it has such a wonderful smoky flavor, I just make sure and have a full stomach and nowhere important to go for about an hour or two.

Not a latakia heavy flavor, but nice interplay between the latweed and the Va (and the oriental).

But I'm not kidding: sip it slowly and it'll be kind. Go too fast, and it'll lay you low (or it does me anyway ;) )

Mike
 
ebay, box pass's a few retailers, a generous bro.. Theres still plenty out there, it is just a matter of finding it. It wasn't discontinued because it was everyones favorite.Most that rushed out and tried to buy all the remaining tins are hoping to cash in on it.
 
Oh, and by the way PB, Yes I really enjoy Penzance but I am looking for a bit more kick for when I am in the mood ;)
 
Davey":zdymne7o said:
GM,

But its disco, right? Where to find it?
It might be hard to find, for sure. Knox had some till recently, and you might find a tin at other online suppliers.

I have one tin left...it doesn't have a lot of age on it yet, but I'd be glad to share the wealth. PM me.

Mike
 
I'll second Vito's recommendation of Bow-Legged Bear, don't know why I didn't think of it the first time around. I keep some here but don't smoke it on a daily basis because it is so full. Hope you can find what you're looking for.

Smokey
 
Vito":h3flpgep said:
The Oriental/Latakia mixtures have their roots in the British military and colonial exploits in the Middle East and India. But there's another flowstream rooted in the British merchant marine, who carried wool from the Lake District mills to the Americas, and on the return trip brought back American tobacco. Kendal—in the heart of the Lake District—thus became not only an exporter of wool but an importer of tobacco and producer of the dense twists and plugs that became the mainstay smokes and chews of sailors.
Fascinating Vito, I did not realize there were two genres of English. What was the reason behind fire-curing most of these tobaccos? Was it the chew factor? Thanks for another enligtenment in the world of pipe tobacco Vito!
 
I really enjoy Germain's 1820 Blend, Esoterica Margate, Gawith Balkan Flake and I'll ponder some more...

Just remembered Lane Crown Achievement. I believe it's still available in bulk. I know that it is no longer tinned. It's a great full English blend.

Also, I find that the quality of the latakia changes how I perceive the fullness (latakia-wise) of a blend. The Germain blends and the Balkan flake have a really smoky latakia, so it's seems very present.
 
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