I've been a pipe smoker for 45+ years. I began pipe smoking when I was 17 years old. Like many young pipers I primarily smoked Aromatic blends in the early years. In latter years my tobacco palate changed and I now prefer more natural tobacco tastes & aromas from the pipe. I still enjoy a good Aromatic on occasion, however nowadays I'm quite fond of the natural tobacco blends with little or no top notes / casings. I enjoy a myriad of tobacco genres (i.e., Burley, Virginia Flakes, VaPers, VaBurPers, Orientals, English & Balkan blends). My personal 4-star rating system (opinion) is as follows: 4 stars = one of the best in class for this tobacco genre, 3 stars = a very good blend for this tobacco genre (but not a firm favorite), 2 stars = a good or decent blend in this tobacco genre (yet I tend prefer other blends), 1 star = this blends flavor or aroma characteristics is not appealing to me (for the particular genre) and I most likely will not purchase it again.