Great thread! I was fortunate enough to be on a roll winning contests right around the time I started getting more interested in pipes, and trying out new tobaccos. Just when I was thinking about signing up for the pipe noob trade, all this abundance fell into my lap and I never did sign up in the end!

First it was @Tobias Lutz pipe quotation contest, which @Hermit also won but generously passed his half of the winnings on to me. I ended up with almost 2lbs of tobacco! There are a few I still haven't tried, but so far the most surprising has been SG Firedance Flake. Right when i was starting to think I just don't like aros, I approached this stuff almost reluctantly - I mean seriously, heavy blackberry sauce on slabs of wet tobacco? But it blindsided me with an almost surreally pleasing combination of flavors! With the samples Tobias sent, by process of elimination, I found that Burley was the problem, not aro per se. And that's just as valuable to know as discovering a new favorite blend - developing my palate and figuring out what I like. I was also a runner-up in another of Tobias' giveaways, and won a tin of Dunhill Navy Rolls. I haven't cracked it open yet, but it's definitely going to help me get my heard around the whole VA flake/roll genre (along with the OGS he sent in the previous package).

Then there was @tmoran 's fun Mixture 79 review contest, where I was a runner-up twice! This turned me on to the weird and wonderful 1792, and the as yet unopened Presbyterian Mixture.

Last but not least, @NeverBend 's expertise has been an invaluable resource in helping me understanding the different kinds of tobaccos, processing, and blending houses. I was also fortunate enough to get in on his new blending activities, and get samples of his new and re-created blends. So far I've only tried one - The Professor - just when I was getting curious about lat-aro blends, and it didn't disappoint! He also sent a few other samples which I haven't tried yet.

The generosity of these guys is inspiring.