OT: best distance and f stop for 85mm for portraits

[Antonio Aparicio]

Would be interested to hear also from folks who use SMCT 85/1.8, SMC 
85.1.8, SMC-M 85/2 and SMC-A 85/1.4 as to your favorite portrait 
distances and f stops.

I am just getting to know my SMCT 85/1.8. From 5.6 on it seems very 
sharp, and at 1.8 it is not really usable due to the very narrow DOF. 
Any recommendations for points in between. Have had a few portraits 
come out really really well, with excellent definition, lovely bokeh 
and a hard to describe silky feeling, but cant for the life of me 
remember what f stop I was using!

Antonio