PROUD (?) ARO SMOKER!!!! Of course, between the mid 60's and the mid 80's I smoked only English and VaPer blends. This time around, only Sutliff aromatics.....
Before we can make a thorough list of recommended aromatics, first we must define "aromatic."
Merriam Webster defines aromatic as-
ADJECTIVE
having a pleasant and distinctive smell: "a massage with aromatic oils"synonyms:fragrant · scented · perfumed · fragranced · odorous · pungent · [more]redolentchemistry(of an organic compound) containing a planar unsaturated ring of atoms that is stabilized by an interaction of the bonds forming the ring. Such compounds are typified by benzene and its derivatives. Compare with alicyclic.
NOUN
aromatics (plural noun)
a substance or plant emitting a pleasant and distinctive smell.
I'm pretty sure aromatic tobacco already has a definition... Isn't it any pipe tobacco blend that has additional flavor added to the tobacco through a casing or topping?
I get the technical point about the term "aromatic", and I'm inclined to agree. I still use the somewhat misleading working definition in conversation since most people generally think of it as a tobacco with an added top note or casing.
On that (room?) note, I accidentally discovered a really tasty cased tobacco last night. My brother had given me a tin of Stanwell Jubilee he got in one of those P&C Dark Fired Kentucky stepladder samplers. Being in the mood for some DFK, I popped open the tin and packed it in a Lorenzo I have set aside for kitchen sink stuff like Captain Earle's Reflections. It has a Vanilla and vaguely licorice tasting casing. But it is very good, and it has some of the tastiest burleys I've ever had. Unfortunately it has become a bit harder to come by of late, it would seem.
@motie2 I saw that and about choked, lol. You can still get it from England or Germany for 10 or 11 euro. I think Stanwell cut back on their U.S. exports, hence the shortage here.
The tin I've got came as part of a 3 tin sampler that cost a grand total of $12.99. Not sure I'd spend $90 on a 15 year old tin of Penzance. But I'm operating on a different budget from some, and they might find that price acceptable.
@woobie - I saw a Bentley once. It was parked at one of those Dollar General stores. I guess the woman driving it has to watch her budget to pay for the insurance.
I smoke both aromatic and non-aromatic tobaccos. I enjoy smoking my pipes but I also enjoy smoking and tasting the tobacco. Each tobacco has a different flavor profile and pairs well with different beverages, hard or soft, just as cigars do.
I enjoy smoking OTC blends as well as premium blends. Prince Albert was one of the tobaccos I started with at about fourteen or fifteen years old as well as the original Borkum Riff. I smoked Captain Black and Carter Hall back then as well and still do to this day, from time to time.
When I discovered Dunhill pipe tobaccos at age 23, I felt like a new door opened and a whole new world was discovered. That led to the discovery of Ratray tobaccos, John Cottons, G.L. Pease Quiet Nights and Westminster, and Comoy mixtures.
So with so many aromatics and non-aromatics available today, as well as English and Balkan tobaccos and everything in between, it's pretty hard not to try new things and discover favorites and non-favorites to smoke and enjoy. Even though I have a regular rotation of favorites, I am always trying new tobaccos.
I find it interesting to note, that Greg Pease has stated that Latakia is an aromatic tobacco, due to the processing it goes thru. He has also stated that he prefers Latakia blends.
What I am getting from those statements, is that a pipe tobacco doesn't have to smell like apple pie or cinnamon rolls, in order to qualify as aromatic.
@xDutchx -- In my mind, I've always thought of both Latakia and Perique as condiment tobaccos, making a blend with other tobaccos aromatic, but in a way that could be described as not particularly pleasant.
Of course, we have a De Gustibus situation here. (Some people like the smell of horseradish; some like Limburger cheese, yada, yada, yada). Conversely, we usually think of aromatics as nice smells. Remember, we are not talking about taste, but "room note" -- the way it smells to others.
Also remember that Latakia is not a leaf; it's a process. After harvesting, the leaf is sun-dried, then hung in barns to be smoked over smoldering fires of local herbs and woods, imparting the characteristic smoky aroma and distinctive flavor. Sounds aromatic to me.
Of course, Perique is a whole 'nother thing, being to tobacco what Pu-erh is to tea: fermented beyond all reason... unless, of course you like Pu-erh or Perique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4u1zEiXVIM
@Captain my tastes are similar to yours, I tend to stay with the Virginias or Va/pers... But occasionally want to change it up. I also like my aromatics on the semi-sweet side. Here's a few that I've found work for me. James J Fox Hibernia is one of my favorites and has an amaretto and vanilla flavor to me. The Country Squire's Second Breakfast has a maple flavor but isn't overly sweet. I've also been pleasantly surprised my a tin of Vauen Bavarian Blend I'm currently working through. It's supposedly flavored with hops, malt and vanilla. Not sure if I can necessarily pick out the malt and hops, but I do know that it tastes amazing with a nice pale ale. I'm currently enjoying a bowl of it with a can of Ballast Point Grunion pale ale. Good stuff!
1-Q is a light aromatic that doesn't overpower to tobacco flavor, Holger Dansk Mild Orange is a mild, no bite, smoke with light orange flavor that lasts to the end.
@motie2, I am guessing that your definition would be correct, and that the process that Latakia goes thru, has a lot to do with Mr. Pease's definition. You are correct about the smoking with herbs and woods, but you left out the process of smoking with camel dung, which is probably the most important process in Syrian Latakia production. It is also most likely why SWMBO won't allow you to bring any into the neighborhood, let alone the house! :^)
Here is a link to a blog by Russ Oulette that may be educational for some of the members.....
<<Latakia comes from two areas- the island of Cyprus and Syria. The leaf that comes from Cyprus starts out as a Oriental varietal called Smyrna. It’s harvested and cured in a structure in which a fire burns using aromatic woods indigenous to the area, mostly of the evergreen type. When it turns black, the tobacco is ready for cutting. Virtually all the Latakia on the market currently comes from Cyprus.
The other Latakia, Syrian, is not currently in production. All of the Syrian Latakia being used is from older crops. The problem in Syrian Latakia production is not just the civil unrest, but also the governmental restrictions. In Syria, a tobacco called Shek-el-Bint is used and is smoked over a fire made with herbs and Syrian Oak. Here’s where the problem lies. For years, Syrian Oak was overharvested to the point where it was threatened with extinction. A number of years ago, the government stopped Latakia manufacture, but let it start up again in the last decade, but have pulled the plug again. How much of a supply is out there? It would be conjecture on my part. All we can hope is that they can begin again before the stockpiles are gone.
The difference between the two types is a matter of flavor profiles- Cyprian is bolder and more aromatic, whereas Syrian is smokier and more delicate. But one thing in particular is similar between them and, next to the flavor is the greatest draw- very cool smoking qualities. >>
xDutchx -- I've learned in the years since we married in 1969, NOTHING gets past SWMBO, but I thank you for pointing out the opportunities to get Syrian Latakia.....
My suggestion is Sutliff Vanilla Custard cut with Carter Hall (or Prince Albert). The ratio of course can be adjusted, but I find at 50/50 the Carter Hall "quiets down" the sweetness of the Sutliff Vanilla Custard. The Burley in the CH provides a good balance should you wish a less sweet vanilla component, and we all know how well a Burley tobacco burns. Now, full disclosure: I love the Sutliff Vanilla Custard "neat", so be aware where I am coming from with this suggestion.
I got a shipment in from The Country Squire this evening.
Before we get to the tobacco, let's talk about the business. What a delightful experience, and some truly wonderful people.
Among a number of other things, I bought 4 oz. of Second Breakfast. Holy Aromatic, Batman! If I were going to create an aromatic (and I actually knew what I was doing) it would be this stuff. You can taste the topping, but it doesn't dominate the natural flavors. There is this maple and vaguely brown sugar and almost undetectable vanilla that flows seamlessly in with good Virginia flavor. No goop, no crap tobacco with a blast of fake fruit or booze to cover it up. Just good tobacco with a deftly added addition of flavor.
Comments
Before we can make a thorough list of recommended aromatics, first we must define "aromatic."
Merriam Webster defines aromatic as-
On that (room?) note, I accidentally discovered a really tasty cased tobacco last night. My brother had given me a tin of Stanwell Jubilee he got in one of those P&C Dark Fired Kentucky stepladder samplers. Being in the mood for some DFK, I popped open the tin and packed it in a Lorenzo I have set aside for kitchen sink stuff like Captain Earle's Reflections. It has a Vanilla and vaguely licorice tasting casing. But it is very good, and it has some of the tastiest burleys I've ever had. Unfortunately it has become a bit harder to come by of late, it would seem.
https://www.4noggins.com/Poul-Stanwell-Jubilee-c.1997-c.aspx
The tin I've got came as part of a 3 tin sampler that cost a grand total of $12.99. Not sure I'd spend $90 on a 15 year old tin of Penzance. But I'm operating on a different budget from some, and they might find that price acceptable.
I enjoy smoking OTC blends as well as premium blends. Prince Albert was one of the tobaccos I started with at about fourteen or fifteen years old as well as the original Borkum Riff. I smoked Captain Black and Carter Hall back then as well and still do to this day, from time to time.
When I discovered Dunhill pipe tobaccos at age 23, I felt like a new door opened and a whole new world was discovered. That led to the discovery of Ratray tobaccos, John Cottons, G.L. Pease Quiet Nights and Westminster, and Comoy mixtures.
So with so many aromatics and non-aromatics available today, as well as English and Balkan tobaccos and everything in between, it's pretty hard not to try new things and discover favorites and non-favorites to smoke and enjoy. Even though I have a regular rotation of favorites, I am always trying new tobaccos.
I find it interesting to note, that Greg Pease has stated that Latakia is an aromatic tobacco, due to the processing it goes thru. He has also stated that he prefers Latakia blends.
What I am getting from those statements, is that a pipe tobacco doesn't have to smell like apple pie or cinnamon rolls, in order to qualify as aromatic.
Of course, we have a De Gustibus situation here. (Some people like the smell of horseradish; some like Limburger cheese, yada, yada, yada). Conversely, we usually think of aromatics as nice smells. Remember, we are not talking about taste, but "room note" -- the way it smells to others.
Also remember that Latakia is not a leaf; it's a process. After harvesting, the leaf is sun-dried, then hung in barns to be smoked over smoldering fires of local herbs and woods, imparting the characteristic smoky aroma and distinctive flavor. Sounds aromatic to me.
Of course, Perique is a whole 'nother thing, being to tobacco what Pu-erh is to tea: fermented beyond all reason... unless, of course you like Pu-erh or Perique.
@motie2, I am guessing that your definition would be correct, and that the process that Latakia goes thru, has a lot to do with Mr. Pease's definition. You are correct about the smoking with herbs and woods, but you left out the process of smoking with camel dung, which is probably the most important process in Syrian Latakia production. It is also most likely why SWMBO won't allow you to bring any into the neighborhood, let alone the house! :^)
Here is a link to a blog by Russ Oulette that may be educational for some of the members.....
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/oh-the-things-well-do-for-pipe-tobacco/
http://www.talkingtobacco.com/2012/09/whats-the-deal-with-latakia/
<<Latakia comes from two areas- the island of Cyprus and Syria. The leaf that comes from Cyprus starts out as a Oriental varietal called Smyrna. It’s harvested and cured in a structure in which a fire burns using aromatic woods indigenous to the area, mostly of the evergreen type. When it turns black, the tobacco is ready for cutting. Virtually all the Latakia on the market currently comes from Cyprus.
The other Latakia, Syrian, is not currently in production. All of the Syrian Latakia being used is from older crops. The problem in Syrian Latakia production is not just the civil unrest, but also the governmental restrictions. In Syria, a tobacco called Shek-el-Bint is used and is smoked over a fire made with herbs and Syrian Oak. Here’s where the problem lies. For years, Syrian Oak was overharvested to the point where it was threatened with extinction. A number of years ago, the government stopped Latakia manufacture, but let it start up again in the last decade, but have pulled the plug again. How much of a supply is out there? It would be conjecture on my part. All we can hope is that they can begin again before the stockpiles are gone.
The difference between the two types is a matter of flavor profiles- Cyprian is bolder and more aromatic, whereas Syrian is smokier and more delicate. But one thing in particular is similar between them and, next to the flavor is the greatest draw- very cool smoking qualities. >>
@motie2, if you think you are skilled enough and brave enough to sneak a few tins past SWMBO, here are a couple links where you can still get some.
https://www.bnbtobacco.com/mac-baren-hh-vintage-syrian-3-5oz-tin/
http://www.tobaccopipes.com/mac-baren-hh-vintage-syrian-pipe-tobacco/
Before we get to the tobacco, let's talk about the business. What a delightful experience, and some truly wonderful people.
Among a number of other things, I bought 4 oz. of Second Breakfast. Holy Aromatic, Batman! If I were going to create an aromatic (and I actually knew what I was doing) it would be this stuff. You can taste the topping, but it doesn't dominate the natural flavors. There is this maple and vaguely brown sugar and almost undetectable vanilla that flows seamlessly in with good Virginia flavor. No goop, no crap tobacco with a blast of fake fruit or booze to cover it up. Just good tobacco with a deftly added addition of flavor.