Are all Cyprian Latakia equal?

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sonarman

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I have not had a positive preference for anything Latikia for years but recently I have started liking it again. And with that comes a usual OCD to find out as much as I can about it. I understand that it’s a process and that the actual leaf might be Smyrna. My question is; is Cyprian Latikia like Perique where it’s only sourced from a few locations? And is the actual leaf always Smyrna?
 
As far as I know you are correct on all counts. Differences may be noticed in how it's been stored and for how long.
 
Ozark Wizard":q8tgd1nu said:
As far as I know you are correct on all counts. Differences may be noticed in how it's been stored and for how long.
This!

Here’s a little tobacco 101 video from Russ Oullette about Latakia. Sonarman, you are spot on about the use of Smyrna in the Cyprian variety.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FBkrE6VM8aw" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen ></iframe>

I have found that some blenders, McClelland and Germain for instance have ways of softening the smoky flavor some, lending a distinct taste and aroma to their English’s. It could just be well aged leaf in Germain’s case, but I always had a hunch that McClelland topped their Latakia, especially in the case of the Frog Morton blends. On the other hand, I find the Latakia in C&D and GLP blends to have a more assertive smoke flavor, probably due to freshness & minimal in the way of casings applied. Their blends are spicier as a result, of course the other tobaccos play a synergistic role as well.
 
Well, thanks guys. I was not finding much online that would indicate different varieties of it. I will also add that I will probably remain not a fan of Nightcap because either the Latikia or Perique in it is harsh to me. I have zeroed in on that some Latikia has a wine like taste to it where I thought it was the orientals used before. Now that I’m about halfway through a tin of Yendigie Supreme I’m finding it almost exactly like Exotique Mixture minus the Latikia. The Yendigie does not have that wine flavor that Exotique has.
 
I found this Volatile Constituents of Latakia Tobacco

Somebody geeked out and did a chemical analysis of Latikia. Lots of chemicals, it says Juniper a lot. That’s about all I got from it, lol!

I did look up the tree they cited Juniperus oxycedrus and it’s very wide spread in the Mediterranean.
 
i suggest that you read the leffingwell analysis wich you may find in the internet. the main component in the taste is from a variety of pistacia.
 
lb":awe4qa60 said:
i suggest that you read the leffingwell analysis wich you may find in the internet. the main component in the taste is from a variety of pistacia.
? Is there another one besides the one posted above? I’ll read thru it again. I do like pistachios from time to time though.
 
Shout out to a contribution from a Master Lurker... LB has been a member since 2011 and only has 85 posts (including the ones in this thread!
 
No...all Latakias are NOT equal; they can vary greatly depending on the source.

NOTE: Since Syrian Latweed is no longer available for purchase, I’m only discussing Cyprian Latakia here.

It has been years since I bought any straight Latakia, but here’s the way it used to be. There were four main sources of the Latweed I used: Gawith-Hoggarth, McClelland, Cornell & Diehl, and Altadis (now owned by Sutliff, apparently). One of those (McClelland) is now out of business.

C&D and Altadis did no further processing of their tobacco as far as I could tell. What you got is what the original producer made. I suspect it’s still that way, but you’ll have to confirm that for yourself.

McClelland did something to their Latakia...probably stoving or some other form of heat treating. Whatever it was, it changed the tobacco sufficiently that it turned mushy when it aged. As far as I can tell, it wasn’t topped with anything; it just had the life heated out of it, which tended to bring out the tobacco’s natural sweetness. (Some Latweed has as much as 17% sugar.)

It was a decent, mellow smoke by itself, and unique in the way it affected McClelland’s Latweed blends. Anyhow, it’s a moot point now; it’s extinct. You might find some for sale privately by another piper, but I don’t consider it “real” Latakia. The processing really turned it into something other than Latakia. I would not use it for any blend I intended to age.

GawHogg’s Latakia is different from everything else. It’s more consistent, which suggests that they either do some kind of processing that mellows the weed somewhat, but doesn’t murder it, or they get it that way from the original producer. In any case, it’s a nice spicy smoke in its own right, intensely flavorful, without being high-octane nicotine-wise. It’s a very recognizable and distinct version of Latakia.
________

Now, for long-term storage, how you handle Latakia depends on what you intend to do with it. If you want it to age, then pack it tightly in sealed jars, filled to the top, and don’t open them until you’re ready to use the weed.

However, if you want to use the Latakia as a blending tobacco for years to come, DO NOT pack it tightly. Store it loosely, and leave enough room in the jars so you can shake/stir the contents; half-full is good, and no more than 3/4 full. Open them periodically — say, once every couple of months to let air get in, and then stir the contents with the lid off to let fresh air mix with the weed.

Here’s why: The process of aging tobacco is an anaerobic one, similar to what happens with wine. The bacteria that mellow the weed and turn the sugars into aromatic organics thrive in the absence of oxygen. That’s why you want to keep jars/tins sealed for aging. If you keep letting air in, the anaerobic bacteria can’t do their job.

So, if you want to keep your Latakia “fresh” (as in, “not aged”), you have to prevent anaerobic action. Hence, you need to let in fresh air periodically, and shake up the weed so the oxygen is distributed. That’s why packing the tobacco tightly is exactly the wrong thing to do if you don’t want it to age. Just opening the jar isn’t good enough. The tobacco on the bottom needs air too. That’s why stirring/shaking/mixing is necessary.

Of course, opening the jar periodically will allow moisture to escape, so you’ll need to be sure the tobacco remains properly hydrated. But be warned: The easiest mistake to make in that regard is adding too much moisture, which encourages aging...or worse, mold.  :x  

Add water with a dropper, to control the moisture content. How much you add depends on many factors, so experiment with it. But as little as 5 to 8 drops might be sufficient to keep the weed properly hydrated. When in doubt, keep the tobacco on the dry side...like Peaseweed, or even a little drier.

<img src="https://i.servimg.com/u/f84/11/87/59/00/newjok10.png" alt="Are all Cyprian Latakia equal? Newjok10"/>
 
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