Aromatic Question

[RSteve]

For several years I've only smoked Balkan/English blends that many, including my two wonderful daughters, think gives off an aroma of burning dung. I do add some unflavored cavendish to my blends, but apparently the latakia dominates the room note.
Any suggestions on an aromatic blend, I can carefully add to a traditional English that won't change the English very much, but will alter the room note?

 

[Stick]

Hey Steve,

I recon you should go all in. I can’t speak from experience but I would imagine that adding any aro to an English blend would be like adding Coca Cola to beer. Save your English blends for when you’re on your own and aros for when you have company. There are some good aros out there...!

 

[D.L.Ruth]

I agree with sick, I smoke my aromatics when I am around others and the "stinky" ones when alone (which is most of the time)

 

[Brunello]

I agree with Stick: Like Oil and Water the two don't really mix well together. I've tried many English Aromatics that are English in character with some added nuances of rum, vanilla, molasses, etc. but the dominant ambient aroma is still going to be English. Like D.L. Ruth, if I'm working around contractors I'll stuff some Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake in the pipe and usually get compliments. I save the stinky stuff for when I'm by myself.

 

[Stick]

I agree with Stick: Like Oil and Water the two don't really mix well together. I've tried many English Aromatics that are English in character with some added nuances of rum, vanilla, molasses, etc. but the dominant ambient aroma is still going to be English. Like D.L. Ruth, if I'm working around contractors I'll stuff some Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake in the pipe and usually get compliments. I save the stinky stuff for when I'm by myself.

Yup, MacB's Vanilla Cream is a sure fire winner around company, as are their 7 Seas blends. PS Kentucky Nougat usually attracts some positive comment too.

 

[RSteve]

I may be wasting time and money, but I'm going to give this one last shot. I have 8 oz.of Peter Stokkebye 310 black latakia on hand. To add to that I ordered:

​

		Cornell & Diehl Red Virginia Cavendish	2oz
		Sutliff B30 Chocolate Mousse	2oz
		Sutliff B20 - Black Cavendish	2oz
		Sutliff 507-S Stoved Virginia	2oz

Hopefully, the blend with give me an "acceptable" English aromatic. If not, I can say I tried.

 

[Brunello]

Noooo .... Friends don't let friends mix toxic materials.

Just kidding, looks like it will probably be a decent smoke, and you might try adding a few drops of vanilla extract for good measure. But you might want to halve your recipe because I'm not sure it will really meet your desired goal of a people friendly room note (and waste 8 ounces of good Latakia!). Keep us posted.

 

[RSteve]

Noooo .... Friends don't let friends mix toxic materials.

Just kidding, looks like it will probably be a decent smoke, and you might try adding a few drops of vanilla extract for good measure. But you might want to halve your recipe because I'm not sure it will really meet your desired goal of a people friendly room note (and waste 8 ounces of good Latakia!). Keep us posted.

No guts, no glory...I'm all in.

And, I'll probably wonder what I was thinking.

And in the spirit of good, albeit tasteless humor, if the blend is a dud, I'll name it Latrine, in recognition of my first wife, who cleaned out my assets better than the prep for a recent colonoscopy.

 

[Paul_of_Burley]

Like you, I too have a fondness for Latakia blends. However, I recently have on board a few blends that are savory yet have room notes that have been acceptable. One is Two Friends Valle Crucis that I smoked in a sitting public area in Park City, Utah a few weeks ago with no one going nuts on me, and also C&D's Pasha's Dream, that folks have not complained about. Now, I smoke these only outdoors, so your mileage may vary. However, they seem to fit nicely into that "Socially acceptable" verses "Spousal Room Remover" tobacco.

 

[RSteve]

....you might try adding a few drops of vanilla extract for good measure.

I was actually thinking of buying some vanilla beans, extracting the center flavorant, soaking it in water then spraying it on the tobacco. Isn't most commercial vanilla extract in an alcohol base? Would the alcohol dissipate or cause the tobacco to burn hot?

 

[Orb Weaver D]

Try some of Wilke's Lizzie Blood Red English. I liked that one so much that I had a pipe commissioned for it.

 

[Brunello]

I was actually thinking of buying some vanilla beans, extracting the center flavorant, soaking it in water then spraying it on the tobacco. Isn't most commercial vanilla extract in an alcohol base? Would the alcohol dissipate or cause the tobacco to burn hot?

I haven't added food flavorings as toppings for years, but I do recall that adding vanilla extract did improve the room note, but as you surmised, it doesn't really do the smoker any favors. By the time the alcohol dissipates most of the flavoring is long gone.

 

[RSteve]

Try some of Wilke's Lizzie Blood Red English. I liked that one so much that I had a pipe commissioned for it.

That truly is a fine example of the pipemaker's art. (It looks like you haven't smoked it yet...Too nice?)

 

[RSteve]

I may be wasting time and money, but I'm going to give this one last shot. I have 8 oz.of Peter Stokkebye 310 black latakia on hand. To add to that I ordered:

​

		Cornell & Diehl Red Virginia Cavendish	2oz
		Sutliff B30 Chocolate Mousse	2oz
		Sutliff B20 - Black Cavendish	2oz
		Sutliff 507-S Stoved Virginia	2oz

Hopefully, the blend with give me an "acceptable" English aromatic. If not, I can say I tried.

The four components, above, arrived this morning. I didn't chicken out and immediately mixed them with 8 oz.of Peter Stokkebye 310 black latakia. I've smoked one bowl in a cob. It's interesting. I really thought the latakia would be more dominant. The blend is very mild with absolutely no tongue bite, and I think the room note is quite acceptable. The chocolate mousse aromatic, to me, is virtually undetectable while smoking, but at just 12.5% of the blend, it's pretty much what I expected. I included it specifically to somewhat mute the aroma of the latakia and I think it did its job. The dilemma is, of course, because I don't personally object to the room note of a latakia dominant blend, I'm a poor judge of what someone else would find offensive.

 

[RSteve]

The four components, above, were mixed with 8 oz.of Peter Stokkebye 310 black latakia. I've smoked one bowl in a cob. I really thought the latakia would be more dominant. The blend is very mild with absolutely no tongue bite, and I think the room note is quite acceptable. The dilemma is, of course, because I don't personally object to the room note of a latakia dominant blend, I'm a poor judge of what someone else would find offensive.

Day #2: I'd packed the blend quite tightly in a canister, hand pressing it as firmly as I was able. When I opened the canister this morning, I expected to get a solid whiff of latakia, but to my surprise there was barely a scant scent of the blend's 50% latakia. I smoked another bowl in a Mark Twain cob and think it's very acceptable as an aromatic, but not so as an English blend, as it lacks any orientals and perique. I expect to smoke it infrequently.

 

[Hunter5117]

Back in the day we had an "Americanized" English blend called Walnut from Middletons. It was always strongly debated because the latakia was present in very small amounts and it had a topping added which many felt disqualified it from the English category. The topping always reminded me of PA or especially Carter hall kind of raisin/date fruity note. I see from searching that some still enjoy the match version which I have never tried. It was a predominantly burley with virginia and a small amount of latakia. I don't think there was any cavendish. I smoked it as a daily blend for quite a while and still have quite a stash cellared away that I may need to revisit sometime soon.

 

[ftrplt]

I agree on the Walnut (Justpipes, where are you???). I have one large tin stashed away; I understand the Pipes & Cigars Match is quite good. However, I have yet to try it!
I am not an "aro" type pipe smoker. However, having said that; I do enjoy Bob's Chocolate Flake and The Kendall Mayor's Chocolate Flake. Read their reviews on "TobaccoReviews.com" I think you may like them both!! FTRPLT

 

[RSteve]

Well, three weeks of visiting this blend have convinced me that I really don't like aromatics and if someone objects to the aroma of a latakia dominant English blend, they can plug their nose.