I'm don't think Aston's Artisan Blend is for me

[Dave_In_Philly]

It may be that I just prefer Cyprian Latakia to Syrian, but I am about half way through my first tin of Artisan Blend and I'm just not digging it. I don't dislike it, but there is nothing about it that appeals to me. Its relatively bland and very simple. I keep telling myself that its probably not that boring, I just can't find the subtle nuances, but I'm starting to thing it might just be that boring.

 

[puros_bran]

Oh I get cedar and spices upon lighting, about a third of the way through a leather backdrop slides in Asiago and the spices take center stage for for a grand performance, the allegretto symphony.... Wait WTF IS ALL THAT?!?

hehe. I like it, sorry you find one of my favorites bland and unremarkable.. But I guess bland and unremarkable tobacco for a bland and unremarkable guy

 

[huffelpuff]

That's a real shame Dave. I don't pick that one up very often but it's a favorite. The Syrian is definitely an acquired taste for most folks though.

 

[puros_bran]

Huffelpuff.. I would disagree that it's the Syrian. I recognize its a love/hate blend but I always figured it was because its kinda monochromatic even though it has so much going on. It's kinda like one of those souped up sport ute cross overs.. It'll go fast, get the grocerys, and deliver them to your cabin all at the same time.

 

[Old Nate]

I bummed a bowl of this off a friend about a year ago. I honestly can not remember anything about it. This might support your "relatively bland theory" because I never went back to it.

What are the characteristics of Cyprian v. Syrian? Embarrassed to say I've never paid that much attention to lats...

 

[RobJ]

I've never tried this one though it's on my long list to buy and try. Maybe I'm a Syrian Lat guy and will like this blend? I really like HH Vintage Syrian a lot and have a couple of pounds jarred up.

PB - Nice review by the way :lol:

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Dave,

How old is your tin? K&K ran out of Syrian a while ago. They have been using Cyprian in Artisan Blend for at least a year and a half now.

 

[huffelpuff]

Well if it's not the Syrian I don't know what it was but it was the first tobacco that didn't bite the living heck out of me. It'll always have a special place in my heart.


Not made with Syrian anymore! Well I guess that's to be expected these days.

 

[puros_bran]

See, not the Syrian.  Lol


On the not happy side, I have 3 tins of a blend that supposedly changed since the last time I smoked it... I wish this thread had never existed. Lol

 

[huffelpuff]

Don't feel so great about having read this myself PB. I really liked this blend. RIP I guess.


Aren't they required to rewrite the tin description if its no longer Syrian Lat? I mean after all that's false advertising if they haven't.

 

[idbowman]

I bummed a bowl of this off a friend about a year ago. I honestly can not remember anything about it. This might support your "relatively bland theory" because I never went back to it.

What are the characteristics of Cyprian v. Syrian? Embarrassed to say I've never paid that much attention to lats...

You'll get a lot of different answers to this, but GL Pease has written some articles on it (somewhere or another).

For me, Syrian is a much more subtle leaf that is relatively sweet and tangy. Cyprian isn't quite as subtle and tends to be more creamy/woodsy/campfirey. I know Syrian is kind of the "in" thing, but actually prefer the Cyprian (I like both very much, though).

 

[puros_bran]

I'd actually smoked quite a bit of Artisan Blend before I realized it was a Syrian blend.. I guess I'm a Syrian hipster. Lol

I could care less what blend has what in it. A lot of times when I get loot, errr I mean samples and gifts, that I don't recognize I'll smoke them before looking up to see what it is. Well unless it smells like fu fu raspberry truffle cherry nilla. I do this because (in my mind) I don't like burley heavy blends. I dig Kentucky but not regular old Ohio white burley. Until I smoke a burley heavy blend and I'm all like "man this is some good stuff, nutty and creamy with at least a halfway decent nic kick, what is this oh burley and a pinch of perique.. Wtf I don't like burley." I think we screw ourselves out of enjoying things we otherwise would by running out and hunting ingredients and reading all the reviews etc.

 

[idbowman]

I think we screw ourselves out of enjoying things we otherwise would by running out and hunting ingredients and reading all the reviews etc.  

Definitely. It took me too long to figure that out, though. I still read them, but I wait until I've smoked something long enough to know if I like it - more to compare notes. I don't know what the point of that is, but I do it anyway. Although I do like reviews that say "if you like this, you might also like..." But then I like anything that gives me a reason to go out and spend more money that I don't have.

 

[MisterE]

I like Artisan blend. Ashton's Winding Road, however, is the only blend I've ever flat-out tossed in the garbage. :affraid:

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

I'm not sure how old this tin is, it's new to me, but it could have been sitting around for a while. The label says it contains Syrian Latakia, but I don't know that I have a particular enough palate to differentiate it from the run of the mill Cyprian stuff. I'll polish off the rest of the tin and put the second tin away to revisit at a later date.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

but I don't know that I have a particular enough palate to differentiate it from the run of the mill Cyprian stuff.

Same here man.

Although, having smoked "known" Syrian Latakia blends like HH Vintage (which I didn't care for), 3 Oaks, Wilderness, Gordon Pym, Ringlow Reserve and the old production of Solani Gold Blend, I can say that Cyprian tastes a bit more evergreen like or pine pitchy to me. However, I recently dipped into a tin of Odyssey from 2002 and that typical Cyprian pine flavor was practically non existent. Anyway, there's at the very least a slight difference in the botanicals used between the two, and perhaps each latakia manufacturer has their own blend of spices and fragrant woods used to cure it..?