Not Heavy Latakia Blends

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alfredo_buscatti

alfredo_buscatti

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If:

Penzance
Margate
Ten Russians
Balkan Sasieni
Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend

are heavy latakia blends, which blends, and why, would you recommend for those that although they contain a significant amount of latakia, also have a good amount of orientals or other voices; that are thus more complex?

Three Oaks Syrian comes to mind, as does Peretti Cambridge Flake; and as I'm a big fan of Syrian, please name such blends, if you can. But complex latakia blends are my focus, regardless of latakia origin.



 
Penzance is NOT heavy.

Pretty much any McC Lat blend, Esoterica And So To Bed, C&D Red Odessa.
 
Sorry, I answered your topic instead of your post. Same answer, add Presbyterian Mixture and Red Rapparee.
 
alfredo_buscatti":qvtqq24k said:
But isn't there a controversy whether or not latakia is in Presbyterian?
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There is but I added it because you mentioned complex.
 
alfredo_buscatti":jpvbgx88 said:
But isn't there a controversy whether or not latakia is in Presbyterian?
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From the manufacturers description-

Presbyterian Mixture
Brand: William P. Solomon
Blender: Planta
Tin Description: Extraordinary soft blend of finest US Virginia grades and a number of selected Latakia leaf tips.
Country of Origin: DE
Curing Group: Air Cured
Contents:
Virginia
Latakia
Oriental
Cut: Coarse Cut
Packaging: 50g Tin
Blend Notes: This fine tobacco originally had no name. It was blended before the first World War especially for the Very Rev. Dr. John White, sometime minister of the Barony Kirk in Glasgow and Moderator of the General Assembly in Scotland in 1929. He introduced it to Stanley Baldwin, later Earl Baldwin, Prime Ministerin 1923, 1924 and 1935. He liked it so much that regular supplies were sent down to him and it was he who suggested that it be called "Presbyterian Mixture". As there continues to be controversy over the question of whether Presbyterian Mixture contains Latakia, the following quote from page six of the blender's 2008 catalogue should leave the matter settled: "Extraordinarily soft blend of finest US Virginia grades and a number of selected Latakia leaf tips. Ideal mixture also for beginners with English tobaccos."

HTH

Also one of my all time faves!


Cheers,

RR
 
Great thread. Time to expand my detailed "to try" list I have going. 8)

 
I love Penzance, and I'm glad to finally meet another human who doesn't think it's particularly strong.

Despite the controversey, I'm going with Presbytarian. There's no doubt in my mind.
 
KevinP":d7x64q9a said:
I love Penzance, and I'm glad to finally meet another human who doesn't think it's particularly strong.

Despite the controversey, I'm going with Presbytarian. There's no doubt in my mind.
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I smoked Old Ironside with religious ferver--Penzance is a lat middle-weight at best.

As I said elsewhere I taste more Orientals in Penzance these days than I remeber
 
KevinP":pqeu61w8 said:
I love Penzance, and I'm glad to finally meet another human who doesn't think it's particularly strong.

Despite the controversey, I'm going with Presbytarian. There's no doubt in my mind.
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I just tryed Penzance for the first time just the other day and its such a mild smooth mixture...LOVE IT
 
I looooooove Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend and it's always in my rotation. It's got a lot of Latakia oomph but it's smooth and somewhat flavorful with some creamyness to it. Two or three bowls back to back is not uncommon here. I love Penzance too but it's very hard to get.
 
jlong":20druj9t said:
I looooooove Bill Bailey's Balkan Blend and it's always in my rotation. It's got a lot of Latakia oomph but it's smooth and somewhat flavorful with some creamyness to it. Two or three bowls back to back is not uncommon here. I love Penzance too but it's very hard to get.
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I havent tryed buying Penzance yet but I am sure I will in the near future, is it really that hard to get? and why?
 
Not sure exactly what you are looking for 'cause Im not entirely clear on whether you want alot of latakia or a little. For mild to moderate latakia with a significant oriental presence, there are 3 that come to mind instantly: GLP Westminster & Chelsea Morning, and Rattray's Red Rapparee. These along with Presbyterian are my favorites for blends with latakia as i am not a huge fan of it, but it is used well in these blends and really works very well with the orientals in each. All are fairly complex. For a very mild lat presence with orientals, some of the McC green label oriental series are nice.
 
PipeLeisure":2dx5rh0p said:
I havent tryed buying Penzance yet but I am sure I will in the near future, is it really that hard to get? and why?
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If you go to the online baccy dealers, it's out of stock a lot of the time. When it is in stock, it sells out fast. Tins faster than bulk bags it seems. Why? I don't know really. Could be they can't meet the demand or just afraid they may flood the market if they try to. That's only a guess.
 
If you cruise the Esoterica pipe blends, you only hear about three: Penzance, Stonehaven and Dunbar; and not much about Dunbar. Both of them are very popular, and, it seems, they aren't being made equal to the task of supply.

I don't think their production lagged in '02 - '08 or '09. During this time period I never read about their scarcity.
 
Have you tried Blue Mountain yet? Not quite as strong, but fairly complex. You may also want to try Star of the East - that is very lat heavy, but the lat blends very nicely with the rest of the tobacco. Its also available in a flake and I have heard rumors that the orientals standout more in the flake then they do in the ribbon, but I have only had the ribbon.
 
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