Aromatic defined?

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judcasper

Can't Leave
Jan 9, 2019
306
14
I've heard this phrase banded about when watching videos on pipe tobaccos, without ever fully understanding what is meant by the term, beyond there being some kind of additional 'flavouring' that you know from other sources like foods or candy. To that end when I hear talk of tobaccos like Creme Brulee or rum 'n' raisin I find myself drawn to these, and almost desperate to try them.
But that said I suspect they would not be what I imagine, and would appreciate it if someone could explain exactly what I would be getting from, for instance, a creme brulee tobacco.

 

economistandfisherman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 11, 2018
257
3
It sounds like you've already probably read all the articles on this stuff, so I won't repeat any of them here. But from what I understand (and I could be wrong of course because it is confusing) is that an aromatic is a tobacco that is topped with flavoring, while a non-aromatic is one that is either cased with a simple sugar or molasses mixture of some sort or "raw" like a good non-cased virginia flake. Casing goes on first before the topping that makes it an aromatic; the casing simply takes the 'bite' out of the raw leaf. Again, I could be wrong.

 

davet

Lifer
May 9, 2015
3,815
330
Estey's Bridge N.B Canada
I suspect they would not be what I imagine
You are probably correct :mrgreen: Some Aromatics are will be more enjoyable to those around you but your palate will determine how your experiences are. Many have said, and I agree that Aros are better left until your individual palate becomes more refined / experienced. I occasionally smoke an Aro but I think the wife gets more enjoyment of the room note than I get of the actual taste :(

 

judcasper

Can't Leave
Jan 9, 2019
306
14
Thanks, chaps.
I followed this post up by watching a guy smoking (and discussing) a creme brulee tobacco, in which he talks about the room note being like cookies in the oven, and even says there are tastes on the palate of vanilla, caramel and raw honey. That sounds very appealing to me, but I bow to your experience.

 

economistandfisherman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 11, 2018
257
3
I think most of the actual flavors are going to come from some sort of extract or something like that, so vanilla flavoring will come from a vanilla extract, caramel from a caramel extract, cherry from a cherry extract etc...I'm assuming anyway.

 

judcasper

Can't Leave
Jan 9, 2019
306
14
I think most of the actual flavors are going to come from some sort of extract or something like that, so vanilla flavoring will come from a vanilla extract, caramel from a caramel extract, cherry from a cherry extract etc...I'm assuming anyway.
I'd guess something similar, but it's more about what I can expect from such aromatics that I'm interested in.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,833
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
According to Greg Pease, who I suspect knows something about this, almost all commercially made tobaccos are cased, whether they wind up as an Aro, VA, Va/Per, English, Balkan, or whatever. Many are further topped to improve flavor, as uncased and untopped tobaccos are often unpleasant in flavor.
I refer you to Greg's FAQ. Read the section entitled Some Popular Myths:
https://www.glpease.com/FAQ.html#AGE
What we currently refer to as aromatic tobacco blends are blends wherein the topping is supplied in sufficient amounts as to act as a major player in how the tobacco tastes or smells, sometimes to the extent that it subsumes some of the flavors of the underlying tobaccos. The flavorings are more prominent as in vanilla, chocolate, cherry, or maple flavored blends.

 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
What we currently refer to as aromatic tobacco blends are blends wherein the topping is supplied in sufficient amounts as to act as a major player in how the tobacco tastes or smells, sometimes to the extent that it subsumes some of the flavors of the underlying tobaccos. The flavorings are more prominent as in vanilla, chocolate, cherry, or maple flavored blends.

In addition to that, aromatics have a room note ranging from very pleasant to pleasant. Exceptions exist, of course, but upon the whole, aros smell nice (mostly to the company).

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
It's a good question and a good discussion. There's some gray area between the categories in my opinion. Granger, which is rough cut Kentucky burley, is technically an aromatic, I do believe, but not in the sense that it delivers much taste or room note of non-tobacco flavoring or scent. The flavoring provides a slight twang, but I think you could smoke it for years without thinking of the added flavor. Various blends are in this category. My favorite outright aromatics have whiskey, bourbon, or rum flavorings.

 

raevans

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 20, 2013
273
17
A few years back, Russ Ouellette wrote about casings and aromatics…
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/a-tale-of-two-syrups-casings-and-top-dressings/
Some really good information that explains the whole process.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,345
Aromatics now taste exactly as they smell to me, but it took nearly thirty years to get there. Retrohaling is an aromatic's most useful technique.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,345
When did unflavored blends with a strong aroma stop being called aromatics and flavored blends start being called aromatics?

 

raevans

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 20, 2013
273
17
When did unflavored blends with a strong aroma stop being called aromatics and flavored blends start being called aromatics?
I would guess that happened when someone from a marketing department said, "Hey, you know we could probably charge more for XYZ tobacco if we said it was a non-aromatic tobacco with a pleasant room note. People will think that it is a higher quality tobacco".

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Somewhere in the categorization history, the UK (I think it was) regulated against tobacco flavored with anything beyond basic toppings/casings, and that may have drawn at least a concept of a line between two categories of blends. Somehow Lakelands aros happened anyway, but that is likely a long story in itself.

 

peanubutter

Lurker
Jan 5, 2013
32
2
I find the descriptions at the eacarey.com/pipe-tobacco-cut-types-blends site very concise and presented in an organized manner. I refer to the site on occasion since I am still a cigar smoker and part-time piper.

 

judcasper

Can't Leave
Jan 9, 2019
306
14
I find the descriptions at the eacarey.com/pipe-tobacco-cut-types-blends site very concise and presented in an organized manner.
I'll take a look, thanks.
I bought a sample of some Irish Cream today - only 12 gram and I haven't tried it yet, but I'm eager to do so. Smells good enough to eat. No, seriously it does.

 

peanubutter

Lurker
Jan 5, 2013
32
2
Funny note that I obtained the 1 oz. (28 gram) sample of Irish Cream last week. I have not tired it yet.

 
May 3, 2010
6,423
1,461
Las Vegas, NV
I think people really should learn on aromatics, because they burn the tongue easier, so if you can get the cadence down where aromatics don't burn then it's time to branch out to Va/Va-Per/English/Balkan etc.. Once you get those nuanced flavors revisit aromatics and they'll be a completely different experience.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Russ O. also noted in a post somewhere that 95% plus (I can't remember the exact figure but it was in that ballpark) tobacco sales are aromatic, hence the prominence of aromatics on retail pages and in catalogs. Aromatics float the rest of the tobacco market, so you don't have to smoke aromatics, but you can't scorn them, since they are supporting the production of non-aromatics. If you are a blender, you'd better understand and enjoy blending aromatics because that's where the market is greatest.

 
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