Aromatic Smokers, Red Headed Stepchild?

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cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I have no idea when or where this has started, but it is a fact that aromatic smokers are considered less than. My personal belief is that when people think of aromatic smokers, pictures of Borkum Riff, Captain Black, Mixture 79( probably out sell all the boutique blends combined) come to their heads. With the plethora of high quality aromatics smokers of these should not be seen as having no taste. So what if people want to taste vanilla or christmas cookies, or caramel, or any other multitude of flavors. Just because they cannot handle the taste of real tobacco( oh, did I just take a shot at aro guy?) they shouldn't be looked down upon. I happen to like the taste of vanilla, sure in my ice cream or cookies but never in tobacco( why do I smoke Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake?) as that is so un-manly.
The fact that I have a few aromatics in my cellar means aromatic smokers are now on level with the mavens of the pipe tobacco world. The next time I see someone take a shot at an aromatic smoker, they will have to deal with me.

 

oldseadog

Lurker
Feb 23, 2016
20
0
Ok as an aromatic smoker. I like some English blends, but for me I enjoy aromatic a dark cavendish vanilla, or a mix of burrly and light cavendish belends. My favorite by far is lane 1Q. Oh and I have yet to have anyone challenge this retired Navy corpsmans manhood for smoking Borkum riff Cherry cavendish.

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
I think it's safe to say that the majority of pipe smokers are aromatic smokers. Heck, nearly everyone of us started with an aro of some type, especially a cherry blend.

I admit to smoking a few although I generally smoke latakia blends and plugs like Warrior, Velvan and Mick McQuaid (which could be classified as aromatics by some).

I have not read anything disparaging aromatic smokers or their choice of blends. I think pipe people are very tolerant of what others smoke.

There is a lot of kidding about certain blends like the Borkums and Blend 79 but their staying power is testimony to their continued popularity.

 

ltstone

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 30, 2015
505
53
Wow I did not expect that from you Cigrmaster! I'm impressed you really do have balls! Now as a fairly new smoker and an aromatic lover I do feel less than when I comment that I enjoy and recommend many aromatics. But I also have an ever evolving palate and enjoy and appreciate almost all types from english to va/per, burly etc. Thats what I love the most about the Pipe , sooo much variety. Any way nice to see a well respected member stick up for the little guy!

 

dread

Lifer
Jun 19, 2013
1,617
9
I have returned to aros with a vengeance. I find them MUCH more enjoyable now that I understand how to smoke a pipe better. I smoke all kinds of tobaccos, but aros are a regular part of my rotation. I'm actually on an aro kick these days and have been smoking about 75% aros. I suspect as it starts to warm up I'll shift to VA VAPER more, but there are some darn good aros out there!

 

sjfine

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 4, 2012
653
4
I have evolved past aromatics onto VA's, VaPers, Burs, and VaBurs. (How do you like my l33t use of the abbreevs there?) But I support Harris, and I will defend aro-smokers when attacked.
Lat-smokers, on the other hand, are on their own.

 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
I'm grateful to Cigrmaster for standing up for us aro smokers. I've always been bugged by the macho attitude of non-aromatic smokers; who cares if a baccy is flavored in some way? They taste great! I smoke both aros and non-aros, but the aros easily outnumber the latter. How can you not like a tobacco called "Trout Stream"? Thanks for being such a stand-up guy about this silly prejudice against aros.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,625
44,836
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Aromatics make up 90% of the pipe tobacco sold. I like 'em as well, but within limits. One of my fall back on blends is a mild, vanilla topped, bulk aro called Danish Delight.
After all, St Bruno is an aro, as is Stonehaven. Those two are topped, especially Stonehaven with all that treacle topping.
Unmanly Stonehaven...
Say, Harris, isn't Stonehaven one of your faves? Do you find your voice rising and your hands shrinking when you smoke it?

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
To all my aro brethren it is my honor to protect your manhood.
jesse, Stonehaven is in my top 3 and while my hands remain the same my voice does get higher and shrinkage is also a major factor.

 

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,010
1,749
Robinson, TX.
There are a lot of cheap, disgusting aromatics and equally disgusting unflavored blends out there. There are a lot of wonderfully delicious aromatics and equally wonderfully delicious unflavored blends out there.
Show me someone who says they've "graduated" from aromatics to natural unflavored blends and I'll show you someone who is ignorant of the facts, hasn't really graduated and won't get a diploma. :wink:

 

krizzose

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,104
18,023
Michigan
Amen. Unfortunately that snide and superior attitude towards aromatics (and by implication the smokers of aromatics) is not difficult to find in this and other forums. I'm not sure which is worse, the explicit and presumptuous "all aros are bad" type of statement, or the implicit "I finally graduated from aros" BS. Luckily it's only a few people that do it, but unluckily they're pretty consistent in doing it. It's so prevalent that you see a lot of posts praising certain aromatic blends which can get downright apologetic and sheepish in tone. Some people (and again, it's only a small minority) need to get over themselves.
One member whose name I can't recall here has "de gustibus non est disputandum" as a signature for his posts, which is always a good reminder.

 

davet

Lifer
May 9, 2015
3,815
330
Estey's Bridge N.B Canada
Oh and I have yet to have anyone challenge this retired Navy corpsmans manhood for smoking Borkum riff Cherry cavendish.
One of my regulars along with Captain Black Red Sky (my favorite aromatic). Nobody has mentioned "goopy" yet, what's up with that?

 

hierophant

Lifer
Jul 27, 2014
1,852
2
Every hobby has its elitists, but I don't look down on a guy who enjoys a bowl of Mixture 79 (even though I might not understand it).

 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,603
14,669
Until you can demonstrate complete understanding and mastery of the information in the below video, you are not qualified to comment on this subject matter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EShA4HfxLeU

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Jeeze, I smoked mostly aromatic blends for about twenty years. I always liked tobacco forward blends so I could taste the leaf, but also a little flavor to give a better room note for my late wife, and because I had an uncle who always enjoyed aromatics, unlike my dad who was strictly and always a Granger man, although some argue that that is aromatic because of the casing. Russ O. says it's (I can't remember his wording) semi-aro or transitional. Anyway, at some point in recent years I became sensitive to the aro flavorings so they really bite me, and especially when I brush my teeth with flavored toothpaste after an evening aromatic smoke. I can happily puff away on Dark Burley and Tombalaka, but a vanilla/caramel aro gets me. So, do I consider aromatic blends beginner leaf? No, I still have several on my shelf. I toss in some flavored Cavendish when I am mixing up a home blend. If someone else is puffing on an aro, I enjoy the sidestream. I don't presume much about other people's blends, nor my own. I feel a minor tremor of bragging rights about my tolerance for full-strength leaf, but I'd retreat to mild blends only if they get to me. For me, this is about joie de vie, not some sort of tough guy contest.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I'm not a huge fan of aromatics (especially the goopy ones) but I sure do appreciate aro smokers as being wonderful ambassadors of our hobby. They are the reason even some of the slack-jawed, drooling, knuckle-dragging anti-tobacco buffoons will say "Well, that's a whole different thing! Pipe smoke is not nearly as bad" when you bring it up to them. The enjoyable room note has probably enticed more new pipe smokers into the hobby than all other factors combined. New smokers can then make up their own mind as to what tobaccos they prefer. So I say puff on, aro lovers! You're good advertising, and besides, I don't have to taste what you're smoking or clean your pipes.

 
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