Aromatic Tobaccos ... Hmm ... Give Them Another Shot?

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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,337
My seller is roughly 50% Virginia families, 25% aromatics, 20% burleys, and 5% Latakia families. I'm well into the aro game.

 
Mar 29, 2016
1,006
5,540
After discovering slightly cased and untopped aka.known as "natural" tobaccos, there's no coming back for me. I might indulge, very, very rarely, in flavored blends like SG Cob Plug or St.Bruno Flake but I'll never have another OTC aromatic in my life. The chemical enhancement, the dampness and the horrible aftertaste...just no.
"You can have your English blends,

you can smoke them by the pound,

but the only blends for the piper true

are aros all around!"
Then I'm not a true piper I guess.

 

bassbug

Lifer
Dec 29, 2016
1,112
905
I'll never have another OTC aromatic in my life. The chemical enhancement, the dampness and the horrible aftertaste.
Of course, everyone can and should smoke what they want and like but I have a question.
This horrible aftertaste you talk of, did you realize it only after you smoked something other than an OTC or was it always there? Do you get this horrible aftertaste with all OTC tobaccos?
If it was always present to you, why did you keep smoking it?

 
Mar 29, 2016
1,006
5,540
"This horrible aftertaste you talk of, did you realize it only after you smoked something other than an OTC or was it always there? Do you get this horrible aftertaste with all OTC tobaccos?
If it was always present to you, why did you keep smoking it?"
An ashtray aftertaste when something synthetic/chemical is added to the tobacco. This taste is always there when I smoke heavily chemical blends like Half and Half or Captain Black per example. And yes I started with Aros as any uninformed pipe smoker so after graduating to Virginia flakes and Latakia mixtures then the occasional OTC was a nasty experience so I stopped using them. It might have something to do with the quality of the new production Aromatics. The ones from my youth weren't so aggressive with the chemical enhancement if I remember well.

 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
You're a true piper, VA-lover, just not a piper true. :P
Now, levity aside, allow me to suggest something: you seem to be equating OTCs with aromatics. While those OTCs you named are aromatics, not all aros are OTCs. I avoid OTCs like the plague. There's a reason why I change the spelling of a very popular one: CRAPtain Black. Even many of Lane's offerings are basically OTCs, or were meant as competition to them. BCA is a famous offender: again, there's a reason why I call it Bad Chemical Aftertaste.
Before you judge and dismiss aromatics you have to smoke the real quality ones. Stuff like Sillem's, Vauen, and even a number of MB's aromatic blends. You can't compare a cheap piece of work like CB to Sillem's Blau. Quality aromatics are not goopy—they're not laden with tons of PG, they don't scald your tongue by default, or any other nastiness you hear lots of pipers who smoke nothing but OTC aros complaining about.
Beating a blue horse, take Sillem's Blau for example: it smells delicious, it tastes as it smells, and yet the taste is so gentle—not in-your-face forward that it saturates and irritates your tongue after a few puffs.
Ditch the mass market and join the class market. :)

 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
Lately I smoked two aromatics that I really enjoyed. Rattray's Blossom Temptation and HU Moroccan Bazaar. Both a real delight.

 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
Lately I smoked two aromatics that I really enjoyed. Rattray's Blossom Temptation and HU Moroccan Bazaar. Both a real delight.

HU makes some amazing flavored tobacco’s, my favorite being their scented blends such as Sissinghurst, Daddy Gefftl and even Hadde’s Best Irish (a lighter scented RR). I’ve got more on the way now as I happened upon a flash sale at Esterval’s. Got Salty Dogs for $6.60 a pouch, St. Bruno Flake was also going for $6.60 a pouch. Got Daddy Gefftl and Sissinghurst for under $5 a tin and I even got the 100 gram tins of Directors Cut & Hadde’s Best Irish for a little over $10 a tin. I looked the following morning and the sale was over so I’m glad I made a large haul when I did. Their prices are still very nice even when not on sale so they are still worth checking out, it’s my go to for Salty Dogs as even off sale they can be had for under $10 a pouch.

 
Mar 29, 2016
1,006
5,540
"You're a true piper, VA-lover, just not a piper true.
Now, levity aside, allow me to suggest something: you seem to be equating OTCs with aromatics. While those OTCs you named are aromatics, not all aros are OTCs. I avoid OTCs like the plague. There's a reason why I change the spelling of a very popular one: CRAPtain Black. Even many of Lane's offerings are basically OTCs, or were meant as competition to them. BCA is a famous offender: again, there's a reason why I call it Bad Chemical Aftertaste.
Before you judge and dismiss aromatics you have to smoke the real quality ones. Stuff like Sillem's, Vauen, and even a number of MB's aromatic blends. You can't compare a cheap piece of work like CB to Sillem's Blau. Quality aromatics are not goopy—they're not laden with tons of PG, they don't scald your tongue by default, or any other nastiness you hear lots of pipers who smoke nothing but OTC aros complaining about.
Beating a blue horse, take Sillem's Blau for example: it smells delicious, it tastes as it smells, and yet the taste is so gentle—not in-your-face forward that it saturates and irritates your tongue after a few puffs.
Ditch the mass market and join the class market."
I don't equate OTC with Aromatics, Italy has Comune and Forte that are Kentucky mixtures without any topping and France has Bergerac, St.Claude, Caporal that has no or very little casing. All OTC tobaccos in these countries. My problem comes with the Aros themselves, even if of quality I get bored with them. I prefer the Virginia, Perique, Latakia and Oriental tobacco taste to added toppings like fruits, alcohols and the like.
I've had my fair share of quality tobaccos and nowadays, I draw the line to flavored British style tobaccos like SG Cob Plug or St.Bruno Flake. But even that means maybe 2-4 smokes a year. My pipe tobacco journey has made the round trip. My taste buds are set and since I'm not an everyday smoker, I'm concentrating on what I consider quality. I'm not judgemental about Aro smokers, the important thing is that people manage to find what they like and enjoy it for a long time.

 
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