Plum Pudding - Help My Nose

[rdoss16]

Im new to the hobby so be gentle. been trying out just about everything i can get my hands on. Lots of trips to my local B&M and smokingpipes purchases. Thank goodness for bulk tobacco! been trying mainly aromatics but also quite a few red virginias. i purchased a tin of Plum Pudding as everyone seems to rave about it. i had never tried a Balkan before. i opened the tin and was hit w a smell that ive never experienced before. spicy/smoking/almost mesquite. honestly it gave me a headache and not even sure how im going to even smoke this tin. Is this the Latakia im smelling? trying to understand what it is i dont like so i can avoid it in future blind purchases. Thanks in advance!

 

[voorhees]

A fresh tin can overwhelm you if you not ready. I always like to let them breathe a while before I smoke them. I smoked plum pudding yesterday in a large bowl. It was fantastic.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yep, campfire, smokey, leathery... perfectly normal. While, I wouldn't put much stock on any blend and it's popularity, as my tastes have often been in contrary with popular notions. The responses on TR and other sites are usually just "yes boys" dropping their "yeses" on things. I wouldn't put too much stock in that part of a review. I would go on matching what the other posters say they taste in a blend on my own tastes.

But, at this point, it sounds like you are still looking for your tastes. Give it a try, lots of guys love latakias and Balkans, some hate them. But, many of us seem to have gone through a latakia phase as we transitioned from aromatics to non-aromatics. It is definitely a non-aromatic that you can taste.