Effect of Cavendish in Latakia blends?

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molach95

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 19, 2017
108
2
I'm currently enjoying some Rattray's 7 Reserve and I'm just wondering about why cavendish has been added to Rattray Scottish blends - specifically Black Malloray, Red Rapparee and so on. I do definitely get some kind of similar experience to full black cavendish aromatics I've smoked in that the smoke seems to behave the same way, quite dense but lightweight(?) so it doesn't hang in the room like some other tobacco, and I get a kind of aftertaste that's difficult to describe, almost like eating oats or something? Some compare it to cardboard but I think it's really pleasant.
If anyone has any idea of why Rattray's use cavendish in these blends I would be very interested

 

haparnold

Lifer
Aug 9, 2018
1,561
2,389
Colorado Springs, CO
I can't speak on Rattray's specifically, but I think Cavendish is added to Latakia blends for flavor, to increase smoke volume, and to help out smoking mechanics (lights and burns easier).
I'm a big fan myself. Cornell and Diehl Old College has a permanent place in my rotation.

 

erhardt85

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 14, 2017
200
61
39
My understanding is that it helps to carry the flavor or casings and certain tobaccos while smoothing the blend out a little and giving better burning characteristics. I love English blends with it and without it. Sometimes it's done very well.

 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,146
3,762
Kansas
Currently 1 of my primary blends, C&D Stratfordshire, is of that genre. I find it seems to indeed smooth out the blend and add some creaminess to it.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,258
108,360
About unsweetened Cavendish from an SPC article.
Unsweetened Cavendish, having undergone such intense pressure, and due to the curing process, is particularly susceptible to external flavors. It is this property that can explain its ability to allow flavors to linger pleasantly on the palate, as the process renders the leaf itself a much lighter flavor and milder strength. This lack of a marked flavor, in turn, makes the overall smoke more consistent, with each puff delivering a more cohesive, balanced profile rather than quickly overwhelming the palate.

 
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foursidedtriangle

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 22, 2018
293
70
SPC Potlatch reminds me of Rattray's line, the cavendish adds that bit of sweetness to produce an enjoyable smoke.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,258
108,360
SPC Potlatch reminds me of Rattray's line, the cavendish adds that bit of sweetness to produce an enjoyable smoke.
You could also be getting a hit of sweetness from the Virginia in that one as well.

 
A cavendish is sometimes unflavored, but still carries the natural sweetness of the tobacco that it was made from, or even the casing that was used before steaming. But, sometimes it is used because it absorbs the topping added at the end of the process very well, so it is a favorite in aromatic blends also. But, mostly guys stereotype cavendishes as all being aromatics, but they don't have to be used that way. An unflavored Cavendish is still considered a non-aromatic, even if it does have a casing before the process was started, like Luxury Twist Flake.
But, there are some latakia mixes that use non-flavored cavendishes, and some crossover blends (thinking Frog Mortons and many others) that use the flavored cavenishes. Many guys don't taste the aromatic quality of the FM's or other latakia crossovers, but having gone to pipe shows where groups of guys are all smoking it, it has a room note very much like a straight aromatic to the non-smoking observer (smeller?).

 
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