Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky query.

mawnansmiff · May 30, 2016

Hello tobacco experts, please excuse my ignorance here but after reading reviews of Orlik's DSK on tobaccoreviws.com I see that they state it is a non aromatic then go on to state that it's flavoured with liquorice.
I thought non aros had no added flavour so am puzzled.
I'm thinking of trying a tin anyway but thought I would ask first.
Also, how does it compare (if indeed it does) with Condor RR or LC?
Regards,
Jay.

beezer · May 30, 2016

I'm smoking a bowl of some right now actually and the licorice is quite subtle in my opinion. I had the same concerns as you at one time and I think this is a really solid blend. I've got another seven tins in the cellar and feel confident this will age wonderfully!
I've never had RR or LC, so I'm of no help there. Go ahead and pick up a tin!

misterlowercase · May 30, 2016

Also, how does it compare (if indeed it does) with Condor RR or LC?

Condor kills it.
DSK isn't really strong, the name is misleading, the flavor is okay but a bit on the sweetish side.
Condor is darker, deeper, and more dense.

jacks6 · May 30, 2016

I agree that DSK isn't really that strong. It's pretty mild in my opinion.

peckinpahhombre · May 30, 2016

There is a very faint anise flavour, and I mean very faint. You really have to look for it (or at least I do, but I am no supertaster). To me it tastes a bit like oatmeal with raisins, but not cloyingly so.

Chasing Embers · May 30, 2016

That's like Black Frigate. It is soaked in rum, but is rum enhanced and not aromatic.

dadgy · May 30, 2016

I may be the outlier here, but the one tin of DSK that I've opened so far was so over run with anise/licorice that it was like lighting up a Mike and Ike's candy. To be fair, I had just finished a tin of Irish Flake, the the additional flavor may have been more pronounced to my palate at the time.

danhester · May 30, 2016

I thought non aros had no added flavour so am puzzled.

mawnansmiff: When it comes to flavoring with tobacco, I think of it as a continuum. It's hard for me to say there is a clear line separating aromatics and non-aromatics. Virtually all tobaccos have some flavoring added at some point, but at one end of the continuum, the flavoring is undetectable, and at the other end, you have full aromatics. And of course, everything in between. Many tobaccos commonly considered non-aromatic will have a lightly added flavor. DSK is one example, but also, you have navy flakes with a touch of rum. Even some "English" blends have an added flavoring, like the new Bengal Slices. I guess to me, the main difference between aros and non-aros is that with the former, the flavoring is the main attraction. With non-aros, the flavoring is used to compliment and accentuate certain aspects of the natural tobacco.
My own 2 cents, anyway....

danhester · May 30, 2016

Oh, and I like DSK! If you're interested, you should definitely give it a try. I can notice the flavoring, but it's subtle and well-applied in my shrewd judgment. I had some trouble keeping it lit for most of my tin, but I eventually figured out that it needs to be dryer than I thought. By the end of the tin, as it dried out more, it burned perfectly well for a flake.

peckinpahhombre · May 30, 2016

dadgy, interesting comment. As I thought about it, all the DSK I have smoked has been old stuff from when it was sold previously. The only "young" stuff I have smoked is PH DSF, which I am told is really the same blend as DSK, but maybe that is wrong. The PH DSFI smoked all had at least 3 years of age.

deathmetal · May 30, 2016

Irish Flake is like a delicious candy backed up by lovely strong tobacco. Wish they did not use whatever humectant makes its presence known in the early part of the bowl.

beastinview · May 30, 2016

I typically describe blends where the flavoring is clearly dominant as aromatic. Those where the tobacco is clearly dominant I call non-aromatics. The weird between (Royal Yacht, et al.) are a bit more difficult to classify.

weezell · May 30, 2016

Condor kills it.

YES!!! Love me some CONDOR...

perdurabo · May 30, 2016

Anise! YES MAN I get the blessed Anise. Ghost? No really.

mawnansmiff · Jul 27, 2016

Mixed opinions as expected but thanks chaps. I may still give it a go but it has now drifted way down on my list. Am currently enjoying some Old Gowrie and Royal Yacht and rather nice they are too : puffy

:
Regards,
Jay.

pipesmokingtom · Jul 27, 2016

Royal Yacht has a pretty detectable Plum topping to my understanding, but an aromatic it is not.
The lines can get blurry, but the tobaccos you're talking about aren't approaching that line, in my opinion.

mso489 · Jul 27, 2016

Things get a little subtle deciding which are aromatics and which aren't. I think go with what you enjoy and don't split hairs. In general, I get less bite and more enjoyment out of non-aromatics (no flavorings at all), and sometimes problems with bite and burn with heavily or even just moderately flavored blends. But blends like Edward G. and Mac B's Modern Virginia are quite pleasant. It was nice to go to pipe shows and try things out, to see ... ahem. Over 95% of the pipe tobacco market is aromatics, so they're paying the freight.

perdurabo · Jul 27, 2016

It's a nice molasses-anise, it will dissipate after being held hostage in a jar for a few weeks. I love this stuff, love it. Smells like my grandfather used to, after smoking cigars. :worship:

bigpond · Jul 29, 2016

Interestingly, MLC is no longer anonymous.

markus · Jul 29, 2016

Have you tried Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired? It's very good as well, I think a lot of people compare it to St. Bruno. I think it tastes somewhat like St. Bruno but the flavoring seems a little more muted to me, it's still very good in it's own way though.

Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky query.

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