The idea of infusing cinnamon into tobacco is actually part of what made me interested in pipe smoking in the first place. Cinnamon has always been one of my favorite spices, and I finally got around to ordering some of Russ's Monthly Blend- Cinnamon Roll.
Tin Note: The tin note was quite like a cinnamon roll—a nice mixture of cinnamon and vanilla. I was very pleased with my first smell of it.
Flavor: The taste was great; I’d actually say this may have moved into the #1 spot for my favorite aromatic blend. That said, the taste is not overwhelmingly that of cinnamon. (I was not surprised by this, as I had discovered myself that cinnamon does not translate straightforwardly through a smoke when I flavored some tobacco with cinnamon flavoring. The flavor is there, but different once burned.) The distinct cinnamon flavor is a bit overpowered by the vanilla, but that’s fine by me. The blend is, after all, “cinnamon roll” not merely “cinnamon.” I mostly notice the cinnamon in the room note and in the pleasant aftertaste left after a few minutes of smoking.
It’s interesting how smoking transforms flavors. I smoked several vanilla aromatics without ever thinking of the flavor vanilla. I merely thought the tobacco had a nice flavor to it that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Once I read that these aromatics had vanilla as the foremost flavoring, I could see that it was vanilla—but it’s just different smoking the flavor than encountering it in food.
I found the same to be true of the cinnamon flavor. If I had not known this blend was titled “Cinnamon Roll,” I probably would have just thought it was a delicious mellow blend with a beautiful spiciness to it that I couldn’t quite identify. I just say this to encourage others to try it: even if you aren’t a big cinnamon fan, or even think it would be a weird addition to tobacco, I still believe there is a good chance you might enjoy this blend. While the tin note is distinctively that of a cinnamon roll, once smoked, this takes on a beautiful aroma and flavor that is quite a bit more complex than the original tin note would suggest.
Smoke: The tobacco itself was a little moist, so I probably should have let it dry. It smoked a bit hot in both briars I used, but I’m reluctant to blame the blend. I tend to keep my tobacco a little moister than I should, especially aromatic blends, because I’m afraid they’ll dry out and lose flavor. Furthermore, I tend to smoke a bit more aggressively than I should. This blend seemed to burn similarly to other aromatics I have with similar flavoring, e.g. Lane 1Q.
Overall: I’d certainly recommend this to others. If you enjoy aromatic blends, you would likely find this quite tasty—even if you aren’t a huge fan of cinnamon. I especially look forward to smoking some of this the next time the holidays roll around.
Thank you, Russ, for making such a great blend!
Tin Note: The tin note was quite like a cinnamon roll—a nice mixture of cinnamon and vanilla. I was very pleased with my first smell of it.
Flavor: The taste was great; I’d actually say this may have moved into the #1 spot for my favorite aromatic blend. That said, the taste is not overwhelmingly that of cinnamon. (I was not surprised by this, as I had discovered myself that cinnamon does not translate straightforwardly through a smoke when I flavored some tobacco with cinnamon flavoring. The flavor is there, but different once burned.) The distinct cinnamon flavor is a bit overpowered by the vanilla, but that’s fine by me. The blend is, after all, “cinnamon roll” not merely “cinnamon.” I mostly notice the cinnamon in the room note and in the pleasant aftertaste left after a few minutes of smoking.
It’s interesting how smoking transforms flavors. I smoked several vanilla aromatics without ever thinking of the flavor vanilla. I merely thought the tobacco had a nice flavor to it that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Once I read that these aromatics had vanilla as the foremost flavoring, I could see that it was vanilla—but it’s just different smoking the flavor than encountering it in food.
I found the same to be true of the cinnamon flavor. If I had not known this blend was titled “Cinnamon Roll,” I probably would have just thought it was a delicious mellow blend with a beautiful spiciness to it that I couldn’t quite identify. I just say this to encourage others to try it: even if you aren’t a big cinnamon fan, or even think it would be a weird addition to tobacco, I still believe there is a good chance you might enjoy this blend. While the tin note is distinctively that of a cinnamon roll, once smoked, this takes on a beautiful aroma and flavor that is quite a bit more complex than the original tin note would suggest.
Smoke: The tobacco itself was a little moist, so I probably should have let it dry. It smoked a bit hot in both briars I used, but I’m reluctant to blame the blend. I tend to keep my tobacco a little moister than I should, especially aromatic blends, because I’m afraid they’ll dry out and lose flavor. Furthermore, I tend to smoke a bit more aggressively than I should. This blend seemed to burn similarly to other aromatics I have with similar flavoring, e.g. Lane 1Q.
Overall: I’d certainly recommend this to others. If you enjoy aromatic blends, you would likely find this quite tasty—even if you aren’t a huge fan of cinnamon. I especially look forward to smoking some of this the next time the holidays roll around.
Thank you, Russ, for making such a great blend!
