Stocking Up on Syrian Latakia Blends

beezer · May 16, 2015

Evening,
I was curious what forum members think about the disappearing supply of Syrian Latakia leaf and whether this will encourage some to stock up and add their favorite Syrian Latakia blends to the cellar before they are gone for good. I read a comment earlier today about how crops of this leaf have been unavailable since 1998 and that one of the larger blending houses will run out of its remaining stock by the end of the decade.
If you love latakia and plan on stockpiling some favorites before its too late, which blends are you going to stock up on?
How do Syrian blends age? Does the latakia fade excessively?

ericusrex · May 16, 2015

(Shhhhhhh. I haven't completed my stockpile yet!)

settersbrace · May 16, 2015

My limited exposure to ancient blends that contained Syrian make me convinced it ages better than Cyprian. There's a certain amount of fade but that sweet, earthy taste remains and holds the blend together. I've not had consistant results though but it may have a lot to do with how the tobacco was stored or where it was stored. I'd say your not alone in your quest and there's no telling how much there really is.

papipeguy · May 16, 2015

McClelland 3 Oaks Syrian is the only one I have. Very good stuff. As for aging, latakia tends to drop off after about 3 years or so. Syrian has not been grown for some years so consider it gone.

cobguy · May 16, 2015

The only one that I've stocked a fair amount of is Mac Baren's HH Vintage Syrian.
Luckily, my B&M still carries this in bulk so I swing by once or twice a month with empty jars.

rx2man · May 16, 2015

Good read below
http://www.glpease.com/Articles/Latakia.html

settersbrace · May 16, 2015

McClelland I believe has the only known stockpile I'm aware of. Greg Pease lost his to fire in 2004, for the pipe smoker it's one of those events that you never forget learning of. I didn't really realize at the time how serious the impact would be but here we are. I don't know if Macbaren has a stash or not, maybe I have the Mac's mixed up. Either way what ever the amount it's finite and it's a question as to whether I'm willing to just accept what's readily available or spend extra money and effort to build a secret stash of the Syrian laced goodies. I think I know the answer but then again I'm particularly fond of VaPer's at this point. Obtaining the virtually unobtainable has never been something I could get passionate about. I used to shoot Port Orford Cedar arrows with my recurve and long bows. That became very difficult to obtain so I found an alternative, the game I hunt never knew the difference.

buroak · May 17, 2015

According to the Radio Show, MacBaren has six years of stock remaining.

danielplainview · May 17, 2015

McClelland Ringlow Syrian Reserve is great stuff. I better start hoarding more of it before everyone reads your post.

jitterbugdude · May 17, 2015

And when it's gone everyone will be talking about how great it was and they'll pay ridiculous prices for it. I have a small stockpile of Vintage Syrian (3 lbs or so) and just 10 tins of 3 Oaks Syrian. I am not particularly impressed with either blend but I am trying to increase my stocks before Syrian disappears forever.
I think this stuff will be more sought after than Penzance, or some of the older discontinued blends. With the discontinued blends such as the original 3 Nuns, Balkan Sobranie etc there is always the hope that someone will reintroduce the original formula. With Syrian Latakia there will be no hope. Once it's gone it will be extinct and because of that it will enter the status of "Legendary"

bigpond · May 17, 2015

Smoke 'em if you've got 'em. Why bother hoarding it? Enjoy it while it's here and move on to something young and fresh when it's gone :twisted:
I'm not currently a latakia fan. Though I have a strong preference for Syrian when I do smoke it. I like the tannic notes. I think it would be great to see farmers process current crops a but differently. Syrian and cyprian use the same root stock as base no?

jitterbugdude · May 17, 2015

Syrian Latakia is a different tobacco than Cyprian tobacco. There are many guesses but no one really knows other than they are different.

judcole · May 17, 2015

Syrian Latakia is a different tobacco than Cyprian tobacco. There are many guesses but no one really knows other than they are different.

The Pease article linked above explains it well.
I smoke a lot of HH VS; I intend to buy some more, and get a small cellar, but I'm not going to horde. I'm also planning on spreading out my stash a little more. I will mourn its loss, but persevere.

jitterbugdude · May 17, 2015

The reason I stated that "no one really knows.." is because no one really does know. The Pease article says Syrian Latakia is Shek-el-bint variety. This is just hearsay that's been repeated so often that people take it for the truth.
The first references to Syrian Latakia referred to the flowers as being a greenish yellow and a very short plant. This would identify it as a Rustica. ( See: "Tobacco, It's History and Association" by Fairholt, 1859"
The "Tobacco Dictionary" ( 1954) says that Latakia is unlike any other tobacco in that the stems and mid ribs are sweeter than the leaf. This is bogus because I've tried it both ways and there is no difference.
Milton M. Sherman in "All About Tobacco" ( early '50's) is the first reference I can find that Syrian Latakia is grown from Shek-el-Bint.
Add to that, I had the good fortune of receiving some Cyprian Latakia seeds a buddy of mine brought back from a trip to Cyprus. I grew them side by side with Smyrna. The difference was quite obvious. Cyprus Latakia in this instance was not the same as the Smyrna.
Hence my statement that no one really knows.

mcitinner1 · May 17, 2015

After reading this thread last night, I opened a newish tin of HHVS, and I was disappointed that the latakia tin note wasn't a lot stronger because the description says the blend is near half latakia. Is that caused by the MacBaren process of curing the blend? Until then I was planning to stock up.

beezer · May 17, 2015

Great GLPease article! Thanks for posting the link rx2man.
I appreciate all the responses!
I have ten tins of HHVS that I purchased late last year during a MacBaren sale that I haven't dipped into yet, but that's the extent of the Syrian latakia blends I have in my cellar to date. I'm thinking of adding some of McClelland's offerings to my next TAD order to try out. I've got my eye on Wilderness, Syrian Ringlow, Orient 996, and 3 Oaks.

northernneil · May 17, 2015

I have a couple of Syrian Latakia blends squirreled away in the cellar; HH Vintage Syrian, McClelland Yenidje Highland, McClelland Wilderness and 3 Oaks Syrian.
Seeing as I only occasionally smoke Latakia blends during the cold winter, this little stock pile should suffice.

settersbrace · May 17, 2015

Wilderness........Mmmm! Haven't had that in a while.

mrenglish · May 17, 2015

Ashtons' Artesian Blend is a really good Syrian lat blend, it's often overlooked.

stickframer · May 17, 2015

Yes Artisans blend is a real sleeper. My b&m is sold out and doesn't know when/if they will get any more. I bought and smoked the 2 tins they had in stock a couple months ago. :?

Stocking Up on Syrian Latakia Blends

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