The "Incense" in English

michaelmirza · Sep 1, 2016

While enjoying two Standard PA blends recently, JC 1&2 and Bengal Slices, I noticed that both had an aroma and aftertaste loosely akin to that of "incense." I have gathered from reviews that this term is somewhat of a buzzword in this community. The aftertaste even reminded me faintly of the aftertaste I get from some Lakeland-style blends. Is that the Oriental leaf I'm tasting? I'm realizing now that maybe all of the English blends I've had up to this point have had Virginia bases, and maybe I'm just now understanding the difference between English and "Balkan" (am I?). What are some other good blends (English or otherwise) that carry an incense-like character?

cosmicfolklore · Sep 1, 2016

GLP's Ashbury

mso489 · Sep 1, 2016

I'd guess it's some kinds of Latakia. I don't think it is Orientals, unless it is a particular combination of them with Lat.

yaddy306 · Sep 1, 2016

I had pm'd Russ Ouellette about the incense in certain blends a few years ago.
His response was that it's usually the combination of Macedonian-type orientals such as Basma and Yenidje with Latakia that causes the incense aroma.

If the Latakia blend concentrates more on a Turkish like Smyrna you wouldn't get that incense aroma.

cosmicfolklore · Sep 1, 2016

To me, the incense is the predominance of orientals in the blend over Virginians. Jitterbug sent me some of his homegrown Turkish and it was exactly like an incense that could be bought at a head shop. So, to me that incense-like aroma is what separates a Balkan from an English. An, English can have diversity also, but Balkans (to me) have got to have that incense derived from the Orientals.

philobeddoe · Sep 1, 2016

Try GLP's Charing Cross, H&H Black House and Presbyterian for a deep incense flavor as well. The first two I consider Balkans, Presbyterian is an Oriental laden English.

sallow · Sep 1, 2016

I agree, Presbyterian does have an incense flavor to it, and a nice bass note. Personally, it bites me something awful. Every once in while I go back to it since it is so good but I end up paying for it, tongue-wise. I guess I'll never learn.

perdurabo · Sep 1, 2016

I don't pick that incense flavor up anymore. I did in Nightcap and Frog chilling in Louisiana, but the Frog lost its flavor and I haven't had Nightcap in awhile. I get woodsy-cedars, oily olive, and other nice nuances in that genre. I don't smoke Englishes to much in the summer, but I've had a wild hair, therefore in the evenings I've been enjoying some as it rains. I've been smoking MM965, Engine99, Mountain Camp and White Knight. White Knight may have given off what I used to think was "incense", but I'm picking up the cedar, olive etc. I've gotten where I don't enjoy White Knight and have actually taken a bit and added a pinch of Perique to it. It's marrying in a tin for a week, hopefully it'll modify it for the better. Maybe I need to crack a tin of Nightcap, to see if I still detect the Incense flavor.

ltstone · Sep 2, 2016

Funny I don't taste that incense that i used to in Penzance, Star of the East and even Lancer slices. Now I just taste the tobaccos - Lat, virginia, oriental etc... I kinda miss it actually.

beefeater33 · Sep 2, 2016

Try Perretti's #40 Oriental... I get a good dose of that 1970's incense in that one..........

newbroom · Sep 2, 2016

WhiteKnight, I think, has that incense flavor. Some more orientals for blending are on my wish list.

by the way...C&D bulks on sale this month!

Get back here, felix.

sablebrush52 · Sep 2, 2016

Definitely the interplay between the Macedonian leaf and the Latakia. There's more of a floral quality to Macedonian leaf. Also, Syrian Latakia tends to support that incense note more than Cyprian. You might give Balkan Sasieni a shot.

jerwynn · Sep 2, 2016

I find the incense to be more like byzantine liturgical incense... frankincense, myrrh, several "woods", sometimes with a touch of floral like in a Russian liturgical incense I encountered once. Very specifically is this though and NOT head shop or Spencer Gift sickenly sweet and über-floral/sandalwood/oily-schmoily, etc.
I also find that I never taste it, per se, I always smell it with alacrity! It's something I call the "glowing ember aroma"... where there's no active or visible smoke coming from the bowl, but the ember is still glowing... I smell it there and feel transported to Hagia Sophia in Constantinople when that's what is was still called. Definitely an olifactory experience for me as opposed to a savory one.
I've experience the incense thing most so far in glp Lagonda, glp Quiet Nights, Black House, Lane Crown Achievement, Three Oaks Syrian(slightly different there), etc. The sniffing of the "glowing ember aroma" is always a huge high point for me with these tobaccos! Love it!

napulitano215 · Sep 2, 2016

I myself am wanting to explore the Incensey Englishes

any recommendations? Autumn is here fella's IMHO the best season for working that bowl lol

jpmcwjr · Sep 2, 2016

Bengal Slices, Balkan Sasieni, Penzance.

jerwynn · Sep 3, 2016

Lagonda, Quiet Nights, Black House...

jpmcwjr · Sep 3, 2016

Yes. I should have mentioned GL Pease blends, many of which I've tried, and only one of which I didn't like a lot. They were smoked a while ago, with the balance cellared so I can't name those with the most incense-like aroma.

michaelmirza · Sep 4, 2016

Thanks all for the tips! In addition to some recommendations, it seems like, yes, I was picking up on Orientals and experience the "Balkan" taste. While now I'm hooked!

sasquatch · Sep 4, 2016

Basma is the incensiest I think... Old Dublin from Peterson has a good dose.

The "Incense" in English

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