Tin Note Of Latakia Blend

walkinthewoods84 · Apr 3, 2014

Finally getting around to making my first newbie post. I have learned a ton from this site so far so thanks for all of the great posts answering beginner questions! I have found many of the posts answering most of my questions so far but today I'm needing an answer regarding latakia tin note.

I am a complete novice to pipe smoking and so far I have only tried an aromatic blend from my local shop.

Based on all the great reviews I have read about Frog Morton Cellar I picked up a tin. The first tin note impression is not bad but I wouldn't say pleasant either. That campfire smell is ok to an extent.

So of course I know by reading yalls posts to not expect it to taste as it smells but just curious as to what yall think if I will enjoy it.

I know the obvious answer is to try it an see but just seeing what everyone thinks before I light it up.

That sure was a long winded way to say if you like the smell of it will you like it or not. Haha thanks everyone!

anglesey · Apr 3, 2014

As you say, there's only really one way for you to find out. Personally I love latakia, but don't care for frog morton products, though for reasons other than taste.
Just smoke it, what's the worst that can happen, you think 'oh i don't like that very much, ill try something else'. Not to say you wont ever like it, they say if you try anything three times you'll like it.

kendodan · Apr 3, 2014

I find Cellar has a bit of a perfumey smell and taste. I prefer On The Town much more but Cellar isnt bad.

grouchydog · Apr 3, 2014

Fellow newb here. Haven't smoked Cellar yet although I've got a tin in my "cellar" (i.e. cardboard box).
I initially found latakia's tin note to be suprising and not at all pleasant. I've gotten used to it. Smoking it, on the other hand, I loved from the first puff. The taste/snork and the tin note are different and, as noted, there's nothing to say other than "smoke it!"

phred · Apr 3, 2014

There's definitely a difference between the tin note and the room note - my wife actually rather likes the tin note of Black House, with its smoky overtones, but she's not really a fan of the way my beard smells after a couple of bowls... :D
So far, I've only smoked the original Frog Morton, so no idea whether you'll enjoy Cellar or not - I enjoy FM myself, but it's a little more robust than I'd expected given all of the descriptions of it as a "light" or "crossover" Lat blend - turns out a couple of the other Latakia blends I've tried were also technically "light" by Latakia standards, I guess.

judcole · Apr 3, 2014

Personally I love latakia, but don't care for frog morton products

Right with ya on that one.

yaddy306 · Apr 3, 2014

Personally I love latakia, but don't care for frog morton products, though for reasons other than taste.

You don't like the tin art, Anglesey? Or it depicts amphibians in a negative light?

iliumneves · Apr 3, 2014

At first I wasn't a huge fan of the tin note. I just thought it was ok. Now I love it. Not sure what changed. Maybe it was after enjoying a few bowls.
So I say dive in and smoke a few bowls.

anglesey · Apr 3, 2014

You don't like the tin art, Anglesey? Or it depicts amphibians in a negative light?

Hah, both. Aside from my intense love of all things amphibian, and my hating to see them mocked, I find it's main selling point is the tenuous link to JRR Tolkein, a link to pipe smoking I find vapid and shallow, rather than it's flavour, which is lacking.
It reminds me of those craft beers you see that are named after things like the battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Britain and the Brough Superior, but are just naff and only bought for the name.

rmbittner · Apr 3, 2014

I've said it elsewhere here, so forgive the repetition, but I don't believe the Frogs make a great introduction to latakia blends, since they're unique among latakia blends. In other words, they aren't typical of any other latakia blends out there.
That said, I too love latakia and, although I haven't tried the Cellar yet, I feel pretty sure in stating that the campfire aroma will follow through in the smoke. I particularly enjoy that, but some folks don't.
Since you've opened the tin, I won't suggest you start with something else at this point. But I'd give it three full bowlfuls in the same pipe before you make up your mind about it. (That is, unless it's absolutely awful to you from the get-go.)
And if you do kind of enjoy the FMC, I'd suggest giving Dunhill's Standard Mixture a shot. That's a far more straightforward English that would give you a good basis for comparison.
Bob

walkinthewoods84 · Apr 3, 2014

Thanks for all the comments. I will certainly give it a few bowls and see what I think then. And thanks for the suggestions regarding some other blends to try.

apatim · Apr 3, 2014

I'm a newbie, too. I have all Frog Morton blends but haven't opened any yet.
I have tried another Latakia blend, however... Dunhill Nightcap. My first impression of the tin note was that it smelled like a horse barn. My uncle was a horse trader and I hated the way he smelled and the way his barn smelled. Can't say I cared much for him or his horses either so that first impression from Nightcap was not a welcome aroma (or should I say STENCH?)
Oh well, I paid for the stuff; might as well try it.
Did it taste as it smelled? Not on your life! I loved it from the first puff... So much so that I have 7 tins coming to me in the mail from a fellow forum member.
And guess what... It no longer stinks. Now when I pop open the tin, the first thing I do is take a big whif of that delightful aroma.
Bottom line is, try it... You might like it.

walkinthewoods84 · Apr 12, 2014

Well finally got to have that first bowl. Of course it tasted nothing like the tin note, as expected. I honestly can't say I tasted like much of anything other than tobacco really. So with that being said it wasn't bad at all and wasn't really excellent either. Being a complete noob to smoking I guess that is expected as well. I really don't know what I really like yet or dislike. I'm ready to go back to an aromatic pretty soon to see if I can tell the difference. Any advise on what to look for as I'm trying to taste the difference?

petes03 · Apr 12, 2014

That smokey sweet BBQ/charred steak/campfire aroma is only ONE part of the appeal of Lat blends for me!

cuchulain · Apr 12, 2014

I loved the tin note of the first Lat blend I tried. The smoke was amazing. My Da liked it as well, unfortunately my fiance and neighbors did not.

sallow · Apr 12, 2014

I smoke an English now and then, I don't mind latakia but I have to be in the mood for it.
The Frog blends burn well, but they don't pack enough punch for me. I'll stick with Quiet Nights and Presbyterian. Oh, and Key Largo.

meatballj · Apr 12, 2014

@apatim: I thought the same thing of latakia the first time I smelled it; horse barn. After some soul and memory searching (my family raised quarter horses when I was but a lad), I've come to think that the latakia tin note is often reminiscent of the old lineaments used. You're definitely right about the taste not matching the smell though. I often think that latakia tin note reminds me of Islay single malts (i.e.: Laphroaig).

hawke · Apr 13, 2014

Still the newbie pipe smoker, Latakia certainly seems to be one of those that lends itelf to love it or hate it opinions. Im still learning the basic flavors. Latakia is the only one I can really identify easily. Virginia's is to me considered the basic tobacco for pipe smokers but I cant say I fully recognize its smell yet.
I got a tin of Dan Tobacco Independence to try and found I really liked it. Wondering what that flavor was that intrigued me it wasnt until I purchased a tin of Latakia Flake by brebbia that I knew then it was the lat. Reviews of Independence is not very good, but it appeals to me, and its the latakia flavor I like.
Now that brebbia was too strong for me alone but found I really liked to add it to any tobacco I smoked. I havent separated the flavor or Perique yet in my senses. I still need to solidify my Virginia smell/taste properties. These strong flavoring tobacco condiments are harder to find in single tins so narrowing down each flavor is time consuming. To date Latakia is my favorite flavor in a blend.

diana · Apr 15, 2014

I prefer Latakia blends myself. I find the Latakia snuff even better than the pipe but that's just my opinion. Still, it's a wonderful smoke with (for me) a great room note. But everyone else around me when I smoke it makes less than kind remarks. As far as out the tin, yea not the best, but it's about the smoke right?

rmbittner · Apr 15, 2014

Hawke:
I think the easiest way to get a handle on any particular leaf is to explore some blends that put it front and center.
Virginias come in a wide range of flavors -- or maybe I should say a "wide range of degree of flavor" -- so you won't nail them with a single blend. But for a standard Virginia, I'd suggest Dunhill Flake, which includes Lemon and Bronze Virginias. Other options in a similar range would be Rattray's Old Gowrie and Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake. (Just give the FVF a little drying time.)
For something a little richer, I'd point you to the matured Red Virginias at the front of McClelland's Bombay Court. This blend includes some Turkish leaf and some latakia, but the Virginias are the real star. For even more flavor and sweetness, I'd suggest a dark-stoved Virginia, such as Butera's Dark Stoved and McClelland's Dark Star.
To get a handle on what perique can do for a blend, I'd start with Escudo, a Virginia/perique spun-cut. Once you've had some straight Virginias, you'll be much better able to separate out the flavors/impact of the Virginias from what the perique is bringing to the mix.
Bob

Tin Note Of Latakia Blend

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