When were aromatics introduced?

sittingbear · Feb 13, 2017

I have a question for you history buffs out there. I am wondering when aromatics (as we know them today) were introduced? I've gone through a couple tins of McConnell's Red Virginia, which claims to have a chocolate topping using a recipe going back to the 1800s, but it seems like most aros out there today, like Captain Black or 1Q, were mid-twentieth century inventions. Does anyone know the history behind American and/or Danish aromatics?

bigpond · Feb 13, 2017

Aromatics are at the very root of pipe tobacco in the English tradition and possible beyond. Sam Gawith began as a snuff house. I'm pretty sure the American Cherry aro came up in the early 50's, which coincides with the advent of vick's cough syrup in '52. Coincidence?

pagan · Feb 14, 2017

which coincides with the advent of vick's cough syrup in '52. Coincidence?

.wow, now that makes me think :rofl:

cosmicfolklore · Feb 14, 2017

I have read so many books on tobacco that they all run together now, but in one of them they mention that the Native Americans had showed the Europeans how to add sugars to the tobacco to slow the burn. They also would add herbs and berries to their mixtures.

But, it was probably latter when Cavendish (late 1500's) perfected his technique that true aromatics as we know them began. At the time the flavorings included sugar, cherry, maple, honey, licorice, chocolate, coconut, rum, strawberry, vanilla, walnut and bourbon.

mawnansmiff · Feb 14, 2017

I would hazard a guess that flavoured tobaccos have been around since the introduction of tobacco into europe.
I base this purely on the fact that back then raw tobacco leaf wasn't so processed as it is today and likely tasted somewhat bland as it was. Perhaps pretty much all Virginian tobacco (which was the earliest imported) tasted the same so resellers, wanting to gain their own portion of the market started to add flavourings to the basic bland leaf.
I would wager all manner of herbs, spices and other adjuncts were trialled until the 'blender' found something that was actually marketable on a regular basis to repeat customers.
This is of course just my opinion and not based upon any particular facts so make of it what you will : puffy

:
Regards,
Jay.

cosmicfolklore · Feb 14, 2017

Virginias weren't developed as a strain until the time of the Civil War, mid 1800's and weren't really marketed until afterwards. We have almost 400 years of tobacco use before that.
But, I have run down a few factoids in literature, concerning how the tobacconists of Germanic countries were combined with confectioneries, and they used taxation of weight of raw tobacco and added lots of sweets to them to weigh them down to make a profit by circumnavigating the taxes.

Also, many Germanic countries had steep penalties for smoking. Some would punch a hole in the pipe smoker's nose with their pipes, some would just kill them, and almost anyone could beat a pipe smoker with a stick. So, adding stuff to the tobaccos... which raw tobacco at the time probably smelled like a nasty brushfire... so making the tobacco smell like a tasty treat might have been a way to win over the general public.

pitchfork · Feb 14, 2017

As far as aromatics in the modern sense are concerned, I believe that's correct -- that it was mid-century that Captain Black and other similar aromatics were introduced. There was a thread on this a couple of years ago, but I can't find it now.

mso489 · Feb 14, 2017

Some indigenous (American tribal nations) that smoked often did inventive mixtures with tobacco or other-than tobacco, which have to constitute aromatics, even though not in our usual Western sense of considering tobacco the base and adding other familiar flavorings. That use could have prompted thinking of European adventurers who encountered Indian tobacco and other herbs being smoked. Ceremonial pipes are still often used to smoke various herb blends, as does some recreational smoking in the nations. Several Forums members know a lot more about this than I do, but I thought I'd mention it.

cosmicfolklore · Feb 14, 2017

And, I think that mid 18th century Germanic confectioneries putting vanilla and chocolate and berry flavorings in the tobacco is about as close to a start on modern aromatics as you can get.

sittingbear · Feb 14, 2017

MSO489, I recently had the honor and privilege to attend a sweat on an Apache reservation in Arizona, and the group used a kind of tobacco that is native to the area and which the Apache have used in ceremonies since time immemorial. And it was delicious! Very little nicotine, but if the apocalypse comes, the plant grows wild like a weed and it will definitely suffice! I believe the different mixtures with herbs, etc, is called kinnikinnick, and you can find it online. I have yet to try it, though.
Cosmic, thanks for the info! Basically, it comes down to this: I am an incurable classicist. I like to smoke the old stuff! If I think something is an artificial innovation them I'm not that inclined to smoke it, no matter how delicious it is. It's an irritating fault of mine. So I'm glad to hear blenders have been adding flavors to baccy for a long time! I can enjoy my vanilla-maple-chocolate-honey blends that much more now!

mawnansmiff · Feb 14, 2017

"Virginias weren't developed as a strain until the time of the Civil War, mid 1800's and weren't really marketed until afterwards."
Michael, I wasn't necessarily referring to Virginia tobacco as a strain in itself, just that the bulk of tobacco imported into Europe from the early 1600's was grown in Virginia. Or so I just read in American Colonies: The Settling Of North America by Alan Taylor (a truly excellent book by the way). My point was that what was imported came from the plantations in Virginia and would have been very bland tasting, irrespective of which strain it was.
Regards,
Jay.

cosmicfolklore · Feb 14, 2017

Sittingbear, even if the glowing Goddess, Lady Nicotine herself appeared before me with an image of MacArthur and General Grant smoking a bowl of Middleton Cherry or 1Q, I would not want to smoke it, ha ha.
Hey Jay, I was just clarifying. I wasn't sure of you meant the place or the strain. But, really most of that region, including the Carolinas, were producing tobaccos, but, never-mind. That is derailing the string. : puffy

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sittingbear · Feb 14, 2017

Cosmic: I agree! Sure, a blend might be"old," but so is herpes! Better that it is good than old!

toobfreak · Feb 14, 2017

Aromatics were invented in 10,000 B.C. when a cave man was sittin' around kicking back with his stone pipe groovin' on the wife being gone for the evening puffing away without having to hear her say how his pipe was stinking up the cave again.
Well, then there comes along this pterodactyl flying by overhead and ya know how them birds all they eat are figs and berries and stuff, and he does poops it out and it goes right into the pipe!
Well, Thal Neanger is sittin' there an he doesn't notice, till all of a sudden he says: Crimminee! That's some good shit! And the whole place smelled like fruit, nuts and figs and that is how the aromatic was borne. Honest.

mawnansmiff · Feb 14, 2017

"And the whole place smelled like fruit, nuts and figs and that is how the aromatic was borne. Honest."
But did it burn down to a fine white ash?
Regards,
Jay.

huntertrw · Feb 14, 2017

Holiday was one of the first aromatic pipe-tobaccos to be marketed nationally in the United States, and was acquired by Larus & Brother Company (the maker of Edgeworth) in 1942. Packages featured the slogan, "AROMATIC IN THE PACK - AROMATIC IN THE PIPE."

krizzose · Feb 18, 2017

While this is slightly off the topic of flavored tobacco, I have a vague memory of reading somewhere that the term "aromatic" once referred what we today would call English or Balkan style blends, i.e. blends featuring oriental tobaccos, in particular Latakia. If so, that could make for some humorous rereadings of the many threads about the merits or lack thereof of aromatics

andrew · Feb 19, 2017

I have a vague memory of reading somewhere that the term "aromatic" once referred what we today would call English or Balkan style blends, i.e. blends featuring oriental tobaccos, in particular Latakia.

This is true.

toobfreak · Feb 19, 2017

Perhaps there is something on that (history of aromatics) in one of those Pipe Lovers magazines some downloaded recently?

kanse · Feb 19, 2017

One of the earlier points we can trace to is 1792 I imagine?

http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/1004/samuel-gawith-1792-flake

When were aromatics introduced?

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