Why people hate aromatics

deathmetal · Oct 24, 2015

A theory:

Most of us who dislike aromatic tobacco blends should direct our ire at its actual target, which is flavorings. Flavorings themselves miss the point: the give you a tiny symbol of the experience, without all the supporting actors and background, which creates a disembodied, unfulfilling experience. It's like television commercials or Fleshlights, an obvious substitute for the real thing, and a reflection of our desire to control our world more than what it is. For that reason, just like most people like democracy, watery beer, fast food sugar-burgers and soft drinks, most people like aros.

This was the bulk of my review of what I consider a top-notch aro that I still couldn't smoke. It explains the psychology of disliking aros, at least as I can diagnose in my own mind.

Chasing Embers · Oct 24, 2015

I don't care for a lot of them because they burn too hot. The few that I enjoy, I do so just to satisfy a sweet tooth, and sometimes really enjoy the flavor. Aros really should be attempted only by experienced pipe smokers just for their hot burning tendencies, and it baffles me why beginners are suggested to start with them. Inexperience can cause a badly scorched tongue, and put someone off of pipesmoking altogether.

hooboy · Oct 24, 2015

I agree mostly, The few I enjoy are Bob's chocolate flake,and Prince Albert's a soft vanilla, I personally canot tolerate any o f the cherry blends its because what I tried the 1st pipe smoking effort I still remember the tonque bite. I don't remember the name but it should of been "ol'tongue roaster".

hoo-boy

prairiedruid · Oct 24, 2015

Thanks.....I'm wiping coffee off my screen from you comparing smoking aromatics to using a Fleshlight. :clap:

aldecaker · Oct 24, 2015

@chasingembers- when I suggested that same notion, I got a healthy dose of "YOU CAN BURN YOUR TONGUE WITH ANY TYPE OF TOBACCO!!!!!" Needless to say, I agree with you completely, and would steer a beginner toward dryer-burning tobaccos to start.

Chasing Embers · Oct 24, 2015

"YOU CAN BURN YOUR TONGUE WITH ANY TYPE OF TOBACCO!!!!!"

While that is true, non aros are easier to tame once you've got good smoking techniques, but man will an aro bite without experience!

cosmicfolklore · Oct 24, 2015

You're missing the point. It's not that non-aros don't burn your tongue as easily, but aromatics provide the base scar dermatological layer that hS protected our tongues from the non-aros. Everyone starts with aros, because it prepares the way. : puffy

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lordofthepiperings · Oct 24, 2015

Flavorings themselves miss the point: the give you a tiny symbol of the experience, without all the supporting actors and background, which creates a disembodied, unfulfilling experience.

I don't understand the whole supporting actors and background part.
The aromatics I enjoy allow the top dressing to play off of the leaf flavor. Neither one dominates. It's a wonderful flavor waltz that keeps the smoke interesting and enjoyable.
Yes there are some aromatics where all you taste is the top dressing, I know that, and those are aromatics that I typically don't care for (I'm looking at you Molto Dolce).
For me they don't really burn that much hotter. Some can burn a bit wetter, but I rarely get a goopy mess in my bowl when I'm finished. I think how hot the blend gets and how wet it smokes has more to do with packing and cadence than anything else.
I get the impression that strictly non-aromatic smokers seem to think they're sitting at the cool table and other people hop on that bandwagon so they can sit at the cool table too. Nobody at the cool table would ever dare think about putting an aromatic in their bowl.

cosmicfolklore · Oct 24, 2015

One of the first tobacco stores I went to (not The Briary) only had six jars of pipe tobacco. When I asked him the differences in the tobacco, he pointed to a few and said that they were easy to start with, because they don't bite your tongue. He was like 80 years old, dragging an IV across the store with him, bless his heart. Then he says, "but this one's cherry, It bites hard, so it's for the tough guys." Guess which one I bought. : puffy

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mikestanley · Oct 24, 2015

Seeing as the readers/contributors to forums like this are a small minority of pipe smokers, and most of the majority smoke aromatic blends, we have to consider we are the a different breed. I used to smoke aromatics when pipe smoking in public was acceptable. I smoked them because like most, I waned to be accepted. Good "smelling" tobacco equaled liked for me. Not all aromatics cause tongue bite. Captain Black white for instance. The problem with that blend, for me is that the flavor I get from it is flat. I have a couple of aromatic blends that don't fall short for when I smoke in public but if I smoked them constantly, they would be disappointing. SWR Aromatic is one. Back when I began smoking a pipe in 1988, I probably smoked 10 pipes a day. Now, it's usually three. My tongue doesn't suffer from bite too often. Maybe, it's simply a matter of the number of bowls and not so much the blend?
Mike S.

aldecaker · Oct 24, 2015

I don't actually know any pipe smokers who don't smoke any aromatics at all; I just know a few that don't consider them a favorite.

warren · Oct 24, 2015

For the same reason some do not like English or other types. They do not find the smoking of aros an enjoyable experience. As others have observed, judging from the amount of aros sold, more pipers prefer aros to other styles of blends. "Why do so many smokers enjoy aros?" That might be the better question as the answer seems to befuddle many of our members. Answers on this forum would be skewed of course, lotta of tobacco snobs hang around here. The day to day smoker, simply enjoying his pipe as a pipe is, I believe, in the minority on the forum. We have smokers who have a wide range of specialized interests. All of which makes for a lively, entertaining and informative gathering.

lochinvar · Oct 24, 2015

The problem I have with a great many aromatics is they utilize sub par leaf. I assume they think "If we're just going to flavor it, why spring for the good stuff." So once the flavoring wears out on my palette, usually after about 5 min, the taste I get is floor scrap tobacco.
Not all are so comprised. Rattray, the Gawiths, and a few others use top quality leaf across the board, and their aromatics I occasionally enjoy, especially Rattray's Bagpiper's Dream and Grousemoor.

elbert · Oct 24, 2015

I'm sorry to have to say it, but your review bears the unmistakable tinge of the usual aesthetic and moral opprobrium of the 'snob'.
Instead of telling us why we like aromatics, why don't you ask us? Because I assure you, in nine cases out of ten, fleshlights and beer don't enter in to it!
Now I'm off to write a lengthy monograph on the habits and mores of those who listen to metal instead of real music!

warren · Oct 24, 2015

Another good point made: people do not like having their taste in tobacco impugned.
Choice of blends should not be questioned as it is a purely personal choice. It's akin to the sports car owner being unable to understand why someone would prefer a pickup truck. It is beyond the ken of the "tobacco snob" to understand the why. No answer will suffice to the OP's question as they are sure they enjoy smoking nirvana and cannot comprehend why others would not want to experience the same. It's a bit perverse but, the snob simply wants everyone to enjoy as he does. And, they know that they are right and everyone that doesn't see it their way is simply wrong headed and to be pitied.

Chasing Embers · Oct 24, 2015

Everyone starts with aros, because it prepares the way.

Not me. Tried them later on.

elbert · Oct 24, 2015

Ha! I'm not actually offended, of course.
For me it's terribly simple; is room note a factor? Try an aromatic. Is it not? Smoke whatever you like.

aggravatedfarmer · Oct 24, 2015

I started with Arro's. Still have some laying around. Usually I have them at the farm. Trying to be rid of them. But they do bite me.

pylorns · Oct 24, 2015

I love aros, will always smoke them. I also smoke everything else.

hawke · Oct 24, 2015

My input would be ...For me I like the "natural" idea. Cured with nature one might say. I enjoy a flake or plug most. The moisture level in aros is a bit of a turnoff to me. I like to be able to dry my smoke out if desired. Ive never been to keen on fake stuff as when I used to have fish and coral aquariums I never put fake ornaments in. I had live real corals. I think its a personality thing in my case. When searching for new tobaccos to try I skip over aro's right off the bat, then I cull out the low nicotine level tobaccos. I cant say I don't like aros per say as I enjoy Lane 1Q from time to time. I was drawn to try it just because of its popularity.

Why people hate aromatics

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