2014 Salty Dog's

[B.Fee]

Still on the fence about bloom. Is it Sugars from the tobacco? Or the sauce they spray on the leaf during preparation. The sides and end have some marbling not much on top or bottom and inside very light Speckling.
What ever it is it sure smells and smokes wonderful.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

Whatever it is, I assume it's an oxidation process so it would make sense that the outsides show more "blooming" than the insides.

 

[pinem]

Based on multiple articles and threads on this over the years, real bloom is likely byproducts of the bacteria that feed on compounds in the tobacco that make tobacco smoke harsh. It's not sugar, and it doesn't add flavor. It's just an indicator of how much bacterial processing has occurred. It is crystalline, and should sparkle in the right light under magnification.

That said, some toppings, if applied heavy enough, can also precipitate out of solution as the tobacco dries. This also leads to a crystalline deposit on the tobacco. This will show up on young tobacco, and doesn't require aging, just drying.