After trying numerous aromatic tobaccos I have been continually disappointed in the taste of some supposedly well-liked aromatics. The continual disappointment has led to my full commitment to English and VaPer blends.
Recently, I was at a family gathering and one of my uncle's friends was a pipe smoker. I started talking to him and he was very excited to meet a fellow piper and told me about a box of interesting tobaccos he had found in his recently deceased father-in-law's attic. Most of the blends were not available in the United States and all had been aged by at least 2 years.
As a completely stereotypical pipe smoker he then offered me a blend from his newly acquired stash. A good portion of the tobaccos in the box were pouches of Amphora Full Bodied Aromatic so that's what he decided to share. I had never heard of Amphora so when I got home I jumped on the computer and did some research. It is apparently a tobacco of Dutch origin that is no longer available in the US. At first I was wary because it was not only an aromatic, but an aromatic in a pouch. I was instantly hit with flashbacks of terrible cherry otc burning my tongue and haunting my tastebuds for days.
Preparing for the worst, I loaded a bowl into one of my larger cobs and headed to my smoking spot. The tin (pouch?) not was typically sweet for an otc and I was not about to be fooled. As soon as the flame of my lighter touched the tobacco I was ready to throw the pipe as far away from me as possible but, low and behold, it wasn't that bad! The char light held up for the entire bowl and it was an overall pleasurable smoke! The tobacco was fruity with just a hint of something a bit heavier adding some body to the smoke. As I got deeper into the bowl the fruitiness started to die down and I ended the smoke on a deep chocolatey note. Overall, the smoke was quite good and was the first aromatic that I have enjoyed! Now English blends are by far still my favourite, but it's nice to know that I can mix up my smoke every now and then.
So, has anyone else ever been surprised by a great tobacco hiding in pouch?
Recently, I was at a family gathering and one of my uncle's friends was a pipe smoker. I started talking to him and he was very excited to meet a fellow piper and told me about a box of interesting tobaccos he had found in his recently deceased father-in-law's attic. Most of the blends were not available in the United States and all had been aged by at least 2 years.
As a completely stereotypical pipe smoker he then offered me a blend from his newly acquired stash. A good portion of the tobaccos in the box were pouches of Amphora Full Bodied Aromatic so that's what he decided to share. I had never heard of Amphora so when I got home I jumped on the computer and did some research. It is apparently a tobacco of Dutch origin that is no longer available in the US. At first I was wary because it was not only an aromatic, but an aromatic in a pouch. I was instantly hit with flashbacks of terrible cherry otc burning my tongue and haunting my tastebuds for days.
Preparing for the worst, I loaded a bowl into one of my larger cobs and headed to my smoking spot. The tin (pouch?) not was typically sweet for an otc and I was not about to be fooled. As soon as the flame of my lighter touched the tobacco I was ready to throw the pipe as far away from me as possible but, low and behold, it wasn't that bad! The char light held up for the entire bowl and it was an overall pleasurable smoke! The tobacco was fruity with just a hint of something a bit heavier adding some body to the smoke. As I got deeper into the bowl the fruitiness started to die down and I ended the smoke on a deep chocolatey note. Overall, the smoke was quite good and was the first aromatic that I have enjoyed! Now English blends are by far still my favourite, but it's nice to know that I can mix up my smoke every now and then.
So, has anyone else ever been surprised by a great tobacco hiding in pouch?