An Anni Kake-Like Blend Without Reds?

[futureman]

I love the smell and flavor of Anni Kake. But I'm afraid the reds will always prevent me from smoking it. Is there an approximate blend that leaves out the reds?
This thread offered some good alternatives to Anni Kake, but I can't determine whether these are red-heavy:
Old thread
I welcome your suggestions!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

In scanning all of those suggestions in that thread, my response is NOPE. None of those posters made a suggestion that was close to Annie Kake, IMO. In fact, I think they were all drinking heavily and if I wasn't absolutely certain that I was wrong, I would think that none of them had ever smoked a pipe.

Sure, some tobaccos listed have the same cinnamony, spicy, sweet, but none of them has that along with the smell of fresh cake out of the oven. Honestly, I would suggest that you just find something that you like but that is completely different, like maybe just pick a few that were listed and learn to like them for their own reasons.

 

[cigrmaster]

Unfortunately there are very few vapers that do not have reds in them. In my years of searching for good vapers I have only found these to be void of the reds.
Escudo

Samuel Gawith St James Flake

Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls

Solani 633
I think Dunhill Elizabethan does not have reds as back when I smoked it in the early 2000's I don't remember it burning my tongue. I have no experience with the new version. I am not a fan of ribbon cuts so I won't be trying the new version.

 

[futureman]

I've yet to try DNRs or St. James Flake. It's on the list!
Strangely, The AK is smoking rather cool in my GBD quarter bent bulldog. Maybe this blend, smoked in the right pipe, could be tolerable given the various Vs and perique. :?:

 

[cortezattic]

C&D Night Train, which is a crumble cake also, btw. I don't have a finely tuned palate that can isolate particular ingredients, but I don't pick-up on the bready taste for which reds are renown.

Jiminks would be the go-to guy for parsing a blend with his taste buds. :wink:

 

[cortezattic]

I disagree with Cosmic. The suggestions previously offered are approximately like what the OP was requesting -- and the OP did ask for an approximation.
After all, how helpful is it to suggest to the OP that he should find something completely different and learn to live with it?!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Well, to me, that’s what everyone has suggested on that other thread. I’m just putting it into words. If you like the sweetness or the spice taste or whatever attratcts you to AK, then there are approximations suggested, but it’s a compromise. Sure, sure, some tobaccos have “some” of the qualities of AK, but nothing is going to be close enough to be a perfect fit. Jim’s suggestion of Virginia Spice is good, but it is a pure red Virginia, so... I’m just being honest to the original question. Anything you chose will be a compromise of something. That’s not a terrible thing to say.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It’s the red Virginia base that makes AK unique. I would have said the same thing to someone wanting Penzance without latakia. I guess I could have stated it more “hat in hand” but it wouldn’t have been as entertaining.

 

[deathmetal]

We ordered a blending Virginia that we expected to be all Red, but it turned out to be a mixture of everything from Lemon through Brown, and when we opened the bag, the aroma was amazing. We were able to order more of this tobacco, and then we combined it with St. James Perique (a good amount), heat-treated and pressed it.
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/2572/hearth-home-anniversary-kake

The task boils down to finding a Va/Per without red Virginia then. That will definitely be an "approximation," and by necessity will not have the aroma specific to AK.
My thought is always, "Blend your own." Get some of those varied Virginias, dump Perique on them, splash some rum on the mess and then run it over a few times with the biggest dually you can find, and you'll have your solution.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I am not sure that you can get the same bready flavors from a light to gold range of Virginias. I know that Harris claims to be allergic to red Virginias, but when you know what makes the red verses just the golden Virginias, it's hard to believe someone could be allergic to just 20-40 more degrees of heat in the flue cure. It's like being allergic to a steak well done, and have no problem at all with a steak that is cooked to medium. But, I can't argue with someone else's tongues. ::
It all comes from the exact same plant.

 

[futureman]

I can't argue with someone else's tongues.

8O

 

[cosmicfolklore]

well, I can't. It's your tongue, so I have no way of knowing what you're experiencing. I have to take it as fact.

 

[JimInks]

Cosmic: Virginia Spice is not a pure red Va. It is half bright and half red, plus a little cigar leaf, and perique. The red is off set a little by the other components. The truth is there isn't anything quite like Anni Kake.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Well, bright leaf is another term for flue-cured varieties, which red Virginias fit. All Virginias are a Bright Leaf variety that requires flue-curing. That's my over-simplification, but I think you meant a golden. The differences between reds and golds is the temperature that it's cured.
And, I agree... "The truth is there isn't anything quite like Anni Kake."

 

[cigrmaster]

When I smoke something with red virginia, I automatically get a burning sensation on my tongue. Not in my mouth but directly on my tongue. It honestly feels like acid on my tongue. I tried smoking through it on so many different blends. Stuff I love the flavor of like Haddo's Delight, Rattray's Hal O' The Wynd, McClelland - Blackwoods Flake and so many others it pretty much sucks. I would have at least another 30 blends in my cellar if I could smoke the reds. I wasted a ton of money trying all these blends and had no idea why they burned my tongue until I became a member here in 2012. Someone, I forget who also had this allergy and I had no idea it was red virginians that was doing it. When I found out it was huge for me because I could then go after blends that did not have any reds. Once I found this out I began to really cellar big time as I knew what blends to stay away from. At the time I found out, I only had the following flakes in my cellar.
I had F&T CVP and Vintage, Hamborger Veermaster,Astleys 109 and 44, Escudo, Dunhill Flake, Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky and Golden and that was about all back then. I smoked a bunch of Dunhill english blends and Penzance back when I first started. I lost my taste for English somewhere in the mid 2000's I think.

 

[deathmetal]

Not in my mouth but directly on my tongue. It honestly feels like acid on my tongue.

I get a similar effect from aromatics. Maybe we are all sensitive to some level of, or type of, sugar?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

No no no no, Harris, don't get me wrong. I am ecstatic that you don't cellar the reds, for whatever reason. That leaves something on the shelves for the rest of us, ha ha.

 

[nevadablue]

I have to ask, and this is an honest question...
If you love the 'smell and flavor' of it, why not smoke IT? Curiosity...

 

[cigrmaster]

Death, it may be you are having a reaction to the PG in the blend. I went through an issue with that stuff when I tried smoking blends like Berry Cobbler, Christmas Cookie, Pennsylvania Dutch Treat, and others. I cannot remember who the blender of these blends is, help an old man out here. I got some wicked dry mouth from these blends and nothing else in my cellar did that to me so I am guessing it was the PG in them.
Ken, who are you asking that question to?

 

[JimInks]

Boswells.