Are Aromatics Just Not Very Good?

[frozenchurchwarden]

I bought a bunch of 10g samples when I was starting & I took notes to try to figure out what was going on. The first ten notes (at least) are complete nonsense - I'd have to go back & try them again, because I was still figuring out how to smoke.

Smoking a lot of different stuff was great for me though, because it turns out that what I like (mainly medium to heavy VaBurs with some punchy VaPers & latakia light English/Balakan/Orientals varying things up) isn't at all what I thought I would.

It might be worth giving a Lakeland (or Lakeland flavoured) blend a shot like pappymac suggests. For me the translation of smell to taste is much more direct than most aromatics - though it does tend to be a bit of a love/hate thing!

Beware, Aromatic "Samples" are rarely as good as the Tinned version. It might start all the same at the factory but by the time a bulk sample gets to you it will have lost much of the topping.
This especially applies to the Lakeland blends, very different out of the tin vs. bulk (in that case I'm sure a lot of people would prefer the Bulk sample, I will only buy tinned Ennerdale).
If I were going to run a tobacco shop one of the first policies I would institute is sealing all of the bulk Aromatic tobacco in cellophane immediately upon arrival.


For another "You Can't Miss It" recommendation I am also a big fan of Sutliff Frosty Mint.
Mint flavored tobacco might be a cliche to some people but if you're totally new to this world it's a neat experience.

 

[anotherbob]

I agree I have multiple cherry blends and they just aren’t my thing right now. It is really what inspired this thread.

oh by the way one of my favorites is an aromatic. It's Founding Fathers by C&D. It's pretty amazing really. And pretty agreeable and easy to smoke. And for me it's what a good aromatic should be. The added flavor and the tobacco aren't really competing in it. They're kind of both sharing the "stage" pretty equally. It should certainly be smoked before writing off aros.

 

[jei64822]

There's a big difference between aromatics like captain black grape and a lakeland. I enjoy the latter.

 

[jei64822]

Beware, Aromatic "Samples" are rarely as good as the Tinned version. It might start all the same at the factory but by the time a bulk sample gets to you it will have lost much of the topping.
This especially applies to the Lakeland blends, very different out of the tin vs. bulk (in that case I'm sure a lot of people would prefer the Bulk sample, I will only buy tinned Ennerdale).
If I were going to run a tobacco shop one of the first policies I would institute is sealing all of the bulk Aromatic tobacco in cellophane immediately upon arrival.


For another "You Can't Miss It" recommendation I am also a big fan of Sutliff Frosty Mint.
Mint flavored tobacco might be a cliche to some people but if you're totally new to this world it's a neat experience.

Agreed, I always regretted getting ennerdale in the bulk boxes trying to save a few bucks.

 

[Pipewizard420]

I find myself smoking some sort of Aro about 90% of the time. Either a Codger Burley/VA blend such as PA or Granger. These are mild on the Aro scale but could still qualify.

Some are more flavorful than others. Solani Tropical Mango Flake, Rattrays Exotic Passion, and Dan Buddies are ones that come to mind for a blast of flavor without being goopy. Experiment and see what ones you like best, perhaps aros are not your baccy of choice so it's good to sample many blends and types of tobaccos

 

[RainKing]

Subtle taste is about the best you’re gonna get, especially in the beginning. You will grow and change as a smoker, so will your palette. It’s a good thing. I personally would recommend bulk blends in the beginning. Try a whole bunch of stuff, small samples as you narrow down your likes and dislikes. It’ll save you a ton of money in the process of “figuring stuff out”. Try some blends that people call “favor bombs”, still my seems subtle to you know, but you’ll get it eventually. Don’t give up. I think something like Sutliff Vanilla Custard my be right up your alley. Keep puffin’.

 

[drrock]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Good evening. Pipe newb here. I’ve now had pipes for a few weeks. I currently own 9-10 varieties of tobacco, half of which are aromatics. Thus far out of smokers pride vanilla, lane very cherry, captain black cherry, Kendall black cherry, and molto dolce I have only really enjoyed the molto dolce. All of the cherry blends seem to be very mild with only the slightest hint of cherry. I am not sure of my relatively new pipes are a large factor, or maybe I just have a weak pallet? The few English blends I have tried seemed to be much more flavorful, and the cigar I smoked last night was absolutely amazing to me.

what is your opinions on aromatics, or perhaps what’s the reality of them?

I've enjoyed aromatic pipe tobaccos ever since my grandfather gave me my first pipe when I was in college in the late 1960's.

Like @turbomunkey , I've tried many cherry blends but haven't found one I like.

It's been my impression that many pipe smokers find English blends more flavorful than aromatics because English blends contain Latakia.

It's also been my impression that folks who transition to pipe smoking from cigars tend to enjoy English blends because Latakia adds a strong flavor to pipe tobacco blends analogous to the strong flavors in cigars. For me (and possibly many others) Latakia in a blend in more than a condimental amount overwhelms a blend and overwhelms the subtlety of other flavors, including the flavor of basic burleys and Virginias.

Also like @turbomunkey I enjoy Molto Dolce. The flavoring in Molto Dolce is that of caramel, honey/sweet, and vanilla.

With that flavor profile in mind, here are a number of blends I've enjoyed which seem to fit the profile and that I would highly recommend:

4Noggins Three Blind Mice
Boswell's Cupcake, No Bite DeLite, & Piper's Pleasure
Milan Tobacconists Reflections
L.J. Peretti Blend No. 432
Lane LL-7 & RLP-6
Pipesandcigars.com Trout Stream
Sutliff Coconut Almond
Uhle's Par Shooter
Wilke No. 191
The Country Squire Old Toby & Tres Leches

I'd also suggest some of my personal favorites - Maple aromatic pipe tobaccos:

4Noggins' Essence of Vermont & Thomas Blend
Pipesandcigars.com Vermont Meat Candy & Scott's Salmon River
Rich's Cigar Store Maple Steamer
Sutliff Maple Street & Maple Walnut

A huge part of the enjoyment of pipe smoking comes from exploring the myriad of blends available. For me the enjoyment of any type of blend comes from its "smokability" - how easy it is to put it in your pipe and just smoke it - plus the flavor and the room note.

The reality of aromatics is the false expectation that the flavors will taste like the candy flavors of the casings/toppings. Hey, it's not candy, it's just pipe tobacco!

Clichéd advice from old codgers like me:
Don't overthink it. Smoke what you like & like what you smoke.