Aro blend that actually tastes great

[wolflarsen]

That's a valid point well taken.

So if topped with alcohol it's not an aro but if topped with another variety of flavoring then it is? Darn definitions...

 

[scloyd]

Sutliff's Molto Dolce and Rattray's Exotic Passion are my go to aromatics. Once I tried them I was hooked.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Darn definitions...

No kidding. They make my head hurt.

 

[alexnc]

I've spent quite a bit of effort on that journey and pretty much gave up on it
I've had great experiences with more lightly flavored VA &/or Burley blends that are not officially called aromatic. Stuff like Haddo's Delight, Warhorse Ready Rubbed, HU Nashville County, Fribourg & Treyer cut VA plug, C&D Redburn, Stokkebeye luxury twist, etc
I kind of keep my Lakelands on a different page but they're probably even closer to aros - 1792 flake, Coniston cut plug, brown flake vanilla, G&H Kendall dark vanilla, an occasional Grasmere Flake
On a Navy kick lately - so that's a more lightly flavored direction - stuff like MacBaren's Navy Flake, C&D Speakeasy, Stokkebeye Luxury Navy Flake
I found that I never go back to the official aros, they just sit in their jars - have a year old jar of Rattray Exotic Orange that will probably see it's 10th Bday

 

[alexnc]

OK - never say die, going to try the Mac Baren vanilla flake. I have so many jars it's ridiculous. - if Cosmic says its OK then it probably is!

 

[blackadderlxx]

I've spent quite a bit of effort on that journey and pretty much gave up on it
I've had great experiences with more lightly flavored VA &/or Burley blends that are not officially called aromatic

This may be where I end up. It seems like many Aros are just Cavendish and Burley. That's probably what my problem is with them.

 

[Chasing Embers]

May be packing them too tight. Light is the way to go with an aro.

 

[josephcross]

Gl Pease Vanilla Cream, or Rattrays Exotic Passion. Though I also like some 1792 and Ennerdale every once in a while.

 

[lasttango]

I really like the taste of Peretti's Boston's Best Cavendish a lot. https://www.ljperetti.com/l-j-peretti-tobacco-cat/cavendish.html
I love the taste of Royal Yacht, Hyde Park and Two Friends English Chocolate.

 

[mso489]

Though they're inexpensive and therefore not always regarded with respect, I think Sutliff makes some worthy tobacco-forward aro blends like The Great Outdoors and their seasonal blends, Taste of Summer, Autumn, etc.

 

[64alex]

[Can anyone recommend an aro blend that actually tastes like something? Maybe even taste like what it smells like? Maybe even be a good tobacco?]
I would say there are 2 styles of aros, the American and the English (Lakelands) ones. In the american style the blender try to simply put on tobacco some kind of "food flavor" such as cherry, orange, vanilla or whatever else. They do this using generally cheap low quality Burley (if you notice these blends are cheaper than Va, VaPer or English blends) which is used just to be soaked with the flavoring substance. They smell good but they all taste like hot air because the underlying tobacco is generally crappy low quality and the concentration of the flavoring is enough to be smelled but not enough to be tasted.

On the other side the English Lakelands aros use a very high quality tobacco, including Virginia Burley and Dark fired, where the flavoring is intended to complement the tobacco but not to bring up a specific food flavour. Sometimes they are described soapy because the smell could remind in some cases perfumes. They are a love or hate them and you will find very different reactions to them in the forum, but if you are looking for an aro with a good tobacco you should at least try them. The typical Lakelands are made by the SG/GH, I would recommend starting with GH Bob's Chocolate which is actually a crossover to aromatics and if you like it trying GH Ennerdale or SG Groosemoore. If you want a blend strong in nic dept SG 1792 could be your ticket. Another one to try is Erinmore now made by STG which even if in the new formulation is not as strong both in tobacco and in flavoring as the original Murray formulation it is still a nice aro.

 

[charf]

Blackadder, I have found the same thing. The Aro's just seem a poor cousin to the english, virginis and VaPers. Even a burley flake seems better. Aro's just seem flat. I think it's just my palate because I also like strong drink flavours like single malt whiskeys, tequila etc.
The strongest aro I have is Cult Blood Red Moon. Smells great in the tin and makes plenty of smoke. I can taste the flavour but it still seems light weight. Perhaps it is the vitamin N content as well.
I won't give up on them though because sometimes it is nice just to smoke something different. Also I read recently in another thread or it may have been on the Pipes Magazine Radio Show (currently up to episode 44), that some pipe smokers will take aro's with them if they are smoking in public or are around non-smokers because the smell is more appealing to them. I can see some merit in that.

 

[Chasing Embers]

The Aro's just seem a poor cousin to the english, virginis and VaPers.

And yet they outsell them by miles. Aros are best appreciated after smoking a pipe for a number of years. They now taste to me exactly as they smell in the bag or tin. I mostly dropped English blends years ago as most blends containing Latakia were tasting exactly the same and flat. Great for beginning palates training to taste smoke but it lost something along the way. Now thirty years later I'm more Virginia/Oriental and aromatic focused.

 

[alexnc]

I think I agree with 64alex - the Lakelands seem really high quality
you should probably try some of the HU blends like Hadde's Best Irish as an alternative too - though difficult to source in the states

 

[bassbug]

With tongue firmly in cheek, being somewhat sarcastic, a brief review...

The Aro's just seem a poor cousin to the english, virginis and VaPers.

They all taste exactly how they smell to me.

They smell good but they all taste like hot air

They do this using generally cheap low quality Burley

And yet they outsell them by miles

Aro's just seem flat.

I mostly dropped English blends years ago

most blends containing Latakia were tasting exactly the same and flat

Is it actually possible that personal taste and preference have something to do with this? :nana:

 

[pappymac]

There are a lot of great aros out there [/quote]in my opinion

.
That's the key. IN MY OPINION.
Your opinion may be different because you have a different nose and tastebuds than I do. As my son, the executive chef, says people don't realize how much the aroma plays into how good food taste.

 

[perdurabo]

Wee, made it through that “3rd hand smoke” topic without battle scars...anyway, on to the important topics. Pipes and Tobaccos.
Rattray’s Bagpiper’s Dream

C&D Golden Days of Yore

Sutlif’s Ready Rub Match

C&D StringDuster

 

[dochudson]

Autumn Evening

 

[blackadderlxx]

On the other side the English Lakelands aros use a very high quality tobacco, including Virginia Burley and Dark fired, where the flavoring is intended to complement the tobacco but not to bring up a specific food flavour. Sometimes they are described soapy because the smell could remind in some cases perfumes. They are a love or hate them and you will find very different reactions to them in the forum, but if you are looking for an aro with a good tobacco you should at least try them. The typical Lakelands are made by the SG/GH, I would recommend starting with GH Bob's Chocolate which is actually a crossover to aromatics and if you like it trying GH Ennerdale or SG Groosemoore. If you want a blend strong in nic dept SG 1792 could be your ticket. Another one to try is Erinmore now made by STG which even if in the new formulation is not as strong both in tobacco and in flavoring as the original Murray formulation it is still a nice aro.

Thanks. I guess eventually I'll try Lakeland - Bob's Chocolate is a blend I hear about all the time. I guess I'll try that next time GH comes around.

 

[blackadderlxx]

Blackadder, I have found the same thing. The Aro's just seem a poor cousin to the english, virginis and VaPers. Even a burley flake seems better. Aro's just seem flat. I think it's just my palate because I also like strong drink flavours like single malt whiskeys, tequila etc.

-SNIP-

I won't give up on them though because sometimes it is nice just to smoke something different. Also I read recently in another thread or it may have been on the Pipes Magazine Radio Show (currently up to episode 44), that some pipe smokers will take aro's with them if they are smoking in public or are around non-smokers because the smell is more appealing to them. I can see some merit in that.

I'm realizing that it's probably the cavendish only aros that I'm not liking. I mean, they're not "bad" but I find that there's little to commend them. I don't really smoke out in public, but I do enjoy trying new blends since there's a whole wide world of blends out there to try. I think I just need to try the blends that begin with decent tobacco. One of the suggestions was GLP Haddos and I realized I have a tin of it I haven't popped yet. Guess I'll be doing that once the rain stops.