Aromatics & Blends With Toppings

[badbriar]

So, the question here is if all Aromatics and topped/flavored tobaccos fall into the Aromatic camp. Personally, I'd love to be able to smoke Aros, but wind up with a terribly scorched tongue every time. As a result, I've avoided anything with any kind of topping like the (current) plague! Do flavored blends offered by the higher quality tobacco houses have the same kind of tongue-killing toppings, or are there flavored blends that are somewhat 'safe'?

 

[Chasing Embers]

So, the question here is if all Aromatics and topped/flavored tobaccos fall into the Aromatic camp. Personally, I'd love to be able to smoke Aros, but wind up with a terribly scorched tongue every time. As a result, I've avoided anything with any kind of topping like the (current) plague! Do flavored blends offered by the higher quality tobacco houses have the same kind of tongue-killing toppings, or are there flavored blends that are somewhat 'safe'?

If one is biting you, sounds like you are either not giving it enough time to air, packing it too tight, or smoking it too fast. Do Virginias give you tongue bite? Aromatics take a long while to master and are best smoked while producing as little smoke as possible.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Gawith aromatics & Lakelands tend to bite me less than aros from other blending houses. I don't know if it's the tobacco, the toppings used or a combination of the two.
Whatever it is Gawith aromatics tend to smoke cooler and aggravate my tongue less.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

There are some quality aromatics out there, but my favorite topped blends are the ones where the tobacco is center-stage rather than the topping. A good example would be Erinmore Flake. It has great tasting tobacco, and an interesting topping that adds complexity to the blend.

 

[Casual]

I find it hard to put molto dolce and, say Mac Baren Mixture in the same category. At the same time, I’m not sure that you’re going to find a classification that helps you to understand what will bite and what won’t.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Personally, I'd love to be able to smoke Aros, but wind up with a terribly scorched tongue every time.

Try putting them in a cob.

 

[trouttimes]

Slow down, don't torch them when lighting. Learn to sip, not puff and the bite should go away. I find I can't smoke aros too slow.

 

[olkofri]

Try a filtered pipe. Balsa is great for cutting down moisture.

 

[cigrmaster]

If you want a quality blend that has some nice Plumb notes grab a tin of Peterson University Flake.

 

[badbriar]

If one is biting you, sounds like you are either not giving it enough time to air, packing it too tight, or smoking it too fast. Do Virginias give you tongue bite? Aromatics take a long while to master and are best smoked while producing as little smoke as possible.

Good suggestions - Virginias are no issue at all with my style of smoking. I prefer them slow, with just enough drawing to keep them going. Tried Molto Doce and one or two other popular Aros and lived to regret it!
No other types of pipetted seems to Gove that result. A chemistry thing - ???
I will try the University Flake, Thanks.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Good suggestions - Virginias are no issue at all with my style of smoking. I prefer them slow, with just enough drawing to keep them going. Tried Molto Doce and one or two other popular Aros and lived to regret it!
No other types of pipetted seems to Gove that result. A chemistry thing - ???
I will try the University Flake, Thanks.

Try some of C&D's aromatics as well. Very dry by comparison.

 

[olkofri]

A chemistry thing - ???

It could be: burley is a major component of aromatics.

 

[Old School 3319]

I personally tried the aros when I was trying to make the people around me enjoy the experience as much as me. What I found was that when I stopped making it about the people around me and just enjoy what I was smoking things got a lot easier and more enjoyable to be. Smoke what makes you happy and not what you want others to think

 

[jdb67]

Ditto on University Flake. It is the only thing approaching an aro that I can smoke for the same reasons you describe. Try Carter Hall too and I even mix in UF with CH and find that to be quite nice as they complement each other for some reason.

 

[gamzultovah]

I believe the answer you’re looking for is here: High sugar content of Va. causes toungue bite myth - https://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/high-sugar-content-of-va-causes-toungue-bite-myth.5995/

I can’t smoke Burley tobacco because of it’s high pH and suffer every time I do. Almost all Aro’s are made with Burley because Burley picks up flavor better than any other leaf. I suffered for years thinking it was my fault: “I didn’t dry the tobacco enough“, “My cadence was too fast”, “My packing technique needed improving” ... BULLSHIRT!!! It was none of the above, it was simply the Burley tobacco used in the blend. The only way I found out for certain that I had an aversion to Burley is when I ordered a tin of Solani Aged Burley Flake (no flavorings, just pure Burley tobacco) and thought I was going to die after I finished my first bowl. No Oprah Winfrey “AH HA!” moment was needed after that experience.

Try smoking a straight Burley and see what happens. If you get tongue bite after smoking it, I think you found your culprit. I hope this helps.

 

[olkofri]

I was gonna say, but was refraining, but I'll say: VAs don't seem to bite me either, in spite of their hotter burning due to more sugars, whereas burleys bite me like mutant snapping turtles. Hence my previous comment about chemistry afinities.

 

[gamzultovah]

I was gonna say, but was refraining, but I'll say: VAs don't seem to bite me either, in spite of their hotter burning due to more sugars, whereas burleys bite me like mutant snapping turtles. Hence my previous comment about chemistry afinities.

“Mutant snapping turtles”...I think you made the point better than me with that one analogy. ?

 

[olkofri]

LOL.

So far, the only straight(er) burley that hasn't bitten me is Lane's LBWB smoked in a filtered pipe with a balsa filter. Smoked in a filterless pipe... bitey!

 

[gamzultovah]

LOL.

So far, the only straight(er) burley that hasn't bitten me is Lane's LBWB smoked in a filtered pipe with a balsa filter. Smoked in a filterless pipe... bitey!

I smoked some KBV Sakura today and while I thought the blend was excellent (as all KBV blends are), I am suffering right now; but oh what sweet suffering it is....?

Perhaps I should break down and buy a filtered pipe just for smoking Burley?

 

[olkofri]

Perhaps I should break down and buy a filtered pipe just for smoking Burley?

I don't see why you shouldn't. Get a Savinelli: AFAIK they come with the adapter in case you don't wanna bother with the balsa insert or are smoking something that doesn't need it.