Burley, Latakia, Cavendish, etc.

[butsiethesungo]

Fellow pipe smokers,
My friend and I began pipe smoking about a year ago and we were curious whether anyone could recommend a straight burley, Latakia, perique, virginia to sample for us to be able to tell the difference between these ingredients. Does anyone NOT recommend doing this? We would just like to be able to tell the difference between a burley and virginia, etc.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cortezattic]

Easiest and most straightforward way is to buy 1oz. samples of blending tobaccos.
After tasting them, you can mix the unused portions to create your own blends.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Cortez beat me to the punch. But exactly that. Look up Blending Tobaccos at Pipesandcigars.com or Smokingpipes.com and get a little bit of each one you're wanting to try.

Does anyone NOT recommend doing this?

Doubtful anyone would recommend against it. Doing so, and getting to know the differences in flavor profile and how it burns, etc., will help you notice the differences in a blend.

 

[butsiethesungo]

Cortez and Anthony,
Thank you for answering my question so quickly. I never thought of looking at blending tobacco. Unfortunately, most of the blending tobaccos are on back order (go figure)
Would anyone suggest loooking into a name brand blend like peter stokkebye?

Peter Stokkebye 312

 

[deathmetal]

Easiest and most straightforward way is to buy 1oz. samples of blending tobaccos.

This is the advice I needed as a new pipe smoker:
1. Buy small amounts

2. Smoke as slowly as possible

3. Keep a diary

4. Kill the Other
Excellent advice!

 

[mawnansmiff]

You're in for a shock if you smoke straight Perique...it smells and tastes bloody awful.
That said, it is a wonderful condimental tobacco if blended well with other components.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[butsiethesungo]

Thank you for all the feedback. I will definitely look into getting 1oz of each.
Jay,
Thank you for the warning. I will be very careful with it.

 

[oldmojo]

You're in for a shock if you smoke straight Perique...it smells and tastes bloody awful.

The same could be said of several others... Latakia and Dark-fired Kentucky come to mind.

 

[Skapie]

I once took a whiff of pure Latakia from the jar at the tobacconist. I vowed to never touch the stuff after that.

 

[oldmojo]

I once took a whiff of pure Latakia from the jar at the tobacconist. I vowed to never touch the stuff after that.

Skillfully blended, it is delicious stuff. Sadly, the Syrian variety is likely to soon be a thing of the past.

 

[mso489]

Perique, and to a lesser degree Latakia, are condimental tobaccos, so I'd smoke them sparingly in a small bowl pipe or in a pipe packed only 1/3 full, and go slow. Some like Latakia neat, but try it first and see. Other condiment tobacco is just fine on its own. I enjoy Turkish, Cavendish, and various cigar leaf tobacco, and others. Many like single leaf Virginia or burley. But do the sampling in small quantities, the better to observe the taste. Perique, Cavendish, and Latakia are as much about the process that creates them as the strain of leaf used, I believe. Some of my most enjoyable smokes I have concocted by adding a little cigar leaf, Turkish, or other blending tobacco to something I already have, mixed a pipe bowl or two at a time in a pottery bowl about the size of a cereal bowl. Have fun.

 

[butsiethesungo]

Thank you for all the feedback. I ordered a 1oz sample of several things, including perique. I will remember to go slow and easy with the perique so it doesnt knock my socks off.
Mso489, I agree that the preparation of the leaf (as well as the leaf itself) will effect the taste. I was surprised to learn that burley may taste different depending on the process used.