Casing and Top Flavour. What's the Difference?

[Seeker81]

"HH Latakia Flake has very little casing and no top flavour at all. The only taste you will experience is the natural taste from the tobaccos used."

Hello all. I was recently reading on tobaccoreviews.com when I read the above sentence. "Little casing and no top flavour at all", all of a sudden my head felt light, then my mind started spinning around and around and the next thing I knew I had fallen out of my chair! After I eventually picked myself up from the crumpled heap, that I was in, on the floor, I came straight here (virtually) with one question on my mind:

Aren't casing and topping the same thing?
And if not, what's the difference? (OK two questions.)

Thanks.

 

[danimalia]

 

[alaskanpiper]

Haha thought of the exact same video.

 

[danimalia]

Casing is often done to the leaf pre-blending as well where as topping is done to impart a specific flavor to finish a blend

 

[danimalia]

Haha thought of the exact same video.

I love the C&D educational videos.

On a personal note, whether a blend is cased and/or topped isn't that important to me. I rarely smoke aromatics, but some people are super anti-flavoring (or just think they are), and I really only care if a blend works for my personal tastes or not. Many full-on aromatics don't work for me, but I enjoy many blends where a bit of something extra is a part of the blend.

 

[Seeker81]

Thanks for the fast replies. This just goes to show that maybe I am starting to hold this forum in higher regard than the Google search engine... but that's a good thing though yeah? haha thanks.

 

[gervais]

Good video, thanks for posting

 

[logs]

I found the examples of uncased tobaccos to be pretty interesting. I assumed nearly all tobacco was cased to one extent or another (in part based on comments GL Pease makes on his web site). I guess I was wrong.

 

[Casual]

I found the examples of uncased tobaccos to be pretty interesting. I assumed nearly all tobacco was cased to one extent or another (in part based on comments GL Pease makes on his web site). I guess I was wrong.

Well, Reeves only addressed casing flavours, not humectants or antifungals. It’s possible that his examples were not cased with flavours, but still had some additives, and he left that part for a different video.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

I found the examples of uncased tobaccos to be pretty interesting. I assumed nearly all tobacco was cased to one extent or another (in part based on comments GL Pease makes on his web site). I guess I was wrong.

Tobacco is rarely uncased. If nothing else, it is cased for ph and/or sugar content levels. Further casing to “steer” the flavor can be done, or not, at any point in a rather long supply chain.

 

[sablebrush52]

Tobacco is rarely uncased. If nothing else, it is cased for ph and/or sugar content levels.

+1
There is almost a little something added to help bring out the tobacco's flavor, even with "natural" tobaccos.

 

[briarbuck]

I ASSume that casing is for standardization across batches and blends. What are the base attributes that are treated with casing?
Sugar levels?
PH?
Glycol?

 

[mso489]

I'm sure I've read this in the past, but I appreciate the reminder. Casing and topping. I guess both could impart flavor, but the distinction is worth noting. Also sable's reminder that most (all?) brands have casing.

 

[danimalia]

I found the examples of uncased tobaccos to be pretty interesting. I assumed nearly all tobacco was cased to one extent or another (in part based on comments GL Pease makes on his web site). I guess I was wrong.

Could it be that a lot of tobacco is cased before it even gets to the blender and Reeves is just talking about from when he gets his hands on it? Because I was under the same impression.

 

[sablebrush52]

Could it be that a lot of tobacco is cased before it even gets to the blender and Reeves is just talking about from when he gets his hands on it? Because I was under the same impression.

I can only go by what I've been told by people in he industry, bu the short answer is yes, tobacco gets treated before it gets to the blender, as well as what the blender adds to bring the leaf into the flavor profile of his product.
As I recall from Pease's statements in his FAQ, without some additives, such as sugar, tobacco develops little to no flavor.

 

[BROBS]

right most at the very least have some sugar water, diluted molasses etc.

 

[anotherbob]

the way I think about is that it's like cocktails. Tobacco forward blends are kind of like a Martini or Manhattan there is a little something added but it's basically just improving or polishing the taste of the liquor. Aromatics are like rum and coke to something like a gin and tonic. They can still be very tobacco forward but they're clearly watered down with something all the way through to wow this tastes grand but I get so little tobacco taste it might as well have been shredded cardboard. That's how I see the difference.

 

[yaddy306]

I can only go by what I've been told by people in he industry, bu the short answer is yes, tobacco gets treated before it gets to the blender, as well as what the blender adds to bring the leaf into the flavor profile of his product.
As I recall from Pease's statements in his FAQ, without some additives, such as sugar, tobacco develops little to no flavor.

I have the same recollection.
This is why I don't understand threads where people ask for the "sweetest natural blend", as if there are two kinds of tobacco: "natural" tobaccos, with varying levels of inherent sweetness, and then those that have sugar added (unnaturally).

 

[anotherbob]

great video but I have to wonder if C&D have a anti clean shaven or non bushy beard policy.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

great video but I have to wonder if C&D have a anti clean shaven or non bushy beard policy.