Do You Prefer Cyprian Latakia, or Syrian?

[madmurdoc]

In my limited experience, I've discovered that heavy Latakia blends are what I tend to gravitate to. Aside from googling the differences between Syrian and Cyprian Latakia, I'd like to know your opinions on the two. Which do you prefer and why? I think I've only had blends with Cyprian Latakia, so I'd like to get my hands on a good blend that has Syrian in it.
Feel free to discuss your opinions on the two, or Latakia in general, and recommend some good blends with Syrian Latakia in it for me if you like. :puffpipe:

 

[judcole]

They are very different critters; what they have in common is the smokey flavor. I don't prefer one over the other; it depends on the mood I am in.

Syrian latakia, of course, soon will be no more. They stopped producing it in 1998; they won't start again. (It has to do with the woods that are used to cure the tobacco; nothing to do with politics.) There were two supplies in the US; the warehouse storing McClelland's, and the warehouse storing that used by everyone else. The latter burned down in 2004 or 2005, IIRC. MacBaren has a supply, but it will run out in a few years.

MacBaren and McClellan are the two companies that offer several different Syrian lat blends; MacB uses Cyprian only in HH Lat Flake. Ashton offers one blend; there may be a couple of others I don't know about.

 

[stanlaurel]

MacBaren-Vintage Syrian and McClellands-Samovar are both great blends that contain Syrian. I love them both. I like Cyprian too but I like both.
I also have some Three Oaks Syrian in my cellar but I have not tried it yet.
These may be the only 3 Syrian blends left. Correct me if I am wrong. There are some blends out there that used to contain Syrian but do not any longer.

 

[prairiedruid]

I find Syrian latakia to be smoother, less sharp tasting than Cyprian latakia. I'm a big fan of 3 Oaks Syrian.

 

[madmurdoc]

I'll put some of those in my next order before they're all gone then. It's too bad they aren't getting it started back again. Thanks for the suggestions ::

 

[shutterbugg]

Idk, which kind is in Nightcap? That's the one I like best.

 

[madmurdoc]

Idk, which kind is in Nightcap? That's the one I like best.

I saw on another forum that it has Cyprian Latakia. Supposedly they used to use Syrian Latakia in Nightcap, but switched to Cyprian a number of years ago.

 

[stanlaurel]

I guess that I forgot to mention that Wilderness (a favorite of mine) has both Syrian and Cyprian.

 

[stanlaurel]

I'm wrong. There are a bunch more from McClelland.
here
and here
and Syrian Star too.

 

[clickklick]

There are also some claiming to use a "new" syrian, which as I've read is just simply a Burley dressed up to resemble the taste of Syrian. I've tried some of this from Solani, and have to say, they are world's apart.

 

[mso489]

I haven't acquired the taste to tell the difference between Syrian and Cyprian, and in light of the diminishing availability of Syrian, I don't think I want to cultivate a strong taste and longing for it. It happens I enjoy many blends and single leaf tobaccos without Latakia, so why stoke dissatisfaction?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Greg Pease has written eloquently on the subject.
Here's a link to it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I am going to guess that one of the reasons that no one is just stating, "the differences in the tastes of the two is..." is that latakia plays off the other leaf in the blend for it's flavors. So, both latakias can change tastes by just adding a pinch of a certain oriental leaf or a different Virginia.

But, what I notice is that the Syrian is a little more woodsy, whereas the Cyprian is a little more herbal, for lack of a better way to describe the overall differences. Syrian seems dense, thick, whereas Cyprian is elusive and ever-changing.
Does that make sense?

 

[jefff]

I agree with Cosmic. Because of the shortage of Syrian it has gotten a lot of attention. But I find Cyprian more t my liking.

 

[lestrout]

Yo Cos - funny how palates differ. I prefer Cyprian since I found the opposite, in that it's more forward to me. But you are so right that the interplay with Virginias and Orientals play a huge part in the flavor, trumping the effects. (See what I did there?)
As Pease points out, the Latakianess of a blend is not merely a function of its percentage. The interactions can cause the dark stuff to recede or project itself. The closest I've been able to suss out the difference with Syrian is doing A-B comparisons in sister pipes (pairs which are the same make, model, hopefully vintage - with the same bowl sizes and geometries) comparing Legends with Wilderness and the 2 Three Oaks.
hp

les

 

[username]

Cyprian seems Smokeyer to me were as Syrian is sweeter.

 

[mso489]

jpm', that's a stellar article on Latakia leaf by GLP, maybe one of the best essays on tobacco I've read.

 

[shikano53]

I prefer Elbonian Latakia; it's far superior.

 

[katarn07]

One of the Frog Mortons supposedly uses Syrian Latakia. Across the Pond I think. I haven't tried that one yet. I kind of want to get one of the linked tins just to have it while I can have it. Great marketing, tobacco companies, great marketing....

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Katarn, what do you mean by linked tins?