Does latakia need age to be usefull

[theTomTom]

As I was smoking a bowl of davidoff English, the constellation I smoked other day did not have the throat burn or need to hack up hairball as I smoked it.

I realized the blends I've smoked have been harsh on throat and mouth have all been young, package dates of a year or less to the day I broke the factory seal.

Is it smarter to spend much more on aged leaf or on the flakes that had stoving done?

 

[AirOne]

Non rule, except trying and choose what's fit your own taste. In your case, it seems that a few more months (years?) would help.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

There are so many other possible factors that could contribute to your experiences that it makes it hard to give you a straight answer to your question.

Generally speaking, the more processed the tobacco the less it'll change with age. With more complex English blends, the 'balance' of the flavor profile can change quite a bit.

Also nicotine levels tend to drop with age as well, another factor that could be influencing your experience.

 

[prairiedruid]

I have found that the taste of latakia softens with age. It loses some of it's punch. I like that but that's just a personal opinion.

 

[Sea Lord]

I have found that the taste of latakia softens with age. It loses some of it's punch. I like that but that's just a personal opinion.

This. Virginias, most of the time, benefit most from aging.

 

[jpberg]

No

 

[Sig]

I dont know the answer, but.....
Im currently smoking a bowl of MacBaren H&H Balkan from 2018.
It has that harsh throat feel...in a good way. Its hasn't seemed to have lost much of its punch.
But, I've been smoking through a jar of C&D SOTE(the best Latakia blend ever), from 2024. Its smooth as glass and no harshness.
I also have SOTE from many years. The last jar was from 2016. It was even smoother, and less harsh than the 2024.
And, the SOTE has about 2x the Latakia content as the MacBaren.
I know this doesn't help in any way, but might show there may be other things at play than just age.....source of the Latakia, other blend components, time of the day....something you ate.....

 

[VDL_Piper]

Some useful insight from someone who knows…..

https://pipesmagazine.com/blog/fireside/latakia-doesnt-age-well/

 

[Brendan]

Is it smarter to spend much more on aged leaf or on the flakes that had stoving done?

Over time you may find you prefer some blends fresh, or straight from the tin. "Aged" isn't always desirable depending on blend type and personal preference.
Of course if you wanted to splurge on an something that is a decade or 3 old, just to find out for yourself there is nothing wrong with that - it's your money.

 

[Peter Turbo]

I prefer it “fresh” as it were. A few latakia blends I enjoy right out of the tin arent quite the same if I jar them up and smoke later.

The only Lat blend I enjoy “aged” so far has been Tashkent.

 

[warren]

Is it smarter to spend much more on aged leaf or on the flakes that had stoving done?

Depends on your physiology and palate. I find the latakia blends I like are fine right out of the tin. It all depends on what you are seeking. Experiment and pay little to anecdotal observations posted here.

 

[ThermionicScott]

OP could have benefitted from some aging, to be useful...

 

[mortonbriar]

Smarter is buying now for the future, and getting the age for free rather than paying for aged tobacco.

Latakia backs off in intensity over time. I am happy smoking it fresh if it is in small percentages, like Edward G Robinson (1%) but for all blends where it is a heavy component I find the 10-12 year mark is PERFECT to give me that smoky peaty flavour profile without dominating all the other flavours.

Isaac.

 

[HeadMisfit]

Has anyone else found out that latakia is really nice when its in a sweetened blend?

 

[khiddy]

Has anyone else found out that latakia is really nice when its in a sweetened blend?

This is why “crossover” blends like Frog Morton and Sutliff 504C Aromatic English were popular with their fans. Boswell’s Northwoods and Countryside, WCC Nor’Easter, TCS Shepherd’s Pie, Milan Triple Crown, all great examples of currently available crossovers.

 

[HeadMisfit]

This is why “crossover” blends like Frog Morton and Sutliff 504C Aromatic English were popular with their fans. Boswell’s Northwoods and Countryside, WCC Nor’Easter, TCS Shepherd’s Pie, Milan Triple Crown, all great examples of currently available crossovers.

I ordered a bunch of stokkebye tobacco cube cut and natural cavendish last year by accident. stupid decimal point thing got me around 20 ounces.

Nasty stuff in flavoring, all chocolate cup cake frosting, or artificial vanilla. Or both at same time. I had seen good reviews about a sutliff bulk english, stupid me believing reviews. Couldnt smoke without mixing the stuff together.

 

[Sigmund]

The blend you smoked could have just been mixed with some things that didnt agree with you. The other components could have been harsh. The lat is only one component and its typically not rough. There are just too many variables to blame it on the latakia alone.

 

[Auxsender]

As I was smoking a bowl of davidoff English, the constellation I smoked other day did not have the throat burn or need to hack up hairball as I smoked it.

I realized the blends I've smoked have been harsh on throat and mouth have all been young, package dates of a year or less to the day I broke the factory seal.

Is it smarter to spend much more on aged leaf or on the flakes that had stoving done?

I can’t fathom smoking something that I didn’t like the taste of let alone one that made me “hack up a hairball”.

There is WAY too much amazing pipe tobacco out there to mess around with something you don’t like.
Chalk it up to experience, give it away, and move on to better smokes.

As far as buying aged blends, only you know if that’s a worthwhile goal or not.

 

[hobie1dog]

the time that passes away makes me realize that my sense of taste changes. So most of the time, i'm not able to tell.