Flavor you own?

[jonesing]

I've been experimenting with infusing flavors into some natural tobaccos.
By natural I mean entirely untopped. Typically VA or Burley, or both with some oriental. No special sauce added.
I find that if I dry these down to crisp, and then rehydrate with something, the essence of the liquid is absorbed by the tobacco. Nothing earth shattering there. Many people use a similar approach with something like whiskey to impart a flavor.
And by this I don't mean dumping booze on your tobacco. I'm talking about putting the liquid in a humidifier of some sort. I use floral foam filled containers or even shot glasses. So instead of water you add whiskey or whatever and as the tobacco absorbs the humidity it takes on the smell and/or flavor.
But I started wondering what else would work and it occurred to me that extracts used in cooking might be good. After all vanilla extract is really 50 proof vanilla flavored liquor.
So I've been playing around with it and find it actually works and makes for some very subtle enhancements in some cases. Not dominating. You don't end up with a blend that smells like vanilla ice cream. It really is much more of an essence than a "odor".
So far I've only used vanilla and anise extracts
The vanilla does some cool things to a straight flue cured VA. Gives it a round feel and a soft sweetening. So far I've only tried it in a cigarette.
Anise work nicely with burely. But it's not as notable when smoked.
Still experimenting.
Anyway....anybody else over mess around with this or other approaches to imparting a particular character to tobacco.
Or am I the only weirdo?

 

[dunendain]

I have yet to try my rehydrating technique with whiskey. Soon though.

 

[sapo59]

Interesting, Sounds worthy to attempt.

 

[dillydallydan]

I'm wondering why you couldn't dump booze on your tobacco... (seriously). I do know that as far as booze goes, the flavor is all in the non-volatile components - so although some of the lightest flavor molecules would certainly make it to the tobacco by exposure to the evaporating alcohol, I wonder how much additional flavor would get into the tobacco by direct contact with the liquid.
Anybody know?

 

[cortezattic]

Two Friend's Tobacco makes a blend called Valle Crucis that is said to be topped with Oriental ginger liqueur. I think that whatever the topping flavor, it has to be sweet to be noticed. How about spraying the leaf with an pump atomizer?
Hmmm, "he" wouldn't spray hodgepodge mutt mix with eau de llama (IYKWIM), would he?

 

[jonesing]

Yeah no doubt applying the liquid directly to the tobacco works. I'm jsut sort of interested in the "infusion" approach.
But hell for all I know the end result is the same. Still transferring liquid to the tobacco. Just seems like indirect contact is somehow....I dunno...less "goopy".
RJ

 

[dillydallydan]

You have got me interested in this now. You know my wife and I bought her grandma's farmhouse about 20 years ago. When we moved in we discovered that the "family' had gutted the place and took everything of value, leaving only a 50 lb bag of DDT in the garage, AND two bottles of whiskey - which were behind some junk on a shelf in the basement. The prices were still on the bottles. For a fifth of whiskey, the price was $3.89. I figure the booze was purchased in the 70's.
Anyway, I'm pretty picky about my whiskey and I couldn't ever drink this stuff. I'm thinking it would be perfect to use for testing how to get the flavor into some tobacco. So I'm going to try hosing down some tobacco using a fine spray applicator and 40 something year old bourbon. I will make a full report if it works out.

 

[jonesing]

Don't catch your mustache on fire!

 

[cortezattic]

Only if I was sending you a sample...

LMAO.

...and I thought we were buddies.

 

[pbgoldwing55]

well why would you want to ruin a good tobacco already mixed to get the flavor , these guys and mix tobacco's have been doing it for years that is why they are tobacconist

but suite yourself if you put alcohol in it us a mist sprayer and churn it as you mist it then leave enclosed in a ziplock bag for one week , then let it air out over night . i have done this in the past its ok but i think it ruins the tobacco already proofed . i have tried mixing tobacco's also and to know avail i have come up with some pretty nasty smoke's and threw out the tobacco wasteing my money. so do as you wish i suppose experiment . waste perfectly good tobacco already you bought it so go crazy . lmao

 

[jonesing]

Pbgoldwing
This is not a discussion about necessarily improving. To me custom blending and other similar things are about learning more about tobacco and personal taste.
Do I think I can do better than Greg Pease or Russ Oulette?
Nope.
Can I have fun and learn a few things that might help me appreciate their craft even more?
I think so.
RJ

 

[dillydallydan]

I'm with you RJ. I sprayed some PA with bourbon. It's thinking about what to do next. I'm gonna smoke it when my eBay pipe arrives (if it ever actually does). How bad can it be? It smells grand!

 

[cortezattic]

Amending a blend that you're familiar with can be very instructive, as jonesing suggests. Especially if it's done in a systematic manner.

Spraying it with llama piss may be recreational, and a valid part of our hobby, but it's hardly edifying.

 

[jonesing]

I find Llama piss best works with Turkish. That is assuming camel urine is not readily available.

 

[dunendain]

I may try spraying mine with Adrenachrome.

 

[phage74]

I've experimented with "flavoring" my perique with aromatic tobaccos.

 

[raycornett]

I guess it is time to revive this thread. Over the last week or so I have been looking for information on infusing my own tobaccos but really didn't find anything definite. So, I just decided to wing it.
I had about 4-5 ounces of an unknown very mild Virginia. I am a big Macallan Single Malt Scotch lover. I have some 12 year on hand. I drizzle just enough over the tobacco in a Tupperware container that when properly mixed it was all just a bit TOO moist to smoke. It only took about 2 ounces so it wasn't at all goopy as one reply to this thread had concerns of.
This was about 36 hours ago and it is now just above smokable moisture. I am going to let it sit uncovered to dry just a little more before giving it a try later this afternoon. It smells absolutely amazing tot his Scotch lover!

 

[jkrug]

Very curious to hear how this works out for you. Do you think spraying/misting the tobacco with the liquour would yield a more evenly moistened tobacco? ::

 

[settersbrace]

My understanding of infused tobacco is to allow the naturally absorbent leaf to indirectly accept whatever you are trying to infuse. I don't know how alcohol would work since I'd suspect much would be lost to evaporation but flavoring or aroma is easily transferred just by proximity. It's the whole concept behind Acid Cigars.

 

[mso489]

I have this notion that burning flavorings tends to give a blend a harshness and some bite in many cases, which is why I tend to like non-aromatics, along with their interesting and various tobacco flavors. I am surprised when I try various "full-strength" non-aromatics that they are gentler in terms of harshness and bite than even some mild aros. Having control over the addition of the flavorings may enable you to have the flavor without the bite. I will be interested if you post further info on your efforts.