If You Smoke Aromatics Is It The Tobacco You're Enjoying ?

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--dante--

Lifer
Jun 11, 2020
1,099
7,751
Pittsburgh, PA USA
It bothers me not what someone else puts in their pipes. What happens in your pipe is your business, but…. one of the mist ironic sites I’ve ever seen was this huge guy, arms the size of whole hams, towering 6’ 10”, smelling like gasoline and napalm, clad in leather that looked burned to his flesh, hair and beard that looked like his head had caught on fire and someone put it out with a hammer, and a big patch over one eye… come into the smoking lounge and light up some dainty Blackberry blend that made the room smell like a scratch and sniff Smurf cootchy. Needless to say, no one gave him any grief. puffy
I think I know that guy!
 

Grangerous

Lifer
Dec 8, 2020
3,485
14,406
East Coast USA
My blend of choice is a mild one. I don’t know why it’s considered “manly” to smoke burley, especially of the low nic American Classic genre. But the flavor, for me, is outstanding. Lightly cased. A perceptible sweetness that doesn’t burn off by mid bowl. Like a reliable old friend.

Another member may not “get it” or might taste nothing at all. But that’s not the case for me.

As for aromatics, All I taste is the artificial. Instantly off-putting. Too heavily done. Not for me.

Smoke what you like.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,685
31,282
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I've been asking myself this question, and have decided to lay off Aromatics for a few months or maybe for good.

Enjoyment is what pipe smoking is all about and, hey, I'm not here here to stop anyone from enjoying what they like. I just thought well, I like a good plain tobacco, what's all this aromatic business in aid of ? Yes I know all tobacco has some form of casing added to it.
I may be quite new to the forum but I've been piping for 14 years, so I'm not asking for suggestions such as - You may think you don't like Aromatics, but have you tried this one?
Just would like to know your opinion that's all. Myself I was enjoying Aromatics but now I want to focus on good old baccy.
As far as taste I am all over the place. I like every style there is. That said aromatics are the least represented in my stable. The ones I like are very tobacco forward. Goldrush by Ashton is a good example. Gold Rush has a distinct topping honey and lemon but it is like adding a squeeze of lemon and a spoon of honey to a tea. It modifies but the taste is still the base product. Stronger aros are enjoyable but it's rare I'll buy the second tin. Yes I'll smoke the first tin but I don't tend to feel a need to get it again. Though the ones I like I like as much as an English blend or straight Va or other tobacco centric offerings. Erinmore flake is another one. It's got a unique topping but I can taste what kind of leaf is in it.
I feel like the best thing about pipes is how much variety there is. How many choices we have in the flavor department. I also feel that if aros where not a thing there would be less pipe smokers and the cost of pipes and accessories would become much higher.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,685
31,282
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
It's great to see that aro bashing, like Sutliff bashing, both popular amongst the truly ignorant, is waning. As has been pointed out, aros make up about 90% of sales. Some of the most sought after tobaccos, like much of the Esoterica line up, are aros, to my thinking, with their pronounced apricot and other toppings.

And what, exactly, is an aromatic tobacco? Almost every blend in release is flavored in some way or another and not all of them are in the chocolate cherry bend over category. I just received a few tins of Meistermischung #88, which had been described to me as an excellent Virginia blend. With its Geranium and possibly coumarin topping it's clearly an aro. Fortunately I like Geranium, but that was a surprise.

Why isn't Capstan Blue classified as an aro? It has a distinctive topping that is not sublimated by the tobaccos. Neither is St Bruno, for that matter.

And historically, all English and Oriental blends were classified as aromatics, because the leaves were aromatic. What could possibly be more aromatic than Latakia? Latakia will ghost a pipe like nothing else.

As for your thinking about focusing more on non aromatic tobaccos, why not? Most of us go through changes in what we feel like smoking. I've smoked plenty of every genre and after a certain length of time I get the urge for a change. Pretty much every tobacco I've smoked has flavorings, just in amounts that are very subtle, like a little seasoning.
and why wouldn't they be the most popular. I forgot to add that one of my favorite things about aros is you're more likely to be given permission to smoke them in a room then any other tobacco, because they smell so nice.
 
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What are people talking about when they say non aromatics? Escudo? Virginia No 1? Can you all give examples? This Latakia and Lakeland floral smoker is too ignorant to know what you guys are talking about!
In the tobacco industry, tobaccos that have had a topping sprayed on after processing are technically “aromatics”.
If a flavor is added early in the processing, it is a casing. Technically if it is a flavored twist, or plug, or if the tobacco is merely flavored in the cavendish provess it os a non-aromatic. Usually casings and such merely enhancements to tobacco flavors, provide consistency crop to crop, or it provides a branded flavor but doesn’t cover up the tobacco flavors.

Toppings, as sprayed on aromatics are to provide an additional flavor other than to enhance tobaccos flavors.

It is tricky, because some aromatics may be very lightly applied, and indistinguishable from the tobaccos, and some non topped tobaccos like PS LTF have a strong smell before smoking them of coconut, but because it was applied in the cavendish process it is not a topping, nor an aromatic.
 
Just pressing, fermenting tobacvos as in perique, smoke curing, or using straight orientals like Japan8 adds a licorice taste, but are considered natural flavors. Because it is a process or strain that gives it the flavor and not from another plant altogether or an added manmade flavor.

There are natural strains of brightleaf that have a natural cherry, lemon, and grapefruity taste.
So, it gets tricky.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,211
60,627
Personally, I like the tobacco flavors more than the flavoring, but favor aromatic flavorings that seem to bring up the various tobacco flavors in a blend, what I've heard called (and oft repeated) tobacco-forward aromatics. I have had heavily flavored aromatics where the flavoring plays the starring role, and I've enjoyed a few, but not as something to smoke regularly. The right flavorings judiciously applied can heighten one or more of the tobacco flavors in a blend, like a properly paired wine with a specific dish. My wife has a genius for pairing wines; she really showed off in France where she could pair something perfectly with each of several different courses. Then she's modest about it, which makes it more magic. She's a food pro on several levels -- cooking, baking, restaurant reviewing, food writing. She's pretty sharp about picking out pipe tobacco blends as gifts for me on the side.
 
I’ve just always thought it was hilarious. Grown assed men, whenever they hear someone say that aromatics are “beneath” them, get their Straberry Shortcake panties in a wad, scrunch up their faces, and throw a hissy fit. Ha ha. I love it.
In all honesty, I respect aromatic smokers, especially the ones who have a sense of humor, and can take a joke.
Where I live, one half of the people like Auburn and the other half likes winning, and we joke amongst ourselves. Ford men like their trucks, and Chevy men drive them. We crack on each others religions in jest, and we crack on each other like real men do, backslapping camaraderie. Being the toxic males like god made us. But make fun of someones creme brûlée raspberry tart tobacco…. and they stomp off butthurt and sad.
If you need someone’s approval for your apple butter blend, then are you really THAT fond of it, or are yoi smoking for everyone’s approval. Just enjoy what you like. Crack a joke on the non-aro smokers. Have some self-confidence. Enjoy what you like, despite what everyone else thinks.
Just look at chasingembers. He loves all the crap that everyone else hates, and hates anything good. Let him be your example. He don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks, and that gives me respect for his odd sense of taste. puffy
 

Servant King

Lifer
Nov 27, 2020
4,749
27,614
39
Frazier Park, CA
www.thechembow.com
I enjoy just about all blend varieties, and all leaf varieties except DFK. Like @olkofri I have a sweet tooth, and when it comes calling, I've no choice but to imbibe. That being said, there are some aros that are just too over the top, even for me (like P&C's Out of Office line). I tend toward the more mild ones--MacBaren, for example, makes a handful of 'em that are precisely to my liking. Just the right blend of leaf taste and casing taste.

For everyone saying things like "smoke what you like" or "variety is the spice of life" and statements along those lines...I emphatically concur. Hey, I like a plain VA flake too sometimes. Or, when it's colder, a plain burley blend, or perhaps something more like Balkan Sasieni. Whatever I feel like, whenever I feel like it--it's one of the main reasons to have a cellar, right?
 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,553
5,031
Slidell, LA
I’m pretty sure that in this day and age that it is NOT OK to talk negatively about aromatics. I don’t mean FDA nor deeming regs, but cancel culture. Aromatic smokers are people too. We shouldn’t shame nor devalue them for their life choices.
I admit it… I have smoked aromatics…. Back when I was aromatic-curious. But, for so long it has been a closet thing for so many pipesmokers. Come out of the closet and admit that sometimes it’s nice to smoke an aromatic while riding a moped, letting the wind blow against your vaginas! puffy
Bite me. (The aromatics I smoke don't)

I smoke both and I'm proud of it. There are some non-aromatics I hate and some aromatics that I feel are a waste of good money. It's my perrogative to smoke what I like when I like, and no, not every aromatic tobacco smoker rides a moped or has a vagina - unless they are from Alabama.

(the above was written with only deep, abiding respect for Cosmic even if he is from Alabama.)
 

vecchio

Lurker
Jan 31, 2021
30
110
Tampa, FL
I smoke mainly aromatics. I've a sweet tooth and I enjoy the casings and toppings. Furthermore, they're better than those pine trees for aromatising my car: my car might look like crap but it smells wonderful.

When I want to enjoy the "real" taste of tobacco I smoke cigars.
That about sums it up for me as well.