Is it aromatic?

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And 35 posts into it there is no definitive answers
Oh, and there are definitive answers. Check out the post early on from smokingpipes. Of course we have some that love to argue so much that they will ignore the definitive word from the industry to try to make their own claims.
But, we have to love our members here that enrich our lives.
 

Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,637
2,722
42
United States Of America
@K.E. Powell I wouldn’t use the word ‘Artificial’ in describing Aros, unless it was a Synthetic Artificial man made ingredient.

The Aros I smoke, and have smoked, all had Natural Ingredients added.

I mentioned before, look at it this way. Compare all the natural flavor profiles found in various leaf; VA, Burley, Latakia, Orientals, etc.., and a topping/flavor that is added, that is not found naturally in these leafs profile, tends to be an Aromatic.

But, the problem, with some blends, with toppings that are very lightly applied, might not come across to some as an Aro, or be labeled an Aro, and what you typically see with some pipe smokers, is the thought that Aro always imply something richer/heavier in that flavoringl

I recently bought John Aylesbury Sir John’s Flake Virginia. This is listed everywhere as a Straight VA, but it’s not, it has a fruit/floral added flavor, and no one knows what it is, but this is not naturally found in a VA, at least not to my knowledge. This could honestly be classified as an Aro, because it has an ‘Added Flavor’.


So, said a simpler way, any Added Flavors, should be considered an Aro. :)

It was mentioned a while back, about how many of Germain’s blends, especially in regards to their Esoterica lineup has a lot of Aros in it, listed as Straight.

This makes me think, had all these Unicorns out there, were actually listed correctly as Aros, their sales and popularity would be nothing. But it does seem quite odd, how there are so many so called Upper Class blends, floating under the radar as straight when they are not.
I might buy that, I been looking for a floral tobacco, thats a note I like a lot. Thanks.
 
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chopper

Lifer
Aug 24, 2019
1,480
3,324
I might buy that, I been looking for a floral tobacco, thats a note I like a lot. Thanks.
Whenever I read 'floral' in a description, I would think yuck, equating it to grannies soaps and perfumes.
Recently I tried Sutliff Balkan Sobranie Match for the first time.
As soon as I lit up a bowl I instantly realised what floral actually meant when pertaining to certain Oriental leaf. It's actually not bad, not bad at all. puffy
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,238
30,884
Hawaii
@Jesster109 there is a definitive answer.

In the Aro article I posted Jeremy Reeves states these things, here’s a break down on that.

Top Notes Make an Aromatic


Toppings added = Aromatic
No Toppings added = Non Aromatic
Casings don’t make an Aromatic
Toppings make an Aromatic

Bottom line: No tobacco is an Aro, unless it has added Toppings!


Casing is something that is done to delicately adjust and perfect mouthfeel, and it's done in a subtle way so that the end result is still a very natural-tasting tobacco. Its purpose is to be hidden.

A top note is intended to be experienced, whereas casing is really intended not to be experienced. It's designed to fully incorporate into the natural flavor of the tobacco and not draw attention to itself, but a top note is like the cherry on top. It is definitely designed to be noticed. - Jeremy Reeves

As Cosmic pointed out, no need to go back and forth over an Industry Standard, because Aromatics have always been defined.

Read the article people... ;)

 
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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,238
30,884
Hawaii
If I had to take my best guess here, as to why the confusion in the industry now, it’s because of many different subtle Aromatics we see these days.

Before, Aromatics were always stereotypically thought of as always overly goopy/sweet blends.

But today, with the mindset of blenders, to go beyond the Norm, we see many cases, of very subtly done Aromatics, that make people second guess what they are smoking.

This I truly believe is the problem and confusion among smokers today, trying to distinguish what they are smoking, is it truly natural or does it have an added topping... That is the question... ;)

It seems, there are those not understanding the process between Casings & Toppings...
 
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Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,637
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@Jesster109 there is a definitive answer.

In the Aro article I posted Jeremy Reeves states these things, here’s a break down on that.

Top Notes Make an Aromatic


Toppings added = Aromatic
No Toppings added = Non Aromatic
Casings don’t make an Aromatic
Toppings make an Aromatic

Bottom line: No tobacco is an Aro, unless it has added Toppings!


Casing is something that is done to delicately adjust and perfect mouthfeel, and it's done in a subtle way so that the end result is still a very natural-tasting tobacco. Its purpose is to be hidden.

A top note is intended to be experienced, whereas casing is really intended not to be experienced. It's designed to fully incorporate into the natural flavor of the tobacco and not draw attention to itself, but a top note is like the cherry on top. It is definitely designed to be noticed. - Jeremy Reeves

As Cosmic pointed out, no need to go back and forth over an Industry Standard, because Aromatics have always been defined.

Read the article people... ;)

I did read the article and I still think it's a bit marketing even though it's not suppose to be they do what they want.
 
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avail

Can't Leave
Oct 13, 2015
418
3,418
Michigan
@Jesster109 there is a definitive answer.

In the Aro article I posted Jeremy Reeves states these things, here’s a break down on that.

Top Notes Make an Aromatic


Toppings added = Aromatic
No Toppings added = Non Aromatic
Casings don’t make an Aromatic
Toppings make an Aromatic

Bottom line: No tobacco is an Aro, unless it has added Toppings!


Casing is something that is done to delicately adjust and perfect mouthfeel, and it's done in a subtle way so that the end result is still a very natural-tasting tobacco. Its purpose is to be hidden.

A top note is intended to be experienced, whereas casing is really intended not to be experienced. It's designed to fully incorporate into the natural flavor of the tobacco and not draw attention to itself, but a top note is like the cherry on top. It is definitely designed to be noticed. - Jeremy Reeves

As Cosmic pointed out, no need to go back and forth over an Industry Standard, because Aromatics have always been defined.

Read the article people... ;)

This explained a lot, so I'll not be reading the article. ;)

(I don't think.)
 
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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,238
30,884
Hawaii
I did read the article and I still think it's a bit marketing even though it's not suppose to be they do what they want.

What part(s) do you think is Marketing? So we can clear the confusion.

I started smoking in the early 1980s, what is being said in the article, to define Casings and Toppings hasn’t changed since then.

I don’t know when the names Casing & Topping began, at least considered, or talked about, that when blenders were making tobacco, thinking about all of this, that they said, OH let’s call this process a Casing and that one a Topping.

But looking back on companies like Gawith, who’ve been around since the 1800s, Aros seemed to have been around since the start of the pipe world.

@avail it’s still a great read, you should when you have a few minutes.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,211
60,638
Not to go all anthropological here, but some of the indigenous people who invented smoking, tobacco and other leaves and barks, also developed kinnikinnik, a smoking mixture of leaves and barks that is still around and that represents very early examples of blending.
 

avail

Can't Leave
Oct 13, 2015
418
3,418
Michigan
Not to go all anthropological here, but some of the indigenous people who invented smoking, tobacco and other leaves and barks, also developed kinnikinnik, a smoking mixture of leaves and barks that is still around and that represents very early examples of blending.
That would be the native Americans, and there is at least one reenactor supply house that sells it, have not tried it, and I kind of doubt the authenticity.
 

Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
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I just think tobacco companies have gotten a way from the true meaning of what aros are and aren't. It's such a loose term now they can get away with saying what ever they wanna say. Maybe they don't take advantage of that. But I have suspicions some do. I could be wrong. I've seen it done in cigars. I know this isn't cigars but its still big tobacco companies. Don Jesus is labed natural, and I assure you it isn't.
What part(s) do you think is Marketing? So we can clear the confusion.

I started smoking in the early 1980s, what is being said in the article, to define Casings and Toppings hasn’t changed since then.

I don’t know when the names Casing & Topping began, at least considered, or talked about, that when blenders were making tobacco, thinking about all of this, that they said, OH let’s call this process a Casing and that one a Topping.

But looking back on companies like Gawith, who’ve been around since the 1800s, Aros seemed to have been around since the start of the pipe world.

@avail it’s still a great read, you should when you have a few minutes.
 

Papamique

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 11, 2020
793
3,972
How can we know that an ingredient was added as a topping or casing besides taking the printed word on the tin as truth?
Some toppings are so light they could be confused as casings and some casings come through strongly that they can be confused as toppings?

What about older tobaccos that didn’t state what or when it was added? Like Prince Albert. The chocolate smell and flavor, to me at least, are so strong I wonder if it’s a topping yet it’s not a sticky stinky glob so that suggests a casing.

Clear as mud and certainly still subjective or am I off base here?
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,238
30,884
Hawaii
I just think tobacco companies have gotten a way from the true meaning of what aros are and aren't. It's such a loose term now they can get away with saying what ever they wanna say. Maybe they don't take advantage of that. But I have suspicions some do. I could be wrong. I've seen it done in cigars. I know this isn't cigars but its still big tobacco companies. Don Jesus is labed natural, and I assure you it isn't.

Look at all these major brands on SPC;


The question would be, how many smokers out there believe what you said in regards to these companies?

What you are believing doesn’t even make up 5% of the market, as a true meaning, or a loose term, because it’s not.

The majority of companies, the major sellers, do know what Aros are, and it’s not loosely defined.

There is nothing complicated about any of this.

Toppings = Aros - that’s all there is to it... ;)
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,238
30,884
Hawaii
How can we know that an ingredient was added as a topping or casing besides taking the printed word on the tin as truth?
Some toppings are so light they could be confused as casings and some casings come through strongly that they can be confused as toppings?

What about older tobaccos that didn’t state what or when it was added? Like Prince Albert. The chocolate smell and flavor, to me at least, are so strong I wonder if it’s a topping yet it’s not a sticky stinky glob so that suggests a casing.

Clear as mud and certainly still subjective or am I off base here?

You didn’t read the article, or you over looked it.

Casing is something that is done to delicately adjust and perfect mouthfeel, and it's done in a subtle way so that the end result is still a very natural-tasting tobacco. Its purpose is to be hidden.

A top note is intended to be experienced, whereas casing is really intended not to be experienced.

Toppings are flavors, that you will taste, that don’t always occur naturally in tobacco, of course some people confuse the profile of a leaf like VA, and might say, this tastes like so and so, when it’s just their perception.

There is no confusion about the differences in a Casing and Topping.

Said another way, the job of casings is to make the feel of tobacco more pleasant in the mouth.

Here are some examples, casings are added to smooth a blend, take away rough edges, or make it feel more stout, or sweeter, etc, or change the PH balance to lessen tongue bite.

Casings is a Preparation to make the tobacco smokeable.

Casings = Mouth Feeling
Toppings = Taste

So, we are not talking about the taste someone perceived, but what the true profile is, and anything that is not of that profile and is added as a topping, then makes it an Aromatic.

If blenders aren’t telling us what they are doing, then it makes it confusing as smokers to differentiate between a straight blend and a topped blend, and only experience will help then.

Have I made it clearer to understand now?

Just remember with time and experience, there will be no confusion, once your mouth understands the various leaf flavor profiles, of what is natural vs added in flavoring.
 

Coreios

Lifer
Sep 23, 2022
1,637
2,722
42
United States Of America
Look at all these major brands on SPC;


The question would be, how many smokers out there believe what you said in regards to these companies?

What you are believing doesn’t even make up 5% of the market, as a true meaning, or a loose term, because it’s not.

The majority of companies, the major sellers, do know what Aros are, and it’s not loosely defined.

There is nothing complicated about any of this.

Toppings = Aros - that’s all there is to it... ;)
Yeah but if there is a topping or not is by the word of the company. They haven't earned the up most respect during the years. Me personally, at least now, I ignore if it's aro or not and just try it. If I like it fine if not fine.
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,238
30,884
Hawaii
Yeah but if there is a topping or not is by the word of the company. They haven't earned the up most respect during the years. Me personally, at least now, I ignore if it's aro or not and just try it. If I like it fine if not fine.

Can you please explain this another way?

I’m not sure I get your meaning... hmm 🤔
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,238
30,884
Hawaii
They've lied in the past and lost lawsuits.

Who is they?

Don’t worry about whether or not a company tells us, with smoking experience you will know an Aro from a Non Aro.

Maybe ignorance or pride, is standing in the way here, there could be some truth here.

Like;

Old Habits die hard
You can’t teach and old dog new tricks
When your old, you’re settled in your ways.

So...

What we might have here is a combination of these things, and because of it, some people still think an Aromatic is an overly wet god awful sweet blend like candy.

So when companies, that might be of the mindset, in the examples I pointed out make a lightly subtle Aro, they don’t label it as such, because of their ignorance, because the problem still persists that many people think Aros are goopy wet overly sweet junk, and they don’t want this association, with their blend(s).
 
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