Latakia

[jship079]

OK so Ihave been smoking some latakia blends I am not sure if I like it or not other than the smokey flavor there is a spice I cant put my finger on what are some of the flavor notes you have picked up on with the latakia blends you have smoked the two most resent I have smoked has been GL Pease Abigidon and westminister

 

[hilojohnny]

I didn't like the first latakia blends I tried.....then I got some Shortcut to Mushrooms (Just for Him)...since then I have learned to love latakia in measured amounts.

 

[unclearthur]

Latakia is made from oriental style tobaccos . The actual names of which slip my mind right now . They tend to be spicy and low in vitamin N due to low nitrogen growing conditions. For myself I LOVE Latakia!

 

[chuckw]

My mainstay in the cooler months is McCelland's 5110 (bulk Frog Morton).

Rumor has it that latakia was the product of Bedowin tribsmen cureing (drying) their tobacco in the smoke vents of their tents as they traveled. Those fires were stoked with dried camel dung much as early Americans used dried buffalo dung. While that may have been the case 100 years ago, it is now processed with different fuels, pine and oak. Some of the spiceness comes from the pine oils and smoke and some comes from perique. The woodsy, leathery flavor comes from the oak. There are other tobaccos used that give it it's flavor. For me, latakia was an aquired taste. Once aquired though, I stayed with it. There are times when nothing else satisfies.

 

[collin]

I love it,...I just wish I could pronounce it.
Is it: La ta KEY a....Lah TAK e ah?
It reminds me of the coffee I used to drink early in the mornings at chuckwagon roundups, it was brewed kept warm in a ceramic pot over a hardwood fire.

To this day, every now and then when I think about it, I'll add a drop of Liquid Smoke to my cup of coffee.
Like now.

 

[patiobum]

Collin, you need to try Community coffee, roasted in Baton Rouge, La.
http://www.communitycoffee.com/

 

[pipetrucker]

Latakia is something of an acquired taste. Personally, I love it and smoke more latakia blends than anything else.

 

[python]

It is normally pronounced: lat-uh-kee-uh.
You can also hear the pronunciation of it by clicking on the little speaker next to the word here:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/latakia

 

[admin]

You can also hear the pronunciation of it by clicking on the little speaker next to the word here:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/latakia

I like the 2nd version they give. I'm going to talk like that for the rest of the night.
I LOVE G.L. Pease Westminster! I've smoked about 6 bowls of it in the last two days.

 

[collin]

Thanks Bob and Kevin!
Oh, and patiobum, spent some time in Shreveport with a band, I love Community Coffee.

 

[pstlpkr]

there is a spice I cant put my finger on

For me it's ground black pepper.

 

[searock]

Personal opinion: Try Dunhill's Standard Mixture (not the MILD). It's a good introduction to latakia blends. I think it smokes much smoother than many other English blends and has a great flavor. Good luck.

 

[searock]

Another thought: The pipe you smoke latakia in makes a HUGE difference. I myself feel you will get the best result from a high grade Italian like Castello, Ser Jacopo, Mastro, Caminetto, etc. Unfortunately I don't think Savinellis do a very good job with latakia... probably because of the way the wood is cured... but they smoke other blends just fine.