Let’s Talk Aromatics
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I learned about it on YouTube actually. A guy named Will Marsh, goes by the handle TheSpurgeonPiper. He’s a pastor in Texas and pipe enthusiast, and just a seemingly great guy. He reviewed it and convinced me.
Aromatics don't do it for me most of the times. Even blends that aren't aromatics but has some toppings, like Capstan or Hal O The Wind, I find annoying.
However, I enjoyed Readdy Rubbed and Revelation, some liquor toppings like Windjammer, or other flavored stuff like Black XX and Bracken Flake. On the other side, others directly make me sick, like Barbary Coast and Bagpiper's Dream. So who knows anything anymore about this?
However, I enjoyed Readdy Rubbed and Revelation, some liquor toppings like Windjammer, or other flavored stuff like Black XX and Bracken Flake. On the other side, others directly make me sick, like Barbary Coast and Bagpiper's Dream. So who knows anything anymore about this?
No? I notice a sweet berry-like aroma in the tin that I thought it came from a flavoring agent.
Sounds like cross contamination from the factory. That one has an oily char broiled beef smell straight out of the tin and the smoke is like barbecue. For some it is a nicotine powerhouse.
It should come as no surprise that having a sweet tooth can correlate with enjoyment of aromatics. For myself, that was 100% the case. But at the same time, as I tried blend after blend in that category, eventually expanding to other genres, I noticed that the majority of my sub-par experiences inexplicably involved aromatic blends. C&D Autumn Evening tasted like bus exhaust, CAO Eileen's Dream left a really unpleasant aftertaste (and smell), and the entire P&C "Out Of Office" series was a one-way ticket to PG-ville, to the Nth degree. That's just a quick example, but there are at least a half-dozen others I can think of off the top of my head, all of them aros (with the notable exception of Sutliff 515 RC-1, which almost made me quit pipes altogether). So even with my sweet tooth factored in, I found it necessary to hold to the mellow blends and avoid the really heavily saturated ones. You mentioned MacBaren Vanilla Cream--that's quite nice. Another of theirs of a similar ilk I like is Original Choice.
I can't emphasize enough, however, the utter importance of giving adequate drying time to your blends. Nowhere is this more evident than in the aromatic genre. Even just a few extra minutes can make a detectable difference, and what's more frustrating than trying to keep a bowl lit and having it go out over and over again? For example, the first time I tried Ashton Winding Road, I spread out a bowl's worth on a paper towel and gave it 15 or 20 minutes. I was on the right track, but the next time, I gave it closer to 45 minutes. Smoked much better, cooler, and drier. CAO Moontrance needed over an hour, but same story other than that. My general rule for aromatics is, if they're still spongy, leave it a little bit longer. It's tempting to just say the hell with it, load up and get to it, I know! Resist the urge--your pipe and tongue will both thank you. Errr...figuratively speaking. ?
I can't emphasize enough, however, the utter importance of giving adequate drying time to your blends. Nowhere is this more evident than in the aromatic genre. Even just a few extra minutes can make a detectable difference, and what's more frustrating than trying to keep a bowl lit and having it go out over and over again? For example, the first time I tried Ashton Winding Road, I spread out a bowl's worth on a paper towel and gave it 15 or 20 minutes. I was on the right track, but the next time, I gave it closer to 45 minutes. Smoked much better, cooler, and drier. CAO Moontrance needed over an hour, but same story other than that. My general rule for aromatics is, if they're still spongy, leave it a little bit longer. It's tempting to just say the hell with it, load up and get to it, I know! Resist the urge--your pipe and tongue will both thank you. Errr...figuratively speaking. ?
It does have the dried fruit notes that stoved Virginias often do. It's good stuff, and on a par with GH Brown for nicotine.
Most I've read here despise it and I've heard some say that it left their pipes smelling like an electrical fire. All I get from it is well done beef. Even have a pipe dedicated to it.
It tastes of Bovril to me (a beef extract that we Brits make into a hot drink).
I know Bovril. Sadly banned in the US over the mad cow incident.
There seem to be 2 kinds of non-tobacco flavoured tobaccos.
-From my experience there are aromatics where the tobacco doesn't really matter it's all about the flavouring like Autumn Evening or McBaran Vanilla.
-Then you have some often not even categorized aromatics where the tobacco does matter but a bit of flavouring is added something like Bengal Slices (where I don't even really taste the flavouring though I can smell it).
PS The only time I tried aromatics I did it in a cob - cobs are quality pipes - but I am afraid of ghosting my briars.
-From my experience there are aromatics where the tobacco doesn't really matter it's all about the flavouring like Autumn Evening or McBaran Vanilla.
-Then you have some often not even categorized aromatics where the tobacco does matter but a bit of flavouring is added something like Bengal Slices (where I don't even really taste the flavouring though I can smell it).
PS The only time I tried aromatics I did it in a cob - cobs are quality pipes - but I am afraid of ghosting my briars.
That's mostly what I smoke but I am slowly delving into Non Aro's and enjoying them on occasion.
I like em all tbh. I go through phases. But I like English, aros, Balkans, VAs, burley, VaPers. Depends on what I’m in the mood for. But with aros, I need them to only be mildly flavored. And I’m pretty sensitive to that PG taste. It doesn’t sit well with me.
I prefer mildly flavored aros personally. But I gotta say, I’ve been smoking through this tin of MacBaren Vanilla Cream, and I don’t find it to be very heavily flavored at all. Noticeable. But not overdone. I feel like the sweetness of the VAs really drive a lot of the flavor IMHO.
I would say to give The County Squire aros a whirl. They have a Middle Earth themed series with some non-aros in there but check out Rivendell, Old Toby, and Second Breakfast. Definitely not your typical goopy mess!
Personally I consider the term "aromatic" to be a bit of a misnomer and probably only useful for marketing.
The term does absolutely nothing for me in terms of whether I might be interested in a blend or not.
The term does absolutely nothing for me in terms of whether I might be interested in a blend or not.
Amphora Full Aroma is a blend that more folks should try. Wish they sold it in a larger tin format. Don't dismiss it as a pouch blend or sort of an OTC. I have a lot of far more more expensive blends in the cellar, yet I often reach for Amphora.
