Odyssey vs Ten Russians?

[sparroa]

I know there are a few threads asking about powerhouse latakia blends, so I'm going to narrow it down...
I want a latakia heavy tobacco that is very smoky and flavourful.
Which blend would you go with, GLP Odyssey or Hermit Ten Russians?
I haven't had either, but I am trying to zone in on a very strong tasting Balkan/English but I only want to get one tin...
(To put it into perspective Westminster, PS Balkan Supreme, Penzance, and Gawith Balkan Flake do not satisfy my latakia tastes; they were too mellow tasting after a short period of time)
From the reviews I've read, I get the impression that GLP Odyssey is more complex and yet more subdued.
On the other hand, I hear that Ten Russians is a complete latakia powerhouse but it is very straightforward tasting. (ie straight up campfire) The thing keeping me from ordering ten Russians, however, is that it sounds like it is also incredibly strong in the nicotine department which is a big negative for me...
So in a showdown for the "best" strong tasting (but not necessarily strong N) latakia blend, which one wins?

 

[hobie1dog]

Ten Russians to me is just an overall stronger baccy. I would still say you are going to have to try both of them.....I can send you a sample of both.

 

[judcole]

I have a tin of Ten Russians open now. I have not noticed it being that strong in the nic department. Latakia is a very low nic leaf, so that's going to affect the blend. Haven't tried Odyssey.
Have you tried C&D Star of the East Flake? That's another lat bomb.

 

[sparroa]

Most reviews I've seen have noted that Ten Russians is high in both flavour intensity and nicotine content. Without having tried it myself, I put it down to particularly strong Virginias being used in the blend... I'm glad to hear your different perspective, Jud. It gives me hope that it is not too robust; I don't like getting the spins from my smokes.
C&D Star of the East Flake is on my shortlist of lat bombs to try; C&D Da Vinci and C&D Pirate Kake also get a lot of mentions, but they sound fairly coarse in flavour. I'm not as eager to try those ones... I'd be sold on Dan Old Ironsides but unfortunately there is none available at 4noggins for a long time. Lancer's Slices also sounds good, but I think it is a step down in the latakia department from what I've gathered...
hobie, thank you for the offer but I don't want to trouble you. Perhaps you are right that I must try both to understand the difference but I'm trying to keep my TAD list lean. If I have to pick one blind, it'll probably be Odyssey because I know I mostly like Pease blends...

 

[jpberg]

Neither one of those blends are what reviewers set them up to be. You may actually find TR a "cool" smoke, orientals really give it a lift. Odyssey is the "bigger" taste of the two, and IMO, the more complex, but to tell you which is better would be like asking me which of my children I love more.

 

[sparroa]

Interesting take. You are the first person who I've ever seen call Odyssey the "bigger" blend, jp. I have definitely heard more complex...
I must admit that I'm leaning towards Odyssey on my next order. I'll know where to turn next if Odyssey doesn't do it for me...
Any suggestions on tobaccos that are in this league of latakia flavour intensity?

 

[matchstickman]

I have a tin of Odyssey waiting to be opened but I have not tried it yet. I have heard a lot of good things about 10 Russians as well. From what I have read, your assumptions are accurate in that Ten Russians is going to be a very bold flavor but probably fairly one dimensional. Mr. Peases blends are very finely crafted and blended. I have only tried one of the Pease blends but I have to say that it was a very nice smoke. Whatever you decide to choose, keep us posted and let us know how it turns out.

 

[sparroa]

Thanks for your input. I am past the point of wanting subtle flavours for my latakia cravings but I still wouldn't mind a bit of complexity amidst the smokiness, if you know what I mean...
It could be a few weeks or more until I have received the Odyssey but I will return with my opinions in hand.
I've come to feel that since latakia is a very domineering taste, anyway, it is better to go big or go home...
Not everyone feels that way, obviously, but I wish I had to realize that before I ordered a whack of medium English blends last year! Live and learn... I'm sure they won't go to waste.

 

[jpberg]

Have you smoked any Pirate Kake?

 

[sparroa]

Nope. I've never had any C&D latakia blends. I've heard they've got some monsters though, Pirate Kake included.

 

[jpberg]

Pirate Kake, although I enjoy it, has tto much Latakia for me. Sometimes, too much of a good thing makes it a bad thing.

 

[sparroa]

Yeah, that's kind of where I'm at with Ten Russians... I see almost universal praise for Odyssey, and it sounds like it packs a lot of depth in with its latakia punch; TR on the other hand gets blasted as often as it is praised for being over the top.
Pirate Kake is probably much the same thing.
I discovered early on with my homebrewing that there is a fine line between extreme beer and undrinkable beer. lol
Even though I've brewed a vegetal batch of unbearably bitter beer before, I still crave a well-made hop monster that smells like pine needles and citrus from ten feet away!
I'm hoping that Odyssey fills the heavy latakia void in my lineup...

 

[jpberg]

No no no. Ten Russians and Pirate Kake are miles apart, all round.

 

[doctorthoss]

Odyssey has been my favorite latakia mixture for nearly a decade now. It IS a latakia powerhouse, but it's also a very smooth smoke and, compared to most other lat-bombs, quite complex. It's also a little bit sweet --- Greg uses a good amount of stoved Virginias as well as some incense-like oriental leaf, giving it a taste profile that is quite different from most Balkans (IMHO, of course). If you are looking for a lat bomb, I would say this is at the very top of the heap.

At the same time, I would also recommend Star of the East, Low Country's Cooper, and GL Pease's Abingdon. In fact, Abingdon has more latakia than Odyssey and is a bit more complex. I don't like it as well as Odyssey (it's not as sweet or smooth) but many smokers seem to prefer it.

 

[sparroa]

doctorthoss,
Thank you for going into detail about Odyssey for me. I think that dose of sweetness and the oriental complexity you are talking about is ideal for my purposes.
Don't get me wrong, I wants lots and lots of smokiness - a lat bomb - but if it was as as simple as throwing higher and higher percentages of latakia into the mix I'd just smoke it straight. This sounds like a fine balance.
I'll keep the other blends in mind; the recommendations I've received in this thread confirm my own "research" into the matter... Abingdon seems alright as you describe it, but Odyssey sounds like its exactly what I'm looking for... This case is closed as far as I'm concerned - Odyssey is going to be on my next order.
Thanks to everyone who posted. Feel free to continue the discussion.

 

[jpberg]

I guess I don't understand what a Lat Bomb is. Is it % latakia? The types of and amount of condimental tobacco? The ratio of virginia to latakia, what?
Scottish, Balkan, English, American English, Oriental, lat bomb.....I get easily confused.

 

[sparroa]

It's just slang, sorry if I was imprecise. It sounded like you knew exactly what we were talking about since your suggestions matched perfectly with my own research.
It seems that all of those categories you mention are open to interpretation, but I guess what I was looking for was a heavy Balkan in the scheme of things... Percentage of latakia isn't everything, I'm sure - the constituent leaf can probably amplify or reduce the perception of latakia to a great degree.
Ever since you told me Odyssey was the bigger taste of the two, in your opinion, I have been leaning in that direction. It's simple as that - combined with all the clarification I've received here, I'm willing to take my chances with it. I like GLP more often than not, so I'm sure Odyssey is well made if nothing else.

 

[doctorthoss]

Jpberg -- a "lat bomb" isn't a category like English, Balkan, etc. It's more a slang term that basically means a blend with so much latakia that it's going to be the predominant flavor. Most lat bombs contain at least 40 to 50 percent latakia, which is a VERY heavy amount. It also usually denotes a blend that doesn't have a whole lot of complexity or balance, which is what makes Odyssey special (at least in my estimation). It manages to be a lat bomb with both complexity and balance, due in large part to the very robust VAs and orientals.
Sparroa -- Please let us know what you think of it once you've tried it. I'd love to read your review!

 

[sparroa]

Will do. It will only be my second Pease latakia blend. Westminster was nice, as I said, but I soon got acclimated to its level of smokiness and I was left craving more... I was fairly timid with my early orders, I was all about trying balanced English blends but that was before I realized what I really wanted! I'd rather smoke less and get more flavour in one fell swoop when it comes to latakia; it tires the tastebuds if I smoke it often as an everyday thing...