Perfume/Incense Note : from Latakia or Orientals

[LudwigB88]

I’m having less of a tolerance for a very perfumey / incense note in blends. It’s funny because at one point it was what I wanted. I’m now finding it kind of cloying and headache-inducing. Can somebody tell me if it is the Oriental leaf that is doing this ? Here’s an example : I was in love with Black House / 759 Match and now I’m not. Whereas, Quiet Nights and the petrol note I DO LIKE. So can anybody tell me : is it the orientals that are creating this overly sweet incense note ? It’s almost become too rich tasting for me.

 

[brooklynpiper]

From my own blending experience, it’s both of them together. The incense flavor in orientals is a lot more subdued without the Latakia.

The sweetness is probably casing or the cavendish.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I've never been a big fan of Latakia and I'm NOT an English smoker - so I'm perhaps not the best candidate for offering input.

In my limited experience I've found I MUCH prefer Syrian to Cyprian latakia. Even then, it must be very light in the blend. It's that incense-spice note that I like.
Cyprian latakia typically offers more of the heavy body, leather, fire pit and smoke notes.
Granted, Syrian latakia is long gone, so you should be in luck.

 

[LudwigB88]

I found this on one of other threads …

“To me, the incense is the predominance of orientals in the blend over Virginians. Jitterbug sent me some of his homegrown Turkish and it was exactly like an incense that could be bought at a head shop. So, to me that incense-like aroma is what separates a Balkan from an English. An, English can have diversity also, but Balkans (to me) have got to have that incense derived from the Orientals.”

 

[LudwigB88]

Here’s that other thread. I hadn’t found it before.

The "Incense" in English :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

While enjoying two Standard PA blends recently, JC 1&2 and Bengal Slices, I noticed that both had an aroma and aftertaste loosely akin to that of "incense." I have gathered from reviews that this term is somewhat of a buzzword in this community. The aftertaste even reminded me faintly of the...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[LudwigB88]

Even mentions Black House :

“Try GLP's Charing Cross, H&H Black House and Presbyterian for a deep incense flavor as well. The first two I consider Balkans, Presbyterian is an Oriental laden English.”

 

[LudwigB88]

Someone wrote : “I've experience the incense thing most so far in glp Lagonda, glp Quiet Nights, Black House, Lane Crown Achievement, Three Oaks Syrian(slightly different there), etc.”

But for me Quiet Nights is lacking the more perfumey incense that Black House has.

 

[MattRVA]

I sometimes find that perfume scent in Izmir and perhaps Macedonian, though Macedonian is also very musty. I haven’t tried a wide variety of Orientals but that’s what I’ve found… granted I’m not much of an English smoker so I can’t speak to the combination of Orientals and Latakia but I could see the combination lending to a floral experience.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I’ve found orientals as a condiment to be very comforting and delicious. They do have a musty incense-like flavor profile depending on the type . “English “ blending both Latakia & Orientals ran its road for me a few years back. So my palette changed and Now I mainly smoke Burley & Virginia based mixtures for musty, nutttiness & some sweet, fruitiness with spice …don’t get me started on Perique. ️

 

[kcghost]

I've never got any kind of incense flavor from latakia.

 

[LudwigB88]

I've never got any kind of incense flavor from latakia.

I believe from all I’m reading it’s the Orientals, Turkish, Izmir, Macedonian, etc.

 

[verporchting]

I believe from all I’m reading it’s the Orientals, Turkish, Izmir, Macedonian, etc.

That’s my experience but strangely I pick up the incense slightly more with a touch (light touch!) of Latakia. Otherwise oriental leaf adds a slightly sour but pleasant touch to the Virginia with less of the incense notes. YMMV.

 

[LudwigB88]

That’s my experience but strangely I pick up the incense slightly more with a touch (light touch!) of Latakia. Otherwise oriental leaf adds a slightly sour but pleasant touch to the Virginia with less of the incense notes. YMMV.

Yes … it might indeed be a combinatory thing.

 

[LudwigB88]

Latakia might be the edgy/smoky part with Orientals adding the sweet, sour, and floral.

 

[LudwigB88]

I suppose this is the art of blending. Similar to fragrances.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I believe from all I’m reading it’s the Orientals, Turkish, Izmir, Macedonian, etc.

Technically, latakia is an oriental, smoked Smyrna. I get sandalwood and cedar from the likes of Yenidje and Katerini.

 

[suamrai61]

I have also been troubled by this question before. When I first opened a tin of C&D Bow-Legged Bear, I encountered an overwhelming perfume/incense note in the initial few bowls. It's hard to say whether I liked it or not, but it was indeed a very unique experience. However, since then, I have not had a similar experience from pipe tobacco.Perhaps I should try the blends mentioned above.

 

[LudwigB88]

I have also been troubled by this question before. When I first opened a tin of C&D Bow-Legged Bear, I encountered an overwhelming perfume/incense note in the initial few bowls. It's hard to say whether I liked it or not, but it was indeed a very unique experience. However, since then, I have not had a similar experience from pipe tobacco.Perhaps I should try the blends mentioned above.

Try Black House or 759 Match (they are the same thing). I have since moved on to preferring Quiet Nights as having less of a perfume note while still having an appealing incense that is LESS sweet and cloying. As others have said about both Quiet Nights and Gaslight, they replace the sweetness with the creosote/tar note which I like. Quiet Nights does this LESS so. It’s a great blend that reminds me of what I experienced with Penzance years ago. I ultimately was disappointed with Penzance due to what I believe was Esoterica process of using humectant and some type of casing. I think their tobaccos can be overrated and artificially “enhanced.” Of course, I have no evidence of this. Also their unavailability in general makes it a moot point. I think their business plan is based on scarcity.

 

[elvishrunes]

Now that you mention it, could be... I used to smoke a lot of Old Dublin and it had an “old Turkish street cafe” note, now I smoke Nightcap it is just more smoke/tar based probably because it’s higher Lat, lower oriental. My favourite blend is Ennerdale, so I won’t be complaining about incense though

 

[vosBghos]

Try Black House or 759 Match (they are the same thing). I have since moved on to preferring Quiet Nights as having less of a perfume note while still having an appealing incense that is LESS sweet and cloying. As others have said about both Quiet Nights and Gaslight, they replace the sweetness with the creosote/tar note which I like. Quiet Nights does this LESS so. It’s a great blend that reminds me of what I experienced with Penzance years ago. I ultimately was disappointed with Penzance due to what I believe was Esoterica process of using humectant and some type of casing. I think their tobaccos can be overrated and artificially “enhanced.” Of course, I have no evidence of this. Also their unavailability in general makes it a moot point. I think their business plan is based on scarcity.

The problem with Orientals is there are just so many of them and trying to pin them down blend to blend can be tricky. The Grand Orientals series by McClelland features 7 distinct blends with a star Oriental in each and an 8th with Latakia. I have been dabbling with pairing pure Orientals with teas and found vast differences when just adding a hint of this or that in combinations.

As far as Esoterica, depending on where you live and your relationship with your local B&M all their stuff can be easily got. They seem to be just cranking it out in their usual small-production fashion, and it's the after-market scalpers who rely on its scarcity. The fact that people are willing to pay such insane prices for it makes online shopping a moot point but I would not pin that on the producers. They still make a fine aged baccy even if it's soaked in apricots and cognac or whatever but I have been blown away by much more readily available stuff here and there and loaded my cellar with it.