School me on how Aromatics are Sweetened and Flavored

[Briar Lee]

My wife just got in the mail an order of pure MSG seasoning. The producers of monosodium glutamate have not bribed enough officials, and their product is nearly as condemned as gluten. I saw a bottle of mustard the other day that read gluten free. Gluten has no friends at all, these days, it seems to me.

But the producers of candy sweet and highly flavored aromatic pipe tobaccos have somehow escaped the same universal censure. Although not favored by true pipe connoisseurs here in America aromatics have the lion’s share of the pipe tobacco market, as measured by pounds sold.

My morning pipe full of Smoker’s Pride Cherry Cavendish is wonderfully sweet and does taste like ripe cherries from an orchard.

I realize that dollar an ounce aromatics are primarily sweetened and flavored lower grade burley and some amount of flue cured Virginia tobaccos. But my, they sure taste good, at least to me.

I tried smoking some cut up Levi Garrett plug last week and while it was sweet and good when chewed it was bland and tasteless when smoked.

There’s some mystery involved in making Virginia Gold- Black and Gold- and other such cheap aromatics that taste like candy and smell like sugar cookies baking.

How do they do that?

Any answers are as always, much appreciated.

 

[Streeper541]

There are basically two methods to get unnatural flavor to impart onto something (in this case tobacco);

Method #1: Spray the desired flavor onto the tobacco.

Method #2: Soak the tobacco in a solution of the desired flavor.

For example, if you want a "light cherry note" you use method #1. If you want "deep cherry flavor" you use method #2.

I know this is over simplified, but you should get the basic idea.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

LOL, I see a judge listening patiently then finally, "Is there a question in there somewhere counselor?"

And I'm very much enjoying being schooled as well!

 

[forloveoffreedom]

How can few get nice fruit flavor, plus good virginias vs the rest of the aros that have to be loaded with pg and goop the pipe like a snorkel?

 

[Briar Lee]

I have a bag of Smoker’s Pride Vanilla Cavendish in a drawer of a camper at my farm that must be at least fifteen years old.

I’ve been told the reason it’s forever fresh because of the same propylene glycol I use to winterize the water lines.

But I can’t blend tobacco to taste like vanilla beans, and sweet and good as home made ice cream, not even close to how good that is.

When you look at it, there’s flakes of gold leaf, some of black cavendish, and a lot of different shades of brown burley ribbons and flakes.

There’s a friendly chemist at Lanes that knows how to make that taste as good as it does.


I’m sure the exact recipe is a secret, but how in the world can he do it on an industrial scale?

 

[Chasing Embers]

goop the pipe like a snorkel?

Pack them light and smoke them extremely slow and all of that burns off.

 

[forloveoffreedom]

Pack them light and smoke them extremely slow and all of that burns off.

Smoke slow? What a horrible idea lol.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Smoke slow? What a horrible idea lol.

Yep, most of the time people think my pipes are unlit.

 

[Briar Lee]

Do cheap candy flavored sweet aromatics leave some artificially sweetened candy flavorings in the chamber?

Lordy yes, they do!

But only a trace, which helps me to remember them by when I load them up with some kind of Captain Pirate Cake Seven Seas Black Frigate Special Reserve #700 Luxury Navy blend that smells like catfish bait.

Some of us appreciate artificial flavorings, just so long as we can afford the genuine

ARTIFICIAL ROSE

 

[Chasing Embers]

Black Frigate

That one is neither an aromatic nor artificially flavored. Real rum in that one.

 

[craig61a]

Here's what I use: Water-Based Food Flavoring – Bickford Flavors

The sky's the limit...

It helps to heat the tobacco somewhat before applying the topping. That way it absorbs better. You want to moisten the tobacco and work the sprayed on topping into the tobacco. Then set it aside for several days.

I cut the extract with distilled water and use a spray bottle to apply. Moist is the key. You don't want a soggy mess. That'll just invite mold.

Soaking tobacco in a "solution"... The only time I do that is when I'm making pesticide to spray on my tomato plants...

 

[craig61a]

Always wondered what it would be like to smoke a banana topped blend. I could wear a brocade coat and listen to Donovan sing about Atlantis… ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Always wondered what it would be like to smoke a banana topped blend.

Embers Reviews The "Nanner Baccy" :: Pipe Tobacco Reviews

Okay, I took a chance on P&C, got 18 ounces of Gawith Hoggarth Kendal Gold Banana, and here are some thoughts after two bowls. The golden Virginia ribbons are a fine shag cut that are dry to the touch out of the bag, yet pliant. No goopy stickiness or need for dry time. The bag note is of...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[OzPiper]

I read an article on artificial food flavourings many years ago. The food chemist (alchemist ?) who was interviewed claimed he could improve on and better most natural flavours/aromas. The only 2 (so he claimed) that he couldn't better were the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans and fresh baked bread.