The Strongest Blend You’ve Tried

[coys]

The question is in the thread title - I am wondering what the strongest tobacco blend you’ve ever sampled is , and perhaps what was the strongest one that you actually enjoyed?

I know this raises the question of what we mean by strength, if that is the same thing as fullness of flavor and many other worms in the can, but - open ended question…

What are the strongest tobaccos out there that you’ve tried? Which did enjoy?

 

[coys]

My reason for asking is that as a novice I have bought numerous tins now, and I find lots to be very uncomplicated or lacking in taste.

For example I enjoy a bowl of 965 but I want *more*. I enjoy Presbyterian but find it a little lightweight.

Perhaps my palette simply is that which is unsophisticated?

Will I learn in time to find the nuances in them all, or do some of you find that you always did require a hearty taste to be interested?

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

Five Brothers and Irish Flake are stout and flavorful burleys. @justscience gifted me some Rum Twist that was also strong (and smoked in a small pipe as suggested) and flavorful.

I tend to add Five Brothers to aromatics to give them a little more punch.

Dark fired Virginia blends also have strong flavors (and is in Irish Flake).

 

[Ahi Ka]

I’m not really an English smoker, but if you enjoy the flavour of 965 albeit being on the light side for you, maybe try some nightcap as a quick side by side comparison.

 

[coys]

Five Brothers and Irish Flake are stout and flavorful burleys. @justscience gifted me some Rum Twist that was also strong (and smoked in a small pipe as suggested) and flavorful.

I tend to add Five Brothers to aromatics to give them a little more punch.

Dark fired Virginia blends also have strong flavors (and is in Irish Flake).

Thanks, that’s helpful.

I will investigate the burley and dark fired options, I haven’t been down those roads yet. Do those typically mean a bolder flavor?

I’m looking for a nice, meaty taste with some rich tobacco flavor but not a cigarette like taste or note… more like something that would pair with a pot roast, a Guinness, or a strong black coffee.

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

I think burley and black coffee are a great pair.

As for meaty, I'm told Black Irish X has a bbq or charcoal like flavor.

Dark fired may be the route you're looking for. Several blends and flakes have it along with burley.

 

[solideogloria86]

Five Brothers and Irish Flake are stout and flavorful burleys. @justscience gifted me some Rum Twist that was also strong (and smoked in a small pipe as suggested) and flavorful.

I tend to add Five Brothers to aromatics to give them a little more punch.

Dark fired Virginia blends also have strong flavors (and is in Irish Flake).

Before I recommend a blend, I want to ask a question.

Have you been drying your tobacco? If not, dry some 965 out and try again. There'll likely be a ton of flavor there that wasn't there before.

Strongest tobacco I've smoked? Raw burley leaves off the barn floor. I didn't enjoy it.

Strongest tobacco I've enjoyed? Gawith and Hoggarth Sweet Whisky Twist.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake was that tobacco for me. Strong in tin aroma (I thought something had gone wrong before tinning), strong in taste, strong in nicotine, and strong in ghosting the Virginia-dedicated pipes I had foolishly entrusted to it.

updating via yoast

www.tobaccoreviews.com

 

[coys]

Before I recommend a blend, I want to ask a question.

Have you been drying your tobacco? If not, dry some 965 out and try again. There'll likely be a ton of flavor there that wasn't there before.

Strongest tobacco I've smoked? Raw burley leaves off the barn floor. I didn't enjoy it.

Strongest tobacco I've enjoyed? Gawith and Hoggarth Sweet Whisky Twist.

No, I haven’t been doing any drying. When I open a tin it goes into a mason jar, and the tobacco is smoked straight out of the jar.

 

[coys]

Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake was that tobacco for me. Strong in tin aroma (I thought something had gone wrong before tinning), strong in taste, strong in nicotine, and strong in ghosting the Virginia-dedicated pipes I had foolishly entrusted to it.

updating via yoast

www.tobaccoreviews.com

Sounds interesting!

I mainly want to find a nice, beef-like, leather and old books type smoke - something rich and filling with a lot of nuance.

But I am also open for a challenge like this! I’ll certainly try anything once.

 

[wolflarsen]

Gawith Hoggarth's Dark Flake is what you're looking for.

https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipe-tobacco/gawith-hoggarth/dark-flake-unscented/product_id/4001

Old Dark Fired would also be worth a try. It's not as strong in nicotine but meets your other criteria.

https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipe-tobacco/mac-baren/hh-old-dark-fired-ready-rubbed/product_id/124131

 

[solideogloria86]

No, I haven’t been doing any drying. When I open a tin it goes into a mason jar, and the tobacco is smoked straight out of the jar.

My first experience with 965,and Nightcap (965s beefier older brother) were bland and flavorless. After drying, they were both delicious. Too much moisture produced steam instead of smoke and will water down the flavor, literally.

1.Take a bowls worth of Tobacco and spread it out on a flat surface in a single layer. (paper towels work great)

2. Check in every 10-15 minutes and pinch a good bit between your fingers for a few seconds and drop it. If it sticks to your fingers or clumps together, too wet.

3.Keep checking in until it falls in nice separate pieces. Dry but still pliable is the goal.

If you do this, I can almost guarantee that you'll have a much better, more flavorful experience.

 

[coys]

My first experience with 965,and Nightcap (965s beefier older brother) were bland and flavorless. After drying, they were both delicious. Too much moisture produced steam instead of smoke and will water down the flavor, literally.

1.Take a bowls worth of Tobacco and spread it out on a flat surface in a single layer. (paper towels work great)

2. Check in every 10-15 minutes and pinch a good bit between your fingers for a few seconds and drop it. If it sticks to your fingers or clumps together, too wet.

3.Keep checking in until it falls in nice separate pieces. Dry but still pliable is the goal.

If you do this, I can almost guarantee that you'll have a much better, more flavorful experience.

Thanks a lot! I will definitely give this a try!

 

[fireground_piper]

Sixpence fills that for me. I can’t comment on nicotine since everyone is different but I think it’s a rich, nuanced blend when I want something like that.

 

[Chasing Embers]

An uncased burley twist right out of the barn.

 

[Winnipeger]

C&D Burley Flake #3. (I haven't tried the other ones but I think they're all pretty hefty). First time I smoked that my whole head started buzzing. C&D Big 'n' Burley. Has a little Latakia and Orientals in it offering some subtle complexity. One of my desert island blends. A lot of the GH&Co. blends are good and strong, especially any of the brown ropes, Brown Twist, Dark Birdseye, Kendal Kentucky. Coniston Cut Plug is also one of my favourites. It's in the same ballpark as 1792; a little perfumy with tonquin bean extract (which has coumarin, giving it a flavour a bit reminiscent of vanilla). Dark Flake is maybe the strongest tobacco available. On that, I agree with @wolflarson, but Old Dark Fired is pretty mild to medium if you ask me. All GH&Co. blends should be dried for a week then blasted in the microwave for 5 minutes on high before smoking. Especially the ropes. Five Brothers! Semois! No need to dry them!

 

[Streeper541]

MacBaren HH Old Dark Fired, Peterson Irish Flake & Gawith Dark Brown Flake are all pretty stout.
Matter of fact, I'm smoking a bowl of Irish Flake right now.

 

[canucklehead]

Strongest was homegrown burley tops. Unpleasant.

Strongest enjoyable for me are Gawith Dark Plug and Flake, Daughters and Ryan Ryback, straight dark fired Kentucky, and anything with dark burley and perique together.

If you want meaty, GH Dark Flake even looks kinda like a desiccated ancient piece of beef:

 

[Philosopiper]

Are you retrohaling? 985 is pretty strong, so I’m wondering whether you’re underwhelmed just because you’re not retrohaling. Many of us taste/smell virtually nothing unless we retrohale.

 

[warren99]

Samuel Gawith 1792 Flake was that tobacco for me. Strong in tin aroma (I thought something had gone wrong before tinning), strong in taste, strong in nicotine, and strong in ghosting the Virginia-dedicated pipes I had foolishly entrusted to it.

updating via yoast

www.tobaccoreviews.com

I will second 1792 Flake. Bought a tin by mistake thinking it was Full Virginia Flake (similar packaging). About halfway through the bowl, the nicotine level gave me the jitters.