Tobacco Blends Definitions

[seankelly]

Hi!

I am a summer tobacco smoker (only because Canada is too cold to smoke outside in the winter) I smoke cigars and have recently taken on smoking a pipe. I have grown a small amount of my own Burley tobacco for pipe purposes. I'm looking for information regarding the various terms used for different blends of pipe tobacco... such as English Blend, VaPer etc.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Here's something all inclusive for a pipe smoker.
https://www.tobaccopipes.com/glossary-of-tobacco-pipe-and-pipe-tobacco-terms/

 

[mso489]

Embers offers a good authoritative reference. Also, prowl through the online retailers' tobacco pages and you will learn a lot. Paper catalogs from Pipes and Cigars and Iwan Ries and others are another way to casually pick up information on blends. One of our members who is a blender pointed out that 95% (or near that if I remember) of pipe tobacco sold is aromatic (flavored); I'm not sure why that is, but it explains why there are so many aromatics offered.

 

[olkofri]

Because aromatics ROCK! :puffpipe:

 

[judcole]

One thing to keep in mind is that terms like "English" and "Balkan" are marketing terms. There is no precise definition.

American blenders use the term "English blend" to mean a blend with latakia. English blenders simply indicate whether or not the blend has latakia, since all their blends are English.

Americans often refer to a blend with latakia and unflavored cavendish as a "Scottish blend", Dunhill 965 being considered the defining example. The late Joe Harb once told me of being in Scotland, long ago, and asking tobacconists for an ounce of what they considered their most "Scottish" blend. What he got was apt to be closer to MacBaren Mixture: Scottish Blend than 965.

The term "Balkan" was first used to attempt to pick up on the success of the old Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture, which had healthy doses of latakia and orientals. It did not contain perique.

Sam Gawith Balkan Flake has latakia, and no orientals.

Peterson Balkan Delight has perique.
Be aware of all of this, and happy smoking!

 

[chilllucky]

There are a few members here who also grow and process their own tobaccos as a hobby (I ammgearinup to try it this summer). They cross-post on fair trade tobacco, which will be a better resource for processing questions.
Otherwise, Jud and Embers have given you very good directions on your path to tobacco knowledge. Enjoy the trip!

 

[seankelly]

chilllucky: I am On fair trade tobacco too.
Thanks everyone for your responses!

 

[judcole]

Oh, and an "American English" will have a fair amount of burley. There were a good number of these among the old "codger" blends.

 

[cortezattic]

This FAQ may be helpful:

http://pipe-club.com/tobacco_aging_faq/eng/categorization.php