Why no love for Aromatics

[cosmicfolklore]

Wait, just to clarify... you put the coffee in your tobacco, or you put the tobacco into your coffee?

 

[orobusto]

I fixed my wording. But I may try coffee grounds someday...I remember a Leave it to Beaver episode where Beaver and his friend smoked coffee in Ward's pipe.

 

[aldecaker]

Are you sure you haven't been swayed by public opinion, finnian? Supposedly, Lane 1Q is the top-selling pipe tobacco in the known universe, and that stuff is as aromatic as they come. That puts you firmly in the midst of the howling mob of pitchfork-and-torch wielding aro-loving majority. Have you come here to further oppress the non-aro loving minority? (Not me, by the way; I like a few of every genre.)

 

[mso489]

Aromatics catch some barbs on Forums, but so do many subjects. There have been rave notices for particular aromatic blends. Our Review-Meister jiminks includes many aromatics in his reviews, and lists them among his wide range of blends in the "What Are You Smoking" thread. One member had quite a series of praising posts for Mixture 79, and although it was partly in fun, I believe he smoked at least a pouch of that fine old blend. I've been sent samples of aros from members including interesting blends from Peretti and Peter Stokkeby. So saying Forums has "no love" for aromatics seems inaccurate. I've been around here quite a bit (see number of posts) so I think I have a feel for at least some of the content.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've been through a few pounds of Mixture 79.

 

[cobguy]

It's not as though those who are upset with your choices, show up on your lawn at night and burn bags of aros while chanting, "death to aro smokers!"

THAT ... is a phenomenal idea! :rofl:

 

[jefff]

Truth be told I haven't smoked an Aro in 35years. When I stumbled upon McC and others. While I won't ever disparage anyone who does, I haven't missed them for a moment. Last Xmas my wife's son went to Iwan Reís to carefully pick me out some tobacco. She said it took him 30 minutes. He chose a Peterson Xmas blend.
I smoked several bowls.... in cob.... trying too be polite.
It was average at best.

 

[quint]

All,

I noticed that many a pipe smoker starts with aromatics, but then moves on to non-aromatics. What gives? I for one love my aromatics, so I shall not be swayed by public opinion, I just don't get the contempt for my aromatics.

Well, it's not really as simple as that. Not all aromatics are created equal. There are the low quality, PG-soaked concoctions such as Captain Black that smell great but burn very hot and have no flavor. In my opinion, smoking blends like these is like putting a flavorless blowtorch in my mouth. Not much fun.
But then you have the higher quality aromatics that are drier in the pouch/tin and taste like they smell. They smoke cooler and are very flavorful. Peterson aromatics are wonderful (e.g. Sunset Breeze). I also smoke Amphora Red Full Aroma and Amphora Green Rich Aroma every day. These too are considered aromatics, and are also dry in the pouch. Both are also really high quality, delicious blends in my opinion.
By the way, I smoke both high quality aromatics and English blends. I gave up low quality, wet aromatics long ago. Life is too short to suffer needlessly. :lol:

 

[cshubhra]

Some aromatics are better than others, but many aromatics is a let down when people crave some tobacco taste. I have thoroughly enjoyed Amphora and Germain's Plum Cake.

Also, in my limited experience of tasting 25 different blends, the non-aros have much more complex flavor profiles, appeasing to the palate

 

[josephcross]

Deathmetal I agree about that Conniston, it is good.
Exotic Orange has changed my perceptions about aromatics, and so has the latest rendition of Stonehenge. It made me realize that I kinda like that Lakeland stuff.

 

[mso489]

In fact, I just bought a tub of SWR Aro from PC to age as a back-up to the regulatory turmoil, after sampling it in a pouch, also from PC. It is mostly burley, with some Virginia and flavored by several liqueurs. The Va and flavoring brings up the tobacco; I can't taste much with SWR Regular, but I am a big burley fan.

 

[condorlover1]

I wouldn't really describe Condor as an aromatic although I can see the thinking behind it. To me aromatics are something that smells wonderful but the taste rarely lives up to the room note. Condor just tastes of soap and grandma's bath mat with a 'so so' room note.

 

[mso489]

I too find myself in denial when I like a tobacco ... "it isn't aromatic." But any flavoring other than tobacco makes it so. I need to repeat my old line on this thread -- like a parrot -- like, over 90 percent of the pipe tobacco market is aromatic blends, so in essence, aros are supporting the market, and our much beloved non-aromatic blends. If I like the flavoring, and it doesn't upstage the tobacco, and especially if it complements the tobacco(s) nicely, I tend to like it pretty well.

 

[josephcross]

Condor sounds awesome....one of these days!

 

[finnian3]

Thank you all for the responses. First, let me be clear, I have tried non-aro tobaccos and have two that I hold onto for special occasions. I really Seattle Pipe Club Potlatch. Just an all around pleasant tobacco. I guess I like the different accents that I pick up when smoking my aros. Currently have my own home mix of various Lane's tobaccos. Ace of Spades, with a healthy dose of Lane's 7.

To each his own. I think I shall take the suggestion to create a running aromatic review.

 

[J. Mayo]

In my opinion it's honestly because ARO-matics are meant to smell good to a bystander, not necessarily taste good to the pipe smoker. It's right there in the name. Don't get me wrong, I started on aromatics and the reason I started was because I loved the way a pipe SMELLED. But after 2-3 years of smoking vanilla this, cherry that, chocolate covered hot air, or anything of the like; I began to care less about how my pipe smelled and more about what I was experiencing on the receiving end of the smoking gun. Sure, aromatics are great and there are a handful that taste somewhat like they're labeled to smell like, but they are few and far between in my experience. I keep a shelf of aromatics around for times when I'm smoking in front of several people (non smokers in particular) and even tend to load them on occasions when I want a break from whatever else I've been smoking lately. But over time I've found that the most enjoyable smokes (and most flavorful) to me come from uncased, natural tobacco blends. It seems to me that as pipe smokers mature in the hobby, the majority come to this same conclusion. Of course there are exceptions since everyone has different tastes and preferences. I can only speak to my own personal experience and journey. I have no hate for aromatics, I've just grown away from them based on my tastes and exploration through different blend types.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've yet to come across an aro that didn't taste exactly how it smelled. Pack extremely light, and smoke very slow. I still hold to the idea that aros are for the experienced smoker and not the beginner.

 

[sablebrush52]

I've always found the "stigma" around aros to be puzzling. What difference does it make what someone smokes as long as they enjoy smoking it. Aromatics account for roughly 90% of tobacco sales.
My standby for many years was Danish Delight, a very mild vanilla flavored blend. I still have a pound or so jarred. I haven't smoked it in a year or so, because I'm currently enjoying Va/Pers and straight Virginias, but I don't think that aros are lesser blends. They're just a different kind of blend. I've seen posts here from folks that feel the need to disparage aros and my personal response is that it's just an unintelligent position to take. Smoke what you like, like what you smoke, and shut the hell up about what somebody else likes. Unless, of course, it's Holly's Non Plus Ultra, or Germain's Balkan Sobranie.

 

[64alex]

[I've always found the "stigma" around aros to be puzzling. What difference does it make what someone smokes as long as they enjoy smoking it. ]
Absolutely agree. Only comment is that it is probably advisable when starting smoking a pipe not smoking aros probably for the first 6 months at least. The reason is that aros are more difficult to learn to smoke correctly and if smoked improperly they can lead to a bad experience (tongue bite, problems in relighting) and even making stop smoking altogether.

The other reason is that starting with non aros help to understand the different types of tobacco and then should then later on move to aros to understand what is the quality of the real tobacco as there are many good aros but also so and so aros where the casing is used to cover the problems of the tobacco itself.

But said that I agree, just smoke what you like and don't care about what others say.

 

[wilson34]

I Love aromatics. That's the reason I started smoking a pipe.