Why The Dislike For Latakia?

[badbriar]

Can't help wondering what leads to a dislike for blends containing latakia. Personally, I love the stuff. You know, anything smoked...BBQ Pork Butts, Brisket, Lapsang Souchong tea, bacon and latakia! So, is it that pipe enthusiasts overdose on lat blends and develop a serious dislike or what???

 

[Elric]

It took me a number of years to finally "get" Latakia. Now I enjoy it but still have no desire for a Lat bomb. I much prefer it to be used as a condimental tobacco.

 

[Kingsley]

I accidentally stuck myself in the situation of having nothing but SPC’s Plum Pudding Special Reserve to smoke for about four months early on last year, so, naturally, after that experience I don't personally feel overdose is the wrong word for it.

 

[brian64]

@olkofri

 

[edger]

Smoked lots of it in the past, but it is too dominant for me in my dotage.

 

[pantsBoots]

It took me a while to "get it," but I love the stuff, especially when used in a condimental amount such as in Robert Lewis Orcilla Mixture and Presbyterian.

As for why folks don't like it, you'd have to ask those whom you see self-identify as latakia-haters.

 

[prairiedruid]

Smoke what you like and like what you smoke.

 

[ChuckMijo]

When I first started smoking a pipe I smoked mostly English and of course that had a lot of it in there. And as I tried different blends I slowly began to not enjoy its heaviness, the smokeyness of it became cloying to me. at least for a everyday smoke. I don’t dislike it, I just need to be in the mood to have it.

 

[hauntedmyst]

I love the stuff! Latakia has a lot of testosterone in it. Not a lot of guys can handle the extra shot, not like us real men. I think they are the kind of guys who look at Pomeranian in a handbag and think it's in the same family as a real dog. Probably the same guys who watch Dancing with The Stars instead of Deadliest Catch. The same kind of guys who go to a brunch buffet, see that glorious tray of bacon and say "No, that's to heavy for me. I want some Arugula and sprouts!" And after they are done eating, they get in their Prius and drive to their net neutral energy home.

Ah, who am I kidding, I don't know why anyone doesn't like it. To be honest, you couldn't get me on one of those boats in the Bering Sea and I am probably one T level away from becoming ice dancer Johnny Weir so what do I know? Except now I am thinking about that tray of crispy bacon.

 

[Casual]

Same as an Islay malt versus a lowland. Not everyone wants a flavour blast, even if they like the flavour, and especially if they don’t.

 

[tschiraldi]

When I came back to pipes, I REALLY got into Latakia, English & Balkan blends. I started with light Latakia blends, but I found myself chasing the flavor. It was like Heroin! Before I knew it, I was smoking Lat bombs exclusively, things like Gas Light and 10 Russians. I couldn't get enough! Then, overnight, I couldnt stand the taste or smell of them. It's like that one tequila night... you know what I'm talking about. Haven't been able to touch the stuff since.

 

[warren]

Yup, not everyone is required by the "Pipe Police" to like every blend or leaf. Just smoke what you personally like and can handle. It's that easy.

 

[FurCoat]

I like the stuff. I generally smoke it in the evening. Its VaPer's I'm still figuring out.

 

[ChuckMijo]

I like the stuff. I generally smoke it in the evening. Its VaPer's I'm still figuring out.

Me too. I find them mostly boring. I love blends like HH Arcadian, and now Haddos, ODF. These are my goto blends.

 

[FurCoat]

Me too. I find them mostly boring. I love blends like HH Arcadian, and now Haddos, ODF. These are my goto blends.

Sane here. Escudo didn't do much for me but OJK I like. I may try Archadian since I like the HH offerings. I will say WCC 558 is great but itvis a Kentucky Perique. It has a lot more body.

 

[olkofri]

Hyping something is a sure fire way to make someone hate it.

Latakia. Sigh. The stuff is not bad in itself, though it's not the bomb either. But when people start pompously going around on fora calling themselves real smokers and 'connoisseurs' because they smoke nothing but English blends whilst at the same time snubbing aromatics and those who smoke them as 'kiddies' and not 'real pipe smokers' that's a sure fire way to develop resentment and hatred towards the supposedly 'superior' shit.

Circa 17 years ago I loved the Mozilla browser and it was my default, but when Flawedfox debuted and M$ haters started rampaging through the digital countryside hyping FF and snubbing anyone who didn't use it, I switched back to IE in a jiffy.

 

[brian64]

I love the stuff! Latakia has a lot of testosterone in it. Not a lot of guys can handle the extra shot, not like us real men. I think they are the kind of guys who look at Pomeranian in a handbag and think it's in the same family as a real dog. Probably the same guys who watch Dancing with The Stars instead of Deadliest Catch. The same kind of guys who go to a brunch buffet, see that glorious tray of bacon and say "No, that's to heavy for me. I want some Arugula and sprouts!" And after they are done eating, they get in their Prius and drive to their net neutral energy home.

@olkofri: nevermind...you're no longer needed here.

EDIT: oh damn...too late.

 

[olkofri]

@olkofri: nevermind...you're no longer needed here.

EDIT: oh damn...too late.

What?? I think I'm gonna confiscate your pipes and then rent them out to you. Don't worry, you'll be happy. But if you smoke anything in them that's not aros I won't rent them to you anymore!

 

[username]

I started with Latakia nightcap to be specific. But I find as time when on I gravitated to it less and less. I still smoke the stuff but it’s not a go to like it used to be. *shrug*

 

[unadoptedlamp]

My theory is that it is related to nicotine content and addiction. Not saying that to throw a grenade in this thread, so please keep it peaceful if you disagree.

I just happen to suspect it's how it goes and there is nothing wrong with it. Assuming you're OK with being addicted to nicotine, which many of us seem to be. Keep in mind, not everyone here is a nicotine addict, as some are quick to point out. Disclaimer over.

I have the impression that a lot of newer pipe smokers eventually find latakia and have that "this is it!" moment. They've found that "real" tobacco taste and go whole hog for awhile. It is a uniquely interesting taste that a lot of new pipe smokers seem to discover in a uniquely similar way. Not everyone... but many. In nicotine content, latakia tends to be a step up from burley/cavendish blends... which happen to be the base of many aromatics that people (not everyone, of course) often start with.

With nicotine (addiction), the trend is to want more. It's usually subconscious, as most addiction is, but it's the general direction these things go. Alcohol, heroin, cocaine, etc. Eventually, you're taking a dose that would have killed you if you started there. Latakia doesn't have that bell ringing dose compared to other leaf that people "graduate" to.

So it then seems that a lot of people (not everyone) slowly (or quickly) trend toward favoring higher nicotine blends; particularly virginia/perique blends (perique is a high nicotine leaf) or dark fired kentucky (possibly the king daddy of nicotine content). Those are very popular components among committed (though not always addicted) pipe smokers who have been at it long enough to work their way through the major blend families... all the while building nicotine tolerance and needing a higher dose for that certain satisfaction that comes from pipe smoking.

Obviously this does not apply to those on board who are free of nicotine addiction. But for the rest of the junkies, I suspect that is why latakia eventually seems to fall out of favor.

It's all a bunch of bullshit, most likely, but it's the beginning of my theory. It makes sense on the back of the napkin I have here, but the math is very complicated and I'll not bore you all with the calculations.