Will These J.F. Germain & Son Ghost?

[PipeIT]

I am dedicating my Bay Denmark Apple to VAs, and I don’t want to taint it with anything that will ghost it.

There seems to be quite a few J.F. Germain & Son blends flying under the radar as Straight, that certainly come across Topped.

Brighton, Dorchester and Dunbar seem to be topped, and I wanted to know, if anyone heavily smoking these blends, they’ve noticed any ghosting from them?

I recently bought a tin of Tilbury, the last time I smoked it, if I remember correctly, this was straight VA/Burley, but I’m not 100% sure looking back, if it’s also been topped.

I also purchased B.K. Flake and Uncle Tom’s, I’ve never smoked either of these, so I don’t know if they have the typical Germain notes going, with some sort of toppings, if these could ghost.

 

[fireground_piper]

I know Dorchester leaves the room smelling foul after I have a bowl. Drives me crazy, can’t help but imagine it would stink up a pipe if I smoked it regularly. It’s definitely topped and the perique is pungent.

 

[didimauw]

Any tobacco that is smoked more than a few bowls in a row, can ghost. I switch my tobaccos often, and can taste past blends every time. And ALL of my blends are Burley blends.

 

[sablebrush52]

The Esoterica line is mostly aros so they will leave their presence behind. But it's not a robust ghost, like Latakia, that requires extensive battle to remove. A good cleaning, followed by a few bowls of something else, is enough to overwrite the Esoterica leavings.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

If you smoke a weaker/milder blend, you may detect some type of ghost from the previous stronger blend. Since I mostly smoke Virginias, it's probably why I have noticed it so much. And again, for some, the ghost may not be unpleasant.

 

[lestrout]

I personally like the Latakia ghost when I switch to straight VA, especially the lighter golden ones. As for the Esoterica/Germain toppings, I believe the underlying tone is from the casing, which is like some German blends may be using anise in the early preparation of the leaf.

 

[PipeIT]

I’m only talking about ghosts from Topped Aromatics...

Besides Aromatics, I’ve only had Latakia leave behind a slight smokey/ghost. I’ve never experienced ghosts from any other leaf.

If these profiles are a Germain Casing, this is quite an odd process, by how Jeremy Reeves has stated what the purpse of Casings are used for.
———————————
Casing is something that is done to delicately adjust and perfect mouthfeel, and it's done in a subtle way so that the end result is still a very natural-tasting tobacco. Its purpose is to be hidden.

 

[sablebrush52]

I’m only talking about ghosts from Topped Aromatics...

Besides Aromatics, I’ve only had Latakia leave behind a slight smokey/ghost. I’ve never experienced ghosts from any other leaf.

If these profiles are a Germain Casing, this is quite an odd process, by how Jeremy Reeves has stated what the purpse of Casings are used for.
———————————
Casing is something that is done to delicately adjust and perfect mouthfeel, and it's done in a subtle way so that the end result is still a very natural-tasting tobacco. Its purpose is to be hidden.

Germains's has been producing top quality tobaccos for 200 years, so if anyone is odd, it's not them. Reeve's description of the purpose of a casing is consistent with other blending houses, but what consists of "subtle" will vary from one blending house to another. The purpose is to add some flavor to what is an otherwise a largely tasteless material. Greg Pease goes into this in his FAQ.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Tilbury isn't topped.
The bright vas like Brighton, Peacehaven, and Scarborough are all very similar and I've smoked them all extensively with very little to no noticeable ghost.
Uncle Toms has some added flavor but it's not strong either.
Wouldn't worry about Dunbar but Dorchester does have this odd cloying thing going on that always turned me off.

Even the straight up heavier aromatics made by esoterica never seemed to impart themselves in briars I've used - and I smoke a lot of straight virginias.

 

[PipeIT]

Odd, probably wasn’t the best choice of a word.

I just meant by what Jeremy said, I thought the usage was pretty standard by most, and so, when I was referring before with ghosting from Topped tobacco, and casings were mentioned by lestrout, I didn’t think casings had anything to do with ghosting, that’s why I said odd.

 

[sablebrush52]

Odd, probably wasn’t the best choice of a word.

I just meant by what Jeremy said, I thought the usage was pretty standard by most, and so, when I was referring before with ghosting from Topped tobacco, and casings were mentioned by lestrout, I didn’t think casings had anything to do with ghosting, that’s why I said odd.

No worries. Casing is an addition of a bit of sugar, generally, maybe honey, maybe a little something else that doesn't call attention to itself, but helps the base be more flavorful. Anise wouldn't be out of place in discrete amounts. Casings may also be used to adjust the tobacco flavors to seem consistent from year to year, even though crops vary. Toppings are added later, and like the term suggests, sprayed over the tobacco before packaging. Toppings can also be used in discrete amounts, or not
Iin addition to a bit of seasoning, flavors are developed by heating, steaming, pressing, smoking, aging, etc, etc. Lots of ways to work with the basic materials.

 

[JimInks]

Tilbury isn't topped.
The bright vas like Brighton, Peacehaven, and Scarborough are all very similar and I've smoked them all extensively with very little to no noticeable ghost.
Uncle Toms has some added flavor but it's not strong either.
Wouldn't worry about Dunbar but Dorchester does have this odd cloying thing going on that always turned me off.

Even the straight up heavier aromatics made by esoterica never seemed to impart themselves in briars I've used - and I smoke a lot of straight virginias.

The Virginias in Tilbury have been topped with apricot in recent years, unlike older productions. The two batches before the latest (2020 and 2021) had a very obvious dose of it as @sablebrush52 will confirm. A friend just sent me some of the latest batch, and I will be smoking it to see if there's less or no apricot in it.

Dunbar ghosts can be gotten out with good cleaning. I've had to do that on a couple of pipes. Dorchester takes a lot more effort.

Since I have sensitive palate, I tend to notice fairly quickly when introducing a different blend to a pipe what was previously smoked whether faintly or more apparently. That's why I have dedicated a lot of briars to particular blends.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I've smoked far and away more Tilbury than any other Esoterica, but don't think I've opened a tin produced in the last two years.

That gives me pause.

 

[JimInks]

I've smoked far and away more Tilbury than any other Esoterica, but don't think I've opened a tin produced in the last two years.

That gives me pause.

I sure was unhappy about it. I had expected what I was used to.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Why do they do this goofy shit?!

 

[PipeIT]

@sablebrush52 how you described casings is how I understand it.

Hmm Tilbury with apricot...

What confused me, is the tobaccoreviews lists many of these as Straight blends, when they’re clearly not.

@JimInks here like Dorchester, how it’s not listed with any Flavoring, and the Blend Type doesn’t list it as an Aromatic, how do we get Esoterica blends listed correctly?

updating via yoast

www.tobaccoreviews.com

I’ll be honest, I used these reviews, when I sought out and bought Brighton, Dorchester, Dunbar and Tilbury, thinking I’m getting straight blends, and they’re not.

So I feel a bit deceived here, that these blends aren’t being listed properly, even on various online sites too.

Hello SmokingPipes, @swilford & @shaneireland
if you are watching, you’ve also listed many of the Esoterica too as straight blends in the past. Hopefully if you carry them in the future you will change these to Aromatics, so as to not confuse new smokers to these blends I’ve mentioned, thinking they’re buying straight VA/VaPers when they’re not.

 

[Chasing Embers]

the tobaccoreviews

TR is about as accurate as a lemur with a slingshot, more amusing than on point.

 

[Chasing Embers]

So I feel a bit deceived here, that these blends aren’t being listed properly, even on various online sites too

It's been mentioned various times here that the only blends really made by Esoterica that aren't flavored are Margate and Penzance. In all honesty to get an unflavored tobacco you pretty much have to grow it yourself.

 

[PipeIT]

 

[JimInks]

@sablebrush52 how you described casings is how I understand it.

Hmm Tilbury with apricot...

What confused me, is the tobaccoreviews lists many of these as Straight blends, when they’re clearly not.

@JimInks here like Dorchester, how it’s not listed with any Flavoring, and the Blend Type doesn’t list it as an Aromatic, how do we get Esoterica blends listed correctly?

updating via yoast

www.tobaccoreviews.com

I’ll be honest, I used these reviews, when I sought out and bought Brighton, Dorchester, Dunbar and Tilbury, thinking I’m getting straight blends, and they’re not.

So I feel a bit deceived here, that these blends aren’t being listed properly, even on various online sites too.

Hello SmokingPipes, @swilford & @shaneireland
if you are watching, you’ve also listed many of the Esoterica too as straight blends in the past. Hopefully if you carry them in the future you will change these to Aromatics, so as to not confuse new smokers to these blends I’ve mentioned, thinking they’re buying straight VA/VaPers when they’re not.

Dorchester isn't listed having a topping at TR because nobody has changed it until I did just now for the three blends you mentioned in your post. I did note that it had one in my review, though in my opinion the topping isn't strong enough to classify it as an aromatic. I would say the same thing for Dunbar. Brighton to me is a semi-aromatic (unless it's changed since I have smoked it).

You must remember that the listings mostly come from the manufacturers, and they often don't tell what all is in a blend. Those descriptions as used by retailers, many of whom haven't smoked a great number of blends that don't tell you everything. I don't think it's fair to blame the retailers when they don't know all the ingredients. They aren't going to smoke them all to find out.

Tilbury didn't used to have any more than a trace of apricot. That changed in 2020, and perhaps before, for all I know. However, a friend of mine saw my review where I discussed it, and sent me a sample from a bag he just purchased. I have smoked three bowls, and so far, I've barely noticed any apricot. The truth is that Esoterica is not always consistent with their blending with Stonehaven being the most obvious one from my experience.

A great many VaPers have a casing or some degree of topping although it may not always be very evident. Most blends on the market have one or both whether you notice it or not. That doesn't automatically make them aromatics.