Pipe tobacco: Aromatic blends

Aromatic pipe tobaccos, unlike natural and English Mixtures, undergo a flavoring treatment by being applied a series of additives, mostly natural, that change the fragrance and flavor of the tobacco in no small way.

Thus, the addition of these substances results in a flavor in the tobacco blend, which can be of various kinds, some examples are: vanilla, cherry, whiskey, tropical flavors, honey and caramel.

Sometimes, additives are used to a lesser extent because they are simply intended to harmonize the blend. 

In this case, the influence of flavoring substances is significantly less.

Numerous master blenders use this step to smooth out the edges of some tobaccos, even when dealing with particularly fine blends.

Warning: flavoring should not be confused with other types of treatment, such as fire curing, applied on tobaccos such as Kentucky, Perique, and Latakia.

In fact, the taste of tobacco does not come from synthetic flavoring, but rather from tobacco curing.

The characteristics of aromatic pipe tobacco

Generally, aromatic pipe tobacco has Black Cavendish, Virginia, or Burley as its bases.

Clearly, the flavoring substance is the main determinant of its taste, so we can have blends with the same tobacco compositions and percentages, but differing not a little in taste and fragrance due to the different flavorings.

How does aromatic tobacco affect smoking

First, it should be made clear that this is a tobacco with many admirers...and just as many detractors!

Often, even if mistakenly, aromatic tobacco is attributed to those who have recently taken up tobacco pipe smoking.

Our advice to a neophyte, however, is not to start with this category of tobacco, even though he or she may be attracted to its smells, as we also discussed in the article on types of pipe tobacco. 

The reason? You are more likely to risk overheating your tongue because of its high sugar content.

As for the "flavoring" effect, it is definitely more pregnant in the early stages of smoking, rather than toward the end.

Ultimately, aromatic tobacco represents a not insignificant cross-section among pipe smokers, which can be both an alternative to try something different and an ultimate solution.

What are the best aromatic tobaccos

Some of the best aromatic tobaccos, include the following:

• Samuel Gawith Celtic Talisman (cherry and vanilla);
• Samuel Gawith Black Cherry (cherry);
• Samuel Gawith Black Forest (honey);
• Rattray's Royal Albert (honey, orange and vanilla);
• Rattray's Westminster Abbey (caramel);
• Robert McConnell Red Roses (rose petals and caramel).