BLENDING 101
Posted by Clarence Walker on Tuesday, 13-Mar-2007
As in so many areas of our lives today, even in the tobaccos we smoke there is a considerable amount of mis-information and misunderstanding. Even worse, what most consumers would assume to be tobacco may well be tobacco stems that have been shredded and expanded, as well as any of countless hundreds of chemicals and other adulterants added to promote burning, maintain moisture, or add whatever side affects may be desired for taste, such as the use of ammonia for "kick". Not too surprisingly, some even add nicotene. In most industries there used to be severe penalties for articially meddling with natural ingredients such as in the laws in Europe that prohibited anything other than water, barley, hops and malt in good beers or cutting flour with anything other than wheat flour. Back then, one was subject to losing a hand if they were caught with sawdust in their flour. Is sawdust too dissimilar from some of the tailings, sweepings and expanded tobacco in some of today's cigarettes?
The very name English blend derived from the prohibition of anything other than pure tobaccos in pipe tobaccos. Personally, I believe that we could learn a lot from some of these past demands for quality. A least smokers of yesteryear knew what they were smoking. Imagine a truth in labeling law that required the listing of the real ingredients in commercially made cigarettes!
However, even in the realm of custom made blends few understand what is really in those pouches. If we did have more of an understanding of the basic component, we would be better able to consistently blend flavorful, aromatic smokes. For example where is that "Virginia" tobacco coming from?
The following will give a rough idea of just how many states produce "Virginia":
State Acres 1,000 lbs.
Burley
Kentucky 185,000 419,950
Tennessee 46,000 94,760
Virginia 11,000 22,605
Ohio 9,700 18,915
North Carolina 8,200 17,999
Indiana 6,400 13,440
Missouri 2,600 5,928
West Virginia 1,700 2,720
Total 270,600 596,317
Flue-cured
North Carolina 276,000 621,640
South Carolina 51,000 109,905
Georgia 43,000 103,845
Virginia 40,000 84,800
Florida 6,900 19,044
Total 416,900 939,234
Flue-cured and burley
United States 687,500 1,535,551
Source: Crop Production, 1990 Summary, USDA/NASS, January 1991.
Even the fine tobaccos produced inthe state of Virginia may be bright leaf, burley, fire cured or sun cured, four distinct types. This, of course, assumes that one knows that even the variety that produces this bright leaf may lead to red, black, dark, lemon, orange or orange-red and that doesn't even address other casings or cuts that lead to Cavendish. In truth, the tobacco companies actually obtain bright leaf tobacco from Africa, China, South America, India and elsewhere.
But, what about hte other incredible styles such as the Turkish or Balkan blends that add so much to your smokes. Even among those you have Xanthi, Komotini, Drama, Serrus, Samsun, Izmir, Latakia and others. While we're at it, don't forget the Perique, one of the most delicious of the "spice"tobaccos. So, what's in your pouch?
So often today we are combining proprietary, prepackaged, premixed blends that very few actually know what they are smoking. Real blenders do. Next time you are preparing to develop your own blend consider statring with the basics, the actual tobacco varieties themselves, and then taste each one, savor its flavor, enjoy its unique aroma, actually learn the characteristics of that unique variety. Is it hot on the tongue, does it dry the mouth, is there a residual sweetness, is it harsh and cloying, will it drive others from the room? After you have smoked that specific variety, what is the residual impression after a few minutes?
Blending fine tobaccos is not too dissimilar from tasting fine wines or creating a new microbrewed beer. Once you have familiaried yourself with each unique variety of tobacco and remembered those impressions, you will be far better able to consider them as ablend while savoring the characteristics of each.
Comments [ new ]
- Re: BLENDING 101
- Posted by Smokin n Jokin on Tuesday, 13-Mar-2007
Most of the time I'm lucky if I can tell if it's mentholated or non-mentholated. The latitude and longitude that it was grown at, what kind of hand lotion the person that harvested it used and what they had for breakfast, and so on would be of absolutely no interest to me.
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- Re: BLENDING 101
- Posted by cheap & chippy chopper on Thursday, 12-Apr-2007
Clarence, I'm a-resonatin' with your profound interest in the fine points of all things Tobacco.
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I am newborn in the study. My first surprise two days ago was that Turkish (in the form of Ramback) is utterly wonderful. I thought it would be nothing more than a curiosity.
Second surprise: in these two days since delivery of my first-every MYO baccy order, I've created four blends that amaze and delight me. The latest this morning:
40% London Export, 40% Ramback, 20% Wintergold.
I challenge anyone to create a softer, yet fuller-flavored, yet milder, more ... mysterious... and yet 24/7 smokeable mix than this one.
Blending skills must be based on a something akin to the art of cupping: the ability to discriminate toward the best while perceiving all angles of each gem in a taste.
~ girl with new toys