Last week we talked about English Blends, and this week we are going to tell you about ten aromatics that you should take a look at before the end of 2021. Before we get to our list, some newcomers to the world of pipe tobacco might have a question: what is an aromatic?
An aromatic pipe tobacco is one that utilizes outside ingredients to add extra flavors and scents to the blend. This is done in two parts, first by spraying a combination of sugar and alcohol that penetrates the tobacco leaf, which is called a casing. A casing is not what gives an aromatic its flavor; it merely assists as a subtle hint of what could be, more as a way to adjust the natural flavors of the tobacco. There are plenty of non-aromatic blends that have a casing, but the aromatics use them as well; as the first ingredients.
The second is through the use of what is called a top note. Top notes are where the magic of aromatics comes to the forefront. While casings are added to the individual leaves, top notes are added to the blends themselves during the final stages of production.
There are a ton of different flavors to use for aromatics; fruits, candies, and alcohols. You might find plums, cherries, citrus fruits. Meanwhile, others will use vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. Whiskey and rum are also popular choices. The beauty comes in the combinations that are used to make the best flavor.
Just like cooking, if you want to highlight a flavor, you don't just use that one. There are accentuating and complementing pieces, the ones that will make the main flavor shine. Just like you use salt to bring out the most of a chocolate bar, some fig can emphasize a citrus top note.
Aromatic tobaccos are the most popular tobacco blends, especially among beginners, and by a large margin. It is no surprise, really, since the scents brought out by aromatics are more pleasing to other people, the ones that are not enjoying the bowl. Having a smoking session around non-smokers can be a tricky practice since you are trying to spend time with friends or family while not driving them away because of something they might not like. The benefits of aromatics come in that room note that they are much more pleasant to smell than non-aromatics, so you will have fewer complaints from those around you when you enjoy a bowl of tobacco.
Just like last week, we're going to list the tobaccos based on strength, from mild to medium, then strong. Also, note that none of these will be cherry aromatics. There are so many quality cherry tobaccos that a whole list of them will be coming later in the series. So without further ado, here are ten aromatic tobacco blends that you should try before the end of the year.
Mild
Mild tobaccos are great for enjoying any time of the day. They are not as harsh as the more potent blends of tobacco, so they will not be as likely to give you the problems that a strong tobacco can.
Brebbia #22
While Brebbia might be known more for its tobacco pipes, they still are able to make some impressive pipe tobacco. This is a comfortable tobacco, something that would be great any time of the day. Brebbia Quartetto #22 features a mixture of Virginia and Black Cavendish tobaccos, flavored with a mix of citrus and spice. A mild tobacco, but flavored enough that you will get the full enjoyment every time you pack a bowl of it.
Borkum Riff Original
Borkum Riff was founded in 1962, named after a lighthouse in the North Sea that has guided ships for many years. Borkum Riff's Original blend harkens back to some of the earliest aromatics; it is a 60-40 mix of Black Cavendish and Virginia tobaccos harvested all over the world. As with the rest of the aromatics on this list, you will get a pleasant room note thanks to the flavors of chocolate, prune, and other various fruits. When you want to enjoy an all-day tobacco, Borkum Riff is a great option to choose.
Cobblestone High Spirits Sangria
Sangria is a fun, fruity drink made from wine, fruit, and some other ingredients mixed together. These ingredients will steep, resting for hours before being served for everyone's enjoyment. Originating in Spain, you will get a great fruity taste every time you drink sangria, and that's the same exact thing you get when you savor a bowl of Cobblestone High Spirits Sangria. Featuring a combination of Black Cavendish and Virginia tobaccos, you will get a wonderful room note of citrus and alcohol. Perfect for enjoying among friends, especially in the evening when you are all having a drink.
Cobblestone High Spirits Amaretto
Our second Cobblestone blend, this one is different from the Sangria, a different blend based on a different alcohol. Amaretto is a nut-based liqueur, typically made from apricot kernels, peach stones, or almonds. However it is made, you will get a pleasant almond flavor and is a popular addition to coffee or other mixed drinks. Amaretto was first made in Italy, though who and when it was exactly made is disputed. No matter how it was made, its popularity soared in the 1960s when it was brought to the United States during the World's Fair.
The same pleasant aroma you get from the drink is what you will experience when you light up a bowl of the Cobblestone High Spirits Amaretto pipe tobacco. This blend is made from a combination of Black Cavendish and Burley tobaccos. The added flavoring helps bring out the nuttiness of the Burley, giving you an extra touch of almond flavor. Great for morning smoking sessions; you can appreciate this with a cup of coffee, just like the liqueur.
Medium
Medium strength blends are a great strength for many smokers moving past their first tobaccos. There's nothing wrong with staying with mild blends, but sometimes you just want a little more punch, and a medium strength will provide that without being overpowering like a strong tobacco can be.
Sutliff Queen Anne's Revenge
Sutliff is a major producer of pipe tobacco, with almost 200 years of experience in creating blends that people love. With all those years of experience, they were able to create a massive catalog, garnering rave reviews with almost every blend they manufacture. Of those, one of the more well received is their Queen Anne's Revenge pipe tobacco.
Medium strengthed, you will get a nice hit of the rum flavoring with this blend; Sutliff created it with a mixture of Black Cavendish, Burley, and Virginia tobaccos. You will have a rich rum flavoring and aroma with this blend. Some more good news about this blend is if you love it, you will be able to get as much of it as you want since Sutliff releases it in bulk packages.
Cornell & Diehl Berries & Cream
There are not many combinations that are as iconic as berries and cream. So iconic, in fact, that there are lists of recipes for different desserts and snacks that will be a treat whenever you make one. The sweet tastes of the berries pair perfectly with the savory and smooth creams, typically vanilla, that make these such a great pairing.
That combination is what makes Berries and Cream an excellent release from Cornell & Diehl's Master Tobacconist Craig Tarler. Berries and Cream is a combination of Black Cavendish and Burley tobaccos. Flavored with Blackberry brandy, you will get a medium strength tobacco with a pleasant room note and an outstanding aroma. This is a tobacco you can easily enjoy, and picking up a package of Berries and Cream will be one of the better decisions you can make.
Cobblestone Café Vanilla Latte
Our third and final Cobblestone blend on this list, Vanilla Latte is not an alcohol based aromatic like the other two, but instead a wonderful coffee flavored blend, something that would be a great option at a café or relaxing outside on your deck.
Cobblestone Vanilla Latte features a mixture of Black Cavendish, Burley, and Virginia tobaccos, with vanilla and coffee flavorings added in for the pleasant aroma and flavor. The nutty and earthy flavor of the Burley really gets amplified by the roasted espresso coffee topping. At the same time, the vanilla adds a smooth and creamy note, combining to create an overall excellent smoking experience.
Rattray's Wallace Flake
1903 saw Charles Rattray open up a pipe tobacco shop in Perth, Scotland. His skillful blending made it that people went out of their way to visit his store, expanding his business quickly. While Rattray's is now known more for their smoking pipes than their tobacco, you can still get a quality blend from them.
One such blend is this Wallace Flake. Made out of a combination of Orientals along with golden and dark brown Virginia tobaccos, the top note of plum and other fruits mix with the natural aroma of the tobacco to create a pleasant smelling blend, citrus and fruity, with earthen undertones. It is always a great experience when you can enjoy the taste and smell of your tobacco, and Wallace Flake does precisely that.
Strong
Strong tobaccos are not for beginners. If you are not prepared for a strong blend, it can overwhelm you. There's not a lot of things worse than sitting down to enjoy a bowl of great tobacco only to have it be too much for you and wasting a smoking session. Strong tobacco blends are something people work up to, and they are not for everyone. If you are looking for a more powerful blend than something mild or medium, this is it for you.
Peterson The Royal Yacht
Originally produced by Dunhill, Peterson's "Royal Yacht" is a classic blend, something that works wonderfully as an evening smoke. This is a luxury smoke, befitting the name. It is entirely a combination of Virginia tobaccos, with flavored toppings that create a great tin note and better room note. Thanks to the toppings, you will pick up hints of citrus and plum, flavoring that should not wane at any point of your smoking session.
Dunhill pipe tobacco has a legendary history, dating back to the early 1900s when Alfred Dunhill began creating blends based on his customers' desires. They had nearly 37,000 different blends at Dunhill's peak, all noted in the famous Dunhill "My Mixture" book. However, all good things must come to an end, and production on the Dunhill tobaccos stopped in 2017. It almost was the end of the line, but two years later, Peterson stepped in and acquired the rights to the recipes. Thanks to Peterson, we can appreciate tobacco blends that have thrilled and satisfied pipe smokers for over 100 years.
Peterson Hyde Park
This is the second Peterson blend on the list, and it gets the same high marks the other tobacco received. It is named after a royal park in London, the largest of the ones in the central area of the city. Hyde Park was created by King Henry VIII in 1536, initially to be a hunting ground for the royalty. It was later made available to the public 101 years later, and it became one of the most popular locations for people to gather, protest, or just enjoy the scenery.
Peterson Hyde Park is created through a mixture of Burley, Indian, and Virginia tobaccos while flavored with Maple and Rum to give a great aroma. Pressed into a broken flake cut, the sweet taste of the maple balances greatly with the tang of the rum. At the same time, the earthy, nutty Burley combines everything into a pleasant smoking experience, perfectly suited for an after-meal indulgence.
When you want to enjoy your smoking sessions, don't discount the pleasant benefits of aromatics. While far from the only style of tobacco you should try, the level of diversity in this category of blends means you can find any number of tobaccos to enjoy and have different experiences with each. Aromatics are still the most popular version of pipe tobacco and will easily remain that way for the foreseeable future. You will be able to have a great time with any of these blends and any others you are interested in exploring.
Next week: Virginias