New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart

[freestoke]

Originally Posted by WyGuy

Is there a "right" way to smoke aromatic blends? I just got in some of the different Boswell blends for when I smoke indoors, and while they smell fantastic in the pouch I can hardly taste anything while smoking them. Or is this just simply the nature of the beast in regards to aromatics? Thanks.

Some of the stuff that seems merely to have had some sort of syrup cooked onto a bunch of burley can be pretty dreadful from my perspective, others not so bad. Some aromatics are pressed and aged with a flavored casing --I'd rate PS Luxury Twist Flake as an aromatic, but it certainly bears no resemblance to something like 1Q, which is a reasonably decent version of the goop group. Some people would call Royal Yacht an aromatic, which is yet another thing, but it probably doesn't smell good enough to non-smokers to rate. The few Boswell blends I've tried were quite good.

I pack them very loosely and use the tamper to establish the proper draw after it's lit. Pack an aromatic too tight and you're basically done for. It can be sticky, too, so it often pays to let it dry a bit, until a wad of it falls apart rather than coagulates into an airtight, flameproof clump. Always bear that in mind when tamping -- they tend to burn wet and the tobacco will clump if you tamp it too hard and never burn right again.

For me, aromatics are dessert tobaccos. Basic smokes constitute most of my smoking, but a bowl of Three Blind Moose (my favorite aromatic) is nice for a change of pace. I also like to tone down the TBM with some PA mixed in. I think a lot of aromatics are a lot more tolerable "thinned" with something neutral.