What's new

Cavendish aromatic blends

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
These tobaccos receive a lot of adverse commentary online. Sometimes referred to as beginner tobaccos, wife pleasers, or just flavourless and gloopy. Yet I still really like them.

Now, I'm not talking about the blends that are almost completely black, and that have a consistency suitable for fitting windows or caulking wooden yachts, but the ones that are a good mix of yellow, brown and black. Here is my current jar of Chieftain Stormy Skye as an example.

20220415_135213.jpg

This one is on a Virginia and Burley base, but some are just on a Virginia base, and the Cavendish is less than two-thirds of the blend. Glorious tin note, and the flavours carry over to the lovely tobacco base without drowning it out.

In my limited experience, these European aromatics (as I believe they are considered) do actually benefit from some ageing. This dollop of Stormy Skye is nearly two years old, and is wonderful. I've also had Samuel Gawith festive releases at three years old, and they were excellent smokes too. Some of the younger blends of this type were very nice too (Celtic Talisman etc), but all the ones I smoked older were better. I dare say they won't necessarily be as suitable for cellaring long term, like plain Virginia's, with or without the addition of Burley or Perique, but at two to four years, they can be wonderful.

I still like my plain tobaccos, and the occasional mild English with low to moderate Latakia content, and have more of those ageing than I do aromatics, but I will always have a soft spot for these aromatic blends too.Not an everyday smoke for me, but I do miss them if I haven't smoked one for a while. I've now stopped buying plain tobaccos for the back of the ageing queue (I have a psychological barrier as to how far ahead I can buy for), but may well add a few more of these for the front of the queue. I already have a shopping list knocked up ;)

I'll probably do the same with these though, in as much as when the tin gets opened, I'll put a quarter of the tin in a jar, and the other three quarters will be sealed in three Mylar pouches for enjoying later.

Anyone else a fan? There must be some somewhere, as I think aromatics like this outsell untopped blends at most tobacconists.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Yeah, there's wine snobs too who wax on pretentiously and claim that you're a plebeian if you don't like what they like.
Smoke what you enjoy and bah humbug to the snobs.

...and pens, and coffee, and razors, and fragrance, and whisky, and watches, and music, and...

:001_tongu

What makes this one tricky, is we have different options available, depending on where we are. I don't think the Ashton, Chieftain, or Comoys that are on my short list are available over there, never mind the lesser known Gawith blends. Of course, many (most) of your options won't be on the menu here either. There's maybe only Peterson and Solani that's available to us both, and occasionally (for you guys) Sam Gawith. Possibly the Rattray's versions of some of the Peterson's. 🤔

In that vein, Peterson Special Cut (formally Nutty Cut), Luxury Blend, and Connoisseurs Choice are currently on the short list, along with Solani Red.
 
I commented on another thread that I need to dry out the bits of black Cavendish I still have left from Tinder Box and see if it can be mixed successfully with a Virginia or a burley, or both. It's the black "goopy" stuff, and it may not dry out enough for a good smoke. But I know I can't use it alone; I tried last year. If they ruin a mix, then it'll be time to toss them. Maybe I'll do that for tomorrow morning's pipe.
 

brandaves

With a great avatar comes great misidentification
I enjoy certain aromatic blends from time to time. Exotic Passion is one. I also have some Lane BCA, 1Q and Molto Dolce tucked away. Perhaps my favorite aro is KBV Burley Morning Pipe. I just need to be in the right mood for them. Smoking an aro when you are used to smoking lightly topped Virginias can be a lot. Occasionally the flavors can be too much and overpowering, especially when you are used to having to seek out unique flavors in your blends. As @luvmysuper said, just smoke what you like.
 
This morning, after drying both tobaccos on a saucer overnight, I mixed some of the black Cavendish with the last of the mystery chocolate-maple blend I've had stashed for many years. Both went into my French Lumberman for a pleasant 25-minute smoke. Not much dottle left over at the end, either. So I can probably use up this Cavendish, suitably prepared, with other blends like the Mac Baren Golden Extra.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
I just need to be in the right mood for them. Smoking an aro when you are used to smoking lightly topped Virginias can be a lot.

I can definitely relate to this. :thumbup1:

To me it's like cheesecake. I don't eat it every month, never mind every day, but sometimes I crave it. These tobaccos, for me, are the same. Pick the wrong moment, and they're sickly, but at other times, nothing else will hit the spot. :biggrin1:
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I do like the classic Danish “aromatics” aI sampled, though I don’t know if people consider them as such. The American Aros have some decent ones too. Just For Men had a Hobbit inspired one that I started my smoking journey with, but that was what seems like eons ago and I can’t find it anymore. I believe it was “Treebeard”, a vanilla-ish English.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
I do like the classic Danish “aromatics” aI sampled, though I don’t know if people consider them as such.

Really? I'd have a hard time classifying them as anything else. Although I don't think I've tried any of the wholly Cavendished blends or ones lubed up with glycerine (?)

I consider these ones with part Cavendish to be full aromatics, and the ones without Cavendish (Firedance, Hyde Park, Uni Flake, Irish Mixture, etc) to be light aromatics. They all get smoked in the same pipes. The only other aromatics I smoke are Lakelands, which I smoke in other dedicated pipes, to keep the floral ghosts separate from the food and drink flavour ghosts. :biggrin1:
 

Isaac

B&B Tease-in-Residence
I do like the classic Danish “aromatics” aI sampled, though I don’t know if people consider them as such. The American Aros have some decent ones too. Just For Men had a Hobbit inspired one that I started my smoking journey with, but that was what seems like eons ago and I can’t find it anymore. I believe it was “Treebeard”, a vanilla-ish English.

I recently picked up a jar of treebeard. I think Shortcut to Mushrooms is still their best offering. I dont thinkk most aromatics hold up with age.
 
I make my own - 1/3 Va, 1/3 Cav and 1/3 Burley. The latter adds a little additional backbone and the individual components are subject to change. The current mixture includes McClelland #5100, Wessex Burley Slice and C&D Green River Cav.
 
I like some of the cavendish aros, but where I think black cavendish really shines is as a condiment in some of the better virginia and burley blends. If it's left alone and not gooped up with flavorings it has a nice light sweetness all its own. The gooped up offerings are what they are. I think too many guys complain about them without taking the time to consider them as what they were meant to be. A vehicle for a particular flavor.

In my opinion some aromatics improve with age, and some don't depending on the quality of the underlying tobaccos. I don't think most toppings, if any, improve with age. I burned through a tin of Ennerdale from 2017 recently that was absolutely divine. The Lakeland Essence was not nearly as pronounced as it was fresh, but the flavor of the tobacco was perfection itself. Some blends improve with that change, some don't, and others turn into something completely different.
 
I've smoked a pipe for 20 years off and on...everything from straight VA to Prince Albert. If I had to pick a desert island smoke, it would be a vanilla flavored black cavendish. I just love the stuff. No bite, lots of smoke, good taste and aroma. Lane's BCA is a favorite but so is the much cheaper Smoker's Pride. It's the perfect all day smoke for me.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
I got myself a tin of Solani 131 Red Label at the back end of last year, and crammed as much of it as I could in a 120ml (4oz?) jar to save for later. I'm just smoking the penultimate (I think) smoke from what was left in the tin. I'm glad I did cram that jar full, because what's left in the tin is now pretty crispy.

Damn fine smoke though. Far too sweet to be an all day blend, but then I think that's common for these blends. However, when I have been in the mood for something lighter and flavoured, I've really enjoyed a bowl of this.

I think it's just supposed to be whisky flavoured, but I get dark fruits and vanilla from it too, and it doesn't completely drown out the tobacco beneath it all. It does burn a little fast then dry, but no bite. Well worth a try, in my opinion.
 
Top Bottom