From: cbema!wbt (thacker,w b)
Subject: Re: Pipes Digest #6 (March 27, 1989)

In Digest #6, Elias Mazur gives an excellent rundown of various sorts
of tobaccos:

>Burley:  
>light yellowish green to yellow-brown in color, it is a extremely light
>tobacco. It has almost no taste itself, but absorbs the flavorings added to
>aromatic tobacco. Very popular for that reason. 

I take it, then, that most Cavendishes are Burley ?

>Latakia: grown in northern Syria, this oriental tobacco is usually very
>expensive. It is dark brown, almost black in color.  Latakia produces a very
>rich, heavy taste, and is usually found in most quality English mixtures
>(which I favor unconditionally). I usually buy pure Latakia to mix with other
>tobaccos, like Half-and-Half, which is half Virginia and half Burley. I liked
>the mixture and hope that some pipe smokers fellows will try it too.

Latakia also produces a rather, er, um, "distinctive" aroma. 8-)  (I'm
politely trying to say "It stinks !" 8-)

Which brings up an issue: how important is the aroma of a tobacco to you ?
I can't really smell the tobacco when I'm smoking it, anyway, though I
would presume the aroma figures into the taste, somewhat.  If I put down
the pipe and leave the room, and return in a few minutes, though, I can
get a whiff.

I place a lot of emphasis on aroma, though, because I don't want to offend
others, particularly non-smokers.  Back in the before-time, when you could
actually walk around a store while smoking, I received more compliments
than complaints by a factor of at least 3:1.  People who won't tolerate
cigar or cigarette smoke will often be glad to let you smoke a pipe; *if*
it doesn't smell like you're burning field mice.  Of course, my job is made
easier in that I really enjoy vanilla cavendishes, while finding English-
style tobaccoes much less pleasant.   I must confess, though, to never
having tried Latakia; actually, I might, now that I'm living alone 8-)

I would suspect those with families are even more concerned about this.

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Bill Thacker			att!cbema!wbt	     ??????????????????

[Nowwaitaminute! I _like_ Latakia! It wasn't even an acquired taste; I liked
it the first time I smoked it. Even if it does smell like incinerated
rodents and induce the neighbors to call the Fire Department. :-9  -S.]


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