Latakia Sneak Peek
I am deeply embroiled in the process of creating a blending matrix (big chart) for Latakia pipe blends. The Latakia percentage starts at a timid 25%, and tops out at a generous 75%. While a handful of the nearly 20 blends are burley-based, all the rest are Virginia (lemon and red) and Turkish-based (Izmir and Prilep), supplemented with Dark Air. The goal is a blending matrix for use with WLT-available whole leaf tobacco.
I start with "paper" blends--blend ratios that seem like they ought to be nice. Then I actually make a small quantity, and smoke it in a pipe. I tweak each trial blend in the next mini-batch.
How do I adjust its:
- smokiness?
- floral quality?
- sourness?
- sweetness?
- fullness?
- strength?
- tongue bite?
- general balance?
My thoughts on these questions will be a part of the final matrix.
Here is a sneak peek of one final blend. It's the heaviest Latakia blend, at 75% Latakia. Ingredients are listed as parts per 16. Think ounces per pound, or teaspoons per total batch of 16 teaspoons. (I believe that greater theoretical accuracy is not likely or practical with tobacco pipe shred.) Notice the fairly broad pipe shred, which affects the burn rate (wider the shred, slower the burn) and smoke density (wider the shred, the cooler the ember and the fuller the smoke density--less thorough combustion). John Cotton "No. 1 and 2", a now extinct tobacco brand and blend, used this wide shred, and became my favorite shred width a long time ago.
Davy Jones
- Latakia: 12
- Prilep: 0
- Izmir: 1
- Lemon VA: 1
- VA Red: 2
- Dark Air: 0
- Toasted Burley: 0
Since Perique and Cavendish require home processing, they will not be a part of the Latakia blending matrix.
Bob