Full Turkish blends?

[Jpcouling]

Hello to all my fellow growers and tobacco lovers!

I am interested to know if anyone on this forum enjoys the taste and aroma of a fully Turkish blend for a cigarette? I have yet to try any homegrown Oriental or Turkish tobaccos either, any suggestions for who's or what I should try?

 

[DGBAMA]

For just flavor and aroma, the Turkish Izmir I grew last year is a definite stand-alone favorite. Turkish/Oriental varieties are lower in Nicotine, so for full satisfaction you may need to blend with something that has more kick.

 

[Knucklehead]

I tried a full Turkish commercial blend that seemed rather light to me, although the taste was wonderful. Istanbulin smokes alot of full Turkish blends and loves them. He recommends a blend of 30% Kozluk or Mutki, 20% Izmir, 20% Adiyaman, 20% Trabzon, 10% Canik. You'll have to gather up the seed for all these and grow them yourself.

Don sells two Turkish whole leaf blends here: http://www.wholeleaftobacco.com/Whole-Leaf-Cigarette-Blends_c17.htm
The Yedi Turkish American and the Turkish light blends.

 

[Jpcouling]

Thanks to the both of you! I have a question about how the Turkish tobacco develops, maybe it would fare better in Science, but I will post it here out of sheer laziness. I have read that a prime reason for Oriental tobaccos developing their distinct aroma is due to the plant's adaptive processes of withstanding desert heat. More of these aromatic compounds are produced as a wax or coating to preserve the moisture of the plant. Does this sound correct? Does anyone have any articles or information on this to share?

 

[Knucklehead]

Thanks to the both of you! I have a question about how the Turkish tobacco develops, maybe it would fare better in Science, but I will post it here out of sheer laziness. I have read that a prime reason for Oriental tobaccos developing their distinct aroma is due to the plant's adaptive processes of withstanding desert heat. More of these aromatic compounds are produced as a wax or coating to preserve the moisture of the plant. Does this sound correct? Does anyone have any articles or information on this to share?

I would have to discount the above statement due to the fact that myself and several growers in the states find their oriental varieties to also have the unique Oriental aroma and flavor. Standard American wide spacing as well as traditional close Turkish spacing have both been tried. Not much desert here in Alabama and I'm extremely satisfied with the orientals I grew at traditional Turkish close spacing, no additional fertilizer, no watering and no topping.

 

[istanbulin]

... I have read that a prime reason for Oriental tobaccos developing their distinct aroma is due to the plant's adaptive processes of withstanding desert heat. More of these aromatic compounds are produced as a wax or coating to preserve the moisture of the plant. Does this sound correct? Does anyone have any articles or information on this to share?

None of the tobacco varieties can withstand desert conditions. Yes, resinous formations on the leaf help to keep water in. So, it sounds half correct. There're too many posts about Oriental tobacco in the forum.

 

[DGBAMA]

None of the tobacco varieties can withstand desert conditions. Yes, resinous formations on the leaf help to keep water in. So, it sounds half correct. There're too many posts about Oriental tobacco in the forum.

No such thing as too much information.............it just becomes a little more work to decipher the good from the bad.

 

[Knucklehead]

Here's an old book on Turkish tobaccos by C.L. Constantinides from 1912. Some of the information may be outdated or just plain wrong. But it's one of the few books out there. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...8EjqlSne5FO8305Z4dBC7Iw&bvm=bv.60983673,d.aWc

 

[Jpcouling]

Thanks Knucklehead, that is worth reading just for the nostalgic element! So perhaps the Oriental varieties are just naturally higher in these special aromatic esters? Are they esters?

 

[Knucklehead]

We have some members with Dr. or Professor in front of their name, and PhD or MD after it. I'm standing aside for one of them to show up when you start talking chemicals and compounds. "It taste good" or "I couldn't finish the damn nasty thing" are about as technical as I can get.

 

[Knucklehead]

Another Turkish Tobacco book: Aromatic or Oriental Tobacco by Frederick Adolph Wolf --1962 : http://google.com/books?id=rRFtAAAAMAAJ&source=gbs_book_similarbooks

 

[Jpcouling]

These books are awesome! Thanks for sharing! I will also gladly accept any sharing of homegrown Turkish tobacco!

 

[DonH]

Yes, every now and the I like a 100% Turkish blend. I just mix equal proportions of all the Turkish varieties I have and it comes out pretty good. As for growing it in the US, all I can say is that I really like the Turkish types I grow in Massachusetts and I like it a lot better than Peter Stokkebye's Turkish blend. I taste more aromatic compounds in mine.

 

[DonH]

Another Turkish blend that I like is to take my 100% Turkish blend and mix it 1:1 with Flue Cured Virginia. You can also make a standard American blend but triple the amount of Turkish in it.

 

[FmGrowit]

Turkish/Oriental tobaccos have taken centuries to develop. If you grow "Turkish" tobacco here in the States from seeds collected year after year, the variety will no longer be true and eventually lose all characteristics that make it "Turkish.

 

[Knucklehead]

Turkish/Oriental tobaccos have taken centuries to develop. If you grow "Turkish" tobacco here in the States from seeds collected year after year, the variety will no longer be true and eventually lose all characteristics that make it "Turkish.

How do we keep Turkish varieties true here in the States? I thought they had already gone past the point of returning to their parent plant state.

 

[FmGrowit]

In as little as two years, a tobacco variety can morph into a different variety. The more times the cycle occurs, the further removed the variety becomes.

So a better seed collection practice would be to grow a single years seeds for as long as the seeds are viable...then refresh the supply. Seeds should remain viable for 15-20 years or longer.

Planting seeds from consecutive seasons is exactly how Turkish/Oriental tobaccos were developed. The seeds originated in the Americas and after 500 years of morphing, have become there own type of tobacco.

 

[Knucklehead]

In as little as two years, a tobacco variety can morph into a different variety. The more times the cycle occurs, the further removed the variety becomes.

So a better seed collection practice would be to grow a single years seeds for as long as the seeds are viable...then refresh the supply. Seeds should remain viable for 15-20 years or longer.

Planting seeds from consecutive seasons is exactly how Turkish/Oriental tobaccos were developed. The seeds originated in the Americas and after 500 years of morphing, have become there own type of tobacco.

And the replacement seed will need to come from overseas once the changes have occurred in seed over here?

 

[Jpcouling]

In as little as two years, a tobacco variety can morph into a different variety. The more times the cycle occurs, the further removed the variety becomes.

So a better seed collection practice would be to grow a single years seeds for as long as the seeds are viable...then refresh the supply. Seeds should remain viable for 15-20 years or longer.

Planting seeds from consecutive seasons is exactly how Turkish/Oriental tobaccos were developed. The seeds originated in the Americas and after 500 years of morphing, have become there own type of tobacco.

So it will naturally morph in to another distinctive or new variety. Well wouldn't this mean that almost any tobacco you grow consecutively will soon enough become its own variety?

 

[FmGrowit]

That would be the best way to assure you're growing as true to form plants as possible. Refreshing seeds every year accelerates the transitioning process.