Blending - Smyrna

I remember back in the 60s and 70s when you could still get the rich golden Turkish Monopoly. I also remember Syrian Latakia (smoked Turkish) with great fondness. I blend my tobaccos for the most part according to my mood. Smyrna is often a big component. One my favorites is PS 41 cube cut with 50% Smyrna. I do wish there were more types of Turkish available.

I really like this stuff! Definitely the different flavor i was looking for. The taste kinda reminded me of the warm dry dusty attic my Dad had when i was little. You know like in the Spring time or the fall when it cools off just a little. I used it for my filler in a 12oz blend. I used 6 ozs of it and added 3ozs of red virginia fer sweetness and toast. 2ozs of perique really added a nice flavor to this and i put in an oz of dark fired Kentucky burly for oomph. Really worked out nice. I like the unique flavors of oriental tobaccos. This stuff was moist enough for me as i like my tobacco to burn good. It burned really well. My blend lights up quick after an initial char light and gives nice big smoky hits.

Great.

I have a particular appreciation for Balkans. (The tobacco; I don't know the people.) I remember being totally smitten by the oaky/musty/buttery quality. The description listed with this product is really quite accurate. When I read it, I wondered if this could be the very tobacco that instills those notes I have so appreciated. The answer is an unequivocal YES. I blend my own lately. For a Balkan blend I do about 45% Smyrna, 35% Latakia, and 20% Oriental blend. (All available here.) It's decadent. It equates to a robust (if not slightly exaggerated) presentation of the Balkan profile. Highly recommend. You can also just change the concentrations to create an incredible English blend.

smooth, mildly exotic, excellent blend enhancer potential... seems to improve almost anything. very enjoyable

Can't go wrong strait up or mixing.

This tobacco is great if you're a fan of that musty sour essence that you get in blends like Nightcap or Plum Pudding..Purchased a few ounces of this to add to my own Balkan blend and this will be a great addition for that taste I was looking for.

Enjoy very much, especially when I blend. 60-50 with Lane Lmtd BCA.

I really appreciate orientals more because of this blending tobacco . I add some to blends when i want a little spice .It is smooth and creamy and burns great like it says it does . Pairs great with 515rc -1 . Love this spicy leaf !!

I partook a bowl straight from the baggie to get a feel for its basic characteristics and was surprised by its natural smoothness. Tea like and almost minty, and held its own with no harshness or bite whatsoever. I experimented by adding one part (in lieu of my regular one part of Latakia) to two parts Ole barrel #76 and about one half part blending perique (for an extra zest). It lit well and stayed lit with little fuss and provided smooth, mellow, all-day smoking characteristics, with some complexity, but lacked depth. I’m thinking the the depth could be developed with the addition of a splash of Latakia. I avoid Virginias due to their inevitable bite, but may experiment further with Virginias to coax a bit of sweetness. All in all, the Smyrna added a mellow, musty character to my personal concoction to provide a satisfying all-day smoke. I’ll keep experimenting in search of that perfect morning smoke (paired with coffee) experience.

A friend recommended it to me to enhance other blends. I use it with some capers, and it's tea note together with a gentle mint flavor really makes a humdrum vaper come to life!

As is my habit with blending tobaccos, I like to smoke them straight initially to get an idea of how they behave, their flavor and sundry characteristics. It’s pretty easy to do with this one. Purchased May 2018 and left alone in the sealed plastic bag until November 2018. It had dried a bit so I rehydrated it and let it sit for a couple of days until the texture/moisture felt about right. This morning, I loaded a bowl in a favorite and well understood briar and lit up. It took a couple of try’s to get it burning well but once I did, keeping it lit wasn’t a problem. It’s a nice large ribbon cut, uniform in color and without much aroma in the bag. It’s a mildly flavorful, not noticeably sweet smoke. It burns cool and produces copious quantities of smoke. The room note is modest. Burning time in this pipe was about an hour, about what I’d hoped for. I smoked it to the bottom. It never got harsh or hot throughout the entire time. Without trying to describe the flavor, I’ll say that it should work well with things like Latakia to add aroma and maybe a small amount of Virginia to add sweetness...not too much as it could bite. Could tone down stronger Burleys, making them less strident...I’d like to try a tiny batch of PA with this just to see how it affects a well known favorite. Meanwhile, I’d say it would make a good foundation for an English blend...mostly Smyrna with a bit of Latakia and a touch of Virginia...May blend a batch just to see if my hunch is correct, realizing that this is usually a minor component in Virginia/Latakia heavy blends. I think it could be a featured player. It’s OK on its own but doesn’t have much character.

I roll in hemp papers, and frequently hand out "real tobacco" to cig smokers. The combination of Smyrna and 313 has garnered more compliments than anything else purchased here. Warning, it tastes like a "even-toed ungulate", easy to search that. Recently a "Latakia-less" English came to mind and I tossed in some "Dark Fired Kentucky" also purchased here. Why the DFK doesn't get more mention is beyond me! It's STRONG, and makes EVERY SMOKE FEEL LIKE YOUR FIRST, but the flavor is not that of a brush fire. I've also tried that with Newminster 85, which I do not like as much. It, predictably, was not as good ;-P YMMV. A P&C rep mentioned over the phone that few people blend their own flavors, perhaps 2%. I ask other purchasers to review, so that demand may be solidified. Now if you'll excuse me, with war in the Macedonian region and all that, now would be a good time to stock up!

Right out of the just delivered, just opened bag in a short little London made Prince. First impression for sure...pouch aroma is nothing special. It’s a brown chopped ribbon with smokeable moisture content. Lights and burns easily, stays lit. Gentle on the nose and tongue, smooth flavor with no sharp edges. It’s a very good mild, cool smoke on its own, neutral enough to make me wonder what sort of blend would be good with it. A very natural tobacco flavor. Very pleasant.

Smells like tea in the bag. When lit has a light floral aromatic quality. Came a little dry, I let it hydrate in a jar for a few days. Very smooth and cool burning. I actually enjoy smoking this on its own. Mild flavor. Be sure to let this sit in a jar for a week or so. It'll really smooth it out and makes it a real joy to smoke.

This tobacco made every other tobacco, I blended it with, a much better smoking experience!! I'm kicking myself for not trying this years ago.

Very aromatic and tasty, with the musky description being accurate. Spicy comes to mind also. A little harsh out of the bag when I tried it straight. Maybe needs a little age. For me it wasn't mild in anything but nicotine. Medium maybe.

This is the first time I have used Smyrna in my blending. So far I like it. It adds a little different taste, which I like.

Not as buttery and rich as I had hoped. Intended as a blending condiment, this particular Smyrna smokes very well on its own. I smoked a full bowl straight up and actually enjoyed it. A mild to medium flavor I would describe as dry and musty. Dry meaning dry as opposed to sweet.

I added a trace amount of this to a lifeless, one dimensional Norwegian Pipe Cut blend. It worked wonders.

This is a very tobacco with a very musty, dank flavor that blends well with sweet virginias. I probably won't order this again.