Pardon my overstepping if I shouldn't start this thread on the first day of June with no consensus; in that case, please ignore. If not, I think I have a good idea for the thread.
I was googling for ideas on what I was smoking in The Great Blind Pipe Taste Test of 2014 and ended up doing some more reading.
The author questions the categorization of pipe tobaccos into Aromatic and English (or Aromatic and non-aromatic, etc). He asks a few of the big names in the industry to help define it, with results varying even more widely than you might expect if you asked a large forum. There's a little bit to learn in their answers. I think what I like most, though, are from two of the comments:
It can go further than pipes, too. Infused cigars may be defined more clearly, but they seem to have a similar (if less severe) social divide. In hookah smoking, it seems to be about charcoal; quick light vs. natural. I don't know anything about vaping, and maybe it hasn't been around long enough yet to grow a divide like that - though one could look at opposing views of vaping juice vs. smoking leaf.
What do you think? How do you define Aromatic, English, Non-Aromatic, Balkan, etc? How do you feel about Aromatics, or infused cigars, or instant-light charcoal? Do you feel defensive about enjoying them? Do you think less of folks who enjoy them? Do you feel like it doesn't matter as long as we're all enjoying whatever we're doing? Is your treatment of the others consistent with your values?
Even taking the "smells nicer than it tastes" comment and running with it, is that so bad? As long as it tastes good and hits that spot that you're looking for, is there anything wrong with added scent components for the sake of folks around you? I'm lucky enough that my wife enjoys the room note of everything, but for others it may mean the difference between an enjoyable smoke and no smoke.
I was googling for ideas on what I was smoking in The Great Blind Pipe Taste Test of 2014 and ended up doing some more reading.
The author questions the categorization of pipe tobaccos into Aromatic and English (or Aromatic and non-aromatic, etc). He asks a few of the big names in the industry to help define it, with results varying even more widely than you might expect if you asked a large forum. There's a little bit to learn in their answers. I think what I like most, though, are from two of the comments:
- "Smoke whatcha like, like whatcha smoke." -- it's a cliche, but a good one.
- "In my opinion an aromatic blend is one that smells nicer than it tastes." -- this handily fits the social status given to aromatics, as show by the author's admitted (and abandoned) snobbery.
It can go further than pipes, too. Infused cigars may be defined more clearly, but they seem to have a similar (if less severe) social divide. In hookah smoking, it seems to be about charcoal; quick light vs. natural. I don't know anything about vaping, and maybe it hasn't been around long enough yet to grow a divide like that - though one could look at opposing views of vaping juice vs. smoking leaf.
What do you think? How do you define Aromatic, English, Non-Aromatic, Balkan, etc? How do you feel about Aromatics, or infused cigars, or instant-light charcoal? Do you feel defensive about enjoying them? Do you think less of folks who enjoy them? Do you feel like it doesn't matter as long as we're all enjoying whatever we're doing? Is your treatment of the others consistent with your values?
Even taking the "smells nicer than it tastes" comment and running with it, is that so bad? As long as it tastes good and hits that spot that you're looking for, is there anything wrong with added scent components for the sake of folks around you? I'm lucky enough that my wife enjoys the room note of everything, but for others it may mean the difference between an enjoyable smoke and no smoke.
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You my friend just enjoyed an aromatic 
