Blending Experiment

[NeverBend]

Evening Gents,

You say that Mixture A tastes like cigarette tobacco? That didn't sound right so I tried it. No, it's tastes like bad cigarette tobacco.

Mixture B has a heavy citrus top note and is one-dimensional? (well, I found this on my own). Not supposed to be that way.

I think I have some answers.

Mixture C is the only one with Latakia. Mixture D was made much more recently, never jarred and it (like Mixture C) has a strong component.

Mixtures A, B & C were all made in mid-September and then stored under forced hand pressure in 2 mason jars per blend. Just before shipping your samples I combined and gave them a good re-mixing and my remaining samples are re-mixed now too. The re-mixing, I believe, caused the phenomena that I earlier explained to Matt where newly blended tobacco tastes flat. Not sure what it's called or exactly what's going on but it's the other side of the effect is where a newly opened tin will improve with a few days (I call it decanting), especially if it has some age. I'll refer to the phenomena as Aeration Affect (AA). When mixed you need to lose some and when opened you need to add some. Make sense?

I always encounter AA when I blend (non-aromatics) and I make allowance for that. Right out of the blending bowl mixtures tend to be one-dimensional but they gain complexity starting in a week or so. I blended Mixture A last August as a test of ribbon Virginia types and it was a dud. Probably tasted like bad cigarette tobacco but it was so forgettable that I forget how bad it tasted and it languished in a mason jar for a year. Tried it this September and it was very different, (13 months). Aromatics don't exhibit much AA. Lesson for Pete, re-mix of relatively new blended tobacco has strong AA.

I'm smoking (as I write) Mixture C (from the same, re-mixed, sample batch sent to you) and the latakia is too pronounced because the other flavors are muted, but it's closer to intent than either Mixture A or B taste like right now. Mixtures with a strongly flavored or acidic component(s) don't seem to be as AA flat but you taste too much of that component.

Your samples of Mixture B uses Lemon VA instead of Bright VA (used in my earlier tests) and that could be part of the citrus top note along with AA. The extra acid in the Lemon VA comes through and this mixture tastes one-dimensional.

Mixture D was blended on 10-14 and sent without having been stored or re-mixed so I'd imagine that the flavors are somewhat more distinct although it too has some AA from initial blending. Cigar makers advise waiting 30 days after rolling to smoke a cigar, so that may be a good benchmark for these mixtures, meaning that they should start to come to life in a couple of weeks. My apologies and despite my earlier reminders to re-mix, do so gently since I suspect (now) that vigorous mixing amplified the AA.

None of your personal mixtures were re-mixed but they may be better in a couple of weeks as well.

My thoughts on what age will do to each mixture:
A = I know that it blooms with age and sucks with AA. I have to wait but I was going to mix a pound of this for myself.
B = I changed Bright VA to Lemon VA and that may be the amplified citrus but the batch (that led to your samples) became nice ~8 weeks out from blending. The citrus should recede and it should gain considerable complexity.
C = This is a finished blend, as long as I can reproduce it regularly (I had thought that I could). The latakia prevents it from being flat like the others but it won't be as intended until the AA wears off and then the latakia is more in a supporting role.
D = Needs a lot more time than it has had, as you have it. It needs to assimilate and smooth one of the components (especially). I suspect it will be much better with about 6 months of age.

I was smoking samples of Mixtures A through C for a few weeks before I re-mixed them and they were on track. Hope we can get back to that point soon and my apologies for holding up the show.

Regards,

Pete