How to Liven Up Your Lane 1-Q

[Haebar]

Short answer: add some Latakia.

I picked up some Lane 1-Q the other day as it's among the top-selling aromatics, and I had never tried it. Having done so, I can now see why it's the most popular tobacco: mild, traditional, smooth, pleasant. But... it doesn't exactly move me. Hey mom, I'd like you to meet my new girlfriend. She's mild, tradtional, smooth, and pleasant.

It occurred to me that this stuff could use some Latakia! So I mixed some up in a bowl, about 2/3 Lane 1-Q and 1/3 Latakia (Peter Stokkebye's Blending Latakia, which I'm pretty sure is Cyprian). That did the trick - tempered some of the sweetness and brought out some of the natural VA and cavendish flavors.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm more of an English and burley fan, & I think that Latakia is the bacon grease of pipe tobacco - it makes anything taste better

Thanks for the tip. I've got some 1Q as well as some other aros that I have been thinking of in these terms. I was going to try something like PS Cube Cut or N-strong non-aro blends to tame the sweetness, like you say, and to give it a little more horsepower. I will try the Latakia as you suggest. Have you ever tried adding straight Perique to the 1Q? What do you think that would do to the mix?