Prince Albert’s pipe tobacco is available in 1+1⁄2-ounce (43 g) pouches and 14-ounce (400 g) tins. Its flavor is very strong, so it isn’t usually found in high percentages in a blend. Once the tobacco “drinks” the sauce, it’s conditioned in large cylinders that dry it back to the desired moisture level, generally between 12% (on the dry side) and 22% Pipe Tobacco in Cans (very moist). Optimal moisture for smoking depends on the smoker, but it’s generally in the 13-16% range. The aromas and flavours imparted by casing will remain in the tobacco pretty tenaciously, and will affect the smoke throughout the bowl. These are the two broadest subdivisions of pipe tobaccos, although often the distinctions are blurred.
In some cases, you might notice an improvement, in others, the result will be anything but satisfactory. The jars will seal fine without the “pop” of the slight vacuum that results from cooling. At harvest time, the wilted leaves of the tobacco are hung Pipe Tobacco up to dry for two weeks, stripped of hard veins, and packed into bundles (called torquettes). These torquettes are put into barrels under extreme pressure, and allowed to cure in their own juices (which collect as run-off at the top of the barrels).
Another “spice” tobacco grown only in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Perique is subjected to extreme pressure and is allowed to ferment as it is cured, which results in a very distinctive tobacco. Oriental tobacco plants characteristically have a great deal of small leaves.
A good aromatic tobacco is lightly topped with a natural flavoring. Aromatics tend to be more moist than non-aromatics due to the flavoring added, which can lead to problems smoking them. In the case of a moist or wet blend, problems can also be avoided if care is taken in the preparation of the tobacco. This can include setting a portion out to dry a little, and taking any remaining moisture into account when packing the pipe. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended a rule that gives the FDA regulatory authority over all tobacco products, including pipe tobacco.
The flavor is lightly sweet but has nice depth and a pleasant amount of spice. Pipe smoking is a cultural and social tradition that dates back hundreds of years. Smoking a pipe is more than just lighting a pipe and inhaling smoke. Keeping it fresh and properly stored in a cool and dry place will ensure that each bowl is a sweet treat.
When used heavily, as in most American style aromatic tobaccos, they can overpower the underlying tobacco flavours. Some producers use humectants to maintain a specific moisture level in the final product. You’ll hear people talk about PG, or propylene glycol, the most commonly used humectant these days.
Tobacco that is cured longer (and is thus darker in color) will be less sweet than a tobacco cured quickly. Turkish varietals, unfortunately, are no longer available, even to professional blenders. Cigarette companies snap up most of the Turkish leaf production, and the remainder is made into a generic Turkish blend.
Cavendish is more a process of curing and a method of cutting tobacco than a type of it. The processing and the cut are used to bring out the natural sweet taste in the tobacco. Cavendish can be produced out of any tobacco type but is usually one of, or a blend of Kentucky, Virginia, and Burley and Pipe Tobacco is most commonly used for pipe tobacco and cigars. In 2016, FDA finalized a rule extending our regulatory authority to cover all tobacco products, including pipe tobacco. FDA regulates the manufacture, import, packaging, labeling, advertising, promotion, sale, and distribution of pipe tobacco.