Red Rapparee and Latakia

[Dedalus]

The reviewers on TR.com are split pretty evenly on this issue. Some claim Latakia is absolutely present, some claim there is something in there that happens to taste like it, other say it (or something like it) is there but it plays a tertiary role to the VAs and Orientals to the point that you can almost ignore it, and some say they don't detect it at all. So which is it?

I'm interested because I've been enjoying the McClelland Grand Orientals, and would like to branch out to try a few more brands that have Turkish tobacco with no latakia or at least unnoticable latakia. What say ye wise sages?

[SmokinJohnny]

Dmk sent me a generous sample of this stuff and I have been puffing on it. I am not seasoned enough to detect exactly what I'm tasting and what proportion. It seems I do get hints of Latakia. Not like with Old Ironsides but it's there. It's also got a pleasant cigarish taste as well and full bodied. Whatever is in it, it's good sheat, worth remembering, and that's really all that matters to me anyway.

[Requiem]

dmkerr is the man to answer it, as he´s been smoking it in a dedicated pipe.

I´ve only had a tin and my feeling is that it has a little bit of latakia, although I was smoking it in pipes which might be gosthed from english blends, so my answer is not very reliable.

[Mad Hatter]

When I first tried RR I didn't realize it had latakia in it but after I developed a distaste for latakia I just can't see past it. I wound up sending my other 4 tins to EvanS, DmKerr and a couple other friends.

[dmkerr]

There is latakia in RR but not an overabundance. The other orientals make the blend rich and full tasting (along with a lot of red VA) but if it's not latakia, it's doing an amazing impression of latakia. As Requiem pointed out to me recently, the latakia is of the piquant variety rather than the robust so it's best to smoke it in a pipe dedicated to it rather than in the same pipe one would smoke Penzance.

It's probably not the oriental you're looking for, Dedalus. Did I send you any of the McC Classic Samsun?

[Dedalus]

Originally Posted by dmkerr

There is latakia in RR but not an overabundance. The other orientals make the blend rich and full tasting (along with a lot of red VA) but if it's not latakia, it's doing an amazing impression of latakia. As Requiem pointed out to me recently, the latakia is of the piquant variety rather than the robust so it's best to smoke it in a pipe dedicated to it rather than in the same pipe one would smoke Penzance.

It's probably not the oriental you're looking for, Dedalus. Did I send you any of the McC Classic Samsun?

You did send the Classic Samsun, which is the only one I haven't fired up yet. Thus far I really dig the Smyrna #1 and the Drama Reserve. I had to pack the embarcadero away to try in a few years. I really think my problem with pease blends is that the VAs are too young.

[Dedalus]

Ooops. Going back I see now that you sent Katerini Classic, not Classic Samsun. I'm firing up my first bowl of the Katerini now!