When I was a pipe smoker, Latakia was always “the dark side”. You either loved it or hated it with a passion. I still remember the smell and flavour of Dunhill’s Early Morning Pipe and Nightcap. But even if you loved it, it didn’t seem to be the kind of flavour that you wanted all day, plus the tobacco had a significant nicotine hit. When I saw the offering by De Kralingse, there was no question that I had to try it. This snuff comes in a box which tells me that the snuff is the focus, not the packaging. The label seems photocopied from a mid-90’s computer print. The box is quite unique and I like the fact that there is a little plastic grate on the opening hole which looks like it’s meant to break up little balls of snuff that can form because of moisture. The snuff is dark, reasonably coarse and smells very smoky. Now, here is my first and probably most important point: it does not smell anything like you would expect after trying the pipe tobacco version. That is ok and not a problem, but it did disappoint me a little. However, Latakia is a mix tobacco, much like Perique, to add flavour to something that is usually based on Virginia and Burley. So depending on how much was added and how it was processed, I can tell that some must be in there. In the nose I get a slight burn, very little throat drip and to be honest, I have to use the handkerchief quite a lot. Again, that’s not a problem but it might become a challenge when out and in public. Here comes my second point, and that’s a personal disappointment which does not reflect on the snuff. My point is: I’ve had it before. I expected a little more uniqueness but this is “just another very dark, very charcoal earthy” smelling snuff. I want to emphasise that it’s a good snuff and I recommend it. But if you’ve had plenty of experience with the likes of Santo Domingo or Bernard’s Gekachelter Virginie, the Latakia Ao is what it is. Just another one of those - albeit excellent. I like it, I recommend it. I just had certain hopes or expectations as to the unique character of that snuff which haven’t been met, and that’s not De Kralingse’s fault. That means: try it, buy it, if you want a great snuff for the rainy autumn outdoors, campfire scents and dark complex tobacco flavours. But if you expect something that reminds you of the kind of Latakia scent that is used in pipe tobacco, you might not get what you hope for.
@Kiwi78 Another excellent review. Try a side by side tasting of de Kralingse and Paul Gotard Latakia. Two unique takes on a condiment tobacco in a snuff.
@kiwi78 I agree with your review. I like this Latakia AO 1860, it is doubtless a nice snuff, but I recognize it doesn´t fit me very well. The drip is very dense to me and the smokiness sticks strongly to the back of my nose. Better to use it occasionally. Apart from this, I´ll tell you that I keep some in a snuffbox from some months, and the smokiness has toned down developing some sweetness I didn´t notice before. This snuff has mutated itself to a nice milder version.
Thanks guys. Yes, I don’t see myself going through the box in a hurry but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good snuff.
I like it, but I was rather disappointed to learn there is no actual Latakia in it.
I like it, but I was rather disappointed to learn there is no actual Latakia in it.
Isn’t there? That makes sense then because from what I know about how Latakia should smell/taste, I just assumed that I simply didn’t really pick it up with the nose but some of the earthy charcoal smell could be it. That explains it then.
I like it, but I was rather disappointed to learn there is no actual Latakia in it.
Isn’t there? That makes sense then because from what I know about how Latakia should smell/taste, I just assumed that I simply didn’t really pick it up with the nose but some of the earthy charcoal smell could be it. That explains it then.
Somewhere here there is another thread about AO 1860 where the owner of Molen’s (sorry, I forget his name) states this to be the case. If you are used to smoking Lat blends in a pipe, I agree you may be disappointed with this. Still, it is a nice, enjoyable snuff (IMHO).
Calling Jaap Bes.
Calling Jaap Bes.
Found the thread. AO 1860 is dark fired Kentucky and other flavors. http://www.snuffhouse.org/discussion/7794/de-kralingse-latakia-range
Oh right. Helps to use the search function more often, I guess. My fault. If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have ordered it. Good snuff, definitely. But not what I wanted. Fair enough.
Dark Fired Kentucky and Tennessee Burley are known around here as “Redneck (or Hillbilly) Latakia” for good reason. Major differences other than the tobacco itself are the use of hardwood here and softwood in the Balkan/Macedonian/Mesopotamian versions. After a few nips of corn squeezins there’s a few advocates of Kentucky Fried Burley. I have yet to indulge in that treat. Cedar grows quite well here and a few have tried dark firing with it. Better to use the wood for another purpose. Lining hamster cages come to mind. There is a nice man down the road that took a wild cherry tree off my hands after it’d blown up by lightning and I already had more of that wood than I could ever need. A few years later he gifted me with a large box of Wild Cherry Dark Fired Middle Tennessee Burley , tied up neatly in five leaf hands. You can find it in Fleur de Café, Première, Mississippi Mud and a few other Old Mill snuffs. Makes a damn fine chew too . The toasted bark infused into corn liquor is a good beer additive if you are of that persuasion.