Dry Tongue from Latakia

[DrumsAndBeer]

Hey there.

Quick question for the fellow latakia lovers on the board. How many of you have experienced a dry or sand-papery feeling tongue from smoking certain blends that are heavy in Latakia? In my experience, I have come to the conclusion that dry tongue sensation is distinctly different from tongue bite as usually and although irritating, any discomfort will be gone by the morning. Is this normal? Is it a tolerance thing?

It's strange because there are certain blends that I can smoke with out this occurring at all for example Margate, Billy Budd & Lancer's Slices all three are fairly heavy smokes. Lately however four tobaccos that I have in my rotation have been irritating my palate Maltese Falcon, Odyssey, Bill Bailey's Balkan, and oddly enough Frog Morton.

I have gone back and forth as to why this might be occurring. Could it be a reaction to spices or the wood that's used in curing the Latakia that was sourced in these batches? Is it a body chemistry thing? Typically when this occurs my tongue reacts immediately after the charring light or true light.

I have been experimenting with a variety of variables, trying to isolate the source of the irritation with these blends for example, packing the pipe differently, slowing my cadence way down, taking great care in not overheating the bowl when lighting or relighting, etc. While some of these things have helped a bit, usually the end result after the bowl is done is all the same.

Any info/insight would be great.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[monbla256]

Many of the Lat heavy blends also contain other Orientals and or Perique which you need to consider in this as well. For myself, when I smoke blends with alot of Perique in them or those with Drama in them, I get the same sort of dry/sandpapery tongue feeling. There are soo many variables involved that I would hazard to say you would not be able to figure this out. I've smoked "English/Balkan" style blends since about 1969 and do like Orientals and Latakia ( and just a little Perique, just a little ) but there are some of these style of blends made by some blenders that I CANNOT smoke!! So I don't smoke their tobacco's That may be your case. Another thing may be you need to change up from the Lat heavy blends occasionally to give your palate a rest so to speak. I smoke a combo of straight Va's and Balkan belends on a daily basis, not just one style day in day out. Just some thoughts

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Meh, it happens. Latakia leather tongue, that is. I think it was Boxerbuddy that said a good tongue-brushing before bed will make everything get relatively close to normal. I've tried this, and it works. Otherwise, it's just a matter of time, and maybe switching up what tobak you choose for the day.

 

[LIPIPE]

Monbla256 made reference in an earlier post to "old farts smoking latakia blends outside". I am a bona fide old fart and I love latakia. To me it is the fountain of youth. It keeps my "T" levels way up, and it is by far my choice of manly aroma. Furthermore, I enjoy it in my home and since I pay the freight that is how I intend to keep things. If your tongue gets dry just wet it down. If your family does not like the room note, open a window. If you wear the pants in the family the important concern is keeping your balls. Latakia will keep them large, and firm and up front where all can note them...and that is important for a man to remember.

It takes many years of living experience to become a bona fide old fart. We give it to ya straight.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Interesting points and good to know that this is something that just seems to come with the territory.

Odyssey & Maltese have a good smattering of Orientals although which ones I am not sure, and Bill Bailey's has a good bit of Perique. Perhaps my tongue was already worked over the last time I had the Frog.

I think you're both right and I need to be doing a bit more rotating of what I am smoking.

Tongue brushing, I'll give that a shot. I already have plenty of Biotene on hand.

My balls have already grown in diameter since I discovered Latakia.

 

[LIPIPE]

DrumsandBeer: You are a good young man and you'll make a great old fart someday. I've smoked the blends to which you've referred and my suggestion also is to sample some tastier lats. Recommended are Beck's Ol' Limey Bastard and C&D Engine99 both available from 4Noggins. They are my preferred lat blends and your tongue might be more receptive to them.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

DrumsandBeer: You are a good young man and you'll make a great old fart someday. I've smoked the blends to which you've referred and my suggestion also is to sample some tastier lats. Recommended are Beck's Ol' Limey Bastard and C&D Engine99 both available from 4Noggins. They are my preferred lat blends and your tongue might be more receptive to them.

Marty,

Thanks man. I'll put those on the short list. I really enjoy smooth flavorful but complex Latakia mixtures. Both of those seem to be right up my alley.

Chris

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Oddly I find heavy Latakia mixtures to have less Lat taste... still haven't figured that one out yet. Might be just me. If you're in the neighborhood (as in, shopping online) I can say GLP Sextant is a pretty nice, bold, ball-diameter-increasing bit of tobak with generous and well-balanced Latakia for ya. 8) It's my new Lat favorite--that and C&D Billy Budd. Not "Lat Bombs" by any means, but a good delivery system.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Oddly I find heavy Latakia mixtures to have less Lat taste... still haven't figured that one out yet. Might be just me. If you're in the neighborhood (as in, shopping online) I can say GLP Sextant is a pretty nice, bold, ball-diameter-increasing bit of tobak with generous and well-balanced Latakia for ya. 8) It's my new Lat favorite--that and C&D Billy Budd. Not "Lat Bombs" by any means, but a good delivery system.

Yeah, that and temperance. For instance, when we were taking Billy Budd the other day, one of the things that I enjoyed revisiting it and didn't mention, was the fact that I didn't experience this dry tongue/fatigue phenomena during or after smoking it. And while the Latakia was very upfront at the beginning of the smoke, and the nic was very present, the sharpness of the Lat was tempered nicely by the other tobaccos.

I used to smoke a fair amount of Boswell's Northwoods and never did it bother me aside from the fact that I really wanted something a bit more bold. Northwoods I am sure has way less Latakia by percentage than your average Latakia mixture, but one thing that is does have that a lot of others don't is Black Cavendish which I feel helps to add some buoyancy to the body, and most likely dulls the Lat edge. Anyway, Marty's suggestions intrigue me as both Engine 99 and Limey Bastard have that Cavendish component.

I am sitting on a few tins of Sextant for future smoking pleasure. Happy to hear you're in favor of it.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Yeah, that and temperance. For instance, when we were taking Billy Budd the other day, one of the things that I enjoyed revisiting it and didn't mention, was the fact that I didn't experience this dry tongue/fatigue phenomena during or after smoking it. And while the Latakia was very upfront at the beginning of the smoke, and the nic was very present, the sharpness of the Lat was tempered nicely by the other tobaccos.

I used to smoke a fair amount of Boswell's Northwoods and never did it bother me aside from the fact that I really wanted something a bit more bold. Northwoods I am sure has way less Latakia by percentage than your average Latakia mixture, but one thing that is does have that a lot of others don't is Black Cavendish which I feel helps to add some buoyancy to the body, and most likely dulls the Lat edge. Anyway, Marty's suggestions intrigue me as both Engine 99 and Limey Bastard have that Cavendish component.

I am sitting on a few tins of Sextant for future smoking pleasure. Happy to hear you're in favor of it.

Indeed. The more balanced mixes rather than just "EXXXXTREME LATAKIA!!!" seem to have more flavor, less leather tongue and get better with sit-time (so I hear). Limey Bastard and Engine 99 are also on my list--Cavendished tobacco (especially the non-sweet kind) adds a waxy, full body without changing the volume of the other components--in fact, in some cases as with Burley (which can be oh-so-good-but-subtle), Cavendish really rounds out a mix without just being filler or throwing off the intended flavors. On that note, one I have to try that came to mind from other discussion is McClelland's Bombay Court (and its cousin, Bombay Extra with Perique)--no Cavendish, but I hear it's a fine, smokey and mellow pipeful. 8)

 

[monbla256]

A good example of one of the famous/infamous ( based on your bias ) Latakia forward "English" blends/mixtures would be Dunhill's 965. I smoked it almost daily from 1969 till I put my pipes up for cigars in around 1988 or so. It had a very FULL, SMOOTH,SMOKEY,SPICEY flavor to it, it's aroma was the very distinctive smokey, spicey one of Latakia and was really a great tobacco of the genre. Given the time frame that I smoked it in, this was I'm sure, the Murry blended 965. I have bought the new Orlik blended version and have to say it is VERY close, but a bit less full and intense than the version I used to smoke. But BOTH versions share a brown Cavendished tobacco which did the job of smoothing out the various sharp, heavy aspects of the Latakia and other Orientals in this blend and did it superbly! I think it was that smoothing aspect of the use of that tobacco in the blend made it not ever give me the sandpaper/dry mouth and I think it is that judicious use of this type or other "smoothing" types of 'bacs that can make the differnce. JMHO

 

[LIPIPE]

A good analysis. Interestingly, Beck's Ol' Limey Bastard is compared as somewhat similar to Dunhill's 965.

 

[Harlock999]

If you wear the pants in the family the important concern is keeping your balls. Latakia will keep them large, and firm and up front where all can note them...and that is important for a man to remember.

Despite myself, I have to admit that I miss LIPIPE sometimes.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something so manly and ballsy about his posts...

As for Latakia leather tongue, I'm getting over a dose of it right now, brought on by consecutive bowls of Penzance, Westminster and Nightcap. However, as they're about all I smoke, I couldn't testify as to it (Latakia) being exclusively to blame for the condition.