Great post, I can't give anymore RG, otherwise I would. Thanks for the list! *edit* One to add is the PCCA Orient 996.

 

I just found a pouch of MacBaren's HH Vintage Syrian at the bottom of my modest cellar. Excellent blend. It is very nicely balanced. You can pick out the virginias and orientals very easily, and the latakia is not overpowering.

 

There's the MacBaren HH Vintage Syrian. Plumcake also uses a little Syrian.

 

Guess I won't be popping my last ('04) tin of Across the Pond just yet.

 

Nice post Johnny...Thanks for all you do here..:tu

 

Great post, I can't give anymore RG, otherwise I would. Thanks for the list! *edit* One to add is the PCCA Orient 996.

I'll hit it for you what I can.
edit--nevermind, apparently I've already hit his RG . . .

Thanks so much for the post. I've just gotten into pipes, but I've got some of the Frog Morton and Rose of Latakia. I love the frog morton--really smooth smoke. I'll definitely stock up on it the next chance I get. Not as crazy about the Rose of Latakia though, but my palate is developing, so we'll see.

 

Note: If anyone knows of any other Syrian Latakia Blends that are still available, I would appreciate a heads-up on them!

Nice list! Here's one lakakia junkies might want to pick up. I buy some as often as I can for mixing.

Robert McConnell Pure Latakia. (its 100% Syrian latakia) McConnell or Kohlhase & Kopp are the only two I know of (same company) that are marketing Syrian for blending.

 

A number of the Peter Heinrichs blends use the good stuff, #169 #39 to name a few.

 

I've looked several times for information on this subject and it seems that Syrian latakia is still being produced and the only thing affecting its availability is the warehouse fire at C&D that destroyed their entire stock and also poor political relations with Syria that makes importation of fresh latakia iffy. Unless I'm wrong I really don't think this will affect the production of blends in mainland Europe and should only affect american and maybe UK blenders.

Does anyone know any different about this? According to MacBarens website Syrian is still being produced.

 

Great post, I can't give anymore RG, otherwise I would. Thanks for the list! *edit* One to add is the PCCA Orient 996.

This great blend it Sold Out!. They say that they will produce more in late January 2008, however, there is some concern over the supply of Syrian Latakia.

 

I've looked several times for information on this subject and it seems that Syrian latakia is still being produced and the only thing affecting its availability is the warehouse fire at C&D that destroyed their entire stock and also poor political relations with Syria that makes importation of fresh latakia iffy. Unless I'm wrong I really don't think this will affect the production of blends in mainland Europe and should only affect American and maybe UK blenders.

Does anyone know any different about this? According to MacBarens website Syrian is still being produced.

That is not correct! I haven't checked McBarens Site, but if they are claiming that, it's a mystery as to why they would. If you do some serious research into production, you will find that they have stopped growing it in Syria, which is the only place in the world that it is grown. As I understand it, the Syrian Government destroyed all the crop several years ago and will no longer allow for it to be grown. Most certainly this has become a political issue of some kind. Even after the fire that destroyed most of the stored Syrian Latakia in the USA, McClelland and C&D were well healed, at there storage facilities, but even those supplies are dwindling! At the time that Syria destroyed the crops, it was estimated that there was a three or four year supply available in Europe and that should be pretty much used up as well!

 

Thanks to those of you who have added a few other blends that contain Syrian Latakia, and that are still available!

 

Johnny, excellent post. I'll look into picking up a few of these blends while they are around. It seems odd that the Syrian govt would want to stop growing a cash crop like Syrian Latakia... but hey that whole area is a mess so it wouldn't surprise me.

 

Thanks to Johnny and the others who have contributed.....you guys made sure I got free shipping at smokingpipes!!

 

This great blend it Sold Out!. They say that they will produce more in late January 2008, however, there is some concern over the supply of Syrian Latakia.

Bummer, so it is! Hopefully it will be remade in January 08!h

 

That is not correct! I haven't checked McBarens Site, but if they are claiming that, it's a mystery as to why they would. If you do some serious research into production, you will find that they have stopped growing it in Syria, which is the only place in the world that it is grown. As I understand it, the Syrian Government destroyed all the crop several years ago and will no longer allow for it to be grown. Most certainly this has become a political issue of some kind. Even after the fire that destroyed most of the stored Syrian Latakia in the USA, McClelland and C&D were well healed, at there storage facilities, but even those supplies are dwindling! At the time that Syria destroyed the crops, it was estimated that there was a three or four year supply available in Europe and that should be pretty much used up as well!

Dunno Johnny. If I knew how to begin doing serious research I guess I would have done so by now, but searches for Syrian Latakia show nothing. I've done several searches over several months looking for an answer and get NADA

http://www.mac-baren.com/TopMenu/Expert-Knowledge/Raw-Tobacco/Raw-tobacco/Latakia.aspx

Here's the MacBaren page, bottom line

 

Dunno Johnny. If I knew how to begin doing serious research I guess I would have done so by now, but searches for Syrian Latakia show nothing. I've done several searches over several months looking for an answer and get NADA

http://www.mac-baren.com/TopMenu/Expert-Knowledge/Raw-Tobacco/Raw-tobacco/Latakia.aspx

Here's the MacBaren page, bottom line

Thanks for the link to McBaren. I am positive that link is several years old. The statement is or was correct when it was posted. If you look at the very bottom of the page that comes up when you click on that link, follow it all the way down, it tells you that the date of that page was 2002.

A note about completing a serious search for information, especially when you have the time and patients. First, I run searches on various search engines, Yahoo, Google and so on. I use all the words and phrases I can think of that apply to the Information I am trying to find out, and I mix them up as well. I take notes or copy and paste, on a Word Document, anything that has some information. I especially look for telephone numbers and email addresses. When I have exhausted those types of searches, if I am not satisfied with the information I found, I start to email, the experts and authors of various articles, companies and so on, that I have found in my searches. Results from emails are often frustrating, but you need to try, as every now and then you'll get a great reply. In addition, I call people up. Any telephone numbers I come up with, I call. Hell, you will be surprised at how much information you can get by a simple phone call. One downer with phone calls, though, is that many numbers will be disconnected, but just keep on going!!!

It ain't easy Bro, sometimes I spend a couple of hours a day, for three or four days, spread out over a period of time before I find what I want, or just give up, on occasion.

 

I tried doing a little research on Syrian Latakia too and I agree that it's very hard to find information. Actually, its hard to find information about a lot of tobaccos and blenders. Usually all I can find for any semi-obscure blend is retailers, a review on tobaccoreviews.com, and perhaps a thread or 2 on forums.

I did do a search for Latakia on wiki and according to this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latakia Latakia is the name of a city in Syria. It also goes on to say that:

Latakia tobacco is a specially treated tobacco formerly produced in Syria, but now mainly produced in Cyprus.

I just figured that I would add this to the thread.

 

Also, the US Embargo on Syria doesn't exactly make them want to change thier mind about not producing it.

 

According to the blender at Rich's in Portland, who I talked to last week, Syrian Latakia is still availibe. He said that one tobacco blender lost his stock and started a rumor that no Syrian latakia is availible to anyone. Mr. Books, the blender at Rich's, said he still gets all the Syrian latakia he needs, and has at least one blend containing Syrian latakia.

 

According to the blender at Rich's in Portland, who I talked to last week, Syrian Latakia is still availibe. He said that one tobacco blender lost his stock and started a rumor that no Syrian latakia is availible to anyone. Mr. Books, the blender at Rich's, said he still gets all the Syrian latakia he needs, and has at least one blend containing Syrian latakia.

I don't know your man at Rich's in Portland, but he is mistaken. He is probably thinking about Cyprian Latakia, if he even knows that there are two varieties. If Syrian Latakia was still available, except for the companies that have some in inventory, do you think one of the greatest blenders ever, Greg Pease, owner of GL Pease Tobaccos, would not obtain it and continue production of his, six or so, world class blends, that he once produced using Syrian Latakia?

It amazes me that so many people seem to doubt the fact that Syrian Latakia is no longer available!

 

He knows the differance and uses both. He has been blending tobacco for over 35 years. I really have no first hand knowldege, not being in the tobacco industry myself, but it seems as if many other blenders still have access to syrian latakia, including McC. If a master tobacco blender tells me he is still getting plenty syrian latakia, I am inclined to take his word for it.

 

He knows the differance and uses both. He has been blending tobacco for over 35 years. I really have no first hand knowldege, not being in the tobacco industry myself, but it seems as if many other blenders still have access to syrian latakia, including McC. If a master tobacco blender tells me he is still getting plenty syrian latakia, I am inclined to take his word for it.

I can't debate that with you. However, the only blenders that have access to Syrian Latakia are those that have personal supplies in storage. McC as you put it, I assume you mean McClelland, has the largest inventory, than any other company, in their storage facilities.

 

I don't know your man at Rich's in Portland, but he is mistaken. He is probably thinking about Cyprian Latakia, if he even knows that there are two varieties. If Syrian Latakia was still available, except for the companies that have some in inventory, do you think one of the greatest blenders ever, Greg Pease, owner of GL Pease Tobaccos, would not obtain it and continue production of his, six or so, world class blends, that he once produced using Syrian Latakia?

It amazes me that so many people seem to doubt the fact that Syrian Latakia is no longer available!

Johnny that is a good point. I think that it is definately in limited availability - how limited is more or less unknown to the average joe... sorta like oil.

 

Bump with a question from a newbie.

Based on this post, would I be correct in saying that having a tin of Mac Baren Vintage Syrian would be a good thing? Especially if it is unopened?


Thanks!
Bigfeet