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With the release of the latest Small Batch projects and the Small Batch Blending Kit, there's been a lot of conversation about tobacco blends around here lately. Not that this is all that unusual; we share the same building with Cornell & Diehl, and their head blender, Jeremy Reeves, often makes his way around the office with test samples of in-the-works mixtures, so there's always something new to try around here. It got me thinking about the role each individual component plays within a blend — specifically, one that is often overlooked when considering what each leaf brings to the table. The element I'm referring to is Cavendish.
HISTORY
The story goes that this distinctive type of tobacco originated in 1585, during a visit to the English colony of Virginia made by Admiral Sir Richard Grenville and Sir Thomas Cavendish at the crown's request. The pair were presented with a gift of tobacco, and Cavendish wished to return to England with it for sale and promotion. Presumably to prevent it from drying out and/or to sweeten the smoke, he infused it with dark rum (or sugar, depending on who you ask) from his own personal supply, after which he rolled the leaves and bound them tightly with canvas and twine. Weeks passed, the tobacco was cut in slices and smoked, and to the astonishment of the sailors, the flavor had significantly improved; the smoke was sweeter, milder, and more fragrant.
Sir Thomas Cavendish
DEFINITION
Rather than referring to a specific type of tobacco, Cavendish more accurately refers to tobacco that has undergone a specific type of treatment: intense pressure and heat to elicit the naturally-occurring sugars within the tobacco itself, often but not necessarily by adding more sweetness or special flavors on top of that. Typically, that which has an added sweetness is referred to as sweetened Cavendish, while that treated only with pressure and heat would be unsweetened Cavendish. "Black" Cavendish is typically sweetened, involving a combination of both processes, and it is the steaming which turns the tobacco black. However, unsweetened black Cavendish is incorporated into a variety of blends, as well.
ROLE IN PIPE TOBACCO
Flavor-wise, Cavendish is typically associated with sweetness. A very informative pipe smoking blog (Dutch Pipe Smoker), offers an excellent metaphor to illustrate this point:
If perique is the pepper of the tobacco world, if latakia is the salt, then cavendish is the sugar.
This analogy is no doubt applicable in most cases, but it really only applies to sweetened Cavendish, admittedly the most common sort. To characterize the component as providing sweetness alone, then, would be to miss out on its other qualities. In essence, it is a much more versatile element.
Many feel that Perique does add a note of peppery/figgy spice, and that Latakia is synonymous with smoky, savory flavors.And Cavendish, like sugar, is associated with lending sweetness to the flavor profile of a blend, serving to balance and accentuate/emphasize other flavors with which it is paired.
However, said sweetness is contributed by the naturally-occurring sugars within the tobacco itself, or through the addition of external flavorings and sugars (depending on if it's sweetened or unsweetened).
So can we really say that the sugar of the tobacco world is... sugar?
To shine some light on this, I talked to Jeremy Reeves (Head Blender at C&D)
From Jeremy: "I use Cavendish much like I would flour in a roux: to fill your palate with flavor that stays there, instead of going straight down your gullet."
Unsweetened Cavendish, having undergone such intense pressure, and due to the curing process, is particularly susceptible to external flavors. It is this property that can explain its ability to allow flavors to linger pleasantly on the palate, as the process renders the leaf itself a much lighter flavor and milder strength. This lack of a marked flavor, in turn, makes the overall smoke more consistent, with each puff delivering a more cohesive, balanced profile rather than quickly overwhelming the palate.
Likewise, Jeremy presented another analogy: that of adding water to whiskey, the purpose being (in that case) to soften the overpowering effect of the alcohol itself, allowing certain otherwise more subtle aspects of the profile to become more present. This is particularly apt when thinking of Cavendish's role in Latakia-based mixtures, as the creaminess it imbues allows the subtleties of these more complex blends to be gleaned and identified.
Unsweetened Cavendish's versatility allows the component to act as a guide-of-sorts, leading the conscious palate to the many facets of the complete profile. That said, some blends make use of Cavendish as a less subtle guide than others, but as we all have different tastes, some of us need a little more coaxing than most.
BLEND YOUR OWN
Many new pipe smokers find that it's easy to gravitate to Cavendish. There are many who prefer to smoke Cavendish straight-up, but you will often find it blended with Burleys or Virginias. If you're interested in learning first-hand how Cavendish acts as a base or the role it plays in the composition of a blend, try mixing equal parts unflavored Cavendish and Burley, and if you so choose, you can increase the amount of Cavendish until it makes up as much as 90%, and record your observations in a journal.
And if you've been wanting to get into blending your own tobacco, have a look at Cornell & Diehl's Small Batch Blending Kit. Along with 50 grams of black Cavendish, it also comes with 7 additional leaf components, four different concentrated flavorings, a digital scale, 7 recommended recipes, a tasting journal, and everything else you need to get started blending at home.
If you're already mixing up your own blends, leave us a comment below and let us know how you best utilize this chameleon of components.
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Comments
This article both she'd some light, and justified personal opinions I had about unsweetened cavendish.
@Dementedarego Glad to help. Care to share any of these thoughts?
I have always had a soft spot for any Cavendish cut tobacco, and use variations of sweetened and unsweetened Cavendish in some of my home made blends, and I agree it does soften the blow of the major players in whichever blends I'm playing with. If I add a flavoring to the Cavendish while steaming it, it results in a nice aromatic. Burleys tend to hold the flavoring faster and longer than when I use a Virginia leaf. I did a batch of Cavendished Sumatra Seco a while back and got fantastic results.
@Ozark Wizard Wow, that sounds amazing.
I've found blends with unsweetened cavendish add that really seem to make the blend. Something CnD has done multiple times. They are my favorite brands to explore simply for the diversity they offer. Thanks for that guys!
@Dementedarego We couldn't agree more, and I'll be sure to pass it on to Jeremy and the team. Thanks!
This Tobacco is so good, I hope they offer it in a 12 oz can, in the near future, like the original Captain Black Tobacco.
I venture to say, the sales will be a great Renaissance of success!!
Great stuff! Tastes great, and compliments will follow you!
Great information for blending my own pipe tobacco
I am smoking straight izmir for flavor and low nicotine.I thought black cavandish again low nicotine could improve the burn quality of the izmir and maybe add something else,I love dark burley but ir does not like me.