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In the world of fine dining bartending, wine is the king. It's either wine or cocktails but wine seemed to be more likely to impress your date by looking at a menu with a pondering finger on the chin to look like you're contemplating the vintage when really you're just looking at the prices trying to find something not too cheap but not too expensive. It's an art really. However for those who know a thing or two about wine, there is a lot going on with the wine menu beyond vintage and price. One of the main things you'll run into in fine wine is Old World vs New World wine.
There's a lot of generalized differences between the two but you can typically safely say that the Old World tends to be lighter in body, has a higher acidity, and offers more minerality. There are exceptions but overall, Old World wine is a funky delicacy. Now, this is true for a lot of the finer things from Europe. Wine, Cheese, Dried Meats, Aperitifs, and yes, tobacco. Perhaps the most famous Old World tobacco is Semois tobacco.
Before we can dig into Semois tobacco in general, we need to understand Belgium tobacco. The three major growing regions of Belgium for tobacco were Appelterre in East Flanders, Wervik in West Flanders, and Semois in the province of Namen. Wervik is among the most famous, where its tobacco goes back as far as 1650. In 1713, the southern part of Wervik was transferred to the French in the Treaty of Utrecht and the town became a hot spot for tobacco. With its sandy loam soil, the generations of farmers with experience in farming tobacco, and the many tobacco institutions that had roots there, Wervik became the main Belgium tobacco growing region during the 20th century.
Appelterre is less prolific. During the Napoleonic age, they were well known for tobacco cultivation but it was rarely a full occupation, instead serving as a side hustle for farmers. Semois is a different story. Since the 16th century, Semois has seen tobacco cultivation but it was mostly for personal use. That would change in 1847 when Joseph Pierret had a different idea.
Joseph Pierret was a teacher from the town of Alle-sur Semois, who had the grand idea to plant Burley seeds in the valley. There wasn't a lot of faith in this plan; the valley wasn't exactly ideal for the plant but Pierret did it anyway. Due to the unique terroir of the region, the plant began to evolve from Burley into something else, something so distinct and unique it can't be replicated anywhere else. This is the tobacco we call Semois.
Terroir refers to the natural environment, which wine, or in our case, tobacco, is produced. It includes a variety of factors like soil and climate. Semois tobacco is rich in flavor and full-bodied, and it doesn't require any special treatment. It can, and should be, planted, harvested, fire-cured, and smoked exactly as it was. Semois quickly became the hot sensation of drawing rooms across Europe and by the 1890s was in high demand. By 1910, there were nine million plants in the valley and by 1920, 20 million. The boom continued until the 1930s and '40s, but with war and changing supply chains, the market began to dip and eventually fade away. To this day, only a few producers of Semois exist and their market is relatively small. Confined to those who know, and those who stumble upon it.
The accessibility of Semois has evolved over the years. Even 10 years ago it was much harder to get than it is now. Smokingpipes is among several that have been able to regularly carry and maintain a stock of the legendary tobacco. The three producers that I could find are Vincent Manil, Jean-Paul Couvert, and Joseph Martin. Like a winemaker, each offers different approaches and characteristics of Semois tobacco.
There is one large pitfall to getting in Semois and not at the fault of the producer or the tobacco itself. The Appellation d'origine contrôlée, or AOC, is a label given by the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité that identifies agricultural products which are produced and processed in defined terroir areas. It's a similar system to the European Union's Protected Designation of Origin. Common AOC products are wine, cheese, and meat. Semois tobacco isn't protected by the AOC or PDO.
This means that really anyone can label a tobacco as Semois, whether it is or not. If you purchase a Semois tobacco product that isn't attached to Vincent Manil, Jean-Paul Couvert, and Joseph Martin, it more than likely isn't genuine Semois tobacco. Outside of legal designations, Semois tobacco is prone to user error for first time smokers.
Semois tobacco is dry, incredibly dry and it's meant to be this way. Since Semois is 100% natural, adding humidity can cause it to mold. Due to its dry nature, it burns much faster than standard pipe tobacco and also heats up much quicker. Coupling this with Semois's potent nicotine content, it can be easy for first time smokers to smoke too fast and receive quite the nicotine rush.
This isn't to deter you from seeking or smoking Semois. It's amongst the most rewarding of smokes. Going back to our initial wine comparison, Semois offers some of the most nuanced flavor profiles afforded in pipe tobacco. For those seeking an introduction to Semois, we offer Tabac De La Semois by Vincent Manil. A solid introduction to this incredible tobacco. I personally enjoy Le Petit Robin but many start with the more hearty Reserve du Patron. No matter where you start with Semois, you're in for an experience like no other and one I hope we can continue to enjoy for years to come.
Bibliography
- Hylton, W. S. (2013, April 12). Tobacco that's so Brooklyn but made in Belgium. The New York Times.
- Arno. (2013, March 19). Sunny Semois. Dutch Pipe Smoker.
- Gage, T., & Harb, J. (2014, June). Trial by fire. Pipes and Tobacco.
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Comments
That 2013 NYT article caused me to Belgium for vacation later that year, where I rented a car and drove to Vincent Manil's place, met him and his family, toured his basement museum and bought some leaf. I also visited all French-speaking Trappist breweries and some battlefields in the Ardennes region. What a time!
Thank you for the history, very interesting. This is my favorite tobacco.