Making of Tobacco
MEET OUR ARTISANS
LASSE BERG
joined Scandinavian Tobacco Group in 2007“I find my inspiration in nature, walking in the woods – or on a quiet Sunday morning with time for reflection. As a tobacco blender I draw on my knowledge of the history of tobacco, current trends and, not least, what comes next?”
THE PIPE TOBACCO TRADITIONS
These are some of the traditional blend types
We create hundreds of blends from pipe tobacco that is cultivated all over the world. There are many varieties of blends to choose from, the most standard are Virginia, Burley and Oriental. Virginia, the most common variant and grown across the globe, has a high sugar content and is found in most blends. Burley, produced mainly in Africa and South America, has a lower sugar content but a deeper and darker flavor and is a component in many aromatic pipe tobacco blends. Oriental, typically farmed in Southern Europe and the Middle East, is the most aromatic tobacco of the three.
A pipe tobacco ritual
Every cut of the pipe tobacco is encased to conserve the characteristics of each blend, ready to be ignited. Every patient step we take in growing, processing, blending, cutting and storing pipe tobacco is our dedicated investment in crafting rituals.
FROM SEED TO PIPE TOBACCO
1. PLANTING & HARVESTING
It starts with a seed; germinating after careful monitoring in controlled environments. Tobacco plants are affected by the microclimate and soil in which they grow. Leaves ripen at various stages. The vast majority of all pipe tobacco is harvested by hand from the bottom up, as each leaf ripens over a period of four to five weeks.
2. VARIANTS
Our leaf buyers travel across the globe to purchase many varieties of tobaccos for the hundreds of pipe tobacco blends we create: Virginia, Burley and Oriental have become the standard.
3. CURING
Once harvested, tobacco leaves are dried in carefully controlled environments to lower moisture levels, enhance the colour and ensure full development of natural tobacco aromas. There are four main curing methods: Sun, Air, Flue and Fire.
4. BLENDING & FLAVOURING
Most of our pipe tobacco blends are made in Assens, Denmark. Before the casing process begins, leaves are moisturized and stripped of their stems. Aromatic pipe tobacco blends are finalised with a top flavour. All blends, aromatic or not, are tested for optimum moisture levels and smoking properties.
1. PLANTING & HARVESTING
2. VARIANTS
3. CURING
4. BLENDING & FLAVOURING
5. CUTS & PACKAGING
6. THE PIPE
PIPE TOBACCO TYPES AND ORIGINS
- North America (3)
- South America (4)
- Europe (3)
- Africa (4)
- Asia (5)
- 3
- 4
- 3
- 4
- 5
VIRGINIA
Virginia is the most widely used leaf tobacco. Its leaves are 20 – 50 cm in length. Leaf colours ranges from golden, lemon, orange and mahogany. Virginia has a high content of natural sugar and a sweet taste. Virginia is harvested leaf-by-leaf from the bottom of the plant. The leaves are dried with hot air (flue cured). The tobacco is grown all over the world.
BURLEY
Burley is the second most widely used leaf tobacco. Its leaves are 20 – 50 cm in length, and their colours range from light brown to very dark brown. The taste is full-bodied with notes of chocolate and nuts. The whole plant is harvested and cut off at the bottom. Leaves are dried with natural ventilation and not by the sun (air cured) for four to eight weeks. It is grown all over the world but particularly in the US, Malawi, Mozambique and Mexico.
PERIQUE
Basically, Perique is Burley tobacco, however it is additionally processed. The whole plant is harvested and cut off at the bottom. Leaves are air cured for a shorter time than Burley and is kept under pressure for at least one year in oak barrels. The leaf colour is black and the tobacco has the strongest taste of them all. It is grown in US in St. James Parish, Louisiana just outside New Orleans.
VIRGINIA
Virginia is the most widely used leaf tobacco. Its leaves are 20 – 50 cm in length. Leaf colours ranges from golden, lemon, orange and mahogany. Virginia has a high content of natural sugar and a sweet taste. Virginia is harvested leaf-by-leaf from the bottom of the plant. The leaves are dried with hot air (flue cured). The tobacco is grown all over the world.BURLEY
Burley is the second most widely used leaf tobacco. Its leaves are 20 – 50 cm in length, and their colours range from light brown to very dark brown. The taste is full-bodied with notes of chocolate and nuts. The whole plant is harvested and cut off at the bottom. Leaves are dried with natural ventilation and not by the sun (air cured) for four to eight weeks. It is grown all over the world but particularly in the US, Malawi, Mozambique and Mexico.DARK AIR-CURED
Dark air-cured tobacco can be produced from various seed types. Leaves can be up to 80 cm long, heavy bodied and with high content of natural oil. The plant is topped at 10 - 14 leaves and stalk cut. Leaves are brown to dark brown and have a good cutting quality. The tobacco is air cured under cover with natural ventilation. This variety is grown in most parts of the tobacco-producing world – the US, Canada, South America, Africa and the Far East.
BLACK CAVENDISH
Basically, Black Cavendish is Virginia and Burley tobacco, however it is additionally processed. It is harvested and processed like Burley and Virginia Tobacco. Leaves are steamed, heated and sprinkled with sugar and water where flavours are usually added. Leaf colour is black, and the tobacco has a mild and sweet taste. The tobacco used in Black Cavendish can be grown all over the world, but particularly in the US, East Africa, Brazil and India.
VIRGINIA
Virginia is the most widely used leaf tobacco. Its leaves are 20 – 50 cm in length. Leaf colours ranges from golden, lemon, orange and mahogany. Virginia has a high content of natural sugar and a sweet taste. Virginia is harvested leaf-by-leaf from the bottom of the plant. The leaves are dried with hot air (flue cured). The tobacco is grown all over the world.
ORIENTAL
Oriental leaves are 2 – 15 cm long and light golden to dark orange in colour. Oriental tobacco leaves have a light sweet, strong/spicy aroma. The plant is grown in nutrient-deficient soil in a hot and dry climate, producing leaves containing a high level of aromatic oils. The leaves are harvested leaf-by-leaf and dried on a string in the sun (sun cured). This tobacco is grown in Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.
LATAKIA
Basically, Latakia is Oriental tobacco. However, a step is added to the curing process in which the leaves are fire-cured over a fire of aromatic herbs. The leaf colour is black and the tobacco has a very strong aromatic and smoked taste. It is grown in the Mediterranean.
VIRGINIA
Virginia is the most widely used leaf tobacco. Its leaves are 20 – 50 cm in length. Leaf colours ranges from golden, lemon, orange and mahogany. Virginia has a high content of natural sugar and a sweet taste. Virginia is harvested leaf-by-leaf from the bottom of the plant. The leaves are dried with hot air (flue cured). The tobacco is grown all over the world.
BURLEY
Burley is the second most widely used leaf tobacco. Its leaves are 20 – 50 cm in length, and their colours range from light brown to very dark brown. The taste is full-bodied with notes of chocolate and nuts. The whole plant is harvested and cut off at the bottom. Leaves are dried with natural ventilation and not by the sun (air cured) for four to eight weeks. It is grown all over the world but particularly in the US, Malawi, Mozambique and Mexico.
DARK FIRE-CURED
Dark-fired tobacco leaves are up to 80 cm long, full-bodied and have a high content of natural oil. Dark-fired leaves are cured with smoke from smouldering wood. The type of wood used plays a big part in determining the taste of the tobacco. The cured leaves obtain a very dark colour and have a distinct smoky aroma. The plants are topped very low, to just 12 - 14 leaves, and stalk cut. The most significant producers are to be found in the US, Asia and South East Africa.
BLACK CAVENDISH
Basically, Black Cavendish is Virginia and Burley tobacco, however it is additionally processed. It is harvested and processed like Burley and Virginia Tobacco. Leaves are steamed, heated and sprinkled with sugar and water where flavours are usually added. Leaf colour is black, and the tobacco has a mild and sweet taste. The tobacco used in Black Cavendish can be grown all over the world, but particularly in the US, East Africa, Brazil and India.
VIRGINIA
Virginia is the most widely used leaf tobacco. Its leaves are 20 – 50 cm in length. Leaf colours ranges from golden, lemon, orange and mahogany. Virginia has a high content of natural sugar and a sweet taste. Virginia is harvested leaf-by-leaf from the bottom of the plant. The leaves are dried with hot air (flue cured). The tobacco is grown all over the world.
BURLEY
Burley is the second most widely used leaf tobacco. Its leaves are 20 – 50 cm in length, and their colours range from light brown to very dark brown. The taste is full-bodied with notes of chocolate and nuts. The whole plant is harvested and cut off at the bottom. Leaves are dried with natural ventilation and not by the sun (air cured) for four to eight weeks. It is grown all over the world but particularly in the US, Malawi, Mozambique and Mexico.DARK AIR-CURED
Dark air-cured tobacco can be produced from various seed types. Leaves can be up to 80 cm long, heavy bodied and with high content of natural oil. The plant is topped at 10 - 14 leaves and stalk cut. Leaves are brown to dark brown and have a good cutting quality. The tobacco is air cured under cover with natural ventilation. This variety is grown in most parts of the tobacco-producing world – the US, Canada, South America, Africa and the Far East.
DARK FIRE-CURED
Dark-fired tobacco leaves are up to 80 cm long, full-bodied and have a high content of natural oil. Dark-fired leaves are cured with smoke from smouldering wood. The type of wood used plays a big part in determining the taste of the tobacco. The cured leaves obtain a very dark colour and have a distinct smoky aroma. The plants are topped very low, to just 12 - 14 leaves, and stalk cut. The most significant producers are to be found in the US, Asia and South East Africa.
BLACK CAVENDISH
Basically, Black Cavendish is Virginia and Burley tobacco, however it is additionally processed. It is harvested and processed like Burley and Virginia Tobacco. Leaves are steamed, heated and sprinkled with sugar and water where flavours are usually added. Leaf colour is black, and the tobacco has a mild and sweet taste. The tobacco used in Black Cavendish can be grown all over the world, but particularly in the US, East Africa, Brazil and India.
PIPE TOBACCO FORMATS
PIPE TOBACCO COMES IN MANY SHAPES AND SIZES. IT COMES IN DIFFERENT CUTS AND IS SOMETIMES FLAVOURED. THE MAJOR PIPE TOBACCO CUTS ARE:
LOOSE CUT
Smaller pieces or strips of tobacco. It burns easy, but can burn hot, especially if the tobacco is a dry blend. It is best smoked slowly.MIXTURE
A mix of different cuts. The cuts are assembled together with flavours and tobaccos in order to create a preferred smoking experience.PRESSED FORMATS
The pressed formats are flakes and rolls. The tobacco is compressed and needs to be rubbed up and packed into the pipe. It requires a bit more effort to pack and smoke. Flake gives a slower and cooler burn, and the flake cut preserves flavour and moistness well.READY RUBBED
Ready rubbed is less demanding than flake cut. It is slightly easier to pack and smoke the pipe. It gives a slower and cooler burn and preserves flavour and moistness well.
PIPE TOBACCO FACTS
Sir Walter Raleigh – a well-known pipe smoker – popularised tobacco in the 16th century.
The process of creating Black Cavendish tobacco takes place at the Scandinavian Tobacco Group Assens operation in Denmark.
Scandinavian Tobacco Group produces 5,000 tons of smoking tobacco a year.
Scandinavian Tobacco Group Assens produces pipe tobacco and fine-cut tobacco in the two Danish towns: Assens and Holstebro.
