Macerates

1)The different tobacco plant variety

- Burley : it is a variety that is used to blend other tobacco because of it weak density concerning the sugar content. It is lightly dark brown. It dries in 2 months to flush out the maximum of their natural sugar content and to have fairly strong taste. It is the second largest variety cultivated around the world.

- Virginia : it is the first largest variety cultivated worldwide. It comes from North America. These plants are harvested from bottom to top. The leaves on the bottom are less exposed to the sun and are used for making the light tobacco, the leaves on the top are dark and are for the making of orange Virginia. It is often dried in ovens because this way the leaves keep their color and their sugar content. It is rather sweet and light.

- Kentucky : it comes from a state of America where it took its name. However, it is cultivated in a lot of country over the world including Europe. Its vegetal feature is to have very wide leaves from 30 to 60cm. These leaves are dried in the wood-fire way which gives it this specific smoked taste. Their color is distinguishable as they are almost black after this process. It is a strong and smoked tobacco that is for enhancing other sweeter variety.

- Latakia : there are two variety of latakia plant. One comes from Cyprus and Turkey, the other from Syria where comes its name paying tribute to a Syrian port. The first type leaves are dark almost black as for the second they are dark brown. They're wood-fire dried so they have a slight smoked taste, slightly muddy and tanned. They're adored by the English blend pipe tobacco connoisseurs.

- Oriental plants or Turkish : mainly cultivated in all of the oriental Mediterranean basin (Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Turkey,... and also a bit of the south of Russia). Its varieties are the basma, the black sea samsoun and the most known the oriental samsoun. The leaves are small 10 to 15cm, in shape oval and light yellow to beige. Its drying is made naturally in sunlight. On the taste side, they have hints rather spicy and sweet and according to the variety more or less sugary. Their aromatic features are for the blending with other tobaccos.

- Maryland : cultivated in the same state of America. It is used to the blending of a Cavendish as it grows the burning of the mix. It is brown even orangey and its taste is close to the Virginia but a bit more gourmet and smooth.

- Cavendish: there is no plant or strain of this one because it is not a tobacco. It is un combination of different types, usually we blend Virginia, and Burley about which can be added fruity aromas such as cherry, strawberry, coconut and even gourmet aromas like chocolate, vanilla, honey, walnuts. So, we can say that it is a sugary blend.

2)The harvest

The leaves are harvested on their stem. Most of the time, the harvest is hand made starting by the bottom of the plant finishing with the top. They can be picked at any time of the maturation process according to the finished product the professional wants to produce.

3)The drying

It is an important and decisive step to guarantee an optimum quality. It exists 4 kinds of drying, including :

- In sunlight > some days are enough to eliminate the dampness excess and develop the aromas and tobacco flavors. It is the most used method and its efficiency is undeniable. The inconvenient? Drying leaves for too long in sunlight can mar the taste.

- By suspension > the leaves are suspended in a dry and fresh area which enables the control over damp rate and to keep an eye on potential mold. The inconvenient ? It takes several weeks to several months.

- On electric oven > efficient and quick method, but it can distort the leaves by burning them and so marring the taste.

- Wood fire > it is realized by true professionals and conversant because this method is complex. The leaves are suspended in a closed room then some days after a wood fire is started. According to the wish of the professional, he lets the leaves more or less long. However, this process significantly lowers the sugar content and increases the nicotine rate.

4)The maceration and extraction

According to the wanted and waited result, the professional will let more or less time the leaves in maceration. Then, the tobacco macerate can be done by cold extraction in order to get a high concentration. A good macerate is done with natural tobacco leaves with no additive to extract the finest quality.

5)The filtration

It is necessary to proceed to different filtration to reach the higher purity level as possible. It is from this process that is born the concentrate you can vape.

6)The blending

Such as the great wine, this ultimate step is worthy of a master. To each his own recipe and creativity.