about Dark Air varieties

[SmokeStack]

I am curious about the Dark Air variety of tobaccos. It seems like they don't get as much attention as the other tobacco varieties, such as Flue-Cured, Burleys, Orientals, and cigar leaf. What is it about Dark Air varieties that separate it from the other more common varieties. I have smoked 2 different Dark Air varieties in my pipe the other day and they seem to smoke similar to Burleys - not as flavorful as a Burley but with a little more strength if that makes any sense. I smoked them as received (i.e., without having kiln fermenting them) so I don't know if I got a fair impression. I smoked One Sucker OS400 and KY 171 LC Third Priming. The One Sucker has a strong almost pungent-like smoke with little flavor, kind of like Maryland on steroids. The KY 171 LC Third Priming was strong and has a nice aroma - almost like a cross between a Burley and a cigar leaf.

Now that I am planning for next season, I noticed that I have completely overlooked planting any Dark Air tobaccos. I have been focusing more on Virginias (Yellow Orinoco and Italian Bright Leaf) and cigar leaf (Vuelta Abajo, Florida Sumatra, Zimmer Spanish, Connecticut Shade Leaf (grown in full sun?)) and a Maryland (Catterton), Perique, Yellow Twist Bud and Isleta Pueblo Rustica. I still need to cut out a few varieties but I would like to try a Dark Air variety this season. Any recommendations with descriptions?

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Dark air is the most potent stuff ever, maybe we don't talk about it as much because it is kind of scary. Sure rustica is stronger so people always jump on that factoid, but the plants are these tiny little things. Dark air has a tad less power on a plant with leaves the size of airplane wings.

At least that's my take on it. A little bit goes a very long way

 

[Randy]

Smokes correct me if im wrong here.but Dark is same a grown locally here in my neck of woods..first they plant in late spring then few weeks after topping start turning yellow they harvest on long poles carry to barns whole plants were sand and wood pices set fire and smoke few weeks then carry to huge wharehouse were alot people aution off bales send to cincnati,no.carolina and atlanta via railroad nd semitrucks in huge bales..so is that "Dark" or "Fire-cured" ???

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Those are processes, I was just referring to the strains grouped under the dark air umbrella.

 

[deluxestogie]

Randy,
Subjecting leaf to wood smoke produces fire-cured tobacco. Dark-air is a different class.

Dark Air is a group of dark green tobaccos, typically with a fairly sticky (viscid) leaf surface. With air-curing, they are often used for non-smoking applications. This past season, I grew Little Yellow (a dark air variety). I find it strongish, flavorful and pleasant after kilning. Flue-curing Little Yellow produced a thick, aromatic leaf of a medium bronze color.

Bob

 

[Randy]

Thank Deluxe for diffence also got confussed Dark/Fire I guess because what I was talking abt was put in enclosed barn and "smoked"with little-no light at all,,but makes sense now I think

Randy

 

[Randy]

side-note to that Little Yellow was first ever tobacco I ever growed abt 3yrs ago orded from NewHope seed not knowing what was growing can tell you very virgoues growing plant abt 6ft and very STRONG leave still have bunch of seed if anyone nedds some

Randy

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Yeah my dark air isn't kilned but well over a year old. In the pipe a little goes a long way. I don't think you hear about it for cigarettes because I don't think you can inhale it. There is just so much flavor you really don't notice it unless you water it down. A good comparison might be spirits, it could be the best but at 100%abv you'd never notice it. Cut dark air down enough and it might be really nice in a smoke tho.

 

[DonH]

Yeah my dark air isn't kilned but well over a year old. In the pipe a little goes a long way. I don't think you hear about it for cigarettes because I don't think you can inhale it. There is just so much flavor you really don't notice it unless you water it down. A good comparison might be spirits, it could be the best but at 100%abv you'd never notice it. Cut dark air down enough and it might be really nice in a smoke tho.

I use Dark Air in cigarettes, about 10% or so of the blend. I use it in pipe tobacco, too. Don's Dark Air is really nice. Very smooth yet flavorful.

 

[Randy]

Yea Smokes that Little Yellow I grew was my first grown tobacco planted 2-rows in my corn row grew like wildfire abt tall as me..I had no-idea what i was doing so when all leaves turned yellowed-up I picked the entire stalk hung-up in garge for few weeks until everthing got crunchy like cig tobacco I thight should be and my wife tried to roll some cigs with it..lets say she stayed HIGH for few days after..then I was told not to grow any more tobacco for 2 years after that LOL..now learning what I know abt little yellow no wonder what happened there LOL

 

[leverhead]

I haven't grown any, but I like it in cigarettes at 10% or a little less.

 

[FmGrowit]

s still have bunch of seed if anyone nedds some

Randy

I'm actually looking for a Dark Air variety with high nicotine. Were the flowerheads bagged?

If you're requesting seeds from the seed bank this year, you can send some of your seeds with your request.

 

[Randy]

FmGrowit the little yellow seeds I have came from NewHope seed co you are more than weclome to them there still in orgianl packet boght from them

Randy

 

[BigBonner]

FmGrowit the little yellow seeds I have came from NewHope seed co you are more than weclome to them there still in orgianl packet boght from them

Randy

What numbers was on the bottle ?
This would be the variety of dark air or fired cured the seeds are .

 

[Randy]

BigBonner all was on seed packet was:Littlte Yellow Tobacco
0.10grams
TOB123A
Packed-for 2010

of that still have few hundered if you want some?
Randy

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I haven't grown much in the way of Dark Air Varieties but:
Sear Special.. strong tasting. The wife doesn't like it in her cigarettes and I do not care for it in pipe tobacco
VA312.. basically the same tastes as Sears Special. I also do not like it as chew
Little Yellow.. This stuff is fairly mild and it isn't too bad smoked straight in a pipe. I think it is related to Yellow Pryor.

 

[Randy]

FmGrowit

Do you still need some of my Little Yellow to send with my seed reguest? was sending it tomorow.

Randy

 

[workhorse_01]

The one sucker that I grew this year is very high in nicotine I've used Copenhagen @for more than 20yrs but my one sucker gave me a buzz

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Yeah that sounds like dark air. Take a little too much if you haven't been dipping for that long and you get reacquainted with your last meal lol.

 

[workhorse_01]

Not sick just a little reminder of why you started in the first place.