Licorice as an additive to cigars. The good, bad and ugly

[Gdaddy]

The addition of licorice root extract has been my latest experiment and takes the cigar to a whole new level. It's really fantastic. Super smooth and tasty. No detection of any flavor just a great improvement overall. I've tried many toppings with poor results until now. A mellow, slightly sweet woody flavor that enhances every leaf for the better. Removes harshness in a big way and has NO flavor of licorice what so ever. (most licorice candy is flavored with anise) The cigar is amazingly good.

The bad news is that licorice root when it is burnt produces several nasty chemicals. Benzene being one of the worst one. Licorice is used in cigarettes and not looked at favorably.

The argument could be made two ways. The positive side would be that 4 cigars a week would be much less benzene than a pack a day cigarette smoker. The other negative side of the argument would be that I'm voluntarily increasing toxicity levels that really isn't necessary other than enhancing the flavor. But this is why we smoke, isn't it? For the flavor? This is why cigarette companies do it.

Since cigar smoking isn't the most healthy thing to do in the first place adding a known carcinogen to the mix may not be the wisest thing to do even when done in moderation.

Since I'm not inhaling the smoke are the benzene levels so low that the added risk is minimal? According to the FDA the acceptable level of benzene is zero. I don't have the answer. Certainly benzene is present even in the air we breath or car exhaust or filling your gas tank but intentionally adding it to my cigars as well as some other toxic chemicals??? May not be the best thing but, on the other hand, it certainly makes for a more pleasurable smoking experience.

Makes me wonder what cigars I've been smoking that have this added already. You know, the ones that are super smooth and woody with slight sweetness. I may have been smoking them for years and don't know it. The tobacco from WLT is not treated with licorice(I don't think it is) so it has an advantage at the sacrifice of some smoothing and flavor.

What say you?


From the FOPH about licorice...

http://www.bag.admin.ch/themen/drogen/00041/00618/13196/13208/index.html?lang=en

 

[squeezyjohn]

I use liquorice root to flavour my snus ... it contains a great sweetening agent called glycyrrhizin which does not promote tooth decay like sugar does ... and it's flavour compliments the tobacco very well indeed as long as not too much is used.

Fortunately for me it doesn't get burned in the snus making process so I hope it's OK for health purposes.

 

[deluxestogie]

Commercial cigars that contain anything other than tobacco and mystery glue must state so on the packaging. Cigars using homogenized sheet tobacco say, "non-tobacco ingredients" because of the chemicals used to create the sheet, not because of the sheet itself.

So, I would be inclined to assume that premium cigars today do not contain flavorings.

Benzene is pretty nasty stuff.

Bob

 

[webmost]

GACK!!!!

 

[ArizonaDave]

I use liquorice root to flavour my snus ... it contains a great sweetening agent called glycyrrhizin which does not promote tooth decay like sugar does ... and it's flavour compliments the tobacco very well indeed as long as not too much is used.

Fortunately for me it doesn't get burned in the snus making process so I hope it's OK for health purposes.

Actually by ingesting too much can add up to fatal amounts in your blood stream. Be sure and tell your doctor to monitor your levels.

 

[ArizonaDave]

I think I'm going to leave it out of my leaves, that's my vote!

 

[squeezyjohn]

Actually by ingesting too much can add up to fatal amounts in your blood stream. Be sure and tell your doctor to monitor your levels.

I'm certain that the small amounts I use are no more than even the most occasional eater of liquorice candy would ever consume ... so I'm sure I'm OK!

 

[ArizonaDave]

I'm certain that the small amounts I use are no more than even the most occasional eater of liquorice candy would ever consume ... so I'm sure I'm OK!

Good to hear!

 

[Cigar]

I was just wondering what do they to the tips of cigars to give them that so-called sweet taste,if not liquorice root oil than what? over the years one of all-time favorite "every day"smokes has been the factory-throwouts 59 "sweets" I can buy them local or over internet for around $1-1.50 a stick mostly corano or longsdale size which is my favorite by-the-way smokes i know i cant really copy the exact taste in my RYO smokes but if I can even close will be happy along with few other favorite smokes I like.

Cigar

 

[webmost]

Dip the end in sugar water.

 

[deluxestogie]

Baccarat cigars use a sweet gum as glue for the head.

Bob

 

[Gdaddy]

Glycerin is also a sweet addition used in many tobacco products.

 

[Gdaddy]

Commercial cigars that contain anything other than tobacco and mystery glue must state so on the packaging. Cigars using homogenized sheet tobacco say, "non-tobacco ingredients" because of the chemicals used to create the sheet, not because of the sheet itself.

So, I would be inclined to assume that premium cigars today do not contain flavorings.

Benzene is pretty nasty stuff.

Bob

Your biggest dose of benzene probably comes at the gas pump and car/tractor/lawn mower exhaust. Though we don't think much about that.

The tobacco may come from the grower already treated with something. After all there are age old 'family secrets' that are not discussed. How about the dye that's used on some maduro cigars to make them darker and more uniform? I don't think these things are listed on the packaging. I saw a video on RP cigars where the rollers fingers were dark brown from a solution of some sort. Who knows what that is. RP Java or the Drew Estate Acid cigars... what's in them? I'd place a wager that licorice root is in there somewhere.

The addition of licorice root is undetectable. Can't see it or smell it. It is 50 times sweeter than sugar but only a small amount is used.

I've researched this a good bit and found contradicting reports. The problem arises when it's burned. So small amounts used in chewing tobacco are perfectly fine. Even when burnt in tobacco the small amounts used generate very minuscule and almost undetectable amounts of toxic chemicals. It appears that the government may make the numbers appear to be bigger than they really are.

For those interested... Here's a report put out by Philip Morris that paints a different picture from the other side of the fence. (no surprise)

Toxicologic evaluation of licorice extract as a cigarette ingredient. The minuscule amounts would be even less in a cigar that's not inhaled.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15878225

 

[charlie G.]

There is a company in PA that makes a cigar I usto smoke called "Avanti" that is soaked with anisette that is tasty.

 

[ArizonaDave]

There is a company in PA that makes a cigar I usto smoke called "Avanti" that is soaked with anisette that is tasty.

Actually, that is easy to make yourself: http://shop.lorannoils.com/shop-all-products/super-strength-flavors/1-dram-size/anise-oil-natural

 

[Gdaddy]

There is a company in PA that makes a cigar I usto smoke called "Avanti" that is soaked with anisette that is tasty.

Have had a few Charlie and they are tasty.

I had avoided using licorice root extract because I don't want my cigars to taste flavored especially not licorice. The more I read from old recipes the use of licorice root was used not as a flavoring but rather an enhancement and smoothing agent to existing tobacco.

Curiosity got the best of me so I tried a very diluted amount misted on the tobacco leaves and I was absolutely amazed at how much smoother and tastier the natural tobacco of the cigar was. I really couldn't believe the improvement with NO indication that it was in the cigar. Pure natural goodness. Wow!

It threw me curve when I researched it's use and looked into any ill effects that could come from it's use.

 

[Gdaddy]

Actually, that is easy to make yourself: http://shop.lorannoils.com/shop-all-products/super-strength-flavors/1-dram-size/anise-oil-natural

Exactly Dave, lots of flavors available. Seedmans also.

I can't help but wonder if many of these oils available for flavorings can morph into the same questionable category as licorice root oil when it's burned. Extensive studies have been done on licorice because of it's use in cigarettes. The other toppings have not been tested when burned.

The one study suggests that "adding licorice extract to cigarette tobacco at levels of < or =5% does not discernibly alter the smoke chemistry or biological effects normally associated with mainstream cigarette smoke."

My wager would be that there are plenty of cigars that have licorice oil added for a flavor enhancement.

 

[deluxestogie]

Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health is about to offer a free online course through Coursera entitled: "Chemicals and Health."

This course covers chemicals in our environment and in our bodies and how they impact our health. It addresses policies and practices related to chemicals, particularly related to how they get into our bodies (exposures), what they do when they get there (toxicology), how we measure them (biomonitoring) and their impact on our health.

Recommended Background

No background is required; all are welcome!
Note that the course will be taught at the college level and assumes a basic knowledge of biology and chemistry.

It's free. Estimated 2-4 hours of work/week, for 6 weeks.

https://www.coursera.org/course/chemhealth

Bob

 

[ArizonaDave]

Exactly Dave, lots of flavors available. Seedmans also.

I can't help but wonder if many of these oils available for flavorings can morph into the same questionable category as licorice root oil when it's burned. Extensive studies have been done on licorice because of it's use in cigarettes. The other toppings have not been tested when burned.

The one study suggests that "adding licorice extract to cigarette tobacco at levels of < or =5% does not discernibly alter the smoke chemistry or biological effects normally associated with mainstream cigarette smoke."

My wager would be that there are plenty of cigars that have licorice oil added for a flavor enhancement.

That could be!
I like the natural tobacco's Don has, so I'll stick with them. Although, I really like what you've done with Pipe tobacco in the Cigars! I tried the Prelep, and LOVE it in a blend, kind of has a pipe quality to it.

 

[Gdaddy]

That could be!
I like the natural tobacco's Don has, so I'll stick with them. Although, I really like what you've done with Pipe tobacco in the Cigars! I tried the Prelep, and LOVE it in a blend, kind of has a pipe quality to it.

No additives in WLT are certainly an advantage for Don. I'm really enjoying the addition of the 'Royal Yacht'. However, I wonder what's in their 'secret blend' ?

Additives in pipe tobacco...

"Flavorings- There are two types of flavorings used in tobaccos. The first type is called a casing. Pretty much any blend that contains Virginia or Burley tobaccos have been cased. These flavorings aren’t used as much to add taste or aroma as to mitigate any negative properties of the raw leaf. Burley, for example, has a bit of a sour note, so sweeteners may be added, such as molasses or licorice, mixed with water and steamed into the tobacco. The sweetener won’t be noticed very much, but it keeps the tobacco from becoming unpalatable. Once the casing is applied, the tobacco then needs to be dried out a bit."

http://www.talkingtobacco.com/2012/09/additives-in-pipe-tobacco/

BTW... I see this 'steaming process' in videos processing Cuban cigar tobacco.