Russ Ouellette is the blender/creator of the Hearth & Home series of tobaccos for www.pipesandcigars.com in Bethlehem, PA. He has been a pipe smoker and blender for over 30 years, and enjoys feedback from the pipe smoking public. You can reach Russ at russo@pipesandcigars.com or by calling 1-800-494-9144.
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Nicotine- Tobacco’s “N” Word
Neill had been one of the judges for the Balkan Sobranie 759 Throwdown during the Chicagoland Pipe Show this year, and we became friends very quickly as we both really are passionate about the hobby. So when I had two new Marquee Series blends coming out, I sent a tin of each to Neill to ask for his feedback. Shortly after receiving the tins, I got an email from him asking about the blend, because he and some friends found the blend a little bit strong in the nicotine department, which sometimes happens with matured Virginias that have been exposed to heat and/or pressure. I responded about the blend, and expressed a little surprise about the nicotine content, but in retrospect, I should have sampled the blend to other people than myself, as I don’t usually have much of a reaction to nicotine. But I made a suggestion to Neill about taking a piece of chocolate before or after smoking anything that has a fair amount of nicotine. He tried the suggestion to good results, so far, as indicated in his post.
So, I got thinking about this alkaloid compound which is so reviled. Please don’t think that I believe that using nicotine in any form is without risk, just as I don’t believe that using firearms or driving a car don’t have inherent risks, but there’s a lot about this chemical that people don’t know, so let’s take a quick look.
As I mentioned in my email to Neill, taking some candy before, during or after smoking can mitigate some of the negative effects, as Vitamin N causes one’s liver to dump sugar into the blood, and then there’s a crash after that influx. By eating some candy, especially chocolate, this effect is minimized. The reason chocolate works best is because it also contains caffeine, which helps one’s body metabolize nicotine.
But something that is rarely, if ever, talked about regarding nicotine are the benefits it can provide. First off, it causes an unusual dichotomy within the human body; it is, all at the same time, a stimulant and a calmative. It makes one’s mind clearer and will help concentration, but at the same time causes relaxation. It also has a mostly positive impact on digestion, which explains the old British tradition of the post-prandial cigar or pipe. It has also been reported that it may have medicinal value for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Alzheimer’s Disease and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Because of its ability to stimulate, it can raise blood pressure and heart rate, but normally by a small amount. This is one of the main reasons why nicotine in counterindicated for those with hypertension and certain types of heart ailments. That said, most adults will encounter few or no noticeable ill-effects from its use.
If you read Neill’s blog, you’ll see a chart that shows the nicotine levels for the varieties of tobaccos used in pipe blends . You’ll notice that Virginia tends to be quite low, but that can change depending upon how it’s processed. The use of heat and pressure can increase the level significantly. Orientals, including Latakia, are moderately low, as is Maryland. Burleys have the highest concentration of nicotine, although different strains will have varying levels, and Perique tends to be higher as well, because it’s a highly processed offshoot of Burley.
Nicotine is an addictive substance. I’m not Pollyanna enough to deny this as fact, but nicotine doesn’t have the extreme negative effects of other such substances. Yes, if you smoke cigarettes, there are greater risks because the addiction causes one to smoke more and the tars from the smoke can definitely cause problems, but pipe and cigars smokers don’t inhale, so the potential negative impact is lessened.
Lastly, nicotine also has an influence on taste. If you smoke a cigar or pipe blend that you can describe as “spicy”, especially if the flavor is peppery, then you’re tasting the influence of Vitamin N. So if you’ve ever wondered why spicy cigars and pipe tobaccos also tend to hit you a little harder than milder tasting ones, now you know why.
All this typing and the intense thought that writing this has taken its toll on me and made me tense and anxious. I think I’ll have a cigar.
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