Turkish/Oriental Izmir, 1 lb

The tobacco itself is easy to deal with, grab a handful and shred it. I fell in love with Izmir when I first bought the 2019 batch. It was aromatic, funky smell and taste(in a good way). The 2019 batch was all caked up together so was harder to shred but it was worth the work. Phenomenal!

This new 2022 batch is much easier to manipulate and cut. Small individual leaves with stems in that you don't need to remove. Unfortunately, it's not early as fragrant and funky as the previous batch. I found myself chasing the old smell and taste I had made a couple of years ago...I tried 10%, 15%, 20% and even 25% ratio Izmir and didn't come close to the old results. It's still fine, you get that fresh taste on the tongue, it tones down harsher tobacco and you get the occasional typical Turkish taste but not often. I'll still be using it, it's perfectly fine tobacco but I am grieving the taste I once loved so much. It seems impossible to find great Izmir. As usually, WLT comes through and provides us something, better than anything else on the North American market right now.

I am in no way saying it's bad, but it isn't what it used to be. I didn't give it 5 stars simply because it lacks in aroma and taste we were made used to.

Really good Turkish tobacco, milder than Samsun, bit dry in casing which led to some shake and broken leaves but nothing major. I ordered a pound of each, this and the Samsun. Always top notch clean leaf, very fast shipping, well packaged.

The Izmir is great blended with a little perique and some m609, adds a little base and nicotine boost. Definitely stocking up since oriental seen to becoming harder to find in the US.

"They're not the best at what they do, they're just the only ones that do it "... really WLT is the best.

I got this Izmir in my latest order. I was always curious about Turkish tobacco. Being in Canada it's not a common thing in commercial cigarettes and never got around to growing some either with my other varieties. When I got the bag I opened it and I started shuffling through it. Tiny leaves, no need to remove stems. Texture is like leather or fruit roll-up, very neat. When I started cutting it is when I got a whiff of the spicy aroma. I smoked some 50/50 with the ripe Virginia tips and gives a nice floral and almost fresh taste in the mouth. Vet happy I got these, it will allow me to make entirely new flavour profiles with the red, bright and lemon Virginia.

The best choice I ever made for blending. I grew Tennessee Burley last summer and it was mighty strong. Especially towards the end of the cigarette. This Turkish was the perfect wife to calm down a grumpy Burley husband. When smoked together, you taste a happy union. Thanks for making this available!

This stuff is EXCELLENT!! Ive never tasted anything like that before. Its just like my reading said it would be. I was going to mix it with bright virginia, latakia, and dark fired kentucky burly but i'm still waiting on a few things. I added a few sprigs of dark fired kentucky to this katerini for a little oomph. Man i wasnt disappointed. Tastes great, smokes cool. Good stuff. Even by itself.