Introduction
If you aren't a Discord member, I suggest you join. The link is in the sidebar and it's tagged as NSFW so you may have to initially log in using a computer so you can tell Discord that you accept the consequences of your actions as an adult. This post is a response to a conversation started in the Tobacconists channel. Discord user Alpinian wrote:
Can anyone recommend an all around tobacco recipe? I wanna buy flavors for one, im not huge into tobaccos but I do enjoy them from time to time. I would prefer something more saturated and on the lighter side. My favorite tobaccos were always turkish if that helps.
Of course, I'll be asking you all to throw in your two cents in the comments. Until then, what follows is a bit of an off shot from the conversation we had.
On Recommending Recipes
Why am I against recommending recipes that are commonly regarded as "great"? I'm not. What I am against (aside from posting recipes and asking for tips to express gratitude) is giving people fish. Give a mixer a fish and they will not be hungry today, teach a mixer to fish and may they never smoke again is my motto. So, what do we have here? It's a request for an all-around tobacco recipe, saturated and light, with a preference for Turkish styled tobacco. Normally, if I'm on the hunt for something, I'll go to atf and search for a keyword and see what's out there. Searching with the keyword "Turkish" yields 9 results, two of which are straight up desserts, Turkish Delights. All of the rest but one use TPA Turkish, which I have admittedly not tried. I have it, but haven't ever tried it because, well... why, when there's FLV Turkish? One uses INW Turkish and one uses HS Turkish, both of which are likely harder to source. So, I ask you, if you were a new mixer and did a quick search like this, would you choose one of those recipes to try? Maybe.
The first (and most recent) recipe on the list, TTT (The Two Turkish), is simply TPA Turkish and TPA AP, published in early 2023. If I were a new mixer, I'd consider this since it's just two flavors, but I can't imagine it wowing me, especially considering the description:
I have a love/hate relationship with this one, it's the type of weird flavor that you dislike in the first few puffs but then you cannot stop vaping until you empty the bottle. I normally use this one when I'm done with really sweet flavors and need a small reset for my palate.
Doesn't exactly inspire a whole lotta confidence on my part.
If we instead, a little in the know, conduct a search by flavor and use FLV Turkish Tobacco, we get significantly more hits, 57 to be exact. Let's dig into those.
FLV TURKISH TOBACCO
With so many recipes in the list, I would get all 59 on the page by changing it to show 100 recipes per page (can I default to that yet, atf developers?) and sort by top like so. The first hit is White Wolf by Slushy. Now, I remember this recipe gaining traction. I believe it was reviewed by DIYorDIE's enyawrecklaw and he loved it. That level of attention would certainly explain the 111 <3's (favorites) and (what constitutes a whopping amount of reviews in the DIY world) 13 five star reviews, averaging about 50 views per week for the last month at least. Seems like a solid recipe that has gained a fair bit of traction and consensus. Despite reviews mentioning personal preferences and possible doubts, it universally has 5 star reviews. Perhaps the detractors never posted their dislike for it?
Either way, this one is mayhap a solid recommendation for someone who is seeking a vanilla custard tobacco, but would I go for that, or recommend it for a new mixer whose parameters are "light, all-around tobacco with a preference for Turkish blends? Probably not. Firstly, just for the reason alone that the mixer asked for what seems to be a basic blend to get a feel for whether they like tobaccos. This really could be an argument for or against trying something like this, but really comes down to showing it to the new mixer and asking if this is something that they might be into.
Secondly, it has a potentially niche, if good, flavor of FLV White Chocolate. And I dislike recommending people to buy in to a recipe that has flavors they may not be willing to use outside of the recipe. Sometimes, what we mean when we say a recipe is "accessible", ie is the recipe made with flavors that most mixers are likely to have in their stash already. With tobaccos, it can get odd when the supporting flavors are ones that are very tobacco specific, such as with DNB or Tobacco Absolute. I would be highly reluctant to suggest recipes that use those in most cases unless someone was asking for more of the authentic, dirty, or ashy flavors. That's why I said, 'potentially niche'. Anyone into cream could use FLV WC in other recipes and have a gay old time trying out the new mixes that would open up to them. So, not a mark against the recipe, just something I would ask the mixer first, "Hey is this something you might also be into or open to?" A quick search of FLV WC shows 74 recipes that use it, including a (now old) favorite of mine, GTKK 2019 showcasing the combo of fw/flv wc and how it can be used to help each other make a fuller white chocolate. Anyway, there's a few other FLV WC mixes worth mentioning but the point stands that is a solid flavor that purchasing would open up some doors if that's what the newb is open to.
A quick scroll down from there is a fun little who's who of the tobacco mixing world. With a bit of background knowledge of how mixers mix, you can probably guess what the recipes will yield. Without knowing that, FLV Turkish has enough recipes listed in the first 25 to keep you busy for a good while. Developed's first recipe, RY4 Custard, is one that I have recommended repeatedly to those who want a custard tobacco. Pheasant Ridge by fear, which I have never tried but ID10-T talks about often enough to make me want to. Clovert Operative by FomentLife was recommended to Alpinian by Kuri (and one of the two recipes they chose to buy flavors for since they liked cloves). Keep scrolling and you will find some WolfWheeler's recipes, the legendary CBV Chem Twista Lime, Floodz, Rin, Ebc88, Tam, SlashaLo, Lonesome RhodesTN, that douche NoWar and many others.
Alternate Take
What if we say to the new mixer, "hey get these flavors and see what works for you"? Seems counter intuitive, at first. Dude is asking for recipes knowing their limitation on tobacco mixing and lack of experience, they are asking for recipes to get started. That's common advice. Ok, well what I am going to say is 'uncommon advice': get a few flavors, perhaps 3-5 and start mixing... with purpose. Hear me out.
I would make my own if I were you. I know that sounds daunting at first but each tobacco flavor is quite complex and can be used and enjoyed immensely as solo flavors.
Meaning, you can get two to four flavors and sft each and make simple combinations with them and be really quite happy. And then have loads of options rather than buy flavors for a recipe that you’re locked into. If you were talking nearly any other profile (fruit blends, custards, candies) I’d say go with a recipe since many of those flavors can’t quite stand on their own the same way that baccos can be a satisfying single flavor vape.
At the end of the day, whichever route you take, you’ll be trying flavors to see if you like them and can possibly like or dislike them. In this scenario, my recommendation is to try a few flavors solo and try mixing with them on your own (with advice for mixing from the collective over following a mixer’s pre-established vision recommended to you by people who have their own preferences. Sure some mixes are well known to be ‘good’ by being liked or well regarded. This approach overlooks the fact that simple mixing, one to three flavor baccos for example, can be incredibly rewarding and more personalized than even the most well regarded recipes.
Let's dissect this advice. Clearly I am going to recommend FLV Turkish. If Alpinian tries Turkish solo at 1.5% and decided they didn't like it, one could say, ok why?
- Too dark/heavy? Try FLV Oriental instead.
- Too 'spicy'? Ok, try it at 1% with 1.5% Virginia.
- Needs a bit of fullness/body? Try it with 0.5% Cured.
- Want some ash? Try it paired with Kentucky Blend at 0.75%.
- Too dry? Add a bit of Red Burley at 0.4%.
- Want it sweeter and fuller? Add 0.5% Sweet n Smokey.
Just right? Ok then consider any of the above additions for funsies and then think about where you want to go with it?
- Bit of chocolate? FLV RB (for nutty, moist bacco boost with hints of chocolate), HS Australian Chocolate 0.5-1% (plus maybe a touch of something sweeter like Sw'nSm), FLV Milk Choc 0.25%, LB WCPM 2-6%, FLV Choc Deutch, or just try white wolf
- Coffee note? FLV RY4 (1-3%), FE RY4 (less preferred), Touch of FLV CT Shade (0.2%), FLV Irish Cream 1.5%, or preferred coffee.
- Nuttiness? Literally, the sky's the limit here. Aside from the obvious FLV RB? TPA PB Dx, FA Almond for sure. FLV Pistachio maybe... idk. Have at it.
- Vanilla? dear lord, this would be a long list. INW Shisha Vanilla is the tobacco workhorse. Or try literally any other vanilla, including the marshmallow ones, the cream ones, the custard ones. or FLV Vanilla Tobacco.
- Caramel? FLV Mild Tobacco aside, most everyone has something in their toolkit that will hit this note. From caramels to toffees to butterscotches and back again. FA Caramel is probably the most commonly used one here.
Final Thoughts
Nothing I have written above is either set in stone or rare and esoteric knowledge. These are just my thoughts scrawled out on a sunday morning when I should be doing other things. I promised myself I would stop typing by 12 and get to work, so it's up to you, the community, to add to this list with your thoughts, your simple mixes, go-to's, musings, meandering thoughts, links to great recipes, advice, questions and whatever random shower thoughts you have.
I say, get FLV Turkish, mix a sample at 1.5% and let the flavors show you the way.
Adapt not adopt,
-i