Meandering Smoke

Hearth & Home -- Louisiana Red

2011-06-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

Brand: Hearth & Home
Blend: Louisiana Red
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: No-Name Apple
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 9
Overall: 8

While most tobacconists offer their own proprietary house blends, rare is the shop that develops such a wide array of quality pipe tobaccos that they're able to mix, tin, and distribute them for sale by their own competitors. Such is the case with the Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe -- better known to Internet connoisseurs by their web address pipesandcigars.com.

I've enjoyed many of their blends over the years and since they seem to keep devising innovative pipe tobaccos I guess I'll never run out of new things to try. I've been sitting on a sample of their Louisiana Red for a while now and finally got around to giving it a whirl.

Hearth & Home's Louisiana Red is a Virginia/Perique (VAPer) blend made up of two kinds of Red Virginia leaf and a healthy dash of St. James Perique. Out of the tin/pouch it appears as a classic medium brown ribbon cut tobacco and smells sweetly of dried fruit.

I loaded up my favorite pipe, a cheap no-name apple shape, lit the tobacco and started puffing. My first response was that it tasted like McClelland's 5100 Red Cake with the same mix of nutty sweetness that I love in that blend. Since both are predominantly Red Virginia blends I guess that stands to reason.

But after a few puffs the added Perique began to poke through with a rich, boozy taste of homemade fruitcake. This added some real depth to the blend but the Perique remained a sweet condiment and never added any spice or kick whatsoever. I actually enjoyed this departure from the classic VAPer flavor profile but I would certainly rank Louisiana Red as a mild blend in that genre.

Toward the bottom of the bowl a rich cigar taste and aroma briefly emerged which really brought the smoke to a stylish and satisfying end. The room aroma in general was fairly pleasant and nicely complimented the flavors.

The blend was also well behaved in the pipe and smoked cool and dry with no problems whatsoever.

Hearth & Home's Louisiana Red is a unique VAPer that provides a most enjoyable and flavorful smoke. The fact that the blend can now be purchased in tins (1.5 and 8oz.) from multiple retailers at great prices offers a nice alternative to bulk for those who don't enjoy canning up their own tobacco. LA Red is a winner from top to bottom and I certainly plan to stock some away.

Mac Baren -- HH Vintage Syrian

2011-04-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Brand: Mac Baren
Blend: HH Vintage Syrian
Style: English
Pipe Used: No-name Apple
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 9
Value: 9
Overall: 9

Mac Baren is one of the world's largest producers of pipe tobacco so I was a bit surprised when I realized that I had only ever smoked three of their blends and that none had made it into my regular tobacco rotation. Perhaps that explains why I sat on this 1 oz. sample of HH Vintage Syrian for so long without ever giving it a try. While going through some loose baggies of various samples I stumbled on this one and decided on a whim to finally give it a go.

The blend was a coarse cut mixture of brown and black tobaccos and the pouch aroma was sweet and smokey like many light, or Americanized (in this case Danishized), blends. It definitely had that classic Mac Baren sweetness that many refer to as a honey-like topping.

My sample had dried out a bit so I loaded the pipe bowl then gave it a few puffs of air to get the moisture level up before lighting. The pipe lit up easily and the tobacco burned at a perfect pace.

Mac Baren promotes this blend as a throw-back to simpler times when the tobacco itself was allowed to shine. Made up of the titular Syrian Latakia, Turkish Oriental, various Virginias, and a touch of Dark Kentucky this is one complex "simple" blend!

The first taste I was hit with was the high quality Latakia that was in just the right amount to offer up some smokey goodness without the skunkiness that accompanies many Latakia-heavy blends (not that I don't love that too).

The blend then gave my tongue a bit of a spicy tingle which I assume was due to the Oriental leaf. And the various Virginias provided the sweetness of dried fruit and a bit of nuttiness reminiscent of McClelland's Red Cake while the Dark Kentucky lent some cigar-like strength to the blend.

HH Vintage Syrian is one tasty and well-balanced blend and even the aftertaste was full of pleasant floral undertones.

The aroma was that classic pipe smell that we all know and love and I enjoyed smelling the stuff almost as much I did smoking it.

The blend burned down to a fine gray ash with only a few relights required and was easy on the mouth and tongue even with some slightly frenzied puffing.

Mac Baren's HH Vintage Syrian is an excellent light English blend and I can easily see myself smoking through a goodly amount of the stuff as that's one of my favorite tobacco types. Whether it truly does harken back to the blends of a century ago I have no idea but I do know that it's a perfectly balanced combination of high quality tobacco that absolutely sings in a pipe.

And if that isn't enough to recommend the stuff there's also the fact that you can acquire a 100g tin for a measly twelve bucks or an entire pound for around $37. I love great tobacco and a great bargain and this blend offers both.

Hearth & Home -- Lakeland Brickle

2011-03-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Brand: Hearth & Home
Blend: Lakeland Brickle
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 4
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 6

When a tobacco is described as being a Lakeland blend it usually means that it comes from one of the famed blenders in that region of England and is imbued with that famous floral-like essence. Since the aroma and taste of this style of tobacco is so unique it tends to have a rather polarizing effect on pipe smokers.

Given the recent shortages of tobacco blends coming out of the Lakeland region, the folks at Pipesandcigars.com have decided to try their hand at imitating the style and the result is the brand new Hearth & Home entry, Lakeland Brickle.

Open opening my sample bag I was immediately hit with the overwhelming aroma of potpourri as I gazed upon a sticky mass of tobacco that looked to me like one of my favorite trail snacks, the inimitable Clif Bar. The medium brown tobacco was very moist so I broke off a chunk, rubbed it out, and set it aside to dry for a few hours. Fast forward a bit and the tobacco was still just as damp so I decided to just smoke it anyway.

Given the powerful aroma of the blend I decided to smoke it in one of trusty corncobs so as not to ghost a briar. The tobacco packed nicely and lit right up.

H&H describes Lakeland Brickle as a Virginia (mostly Red) and Burley blend infused with classic Lakeland essences such as rose and tonquin and I have to admit that each of these constituent parts made themselves readily known on the palate.

The Red Virginia is evident in the sweetness of the blend which I found to have a vegetal nature akin to a sun-ripened tomato or cucumber. The Burley provided a richness and hint of cinammon-like spice. And the added essences really took center stage with flavors running the gamut from vanilla (thanks to the tonquin-style flavoring) to rose and lavender.

To me the taste was overpowering and alternated between a tasty piece of hard candy and grandma's favorite floral soap. I've often read complaints that Lakeland blends are too soapy and never really understood what that meant until now. Not only did it taste like soap but it also coated my tongue and throat in a way I haven't experienced since my four-year-old self called my mom the b-word and was treated to a taste of Ivory.

I'll also admit upfront that I'm sensitive to some floral scents such as eucalyptus and while I can't confirm that that particular essence is in this blend I was hit with a big headache soon after finishing the bowl. The truth is that strong Lakeland blends just aren't my cup of tea and this Brickle is one powerful tobacco done up in that style.

The room aroma was naturally very sweet and flowery so you're not likely to receive any complaints there and the tobacco burned nicely even with its high moisture content.

While the pipe smoking world laments how hard it is to procure many classic English-blended tobaccos, Hearth & Home has stepped up to the plate and attempted to emulate the famous Lakeland blends as a service to their customers. Lakeland Brickle takes its name seriously and delivers one wallop of an essence-filled blend. There's no doubting the quality of the product and I'm sure that it'll have many fans but sadly I'm just not one of them. For me the added flavorings are just too cloying and strong and overwhelm the natural tobacco taste.

G.L. Pease -- JackKnife Plug

2011-02-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

Brand: G.L Pease
Blend: JackKnife Plug
Style: VA
Pipe Used: No-Name Apple
Price: $10.85/2oz.

Appearance: 10
Taste: 9
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 9

JackKnife Plug is the inaugural entry in Greg Pease's latest endeavor, the New World Collection. This new line of tobacco by the master blender will feature nothing but New World (American) leaf which is fitting given that tobacco was first grown, smoked, and enjoyed on these shores. As a big G.L. Pease fan I eagerly awaited the initial release of this blend and joined in the feeding frenzy that ensued when those lovely tins finally landed on store shelves.

When I popped open the tin I was greeted with a solid little plug, or cake, of tobacco that was dark brown in hue and smelled of rich tobacco and nothing else. The tobacco was also a bit moist which isn't surprising given how recently it was tinned.

I appreciate the rich history of tobacco and pipe smoking so I've always had a thing for traditional plugs, ropes, and twists. The added ritual involved in preparing these blends for the pipe really enhances my enjoyment and allows me to indulge in another one of my hobbies, knife collecting, because as everyone knows you must always have the proper tool for the job at hand.

To prepare the plug I turned to my Case Sway Back Gent with a razor-sharp wharncliffe blade and proceeded to shave off a few thin flakes. I then balled these up and rubbed them between my palms allowing a pile of fine shag to collect in the dish below. After a few hours of drying the pipe was loaded and the tobacco lit.

JackKnife Plug is advertised as containing dark-fired Kentucky, red Virginia, and golden flue-cured tobaccos and while I'm not sure what all that means I tend to associate Kentucky with dark, flavorful Burley and golden flue-cured tobacco with yellow Virginias. The red leaf of course speaks for itself. And far be it from me to attempt to assign flavors to any particular leaf as tobacco blending is as much alchemy and art as it is science.

My first taste of the blend featured a subtle metallic and mineral tang that I often find with maduro-wrapped cigars. This soon evolved into a savory, hearty, and slightly spicy flavor akin to roast beef on rye bread. At this point my eagerness took over and I began smoking a bit too fast which resulted in a tickle at the back of my throat to warn me to slow it down.

Halfway through the bowl the blend had mellowed in a subtly-sweet state that reminded me both of fresh-cut hay and roasted acorn squash. At this point I thought I had this blend figured out when, Bam!, a strong taste of vanilla and caramel emerged which was very similar to the flavor of Classic Burley Kake. I was not expecting such overt sweetness but it made for a welcome counterpoint to the blend's otherwise dense flavor profile.

After a few minutes of sugary bliss the mineral taste returned and the bowl soon finished up right back where it had started. What a wild and at times unexpected ride it was!

JackKnife Plug is a rich, heavy, and sweet blend more like a traditional English holiday pudding than an extravagant dessert. It also delivered a real roundhouse kick of nicotine even though I had purposely waited to smoke it until after eating.

The room aroma followed along the same lines as the flavor profile and offered up a strong but pleasant aroma of burning leaves and smoldering grasses.

The blend also burned slow and cool and required no fiddling save for a bit of tamping and a single relight at the very end so as not to miss out on any of the fine tobacco.

G.L. Pease's JackKnife Plug is an amazing tobacco blend that's full of intense and varied flavors and even after smoking half a tin I've only just begun to uncover its mysteries. Since the plug can be prepared in a myriad of different ways (folded flake, krumble kake, shag, cube cut, etc.) it always smokes and tastes a little different each time. And I can hardly wait to see how well this blend ages as it has all the hallmarks of a cellar classic.

So pop open a tin, strop your favorite blade to a keen edge, and have at it knowing that you're following in the footsteps of the smokers and sailors of old. JackKnife Plug is a real contradiction in terms -- a brand-new vintage tobacco -- and is pure pleasure in the pipe.

Mac Baren -- 7 Seas Regular Blend

2011-01-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

Brand: Mac Baren
Blend: 7 Seas Regular Blend
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli #313 Natural Prince
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 7
Taste: 6
Room Note: 8
Value: 8 (based on list price)
Overall: 7

Mac Baren recently launched their new 7 Seas series of aromatic pipe tobacco and everything from the blend names (Regular, Royal and Gold) to the nautical theme and pouch aroma are reminiscent of Captain Black. While many pipe smokers look down their noses at such drugstore fare these old-school blends still make up the vast majority of pipe tobacco sold so they must have something going for them. And if Mac Baren has decided to make a none-too-subtle attempt to update such a classic then who am I to argue?

I received a few pouches of the Regular blend with some of my recent tobacco orders and decided to give the stuff a try. The tobacco was a dark, almost black, cross-cut mixture that was a bit moist and smelled of vanilla and hints of cocoa.

I loaded up my trusty aromatic pipe, gave it a light, and began happily puffing away. The tobacco lit right up and burned down about two thirds of the way before a single relight was required.

Mac Baren's 7 Seas Regular tasted very similar to Captain Black White in that the tobacco was lightly flavorful and the vanilla was quite noticeable. But whereas Captain Black has always had a nasty burnt plastic aftertaste to me this stuff was much more refined and smooth. It was still a fairly weak tasting blend but at least it was pleasant.

The room aroma was quite nice which is a feature touted right on the pouch as it aims to be as non-offensive a tobacco as possible.

The blend also burned nicely and caused no tongue bite which made for a leisurely 30 minute smoke and before I knew it all that was left in the bowl was a bit of ash and dottle and none of the goop that so often comes along with typical drugstore aromatics.

Mac Baren's 7 Seas Regular is a nice enough update to an old classic and can be had at a very reasonable price. I liked it well enough but there are just too many better aromatic blends out there to make this a regular smoke for me. But I do have to say that I'm intrigued enough that I just might sample the other two blends in the series to see what they have to offer.

Cornell & Diehl -- Pirate Kake

2010-12-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Blend: Pirate Kake
Style: English
Pipe Used: No-Name Apple
Price: $27.60/16oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 9
Room Note: 7
Value: 10
Overall: 9

Recently I ordered a pound of Cornell & Diehl's Pirate Kake purely on a whim. I had never so much as tried the blend before but at such a low price I decided I might as well get an entire brick of the stuff and hope for the best.

The tobacco arrived as one large pressed kake sealed in plastic and was dated just four days prior to when my order was placed so this was one young blend to be sure. The kake was soft and pliable and a tad on the moist side and was composed of jet black tobacco with a few brown flecks mixed in. The aroma reminded me of a campfire log that had burned to coals overnight and been dampened by the morning dew. To many folks that is not a pleasant smell but to me it's pure bliss which probably explains why I'm such a fan of these strong latakia blends.

To give it a try I broke off a nugget of the kake, dropped it into my pipe, and sprinkled a bit of rubbed out tobacco on top to act as tinder. The stuff lit right up and once that piece of kake got a nice ember going it refused to go out. I never had to relight the pipe and only tamped it a bit more out of habit than necessity. The pipe was even left on the workbench for minutes at a time while I changed the wiper blades on my car and still it wouldn't stop smoldering. At the end there was only ash and a wee bit of soggy tobacco leftover which isn't bad considering how damp the blend was to start with.

So it burned perfectly which counts for something but how did it taste? C&D defines Pirate Kake as a blend with lots of Latakia accompanied by Turkish and Cavendish cut Burley so the dominant flavor, not surprisingly, is the Latakia which reminded me of the leaf that's used in Count Pulaski. Since that ranks as one of my favorite tobaccos I knew I was in for a treat.

Taste and smell go hand in hand and I can't fully describe one without the other so when I say that this blend reminded me of a well-oiled baseball glove or the seats in a vintage roadster I'm not implying that I've tasted either one but when I smoke this blend those are the images that come to my mind.

I could happily puff all day long on a pipe that offered nothing more than that but with this blend there's the addition of the Turkish and Burley tobaccos to consider. The Oriental leaf added a nice, underlying hint of spice and a bit of robust cigar flavor to the blend while the stoved Burley brought a nutty richness that kept the flavors nicely balanced.

The room aroma was about what once would expect from a heavy Latakia blend. I enjoyed it immensely but I'm not daft enough to think anyone else would so for me this is a blend best enjoyed in solitary comfort where a man can revel in the smell of burning gym socks if he so chooses.

It was a risky move buying a full pound of this stuff on a whim but in this day and age it's often best to get while the gettin's good and in this instance the bet paid off handsomely indeed. With excellent flavor and perfect burning characteristics, Pirate Kake stands as my favorite Cornell & Diehl blend to date. It's certainly not a tobacco for everybody but is highly recommended for all Latakia fans and those with fond memories of standing out in center field chewing the leather laces off their mitts. OK, I admit it, I have tasted a baseball glove before so sue me.

Cornell & Diehl -- Bayou Morning

2010-09-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Blend: Bayou Morning
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Savinelli #313 Prince
Price: $18.59/8 oz.

Appearance: 8
Taste: 8
Room Note: 7
Value: 10
Overall: 8

Cornell & Diehl's Bayou Morning is one of their many VA/Per offerings that can be had at a ridiculously low price in bulk form so I decided to try some out with my latest tobacco order. The blend is a ribbon-cut mixture of medium to dark brown tobacco with streaks of black Perique. The aroma is that of tangy sweet Virginia leaf with hints of cocoa and black pepper.

Once my pipe was loaded I gave it a charring light, tamped, and then gave it a relight whereupon I was immediately met with a very strong spicy taste which forcefully announced the presence of the Perique. This almost overwhelming jolt of flavor lasted until the first embers began to smolder and the flames from the initial light dampened a bit. Whew, I thought I was in trouble for a while there!

After that first smack across the face the blend then began to blossom and the sweet Virginia flavors emerged to temper the Perique a bit. But at no point did that spicy leaf ever fade into the background and any heavy-handed puffing soon brought it back to the fore with a vengeance.

The hint of bittersweet chocolate that was evident in the pouch aroma also played out upon the palate and offered up the perfect contrast to the zesty Perique. This combination of spiciness and sweetness put me in mind of such Latin fare as mole sauce or even the fresh melon sprinkled with hot chili powder found at many a roadside stand.

Bayou Morning provided that classic VA/Per flavor profile but it teetered right on the edge of being a flat-out spice-bomb. That's not a knock against the blend but it certainly does make it stand out among its peers.

The room aroma was fairly pleasant but the mustiness from the strong Perique presence provided a bit too much funk to the smoke to be truly enjoyable.

The blend was well-behaved in the pipe and only required a few relights. As mentioned, fast smoking is a no-no with this one unless you typically order your Thai food at level 5.

Cornell & Diehl's Bayou Morning is one VA/Per that isn't afraid to fly its Perique flag high and proud. It's far and away the spiciest blend I've yet had and provides more flavor in one small bowl than should be legal. At C&D's typically insane low price this is a blend well worth stocking up on and I can't wait to see what a few years will do to meld and temper the extreme flavors a bit.

If I wasn't already slavishly devoted to Haddo's Delight as my morning with coffee blend then Bayou Morning would be a prime candidate to take its place. I guess the name really does fit the blend in this case.

Cornell & Diehl -- Three Friars

2010-09-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Blend: Three Friars
Style: Virginia, Burley & Perique
Pipe Used: 1/8 Bent Acorn
Price: $18.59/8oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 9
Room Note: 8
Value: 10
Overall: 9

Cornell & Diehl's Three Friars is advertised as a light VA/Per with Burley and I decided to add some to a recent tobacco order. The blend is a light brown ribbon-cut with sparse flecks of black Perique sprinkled throughout. The aroma is lightly sweet and sour with a hint of raisins and the tobacco arrived at the perfect moisture level for immediate smoking.

Upon lighting my no-name acorn I immediately tasted the nutty, tart sweetness typical of quality Burley and Virginia and this was to remain the dominant taste throughout the smoke. The Perique added a nice bit of zesty spice and mustiness but was very much in the background. Three was also a very faint hint of citrus that nicely offset the spiciness. If I had to sum up Three Friars in a few words I would say it's like a top-shelf Carter Hall with pizazz.

The room aroma was fairly benign even though the blend produced lots of smoke.

The tobacco burned clean and dry right down to the bottom of the bowl with only a few relights. There was a noticeable nicotine kick but nothing too overpowering.

C&D's Three Friars is a fine tobacco but I would classify it as a Burley blend rather than a VA/Per since the Perique was so subdued. Considered as a Burley it certainly shines and features much higher quality tobaccos than what is found in most OTC blends. And the crazy part is that it is even cheaper than those classic drugstore tubs. Three Friars might not break into my VA/Per rotation but it will certainly kick those lesser Burley blends to the curb.

The combination of light taste, stellar burn characteristics, and low price make Three Friars one of those much sought after all-day smokes and on that front it comes very highly recommended.

Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. -- Sweet Rum Twist

2010-08-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

Brand: Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.
Blend: Sweet Rum Twist
Style: Twist
Pipe Used: No-name Apple
Price: $6.89/1oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 8
Room Note: 6
Value: 6
Overall: 7

When you embark upon the hobby that is pipe smoking it's with the understanding that you're venturing into a world rich in history. And nothing harkens back to the days of old quite like classic rope or twist tobacco. This is the stuff that was chewed, snuffed, and smoked before the days of our relatively modern tobacco mixtures and flakes.

I've always been intrigued by the gnarly looking ropes of tobacco featured on many a tobacconist's shelves -- virtual or otherwise -- but was scared off by the notoriously strong flavor and high nicotine content typically found in this style of tobacco. But in my latest order I finally worked up the courage to add in a sample of Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.'s Sweet Rum Twist.

When the tobacco arrived I was greeted with about a seven inch long tobacco rope (thanks for the generous extra amount smokingpipes.com!) that was fairly moist and had that rich tobacco aroma I typically find in my cigar humidors -- what a great scent! I sliced off three thin coins of the stuff, rubbed it out into ribbon form, and then set it aside to dry overnight.

When I went to load up my no-name apple-shaped pipe this afternoon the tobacco was still a bit moist but I still forged ahead. It took a few extra charring lights to get it going but soon I had a lit pipe and an insanely great volume of deep, rich tobacco smoke swirling about my head.

Sweet Rum Twist is supposedly made up of full-leaf Virginia tobacco that's topped with a sugar and rum mixture before being twisted into ropes and cold-pressed. So what you have here is a pipe tobacco blend that is created in much the same way as a rudimentary cigar so perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that the flavors reminded me very much of a good cigar while at the same time tasting nothing like a cigar -- if that makes any sense.

The taste was very full and strong but still pleasant with the natural Virginia sweetness combining with the added sugars to bring out a robust flavor similar to a mild cigar but without the complexity that comes with the addition of the wrapper and binder leaves. And the faint presence of rum also reminded my palate of Esoterica's Stonehaven to some extent although the Rum Twist was much stronger.

Make no mistake, this blend is very heavy as the lack of stoving or heat-treating of any kind makes for a very raw and powerful tobacco flavor and punch.

As mentioned, this blend produced scads of smoke and it was pretty heady stuff as well so it isn't likely to win any prizes in the room note department.

Since the tobacco was moist I had to relight the pipe frequently but that actually helped in a way by causing me to slow down and not smoke as fast as I usually do which is probably why I encountered no ill effects from the heavy nicotine content. Since I tend to be very sensitive to the vitamin N this is probably the smoking cadence I'll stick to with this blend.

Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.'s Sweet Rum Twist is true tobacco classic and I'm glad I finally worked up the nerve to give it a try. What I found was a strong tobacco loaded with heavy flavors and lots of smoke that should be smoked slowly and savored while the mind harkens back to the time of tall ships and tobacco-loving sailors.

This certainly won't become a part of my regular rotation but as an occasional treat Sweet Rum Twist fits in nicely between typical pipe blends and cigars on the tobacco strength continuum.

Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial

2010-07-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

Brand: Oliva
Cigar: Serie V Maduro Especial
Shape: Torpedo
Size: 6.5" x 52
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Price: $11.99

Appearance: 8
Construction: 8
Taste: 8
Value: 7
Overall: 8

While most of my smoking these days has focused on pipes I still have a hankering for a cigar from time to time and with a fridgador full of singles there's always something new to try. I'm a big fan of Oliva cigars and decided to fire up a limited production Serie V maduro torpedo this afternoon.

The torpedo is 6.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 52 and features a dark brown maduro wrapper. Construction was perfect with a nice tight wrapper and well-rolled tobacco evident from examining the foot of the cigar.

I snipped the tip off with my Palio cutter, toasted the foot, and started smoking.

The flavor of this cigar was very complex while still remaining mild to medium on the palate. The predominant flavor was cedar-like and it took me a few minutes to realize that what I was tasting was more akin to smoldering mesquite chips on a BBQ grill. There was a bit of spice as well but the maduro wrapper tempered it with creamy unsweetened cocoa and coffee flavors. As the smoke progressed these savory elements really took hold and made for an enjoyable cigar experience.

The Serie V torpedo burned well and required only a few touch ups to keep the burn line even. Smoke output was fairly subdued and non-obtrusive for such a large cigar and the nicotine hit was fairly strong. The cigar lasted for well over an hour until all that was left was a pile of rough gray ash.

The Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial is a great cigar featuring the Oliva family's standard fine attention to detail. As a limited edition it is pricier than their typical offerings but is well worth the added investment.

McClelland -- Beacon

2010-07-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Brand: McClelland
Blend: Beacon
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 8

McClelland's Beacon is a blend that was originally part of the Pipe Collectors Club of America (PCCA) line of tobaccos. Since it has always been blended and tinned by McClelland it's likely that the newer batches follow the same formula as the older incarnation. Since I've only ever smoked the newer stuff that's what this review will cover.

Beacon is a Virginia/Perique blend made up of lemon yellow and orange Virginia leaf combined with a touch of Louisiana Perique. The tobacco arrives in a broken flake and is medium brown in color with obvious flecks of those bright Virginias peeking through. The tin aroma is slightly sweet and full of that classic McClelland tang.

The sample I was given dates from 2007 but was obviously well cared for as the flakes were still pliable and a bit moist. To get started I grabbed a pinch of the broken flakes and stuffed them into my Missouri Pride natural cob. It took a few charring lights to really get things going but after that the blend burned nicely even with a heavy dose of ambient humidity.

Beacon started off with a light, sugary taste that had none of the heavier molasses overtones often found in darker VA flakes. The lemon and orange Virginias lived up to their names and delivered a delightfully astringent citrus zing that reminded me a bit of kaffir lime leaves. And rounding out the flavor profile was just enough Perique to add some much-needed depth and a jolt of pepper to the mix. To my taste buds this was essentially Thai lemongrass soup in a pipe and provided a perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and spicy.

The room aroma was fairly light as well but there was a bit of mustiness evident from the Perique and the tobacco gave off a constant wisp of smoke as it smoldered in the pipe.

I'm a bit of a fast smoker but had no problems with tongue bite as the blend burned down to the bottom of the bowl leaving nothing but dry ash. I did have to relight the pipe regularly but that's the norm for me and flakes.

As a big fan of VA/Pers I had been looking forward to giving this well-regarded McClelland creation a try for quite some time and all I can say is that I was not disappointed. Beacon's bright Virginias added a lighter dimension than is typical for this genre and it proved to be the perfect smoke for a hot summer night. This is a truly remarkable blend and I fully intend to add some more tins to my tobacco cellar post haste.

G.L. Pease -- Haddo's Delight

2010-06-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Brand: G.L. Pease
Blend: Haddo's Delight
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Mario Grandi Poker
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 7
Value: 7
Overall: 8

Haddo's Delight is a blend I've heard much about and which was on my "to try" list for a long while before a tobacco trade finally netted me a nice sample. There is a lengthy and ongoing online argument over whether or not this tobacco should be classified as a Virginia/Perique blend since it also contains Burley and a quite obvious topping of some sort. For me the proof is in the pudding and ancillary flavors aside this one sure tastes like a stout VA/Per to me.

One thing I've always appreciated about Greg Pease's blends is that he takes the naming of his fine creations seriously and a cursory investigation of this particular concoction reveals some very interesting tidbits that portend what a pipeful of this weed has in store for the smoker.

Aleister Crowley was an infamous English occultist of the early 20th century and among his many passions was a love for smoking straight Perique tobacco. Even the most ardent fans of this unique leaf would be hard-pressed to stomach such a full-on onslaught of this typically condimental tobacco.

Oliver Haddo was a character featured in W. Somerset Maugham's novel "The Magician" and was loosely based on the occultist. Crowley was none too pleased with this skewering of his character and later adopted the Oliver Haddo nom de plume to write a scathing rebuttal in which he pointed out Maugham's plagiaristic tendencies.

So from this bit of literary history one can assume that a tobacco named Haddo's Delight will likely be a Perique-laden blend filled with a cutting sharpness.

The tobacco itself is a Virgina/Perique blend with some added Cavendish and Burley to flesh out the flavors. The tobacco is a mixture of ribbon and cross-cut tobaccos that span the range from almost white to jet black in color. The tin aroma is lusciously sweet and smells to me like rum raisin. And here we run into yet another controversy regarding Haddo's Delight, namely does it feature a topping of some sort or not. While many claim that the aroma is due strictly to the melange of tobaccos my nose detects alcohol, namely dark rum, so until proven wrong I'm convinced that there is in fact a liquor topping used here and I have absolutely no problem with that.

Over the past few days I've tried this tobacco in cobs as well as my dedicated Va/Per pipe, a stubby Mario Grandi poker shape. The tobacco loaded easily, lit right up, and was a snap to smoke as it burned well and required no fussing to keep the pipe going.

Haddo's Delight provided a wonderful flavor range as the various types of tobacco made their presences known on the palate. The dominant tastes were sweet, savory, and meaty, akin almost to the umami flavor of Japanese teriyaki. This was accompanied by a spicy tingle and rounded out with a delightful caramelized sugar aftertaste. It was a bit less sweet than most Va/Pers but certainly spicier.

Perique is a peculiar tobacco that can be both spicy and savory depending on its use and in this blend we get the best of both attributes as it adds a background hint of Szechuan mushrooms to the mix. Some folks find even the smallest dose of Perique intolerable and while I love the stuff I can readily tell it's present in a blend as I get a tingling sensation on my lips and face while smoking. In Haddo's Delight the Perique is a force to be reckoned with as I was hit with not only that pleasant prickling sensation but also a bit of numbness as well. For those who can't abide this leaf you should stay far away from this blend!

The pipe aroma was both sharp and sweet and the voluminous clouds of smoke made for a pungent smell in the room.

As mentioned, the blend burned well and left nothing but a very fine gray ash in the bowl. The ash was so fine in fact that even the slightest bit of puffing back into the pipe resulted in a mini eruption of ash onto my shirt.

Haddo's Delight is yet another masterpiece from G.L. Pease. And while its very forceful nature won't appeal to every pipe smoker I found it to be a perfect morning blend as it goes great with a cup of coffee and provides enough zest to help get my day started. Whether Aleister Crowley would approve is another matter entirely but I dare say that he wouldn't feel compelled to adopt his Oliver Haddo persona in order to take Mr. Pease to task.

McClelland -- Christmas Cheer 2007

2010-06-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

Brand: McClelland
Blend: Christmas Cheer 2007
Style: Virginia
Pipe Used: Amalfi #313
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 8
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 8

As winter approaches I always seek out a tin of the new Christmas Cheer to add to my cellar. Since I've been planning to age each tin for at least five years I hadn't actually had a chance to try any of this blend's various incarnations until a friendly trade landed a sample of the 2007 vintage in my lap.

Christmas Cheer 2007 is described as a zesty Red Virginia culled from the 2001 crop and then pressed into flakes. I've always treated single-crop blends like fine wines and put them aside for further aging before smoking. I'm a sucker for holiday themed pipe tobacco and love good quality Virginia flakes so I was very eager to finally put some of this stuff to the match.

The tobacco was a dark brown broken flake and had that funky aroma unique to McClelland's Virginia blends. Often referred to as a ketchup, or vinegar-like smell, I've always equated it with the sweet smell of fermentation and never minded its presence in other blends. But the Christmas Cheer 2007 really had it in spades and smelled more like sauerkraut mixed with ginger snaps than pipe tobacco.

Since this is a broken flake I used the sticks method to load my pipe. First I gathered up a pinch of the tobacco in my fingers, oriented it so most of the bunch was pointing in the same direction like a bundle of sticks, pushed it down into my pipe, and then used my fingers to pinch off the excess from the top of the bowl. The trick with this method is to get a good burn going then put that tamper away lest you muck things up.

The first few puffs gave off that sweet hay-like flavor often found in light Virginias and once I got the pipe going I slowed way down as gentle sipping typically brings out the best in VA blends. Well in this case slow smoking only seemed to bring that tangy tartness hinted at by the strong tin aroma to the fore and that is not a flavor profile I seek out while enjoying Virginias. The taste was akin to that of a soured pipe and that is just not tasty at all.

But once I picked up the pace and started puffing like a chimney the blend went right back to being tasty and sweet with hints of citrus. Odd behavior to be sure and I'm still not sure what to make of it. And since a heavy hand was required I was glad that I was smoking a thick-walled pipe otherwise it surely would have gotten too hot.

The aroma was fairly decent and for all the moaning about the strong fermented tin aroma and tobacco taste none of those sour notes appeared in the room note -- thankfully.

Flakes tend to require a bit more tending than mixtures and this one was no different. As mentioned, I avoided tamping and just stuck to occasional relights to keep the tobacco going strong. And since I seldom have problems with tongue bite I had no issues with this blend.

After all is said and done I still don't know what to make of Christmas Cheer 2007. I'm of the camp that typically finds the McClelland "aroma" to be an indicator of well-aged and actively fermenting Virginias but in this case the smell and subsequent flavor were a bit too forceful. So I'm left with more questions than answers: will these blends mellow with age or is this the flavor I can expect to find with other vintages as well?

Now that I know how to smoke it to get the most from this blend I intend to enjoy the rest of my 2007 sample while glancing at my other Christmas Cheers and wondering what they have in store for me down the road.

McCranie's -- Red Ribbon (2000)

2010-06-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

Brand: McCranie's
Blend: Red Ribbon (2000)
Style: Virginia
Pipe Used: Amalfi #313
Price: $8.95/1.76oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 9
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 8

McCranie's Red Ribbon is a straight Red Virginia blend sourced from a single vintage of prime North Carolina leaf, harvested in this particular case in 2000. The tin opens to reveal a ribbon-cut blend of well-aged and fermented red tobacco leaf that covers the color spectrum from very dark brown through medium red and into bright yellow. The tin aroma is magnificent with a rich sweetness backed by a hint of citrus and dried cherries.

My tin appeared to be at the perfect moisture level so I loaded up one of my dedicated Virginia pipes and gave it a light. The tobacco took a few relights to really get going as it was a bit wetter than I at first thought.

The Red Ribbon started off with a subtle sweet taste before hints of tangy lemon and cherry liqueur began to appear. There was also that great nuttiness I usually find with Red Virginias and the tobacco finished with a bit of a spicy kick.

The room aroma was fairly nice but did get acrid when the pipe was smoked too hastily.

I never have issues with tongue burn so I can't report on that front but the blend did require regular relights and left behind a bit of damp dottle. Guess it wasn't nearly as ready to smoke as I at first thought.

McCranie's Red Ribbon (2000) is a wonderful blend and its single source origin makes it possible to compare and contrast it to previous iterations if you're lucky enough to have some of the '83 and '96 crop on hand. Full of flavor, this is a Virginia that is sure to benefit from further aging.

Now comes the big question, how does Red Ribbon compare to its kissing cousin McClelland's 5100 Red Cake? While the McCranie's version is a vintage tin, McClelland's similar offering is available only in bulk. At first glance the Red Ribbon is darker than the 5100 due to the comparative age of the tobaccos but the cut, aroma, and smoking characteristics are all very similar.

So how about the taste? Here we find the biggest difference as the Red Ribbon offers up a deeper, more nuanced flavor than the much brighter and spicier 5100 and at no point would I ever confuse the two. Red Ribbon is the single-malt or prime vintage to 5100's blended nature. Both are excellent but they are not one and the same. For my money I actually prefer the zestier 5100.

And while the 5100 Red Cake can indeed be had at cheaper bulk rates, the price per tin of the Red Ribbon is on par with similar offerings and not at all excessive for such a premium product.

Samuel Gawith -- Full Virginia Flake

2010-05-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

Brand: Samuel Gawith
Blend: Full Virginia Flake
Style: Virginia
Pipe Used: Savinelli Oscar #313
Price: $31.50/16oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 9
Room Note: 7
Value: 10
Overall: 9

Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake certainly qualifies as a touchstone tobacco as no discussion of straight Virginia blends will go on for too long before this one is mentioned. It may not be right at the top of everyone's list but FVF somehow always manages to crack the top ten.

I first bought a tin of Full Virginia Flake about three years ago and since I was still fairly new to pipe smoking I had a hard time enjoying it and soon gave it away to some fellow newbies over at Smokers Forums.

Fast forward a few years and I found myself enjoying straight Virginias and ranking FVF's stablemate, Best Brown Flake, as one of my top 5 tobaccos so I figured it was high time to revisit Full Virginia Flake.

Of course deciding to reacquaint myself with FVF was only half the battle as most pipe smokers know that Samuel Gawith blends are very hard to come by these days. Fortunately I was able to score a whole pound of it in bulk form during the most recent window of opportunity. It may sound daft to buy that much of a tobacco I once had issues with but at the paltry price of $31 per pound it's really a no-brainer as I could easily trade it away if it failed to live up to my lofty expectations.

Recent batches from Samuel Gawith have been arriving fairly moist as the pent-up demand has allowed no time for proper aging. With that in mind I set out a few flakes to dry over the course of the day before rubbing them out and loading my pipe. I often smoke flakes folded and stuffed but given the residual moisture I figured the rubbed out mixture would burn the best.

The thick flakes were dark brown with streaks of white, sugary goodness running lengthwise and had the rich aroma of brandied fruit. There was also a slightly piquant fragrance common to under-aged tobacco which leads me to the one big caveat for this review -- Full Virginia Flake is a blend that practically begs to be aged and the fact that I'm smoking this stuff fresh off the boat means that my review would most likely be very different were the tobacco cellared for a few years beforehand.

While some straight Virginias have a subtle flavor that must be gently coaxed from the pipe, Full Virginia Flake came out swinging with a strong, in-your-face presence. This full-bodied blend has an astringent quality that adds a fermented, sauerkraut-like element to the subtly sweet Virginias. Whereas many VAs are sweet through and through this blend is about half sweet and half savory sort of akin to a mincemeat pie.

To my palate, FVF had many of the same qualities as a well-aged bourbon with its dark molasses element mingling with tongue-tingling tartness and backed up with grassy, oaken undertones. And just as with whiskey, gentle sipping brought forth even more flavors in the form of citrus and maple.

The room aroma was fairly inoffensive although certainly stronger than most Virginia tobaccos and that fermented tang was detectable.

The blend burned evenly and didn't require any fussing as it smoked down to dry, gray ash. FVF also didn't cause any tongue bite but it did deliver a roundhouse kick of nicotine when I got carried away puffing while reading so I would recommend a slow and steady smoking pace with this rascal.

What more can I say? Samuel Gawith's Full Virginia Flake is a top-notch tobacco that's packed with flavor and the promise of even more a few years down the road. I still give a slight edge to Best Brown Flake as I prefer something a tad lighter most of the time but I fully intend to keep my cellar well stocked with FVF and can't wait to revisit it as it ages. At a real steal of a price I say buy it and smoke if you can get it.

Cornell & Diehl -- Gentlemen Callers

2010-05-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Blend: Gentlemen Callers
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural #313
Price: Free Sample

Appearance: 7
Taste: 7
Room Note: 8
Value: NA
Overall: 7

Since embarking on this great pipe adventure a few years ago I've been intrigued by those few blends that still utilize the herb deer tongue as it seems to hearken back to days of old. Also known as wild vanilla, deer tongue was often used to add a slight vanilla essence to tobacco and while it's been replaced by artificial flavorings in most contemporary blends there are still a few options available for those who want to give this old school taste a try.

Cornell & Diehl's Gentlemen Callers in one such blend and I was thrilled to receive a sample with some estate pipes I bought a few weeks ago. The tobacco is a cross-cut mixture of light brown tobaccos with a few darker strands thrown in as well as obvious bits of pale green deer tongue. The aroma is light and sweet and reminded me of potpourri.

After loading up my Savinelli Natural I gave the tobacco a quick light and away I went. The tobacco burned evenly and quickly and before I knew it the bowl contained nothing but a bit of dark gray ash. This stuff defines smokeability as all I ever had to do to keep it burning was give it a light tamp every so often.

Gentleman Callers is advertised as a blend containing Burley, Virginia, Perique, and, of course, deer tongue. And to me it sure tasted like a lightly fragranced VA/Per. The deer tongue was immediately noticeable as it added an herbal, almost medicinal, vanilla flavor that was quite enjoyable and seemed to mesh perfectly with the Perique.

The darker tobacco added a bit of smokiness that I usually attribute to Latakia so either there is in fact a bit of that glorious weed present or some of the Virginias are very heavily stoved so as to give off a similar taste. And while a hint of whiskey is evident in the aroma of the tobacco I didn't ever taste any such topping while smoking.

All in all the blend was slightly sweet with a nice tangy and spicy aftertaste but I found it to be a tad overwhelming in too high a dose so I'll likely stick to smaller pipes while smoking this as an occasional treat.

The room note was quite nice and had the same potpourri smell as the dry tobacco. And since the tobacco has such a unique and persistent aroma it's a safe bet that it'll ghost a pipe in no time so one might want to stick with cobs or briars already dedicated to aromatics while smoking this blend.

In the end I found Cornell & Diehl's Gentlemen Callers to be a very unique pipe tobacco that's loaded with flavor and aroma and smokes like a charm. I have to say that my first experience with deer tongue has been an eye-opener and I can't wait to hunt down more blends featuring this herb. It's a bit too fragrant to become a regular smoke for me but I sure do appreciate the effort that went into crafting such a classic, old-style American blend.

McClelland -- 5100 Red Cake

2010-04-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Brand: McClelland
Blend: 5100 Red Cake
Style: Virginia
Pipe Used: Savinelli Oscar #313
Price: $23.65/8oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 10
Room Note: 9
Value: 8
Overall: 9

McClelland is one of the premier pipe tobacco companies in the world and out of their literally hundreds of distinct offerings one meager little bulk blend is consistently mentioned whenever talk turns to straight Virginias and that singular blend is 5100 Red Cake. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get around to trying this tobacco but better late than never.

The blend is a fully rubbed out, ribbon-cut red cake mixture of various Virginias with the medium brown, or "red," leaf being predominant. In the pouch the aroma is that of raisins and if you blindfolded me and offered up samples of 5100 and Sun-Maid raisins to smell I would be hard pressed to differentiate between the two. And that particular smell means that the tobacco is both sweet and on its way down fermentation lane which is just the thing for a Virginia blend.

Since my order arrived a bit moist I let a bit dry for a few hours then loaded up my Savinelli Oscar #313 and gave it a charring light. Even with the drying the tobacco was reluctant to burn and it took a few tamps and relights to get things going.

The first few puffs delivered a delectable sweetness that was more subdued than most 100% Virginia blends. This was tempered by a nice nuttiness that reminded me more of Burley than Virginia leaf. Added to this was a faint cinnamon-like spiciness that really pulled the flavors together.

It took a few bowls before it finally hit me and I realized that the taste of the 5100 Red Cake reminded me of the cinnamon roasted almonds we used to get at the mall when I was a kid. Not nearly as sweet of course but it had that same interplay of sugar, spice, and roasted nuts.

The room aroma was also top-notch and reminded me of burning leaves with the occasional whiff of cinnamon-scented candles.

The only drawback with the 5100 was that it did require frequent relights but it still managed to burn clean down to the ash with no dottle or excessive moisture left in the bowl.

McClelland's 5100 Red Cake is a stellar Virginia blend and after spending the last few weeks with it I now understand why so many folks sing its praises so highly. While some find it to be one-dimensional in taste I found it to be quite the opposite with a wonderful mixture of complimentary flavors.

Rumored to be a frequent component of many other blends, 5100 stands plenty tall on its own merits and I found it to be one of the tastiest tobaccos I've smoked. Available exclusively in bulk (unless you're lucky enough to stumble on one of the tins produced in 2005 for the Bufflehead Pipe Shop), this is a blend that promises to improve with age and the only question left for me is just how much of the stuff I can cram into my cellar.

I do have one further, and rather odd, note to add. We've all heard of ghosting as it refers to lingering flavors left in a pipe but is it possible to experience olfactory ghosting I wonder? I've been smoking 5100 in various cobs and briars and all have been dedicated Virginia pipes yet hours after I've finished my smoke I find that I catch faint whiffs of Latakia -- a leaf which is, of course, absent from this blend. It's almost as if my sensory memory is adding the Latakia after the fact because the 5100 is somehow reminding me of the Virginias found in quality English blends. Wishful thinking on the part of my schnoz or perhaps 5100 is in fact a blending tobacco used in some of the Englishes I smoke. Either way it has to be one of the oddest things to happen to me so far in this hobby.

John Patton -- Moe's Confetti

2010-04-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Brand: John Patton
Blend: Moe's Confetti
Style: Burley
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $8.99/4oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 9
Overall: 9

John Patton, AKA "The Cobfather," is a vocal proponent off all things related to corncob pipes and is also a tobacco blender whose wares are available through 4Noggins. Mr. Patton is also a fan of the classic drugstore tobaccos and his Moe's Confetti is an homage to those old pipe-smoking standbys.

Moe's Confetti is a coarse-cut Burley blend and the sample I received arrived at the perfect moisture level. The tobacco in the bag had a subtle smell of roasted nuts with just a hint of sweetness.

Since it wouldn't have felt right to smoke this blend in anything but a cob I loaded up my trusty old Missouri Meerschaum Missouri Pride and gave the tobacco a light. And that was the last time I had to pick up my lighter as the blend burned evenly, coolly, and completely down to the ash with only a bit of gentle tamping being required. How can you not love a tobacco that well behaved?

As for the taste, Moe's Confetti was full of that classic Burley nuttiness with just a touch of sugary maple/cocoa sweetness. The blend maintained this singular flavor profile throughout the smoke but I'm certainly not complaining as I enjoyed every minute of it.

Truth be told, Moe's Confetti is merely a combination of some bulk Burley and Carter Hall but something about this thrown together blend sure hits the spot.

The room aroma of this blend was also very pleasant and had that classic pipe smell that even many non-smokers find enjoyable.

I'm afraid that Moe's Confetti has spoiled me on straight-up drugstore Burley blends since it can be purchased in bulk at a lower price than the tubs of those classics. As much as I do appreciate the Prince, Sir Walter, and all the rest, good old Moe has bested the lot of them. This is a top-notch effort from John Patton and is very highly recommended for fans of Burley blends.

Peter Stokkebye -- Luxury Bulls Eye Flake

2010-04-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

Brand: Peter Stokkebye
Blend: Luxury Bulls Eye Flake
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Mario Grandi Freehand Poker
Price: $17.99/8oz.

Appearance: 10
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 9
Overall: 9

Continuing my foray into the world of Peter Stokkebye I finally got around to trying the much-lauded Luxury Bulls Eye Flake. This is a Virginia and Perique blend that is rolled around a center of Black Cavendish and then sliced into coins.

The tobacco itself looked great and that dark Cavendish core certainly stood out. The aroma was nice and sweet although a bit mustier than I found with the Luxury Navy Flake. Tthe Black Cavendish added the delightful aroma of bittersweet chocolate.

Since this was my first time smoking this type of tobacco I tried it fully rubbed out into a ribbon cut and then sampled it again using the fold and stuff method I often employ with flakes. While both methods worked fine I found that the constituent flavors were more distinct when the coins were left intact so this is the way I plan to smoke this blend from here on out.

When I first lit my Mario Grandi Poker the rolled up tobacco curled up over the top of the bowl and it took a few relights and tamps to get it burning with an even ash.

The overwhelming flavor was provided by the Virginia tobacco and it had a strong hay or grassy aspect to its sweetness leading me to classify this as a medium-strength VA. The Perique was evident in a nice tanginess on the tongue that reminded me a bit of rhubarb pie of all things. The Black Cavendish offered up a smooth and creamy, almost caramel, flavor that really played well against the Virginia and Perique.

All in all this was a very complex blend and its three distinct flavor profiles emerged and ebbed at various times throughout the course of the smoke. This was especially noticeable when the tobacco was folded and stuffed into the pipe as parts of the coins burned at different times.

The room aroma was very nice and the Cavendish added some of that classic pipe smell as well.

When I use the fold and stuff method my pipe tends to require frequent relights and this blend was no different. It may have been a bit high maintenance but the tobacco still managed to burn right down to the ash and left no dottle whatsoever in the bottom of the bowl.

I'm becoming a big fan of Peter Stokkebye's offerings and the Luxury Bulls Eye Flake is an unabashed home run blend. It looks, tastes, and smells like a million bucks but is available at very reasonable bulk prices. For me this is a perfect change of pace tobacco for those times when I want a complex, challenging blend.

Peter Stokkebye -- Luxury Navy Flake

2010-04-08T15:34:00.001-07:00

Brand: Peter Stokkebye
Blend: Luxury Navy Flake
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Savinelli Oscar #313
Price: $15.99/8oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 10
Overall: 8

Since I'm such a fan of Peter Stokkebye's Balkan Supreme I decided to try out some of their other well-regarded bulk blends. First up is Luxury Navy Flake -- a Virginia and Perique blend.

This tobacco arrived fairly moist so I left a flake out to dry for a few hours. The tobacco was a nice golden color and had that great sweet hay aroma shared by most quality light to medium Virginia flakes.

After letting it dry for a bit I rubbed the flake out and loaded up my Savinelli #313. The tobacco lit easily and after a quick tamp I was off and running.

The first flavor to register on my palate was the traditional molasses-like Virginia sweetness. On the scale of VAs I've tried I would place Luxury Navy Flake smack dab in the middle in terms of sweetness.

The Perique component soon made itself known when I began sneezing which is something that almost always happens when I first light up a blend containing that Louisiana weed. While Perique frequently comes across as peppery, in the case of the Luxury Navy Flake the sweet VAs tempered it so that the flavor was more reminiscent of cinnamon Red Hots. Very tasty indeed!

That wonderful combination of sweet tobacco mingled with sweet spices remained fairly consistent throughout the smoke. It reminded me a lot of Orlik Golden Sliced but instead of a citrus tang this blend had more of a mulled cider element to it.

The tobacco burned evenly and only required a few relights -- mostly due to my negligence while reading. At the end there was very little dottle and almost no moisture left in the bottom of the bowl.

I'm one of those fortunate souls who almost never has trouble with the dreaded Virginia bite so I can't really provide an authoritative decision on the tongue-burning properties of Luxury Navy Flake but it seemed to me to be a fairly subdued blend.

The room aroma was for the most part inoffensive although the Perique did add a bit of harshness at times.

While billed as a Virginia and Perique blend I thought this flake was much less stout than most VA/Pers. It was also devoid of the rum essence that is typical in traditional Navy flakes. So here we have Luxury Navy Flake -- a VA/Per and Navy flake that isn't either. What it is is a delightful medium Virginia flake with just a dusting of Perique as a tasty condiment.

I've always been frugal by nature and Peter Stokkebye's bulk tobacco blends tend to hit that perfect price to flavor ratio so when I find one I like I tend to stash a good amount of it away in the old cellar. After my first sampling of Luxury Navy Flake it's a safe bet that there will soon be some more Mason jars filled with it in my near future.

Snuff -- Dr. J Robertson Justice

2010-02-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

Brand: Fribourg & Treyer
Blend: Dr. J Robertson Justice
Style: Dry Nasal Snuff
Price: $3.45/40g

Appearance: 8
Aroma/Taste: 7
Value: 9
Overall: 8

I've been dabbling in nasal snuff longer than I've been smoking cigars or pipes but it's still such a rare activity for me that this is my first snuff review.

Fribourg & Treyer's Dr. J Robertson Justice is a 50/50 blend of their Morlaix and Bordeaux snuffs. Given my Bavarian heritage I'm more of a Schmalzler guy myself but I heard good things about this blend and couldn't pass it up when I found it available for such a great price.

The snuff is medium brown in color and consists of fairly dry medium ground granular tobacco. It's fairly easy stuff to pinch and sniff right out of the decidedly vintage looking tin.

The initial aroma I got from this blend reminded me of my grandma -- all lilac, lavender, and potpourri. That's not necessarily an unpleasant smell but not really what I look for in a snuff. Fortunately the snuff eventually grew in complexity and began to give off hints of more exotic stuff -- jasmine, musk, sandalwood and citrus.

The aroma was very long lasting but not overpowering and was light enough that my sinuses didn't get irritated.

All in all Dr. J Robertson Justice was a fine snuff that I'll likely enjoy on those occasions when my nose prefers a lighter pinch.

Hearth & Home -- Classic Burley Kake

2010-02-05T14:12:00.001-08:00

Brand: Hearth & Home
Blend: Classic Burley Kake
Style: Burley/Virginia
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural #313
Price: $19.99/8oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 7
Overall: 8

Classic Burley Kake is a house blend created by Russ Oullette for the Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe (better known as pipesandcigars.com). This blend of various burley and Virginia tobaccos with rum, cocoa, and anise flavorings is a krumble kake and depending on how it was treated in the mail it may well be primarily ribbon-cut by the time it arrives on your doorstep. The order I received was about 25% kake and the rest had already fallen apart.

The tobacco was light to medium brown and just moist enough to hold the kake pieces together. The aroma of the unlit tobacco reminded me of classic New Orleans style bread pudding and smelled of rum-soaked raisins, vanilla, and a hint of rich chocolate.

I loaded my Savinelli Natural #313 with pieces of pre-broken tobacco, gave it a charring light and a gentle tamp, and started smoking.

From the first puff the blend reminded me of another pipesandcigars.com house blend, Butternut Burley. The tobacco had that same nutty burley base with hints of dark rum, vanilla, and maple syrup. Even the burnt caramel room aroma was the same.

Where the two tobaccos differed was in the ratios of the various flavors. Whereas Butternut Burley brings its aromatic features to the fore the Classic Burley Kake allows the tobacco to take center stage and the other flavorings serve as mere condiments. The addition of cocoa and anise flavors to the krumble kake also added some extra sweetness and a lingering tingle on the tongue that reminded me of lemongrass.

The Classic Burley Kake burned easily and never turned bitey even after some hard puffing. All that was left in the pipe was some dark ash and a bit of dottle.

This Hearth & Home blend offered up a delightful and flavorful smoke but given the fact that its little brother Butternut Burley can be had for half the cost I think I'll stick with that all too similar blend and leave the Classic Burley Kake for those times when I feel like fussing with a krumble kake.

Hearth & Home -- Anniversary Kake

2010-02-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

Brand: Hearth & Home
Blend: Anniversary Kake
Style: Virginia/Perique
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $19.99/8oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 7
Room Note: 8
Value: 7
Overall: 7

Anniversary Kake is a well regarded house blend created by Russ Oullette and crew at the Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe (better known in the online world as pipesandcigars.com) This Virginia/Perique (Va/Per) blend arrives as a krumble kake (don't ask me why the pipe world insists on this odd spelling) and depending on how it was treated in the post it may well be primarily ribbon-cut by the time it arrives on your doorstep. The order I received was about 25% kake and the rest had already crumbled (or is that krumbled?) apart.

The tobacco itself was medium brown in color and while not exactly damp it was very, very sticky. The aroma was top-notch and smelled of dried dates and fruit leather.

Because the blend was so goopy I decided to smoke it in a cob. The crumbled tobacco loaded easily and lit right up.

While I have a fair number of Va/Pers in my cellar I still haven't found one that really does the trick for me so I had high hopes given the almost universal praise for Anniversary Kake. Sadly, this blend failed to fully live up to my admittedly high expectations.

The flavor was nice but fairly mild and the advertised St. James Perique never really made its presence known on the palate. I'm a big Perique fan and just can't abide a VA/Per that's so lacking in the Per department. The presence of the various Virginia tobaccos was also somewhat muted and the rich sweetness I've come to expect from this leaf just wasn't there in enough force.

The room note was pretty nice and had that classic grandpa's old pipe smell that most folks seem to appreciate.

The tobacco burned well and only required a few relights along the way. It also remained bite-free and the Perique stayed fairly mellow on the tongue. Although the tobacco was sticky when I loaded the pipe it didn't leave any messy residue behind leading me to believe that no nasty artificial flavorings or preservatives were used in this blend.

Towards the end of the bowl an odd taste and smell emerged and that's when I finally realized why this blend seemed so familiar. To my palate Anniversary Kake tasted like the big brother to the classic drugstore blend Half & Half. Everything from the pouch aroma to the taste to the room note reminded me of this OTC blend. That's not a knock as I actually enjoy Half & Half but it certainly isn't at all what I expected from a Va/Per.

Anniversary Kake is a good, solid tobacco but it just didn't click for me as a VA/Per and as such my hunt for that perfect combination of sweet and spicy will continue. In the interests of fairness I gave the blend a try in both a meerschaum and a briar and while the meer seemed to make the tobacco shine the best it still just didn't impress me all that much.

Samuel Gawith -- Best Brown Flake

2010-02-02T14:00:00.001-08:00

Brand: Samuel Gawith
Blend: Best Brown Flake
Style: Virginia
Pipe Used: Savinelli Oscar #313
Price: $26.76/16oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 9
Room Note: 8
Value: 10
Overall: 9

As a big fan of straight Virginias I've been purchasing tins of various blends to sample for the past few years. I figured I would have plenty of time to find my favorites and stock up but the perfect storm of further taxes looming on the horizon and the increasing scarcity of popular blends led me to do something drastic -- I purchased one pound of Samuel Gawith's Best Brown Flake even though I had never even tried the tobacco before. At just over $25 bucks it was cheaper than any of the so-called drugstore blends that come in 14oz. tins and since I've yet to be disappointed by a Sam Gawith offering I figured I would take my chances and get it while the getting was good.

The medium brown flakes arrived in a cellophane wrapped box and were quite moist. I left one flake out to dry for a few hours and cellared the rest in half pint Mason jars. The flakes looked great with various swirling birdseye patterns made up of contrasting light and dark tobaccos. The aroma was that of sweet dried fruit and fresh-cut hay with just a hint of sandalwood incense.

Normally I rub out flakes before smoking but since this one was still pliable I cut it in half, folded it up, stuffed it into my Savinelli Oscar, and sprinkled a few bits of loose tobacco on top to get things burning. My normal pipe lighter wasn't up to the task of igniting this damp flake so I turned to my trusty Zippo with pipe insert and it had no trouble with the task.

The initial flavor was that classic Virginia sweetness reminiscent of slightly burnt caramel. While lighter Virginias often taste of sweet hay the Best Brown Flake was a little more robust and had undertones of freshly roasted corn on the cob.

As the tobacco continued to smolder a bit of tingling spice began to emerge and the flavor reminded me of sesame oil and a hint of pine resin. But at no time did the prevailing sweetness abate. Rather, these other flavors served to enhance that primary Virginia attribute.

I have to admit that I was enjoying myself and smoked the pipe hard and fast but at no point did the tobacco bite or take on any off-putting flavors. It was just sheer tobacco bliss from beginning to end.

The fact that the tobacco was fairly damp did necessitate a few extra relights but the flake did burn nice and slow until the dottle got too wet to smoke any further. In the future I'll try to let it dry out a bit more before smoking.

The room note was nice and smelled of musty, leather-bound books. The smoke did have a sharp edge to it but was in no way disagreeable.

Samuel Gawith makes some of the most popular tobacco blends currently on the market and as a result it can often be difficult to locate your favorites on a consistent basis. With that thought in mind I just couldn't resist the chance to grab some Best Brown Flake at an insanely low price and boy am I glad I did.

I have a few tins of Full Virginia Flake in my cellar and while many consider that to be the penultimate Virginia flake I have to say that for a day in, day out type of smoke I actually prefer the Best Brown Flake. It provides a milder smoke without sacrificing any flavor and I can easily see myself merrily puffing it all day long which would put me under the table if tried with FVF.

Samuel Gawith's Best Brown Flake has taken its place in my list of favorite tobaccos and I still can't get over the fact that it costs less than blends like Captain Black. This is a premium, classic Virginia flake and the only question in my mind now is whether I need to buy a few more pounds post haste.

HR 4439

2010-02-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

We knew this day was coming. The fact that pipe tobacco is being taxed at such a drastically lower rate than RYO tobacco has led many RYO producers to relabel their goods as pipe tobacco. Well the taxman isn't stupid so now they're coming after pipe tobacco in an attempt to close this loophole.

So what will this mean for you the pipe smoker? Well for starters federal taxes on a pound of pipe tobacco will jump an astonishing 775% from $2.83 to $24.78. But beyond the drastic price increase looms an even more disturbing eventuality -- the disappearance of many small tobacco producers and the loss of countless beloved blends. Very few folks are getting rich in the pipe tobacco game and the increased up-front costs associated with a new tax will put a good number of small companies out of business.

The folks over at Pipes Magazine have put together a great page full of information on how to fight this impending legislation. I encourage everyone to make use of this link and act now to protect the pipe smoking way of life in this country.

G.L. Pease -- Westminster

2010-01-14T13:37:00.001-08:00

Brand: G.L. Pease
Blend: Westminster
Style: English
Pipe Used: Peterson Aran #150 Bulldog
Price: $8.15/2oz.

Appearance: 8
Taste: 8
Room Note: 7
Value: 8
Overall: 8

If you've ever wondered what goes into the creation of a new pipe blend then head over to Greg Pease's blog and check out the story of Westminster. Born out of frustration at the loss of the classic Dunhill London Mixture, Westminster quickly became a star in its own right and is now widely hailed as one of the preeminent English-style pipe tobacco blends.

I first bought a tin of Westminster about two years ago at the start of my second attempt at smoking a pipe. Since then I've tried many English blends and the little Mason jar with Pease's offering has slowly crept farther and farther back into my cellar. But every time I stumble on that jar I have to stop whatever I'm doing, load up a pipe, and enjoy this wonderfully sublime blend.

Westminster is a dark brown and black ribbon-cut blend although there are quite a few over-sized bits of tobacco leaf that really need to be further broken up before smoking. The aroma out of the tin is that of a light English blend in which the Latakia doesn't overpower the other tobaccos.

For this review I loaded up my Pete Bulldog and gave it a quick charring light. Tendrils of tobacco slowly curled over the top of the bowl so I gave it a very light tamp and relit the tobacco to get things started.

If you were to ask me to define "English" in terms of pipe tobacco I would wordlessly hand you a tin of Westminster. This blend features a perfect harmony of Virginias, Orientals, and Cyprian Latakia and all three components are held in check by each other to keep this blend from straying into Oriental or Balkan territory.

The combination of bright and red Virginias brings a very subtle sweetness that appears most readily in the room note as caramel but is not nearly that sickly sweet on the tongue. The Oriental tobaccos lend a bit of spice and the hint of a cigar-like kick that can be tasted when the smoke is exhaled through the nose. And the Latakia offers up its smoky delights without stealing the show.

I've been on a bit of a Latakia kick lately and have been trying tobaccos that are heavy on that particular leaf. For that reason I found Westminster to be milder in both body and taste than many of the tobaccos to which I've grown accustomed but I can't fault a blend for not being what it isn't.

For an English blend Westminster actually has a fairly nice room note. Once again we can probably thank the restrained Latakia presence for that.

The tobacco required quite a few relights which was surprising since it was fairly dry. At any rate it eventually burned down to a fine gray ash and left no dottle or moisture in the pipe.

While it's easy to decry the loss of so many vintage tobaccos in recent years I truly believe that we're living in, if not a Golden, at least a Silver age of pipe tobacco. Blenders like Greg Pease continue to roll out new, intriguing blends and with the help of the internet it's become all too easy to learn about, debate, and purchase the latest pipe tobaccos.

G.L. Pease's Westminster may have started out as yet another attempt to clone a classic, lost tobacco but through the magic that happens when different tobaccos are brought together it has instead emerged as one of the touchstone English blends.

I found Westminster to be a wonderfully restrained showcase for its constituent tobaccos and while it's a bit mild for my current palate this is a blend that can magically transport you to a time when pipe smoking was the norm and blends such as this one could be had at any newsstand for a few bits.

Esoterica -- Stonehaven

2010-01-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

Brand: Esoterica
Blend: Stonehaven
Style: Virgina/Burley
Pipe Used: No-Name Volcano
Price: $28.99/8oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 7
Overall: 8

I must have been good last year as Santa left me a pound of Esoterica's Stonehaven under the Christmas tree. This Virginia and Burley flake is considered by many to be in a class of its own and the high demand means that it can be a difficult blend to procure. I'm just glad that the pipe smoking jolly old elf was looking out for me.

Upon opening the 8oz. Mylar bag my nose was immediately met with the strong aroma of fermented tobacco -- kind of a cross between dark rum and dried dates. The dark brown, almost black, tobacco was arrayed in nice rows of wide, thin flakes in a small plastic tray. The tobacco was wet to the touch so after divvying it up among a few Mason jars I selected one flake and left it out overnight to dry.

The next day I rubbed the flake out a bit and loaded up my no-name Italian rusticated volcano briar pipe. This is a short, stubby nosewarmer style pipe with a 1/4 bend and after cleaning and restoring it I decided to dedicate it to this particular blend.

I gave the tobacco a light and due to its dry condition it fired right up. Some of the longer strands of tobacco began to curl up and over the bowl but I decided to avoid tamping since it was burning along at such a nice pace.

The first few puffs delivered hints of that classic Virginia sweetness but the stout, fermented Burley quickly made its presence known by delivering that deep, rich tobacco taste that so many of us lust after.

The blend remained consistent throughout with that rich flavor being regularly complemented by that slight sweetness. The Virginias acted almost like a palate cleanser as they offered the tongue a brief respite from the heavier stoved and fermented Burley flavors.

And while the flakes smelled like dried fruit and fine liquor the only evidence of these trimmings was in the very pleasant aftertaste.

In describing Stonehaven I'm going to compare it to one of my favorite beverages, Guinness. Both are dark, heady concoctions that may at first glance seem overly stout and strong but since they're meant to be enjoyed regularly they're actually fairly mild and tame. You don't want your daily quaff to knock you on your keister any more than you want your daily smoke to do the same so don't let appearances fool you.

The tobacco gave off a lot of smoke but the room aroma was fairly mild and never took on that acrid smell one often finds with lighter Burley blends. To my nose it was reminiscent of a musty old book with a hand-tooled leather cover and coming from a bibliophile like me that's high praise indeed.

Stonehaven also remained bite free even after I caught myself puffing so hard as to make the bowl of the pipe uncomfortably hot (a real no-no to be sure). As for relights, the tobacco only required one when I neglected it for a few minutes to fuss with my iPod. Other than that it burned evenly down to a light gray ash and left very little dottle and no sticky residue in the bottom of the pipe. I had been warned that this blend often leaves behind a bit of a mess in the bowl but it seems like a thorough drying of the tobacco before smoking avoids most of those problems.

Stonehaven reminded me an awful lot of one of my favorite Virginias, McClelland's Blackwoods Flake. While the McClelland offering is a bit sweeter the two tobaccos look, taste, and behave like siblings and I can see substituting one for the other when stock runs low.

Esoterica's Stonehaven is a fine tobacco and I liked it enough to dedicate a pipe to it but I can't say that it completely blew my socks off. Perhaps I've just been spoiled by my past experiences with so many great blends but I found it to be a bit too mild for my palate.

That being said, the fact that the tobacco came to me in such damp condition leads me to believe that this batch is fairly young and I can't wait to see what a year or two of aging does to alter my perceptions.

Samuel Gawith -- Squadron Leader

2009-11-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

Brand: Samuel Gawith
Blend: Squadron Leader
Style: Oriental
Pipe Used: Peterson Aran #150 Bulldog
Price: $7.50/1.76oz.

Appearance: 8
Taste: 8
Room Note: 6
Value: 9
Overall: 8

Samuel Gawith's Squadron Leader was one of the first two tobaccos I purchased a few years back after deciding to embark on this adventure we call pipe smoking (the other was Penzance -- not a shabby way to start off, eh?). I'll admit that the snazzy tin art lured me in as I'm a huge aviation history buff but it was the almost universally positive word of mouth that really convinced me that this tobacco would provide the perfect introduction to the sublime wonders of the pipe.

Well, like many beginning pipers, I had a world of trouble at the start and promptly quit the hobby. I tossed my opened tins of tobacco and my two cobs into a box in the garage and marched right back to the safety and security of my humidor and the more forgiving cigars nestled within.

Fast forward about nine months and as I was cleaning out the garage I stumbled upon that same box of discarded pipe stuff. I figured what the heck, I might as well give it another go before tossing it all in the trash so I loaded some dried out Squadron Leader into a cob, gave it a light, and boom! -- angelic singing, rapture, bliss, and all that jazz ensued. I finally "got it" -- the perfect smoke, pipe nirvana. It would take me many months of tinkering before I could consistently "get it" on a regular basis but now that I knew what was possible I was off and running.

So if Squadron Leader was my very first pipe smoke and the tobacco that brought me back into the fold then why did it take me until now to get around to writing a review? Well, as soon as my slide down the slippery pipe slope began I started accumulating new blends like cat hair on a black coat. The same Squadron Leader that started it all was lovingly sealed up in a Mason jar and promptly forgotten at the back of the cellar.

Sure I've always known that it's there but the constant search for the "new" placed the blend very much on the back burner. It was only while watching the recent tobacco shortages unfold that I was reminded of old Squadron Leader. If every online shop was sold out then it must have something going for it so maybe it was time to revisit this old friend.

Upon opening that same Mason jar, now with about two and a half years of age on it, I was greeted by the slightly spicy and pungent aroma of the Oriental tobacco. Being a very fine ribbon cut, Squadron Leader loaded easily into my Peterson Bulldog and after a quick light I was off and smoking.

In the interim since my first taste of this blend I've come to enjoy many heavy Englishes and one of the first things I noticed about Squadron Leader was that the Latakia that is usually a front and center component of traditional English blends was very muted. By tempering the impact of this smoky flavor, the spice of the Orientals was allowed to shine. And while the blend never quite hit the same level of zest as some Balkans that I enjoy, by moderating the spice the blend allowed the Virginias to offer up their own sweet and tangy flavors.

As I was enjoying my smoke I kept catching whiffs and the taste of cigars and while there's no cigar leaf in this blend there's something about the combination of tobaccos that reminds me of a light Connecticut wrapped cigar. Not something I was expecting at all but it was certainly enjoyed.

As for the room aroma, that same essence of cigars came and went while for the most part the aroma was similar to expensive cigarettes which isn't surprising given the presence of the Oriental tobaccos.

Squadron Leader provided an easy smoke as it burned steadily from start to finish and only required two relights. All I was left with after an hour was that much sought after fine white ash.

To my mind and palate, Squadron Leader is a perfectly balanced blend that refuses to allow any one tobacco component to outshine the others. Some may label this a light English but to my thinking the tamed Latakia and prominent Orientals define this as an Oriental blend first and foremost. And while there are other blends out there that provide more of this or more of that, there's always a place in the rotation for a tobacco that provides a consistent, mild smoke with a range of flavors.

Samuel Gawith's Squadron Leader is a classic blend that can be had for a song when, and if, it's available. My advice would be to buy it when you can, cellar it if you must, but please don't forget about it like I did. There will always be the allure of the latest blend but there will also always be a place for the tried and true Squadron Leader.

Charles Fairmorn -- Lancer's Slices

2009-10-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Brand: Charles Fairmorn
Blend: Lancer's SLices
Style: Virginia/Latakia
Pipe Used: Savinelli Churchwarden #401
Price: $22.00/8oz.

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 7
Value: 7
Overall: 8

In various online forum threads about hidden and overlooked tobacco gems the name Lancer's Slices comes up time and again. Perhaps the small size of its manufacturer or the fact that it's only available in bulk has something to do with this relative anonymity. In any case, this is yet another blend that practically called to me so I just had to give it a try.

Charles Fairmorn's Lancer's Slices is an almost jet-black sliced flake composed of Virginia and Latakia and that's it. It may sound deceptively simple but the first whiff of the tobacco's rich, earthy aroma should be the first clue that in you're in for a real treat.

I decided to use my new Savinelli Churchwarden for this test run as it's my pipe dedicated to Latakia heavy blends. I broke up the slices a bit further then stuffed them into the pipe and gave it a light.

I can sum up this review in one word -- bliss! From the first puff right on through to the end this tobacco offered up a rich, satisfying flavor that for me is the very essence of pipe smoking.

The Latakia was a dominant presence yet it was such a high quality leaf that I never tired of the smokey campfire taste or aroma. Backing up this potentially overwhelming onslaught was a rich, sweet Virginia that played off the Latakia to perfection.

Have you ever toasted a marshmallow over a campfire a bit too long until it turned black and charred? Well imagine if there was some way to magically capture the sweetness of the toasted marshmallow along with the rich smoke of the campfire and yet do away with the ashes and soot. That's pretty much the picture that Lancer's Slices painted on my palate and my but it sure was tasty.

I loved the room aroma for much the same reason that I loved the taste but not everyone is going to enjoy that smoldering campfire smell, especially in the house.

Lancer's Slices provided a cool, dry smoke and required only a few relights along the way. I seem to have good luck with sliced flakes and this one was no exception as it chugged right along at a nice slow smolder. There was a bit of wet dottle left at the end due, I'm sure, to me slobbering on the pipe.

If I were to look up the word sublime in Webster's I would see a picture of Charles Fairmorn's Lancer's Slices. I had planned to enjoy a smoke while reading and listening to music but I found the tobacco to be such a delight that the book was quickly forgotten as I shut my eyes, listened to some Telemann, and blissfully puffed on my pipe.

It may well be hidden but this blend is most assuredly a gem.

Cornell & Diehl -- Epiphany

2009-10-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Blend: Epiphany
Style: Aromatic/Light English
Pipe Used: Peterson Aran #150 Bulldog
Price: $17.50/8oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 6
Room Note: 8
Value: 7
Overall: 7

After hearing much positive word of mouth about this tribute to the old Revelation blend I decided to give Cornell & Diehl's Epiphany a try. While I never had the opportunity to try the original Revelation the description of this blend sounded delightful.

Billed alternately as an American English or light English blend, Epiphany is a real grab bag of tobaccos with Burley, Virgina, Latakia, and Perique all present with a light, fruity topping thrown in as well. This is the type of blend that's supposed to be carefree and easy and is designed to provide that elusive all day smoke.

Epiphany arrives in a fairly thick and long ribbon cut and is predominantly light brown in color with some black pieces of tobacco mixed in for good measure. The aroma of the unlit tobacco is fruity in nature with hints of citrus and berries and the advertised Latakia is just barely detectable as a faint smokey whiff.

To sample the blend I gravity filled my Pete Bulldog and gave it a charring light but for some reason this well-dried tobacco just did not want to burn and it took quite a while to get it going. Sadly, this struggle to keep the pipe lit was to be an ongoing and thoroughly annoying problem from start to finish.

The first few puffs provided a very spicy dose of Perique and this peppery tobacco remained very much front and center throughout the smoke. The fruity sweetness evident in the pre-light aroma came through nicely and played off the spice very well without ever tasting artificial or cloying.

Unfortunately the primary tobacco components in this blend seemed overwhelmed from the get go and were never able to reassert themselves. The nuttiness of the Burley was downplayed, the sweet Virginias were trumped by the topping, and the Latakia was all but absent.

To my palate Epiphany was more of an aromatic Perique blend than a light English and the lack of any depth and complexity in taste was disappointing. It's not an off-putting blend by any means but it just wasn't what I was looking for here.

The room aroma was pleasant and fruity and the lack of any forceful Latakia component certainly helped in that department.

As mentioned earlier, Epiphany was a real bear to keep lit and I'm sure that aggravation did nothing to improve the taste. It did smoke cool and dry which is a given I suppose for a blend that remained unlit for most of its time in the pipe.

Cornell & Diehl's Epiphany is a decent tobacco blend but it just didn't agree with me in either taste or temperament. To qualify as an all day smoke a blend must be in the fire and forget it mold and this one was anything but. And if a tobacco is going to be persnickety then it needs to pay off with a real depth of flavor and here again Epiphany fell short. I just don't see where a spicy aromatic requiring far too much TLC can fit into my regular rotation.

*UPDATE*
In case it seems like I didn't give this stuff a fair shake I want to qualify that I tried Epiphany on four separate occasions in four different pipes (bulldog, billiard, cob, and clay) and had the same problems each time. Since I'm sitting on half a pound of the stuff I'm going to put it way back in the cellar and hope that it comes together a bit better when I "rediscover" it down the road.

McClelland -- Frog Morton

2009-10-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Brand: McClelland
Blend: Frog Morton
Style: Aromatic/English
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $7.70/1.76oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 6
Room Note: 6
Value: 7
Overall: 6

Much of the interest in pipe smoking among the younger generation is due in large part to the influence of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece "The Lord of the Rings" and the recent award-winning movie adaptations. Wise wizards, cheerfully brave Hobbits, and churchwardens stuffed with copious amounts of pipeweed provide a strong visual cue that pipe smoking just might be worth a try. So it shouldn't be surprising that there are many pipe tobacco blends that tip their caps to Tolkien either directly or indirectly.

McClelland's Frog Morton is one such blend that takes its name from a small Hobbit village in the Shire. I have to admit that it was a combination of the interesting name and the overwhelmingly positive word of mouth that convinced me to try this blend so I suppose I'm just as gullible to slick marketing as the next chap.

The tin I acquired was from 2007 so it already had a few years of age on it when I popped it open. The tobacco was a very dark black and brown ribbon-cut blend that gave off a nice aroma of dried fruit and smokey Latakia.

To try it out I loaded up my Missouri Meerschaum Missouri Pride cob and gave it a quick charring light. The tobacco started burning right away so I soon enough set to puffing.

There is some disagreement over whether the good Frog should be classified as an English or aromatic blend and I must say that the tobacco gave off flavors to support both sides of the argument.

The Latakia was discernible but not nearly as strong as in most English blends while the Virginias were noticeable but also a tad weak on the palate. There was also an obvious topping of some sort that wasn't overpowering but did give the blend a light, fruity taste.

And that's the flavor profile that stayed with the blend from start to finish. For my purposes I'm happy to call Frog Morton an aromatic English and that happens to be a sub-category of which I'm quite fond.

That being said the blend, while tasty, quickly became rather boring as none of its component parts ever truly shone. Frog Morton is first and foremost a mild blend and just didn't provide enough of interest after a while.

The room aroma was better than most English blends but the Latakia, while muted, still provided a bit of funk that's unlikely to be favorably sniffed by others.

Frog Morton was very easy to smoke as it came out of the tin at the perfect level of dryness and burned cleanly down to the ash with no fuss. That's one characteristic that's always appreciated in a tobacco blend.

McClelland's Frog Morton is a nice cross-over blend that might appeal to aromatic smokers looking to dip their toes into English waters but most experienced pipers will find it too bland to satisfy their yen for a true English blend. That's not to say that it doesn't make a nice change of pace smoke as it's a very well-behaved blend that isn't too tasking on an otherwise occupied smoker.

As a die-hard Tolkien fan it's a given that I'll eventually sample just about any tobacco with a Middle Earth pedigree. And while I didn't find Frog Morton to be all that interesting I'm already looking forward to trying his cousins On the Town, Across the Pond, and On the Bayou as a little added kick is just what this blend really needs.

Altadis -- Voodoo Queen

2009-10-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Brand: Altadis
Blend: Voodoo Queen
Style: English/Aromatic
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $7.72/4oz.

Appearance: 8
Taste: 6
Room Note: 6
Value: 8
Overall: 7

Sometimes you decide to try a new blend based on purely superficial reasons such as tin art, name, price, or blending house. Having lived in New Orleans for a few years I was intrigued enough by the marketing verbiage for Altadis's Voodoo Queen that I bought four ounces a few months back. Since I was very pleasantly surprised by their Count Pulaski blend I figured I didn't have much to lose given the low price.

Voodoo Queen is a very dark broken flake that is advertised as being an English-style blend of mocha slices, Latakia, and Perique. I'm not sure what a mocha slice is but I'm guessing it's a Virginia/Burley leaf blend. The aroma out of the jar was similar to most light English or Balkan blends with smoky Latakia and hints of spice layered on top of an underlying Virginia sweetness.

To sample the blend I grabbed a wad of the broken flakes and gently stuffed them into my trusty cob. I should have let it dry a bit as it took a while to get the pipe lit but once I got a nice smolder going it stayed burning for quite a while.

The tobacco started off with a mellow flavor as none of the various constituent parts of the blend were all that forceful. The Latakia was noticeable but fairly mild while the Perique was evident in a slight spiciness but it too seemed to be doled out with a conservative hand. The VA/Bur component was fairly sweet but lacked the depth of flavor found in a heavier English blend.

As for the so-called mocha, I did notice a faint hint of bittersweet chocolate similar to the taste of a maduro cigar but this particular flavor profile can be found in many aged and pressed leaves so I have to chalk this blend's advertised uniqueness up to sheer marketing.

That being said, what flavor there was remained consistent and provided for a long enjoyable smoke with no aftertaste. I just prefer more kick from my English blends.

And aside from the initial lighting issues the tobacco was well behaved in the pipe and provided a nice cool smoke. As is my custom with flakes I avoided tamping and just let the tobacco unravel as it burned and that seemed to work just fine.

The room aroma was typical for a Latakia blend meaning you'll either love it or hate it with most innocent bystanders falling firmly in the latter camp.

Voodoo Queen is an interesting blend that didn't quite live up to its billing. It's a nice enough smoke and one certainly can't quibble on the price but I think there are many better blends to be found in this category. Still, I appreciate the fact that Altadis is willing to experiment with numerous new blends for the piper even in the face of the seemingly unstoppable forces arrayed against our hobby.

Brown & Williamson -- Sir Walter Raleigh

2009-09-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Brand: Brown & Williamson
Blend: Sir Walter Raleigh
Style: Burley
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $4.99/1.73oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 9
Overall: 8

After trying a fair number of older blends I finally got around to picking up a pouch of Sir Walter Raleigh. In online discussion groups I tend to hear a lot about Carter Hall and Prince Albert but rarely does anyone mention this long-time classic.

When I first opened the pouch I was greeted with the typically sweet rum raisin aroma shared by many of these drugstore blends. What I wasn't expecting was a very dry tobacco since these pouch blends tend to be laced with plenty of propylene glycol (PG) in order to keep them moist and fresh for however long they're left sitting on display. The tobacco itself was a medium brown blend of ribbon and cube cut Burley.

I tend to prefer my tobacco on the dry side which with the damp climate here usually means a relative humidity of about 45%. Since I didn't need to air this stuff out at all I just filled by trusty cob and lit it up. I find that a simple gravity fill tends to work best for cube-cut blends.

Sir Walter Raleigh is certainly one of the best behaved tobaccos I've tried as all it took was that first light to get it going and then it burned clean down to the ashes without requiring any relights or even tamping. I really appreciate tobaccos I don't have to fight to smoke so this was a big plus for me.

The flavor of the blend was smooth and mild with a prominent nutty Burley taste accompanied by a very faint hint of sweetness reminiscent of maple syrup and dark molasses. While this may be a simple blend the flavor was very good and stayed consistent throughout the smoke.

When smoked hard the flavor took on a bitter edge but since I'm a fan of hoppy beers I actually found myself puffing furiously in order to get that extra tang. Fortunately the tobacco remained bite-free even with such abuse.

My real taste test for these codger classics is in the aftertaste as even those that are good in the pipe often leave behind a chemical taste that lingers long after the smoke is finished. Happily, Sir Walter Raleigh proved to be the exception to the rule and the only lingering taste was that of Burley tobacco.

The room aroma was nice as well and never took on that stale cigarette smell that plagues many Burley blends.

Sir Walter Raleigh is a really good, old-time blend and has jumped to the top of my list of favorite OTC (over-the-counter) tobaccos. I was very pleasantly surprised by the flavor and behavior of this blend and can't wait to buy a tub to see how that compares to the pouch version.

Ruminations

2009-09-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to stop and take a look back at my experiences over the past few years with pipe smoking. I ordered my first two cobs and two tobaccos (Squadron Leader and Penzance) back in June 2007 and, as is often the case, I just couldn't get the hang of it so they were quickly tossed on a shelf in the garage and forgotten.

Fast forward seven months and I stumbled on the stash while cleaning and decided to give the pipe another go. My technique was still shaky but I finally understood what all the fuss was about as the dried and slightly aged Squadron Leader just shined in that cob.

From that point on I was hooked and started buying new tobaccos to try; estate pipes of all shapes, sizes, and materials; various pipe smoking accessories; and started down the road to cellaring. In less than two solid years of pipe smoking I've amassed 60 different tobacco blends and a relatively paltry but enjoyable 14 pipes.

I realize that I'm still a novice but I think I've learned a thing or two about the fine art of smoking a pipe so I've decided to throw together a list of five helpful hints for those who might be starting down the path.

Top 5 Pipe Tips

1. If your tobacco looks and feels dry enough it probably isn't. Given the seasonal humidity in the Northwest it's a real battle to keep damp tobacco lit most of the year.

2. Slow down. Nope, slower. Even slower. There you go. Slow and steady keeps the pipe and smoke cool and leads to a nice even burn. I'll be the first to admit that I still have a hard time with this.

3. Relight as much as necessary and don't feel bad about it. Some blends I spend more time relighting than smoking but so what?

4. Resist the urge to tamp unless the pipe won't stay lit and even then a gentle stir and smoothing of the top ash is better than a tamp.

5. Buy some cobs. So what if you look like Popeye. Easily the most versatile and affordable smoking implements available. My most smoked pipe is one of those original two cobs (a Missouri Meerschaum Pride) and it goes everywhere with me.

Hoyo de Monterrey Maduro

2009-08-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Brand: Hoyo de Monterrey
Cigar: Maduro
Shape: Rothschild
Size: 4 1/2" x 50
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras
Binder: Connecticut
Price: $2.25

Appearance: 6
Construction: 6
Taste: 6
Value: 8
Overall: 6

I've had a fiver of these sitting in my fridgador for about a year so I decided to take a few along on a camping trip to try them out. The Hoyo de Monterrey Maduro is a nice enough looking stick with a medium-dark maduro wrapper. As I cut the cigar with my Palio part of the wrapper came undone and although the cigar remained smokeable the unsightly scar on the side was a real shame.

The little Rothschild lit right up and that was the last time I needed to use my lighter as it burned evenly right down to the nub. Since I was sitting around a campfire in the dark it was great that I didn't have to fuss with the cigar. And even though this was a fairly short stick it burned at a slow pace and lasted for over an hour.

The Hoyo de Monterrey Maduro featured a typical taste profile for a maduro cigar with hints of unsweetened chocolate and espresso. There was no pepper or spice in this cigar and the flavors remained the same from beginning to end. It was a fine accompaniment to campfire conversation but I much prefer the more complex taste of the Dark Sumatras.

All in all it was a well-behaved but average tasting cigar and even at the low price I didn't find much to recommend it over other offerings from Hoyo de Monterrey.

Peter Stokkebye -- Balkan Supreme

2009-07-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

Brand: Peter Stokkebye
Blend: Balkan Supreme
Style: Balkan
Pipe Used: Peterson Aran #150 Bulldog
Price: $13.50/8oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 9
Room Note: 7
Value: 9
Overall: 8

In a last minute dash to try some new blends before Washington state's draconian tobacco law goes into effect on the 26th I've been ordering pipe tobacco left and right. Yesterday I received an order from the fine folks at Mars Cigars & Pipes and made the mistake of opening the package while I was still trying to get some work done. The spicy, leathery, and sweet smell of Peter Stokkebye's Balkan Supreme soon had me rummaging for a pipe.

After a long time away from Latakia blends I've been slowly coming back around to that wonderful leaf but find that I prefer it with a bit of spice which is why I've been reaching more for the Orientals. Although Balkan Supreme is, not surprisingly, a Balkan blend I rarely use that categorization term myself and tend to refer to tobacco of this type as Oriental but that's just me.

The tobacco is a fairly non-descript dark brown shag-cut blend that smells great straight out of the package. The appearance and aroma reminded me a lot of Dunhill's My Mixture 965 which is high praise indeed.

I know that I should have dried this out a bit before smoking but I just couldn't help myself so I loaded up my Peterson Bulldog and got right to work. The tobacco easily lit up and provided a nice, steady burn from beginning to end. Where the lack of drying got me was in the tongue bite since the extra moisture made for a few jolts of uncomfortable steam in my mouth. Ouch!

The flavor of the Balkan Supreme was superb with just the right mix of leathery Latakia, spicy Orientals, and a hint of sweet Virginias and Cavendish. I really enjoyed the spiciness of this blend and it provided the same sort of tingle I get from a good Nicaraguan cigar.

I found it to be the perfect blend for a long, contemplative smoke in which each different type of tobacco leaf could be coaxed to shine by varying the speed of puffing and length of draw. Long, leisurely smoking highlighted the Latakia; short, rapid puffs brought out the spicy Orientals; and rapid but long draws allowed the sweet Virgina and Cavendish component to peek through.

Balkan Supreme combined some of my favorite aspects of the aforementioned My Mixture 965 as well as Samuel Gawith's classic Squadron Leader. This blend is a great English/Oriental go-between and provides just enough of each style while still retaining its own unique place in the tobacco pantheon.

The room note followed the trend of the taste in that the rate of smoking had a direct impact on the aroma of the smoke. From the classic Latakia funk to the almost tart hints of exotic spice the smells provided all sorts of variety -- some very nice and some not so nice to the nose.

Peter Stokkebye's Balkan Supreme is often mentioned as a replacement for the long-gone Balkan Sobranie but since I've never tasted that classic blend I have to judge this one on it's own merits and what I find is a great Balkan blend that has a very complex taste, behaves well in the pipe, and can be purchased in bulk at a ridiculously low price. This is truly a wonderful tobacco.

A Year Already

2009-07-19T18:07:00.001-07:00

The one year anniversary of this blog came and went unnoticed last week. What started out as "Cigar Meanderings" quickly evolved into "Meandering Smoke" as my interests veered more in the direction of pipes than cigars. I still try to review the occasional stogie but for the time being pipes are much more my thing. At any rate I started this blog mostly for my own future reference but hopefully it's provided some information to others who've happened this way by hook or by crook. I would offer up a champagne toast but beer is more my speed so here's an Alaskan Summer Ale for you!

John Middleton -- Carter Hall

2009-07-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

Brand: John Middleton
Blend: Carter Hall
Style: Burley
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $4.10/1.5oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 6
Room Note: 7
Value: 8
Overall: 7

While picking up some stuff at the local Rite-Aid I noticed a pouch of Carter Hall for sale on the shelf. If you're familiar with the sorry state of tobacco retail outlets here in the greater Seattle area then you'll understand my surprise at finding a tobacco I actually wanted to try at a fairly reasonable price. Needless to say I grabbed that pouch and as soon as I got home I filled my trusty corncob pipe and headed out to try yet another classic, codger, drugstore, heritage, or what-have-you blend.

Carter Hall is a basic ribbon cut Burley and upon opening the pouch I was met with a uniformly cut tan tobacco that smelled nicely of raisins and figs. I don't know what it is about these classic blends but they all sure do smell good.

With the first charring light there was a short burst of harshness but that passed just as soon as the tobacco started burning evenly. From that point on the blend smoked like a dream requiring no fuss and only one relight to get down to the last ashes. I wish all pipe tobacco behaved so well.

The tobacco had a nice, mellow Burley flavor that was very unobtrusive and occasionally subtle hints of citrus could be detected as well. In some ways you could even call it boring but sometimes the tried and true is just what you're looking for in a good smoke.

Similar to other Burley blends I found that smoking Carter Hall too fast brought out an unpleasant cigarette-like taste so be sure to smoke it slowly.

As with most mass-produced tobaccos I also found there to be a chemical aftertaste and that's the one sticking point that keeps me from abandoning all my fancy-pants tobaccos and just going with the drugstore blends on a full-time basis. I understand that they have to be able to hold together for however long they're left languishing on store shelves but I do wish that there was some way to achieve this that didn't so adversely affect the tobaccos' flavors.

The room aroma was that of a classic grandfather's pipe which isn't surprising since most grandfathers smoked this type of blend.

In the pantheon of codger classics that I've tried so far I found Carter Hall to be the best behaved but least flavorful blend. I now understand why so many folks use it to break in new pipes since it burns so well while leaving behind no strong aftertaste. And it's clearly a favorite for mixing as it lends so many positive burn characteristics and offers up a nice, plain palate for adding new flavors.

My appreciation for these old blends continues to grow and while Carter Hall wasn't my favorite I'm still planning to buy a tub since this utilitarian tobacco has so many uses.

Altadis -- Count Pulaski

2009-06-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Brand: Altadis
Blend: Count Pulaski
Style: English/Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural Oscar #313
Price: $6.96/4oz.

Appearance: 6
Taste: 7 *UPDATED TO 9*
Room Note: 4
Value: 10
Overall: 7 *UPDATED TO 8*

In my search for an anise-flavored tobacco one name kept popping up on various forums -- Count Pulaski. Since I grew up in Detroit I'm well acquainted with Casimir Pulaski the Polish cavalry officer who fought and died for the American side in the Revolutionary War. Heck, the fellow even has a nice statue downtown. But what about the tobacco?

Count Pulaski is a blend from the huge tobacco company Altadis and while many pipe and cigar smokers hold their wealth of offerings in disdain, I'm not one to make snap judgments without first sampling the goods.

Described as being a combination of Burley, Virginia, Carolina and Latakia leaf with a topping of rum and anise, Count Pulaski is a difficult blend to categorize. The strong Latakia component places it firmly in the English camp while the added flavorings indicate that it belongs to the aromatic family. For my purposes I'll just call it an English-style aromatic.

Count Pulaski is a very coarse cut tobacco consisting of fairly large pieces of mostly black and some light tan tobacco leaf. Unless you're smoking a large pipe some further break-up is required before packing and smoking.

The pouch, or in my case bail-top jar, aroma is overwhelmingly Latakia and my nose could detect none of the advertised toppings be they rum or anise.

I set some tobacco aside to dry for a few hours then loaded up my pipe. The charring light revealed that I should have torn the tobacco a bit more as large pieces started to burn and rear up out of the bowl. It took a lot of tamping and charring to get this mess tamed but once it was under control in burned just fine.

The first flavor to hit was of course the Latakia and it left no doubt that this was predominantly an English blend. The large Burley component added a nice nutty undertone that one doesn't typically find in this style of tobacco while the Virginia leaf brought some spicy sweetness to the mix. Heavy puffing also brought out a very strong cigar type taste which was very much to my liking.

Since I bought this tobacco mainly for its anise flavor I waited and waited for that aspect to emerge but it never really did. No anise, no rum -- just a slightly herbal undertone to tickle the tongue. Some of the smoke had a faint licorice aroma but I've found that in other English blends and tend to attribute it to the Latakia.

Save for that slightly sweet scent, the room aroma of Count Pulaski is not likely to win many friends as the Latakia assaults the nose like moldy sweat socks thrown on a campfire. I for one enjoy that smell but most innocent bystanders will likely be knocked on their keisters.

The coarse cut did give me some problems with burn issues but the blend still behaved well and offered up a cool, bite-free smoke. The tobacco also burned down to a nice dry ash and left no goop behind in the pipe which is surprising for an inexpensive bulk aromatic such as this.

Count Pulaski is an interesting blend from Altadis and is likely to appeal to fans of light English or aromatic English tobacco styles. I was a bit disappointed that the anise flavor never came through for me and without that added twist there's just not much to recommend this over many other similar blends. Where I can recommend it is in both behavior and price since the tobacco burns well (if torn up a bit beforehand) and is offered at a ridiculously low bulk price.

*UPDATE 6/27/09*
Last night I stumbled on a cob that I had loaded with Count Pulaski a few days earlier to take fishing and had forgotten about. I decided to light it up and was met with one of the finest, most sublime smokes I've yet experienced.

The missing hints of anise were finally there and the pleasant cigar-like taste had evolved into a richly mellow leathery taste that was superb.

All in all this neglected bowl of Count Pulaski provided a nearly perfect smoke and my ratings have been bumped up to recognize that fact.

HPCS Adirondack Series -- Trout Stream

2009-06-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

Brand: HPCS Adirondack Series
Blend: Trout Stream
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Peterson Aran 150
Price: $9.99/4oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 7
Room Note: 8
Value: 8
Overall: 7

Trout Stream is an exclusive offering from the Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe -- better known as pipesandcigars.com. I'm a huge fan of their Butternut Burley and had heard many good things about this blend as well so I ordered a few ounces to give it a try.

The tobacco is a mixture of Golden and Black Cavendish and comes in a black and tan ribbon cut form. The aroma was great and smelled of butterscotch. The moisture content was about on par for an aromatic so I set some tobacco aside for a few hours to dry out.

I loaded up my Peterson Aran 150 Bulldog, gave the tobacco a charring light, and away I went. The flavor started out mellow and pretty much stayed that way to the end. Being composed solely of Cavendish tobacco, this blend is fairly straightforward and offers no surprises. The butterscotch came across as a slightly sweet aftertaste but wasn't nearly as front and center as I expected given the initial smell of the tobacco.

Trout Stream is a very well behaved blend and burned nice and dry with no goopy residue left behind in the pipe. It also burned evenly and only required a few relights along the way. The blend was also bite free and provided a nice, cool smoke.

As is the case with many aromatics, the room aroma was much richer than the taste of the actual tobacco. That's not a knock against the blend, just a statement of fact.

Trout Stream is a nice enough aromatic and I really have nothing bad to say about it but I much prefer the added flavor depth found with Butternut Burley and since it runs $10 cheaper per pound I can't really see myself ordering more of this blend in the future.

Samuel Gawith -- Celtic Talisman

2009-05-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Brand: Samuel Gawith
Blend: Celtic Talisman
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural
Price: $6.84/50g

Appearance: 7
Taste: 8
Room Note: 8
Value: 9
Overall: 8

Samuel Gawith's Celtic Talisman is a relatively new blend from the storied tobacco company. Billed on the tin simply as being an aromatic it is in fact a blend of Bright Virginia, Burley, and Black Cavendish topped with sweet cherry.

Upon opening the tin I was met with a firmly packed and fairly moist ribbon cut tobacco that appeared to be primarily made up of the light Virginia leaf with a bit of dark Cavendish mixed in. The aroma was very sweet and smelled of cherry and vanilla. In fact, the tobacco both looked and smelled almost identical to Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream.

Being the impetuous fool that I am I gave the moist tobacco no time to dry out and immediately loaded up my Savinelli Natural Oscar #313 and gave it a light. The tobacco lit right up and I have to say that the initial flavor was also identical to the aforementioned Mac Baren blend.

The blend was sweet but not overly so and much of that was a result of the Bright Virginia and not due to the topping. While advertised as a cherry blend I thought that the Black Cavendish carried more of a vanilla flavor although the cherry was evident in both the room note and the aftertaste.

The Celtic Talisman also delivered a surprisingly spicy kick that served to complement the sweetness of the blend. This added bite made for a most unusual and pleasant aromatic smoke.

Given my haste to fire up this tobacco I was surprised to find that it burned cool and dry and never required the use of a pipe cleaner to soak up any goop. The Celtic Talisman smoked clear down to the bottom of the bowl and needed only a few relights along the way. This was not at all what I expected and it sure came as a pleasant surprise.

The room aroma was very nice and it was here that the cherry became most evident. Once again it was very similar to the room note of Vanilla Cream.

Celtic Talisman is the first true aromatic from Samuel Gawith that I've tried and if my experiences with this blend are any indication then I need to try some of the others as well. This is a sweet tasting tobacco that burns well and leaves behind nothing but fine ash and a wonderful room aroma. And while I've been saying that it and Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream are almost identical in taste and aroma I have to give a slight edge to Celtic Talisman as the subtle spiciness brings some nice complexity to the blend.

All in all Samuel Gawith's Celtic Talisman is a wonderful, light aromatic and can be had for a song. If you like the idea of a cherry blend that avoids the artificial cough syrup taste that one often finds in heavier aromatics then this is certainly one to try.

McClelland -- Blackwoods Flake

2009-04-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

Brand: McClelland
Blend: Blackwoods Flake
Style: Virginia
Pipe Used: Savinelli Rusticated Oscar #313
Price: $7.80/2oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 9
Room Note: 7
Value: 9
Overall: 9

I bought a tin of McClelland's Blackwoods Flake a few months ago and was pleased to discover that it was packaged in 2005. Given the four year head start I had planned on aging it for a few more years. But last night I really wanted a nice dark Virginia and I was out of all of my usual suspects so that tin was just begging to be opened.

I cracked the tin and was immediately met by that standard McClelland aroma that's been variously described as ketchup or vinegar like. It's never bothered me and I've always felt that the smell is that of natural fermentation and is even a bit hoppy in character -- not at all unpleasant.

The flake tobacco was fairly moist and consisted of a mixture of Red and Black Stoved Virginia leaf. All of the flakes were fairly uniform in size and appearance and looked good enough to eat. I broke a few apart and then set them aside to dry for the afternoon.

By the time I was ready to load up my Savinelli Rusticated Oscar #313 the tobacco blend was in perfect smoking condition. It took a few additional charring lights to get all of the tobacco tendrils evenly flat on the top but once it got going the pipe stayed lit right to the bitter end and required no tamping or fussing of any kind. Since I was sitting outside watching the rain fall I could see the ember glowing in the bowl and it just refused to go out.

Straight Virginias are among my favorite tobaccos and while I don't typically find them to be very complex blends the best of them can offer a truly rewarding smoke. From my first taste of the Blackwoods Flake I knew that I had found smoking nirvana. Whereas light Virginias tend to be almost cloyingly sweet at times, this dark blend was much more savory yet still plenty sweet -- almost like a traditional Christmas pudding.

The combination of Red and Black Stoved tobaccos is a real winner here with the Red offering a delicate sweetness while the Black lends a taste that's faintly reminiscent of grilled steak. These two taste profiles make for a delightful smoke as first one then the other moves to the front. These flavors also remain consistent from start to finish.

The room aroma reminded me of a nice smoky BBQ and while I certainly enjoy that smell it could be a bit much in small indoor spaces. The smoky character also lingered in the air for quite a while.

Like I mentioned, the Blackwoods Flake was a well-behaved tobacco that stayed lit and burned evenly right down to the ash. As with many Virginias there was a bit of tongue bite whenever the pipe was smoked too fast but that was easily remedied by slowing down.

McClelland's Blackwoods Flake is a wonderful straight Virginia blend that offers up a very high quality smoke at a reasonable price and rewards the patient pipester with a rich, full flavor and a well-mannered smoke. This tobacco is sheer delight in the pipe and is very highly recommended.

"The Hobbit"

2009-04-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

I was watching the 1977 Rankin & Bass animated version of "The Hobbit" on DVD last night with my kids and was floored by the sheer number of pipe references. Those hobbits sure knew how to enjoy their pipeweed!

Pinkerton -- Half & Half

2009-04-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

Brand: Pinkerton
Blend: Half & Half
Style: Burley/Virginia
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $2.85/1.5oz.

Appearance: 8
Taste: 7
Room Note: 8
Value: 9
Overall: 8

Half & Half is one of those classic drugstore blends that has been enjoyed for well over a hundred years. Easily dismissed due to their easy availability and low price, these codger classics are quite often worth a try and this one is no exception.

Upon opening the pouch I was hit with one of the finest pipe tobacco aromas I've ever experienced. Some have referred to it as a rum raisin type of smell but to me it seemed more like IHOP butter pecan syrup topped with a bit of lemon. It almost made me want to grab a spoon and eat the stuff!

The tobacco consisted of a medium-brown, ribbon cut blend of Burley and light Virginia and was a bit moist right out of the pouch. After leaving some to dry for a bit I loaded up one of trusty cobs and gave it a light.

The tobacco lit easily, burned evenly, and only required one relight as I neared the bottom of the bowl. The blend also refused to bite even when I found myself smoking it fairly fast. The ease of smoking is one aspect of these old classics that I've really come to admire.

The flavor profile was about what one would expect from a quality Burley/Virginia mix -- a rich nutty taste complimented by the sweetness of the light Virginias. And while the pouch aroma was evidence of the addition of some toppings, whatever was added didn't adversely impact the flavor or burn characteristics at all. There was even a faint touch of spice that I could feel as a tingle on my lips and tip of my tongue. Half & Half displayed a consistent flavor profile from beginning to end which is just fine for this type of inexpensive, everyday smoke.

The real test for me with these drugstore blends is in the aftertaste. Too much humectant or artificial flavoring can lead to an off-putting taste in the mouth long after the pipe is finished. In the case of Half & Half the aftertaste was primarily that of good tobacco but I did also detect a slightly chemical undertone that forced me to knock down the flavor score by a point.

The room aroma was that classic pipe smell that is enjoyed by most folks whether they be smokers or not and didn't have the harsh, cigarette-like edge to it that I often find with Burley blends.

Half & Half is a good pipe tobacco and if it was repackaged as a new product in a fancy tin it could easily sell for much more money. As it is, we pipe smokers should be glad that it's available for just a couple of bucks a pouch at most corner drugstores. I enjoyed it very much and it may well replace some of the other Burley/Virginia blends that I currently smoke. Score one for the codgers.

G.L. Pease -- Barbary Coast

2009-03-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Brand: G.L. Pease
Blend: Barbary Coast
Style: Burley/Aromatic
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $8.75/2oz.

Appearance: 9
Taste: 10
Room Note: 7
Value: 9
Overall: 9

I've owned this tin of G.L. Pease Barbary Coast for almost six months but had been reluctant to open it since this blend gets a lot of mixed reviews and even those who love it tend to comment on how difficult it is to smoke. Today I decided to put my fears aside and pulled the tab on that tin. What greeted me was a slightly moist dark, cube-cut Burley mixed with some ribbon-cut Red Virginias. The rich aroma of brandy and dates was delightful as well.

Since I was expecting trouble I decided to try this blend out in one of my trusty old cobs. Taking the advice of the many brave souls who came before me, I gravity fed the pipe with no tamping, skipped the charring light, and set about getting this thing a burnin'.

The soft flame of my Xikar Pipeline just wasn't up to the task so I switched to my Zippo with a single flame butane insert and tried to get some combustion. Even with that heat of the sun lighter it was still difficult to get the tobacco going. Boy am I glad I went with a cob on this as I don't want to think about what all that flame-throwing would have done to a briar pipe.

Once I got the Barbary Coast burning I was greeted with the rich, nutty taste of a fine Burley mingled with the sweetness of the Virginia leaf. The advertised Perique was noticeable in a tip of the tongue tingle which added a bit of zest to the blend. This is first and foremost a Burley blend with the other components adding some nice ancillary taste.

While the brandy is very noticeable in the tin aroma and room note I only caught glancing hints of it on the occasional exhale. It does, however, act to take the edge off the otherwise harsh Burley room note.

As expected, this was a very high maintenance tobacco. If I set the pipe down for even a moment it went out and required some serious puffing and torching to get going again. This of course led to a hot smoke and a hot cob but, oddly enough, no tongue bite. It also provided for a very dry smoke.

So then why should one bother with Barbary Coast if it's so difficult to smoke? In a word, bliss. Every now and then you're lucky enough to come across a tobacco blend that really puts you in the pipe smoking zone. For me, G.L. Pease's Barbary Coast does the trick. I found it to be a sublime, transcendent smoke that takes the best characteristics of Burley, straight Virginia, and even aromatic blends and marries them into a deceptively simple smoke that kept me fully interested and with a grin on my face from beginning to end.

I flat out love the taste of this tobacco and even if I never find a way to make it smoke easily I'm more than willing to put up with its idiosyncrasies in order to enjoy all that it has to offer. But until such a time as I can tame this beast, Barbary Coast will remain a cob-only blend.

A Perfect Afternoon

2009-03-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

I'm usually a one-a-day pipe guy but with the start of the NCAA Tournament today I found myself watching the TV and the live feed on the computer simultaneously and enjoying pipe after pipe after pipe. Butternut Burley flowed into Full Virginia Flake followed by Squadron Leader and topped off with a relaxing bowl of Westminster. What bliss! Plus, my Michigan Wolverines won their first round game which is realistically all I was hoping for.

Peterson -- Sherlock Holmes

2009-03-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

Brand: Peterson
Blend: Sherlock Holmes
Style: Virginia/Oriental
Pipe Used: Trypis Rusticated Dublin
Price: Gift

Appearance: 7
Taste: 7
Room Note: 7
Value: 7
Overall: 7

Since it's St. Patrick's Day I decided to get my Irish on with some appropriate pipe tobacco. I settled on Peterson's Sherlock Holmes which is billed as being made from an Irish recipe dating back to 1880 and is produced by the venerable Dublin company.

The marketing blurb for this blend says that it's a straight Virginia but the tin itself states that it includes some Burley as well. The tobacco is drawn from a variety of orange and red Virginias and includes some Mysore and Brazilian leaf.

Upon opening the tin I was greeted with a blond colored ribbon-cut tobacco of uniform size and the aroma was that of fresh-cut hay and a dash of citrus and lavender. The tobacco was also bone dry.

I loaded up my Trypis Rusticated Dublin (as close to an Irish pipe as I own) and proceeded with my charring light. The tobacco lit right up and started giving off a lot of smoke which is indicative of a very dry blend.

The initial flavor was typical of a light Virginia with that classic hay-like sweetness. Slowly sipping on the pipe kept thing firmly planted in that Virginia realm and I soon found myself becoming rather bored with the blend.

But after I started smoking a bit harder some more complex flavors became apparent. The citrus and lavender that I smelled out of tin started to emerge and the blend took on a taste very reminiscent of Earl Grey tea with its bergamot undertones. Unfortunately the harder smoking also led to some unpleasant tongue bite.

The room aroma was fairly mild for the most part but any furious puffing soon resulted in a harsh edge to the smoke that was off-putting.

The pipe stayed lit from beginning to end but the bowl did get a bit hot and the tobacco burned out rather quickly. This pipe typically makes for a 45 minute smoke but in this case I was down to the ashes in 20 minutes.

I still don't know how to classify this blend. For the most part it's a straight Virginia and I never noticed any of the advertised Burley but the bergamot and lavender aroma and taste put me in mind of a classic Oriental leaf. There don't seem to be any added toppings that would otherwise be responsible for that flavor profile.

Peterson's Sherlock Holmes is seemingly two tobaccos in one. Slow sippers will be greeted with a mild-mannered Virgina while fast puffers will be rewarded with a fine Oriental-style blend. Unfortunately the smoking technique needed to access the full flavor also leads to a hot pipe, some serious biting, and a fast and furious smoke. Whereas most tobaccos require a bit of drying before smoking this one seems to require a bit of hydrating if you happen upon a tin as dry as mine.

John Middleton -- Prince Albert

2009-03-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Brand: John Middleton
Blend: Prince Albert
Style: Burley
Pipe Used: Dominique Signature (Jeantet) Dublin
Price: $2.50/1.5oz.

Appearance: 7
Taste: 7
Room Note: 8
Value: 10
Overall: 8

"Do you have Prince Albert in a can?"
"Yes."
"Then you better let him out!"
(Hilarious squeals of laughter)

I knew of this classic crank telephone call well before I ever tried the tobacco. Heck, I probably even made a few such calls myself during my misspent youth.

Prince Albert is truly one of the classic American pipe tobaccos -- what are now referred to as drugstore or codger blends. It's been around since 1907 and is still going strong some hundred-plus years later.

This is the one and only tobacco that my grandfather smoked and just the faintest whiff of its sweet aroma is enough to send me right down memory lane. For this very reason I long put off trying Prince Albert because I didn't want to alter those memories in any way.

But a few weeks ago I was placing an order and on a whim I threw in a pouch (sadly not a can) of the Prince. It was time to finally break down and give this classic a try.

Advertised as a crimp cut, Prince Albert is a light to medium brown ribbon cut Burley tobacco blend. Right out of the pouch it's dry enough to smoke immediately and gives off a pleasant nutty aroma.

I loaded up an estate Dominique Signature 1/8 bent Dublin (manufactured by Jeantet of France) with the tobacco. I'm trying to break in this pipe after a thorough cleaning and supposedly these classic Burley blends are just the ticket for that task.

The tobacco lit up easily and stayed lit for a good long time requiring a relight only when I left the pipe unattended for five minutes or so. This is definitely a fire and forget it tobacco.

The flavor was about what one would expect from a classic Burley blend -- nutty, mild, and unobtrusive. For an all day smoke this type of consistent, unchallenging flavor is perfect. If it was good enough for granddad then I guess it's good enough for me.

While Prince Albert is billed as a straight Burley blend and there are no heavy casings in evidence there does seem to be a little something in there with added sweetness. It could just be a particular tobacco that they use but I certainly taste and smell something above and beyond any Burley I know.

As for the aroma, Prince Albert gives off that classic pipe smell that's likely to elicit favorable responses from those around you who grew up with pipe smoking grandfathers like I did. If puffed too fast and furiously the smoke can get a little too dense and begin to smell like a foul cigarette but you wouldn't want to abuse your pipes like that anyways.

I tried hard to make this stuff bite but it just refused to lash out and remained mellow from beginning to end. This is one well behaved tobacco.

Prince Albert has long been one of the top pipe tobaccos in this country and with good reason. It's an easy burning, fine tasting, good smelling, and inexpensive blend. I suppose that explains how it's lasted unchanged for over a hundred years.

I enjoy exploring the wide world of tobacco too much to ever chain myself to one exclusive blend but the Prince has found a place in my rotation. This almost unbelievably easy smoke is perfect for when you want to concentrate more on the task at hand than on your pipe. Its mellow flavor also makes it a perfect blend for mixing with other tobacco.

Anyone who enjoys a relaxing smoke should give Prince Albert a fair shake. Just because it's been around forever and can be purchased over the counter at your local drugstore doesn't mean that it hasn't rightfully earned its place in the pantheon of great pipe tobaccos.

Ashton -- Guilty Pleasure

2009-03-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

Brand: Ashton
Blend: Guilty Pleasure
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural
Price: Gift

Appearance: 8
Taste: 5
Room Note: 9
Value: 8
Overall: 7

I received a tin of Ashton Guilty Pleasure when I bought a couple of pipes recently and figured that I should give the stuff a try. Upon opening the tin you see a typical ribbon-cut Cavendish which in my case was also bone dry. The tin aroma is very sweet and cloying which didn't bode well for the taste of the tobacco.

I loaded up my Savinelli Natural #313 and gave it a quick charring light. The first few puffs were very harsh probably due to the dry nature of the tobacco. Usually I'm good to go after that but this stuff just refused to stay lit and required relighting after every few puffs. Since the tobacco was so dry there was no goop or gurgle to deal with.

The taste was fairly mild when smoked slowly but any quick puffing resulted in tongue bite and a harsh cigarette sort of flavor. There were some nice hints of berries and the blend wasn't nearly as sweet as the tin aroma led me to fear. But the tobacco never really progressed from there and remained a mild, barely interesting smoke.

The room aroma was excellent however and I would easily rate it among my favorites in that category. While the berry flavors were quite mild the aroma was jam-packed with the smell of a fresh baked blackberry pie. I only wish it tasted half as good as it smelled.

Ashton Guilty Pleasure is a nice smelling but thoroughly bland tobacco and there are much better aromatics out there to put up with this very high maintenance blend.

Xikar Pipeline

2009-03-01T19:16:00.001-08:00

I've long been intrigued by the classic Corona Old Boy pipe lighters but wasn't quite ready to plunk down that much cash when I stumbled on the knock-off Xikar Pipeline at Lil' Brown Smoke Shack for only $34. At that price I figured it was worth taking a shot to see if I even like this style of lighter.

I've used Xikar cigar lighters and cutters in the past and have been pleased with their quality so I was pretty certain that the Pipeline wouldn't disappoint. The lighter doesn't come with a case but when you register on the Xikar website they send you a free leather slipcase.

As you can see in the pictures the Pipeline is styled pretty much the same as the Old Boy and also includes a hide-away pipe tamper. The shiny surface is a real fingerprint magnet but it cleans up easily enough.

To try it out I filled the lighter with some triple-filtered butane. It took a few flicks of the flint to light it the first time out but since then it usually lights on the first strike. The flame level is fully adjustable and the directional flame makes it easy to reach the bottom of the pipe bowl without singeing the sides.

I like the classic look of the Pipeline as it has a real Art Deco vibe and the act of lighting it up is pretty classy. It doesn't do well in a breeze and even the slightest exhalation while lighting can snuff it out so this is definitely an indoor only lighter.

The Xikar Pipeline is a fine pipe lighter but I can't see it becoming my one and only lighting solution due to the few shortcomings inherent in a candle style flame. But it sure does look nice and at the price I paid I'm more than happy with my purchase.

Orlik -- Golden Sliced

2009-02-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

Brand: Orlik
Blend: Golden Sliced
Style: Virginia/Burley
Pipe Used: Savinelli Rusticated Prince
Price: $5.27/50g

Appearance: 9
Taste: 8
Room Note: 7
Value: 9
Overall: 8

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get around to reviewing Orlik Golden Sliced. I think it's one of those tobaccos that I just take for granted yet blissfully smoke bowl after bowl while ruminating about flashier blends.

This is billed as a light Virginia with a touch of Burley and comes in a pressed flake format. Upon opening the tin you're greeted with the aroma of fresh cut hay. For those not raised on a farm that is a very sweet, fresh scent and it makes me almost want to eat the tobacco rather than smoke it. The flakes also look like hay with their light tan color.

You can buy this tobacco in 50g and 100g tins and while some say that the larger tin provides for a tastier tobacco I prefer the pocketability of the smaller one.

I took about two-thirds of a flake, folded it up, and stuck it in the Savinelli Rusticated Prince (#313 Oscar) that's my dedicated Virginia pipe. One quick charring light later and the smoke was under way.

Orlik Golden sliced is one of those fire and forget tobaccos that require very little upkeep and are content to just keep burning along in your pipe. Once I got a good smolder going I could even set the pipe down for a bit without the ember going out. A relight was needed toward the halfway point as the folded flake started to unravel and needed some tending.

The taste of this tobacco is nice and bright with just the right hint of sweetness. I love the raw sugar flavor of a good Virginia and this one certainly has it. As the smoke progresses the Burley becomes more evident and provides a nice solid base to keep the sweetness in check.

This is a fairly light smoke and isn't very complex but sometimes that's exactly what you're looking for. I tend to sip this one slowly as a cool smoke really enhances the sugars in the tobacco. I don't typical have any issues with Virginias biting and this one is no exception even if I try to smoke it hot.

The room note is fairly benign but the Burley does make for an aroma that's a bit reminiscent of cigarette smoke which some might find objectionable. But it isn't a particularly smoky blend and it does tend to dissipate quickly.

In general I find Orlik Golden Sliced to be a very solid and trusty standby blend. It's a light, sweet smoke and I tend to enjoy it almost as a palate cleanser after smoking more complex blends. I always have a few tins on hand and that smirking judge is never too far from my pipe or pocket.

International Pipe Smoking Day

2009-02-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

Today is International Pipe Smoking Day so light up a bowl already will ya?

McClelland -- Holiday Spirit 2008

2008-12-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

Brand: McClelland
Blend: Holiday Spirit 2008
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Meerschaum
Price: $8.65/50g

Appearance: 7
Taste: 8
Room Note: 10
Value: 8
Overall: 8

McClelland Tobacco is well regarded for their annual Christmas Cheer seasonal blend. That is a straight Virginia and is well worth stocking and aging but, name aside, the flavor and aroma do little to evoke visions of St. Nick and all that. Perhaps to fill that void, McClelland has just introduced a brand new limited edition blend called Holiday Spirit.

Billed as a Burley, Virginia, and Cavendish blend with hints of dark rum, cocoa, and pecans, Holiday Spirit 2008 is one jam-packed aromatic. Upon opening the tin I was greeted with a ribbon-cut blend of black and tan tobaccos and a rich, sweet aroma reminiscent of fruit cake. It sure smelled like Christmas!

To debut this new blend I decided to use my Meerschaum pipe just in case the tobacco decided to get goopy. Some of the tan pieces were a bit irregular in shape which made packing tougher than usual but once I got the pipe filled it lit right up and away we went.

The initial flavor during and immediately after the charring light was somewhat waxy. If you've ever licked your fingertip after snuffing a candle then you know that taste. After that first less than pleasant experience the tobacco soon began to give off a mellow, rich flavor. The rum is very evident and the pecan topping comes across like dried fruit. The advertised cocoa provides more of a bittersweet base than a full-on candy bar flavor. This really is a fruit cake in a pipe.

Holiday Spirit provides a typical aromatic experience in that the flavor profile never really evolves into anything complex and the true tobacco flavors remain very much in the background.

Where it might lack in complex flavor, this blend more than makes up for it in aroma. The smoke is full of the scent of rich chocolate, fine rum, and holiday baked goods. I don't think I've ever encountered a better room note and Holiday Spirit is sure to evoke many pleasant memories for both the smoker and any bystanders not scared off by the demon smoke.

As is also typical for many aromatics, Holiday Spirit required quite a bit of tamping, relighting, and fiddling to keep it burning. This added attention is no big deal but this certainly isn't a fill it and forget it type of blend. Surprisingly the pipe never got too goopy and there was no tongue bite even though I was puffing away like mad to churn out huge clouds of sweet-smelling smoke.

All in all McClelland's Holiday Spirit 2008 is quite a Christmas treat. If you've ever wanted to smoke a booze-filled fruit cake then this is the blend for you. As much as I like my straight Virginias and true English blends, every once in a while I like to try an over-the-top aromatic that provides a wildly different flavor and a room-pleasing aroma.

Holiday Spirit 2008 is the perfect blend for tree trimming, light stringing, cookie baking, present wrapping, stocking stuffing, and any other holiday activities in which you may care to partake.

4noggins -- Essence of Vermont

2008-12-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

Brand: 4noggins
Blend: Essence of Vermont
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural
Price: $10.99/4 oz.

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 8
Value: 10
Overall: 9

Since I enjoyed Cornell & Diehl's Autumn Evening so much I decided to try out the bulk blend Essence of Vermont from 4noggins since I was placing an order with them anyways. This is billed as a Burley blend with hints of maple and a dash of St. James Parish Perique.

The blend is a rich, dark color and gives off a typical nutty Burley aroma with only a very faint scent of maple syrup. I loaded up my Savinelli natural and headed out to the porch with a book in hand.

The pipe lit right up and once it got going it was pretty much hassle free with only a few tampers required to keep things burning nicely which was much appreciated since I was trying to read while smoking. Toward the end of the bowl I did have to run a pipe cleaner down the stem to stop a bit of gurgling but that's par for the course with most aromatics.

The initial flavor was that of a traditional, mellow Burley -- nuttiness cut with a bit of dried fruit. Burleys are among my favorite tobaccos and Essence of Vermont is at its core a very solid Burley blend.

As for the maple flavoring, I was having a hard time detecting it until I started exhaling more through my nose. After that I could easily taste the sweetness of the maple and found it to be both a bit more natural in flavor than the Autumn Blend as well as more muted. I never really picked up the Perique in this blend save for a slightly spicy finish.

4noggins' Essence of Vermont is a great, two-headed blend. If you're just merrily puffing along it offers up a hearty Burley flavor with nary a tongue bite to be had. But if you slow down and sip at your pipe you'll be rewarded with a rich, cool, maple taste that lingers on the palate long after you're done. This would make for a perfect all day smoke since you can easily change the flavor profile at will.

While the taste of this tobacco was top-notch, the room aroma was surprisingly muted. What faint whiffs I did catch were very pleasant but not on par with the full on maple assault of the Autumn Evening blend.

In a head-to-head competition with Cornell & Diehl's offering for best maple-flavored tobacco the slight edge goes to Autumn Evening. But while that blend features all the sweetness one would expect from a maple aromatic, Essence of Vermont offers up a solid burley that can be enjoyed in its own right with the maple flavoring adding just a bit of icing on the cake.

Essence of Vermont is a great tobacco available exclusively in bulk from 4noggins and is a real bargain to boot. I can see this blend competing with Butternut Burley for primacy in my current rotation (can you tell I like Burleys?) since it's such a carefree smoke.

La Riqueza No. 1

2008-11-06T13:58:00.000-08:00

Brand: La Riqueza
Cigar: No. 1
Shape: Lonsdale
Size: 6.5" x 42
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Price: $9.50

Appearance: 8
Construction: 9
Taste: 9
Value: 8
Overall: 9

The La Riqueza line is yet another collaboration between Pete Johnson and Jose "Pepin" Garcia. The No. 1 is a lonsdale featuring a traditional Cuban-style box press and is made up of Nicaraguan tobaccos wrapped in a dark Connecticut broadleaf.

The No. 1 is a great looking cigar with the nice veining and rough texture one expects to find in a sungrown variety. Construction was excellent and was highlighted by a nice uniform wrapper, a solid triple cap, and the cigar had plenty of give without feeling too soft in any one spot.

I lit the lonsdale using my no-name torch lighter and it fired right up with a nice cherry ember. The cigar required no relights or touch-ups throughout the entire length of the smoke which was a real wonder considering that I was smoking it outside during a driving rain. The burn line was razor sharp and the ash was a nice light gray. I haven't smoked a cigar that required so little TLC in quite some time.

The initial flavor upon lighting up was a serious hit of the classic Pepin spice. This peppery blast remained the predominant flavor throughout the first third of the cigar and left a tingling sensation on the lips and tongue like a good Thai meal.

For the second third the La Riqueza mellowed out a bit and some nice earthy flavors emerged from all the spice. There were even some hints of cocoa which one seldom finds outside of maduros.

During the final third the spice fell off a bit more and a subtle floral flavor came to the fore. As the nub started burning my fingers a little pepper kicked in to give the cigar a final send-off.

The La Riqueza No. 1 had one of the most complex flavor profiles I've yet encountered and the changing tastes made for a great cigar that never lost my interest. It was almost like three cigars in one and I didn't want it to end.

I'm a big Pepin fan and this cigar only further reinforced that high opinion. The La Riqueza No. 1 is a stellar, medium-bodied cigar featuring classic looks and an amazing abundance of flavors. The only thing left to do is go buy a box.

Cornell & Diehl -- Autumn Evening

2008-10-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Blend: Autumn Evening
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural
Price: $8.15/2oz.

Appearance: 8
Taste: 8
Room Note: 9
Value: 9
Overall: 9

In my continuing foray into the world of aromatics I recently placed an order for a tin of Cornell & Diehl's Autumn Evening. Billed as a Red Virginia Cavendish with a delicate maple flavor it sounded like just the thing for a crisp fall night.

Upon opening the tin I was greeted with a typical ribbon cut, black and brown tobacco. The blend was a bit drier than normal for an aromatic which was nice and it certainly had the sweet smell of maple syrup.

I packed and lit my Savinelli natural and was immediately engulfed in a wonderful cloud of smoke. The pipe required a few tampers and relights but nothing out of the ordinary and the blend smoked right down without ever once requiring a pipe cleaner swab. This was one dry aromatic and the lack of goop in the pipe was certainly appreciated.

While Autumn Evening gives off an incredible room note that smells of maple syrup and a warm campfire, the flavor is really not too cloyingly sweet. The Red Virgina Cavendish was more reminiscent of a traditional Virgina blend as the sweetness seemed to come from the tobacco leaf rather than the maple topping. There is a hint of maple there to be sure but not nearly the full on assault I feared.

Halfway through the bowl the tobacco added some additional flavors of spice that really perked things up. It was a bit peppery but tasted more like very fresh cinnamon with a hint of cloves. Maple syrup, rich Virginias, and pumpkin pie spice -- what could be better, or more fall-like, than that?

Cornell & Diehl's Autumn Evening is an incredibly satisfying aromatic. Anchored by the rich taste of well aged tobacco, the blend offers up hints of maple and spice that take the flavor profile to a whole new level. If you can, go ahead and load up a pipe, grab a book, and sit outside surrounded by the colors of changing leaves. This truly is the perfect autumn blend.

Padron 2000 Maduro

2008-10-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Brand: Padron
Cigar: 2000 Maduro
Shape: Robusto
Size: 5" x 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Price: $5.25

Appearance: 7
Construction: 8
Taste: 7
Value: 8
Overall: 7

I picked up a Padron 2000 maduro on one of my infrequent trips to the local brick and mortar store in July and finally got around to firing it up today. This cigar featured a maduro wrapper that was a few shades lighter than is typical for that style of cigar. The wrapper also displayed the typical maduro raspiness with many tiny bumps befitting a well-aged, sun drenched leaf. There was also very fine veining and the wrapper and cap were wonderfully constructed.

The cigar cut and lit easily, burned rather quickly but evenly, and maintained a razor sharp burn line throughout. I finally got to try out my new Palio cutter and it did a perfect job. The Padron 2000 required no touch ups and was a delightfully low maintenance cigar.

Pre-light aroma was nice and rich with a very strong sweet smell almost like roses. For the first few draws the cigar was a bit too astringent but once the ash got to about a quarter of an inch it mellowed out.

There was a bit of spiciness as one would expect with a Nicaraguan puro but the maduro wrapper really tempered it well. The primary flavors were of wood smoke and burnt caramel (there's that sweetness again) and I detected none of the cocoa or coffee flavors often found in maduro cigars.

At about the halfway point I hit a patch where the flavors turned almost gag inducing and it took some steady purging to get past that point. There was probably a bit of bad leaf tucked in there somewhere but fortunately it burned out pretty quickly and the Padron 2000 resumed its normal taste.

There wasn't much complexity nor did the cigar offer up any evolving flavors as I neared the end. As I retired the nub I was left with a nice taste on my palate but I found the Padron 2000 maduro to be a little too middle of the road for me.

As a member of the bargain line from the Padron family, the 2000 maduro is an affordable way to try these wonderfully made cigars without breaking the bank. At $5.25 a stick retail it's one of the best deals going locally. I have to say that I much prefer the natural wrapped Padrons but this was in no way a bad cigar just not what I look for in a maduro.

The Inmates Have Taken Over the Asylum

2008-10-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

As most of you know the past few weeks have been full of turmoil for the members of many of the most popular cigar forums. Fortunately all of the old moderators from Club Stogie have ventured forth and founded the brand new Cigar Asylum. Come on over and join up so we can all get back to talking about cigars, pipes, and utter nonsense again.

Mac Baren -- Vanilla Cream

2008-10-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Brand: Mac Baren
Blend: Vanilla Cream
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural
Price: $8.75/3.5oz

Appearance: 8
Taste: 7
Room Note: 9
Value: 8
Overall: 8

Mac Baren's Vanilla Cream is a nice looking ribbon cut tobacco made up of Black Cavendish and Virginias with a natural vanilla topping. The tobacco smells wonderfully of vanilla backed with the sweet richness of Virginia leaf. The blend packed easily into my Savinelli Natural and lit right up. Other than a few tampers and relights this bowl required very little TLC.

Mac Baren blends are notorious for their tongue bite and since I tend to smoke hard and fast I was a bit worried. Much to my surprise I encountered absolutely no bite or burn from the Vanilla Cream and it remained a pleasantly cool and mild smoke from start to finish.

Whereas many aromatic blends are goopy and much too sweet, this blend offers up just a hint of sweetness and produced very little in the way of pipe gurgle. The foundation of Virginas and Black Cavendish make for a fairly benign smoke with the vanilla topping adding some much needed flavor.

The room aroma is top-notch and fades away gracefully without leaving any stale tobacco smells. This makes for a classically pleasant smoke that is likely to be remarked on and enjoyed by those around you.

Sometimes you just want a mild smoke to accompany you on a walk or while reading a book and Mac Baren Vanilla Cream certainly fits that bill. It's not a complex blend but it does offer up a nice, easy smoke that's pleasing to both the nose and palate.

San Cristobal Clasico

2008-10-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Brand: San Cristobal
Cigar: Clasico
Shape: Robusto
Size: 5" x 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Price: Gift

Appearance: 8
Construction: 9
Taste: 9
Value: 8
Overall: 9

As a big Jose "Don Pepin" Garcia fan I was excited to try my first ever San Cristobal. This was a gift from a friend and had been aged for about a year before I got it and then a further two months in my humdior. A Nicaraguan puro, the San Cristobal is yet another top drawer offering from Ashton.

The Clasico is a traditional robusto and featured a nice, dark wrapper. The appearance was excellent with a perfect triple cap and a very even wrapper. There were some subtle veins evident but nothing that would indicate any future burn issues. The cigar was at a perfect 65% rH and was nice and firm without being too hard or having any soft spots.

The cigar lit up easily and burned evenly from beginning to nub and required no touch-ups or relights of any sort even when left to its own devices for a few minutes at a time. The ash was a nice light gray and fell off at about an inch and a half due to some jostling in the ashtray.

The initial flavor featured the usual Pepin spice but it was much more subtle than in most of his other blends. The dark wrapper provided a nice toasty, earthy flavor that perfectly balanced the cigar's peppery bite. The San Cristobal maintained that flavor profile right up to the end and while this type of one dimensional flavor can be a negative in many cases I have no problem with it when that single dimension is as wonderful as this one.

While I don't usually comment on a cigar's room aroma (since they are almost by definition stinky) the San Cristobal gave off beautiful clouds of delicious smoke. As a pipe smoker I would compare it to the scent of a traditional English blend. It smelled of rich tobacco with a hint of Latakia spiciness without any cigar funkiness. What a treat.

The San Cristobal Clasico is a top-notch cigar and ranks right up there among my favorites. It was a pure pleasure to smoke and even now I find myself relishing the aftertaste.

Retailing for around $7.50 a stick, the San Cristobal falls squarely in the moderately priced camp and is well worth the slight increase from a bargain cigar. I'm also sitting on a handful of the Monumento size and it's a safe bet that they'll be smoked in the not too distant future given how much I enjoyed this cigar.

Taboo Limited Reserve Havana

2008-09-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Brand: Taboo
Cigar: Limited Reserve Havana
Shape: Figurado
Size: 6.5" x 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican
Binder: ?
Price: $6.99

Appearance: 8
Construction: 7
Taste: 7
Value: 8
Overall: 7

I picked up a sampler that included the three different wrappers of the new Limited Reserve line from Taboo Cigars -- Connecticut, Havana, and Maduro -- all in the unusual figurado shape. Today I decided to light up the Havana and give it a whirl.

The appearance of the cigar is pretty good with a medium colored wrapper tapering to the ends of the figurado. There was one big vein running down the length of the cigar that was a bit off-putting but all in all it's a nice looking cigar.

Pre-light aroma was leathery and the cigar had a very solid almost heavy feel. It was hard to get it lit as the draw was very tight at first but things loosened up after it got going. There were some major burn issues at the start with the burn line cutting almost a V shape up one side of the cigar. Quite a bit of touching up with the torch was required to get things nice and straight again.

Initial flavors were very mild with leather and smoky wood flavors and aroma. As smoking progressed the faint hint of dried fruit appeared but in general the cigar remained fairly consistent tasting from beginning to end. I detected no spice or pepper flavors and the cigar packed very little kick so I would classify it as a mild smoke.

After the difficulties at the start I was glad to find that the Taboo LR Havana figurado held together nicely right to the nub. The draw remained a bit tight but I had no trouble keeping the cigar lit and the smoke flowing. The smoke that was produced was fairly light and dispersed quickly.

The figurado is a nice fat cigar and I was content to leave it in my mouth most of the time while smoking. It has a real nice feel to it and at no point was I worried that all my chomping would cause it to unravel. This cigar can take some serious abuse it would seem.

One thing of note is that the cigar while being very mild on the palate has a wonderful aftertaste. I can't quite put my finger on what the flavor is but I was in no hurry to rush off to the normal post smoke routine of teeth brushing and mouth rinsing.

The Taboo Limited Reserve Havana figurado is a unique looking cigar and makes for an enjoyable smoke. I can't say that the mild flavor profile is my cup of tea but now I'm eager to try out the Connecticut and Maduro wrappers. I would love to have some of these LR figurados on hand so now I just need to settle on which of the three I like the best.

Just For Him -- Shortcut to Mushrooms

2008-09-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

Brand: Just For Him
Blend: Shortcut to Mushrooms
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural
Price: $31.95/lb

Appearance: 8
Taste: 7
Room Note: 9
Value: 7
Overall: 8

Having just received a new Savinelli Natural pipe that I'm planning to use strictly for aromatics I decided to break it in by trying out this new blend. Shortcut to Mushrooms is available exclusively through the Just For Him website and store.

This blend is the fourth entry in their themed Middle Earth Pipeweed Series and I had heard so many good things about it I decided to give it a try. The tobacco is a very dark black ribbon cut and has a rich, sweet aroma. It was a little wet on arrival but after drying for a bit on the counter it was ready to go.

It packed and lit easily but was still a bit too damp so I had to relight the pipe fairly regularly. Even with the frequent lighting and puffing there was no tongue bite which is great for an aromatic blend. There was a bit of gurgling but that was easily rectified with a few pipe cleaners down the stem. The room note matched the pre-light aroma and left a sweet smell that lingered and never faded into a typical burnt tobacco odor.

The flavor profile was quite complex for an aromatic blend. It started off with a rich, buttery taste that then evolved into burnt caramel with a hint of smoky BBQ (likely due to the liberal use of Latakia). Some say that they actually taste a bit of sauteed mushroom in this blend but I just detected a bit of damp earthiness. Toward the end the tobacco became almost too sweet as the caramel came to the fore and overpowered the other flavors. At no point did the tobacco ever taste artificial like so many aromatics. This blend reminded me of the Frog Morton series in that it's a traditional, Latakia heavy English style blend with a bit of topping added to give it some sweetness.

I rather enjoyed Shortcut to Mushrooms but found it to be a bit too sweet for an everyday smoke. It does make a nice change of pace tobacco and those who enjoy aromatics with unusual flavors are encouraged to give it a try. Fans of "The Lord of the Rings" will want to pack it into a suitably Tolkienesque pipe and evoke memories of hobbits as well.

Fridgador

2008-08-06T16:07:00.001-07:00

After fiddling with three different desktop humidors that could never hold steady temperature or humidity levels I switched to using a cooler as my primary cigar storage device last summer. It has done an admirable job but I always hated having to go to the closet and popping the lid just to ogle my sweet, sweet smokes. This week I finally broke down and bought an EdgeStar thermoelectric wine cooler to use for my stogie storage. With its smoked glass door I can now cast longing glances at my cigars whenever I wish and I can rely on the tight seal to keep a steady RH while the heat sink can come to the rescue the handful of times the ambient temperature here in the Pacific Northwest creeps dangerously close to beetle hatching levels.

Now I just need to get this sucker stabilized so I can start filling it up.

10/16/08
Updated to show MTMouse's custom Spanish cedar drawers and shelves.

Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Sumatra

2008-07-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Brand: Hoyo De Monterrey
Cigar: Dark Sumatra Espresso
Shape: Robusto
Size: 4 1/2" x 50
Wrapper: Ecuador
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican
Binder: Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican
Price: $2.25

Appearance: 7
Construction: 7
Taste: 9
Value: 9
Overall: 8

As part of my never ending quest for the perfect maduro I took advantage of JR Cigars big fiver sale last weekend to stock up on some stogies I've been wanting to try. Last night I decided to fire up a Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Sumatra Espresso.

This cigar comes wrapped in a partial cedar sleeve which is a nice touch for a bargain smoke. The dark Ecuadorean wrapper was finely veined and the cigar had a solid feel for such a small vitola. The beautiful appearance was marred a bit by some sloppy rolling which was evident when looking at the cigar's foot. There were a few large air pockets and spots where the tobacco looked pinched.

Once again I used a punch as I usually do with smaller cigars and once again the cap ended up with a small tear in it. It didn't affect the smoking experience in the least but was still a bit annoying. The Espresso lit up right away, burned evenly and fast, and gave off smoke like nobody's business. It was pouring out so much smoke I had to hold it away from my face like I had a skunk in my hand. This cigar would make the perfect mosquito repellent.

Flavors started out with a great unsweetened cocoa and coffee taste (think a mocha without all the sugar) which stayed consistent through the first half of the cigar. At the halfway point a bit of pepper started to kick in but remained firmly in the background. Toward the end the Espresso really kicked into gear with a full-on, well, espresso flavor. This was a great tasting cigar and I only wish the little bugger hadn't burned itself out so fast.

The Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Sumatra Espresso stands as one of my favorite maduros to date and at about two bucks a stick on sale it's certainly easy on the wallet. My few minor quibbles with the appearance aside, the cigar smoked wonderfully -- if not a bit like a beekeeper's smoker -- and tasted great. Since it did smoke so fast I'll probably try out one of the larger sizes after my initial five pack is gone -- which shouldn't take too long at all.

CAO Brazilia

2008-07-22T16:12:00.000-07:00

Brand: CAO
Cigar: Brazilia Gol!
Shape: Robusto
Size: 5" x 56
Wrapper: Brazil
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Price: $5.99

Appearance: 9
Construction: 8
Taste: 7
Value: 7
Overall: 8

I had been wanting to try one of these for some time so when I was at a local B&M a few months ago cleaning out their inventory of discontinued Dunhill pipe tobacco tins I grabbed a CAO Brazilia Gol! for $5.99 which is pretty cheap considering the steep Washington state taxes.

The cigar's appearance is top-notch and this has to be one of the best-looking brands currently available. The box and band offer up the colors of the Brazilian national flag and the cigar itself is an ebony delight with its dark Brazilian wrapper.

Construction was solid and the cigar lit easily and burned well. I used a punch on the cap and there was a bit of tearing around the hole after I had been smoking for a while. For such a large ring gauge I probably should have used a cutter instead.

Flavors were about what one would expect from a dark, robust cigar. There was a nice kick of pepper and spice upon the initial light and while it did fade a bit it was still evident at the final draw. The typical maduro tastes of rich leather, dark unsweetened cocoa, and strong coffee were all out in force as well. Toward the end the coffee flavors turned a bit too astringent for my tastes -- kind of like the last inch of a coffee pot that's been sitting on the hot plate for a bit too long.

Overall the CAO Brazilia Gol! was a fine cigar. I very much enjoyed the look of the stick as well as the first two-thirds of the flavor profile. A 56 ring gauge is a bit larger than I like in my robustos so my next order from the Brazilia line will consist of the smaller Piranhas which are 4.5" x 46.

Scotty's Blends -- Butternut Burely

2008-07-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

Brand: Scotty's Blends
Blend: Butternut Burely
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $19.99/lb

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 9
Value: 9
Overall: 9

Last night I decided to enjoy a bowl of Butternut Burley while watching a Horatio Hornblower movie since seafaring and pipe smoking go hand in hand. This is one of the bulk Scotty's Blends available exclusively through the Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe at PipesandCigars.com.

I loaded up one of my trusty cobs since that's what I usually smoke with aromatic blends. The tobacco was a nice black and tan ribbon-cut blend with a wonderful aroma of butterscotch. The pipe packed easily, stayed lit, and required only the usual amount of tamping to keep things burning smoothly.

The primary flavor was that of hot buttered rum but it wasn't overpowering or too sweet and the fine burley tobacco provided a great counterpoint. Hints of vanilla, honey, and almonds added even more complexity to the blend.

Surprisingly for an aromatic there was no tongue bite and the bowl stayed fairly cool even with heavy puffing. The room note was wonderful and lingered for a long time as did the faint taste of butterscotch left on the palate.

Butternut Burley is a great pipe tobacco and provides wonderfully consistent flavor at a bargain price.

Tatuaje Series P

2008-07-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Brand: Tatuaje
Cigar: Series P
Shape: Robusto
Size: 5" x 50
Wrapper: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Price: $4.75

Appearance: 7
Construction: 6
Taste: 5
Value: 6
Overall: 6

With all the hubbub surrounding Pete Johnson's Tatuaje line I decided to try out one of the more reasonably priced offerings. The Series P SP2 is a natural wrapped robusto that can be found for less than 5 bucks a stick.

The appearance of the cigar was good but nothing special. Construction was about average and there was a strange disconnect between the natural Nicaraguan wrapper and the filler tobacco blend. The wrapper burned unevenly and toward the middle of the cigar it began to swell and separate from the filler. It never came apart but it was a real chore to keep things burning nicely and touch-ups with the torch were frequently required. It seemed like the wrapper was wetter than the filler thus throwing off the connection between the two.

These are advertised as an inexpensive alternative to the pricier Tatuaje Havana VI cigars that still offer up the same medium-bodied, Cuban style flavor. While the SP2 was certainly medium-bodied it featured a fairly flavorless profile that didn't evolve at all as the smoke progressed. There was a bit of spice but overall it tasted like a very young cigar with a grassy, hay-like taste as the dominant factor.

I found myself quite bored with the cigar halfway through and it was a struggle to get down to the nub. There was just nothing interesting about the flavor to keep me engaged.

The Tatuaje Series P SP2 robusto was a fairly disappointing smoke and I hope that my next experience with a Tatuaje is much better. It tasted like a young cigar and maybe a bit of age and even some dry-boxing would help in the flavor and construction department.

Sancho Panza Double Maduro

2008-07-13T15:12:00.001-07:00

Brand: Sancho Panza
Cigar: Double Maduro
Shape: Robusto
Size: 4 1/2" x 50
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Honduras
Binder: Connecticut
Price: $1.75

Appearance: 7
Construction: 7
Taste: 8
Value: 10
Overall: 8

The Sancho Panza Double Maduro has got to be one of the greatest values in cigar smoking. A box of 20 will set you back all of $35 which is the same price as four or five average quality sticks at the local cigar store.

I bought a single stick to try out after hearing great things about this cigar. After finishing that inaugural smoke I immediately went online to order a box. If you do wind up with a box on your hands be sure to move the cigars to a humidor and let the box air out for a while as it arrives with a very strong lacquer smell and you don't want that to adversely impact your other cigars.

Construction and appearance are both very good with a thin veined, medium dark maduro wrapper. On occasion you might run into some construction issues so I would recommend the use of a punch or very sharp cutter to avoid having the cap come apart. The cigar lit easily and burned fairly evenly with only a few minor touch-ups required. The ash was a nice light gray and made it to about an inch and a half before a strong gust of wind knocked it off.

Unlike many maduros, the Sancho Panza is a fairly mellow smoke with stunning cocoa and leather overtones. There is little to no spice and none of the astringent, strong coffee taste usually associated with maduros. The flavors were very consistent and remained front and center from beginning to end.

All in all I found the Sancho Panza Double Maduro robusto to be a great everyday type of smoke. It doesn't tax the palate or the wallet and can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. Sure there are better smokes out there but I haven't found one that costs less than two bucks and provides such great flavor. These have found a permanent place in my humidor.