London Castle Aromatic Pipe Tobacco Reviews

Although it says aromatic on the tin, it certainly is difficult to detect; any added essences are very well assimilated into this light English mixture. I don't know if this is the same thing as the London Castle Mixture that is listed in the A.I.T.S. index or an aromatic version of it.

This is a fairly coarse, crumbly cut of contrasting colours that range from very light browns to medium reddish-brown and to dark brown. The aroma in the tin reminds me a great deal of Early Morning Pipe, slightly fermented and rich-smelling. The two blends certainly share some of the same ingredients, but this one has a much drier, lighter taste that has a distinct toasted, nutty character and is less rich and less bitter.

The flavour is delicate, but not bland. It has practically no sweetness, and although it's a light-bodied blend, it doesn't bite at all and has a clean, refreshing taste whether inhaled or blown out through the nose. It contains some latakia as a spice, but just enough to complement the other orientals.

It does get a little richer-tasting further down during a pipe full as the oriental and latakia flavours develop and concentrate somewhat. In fact, its body seems to transform from light to medium during the course of a smoke. I find this to be a very pleasant smoke that isn't compromised by its mildness.

It burns very well to a grey ash and leaves a pronounced, but light, toasted aroma in the room.