MacBaren's Plumcake Pipe Tobacco Reviews

A medium-cut, golden Virginia-based blend with a bit of darker tobacco mixed in. It has a nice, naturally sweet pouch aroma that is almost fruity. It seems that a very light casing has been added to this blend to compliment the natural Virginia sweetness.

The tobacco's flavour is rather plain and light, but fresh, and you do taste some of that subtle fruitiness that you smell in the pouch. It starts out a little bit sharp, but appears to get smoother as it is smoked. I think that this illusion of smoothness IS an illusion as this is overall a rather sharp blend on my palate.

As you smoke a pipe full of this, the flavour becomes more concentrated and, at times, more tangy and almost citrus-like. This more concentrated taste is what produces the illusion of smoothness.

Quite delicious actually and appropriately named "Plumcake." It's a light-to-medium bodied smoke that you will want to savour slowly so as not to scorch your tongue (and even then...).

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.

Josiah Brown's No.10 Mix Pipe Tobacco Reviews

A very smooth smoking English blend with latakia, but not a big quantity of it. This is medium-flavoured, leaning toward light, but doesn't have the sharpness of many lightweight blends. The predominant flavour is a velvety Virginia with a slightly creamy and grassy taste that reminds me somewhat of Rattray's Old Gowrie. Perique is present in good measure to give the mixture some life, but does not torch the tongue, due to the mild base.

The overall impression is one of unity and moderation without the slightest compromise in its savoury, not sweet, flavour. For a medium-strength, perique-spiked mixture, this reddish-brown, flecked with black tobacco is quite impressive in the way it incorporates smoothness and subtlety of flavour. It reminds me quite a bit of Sullivan's Gentleman's Mixture.

Josiah Brown's Nutty Mix Pipe Tobacco Reviews

Upon opening the packet, I immediately loved this blend's pungent leathery aroma, which reminded me a bit of McConnell's Oriental Mixture or some other highly fragrant English blend. Prepared to relish a latakia-laden evening pipe, I was stunned by the taste that was produced when the tobacco succumbed to the flame of the match.

The first hit of flavour was not Oriental in its inspiration, but rather came from the blend's fully matured Virginia base, whose creaminess recalls varieties such as Condor, Digger or Bosun Cut Plug. The smooth-smoking, aromatic quality of this base is omnipresent throughout the smoke, and it times it seems to dominate the overall flavour, however, the darker oriental tobaccos are equally assertive.

The result is an unparallelled full, nutty taste that has got to the richest taste sensation I've yet to experience in an English latakia blend. This is also quite a heady tobacco and not the best thing to smoke on an empty stomach. While smoking this at a bar one evening, two people commented that its compelling aroma - which is simultaneously woodsy and "Condoresque" - smelled like incense.

Medium-cut, with the occasional piece of flake tobacco still partially intact, this blackish-coloured blend with reddish brown flecks burns slowly to a perfectly dry, fine white ash.

Sail Black Cavendish Pipe Tobacco Reviews

This smells like a pastry shop in a pouch. Yum! In the back of my mind though, I'm wondering if this is the kind of sticky pipe tobacco that I'd rather smell than smoke. It's fairly moist and cut wide, but unlike many black cavendishes, it looks more dark brown than black.

It also includes up to 20% lighter leaf, so it's not just straight-up black cavendish. To my nose, there's at least vanilla, almond, and chocolate, as well as something a little alcoholic (brandy?) in this concoction... probably a hint of cherry too.

A mellow, fluffy smoke is launched thanks to my Zippo. This smells nice and is very easy to smoke. I taste some of the flavouring too, at least for a while. As the tobacco burns downward, a nutty, burley taste begins to shine through and it becomes a notch or two zestier than what I was expecting.

A little of that pleasant burley buzz sets in too. Near the bottom, the flavour is uniformly full and dark and just a little hot-smoking. Overall, a pretty nice experience and the room smells great.

S&R Pipes and Pleasures' Old English Pipe Tobacco Reviews

Rich and full and oh-so-smooth, this is the way a heavy latakia blend is supposed to be. It comes in quite a broad, thick cut that may take several matches to get lit, but it's well worth the effort. Wide strips of black and yellowish tobacco makes this a hearty-looking blend as well.

Its rich latakia-laden pouch aroma translates perfectly into the smoke's flavour and room aroma. It is very dark and has not even a trace of harshness, probably due to a good selection of Turkish tobaccos added to the mixture; it inhales easily. Once lit, it burns well, but doesn't overheat, nor does it become unduly harsh or bitter toward the end of the bowl.

I've been savouring this in a big bowled Blatter pipe. The intense latakia taste, which is smokier than it is tarry, dominates the other flavours but remains gentle without becoming rich and creamy the way Ashton Celebrated Sovereign or Bengal Slices sometimes come off.

It's a dry mixture on the fingers and on the palate and leaves a rich long-lasting latakia flavour in the mouth after smoking. If you love heavy latakia blends that are especially smoky in character, then this one is for you. Its room aroma unequivocally says latakia, but it has a slight sweetness to it.

What a beautiful smoke! I easily can see why it's Jack Tompkins' smoke of choice. Reminds me a bit of Rattray's Accountant's Blend, but much more lively in flavour.

Russell's Quintessence No.1 Pipe Tobacco Reviews

This Danish-made mixture - "a super mild aromatic Black Cavendish bulk cured for several weeks," as the tin says - is the kind of tobacco I think a new smoker should start out with if s/he plans to start with aromatics rather than natural or English blends.

And because it's all good-quality tobacco, it would make an excellent all-day smoke for an experienced smoker too, provided of course that s/he is inclined to smoke aromatics. It's a rich, fairly cool-smoking blend due to its black cavendish base, perhaps 60% black, maybe more, mixed with some light Virginias to liven up the flavour a bit. Of course it contains a fairly heavy vanilla flavour like most black-cavendish blends, but it's not a cheap taste.

It is a sweet smoke, (how could anything with a black cavendish base be otherwise?), but not excessively so and not at all syrupy. It smokes quite dry, surprisingly so for a black cavendish blend, and burns very well to a practically non-existant grey ash.

The dryness, sweetness, and medium body of this blend make for a very good balance. It's one of the few aromatic blends I've tried so far that I could imagine smoking in a big pipe over a long period of time. The smoke has a nice body, that typical black-cavendish smoothness, but I suspect that the light Virginia in the mixture would be fairly sharp on its own.

When I blow the smoke out my nose, it's just a bit more perky than I expect from a smoke in which black cavendish dominates. Unlike a number of black cavendish blends I've tried, this one is quite satisfying, and I suspect it is the light Virginia component that makes it so.

Here, I'm referring to a mellow kind of satisfied feeling, sort of like a much lighter version of the effect that latakia blends can have - not the kind of nicotine rush that some burley blends produce. And, unlike some aromatics that just come off as too light for my palate, I don't get the urge to smoke this one really fast or to inadvertently and automatically inhale it. I would never have tried this mixture had it not been for a most enthusiastic gentleman whom I chatted with during a visit to The Smoker, in Albany, NY (one place where this tobacco is available).

This is his favourite tobacco (or one of his favourites) and he insisted that I try it. So, before leaving the shop, he left me with his half-smoked tin of the stuff. A big thank-you to him for the kind gesture and good tobacco!

Roberts' JB Blend Pipe Tobacco Reviews

This is a predominantly ribbon-cut English-style blend that is about 40% lighter tobaccos and 60% dark red and brown. Although it's a latakia mixture, it's immediately noticeable in the pouch that it gives off a sweetish scent. Upon further sniffing, one perceives an almond-like aroma that is stronger than anything else.

In fact, I suspect that this might not be categorized as an English blend if it were given to someone with no description of what it is. Once it's lit, it's apparent that it's fairly mild and smooth. Since it's supposed to be an English blend, you will smoke it in a pipe reserved for latakia mixtures, which will add more latakia taste to it than it actually has.

"Almond-like" is my interpretation of how the cavendish base smells to my nose. It also tastes almond-like to me (fresh almonds that is), a very pleasant, ever-so-slightly sweet flavour that harbours no bitterness whatsoever. My guess is that this nutty character means there is a lot of mild burley in the cavendish base.

A nice helping of latakia and maybe some other Turkish tobacco adds fullness and a rich flavour to the smoke. It is also a bit tangy, probably from some added (red?) Virginias. I enjoy this a lot because, even though it is quite mild, the smoke has a creamy body that is much fuller than the smoke is strong.

This would be a great choice for someone experimenting with English mixtures or someone who generally likes the taste of latakia but finds many English blends to be bitter. It leaves a slightly sweet, slightly smoky, tobacco aroma in the room and burns to a dry, light grey ash and a small dottle.

Player's Digger Pipe Tobacco Reviews

This dark-brown flake tobacco packs a nice punch and is naturally sweet. If you look closely, you might even see small sugar crystals on the aged Virginia-burley slices.

Upon opening the package, (I like the little 25g box), one immediately smells its fermented, almost flowery or soapy aroma, which transfers quite accurately to the smoke.

The flavour is not as rich and fruity as I had expected from an aged Virginia, and after the first bowl, I really wasn't sure. However, it is not the tongue-stinger that I had expected, and after a couple more bowls, I'm quite sold on it.

It does get a bit acidic toward the bottom of the bowl, which for some reason affects the back of the mouth more than the tongue. I have been complemented on its slightly sweet, but not overly heavy, room aroma several times.

The strangest thing is that a co-worker has became quite fond of mixing it half-and-half with his Drum tobacco for hand-rolled cigarettes. It burns well and should be smoked slowly to preserve its pleasant taste.

Peterson's University Flake Pipe Tobacco Reviews

The tin opens to reveal dark, reddish-brown slices of a dry, easy-to-crumble texture. A peaty tobacco aroma reminds me instantly of Edgeworth Sliced and a distinctive, fruity top note triggers confused memories of Amphora Red, Saint Bruno and Erinmore Flake. Raspberry? Orange? Pineapple? Could this be a candy-like smoke? It sure smells like it, but I hope not, that's not what I was anticipating.

Well... The first few puffs and their sidestream smoke can deceive with their sweetness. However, the experience of a high-quality burley smoke kicks in rapidly and takes over.

As is traditional with many fuller British flakes, the aromatic flavouring here is ever-present, but the gutsy tobacco taste is even more important as it deepens and mellows out while smoking. The strength and gentle spiciness that accumulate make this another tobacco-lover's tobacco.

This is one of the few flakes that I've tried that is built on the dense, nutty flavor of matured burley and the result is quite successful. Slow- and dry-burning with lots of body, I especially enjoy this as a relaxing late-night smoke. The room aroma that it produces is as pronounced and pleasant as its flavor.

Orlik Golden Sliced Pipe Tobacco Reviews

In the 50g tin, this comes in wide, rectangular slices that peel off from the pile like Post-It? notes. In the tin, this smells sweet and musty, with a slightly plant-like aroma. It combines medium- and dark-brown tobaccos and light-coloured, birdseye cross-cuts.

It flakes apart easily and has a soft texture. My tin had been open for a couple of months and the tobacco still didn't dry out very much, to my surprise. It has a bland, earthy taste while in the pipe awaiting the charring light. Upon lighting up, one notices its plain, natural tobacco flavour.

I detect a certain greenish flavour, that I seem to remember in Rattray's Old Gowrie and guess that this is a Virginia blend that might contain some burley. The smoke is fairly thick and rich in texture, though light, simple and slightly sweet in flavour. Now this is a tobacco that really "just tastes like smoke," as I've heard exclaimed before with regards to certain blends.

Although understated, it's not boring. This smokes like the Danish tobacco that it is, in that it has a certain vibrancy and produces a tingly sensation when sidestream smoke first makes it way into the nostrils. I expected it to bite after a few puffs. Nope... in fact, it's really quite a smooth smoke. And an enjoyable one too, in terms of its rich body, despite its absence of flavour.

My only criticism, and a minor one at that, is that on occasion I have found it to smoke a little wetter than I would like. This is medium strength at most and not for the aromatic smoker. The room aroma reminds me almost of cigarettes, but without the acrid quality of cigarette smoke.

Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky Pipe Tobacco Reviews

The name might be intimidating, but it's nothing to be afraid of unless you only smoke very mild tobaccos. This is a designer tobacco if there ever was one: it comes in blackish-brown slices, each of which bears a wide medium-brown stripe running down the middle.

A strong caramelized-sugar aroma exudes from the tin and you wonder which pipe to smoke this in, thinking that perhaps this is a highly flavored tobacco. Any confusion is resolved when you light up and are greeted with a pure, semi-sweet tobacco taste.

That burnt caramel scent does translate into flavour and it never completely disappears, but it lingers discreetly in the background. The smoke is spicy and creamy, with a quiet richness that recalls a gutsy cavendish, or perhaps a light Virginia.

It's not a really complex smoke, but interesting nuances of dark chocolate and roasted nuts do develop while smoking. Of course, the flavour becomes more concentrated deeper in the bowl, but it also takes on a fullness - and sometimes a mellowness - that was absent at light-up.

This blend contains no latakia, but its satisfying depth of flavour reminds me more of a light-to-medium English mixture than anything else. It tastes rather dark and a little spicy overall, and it can pick up a stout, bitter quality if I smoke it in a large pipe. Best of all, there's not much bite in this medium-strength blend, just a pleasant tanginess.

If you find your favorite cavendish blend a little bland or unsatisfying at times, this is worth a try. I also suspect that many Virginia and English-blend smokers might enjoy this. It leaves a light-grey ash in the pipe, an irresistible, sweet taste on the moustache, and a pleasantly musty, classic-pipe-aroma scent in the room.

Skandinavik Mildly Aromatic Pipe Tobacco Reviews

Surprisingly similar to Skandinavik Natural, but not a "light" version of the "Natural" blend. That delicious raisin-like pouch aroma is still there, but a touch sweeter and fruitier this time. The tobacco appears to be the same cut and dark, golden colour.

Even though the pouch does say mildly aromatic, I was still expecting something more heavily flavoured and sugary. Immediately upon lighting up, one does notice a distinct difference from the Natural variety. Puffs of smoke with a marked fruity aroma waft past the nose, yet the flavour of these essences is barely discernable to the taste buds, as if someone else had lit just up a pipe full of aromatic tobacco in the room.

As one smokes onward, the fruity aroma seems to dissipate for the smoker, perhaps because its non-aromatic flavour overrides it. I've been told this smells like cherries, which is odd to me since I can't quite envision myself walking around puffing on a cherry blend (I've never had one that I enjoyed all that much).

Like Skandinavik Natural, this is a satisfying, somewhat spicy smoke with good body (for a non-latakia blend) and a relatively neutral tobacco taste. It gets a little richer and fuller as it is smoked. I first tried this after smoking a few pouches of Skandinavik Natural and found the difference between the two to be subtle. So after a few pouches of Mildly Aromatic, I decided to go back and try the Natural again.

The difference still wasn't enormous, but the Natural seemed decidedly blander and less seasoned than the Mildly Aromatic, but not really less sweet. I'm smoking quite a bit of this these days; maybe it's a summer thing...

Perhaps the most unusual characteristic of this semi-fragrant blend is that it leaves no "aromatic tobacco" scent in the pipe - this quality appeals to me immensely. Have you ever wanted to smoke a non-aromatic tobacco which folks around you would think is aromatic? This might be it. And it burns dry to a fine.

Schurch's Sangstone Pipe Tobacco Reviews

This creamy-tasting, medium English blend tends toward full flavor. It's spicy, but not harsh, and satisfying, though not knock-you-out strong. Serious fans of complex latakia mixtures could really enjoy this.

Its uniqueness lies in the way that the full-bodied, smoky taste is complemented by a distinct natural Virginia sweetness that just doesn't go away. These qualities alternately draw my attention while I smoke.

The flavors intensify greatly in the bottom half of the bowl.

It's rich enough to be a most relaxing smoke, yet zesty enough to be somewhat refreshing at the same time. Burns easily owing to its medium-fine cut. Available from Synjeco.

Saint Bruno Pipe Tobacco Reviews

Dark-brown slices with reddish streaks and yellowish flecks that crumble up nicely into thin strands of an overall deep red colour. In the tin is that strong, fermented, wine-like aroma that characterizes many matured Virginias, yet this one is a just little less sweet, rich, and heavy than Condor.

I feel it needs to be compared to Condor since many smokers who are partial to one of these blends seem to like the other, from my limited experience. Saint Bruno has a slightly more sour and nutty note to its aroma and flavour than Condor, but it is still a tobacco with a fermented-fruit type of flavour.

I particularly pick up on Saint Bruno's nutty after-character, not at first, but toward the bottom of the bowl and especially after it has been smoked in the same pipe for a while. It is medium-full in body and emits a smoke that is slightly sharp on the nose, but mild, yet full-tasting, on the tongue.

It has a tangy, natural sweetness that is quite appealing, but which might surprize those who are used to smoking more heavily sweetened aromatics a l'Americaine. It also contains quite a bit of nicotine and would be best enjoyed in a smaller pipe if you are used to weaker blends. The main complexity in its flavour is the play between its rich and almost juicy top flavour and its underlying tanginess.

Although this doesn't sound like a lot, it's an intensely pleasant and satisfying smoke when smoked without haste. Its room aroma when smoked is surprisingly different, not fruity at all; here the nutty aspect comes through again.

I personally find its aroma quite pleasant, sort of reminiscent of an old house, but a non-smoking friend who usually enjoys the smell of my pipe says that the smoke from Saint Bruno reminds her of a wet dog.

Sail Regular Pipe Tobacco Reviews

An intense anise aroma wafts out of the little yellow pouch. There's got to be some chocolate in there too! This brown cavendish has a few shreds that aren't completely rubbed out and it sure smells like it's going to taste sweet... Once fire hits it though, it gives a clean, dry tobacco taste right away, with a just a nice hint of sweetness in the background.

The simplicity of this is mellow and charming at first, but it soon becomes apparent that the burley in the blend provides a good kick that isn't going to let up. I find that I forget about that hint of sweetness after a third of a bowl or so. A denser, more peppery sensation starts to dominate.

No amazing, refined flavour comes out of this, you just get more. Sometimes I find it develops a little sweetness near the bottom of the pipe, but more often than not, I mostly notice the strength it has amassed. I really like a plain and refreshing smoke like this from time to time.

This burns quite well, so I pay special attention to not allow it to overheat―if my tongue is sensitive, I find it can bite a little. I love the musty old-time pipe aroma that this leaves in the room as it smoulders away to a fine, grey ash.

Stanwell's Rose and Crown Pipe Tobacco Reviews

A somewhat moist, dark reddish-brown, broken-up flake with lighter and darker coloured fragments here and there. My sample of this required minimal rubbing out prior to smoking, since much of the broken flake was of a short stubby cut already.

This is a very aromatic Virginia that reminds me in many respects of the love-them-or-hate-them Erinmore tobaccos in its intensity. Its aromatic qualities are very rich, seemingly based on a raspberry flavouring, but without the cheapness of taste that I expect from heavily flavoured mixtures.

This is probably in part because decent-quality, sweet Virginias are what's holding the mixture together. Medium body and pretty smooth smoking, I'm surprised I like this one, since I generally don't care much for heavy fruit-flavoured blends. Its distinctive taste actually reminds me more of raspberry pie than just raspberry flavouring and there's something vaguely flowery about its aroma that my nose detects while smoking, although I don't actually taste this floral character at all.

Its smokes like a good Virginia - relatively cool on the tongue if smoked slowly, but will bite a bit if allowed to overheat or if the tobacco has dried out too much. The fruit flavouring remains throughout the smoke, but slowly dissipates somewhat during the second half of the bowl.

At the end, the extreme dryness of the smoke on my mouth reminds me that, ultimately, I'm finishing off a bowl of Virginia. Weaker than strong in terms of nicotine, this is a just a relaxing smoke, but not overly so. It leaves its marked aroma in your moustache and in the room, but the room aroma isn't quite as heavy or cloying as you might expect given the density of its taste.

I can't imagine anyone complaining about its aroma, but I'm sure there is someone somewhere that would... It burns clean and dry to a very white ash that intersperses with the blackish flecks of any unburnt tobacco.