I usually smoke new blends in a cob. Not this one. I used my favorite briar instead. I rubbed it out a little for uniformity, and then gave it some fresh air. There's nothing exotic here, just top shelf tobacco. Being Virginia based, it's on the sweet side. The dark fired(I'm a burley smoker) is fantastic. The Cavendish seems to soften the smoke. All in all? Excellent! The after taste alone is worth the price of admission. Well done C&D! Read Less

First be prepared to spend a few minutes towards making this pipe ready although fun in preparation can lead me looking to other blends to fill my pipe. I've made a thicker coin then filled a mason jar. Jar note after about two weeks from cutting coins is of a hay field. Smoke is medium bodied with hay/grass flavor and a bit of perique in the retrohale. Not as sweet as others, Not in my daily/weekly rotation, Overall descent smoke but will not restock. Read Less

Escudo is well represented in my cellar and for good reason. This blend ages with the best of them. Although, I really enjoy this blend with just a year of age on it. At this time when you crack a tin it has an incredible tin note of muscadines. The smell takes me back to my childhood and stopping at fruit stands on the side of the road with my mom. The blend not only smells great but it also taste pretty darn good too. The blend supports a wonderful mix of fruit, spice and a touch of hay (particularly when it is young). Give this one a try if you have not done so already. Read Less

This blend welcomes your palate with an intoxicating fragrance that smells like a library full of classics (in the original languages). Sensory experiences are further tantalized by the sight of this cake that resembles beef jerky. Mouth is watering. First light is like an exotic punch to the mouth. This is a magnus opus of english blends. Not for the faint of heart, but for those discerning lovers of fine English Blends, Quiet Nights will become a dear friend. I enjoy this with some Islay Scotch, the peaty flavors work with this blend well, preferably with a book in hand and an hour or two to spare. Read Less

Yeah, I said it - this is quite similar to penzance but better - smoother & great rich flavor. Thoroughly enjoying this one as the cold is starting to hit the midwest Read Less

This is a great tobacco, but it is very sensitive to how you pack the pipe. It needs a bit of trial to get it right, but it is really flavorful and easy smoking with no bite once you get the packing and cadence down right. The 100g tin has a really long spiral flake and one needs to tear off enough to either rub out just a bit or stuff directly into the bowl with only a short drying time ... Read Less

I'm new to the world of premium pipe tobacco. I smoked one as a young man (mid 80s) before there was easy access to both products and information, so ended up buying the drug store offerings. My attention quickly waned and the old Doc Grabow was lost in the streams of time. I was fortunate, then, to wander into a pipe shop in Clayton, Mo. They fixed me up with a Comoy second and a tin of Dan Devil's Holiday and I was off and running. Thanks to this site I have now sampled some of the best tobacco I had ever tasted. I stayed with Dan for a while (it was what the shop carried) and discovered Gordon Pym and Bailey's Balkan. After that first taste of latakia the appeal of cased tobaccos diminished markedly. I have since sampled SG FVF and would much rather have the natural sweetness of the Virginia that the heavy flavorings. All that being said, I have been looking for a blend that maintained a strong lat presence throughout the smoke. In Balkan Sasieni I have found that. Cool burning with few relights needed, it satisfies without overwhelming. My only criticism, and it may be due to my underdeveloped palate, is it's one dimensional quality. Although the character of the smoke changes some as you work through the bowl, the change does not compare with the complexity of some other blends I've tried. I also find that I like the surging sweetness of the Virginia late in the bowl that I find in Bailey's Balkan that doesn't present here. That aside, this is definitely part of my rotation, but not an everyday smoke. I highly recommend this to anyone who craves a sustained Lat fix. Read Less

I found Stonehenge to be very nice. It's fruity, chocolatey and mild. It could be an all day smoke or make an excellent night cap. I had bought it to see just what all the hype was about. I wasn't disappointed . I also got some GH&Co. Louisiana Perique Flake. I tried it and found it even more to my liking. Read Less

Mr. Pease you've done it again. This is superb! Popped the seal and I'm in an auto garage with classic Minis and MGs. I get leather and wood and engine grease. What a unique profile! Its sublime! What a fitting name: Spark Plug! (Absolutely love the tin art!!!) The plug cut is magnificent: Beautiful black, rawhide and straw perfectly pressed and presented. It's a joy to break apart and pack! The smoke is just as it should be: nag champa and cedar, an orange orchard off in the distance...musty hay bales in a wide open field; the firepit embers putt puffing their radiant aromas. I get something that shouldn't be there but adds another level of curiosity and delight: Roasted walnuts like Burley has donned the costume of one of the real players. Its brilliant. It's a fresh batch to boot which impresses me even more. I'm so happy I grabbed a tin to smoke now and slowly over the next weeks and if discipline allows, months... as well as a second one to grow and show its graduated character in a year or two. In fact I might have to order a few more to have a truly historic experience in the coming years! Well done! Read Less

Smokey, rich, and everything you want a on a brisk fall night. I was given a sample of this from a friend, and once finished I immediately ordered some and brought it into my rotation. Heavier on the Latikia side than I would have thought, but still those orientals find their way into the mix. I've heard this could be an all day smoke, but I usually like to end my day with it. The strength of the nic isn't going to push you over however, if you're looking for that I'd go with nightcap. This is my "sit by the fire and contemplate writing the great american (or english, I guess?) novel" blend. Full flavored, and feels like you're sinking your teeth into a rich, and savory treat. Read Less

This is my favorite of the various Cavendish/Perique/Virginia spun tobacco blends that I've tried. To me the flavor is richer, brighter and more varied than Stokkebye's LBF or Comoy's Cask No 7. Of course it's priced a lot higher too. The tin aroma reminds me of rich home-baked raisin bread. The flavor reminds me of Escudo, but tastes more natural to me. There's more perique flavor in here than in others of its type. I agree with the prior reviewer that it starts out more on the fruity side, but the spiciness builds, in fact the whole blend of flavors builds as the bowl goes on. It's got the right amount of sweetness and nice balanced Va flavor. If you like LBF or Cask No 7, try a tin of this for a treat. It's not an everyday smoke for me (mainly because of the cost), but it sure is good. Update: After looking up the tin code for Davidoff (YYhhMMmmDD) I've found I've been enjoying tobacco that was already aged over 2 years in the tin before I bought it. I don't know if this is typical, but it may account for the great flavor of this batch. In order to stretch it out, I often sandwich a coin of this between two of LBF, and the effect on the flavor is amazing. Read Less

This has been my go to blend since ever I opened up my first tin. The sweet smell of the “dressing” or topping initially entranced me to light up bowl after bowl. The complexity of Virginias and that sweet taste. It doesn’t disappoint! For me it does best in a smaller pipe. If you pick up a tin, get ready to set sail on the Royal Yacht. Read Less

After repeatedly saying I wanted to try this someday and forgetting to buy it, a close friend surprised me one day with my first tin of Erinmore. I definitely think it lives up to it's "classic" status though I admit my own experience is of the more recent productions of Erinmore. I think for fans of a nice mild all-day VA flake, you can't do much better. In fact, this is the blend that made me a fan of flakes. And, after trying many other similar flakes available, Erinmore is the one I come back to as the watermark of a great Virginia smoke. I'd give it 5 stars, but I have noticed that the moisture content does vary from tin to tin and ranges from "just right" to needing to be dried out a little first, but it's always quality tobacco. As for taste and aroma, it has the lighter VA hay notes and is quite sweet. Any VA can bite if you're unfamiliar with how to smoke them, but personally I'd have to try hard to get a bite from this one. I'm not sure what the actual flavoring is, but it's a rather unique taste and never overpowers the Virginias, and while some may call this an aromatic, the flavoring is very subtle and balanced. I can't compare it to earlier incarnations, but as it is today, Erinmore is truly enjoyable. Read Less

<p>Now I'm the first to admit that this review may be quite subjective - but this tobacco has made it to the top of my list and has become my all-day smoke; to the extent that I'm hesitant filling my pipe with any of the other great tobaccos in my collection.</p> <p>I love everything about Presbyterian, starting with opening the tin, feasting my eyes on the coarsely cut mixture of bright and dark leaves. This is accompanied by the delicious musty, earthy, and spicy aroma. The cut is ideal for the way I fill my pipe (similar, but not identical, to the 'air pocket' method).</p> <p>The tobacco lights easily, even when slightly moist from a freshly opened tin. When it has dried out just a little, it can be smoked all the way down from the first light, although I would rarely smoke a bowl in one sitting; that is no problem though, as it maintains its delicious taste and aroma, even after cooling down and sitting for some time before a relight.</p> <p>As a lover of Orientals, I find these tobaccos to be the star of the show, perfectly complemented by the Latakia and Virginia. I have always loved Latakia, and still do, but these days I prefer its use as a condiment rather than a major ingredient (as found in many English and Balkan blends); and in this regard, Presbyterian really shines. The components combine to give the tobacco a somewhat sweet, almost aromatic note, but one can sense that it is all natural, without any casing or flavoring.</p> <p>I love retro-haling, and this brings out even more flavors, adding a delightfully pungent note to the smoke; and to me that must be Presbytarian's greatest achievement - providing so many delicious flavors without resorting to anything artificial.</p> <p>As a previous reviewer has mentioned, my main regret is the fact that it is not available in bulk.</p> Read Less

This is one of the few English blends that I could smoke all day! Still, a generous amount of nicotine and a citrusy note to keep one interested throughout the whole smoke. Read Less