Carolina Red Flake with Perique is a fantastic blend. 18 year old Perique with sweet 2 year old Red Virginias. Cellar this for a few years so the Virginias catch up & meld with the Perique and you will be in for a treat. Read Less

Upon opening, you are greeted with a block of beautiful, partially broken flakes dotted with a decent amount of sugar crystals. The smell is akin to McClelland virginias; sharp, with a vinegar like sourness. This is the dominant smell, but there are also dried fruits in the background. The delicate floral quality of this blend presents itself while smoking, though it does not mask the flavour of the leaves. Lightly sweet on the draw, and toasted on the finish. I wouldn't say this is a "bright" tasting tobacco; it carries warmer tones, and is not as harsh as some other Va/Bur or Lakeland flakes can be. Read Less

The Corn Cob Pipe and A Button Nose reminds me of Frosty The Snowman. A song. I tasted it a few years ago. The smell of hot cocoa and marshmallow, with warm smoke. I hope it's the same this year. Corn Cob Pipe and A Button Nose，让我想起了Frosty The Snowman。一首歌。几年前尝过。热可可+棉花糖的味道，烟气温暖。希望今年也是这样。 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

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 is the second Sutliff LE series I'm hooked on. Episode V, when I opened it, looked like it was going to be akin to Rustica. Even the unsmoked nose gave some credence to that notion. After letting the blend dry a bit (too moist for me) I loaded a Jobey Stromboli bent Billiard...wow, was I wrong. This is an easy-going tobacco, nice earth and deep hints of oak...and with both French and Retro inhales, the spice of the Orientals make themselves known. (Again, I apologize for using wine-style tasting notes...that's all I know.) FYI, as I write this review, I'm enjoying a bowl of Episode V in a Royal Danish Sand Grain Squat Tomato. This blend is pleasing an all aspect...IMHO/YMMV 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

It’s quite funny how divided the reviews are on this blend. You go to one forum you hear one thing, one Facebook group you hear another. Well someone mentioned this reminded them of Sutliff 507s, a stoved virginia bulk that Sutliff makes. (Let’s not forget that Sutliff does all the blending for Seattle Pipe Club blends) I dig out my bag of Pipe force samples and the sample of Down Yonder. After three bowls this very basic stoved virginia really does taste just like Sutliff 507s just pressed into a cake. I even did a side by side and they were very similar. 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

Ugh, I hate saying it... It's easily in my top 5 favorite tobacco of all time. If I only had this to smoke for the rest of my life, I would die a happy man. Bit, don't buy any of it because YOU will probably hate it. I'll bear the burden of trying to buy and smoke it all so you guys dont have to. No need to thank me. Just move right along. I heard 10 Russians is a close match! Cheers!!! Read Less

I don't write reviews often, but this one seemed to be a given. As is my usual practice, I opened a tin of Peterson EMP, the day after I got it, and the day before I smoked it. The introduction of air to a vacuum sealed tin always tends to excite the poor tobacco that has been deprived, and it gets it pretty excited. Well I must say I was incredibly happy to have EMP back. From the moment I opened the tin I could remember the wonderful scent of Dunhill EMP. From the moment of the 1st burn, everything was right in the world again. Thank you Peterson for picking this back up, and keeping it exactly the same!! Read Less

Ive smoke about a quarter pound of regular and special reserve plum pudding now and they share a common thread... they are absolutely delicious. I do prefer the special reserve for it's added smoothness and depth of flavor. Normally i just prefer to slice off a slab and loosely crumble it into medium to large sized chunks for a solid 1.5 hour smoke. A word of caution: only prepare what u intend to smoke for the next pipe or day at most. I made the mistake of preparing half the brownie since i was smoking so much of it and then i ended up putting it aside for a couple months. The plum flavor will dissipate during that time. Smoked fresh the plum flavor is absolutely fantastic and is a companion from first light to last puff. Rich, smokey, mesquite, spicy, smooth, and truly a melange of fine smoky and plum flavors that is intoxicating in the best way. I dont deliberate on the flavors im tasting here, i just lounge in my chair and drink it all in and relax. A little mesquite here, a lot of campfire and leather there, and some spicy perique and cavendish throughout. Make no mistake though, this is more enjoyable with the plum flavor present and accounted for. If you like a rich english smoke its hard to go wrong here. Medium in body and mild in nicotine from my experience. Even after several relights it maintains its flavor and body without getting harsh. Special reserve ages magnificently, and gets even smoother and more rich/complex in flavor. In my opinion this is the best that SPC has to offer hands down, being a true stand out blend. If I may be so bold... both this blend and the original are easily in the top 10 best blends currently in production and for my preference top 3( even over penzance). As a lover of pretty much all tobaccos, and a guy whose rotation and preferences are forever shifting and exploring new blends, PPSR always finds ito way back to the top of my rotation. If you like English tobaccos I highly recommend trying this one. It may be a little pricey but it's worth every penny. ADDENDUM: In the time since I first smoked these blends, I've learned that I largely dislike the processing done on most* Sutliff and McClelland blends. That being said, I still thoroughly enjoy PP Special Reserve and other blends from these companies. Generally speaking I do not, however, so I figured it might be a good idea to add this info in case there are people with similar likes and dislikes. My opinion of PP Special Reserve remains unchanged for now (I'm about.to pop a fresh tin and begin the journey side by side with aged regular PP), and that is to say that it is pretty awesome stuff and extremely smooth. It might be impossible to make this one bite, once dried correctly. Seriously. Read Less

I love the imagery of tall ships and a sailor's life. That's what I think of when I hear “Capstan” (with a Stan Rogers song playing in my head). But most people think of Middle Earth. Nearly everyone has heard that J.R.R. Tolkien smoked Capstan and possibly created the high fantasy genre in the process. It would be a stretch to think the tobacco alone made that possible and a discredit to his intellect. Having said that, it's not hard to see what he found so appealing about Capstan. What you may not know is that tobaccos age and mature and then peak. We all like to get a tin and eagerly crack it open and dive right in, but this leads to a lot of differing opinions of taste and experience. Not every batch is the same readiness and it takes careful consideration with a flake like Capstan to know if it's time to smoke or time to wait. I've had some that were wonderfully sweet and bready right away, but I've also had some that were bitter and sort of pungent from a freshly opened tin that benefited greatly from the passage of time. I believe that Capstan is good quality and that it's blenders keep in mind an end result that given various crops of tobacco require adjustments to be made if that end goal is to be consistent. If you find you have a negative experience with this flake, please don't throw it out in haste, be patient and return to it after a week, a month, 6 months...eventually you'll discover why this tobacco is revered. It is a survivor for a reason, don't be misled by rash decisions. Good things come to those that wait. Read Less

I've only been pipe smoking for 3 months now, after hand rolling for 2 years and then smoking Marlboro's for 25 years before that. I don't bother to give a review unless I feel it's worth 5 stars.... I was a real tobacco snob at first and resisted this stuff when I saw it in a smoke shop because the pouch brought back childhood memories and I figured if my Grand Dad smoked it, there had to be something better out there by now. I've been having great fun sampling various Lane and Sutliff aromatics, but did eventually get curious and buy a pouch. After just two bowls I jumped here and ordered a big ol' tin to make sure I never run out. This stuff provides just enough of a back-of-the-throat hit, along with nicotine satisfaction to keep this former cigarette smoker happy, without any cough or burn. I've been packing a bowl before bed every night so it's ready when I wake up. Get some and try it. Read Less

A strong & tasty smoke, bold flavors and a strong Nic hit. HH Rustica is certainly a strong tobacco, but not in the leagues of something like Tambalouka, infact its way off. Be aware the 3.5oz tin is 'limited' for the US market, but in Europe, the 50g tins are widely available. Read Less

This is one of C&D's core blends for a reason. Throw a rock and chances are you'll hit 1 or 2 pipe smokers who've tried it. And at the end of the day, it seems to elicit a love it or hate it response. I love it for many reasons. Firstly, I'm a burley man through and through, and BF delivers. Secondly, it brings the nic and the strength without blowing out my palate for the day. And last but not least, this is a very simple blend that takes very little thought. It's best sipped, especially in a Missouri Meerschaum cob of absolutely any size. I can smoke bowl after bowl of this while drawing up spec sheets and doing paperwork. Awesome blend again C&D! 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

I can resist everything but temptation, so I was probably one of the first few to purchase. I have too many English blends to count, but I would rate this in my top ten, maybe my top five. Smooth smoke, no complaints. I will be buying more . Read Less