Customer Reviews (17 Total)
My Preferred “Plume” From Vincent Manil
February 14, 2021
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
La Volute, or The Plume. This was the last of the four Vincent Manil blends I ever had the pleasure of sampling, and Lord am I glad I did. And I am grateful for not just Manil himself but also the New York Times writer who brought his popularity to A... Read More
merican pipesters, for without that piece some years back, many on my shores wouldn’t know of Sammy Hagar’s doppelgänger and his often hard-to-find blends showcasing the Belgian varietal burley leaf, Semois.
Don’t let the box note deter you. And it does come packaged in the form of a paper brick, containing a ribbons pressed into a brick-sized crumble cake. It does smell like musty barnyard hay. Just, if my nose is trustworthy, not quite as barnyardish as the brick note of Tabac Manil’s blends La Brumeuse and Reserve du Patron. Pack these quick thick, dry, and often long ribbons (that more resemble mahogany wood chips and shavings than tobacco) not as tightly as you would with those other two Manil blends, nor tamp as frequently. These won’t burn quite as swiftly. In fact, the burn rate on this is as slow as you’d find with the thickest ribbons, though not quite as slow as with a flake.
Scores of reviewers have attempted to describe this unique, earthy flavor, and the descriptions are widely varied. Here’s mine: that pure untopped Semois leaf comes out tasting like mixed nuts (not peanuts, however) with just the slightest trace of Camembert or Roquefort cheese. The moldy cheese element is just not as strong in La Volute as one finds in La Brumeuse or in Reserve Du Patron. Regardless, intuition tells me most pipers will either really fancy or really dislike this offering. But I sense most pipe tobacco connoisseurs will love it and at least value the first smoking session with this blend. The experience is unmatched: puffing a hard-to-obtain blend from an uncommon burley leaf, farmed, harvested, dried and prepared all by one person.
If you’re a burley aficionado and if this passes your test, you might want to save this blend for a Friday or Saturday night, or a weekend, or when your spirits are feeling low. I break out my four Tabac Manil blends only when I want my smoking session to be a special one. I used to do the same with Cornell & Diehl’s short-lived knockout, Sun Bear, before it became unobtainable.
When I want that full-throttle barnyard hay/mixed nuts/Roquefort cheese flavor but in a longer smoking session, I’ll reach for La Volute over its siblings. 5.0 stars. Read Less
I Just Don't Get It!
January 13, 2021
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
Pardon me for my opinion, but I simply DON'T GET why so many other pipe smokers claim to love the taste of this, and for that matter ALL of the Manil Semois blends. There's so much that I don't get. The packaging sucks. I'm aware that the leaf is s... Read More
upposed to be dry, but I'm not crazy about that either. But ultimately it's the taste that I don't get. To me this tastes bad! Vegetal and musty, sour even. I'm primarily a Va/Per fan, and Va/Burley/Per smoker who enjoys the taste of straight tobacco blends. But I don't understand why I should love or even like this taste in my mouth? The cut is admittedly better than the ultra fine cut of the regular Semois. But the taste is foul. So why should I care that the bowl will last longer? It's just my opinion, but pardon me, but the Emperor HAS NO CLOTHES!!! Read Less
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
我没抽过谁知道好不好呀，这个为啥也叫邓希恩
尔
New cut same great Semois
December 25, 2020
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
Only a few bowls in but really enjoying the new cut. I would say its more of a extra thick cut but some the ribbon is cut short to give a chunkier cut to it before forming it into a brick. It makes it easy to pack and light just not a traditional &qu... Read More
ot;crumble kake". The taste is classic Semois I will admit I do not a have a sophisticated pallet to pick out all the individual flavors but it is a great earthy almost musty in the best way flavor. If your a Burly fan like me do your self a favor and give it a try, its a completely unique flavor that makes you come back for more again and again. It smokes incredibly cool with almost no bite even when I tried to really push it at the end of the bowl, the burn is nice and even with almost no relights needed. Read Less
Great tobocco
October 03, 2021
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
It's very earthy, a little spicy with herbal notes, a little bread, a lot of wood, and grassy vegetation, with a light nutty sweetness. Nice and quality tobocco indeed.
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
劲道4.0，饱满度4.0，室韵2.8。主线:木调，皮革，坚果，淡甜味。一定要小口，即便小口还是太顶。尽量用小斗抽吧。
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Vincent Manil Wins Again
March 05, 2021
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
Smoking my first round of this. Unmistakably Manil Semois but it has a slight hint of a mintlike note. This tobacco wants to be packed more tightly than I usually pack. I keep all my tobacco with 55% humidity packs, which doesn’t change Manil’s famou... Read More
sly dry tobacco one bit. When this comes back, get a brick. It will not disappoint. Read Less
Vincent Manil Wins Again
March 05, 2021
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
Smoking my first round of this. Unmistakably Manil Semois but it has a slight hint of a mintlike note. This tobacco wants to be packed more tightly than I usually pack. I keep all my tobacco with 55% humidity packs, which doesn’t change Manil’s famou... Read More
sly dry tobacco one bit. When this comes back, get a brick. It will not disappoint. Read Less
Complete the trifecta
January 22, 2021
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
I've gone through my first block of this tobacco. I was going to write another long and excessively detailed review, but I see a few already informative reviews here. One observation: I'm surprised what difference the cut of the same tobacco makes in... Read More
terms of flavor. For sake of analogy, think of the fine-cut "Reserve du Patron" as being like an milder Islay malt like Bowmore or Call Ila, La Brumeuse being similar to Ardbeg or Lagavulin, and the new coarse cut here being the 10-year old Laphroaig of the line. Hard packed into my Semois dedicated Nording or my new Peterson spigot, this thick cut is mighty potent right down to the bottom of the bowl. Unlike the two lighter cuts, La Volute never trails off into a green vegetal finish, all three tobaccos smoke beautifully are perfect for breaking in or de ghosting a pipe and you can smoke them straight down to medium gray Ash right at the bottom of the bowl, no dottle. will not gurgle e or bite no matter how hard or fast your cadence. I wouldn't claim this would replace either of the two finer cuts in my rotation however if you like the other two you owe it to yourself to try this one. for the first time due to this heavier cut I've been actually thinking about using it in a blend of some kind, maybe with some well-aged ribbon cut St James Perique that's been sitting Jarred up in a purple glass wire bailed Atlas jar in the back of the cabinet for a little while now... Read Less
Notes From LES
January 17, 2021
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
I was really kind of skeptical when I bought as many units of this tabac as I did, for two reasons. First, I'm a devout Lat-forward English blend sorta guy. Second, I've not developed a penchant for Burley. Okay, three reasons. I've not had a heckuva... Read More
lot of success with tobaccos from the EU.
Figure, what the heck.
First, I am in...like...with this Limited Edition Semios. The nose is fresh mown hay with a hit of moss. Light. Intriguing.
Selected a newer pipe (a Nording) that is just starting its journey with me, so it hasn't a build-up of Lat-flavored cake.
The moisture content is low, which I prefer and the cut borders on a shag. The tobacco takes to flame well and tamps/stays lit nicely throughout the bowl. The ash is a dark silver grey.
The taste is simple and pleasing. Light grass and earth with just a soupcon of mint. Not like you would get with a top dressing, this has a naturalness that is just barely there.
I'm glad I did lay in a supply, this is a great tobacco. Looking forward to the next edition... Read Less
Great Burley
January 06, 2021
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
Simple, smooth, and simple again. Came in fairly dry, I think that was due to the packaging, but smoked right away anyways. Lit up immediately, and was easy to keep lit. Very thick ribbons, so packing was unique to me, but not difficult. I love the f... Read More
lavor and aroma, and will right back with more info soon, but I plan on lighting this up more, and putting into my weekly rotation. Read Less
The barn's going burn
February 25, 2023
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
Im not sure why or what prompted me to ask smokingpipes.com to notify me when this tobacco was back in stock, but I’m so glad I did.
When I got the notification, rereading the description, I thought, ”but I don’t care for Burleys.” Going by gut feel... Read More
ing alone, I ordered a couple of each blend made.
When the shipment arrived, I was a bit irritated, so I wrote smokingpipes.com a lengthy email asking why they would ship something so damaged. It’s as if they left the pallets of tobacco sitting in the sun for a few days before storing them.
Fortunately, I did a bit of research before sending the email.
When they say this tobacco is dry, you have no idea what they mean by dry. This tobacco dryness is walking through fall leaves after weeks of no rain crunchy or drop a spark in the fall hay, and the barn burns down dry. It’s dry.
This particular blend is also very rough; stems, branches, and logs are in the package. It’s a mighty rough cut!
But let me say; it’s a beautiful smoking blend. On the first day, I enjoyed three bowls, each trying to pick out the different tobacco nuances. That day I ordered more of each blend. It’s something I want around often. Read Less
Bizzaro Burley
February 23, 2023
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
This is a high quality tobacco - dry and unorthodox by American standards. It smokes fast and relatively cool, with a ton of body. While a lot of American Burley blends are one-trick ponies, this blend has two or three powerful, distinctive notes t... Read More
hat come out at different temperatures. Why the middling rating? I wouldn’t suggest smoking this on its own, it can be overwhelming on a clean palate, and has a bitter edge I’d suggest cutting with a drink. Would be challenging as an all-day smoke and isn’t something a new pipe smoker “has to try” even though it is super well behaved and easy to light. This is a boredom buster for experienced pipe smokers and burley fanatics. Read Less
awesome!
December 18, 2022
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
Package note of mildly sweet, earthy, and mild licorice. Tobacco is brown fat ribbon cut, a little on the dry side but soft, no prep needed. Burns fast with few relights. The strength is medium and nic is medium. No flavoring detected. Taste is mediu... Read More
m to full and very consistent, with complex notes of a moderately spicy cigar, very earthy, herbal tangy vegetative, bitter wood, mild sweet cocoa, very bready, floral, dry hay, sweet nutty background note, and a peppery retro. Burley is leading with the "secrete leaf" (maybe Virginias?) supporting. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great. Read Less
Strange cut beautiful tin note
July 01, 2022
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
I knew I would like this because of its origins but I don’t know if the cut is ideal. It comes in a dry brick of mangled stem and leaf. It’s awkward to pack and smoke but I did experience three distinct flavor changes within the same bowl a very smoo... Read More
th , cool, and floral beginning. Then in the middle of the bowl very nutty almost sweet. Then earthy like dusty dirt but not just ashy end of the bowl like actual dark earthy notes. I’m excited to try more cuts this one is even listed as “other” there is a slightly lighter shag cut and a couple other ribbon cuts. I could see this as a daily fancy burley if given the right cut and pipe combo. Read Less
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
This is a very good basic tobacco with a unique profile. My only complaint is the large chunks of stem material. Otherwise would be five stars.
Great pipe tobacco for Habanos fan !!
January 09, 2021
Product: Tabac De La Semois La Volute 3.5oz
Though many suggests that if you are Burley fan then you’re going to love Semoi. This could be true somehow but personally I’m not a Burley fan even though I’m tried to adapt it lately.
Be a Habanos Aficionado for years. This Tabac Mani is mostly li... Read More
ke Habanos. You got a lot of floral scent like usual HDM. A dash of honey note like usual Diplomaticos/Montecristo. Light tabac taste like all Habanos left after each puff(Though never stay on palete as long as Habanos). Some sharpness smoke texture but no any harshness. Never bitter or acid. Oh I’m forgot to tell you that i pick a nutty/cashew as well. This stuff is yummy & delicious.
Pack it tightly. Sip it slowly. No fear upon relight due this cut is overall thick. As long as you gently draw the light into your bowl.
I’m smoking this one after light breakfast. To me this one going to pair really well with strong red wine such Amarone or any Cab Sau you like. I’m not prefer red wine in the morning. But late meal I’ll do.
This going to be one of my favorite pipe tobacco so far. Read Less
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