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Peterson - Early Morning Pipe 50g
Very Good Morning Blend
It is rather decent morning pipe tobacco IMHO. Interplay between Virginias and Orientals take the main stage. Virginias produce mostly dark overtones with sweetness as well as slight lemon like tartness. Orientals add incense like, buttery taste with a bit of spiciness and a little of sourness. Smokiness of Latakia is present throughout but always on the backstage. It is a very good morning blend. I just like my regular morning staple of Ashbury and Chelsea Morning way more.
Cornell & Diehl - Morning Light: Boker Or 2oz
Hit or Miss Blend
As far as I concerned this is a true 3.5 stars blend. Orientals take the main stage providing certain overripe and musty taste, which I’m afraid I don’t enjoy all that much. Perique follows in close support providing its usual spiciness. Virginias and Cavendish add a bit of sweetness but I’m afraid I cannot really taste them in the mix. Blend is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. I believe this blend is a hit or miss kind. It is really difficult to make any recommendations. I think that any lover of Oriental leaf should try it at least once to determine whether the Orientals here will suite his fancy or not. Personally, there are other oriental blends that I prefer much more.
Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Night 2oz
Bizarre
I hope fine folks at C&D will forgive me but this is one bizarre blend. Perique is clearly dominating element here. Surprisingly, the mix doesn’t taste too spicy while smoking. Unfortunately, perique acts almost like a topping overshadowing and diminishing taste of individual components, thus, misbalancing the blend. Red Virginia provides its usual dark overtones but not much of sweetness. Burley provides usual nuttiness as well as typical harshness. Virginias smooth it down a bit but not completely. Latakia tastes as a tiny bit of smokiness somewhere very far on background. And I could barely taste Orientals at all. I found the blend to be very pipe dependent. I didn’t like it in Meerschaum pipes at all. Thin walled briar pipes were an improvement. Thick walled large briar pipes provided best results. Personally, I enjoyed it the most in Peterson House pipe. Altogether, I found this blend to be very interesting and unusual but not really to my liking. I finished the tin without regrets but doubt that I will order it again.
G. L. Pease - Telegraph Hill 2oz
Mediocre
I’m afraid I have to disagree with description and “a marvelous edifice of taste and aroma” it is not IMO. I just don’t like the taste of Virginias in this blend. The leading taste is of earthiness and dry hay. I can also taste a little tanginess and hint of bitterness. While red Virginia is present it is not in the lead and mix is really not sweet enough. On other hand Perique is of excellent quality and present in abundant quantity. It fulfills its role of close support rather admirably. Blend is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. Altogether, I believe there are other VaPers which I have enjoyed much more. I don’t think that I will buy this blend again.
G. L. Pease - Chelsea Morning 2oz
Favorite morning blend
It is rather delightful English morning blend. Interplay between Virginias and Orientals take the central stage. I taste mostly red Virginia providing its usual dark fruit overtones. I would like it to be a bit sweeter though. Orientals are fragrant and incense like also providing taste of earthiness, tanginess, and a bit of sourness. Latakia smokiness is present throughout but always on the backstage. Perique is a secondary player, noticeable mostly in the first third of the bowl adding a light bit of spice. Blend is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. I believe it to be a superbly balanced mixture. It is one of my favorite morning tobaccos.
Peter Stokkebye - PS400 Luxury Navy Flake
Excellent VaPer
It is a really good VaPer IMHO. Virginias are very good and tasty providing sweetness with hint of tanginess. Perique provides spiciness and even though this is no Bayou Morning it is spicy enough. I am truly impressed by very skillful application of topping. It adds sweetness, emphasizes Virginia without affecting tastes of components at all. Unfortunately, when it dissipates a little of Virginia luster goes away too. Nonetheless. It is one of the best blends in Navy Flake genre I have ever tried. Blend is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. I have thoroughly enjoyed my 4 Oz. And being such spendthrift I’m planning to shell some money for wide mouth glass jar just for this blend.
Ashton - Consummate Gentleman 50g
Just OK
Even though it can be considered English blend historically speaking, to me it tastes as VaBur with pinch of Latakia added. Interplay between Virginias and Burley take the main stage. Virginias provide some sweetness and hint of tangy, lemon like taste. Burley provide form and strength with episodes of typical burley harshness. Latakia is ever present but occupying backstage always. Maryland is a condiment here without adding anything to the taste IMHO. Blend is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. I have finished my tin and doubt I will order it again since I don’t find this particular genre to be especially appealing.
Low Country - Natural Virginia & Oriental
Just smokable
Red Virginia in this blend offers its usual dark overtone but almost none of the sweetness I usually associate with red Virginias. It also a bit more tangy than usual. Turkish is added way more than a touch. It offers earthiness, sourness, touch of bitterness, and lots, lots of spice. The taste is consistent from beginning to the end of the bowl. I believe this blend to be unrefined, too sharp and spicy. I tasted more than enough sourness but not nearly enough sweetness. There is also underlying hint of bitterness which I didn’t find very appealing. Nonetheless blend will do if you want to smoke but very busy and don’t pay much attention to nuances. I do not recommend this to any lover of Oriental leaf. VaPer crowd may evaluate this higher than I do. Personally, I smoked much better Orientals and VaPers than this. Will not buy again.
Cornell & Diehl - Red Odessa
Splendid Balkan
This is rather splendid Balkan blend. The interplay between Orientals and Virginia takes the mainstage of this mix. Orientals provide slight creamy/buttery sweetness, fragrant, lightly sour, incense like taste. Red Virginia provide its regular dark overtones and sweetness. I especially enjoyed the taste of Virginia in this blend. Smoky Latakia present throughout but never too much in front. It never diminishes or overcomes taste of other components. Perique is more of condiment here IMHO. At very least I couldn’t really taste it. Blend is well balanced and not spicy at all. It is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. I really have enjoyed smoking this blend and definitely will order it again.
Captain Earle's - Honor Blend 2oz
Good blend
Interplay between red Virginia and Turkish sets the main stage of this blend. Red Virginia provides its usual dark overtones and sweetness. Turkish provides earthiness and sourness. Perique is added in abundance that results in sufficient spiciness. Cavendish is a condiment here smoothing the edges. It is a well-balanced blend. I have not noticed any significant changes in taste throughout the bowl. Slow burning, doesn’t bite regardless of cadence. I’m afraid I don’t care for krumble kake presentation. It makes loading a pipe more troublesome than it should be IMHO. Nowadays, I much prefer flakes. I have enjoyed smoking the tin. I believe this tobacco should be an interesting try for lovers of oriental blends as well as VaPer fans. Personally, there are other Oriental blends more to my preference.
Peter Stokkebye - PS306 English Oriental Supreme
Decent English
It is rather decent English blend. Orientals take the front stage here providing earthy, incense like, a bit spicy taste. Burley present in abundance providing somewhat sweet nuttiness while staying pretty mellow without typical burley harshness. Virginia provides base of the blend adding a bit of sweetness. Latakia present all the time but never in front. Cavendish is on the backstage providing smoothness and a bit of sweetness. I admire a very skillful toping application. While adding sweetness to the blend it never interfere with or sublimate taste of the components at all. Blend is well balanced. Blend is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. I did enjoy smoking my 2 oz. but doubt that I will order it again since there are other English blends that I like much more.
Arango - Balkan Supreme
Decent, Not Great
The interplay between Latakia and Orientals takes the main stage in this blend. Latakia is in abundance providing its sweetish smokiness. I believe it is a bit too forward slightly distracting from other components. Orientals provide earthiness and incense like essence. I also taste some spice which becomes more evident in the second half of the bowl as well as some sourness. Virginia is in distant support providing mild sweetness and may be slight spice from the background. Cavendish is a condiment providing smoothness to the blend. Altogether it is rather decent Balkan but I would not call it great. Personally in Balkan I prefer interplay between Orientals and Virginia with Latakia in close support which is clearly not the case here. Therefore as far as I concerned it is three stars blend. Since I believe that price also needs to be taken into consideration I will add half of star. For the Latakia lovers it could be four or even five stars blend. Personally, there are other Balkan blends I prefer much more. I have enjoyed smoking my 2 Oz of Balkan Supreme but doubt I will order it again.
Sutliff - Crumble Kake Red Virginia 1.5oz
Disappointing
It is typical red Virginia, pardon the oxymoron. Usual red Virginia taste with its dark overtones. It is not sweet. Burns rather slowly. Taste is consistent from the beginning to the end. Strength wise it is closer to mild than medium. It is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. I found it monochromatic and quite honestly boring. I do believe it would be better used for blending and mixing rather than smoked straight. Since the demise of McClellands I’m looking for the substitution for my favorite straight Virginia blends. Unfortunately, this one will not do. The search will go on.
Samuel Gawith - Skiff Mixture 50g
If only it was stronger
I would call it Oriental – light Balkan type of tobacco. It belongs to the same genre as another classic – McConnell Original Oriental. Only in McConnell the Oriental/Turkish takes the whole front stage while in Skiff Mixture this place is taken by the interplay between Virginia and Turkish. That what I believe makes the blend so tasty and good as well as superior to Original Oriental. Latakia though present throughout stays on background. Tobacco taste is sweet and spicy. Delicious altogether. My problem with this blend lies in its strength or to be more precise in its lack of it. In 2012 I thought it to be mild to moderate in strength and this blend was one of three morning tobaccos of mine. But with passing of time perception changes as well. Today I believe this blend to be somewhere between very mild and mild and after long consideration and additional tins of course removed Skiff from rotation on basis of strength. Nevertheless, as I already mentioned it is a very good tobacco which I would strongly recommend to anyone who is into Oriental blends or prefer mild English blends.
Ashton - Artisan's Blend 50g
Bravo! Great English
It is definitely one of the best English blends I have ever tried. Latakia is ever present providing taste of sweet smokiness. Orientals overplay with Virginias take front stage where Orientals provide a little of spice and lots of incense like taste while Virginia gives a bit of sweetness and some body. Cavendish is responsible for incredible smoothness of the blend as well as periodic islands of sweetness. Perique seems to be more of condiment since the spiciness I taste seems to be more of Oriental origin. I find it incredible that none of the parts of this blend especially Latakia which is present in abundance do not overshadow each other at all and work in concert. The blend is not pipe dependent at all. Tastes the same both in briar and meerschaum pipes of all sizes and shapes. I have to say that Artisan’s blend is embodiment of the idea one encounters so often in books and so rarely in real life – the whole is greater than sums of its parts. I will definitely include it in rotation and most definitely will buy again.
Peterson - University Flake 50g
Average VaBur
Once you open a tin and have your fist bowl what you notice immediately is rather pleasant plum taste which integrates well with tobacco. During the smoke plum taste slowly disappears leaving instead sweet fruitlike taste which stays present throughout the bowl. Now the bad news. If after opening tin plum taste lasts from third to half of the bowl then closer to the end of the tin it disappear after several puffs. Sweet fruitlike taste remains all the time though. Tobacco is classical VaBur with rather good Virginias. But instead of synergy of Virginias and Burleys it is more of dominance fight with infrequent moments of typical Burley harshness breaking through. Toppings instead of simply adding sweetness behave almost as the third component diminishing Virginias which is not to my liking at all. The blend tasted best in medium and medium to large apple or pot shaped pipes. I did not notice any difference in taste between briar and meerschaum pipes. Altogether it is rather decent VaBur. It is definitely smokable. But in all honesty I prefer somewhat sweet and nutty taste of Irish Flake despite all its strength.
Peterson - Irish Flake 50g
Good after dinner tobacco
This time in the description they hit the nail right over head. It does have unspoiled tobacco taste. First fifth to quarter of the bowl taste is harsh, fierce, and spicy. Seems to me Kentucky let its presence be known. After that things become much smoother. Barley is unquestionably is the major player and Virginians are in support. Virginias balance burley harshness and provide some sweetness. As result taste become nutty and slightly sweet. Taste is pretty smooth and doesn’t really change throughout the bowl. Slow cadence is the must otherwise harshness of barley becomes very obvious. It is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. Still have to admit I liked it the most in Larrysson apple. Another very important moment is the strength. It is really very strong tobacco. I couldn’t take more than 1 flake at the time. Therefore any pipe of large and bigger size is out of the question for me. Every time I tried bigger pipe I regretted it. After effects were not pleasant. It is really not my kind of blend. I usually prefer Virginias to be supported by Burley not vice versa. Someone who really digs Burley probably would evaluate this blend much higher but I do not. Also, It is really too strong for me. Since it is a very good tobacco I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys strong, burley dominated blends. As I reached the end of the tin I discovered a phenomena. I started to look forward to smoking this blend in my Larrysson after hearty meal. I still don’t think it will be part of rotation but occasionally when in the mood for strong, pure natural tasting “after dinner” tobacco it will do. Will buy occasionally
Low Country - Waccamaw 2oz
Good
It is altogether decent Oriental/VaPer blend. Virginias are good. Perique and Izmir portions are very generous. In case of Izmir may be even too generous because in the middle of bowl certain roughness of oriental leaf breaks through the general taste of the blend. Still it is good smoke. Smokes best in thick walled, wide base, not conus shaped pipes. So far the most pleasant experience was received from Ben Wade sitter and Charatan chimney. On other hand the closest to Waccamaw blend I know of – Embarcadero by Pease tastes better IMHO. In general it is good blend just not my blend. Nonetheless it is a blend that any lover of oriental leaf should try to determine whether it is his blend. I will not include it in rotation since I like Embarcadero more. Once in the blue moon may try it again.
Sillem's - Councilor 1695 50g
Excellent VaPer
Upon first light I felt certain tea-like taste which disappeared after few puffs. Previously, this particular taste I experienced only with my two favorite McClelland’s straight Virginias. But enough of reminiscence. Even though in description they say about red and light Virginias combined, the red Virginia is the major player here. Perique is added in abundance as well which satisfies me just fine. First half of the bowl taste is sweet and spicy. Second half of the bowl spiciness of perique somewhat diminishes while the taste of Virginias darkens. I have to say that I really enjoy the taste of Virginias in this blend. The blend is not pipe dependent. I tried it in all my Virginia pipes both briar and meerschaum different shapes and sizes and the taste stayed consistently the same. Altogether I found this blend to be very savory and enjoyable. So far in my experience I can compare this blend only to Escudo and Solani 633. Considering the fact that Solani is almost impossible to find nowadays, well… I will most definitely buy it again. Whether it will become part of rotation is yet to be determined after a more thorough comparison with Escudo and few other VaPers I’m planning to try in the near future.
G. L. Pease - Maltese Falcon 2oz
So smooth
What really surprised me in this blend is how smooth the smoke is. Usually I associate this kind of smoothness with presence of Cavendish. But according to the description there is no Cavendish in this blend. Rather remarkable. Virginias taste rather sweet to me which I enjoyed. Orientals provide incense like, nutty taste. I felt almost no spice. I do have a slight problem with Latakia in this blend however. In my opinion Latakia in this blend is a little too forward and overshadows other components a bit. I think for Latakia lover it would be rather a plus but for me it is not. The blend is not pipe dependent at all. Tastes the same both in briar and meerschaum pipes of all sizes and shapes. Altogether it is very good English blend. It has very smooth, almost creamy at times, taste which is rather sweet and not spicy at all. Personally, I have other English blends in my rotation (Artisan’s blend for example) which I like more. Still, It is definitely worth a try by any lover of English genre.
G. L. Pease - Embarcadero 2oz
Really good Oriental
It is rather very good oriental blend. I really enjoy Virginias in this blend. Red Virginias produce its classical dark, very slightly sweet overtones. Izmir, in support, produces a lot of spice and taste of earthiness with element of bitterness. The end result is not sweet at all but entirely satisfying. The blend should be of interest both to lovers of oriental leaf as well as VaPer. The blend is pipe dependent. It tastes the best in large thick walled briar pipes IMHO. The interplay between Virginia and Turkish in this blend is not nearly as sophisticated as for example in Skiff, Ashbury, and Chelsea Morning. On other hand your old school friend doesn’t need to be overly sophisticated to bring delight with his presence. I have been smoking this blend for years and plan to continue doing so in foreseen future.
G. L. Pease - Sextant 2oz
Not my tobacco
Well mates this Sextant here is no Francis Drake’s “Golden Hind” or even Captain Blood’s “Arabella”. Personally I blame Rum toping. It applied skillfully of course and it does provide sweetness. Also, with noticeable exception of Latakia, it diminishes tastes of the components and actually fuse them into single one. No matter what pipe I used I really couldn’t distinguish Kentucky, Orientals, and Virginias. What I get is a somewhat sweet, not unpleasant, tobacco taste shadowed by strong Latakia presence. I had no problem smoking it but also didn’t find it to be of particular interest. Therefore, on this particular exploration Captain Pease will have to go on without this old sailor. Will not buy this blend again.
G. L. Pease - Haddo's Delight 2oz
Average VaPer
Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, I will have to admit that I am no Haddo and was not delighted by this blend at all. Toping (Rum) is applied mildly and provides additional sweetness throughout the bowl. At the same time I believe it somewhat diminishes Virginias which results in enhancing Burley influence. It makes blend stronger but at times it tastes almost harsh which I didn’t enjoy at all. Perique is added in abundance which I didn’t mind at all and found rather piquant and enjoyable. Cavendish is more of condiment here IMHO. Blend is not pipe dependent. Tasted pretty much the same in briar or meerschaum regardless of pipe shape. Altogether, I will admit that it is high quality tobacco but it is not my kind of a blend. There are much better offerings in VaPer family available as far as I concerned. I will finish the tin without regrets but doubt I will buy it again.
G. L. Pease - Cumberland 2oz
Grows on you
Contrary to a lot of reviews I have read I don’t believe that this blend belongs to VaPer family. To my taste this is Burley based mix. Burley plays the front stage with Virginias in close support. Perique here is really more of condiment IMHO. The smoke is not sweet and sometimes harsh. What is really interesting is that the blend slowly grows on you. As I started the can I thought, neh, it is really not my blend. But more I smoked it more often I found myself reaching for it, especially late in the evening. It is really tastes best in large thick walled pipes. It is almost as if they smooth the occasional harshness down. Altogether it is rather enjoyable blend. I will probably not make it part of regular rotation but will definitely buy it now and again.
G. L. Pease - Charing Cross 2oz
True Balkan
It is rather sad moment for me for I really wanted to love this blend. Without question it is true Balkan indeed. Dry dusty/earthy Orientals take the front stage. Latakia ever present provides consistent slightly sweet smokiness without overwhelming and subtracting from other components. Virginias serve as the base and provide support from background. Smoke is very soft and almost creamy. Everything in balance and without doubt work exactly as master blender intended. Problem lies with me. Going through different oriental blends I noticed that I usually enjoy interplay between Virginias and Orientals as a front stage contrary to lone Orientals taking that place. In this particular blend Orientals rule the ball. My palate demands more interplay with red/dark Virginias and more sweetness. Therefore even though it is truly a great blend it is not my blend. May buy it again once in the blue moon when in the mood for the true Oriental Balkan.
Cleaners & Cleaning Supplies - Blitz Pipe Cleaners (80 pack)
Best cleaners I ever used
I used BJ, Dill's, Brigham, Gloredo. In comparison to them Blitz has the most rigid wire, only gloredo comes close. Because of rigidness cleaner doesn't bend easily which make cleaning much easier. Also, no shedding, no fluff in stem or pipe. Excellent product. I believe Gloredo to be distant second. Rest of cleaners I used are simply inferior.