Tobacco Pipes Search
|
|
CORTEZ ATTIC
Reviews
Wessex - Brigade Campaign Dark Flake 50g
Sweet, rich tasting, and smooth
Like Dunhill Dark Flake, but slightly sweeter and smoother.
Tampers & Tools - 8deco Bamboo Tamper
Good Tamper, Great Price
I bought this 5" long tamper to replace the standard 3.5" pipe nail on deep-bowled pipes. The perforations in the tamper head really do allow you to draw effectively while tamping, but it's not a major asset. The 0.625" head diameter is too wide for the very bottom of conical chambers, but it's not a deal breaker. The bamboo end is fine for loosening ash and compressed tobacco, but it's not for heavy scraping. A serious scraping blade on this tool -- even at additional expense -- would earn it a full 5 star rating.
Cornell & Diehl - Billy Budd Blonde 2oz
A VaPer with pizzazz!
If you love VaPers and Virginia/Burley blends you'll find this to be right in your wheelhouse. The pinch of cigar leaf combines beautifully with the base ingredients to give the blend a somewhat oriental character, which I find delightful.
Robert Lewis - Orcilla Mixture 50g
Caveat Emptor, folks
Contains Latakia. (This is not explicitly mentioned in the product description.)
Daughters & Ryan - Rimboché A.P. 40g
Benchmark VaPer
Flavorful, soft, and gently sweet Virginia (not sharp or "hot"-smoking), with fruity Perique (not peppery). Occasionally develops a wonderful musty taste. Good smoke volume and mouth feel. Very comforting smoke.
Cornell & Diehl - Light of the Universe: Or Olam 2oz
Or Olam: Hits The VaPer Lover's Sweet Spot
Deep, dark, rich VaPer taste with thick, chewy smoke, and a wonderful sweet flavor. It looks like it is a completely broken-up crumble cake, and burns well.
Sillem's - Mayor 1814 Flake 50g
Nice Light Flake
Softly grassy, but not particularly sharp; wine-like, if slightly citrus; and as sweet as honey. Over-priced for what it delivers.
Daughters & Ryan - Two Timer Gold 40g
Great All Day Smoke
This basic ribbon cut Burley is as nutty as I have ever tasted, and the Virginia sweetens it to perfection. It has medium strength; great mouth feel; good body; great smoke volume; and a pleasant, long-lasting finish. I recommend only the tin as the bulk is a tad too dry, and prone to breakage.
Cornell & Diehl - Morning Light: Boker Or 2oz
Morning Smoke
It has a gently sweet and plummy VaPer base with a well conceived blend of velvety black Cavendish and what I think is Izmir (or Smyrna ) -- musty and muted. Put it one step to the sweet side of the line dividing sweet from savory. The black Cav used here is NOT the chalky, cloying, chemically stuff one sometimes encounters.
Stands & Pouches - Savinelli Velvet Pouch Brown
Handy Pipe Protection
Ideal for keeping your pipe safe when stowing it in a briefcase, luggage, or automobile glove box, etc. What else ya gonna do, wrap it in a paper towel?! :)
Hearth & Home - LJ Heart Virginia 1.5oz
The quintessential Virginia smoke
A slow and cool smoking rough cut mix of blonde and honey-colored Virginias with a soft and sweet flavor. The Perique must be in the mix doing its job, but it's only a background component.
Hearth & Home - LJ Heart Burley 1.5oz
After Dinner Ecstasy
Pure non-aromatic Burley heaven. Variously nuanced, it delivers Burley's characteristic nuttiness; an interesting, almost Oriental-like aroma; a vague non-sugary sweetness; and tobacco flavor up the ying-yang. A faint, delightful cigar-like note is so subtle I really can't pin it down. Sometimes I can barely detect a musty, pungent taste that reminds me of grated dry Italian cheese. Best as a after dinner treat in a wide bowl pipe.
McConnell - Scottish Cake 50g
Scottish Cake after 1 yr. in the tin
Smooth, sweet and plummy, with no trace of topping or flavoring. Slow burning, yet producing a large volume of luscious smoke. The Kentucky leaf takes it out of the VaPer genre, but Vaper aficionados simply must try this.
Cornell & Diehl - Plantation Evening
Plantation Evening: Middle Of The Road Balkan
Brilliant Oriental leaf where Latakia and Perique are used only as condiments. Some of the best Perique flavor I have ever tasted. Good clarity and balance of flavors.
McClelland - Piper's Choice: Top Hat 50g
Top Hat: Sweet Va & fruity Perique
Soft, naturally sweet Virginias pump out loads of zesty citrus tang while a fruity Perique carries the bottom end very nicely. Good body. Can be boring if smoked in a deep bowled pipe because the flavor doesn't ever change -- but is that bad?
G. L. Pease - Sixpence 2oz
Sixpence: Bold flavor, great clarity
Nutty and somewhat woody Burley flavors are rounded with fruity Perique, and sweetened by soft Virginias. Slow smoking will keep the Burley bitters in check and generate complex and luxurious tastes. Great clarity, and distinct yet harmonious tobacco flavors. Very smooth.
Hearth & Home - Capitol Stairs 1.5oz
Capitol Stairs: Deertongue flavor alert
This is a blend of sweet and slightly lemony Va and nutty Burley tied together nicely by fig-like Perique -- a rounded bottom note that seems indispensable. I smoke it as a holiday treat since it features deertongue flavoring, which I can handle only occasionally. (It's my understanding that P&C no longer uses real deertongue leaf.)
Hearth & Home - Capital Stairs 8oz
Capitol Stairs: Deertongue flavor alert
This is a blend of sweet and slightly lemony Va and nutty Burley tied together nicely by fig-like Perique -- a rounded bottom note that seems indispensable. I smoke it as a holiday treat since it features deertongue flavoring, which I can handle only occasionally. (It's my understanding that P&C no longer uses real deertongue leaf.)
Cornell & Diehl - Oriental Silk
Oriental Silk: bold, exotic, pungent
Full flavored blend with musty, pungent flavors set against semi-sweet Virginias. Overall good clarity -- reminds me of something Pease might concoct. I use a small pipe because this blend satisfies quickly, and it doesn't DGT well; it becomes ashy tasting.
Samuel Gawith - Spring Time Flake 50g
Spring Time Flake is top notch
Gentle, natural sweetness with bread-like character and a hint of nuttiness. More wine-like than grassy or sharp. This is not a Perique showcase, but a deftly executed blend with great balance.
Mac Baren - HH Mature Virginia 100g
HH Mature Va: Slightly smoky
A racy Virginia tobacco flavor with a delicate natural sweetness, a faint fruity or wine-like character, and an even more subtle hint of grassiness – though not the least bit sharp or disagreeably piquant. As the bowl progresses its flavor and smoky character grows in intensity – a development that should delight lovers of Latakia – though I don’t get the impression that there is any Latakia in this blend.
Fribourg & Treyer - Vintage Flake 50g
F&T Vintage: good starter flake
Good tasting if somewhat unremarkable straight Virginia flake. It is precisely what I would recommend to a newbie who wanted to sample a representative member of the Va. flake genre. There’s lots of quality here, but nothing distinctive – no pizzazz.
Peterson - Hyde Park 50g
Hyde Park: Ultra, ultra, ultra light Lakeland notes
Aside from a delicate floral note, the blend has a very natural tobacco taste, with some evidence that fermentation was part of the process. Its strength is on the high side of medium, but it is a very smooth smoke. I don't taste any Latakia, but rather, something akin to dark fired leaf. Luxurious indeed!
Rattray's - Brown Clunee 100g
Brown Clunee:
This is a smooth, somewhat less than sharp Va. with a dark sweetness. There is little if any citrus flavor although it does have a low-level tartness that keeps the salivary glands perked-up throughout the smoke. It plays well against the hops-like grassiness of the sweet Va. As the bowl progresses a brut prune flavor grows in prominence. Eventually the flavor takes on a woody character – sort of an interesting development since the initial flavors seem to hold their own while the slow-to-develop prune and woody flavors add their voices to the chorus.
Cornell & Diehl - Captain Bob's Blend 2oz
Capt. Bob's: Great change of pace smoke
I avoid Latakia and aromatics, but in this blend everything works! Think grape soda -- not cloying, and nice for a change.
Mac Baren - 7 Seas Red 3.5oz
7 Seas: An Aromatic For The Tobacco Purist
This has a wonderful Va/Burley taste and a subtle touch of fruitiness, of which cherry is most identifiable flavor. Great change of pace for the tobacco purist.
Savinelli - Doblone d'Oro 100g
Doblone d'Oro: a surprise hit from Savinelli
VaBur taste with a gently sweet wine-like character, and fruity notes riding atop a subtle smoky background. Very unique and intriguing taste! Downside: 1" coins are tightly packed and difficult to separate -- about half fall apart; but that's not a deal breaker for me. Supposedly a close copy of the old 3 Nuns (with Perique.)
Brigham - Acadian Blend 50g
Brigham Acadian: woodsy VaPer with a smokey edge
More of a ribbon cut than a shag, and not so sweet that I'd include that in the product description. It has a woodsy character and a smokey edge, so I think there's some fire cured leaf (or maybe stoved Va) in the mix. Mild to medium strength and flavor, and the Perique (probably not pure St. James) is quite noticeable, but not overdone. More fruity than peppery, but no raisins and berries in my tin. Definitely worth your consideration.
Brigham - Klondike Gold 50g
Klondike Gold: mild and flavorful flake
The product description is spot on, and I don't need to duplicate the complimentary rhetoric. This is a surefire hit. If you like most of the popular Virginia flakes, this one will fit right into your rotation.
Brigham - Hudson Bay 50g
Hudson's Bay: wine-like and slightly sweet
This sets the standard for matured Virginia blends. It's creamy smooth, with good mouth feel and a great volume of smoke. Nothing grassy, sharp or harsh. Lots of fruit-like flavors and Virginia subtleties.
Cornell & Diehl - Opening Night 2oz
Opening Night: basic, pure Va taste
Opening Night has a rich Virginia taste, yet it is soft and herbal -- not sharp and grassy. Natural sweetness and medium nicotine. This compares favorably with GLP Union Square.
Captain Earle's - Honor Blend 2oz
Honor Blend - tasty, slow burning, fairly sweet
This is a sweet but not cloying red Va. It tastes somewhat bread-like with touches of woodiness and pungency. It is more wine-like than sharp or grassy. Its clarity lets the Turkish and Perique peek around the edges of the base tobacco; but the Cavendish doesn't stand out at all (IMO, a good thing!) If you like Anni Kake and Marble Cake, then try this satisfying variant on the theme. (I had no problem crumbling my cake.)
Esoterica - Peacehaven 8oz
Peacehaven - delectable medium Va flake
The bouquet is strong with the sourness of fermentation and the aroma of sweet apricot, pungent green olives, and the zesty odor of moldering hay. When smoked, add to that mix a wonderful citrus taste. I would call this a sweet, mildly sharp Va. blend with pungent, fruity complexity and above average nicotine strength. It is among the more complex blends on the market and exudes character and sophistication.
James J. Fox - Dorisco Mixture 50g
Dorisco: Latakia alert !!!
This is a quality smoke, but be advised that it has a moderate and quite noticeable amount of Latakia -- despite the absence of any mention of it in the tin description.
McClelland - 2035 - Dark Navy Flake
Dark Navy Flake sinks my boat :(
I really looked forward to smoking this since McClelland has such a great reputation for Virginias. The problem is, I can't keep this one lit. I've tried every tactic: rubbing, cube cutting, folding, and even grinding in a coffee mill. I also tried various degrees of dryness. Nothing works for me. Someone made the comment that this is only useful for blending. Maybe, but I'm not about to buy base tobaccos just to rescue this stuff. BTW, it has a moist, leathery texture and its appearance reminds me a lot of shoe polish.
Sutliff - 507C Virginia Slices
Sutliff 507-C, a grassy Danish flake / utility smoke
Flakes are ~7" long and fragile. Also somewhat dry -- but for me that's a good thing. Flavor is mostly grassy with just enough sharpness to scare away amateurs; not terribly sweet; not terribly citrus; and, near the bottom, somewhat ashy tasting. It has a mild and smooth natural tobacco flavor with medium nicotine strength and good whole mouth feel. There may be a bit of top flavor – something dark like anise -- but so faint I can hardly identify it properly. This won't disappoint veteran Va smokers who are looking for an everyday economy flake, but it won't knock your socks off either.
Low Country - Santee 2oz
Santee: An aromatic for tobacco purists
OK, so I'm a self-described tobacco purist, but I have been on a never ending quest for an aromatic I can actually enjoy. This is the only blend I have ever found to deliver good tobacco taste along with a delectable apple flavoring -- and that's without any artificial tastes and aftertastes. To give you some idea of where I'm coming from, I think the ever popular 1-Q is too artificial tasting!
Dan Tobacco - The Mallard 50g
Non-aromatic pure Virginia taste.
This is a mild rubbed-out Virginia flake with a quintessential Va taste: slightly grassy, but not sharp; just enough citrus zest to detonate your salivary glands; and a wine-like sweetness that doesn't mask the tobacco flavor. I'll recommend this the next time someone asks me to name a benchmark Virginia tobacco. The only knock, IMO, is the price -- but it should be on every Va lover's short list of blends to try. High quality NON-aromatic.
Cornell & Diehl - Milk & Honey: Halav U' Duash 2oz
Sweet, fruit-like, good tobacco flavor
Tobacco purists have no fear! The aromatic in this blend is imperceptible; and the tobacco flavor is up front and satisfying. Produces gobs of chewy smoke.
Newminster - No.80 Norway Pipe Cut
#80 Norway: Sweet, mellow codger blend
#80 Norway is a beautiful ribbon tobacco blend with a natural taste that reminds me of Prince Albert -- but with a soft sweetness like cotton candy with a berry-like character; and that puts it over the top, in my book. . Nicotine strength is not quite medium, but it has good smoke volume and mouth feel. This bears no relation to cheap OTC aromatics. In fact, if it is technically an aromatic, it sure smokes and tastes like pure, natural leaf. An all day smoke that's easy on the tongue.
