HIEROPHANT

Reviews


Missouri Meerschaum - Country Gentleman 1.5oz
Quite a surprise
Comes in a pouch, costs less than $5, how good can it be? Pretty freaking good actually. Citrus and sweet from the VA, just a tiny touch of spice from the Perique those components alone would make this a good blend. But the addition of the dark fired really adds a dimension to this blend with its smoky leathery taste that moves Country Genetleman completely out of the "pouch tobacco" category. Definitely include a pouch of this on your next order.

Vauen - Trullerie 50g
A favorite
One of my favorite straight Virginia blends. Nicely naturally sweet with some citrus tang it packs easily and stays lit. As indicated in the description above it's not a complex blend but it's a very good one to settle in with after a long day.

Sutliff - Molto Dolce 1.5oz
Flavorful, but goopy
Molto Dolce contains Black Cav, Burley and Virginia. But, the stuff is so heavily topped they could just as easily used dried dandelion stems and lawn clippings as the base, it wouldn't matter. There is no tobacco taste in this mix at all, it's all the toppings, and in small doses as a treat for your sweet tooth, it isn't bad at all. My biggest complaint is the goopy mess MD will leave behind. I nearly ruined a briar with the stuff, took a lot of cleaning effort to get rid of it. I'd recommend smoking MD in cobs, in my opinion it's not worth dedicating a briar to.

Stands & Pouches - Tobacco Pouch Humidifier
Really Works
These little buggers are great! I ordered 5 of them and have to say they really do keep jarred tobacco at a perfect moisture level. I put one in jar with some Dunhill Flake that I allowed to dry out to 'extra crispy' consistency and after about 10 days in the jar with the humidifier it was back to perfect moisture levels. Very highly recommended.

Lighters - IM Corona Old Boy Black and Chrome
Worth the money
I resisted buying one of these for a long time because of the price, but finally broke down. The Old Boy is perfect for a pipe smoker; I didn't think the angled flame would make that much of a difference but it really does. I'm not sure it works any better than a Zippo with a pipe insert (I alternate between them) but if you're one of those who say you can taste the naptha after lighting with a Zippo, this is for you. The fuel capacity is generous and it'll last for a week or two of normal (for me) use. The flame is adjustable to any level between "small and soft" to "useful for brazing". Best of all possibly, no more burning your thumb while trying to light with one of the disposables. Only bad thing about it is, I can easily see myself losing the screw that covers the fill reservoir. Aside from that, this thing is perfect.

Mac Baren - HH Old Dark Fired 3.5oz
Lives up to the hype
I bought a tin of this a while back and just cracked it today, I've been looking forward to it for a while. I've read nothing but glowing reviews of ODF, one guy's complete review was "It's a gift from God" so to be honest I was prepared to be disappointed; nothing is that good. Well, it's damn good. The glowing reviews are well deserved, the flavor is amazing and even my uneducated palate can pick out the subtleties. The burley is predominate of course and the taste is bold and wonderful, but it doesn't overpower the Virginias. The only slightly negative thing I can say about it, and this will not be a factor for everybody, is that the nic is pretty strong. I have a relatively low tolerance and have to smoke this gem in a small bowl and, sadly, I don't think it would be an all day smoke for me. Every day, but not all day. I give it 4 stars for sissies like me, but if you can take the Vitamin N hit, it's 5 stars all the way.

Samuel Gawith - Winter Time Flake 50g
Good. It's real good.
This is my second experience with a Gawith flake. (The first was Navy Flake. We need not speak of it further.) This flake is extremely flavorful and well behaved. The moisture content in the tin is on the dry side (for SG). I rub the flakes out and let it dry for 15 mins or so and load the pipe. It lights easy and stays lit. I don't know what the percentages of lat to VA are, but the latakia seems dominant and that's fine with me, I love the stuff. You get a nice noticeable sweetness from the VA. This is a really good English flake and would a good first foray into the genre.

Sir Walter Raleigh - Regular 1.5oz
Perfectly good smoke
Like complex lat forward blends? Do you revel in the subtlety of Virginias blended with just the right amount of Perique resulting in a lovely grassy, raisiny tin note and a spicy, layered smoking experience? Do you crave English blends, with the Orientals giving you a different taste on every puff? If so, then take yourself someplace else fancy boy, Sir Walter Raleigh isn't for you. What you get from SWR is the expected Burley nuttiness with a little bit of something else. A lot of people say cocoa, but for me it's just a bit of sweetness behind the Burley. Not layered, not complex, just a decent all day tobacco. It isn't fussy about how it's packed. With SWR I generally use the "stick the pipe in the pouch and cram it full" method and that seems to work just fine. Doesn't really need a charring light, and will generally burn through with a minimum of fuss and bother. If you're an unapologetic puffer then it MIGHT burn a little hot for you, but no one else need worry. It's a good choice for smoking when you can't devote your attention to the pipe...when doing chores, driving, times like that.

G. L. Pease - Gaslight 2oz
It's all good
Everything about this offering from Pease is outstanding. The packaging to me promises a rich, dark, powerful smoking experience and Gaslight delivers. Opening the tin revealed 2 dark, densely packed cakes that offered up an earthy, oily smokey scent with the Latakia being prominent. I was anxious to try it out, and so my first smoke was not ideal. The tobacco is quite moist and needs some dry time which I did not give it, so it was difficult to get my first bowl lit and to keep it lit. After I calmed down and gave the tobacco the time it needed, it was near perfect. A great smoke. The room note, I am told, is 'a bit much don't you think'. But I loved it. Definitely will be in my rotation. I see it as being a near perfect smoke for the dead of winter when you need something to warm you up.

Cornell & Diehl - Pirate Kake 2oz
A favorite I think
Like Latakia? Pirate Kake has got you covered. I got a free sample of this with my last order and can't say enough good about it. It's exactly what I have in mind when I think "strong tobacco" and that's a good thing.

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Blog's Commented on

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  • ► I have not tried Gawith & Hoggarth yet, but I do have a tin of Balkan Mixture sitting in my cellar (ok, ok, my kitchen cabinet). I've been saving it, but maybe I'll pop it this weekend!
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  • ► Very timely review! I just picked up a pouch the other day at my local B&M but haven't sliced into it yet. I'm really looking forward to it. The only other plug I've messed with is 3P, but I have a fondness for "Navy" blends and so to find one in plug form was pretty exciting. Looking forward to you guys getting it in stock.
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  • ► I've been looking at the Corona Old Boy, but it doesn't not seem to me to have the angled flame, am I right in that? And if it doesn't have that, is it any more effective/less prone to burn my thumb than a plain old Bic?
  • ► Perfect. That's the info I needed to pull the trigger, thanks guys.
    Mystery Review: July 2015
  • ► I guessed it right from the picture! Helps that I'm smoking my way through a tin of Black Shag and was loading a pipe with while reading :)