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Sixpence exhibits perfectly balanced strength, body, and flavor. It's also just spicy enough for my tastes. This is expertly blended stuff; the interplay between the Virginia, Perique, and Dark Fired Kentucky components is both sublime and interesting. There's a strong top note of anise or licorice that I find most enjoyable, as it serves to sweeten the tobacco and add yet another layer of character to the overall flavor. This also might be one of the best looking flakes I've seen out of the C&D factory. It's firm, yet moist, and rubs out beautifully. I'm smoking my fifth tin of it, so I must really like it.
I had the chance to sample a prototype of Sixpence and borrowed (read: stole) a few bowls from a couple of the guys here in the office, but this tin marks the first occasion that I've had to sit down and think carefully about the tobacco. The flakes are fairly dense and range in color from straw yellow to dark brown. Upon rubbing out the flake, I'm struck by how many golden strands there are, which suggests an ample presence of bright Virginia. Tin note is pleasant: sweet, hay-like Virginias, fruity Perique, and the faint touch of liqueur. Tobacco is slightly more moist than a typical G.L. Pease blend, but it takes a light eagerly.
This blend comes out of the gate running. I get sweetness from the Virginias, a ripe fruitiness from the Perique, and a subtle meatiness from the dark fired Kentucky. There is a slight top note of liqueur, just as the tin note suggested, but its primary contribution seems to be a light sweetness that harmonizes the constituent tobaccos. As the bowl progresses, the Perique softens just a bit. Its presence is always felt, but it's not quite as prominent by mid-bowl as I expected. In some respects this blend reminds me a bit of Navigator, although Sixpence is more refined, more elegant, and has a much brighter flavor profile. This could easily be an all day smoke for me. It's gentle on the palate and produces wonderful billows of smoke, even when sipped gently. At the same time, it's complex enough to stay interesting and strong enough to be satisfying. It's a delicious blend now, and has a lot of potential for aging.
Sixpence has been all the craze around the office for the past couple months. We sampled the prototype a while back and had been patiently awaiting last week's release. Why? Because it's the first VaPer in the Old London series. Because it has that old school tobacco charm unique to those blends long discontinued. Because the broken flakes, as Ted put it, are the some of the best we've seen come out of the C&D factory. And because... well, it's really delicious.
The intial light is sweet with a nice hint of an anise-like topping. A few puffs in the brights step to the front, offering up nice citrusy notes, with a bit of raisiny spice from the Perique as well. The dark-fired adds a touch of richness to balance out the fresh taste of the other components. The flavor is consistent all the way down, with that anise-licor offering a nice aftertaste between puffs. The strength is medium, but still satisfying, body is full, and the flavor, again... delicious.
And that's pretty much the consensus around here. We're all satisfied with the results, and have made it a common go to in our rotations. Now it's your turn. What did you think of Pease's new blend? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Comments
How does this compare to Triple Play? That's also a VaKyPer. Wonderful stuff.
Once of the best I've smoked in a long time. Not much to add that hasn't already been said. It's just good. A really nice job balancing and smoothing out the different flavors and tobaccos. All three are there and present, but they're mated very nicely. If you think about it, you can detect each different tobacco very clearly, if you're just puffing away without thought, it's just a nice flavourful, lightly sweet smoke. Generally it takes me a bowl or two to decide whether or not I "like" a tobacco. I liked this immediately. I personally feel this one smokes better, at least for me, rubbed out rather than folded or cubed. Seems to be more flavourful when rubbed out. The tin note is intoxicating and the room note seems pleasant enough to those around me. Not mentioned as a component but I'd almost swear there is a little oriental in there, maybe it's just the top note I am detecting. But to my palate I detect a subtle spice to it that is quite enjoyable and reminds me a great deal of oriental leaf. Anyhow my rambling aside, the long and short. Great blend and well worth trying. I am personally going to be buying numerous more. I think this will age quite nicely.
Jim, I'll second that Sixpence is much better rubbed out than folded and stuffed. I think the different flavors are more pronounced, and I think it's just generally easier to smoke this way.
Joe, great question. I'm a huge fan of Triple Play and have smoked quite a bit of it recently, but honestly I wouldn't even think to compare the two. They're just that different. I think it might have a bit more Perique than Sixpence does, and the brights seem more pronounced in the latter as well. The anise-liquor-like topping really does it for me though. I just love how the subtle licorice sweetness pairs against the citrusy notes of the brights and the raisiny tones of the Perique. Hope that helps!
One item I meant to add and forgot. As I finished my first tin today I ran into an issue that only adds to the need to rub it out. It's a very chunky cut blend. Not at all uniform in any fashion, very rough cut. I had a large gob of unsliced at the bottom. I wound up having to use scissors to cut it up since it wouldn't rub out at all. Just a stack of pressed bright VA. Bowl packing seems to be of great import. It wants, again at least for me to pack too tight. The leaf is almost "sticky". So pack lightly or you'll be disappointed. Packed correctly, you probably wont even need a relight. Packed too tightly - a box of matches and pure frustration. As I finished the first tin and have a fuller idea of the blend, I only think higher of it. The cut and topping causes some quirks of the actual leaf, but the flavor and smoking qualities of this blend is just lovely. Admittedly - I love tobacco. I almost give everything 5 stars, I can appreciate each blend in it's own genre. But, I really think this blend stands alone, I can't seem to compare it to anything. The only thing that is close that I can think of is my recent trial of Oak Alley - some similar qualities. In time this could very well become a "classic". Thus far, my favorite from Pease. Lastly - I've been smoking a pipe for 20 odd years or so. Well, since I was 16 (don't tell dad that I used to nip some of his Carter Hall) I missed out on some of the old "classics". I feel some of the blends that have came out recently to be superlative. Quite possibly some very good days ahead of us all who enjoy the leaf. We very may well be experiencing the birth of a new group of "classics".
I read all these wonderful reviews and bought two tins of this. Here is a dissenting opinion. Are you serious? The tin art is the best thing about this. This tobacco smokes hot and bites in my coolest smoking pipes. I taste a very light virginia, with almost no "body" or fullness. There is no weight to the smoke, The perique is noticeable and a little spicy. As a test, I had to smoke some of the Dunhill Elizabethan in the same pipe, and there it was. Rich, sweet, fruity. Everything a this blend should have been. I hate to toss 3/4 tin in the trash. Anybody want it? Does anyone there want the other tin in trade for something?
I'm with Phil.....Or I was. At first I was disappointed. I guess with all the hpe, I was expecting something more. Being a cheap skate and, always willing to give something a second, third or fourth chance, I kept at it. Now, I really enjoy this blend. Not my favorite, but still one I look forward to. I had trouble keeping it lit at first, but I found cutting the leaf with scissors helps to make it an easier burn. Don't give up on it just yet.
this is one of my favorites. I love the tin note and I think it is delicious to the taste. I love to stack it with some other favorites in my pipes. It is a regular go to tobacco for me.
@Joe Thornton Good to hear Joe, it's one of the office favourites as well. What else are you parfaiting it with?