Per Jensen's influence in the pipe-tobacco industry cannot be understated — he spent decades as Mac Baren's master blender and was notably the creator of the HH line. With the launch of Per Jensen tobacco, he drew on a lifelong love of pipe-tobacco blending to create refined smoking experiences. The Legacy Collection, representing Per's tribute to his father Georg Jensen's life, extends with the first limited-edition blend, and the first of four releases over the next few years — Aftensmad.

Legacy Collection Inspiration

The Legacy Collection originally launched in September 2025 with four regular-production mixtures — Brothers in Arms, Harbour Dreams, King's Watch, and Port Guardian — each tied to a distinct artifact or photo from Georg's life. Now, Aftensmad expands the Legacy Collection, made in collaboration with C&D's Head Blender, Jeremy Reeves. Each of the four limited-edition blends to join the Legacy Collection will be inspired by a different menu card that Per's father kept from his time aboard the Danish royal ship, HDMY Dannebrog, in 1929.

The Royal Yacht Dannebrog & Georg's Service

The ship Georg served aboard was a decades-old, 1879-vintage paddle steamer that predated today's royal yacht, Dannebrog, launched in 1932, carrying Danish royalty for five decades. He was drafted as a conscript and appointed a lookout of the original Dannebrog, which served King Christian X and Crown Prince Frederik.

The original Dannebrog collided with the Japanese merchant freighter Matsumoto Maru in Copenhagen harbor on August 19, 1929, sustaining damage. Although it was repaired, the original vessel was retired and scrapped by 1934.

"Every summer, the King and Queen travel around Denmark visiting the different cities," said Per in an interview from 2025 with Pipesmagazine during the Chicago Pipe Show. "This was a tradition that goes back to the Vikings because at that time they didn't have Facebook or Instagram, so a lot of people didn't know how the King looked. So they had to travel around to all the cities to show his face... This tradition is taken over by the present Kings as well."

He shared that the crew was chosen from the navy and conscripts were hand-selected to join the royal ship to work for the summer. "Officers were always assigned to the ship, but every summer a different crew." Per notes that Georg's military service book serves as a source of knowledge about his time spent on the Dannebrog. "I can see that he was appointed as a lookout on the royal ship," he says, "meaning that he would be appointed to the bridge to look out for other ships or dangerous things that might occur. That was his primary job."

Beyond his official duties, Georg took on whatever was needed: rust work, honor guard, and likely serving dinner to the royal family on these evenings. "He and the other conscripts onboard the ship had many jobs," says Per. "If the ship came to port, there was no reason for a lookout because they could see where they were going, so they were appointed to be the guard of honor to stand and salute the same when the hangars ships come home. All the sailors were lined up and saluting, so that was likely one of his tasks as well."

The four menu cards — dated June 30, July 16, July 17, and September 28, 1929 — are personal objects that Per treasures from his father. But the story of how Georg got them is quite mysterious.

The Menu Cards

Per is unsure how his father initially collected the menu cards, but he has considered the logical possibilities. "He could have been appointed to serve the king, or one of his friends was appointed and he collected them. The only thing I know is that he had them and now I have them."

Unfortunately, Georg passed away when Per was only 20 years old, so there are questions he didn't have the foresight to ask. As a teenager, Per was sent to Germany to learn German for a year, and when he came back, his father fell into the coma that took his life within a few months of his return. "We had very little time, and today I would have a thousand questions." Despite their ambiguous origin, the menu cards remain treasured objects for Per — and the inspiration behind this first limited-edition blend, Aftensmad.

A Blend For A Full Dinner

Each limited release will be named for various types of meals in Danish, complementing the character of the blend itself. The first entry, Aftensmad, translates to dinner/supper from Danish, and represents the largest meal of the day. The name corresponds with the blend itself because the tobacco is quite strong and full-flavored, making it ideal for enjoyment after a satisfying meal.

"It's probably a blend you'll smoke while sitting down," says Per. "I wouldn't use the word heavy, but it's a powerful blend, so you'll probably sit down, lean back, and enjoy it. The blend features light Virginias, heavy Dark-Fired Kentucky that plays a big role, and the Perique where, if you're not seated, it will seat you. It's like a menu card. You start with something light, like an hors d'oeuvre, and then the main course, and finally dessert."

Much like a full-course meal at dinnertime, Aftensmad is designed to fill you up and satisfy you without going overboard. "That is also the task of the menu card: to slowly fill the guests up without overdoing it," says Per. "You don't want a guest to be seated and so full that they cannot get up. It's a matter of finding the right balance — strong enough to make an impression, but not too much so that it can still be enjoyed."

Aftensmad is a robust blend pressed and sliced into flakes. The blend itself was developed by Per and Jeremy, with the menu as a conceptual framework. It is a Dark-Fired forward blend where each complex component — Red Virginias, Kentucky Fire-Cured, Italian Dark-Fired, Guatemalan Burley, Thai Izmir, and St. James Parish Perique — functions like ingredients in a hearty dish, enhancing the others so the whole exceeds its parts. The resulting mixture is full and rich, and is the kind of tobacco best sipped slowly after a full meal.

• Per Jensen Aftensmad
• Cut: Flake
• Components: Red Virginia • Kentucky Fire-Cured • Italian Dark-Fired • Guatemalan Burley • Thai Izmir • St. James Parish Perique
• Strength: ★★★★
• Room Note: ★★★★
• Taste: ★★★★

Georg's Post-Dinner Pipe

Per has memories as early as four or five years old, assisting his father with his after-dinner smokes. Georg only smoked a blend he made himself, mixing together Yellow Capstan, Dark Twist, J.R. Freeman's, and Red Players, according to Per. "After dinner, for instance," he says, "he would always ask my sister or I to fetch his pipe. There was only one problem... he had 40 or 50 pipes of the exact same shape, and we would never pick the right one."

Among equal pipes, there are always a few favorites that feel better in your mouth and the tobacco seems to taste better in, according to Per, and that was also the case for Georg. "He was looking for those favorites, and we had no clue what he wanted. So we'd just get whatever pipe. He had pipes all over the place." Georg's go-to shape was number 79 on his classic pipe chart, denoting a straight or a slightly bent Billiard variant. "It was a shape he made for himself because he had a practical problem: He had no more of his own teeth. So if the pipe was heavy, he couldn't hold it in his mouth."

To accommodate this issue, Georg designed a curved pipe that was very light. "It weighed 29 grams and he would have it in his mouth while working." Per and his sister gave it the nickname "The Ugly Duckling" because they thought it looked rather funny. "It was out of proportion, but no matter what, he liked it."

These positive memories from Per's childhood are reflected in Aftensmad, a blend designed for pleasant evening smokes post-dinner with your own favorite pipe.

Aftensmad Tin Art & Danish Table Setting

Ania Nierwinski, our Graphic Designer, designed the label with inspiration from Royal Copenhagen pottery. She utilized examples from Royal Copenhagen's official website to emulate this style of porcelain plate, which is iconic in Denmark, and was more than likely the style of dinnerware that the Royals in Denmark aboard the Dannebrog would have eaten their meals on, with delicate and intricate blue-and-white patterns.

The art of Danish table setting captures coziness and comfort by creating a warm atmosphere, a concept known as hygge. Danish design sources share that thoughtful elements, like simple centerpieces, soft lighting from candles, and natural materials, among other details, make the experience of a meal with friends and family all the more seamless and joyful, which the tin art emulates.

Also included in every tin is a menu card, just like the one Georg secured from the Dannebrog. These subtle aspects of the tin art celebrate Georg's life and his service aboard the royal yacht, also complementing the Legacy Collection's other regular-production tins in design and aesthetic.

Future Additions

As for future limited-edition blends in the Legacy Collection, Per shares that he can envision the next iterations being similarly approached in concept and blending. "I could see Horva, the mid-day lunch, and Nanna, which is breakfast." He pictures each future blend serving a role for the smoker, much like the menu cards did for the dinner guests — resulting in satisfaction and enjoyment. "At least that is what I hope."

A special thank you to Per Jensen for his time spent in conversation with me about this exciting new release. Be sure to check out the first limited-edition tobacco in Per's portfolio dedicated to the late Georg Jensen, Aftensmad, available in limited quantities on September 8.

Bibliography

• Asano, P. (2026, January 1). Danish Tablesetting Ideas – Simple Scandinavian Table Decor with Greens and Natural Materials. Danish Design Space. danishdesignspace.ca
• Foster, J. (2025, May 8). 2025 Chicago Pipe Show and the Battle of the Briar. Pipesmagazine.com. pipesmagazine.com
• Hackett, B., & Cundall, P. (2024). Yusosen! Japanese Oilers | Combined Fleet Matsumoto Maru. combinedfleet.com