Welcome back to another episode of Tasting Notes. If you've been following this series lately, you've likely noticed that I've been slowly smoking my way through the Sillem's pipe tobacco portfolio. I started with the Aromatic mixtures (the ones in the solid-colored square tins) and found some new favorites, especially for me since I'm only an occasional Aromatic smoker. These blends are really high-quality mixtures and represent intriguing takes on a number of classic pipe tobacco styles. Now, however, I have moved on to some of my personal favorites within the Sillem's line, starting with a mixture from the flake series: Councilor 1695.

Packaged in a light, blue-green tin, Councilor 1695 is a distinctive Virginia/Perique mixture, comprising both Red and Bright Virginias and an undisclosed amount of Perique. This blend is made by K&K in Germany, and with this manufacturer, you typically don't see really high levels of Perique in any of their blends; Councilor 1695, however, is a little heavier on the Perique than most. If I had to guess, I would say this mixture features between 5% and 10% Perique; there's enough there that a seasoned Perique smoker can feel it and taste it immediately, but it's not so heavy that it would turn off anyone who might be sensitive to that note.

Aroma, Cut, and Moisture

For today's review, I'll be smoking a tin that I grabbed off the shelf just a couple of days ago. And even for a fresh tin, the tin note is so strong and rich. There's this aroma of tangy stone fruits, fermented hay, and a light breadiness. There's also a recognizable citrus quality here, one that seems closer to orange zest than, say, lemon zest. It's just really rich and tangy with a little bit of tartness. It's a note you'll notice right away, and it really offers a nice preview of what you can expect from smoke.

The flakes themselves have a more orangey hue to them, with a shade that's somewhere between a true orange and mahogany. There's most likely a good amount of Red leaf in here, and not too much Bright leaf. The cut is really nice and uniform with an excellent moisture level. Now I do advise that, with a fresh tin, you give this like three to five minutes of aeration; typically, I rub it out, let it sit and aerate for a few seconds, and then fluff it up a little bit. I find that it performs a little bit better in the pipe that way, but you still get all of that rich flavor and aroma in the smoke.

Developing Richness and Body

The first thing you notice on the first light is that prominent Perique flavor. It's not too strong, but you aren't left questioning whether or not you're tasting Perique here. There's a light pepperiness in the retrohale, and the flavor that you get immediately is slightly spicy, layered with a sort of grassy, bread-like quality from the Virginias. It takes a minute for the flavors to really round out and develop in the bowl, but about one-third of the way down, you begin to notice a big richness, more base notes, a bit more spice, and a little more sweetness balancing out the palate.

The burn, especially after that initial preparation, is really good. It's not hard to keep this one lit at all, and it performs very well in the pipe. And something I've noticed consistently with this blend, no matter the age, is that it tends to perform similarly every single smoke. With aged tins, the flavors just tend to deepen and become richer, but even fresh this is a very dense and creamy smoke — almost what I would expect from an English mixture or something with a lot of Black Cavendish in it. There's plenty of body here. That said, I would place this blend just a hair under medium in terms of strength, and medium-to-full in terms of flavor, but the overall body is quite heavy for a mixture like this.

Quick Comparisons

If you're accustomed to typical Virginia/Perique mixtures, Sillem's Councilor 1695 sort of falls between something like Peter Stokkebye's Luxury Navy Flake and Escudo. You still get a lot of those stone fruit notes (e.g. fig, raisin, plum, etc), and there's a lot of body and creaminess, but even towards the bottom of the bowl, I never find it to be quite as spicy as Escudo. Fans of blends like Gawith and Hoggarth's Louisiana Perique Flake, or Solani's 633, or maybe even Cornell and Diehl's Sun Bear will certainly appreciate this blend. Now I know there's not Perique in Sun Bear, but it has a similar vibe — that zesty character supported by a lot of deeper notes, a really creamy mouthfeel, and a full body.

If I had to compare Sillem's Councilor 1695 to something other than tobacco, I would place it firmly in the Pinot Noir category of wines. It's not too sweet, and it's not too dry. It has a lot of body, great depth, plenty of fruity notes, and a decent amount of richness, without becoming too full-bodied or robust. And that character only enhances with age. From personal experience, I can testify that this one ages very well. When it's available, I tend to stock up and put three to five tins down to cellar. Then I usually try to go back and smoke through tins that are four to five years old, if not older.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, Sillem's Councilor 1695 may be the perfect Virginia/Perique mixture for me personally. It's full enough that I could smoke it outside; I could easily take it with me on a camping trip, and like it has enough flavor to stand up to stronger weather conditions. It also pairs nicely with a fuller-bodied adult beverage like a strong scotch or bourbon, but it is still something that I could smoke all day, without any fatigue. It really strikes the perfect balance of sweetness and spice.

If you're a Virginia smoker, either of straight Virginias or Virginia/Perique blends, you owe it to yourself to try Sillem's Councilor 1695. It's a total sleeper, but those who have tried it tend to return to it consistently. It can be hard to find, but once you wrap your head around it, you'll quickly realize what all the hype is about.