One fateful day in October, right after my wife and I got married, we went shopping for our new home. With a passion for old junk, we visited an antique store right off I-75 in Chula, Georgia. This was the beginning of a wonderful hobby…
I noticed the pipe by accident. There was an old man in there, who was showing us around and it caught my eye. It was, and still is, nothing special. Just a little bent Bulldog made in France called a Gefapip that came with a cow-horn pipe stand, but at that moment, I could think of nothing else. The price tag was sixteen dollars. It turned out to be the best sixteen bucks I had ever spent. We left the store with pipe, a homemade rocking horse from the 30's, and a couple of other things, and headed straight for the supermarket…and the tobacco section. I was no stranger to the section, from years and years of using snuff, and the occasional cheap cigar, but had not noticed the aromas and flavor selection that pipe smoking had to offer. There were a million blends to try and I didn't know where to start! I bought a pouch of Our Best Smoke (vanilla) and a little box of Carter Hall. I knew right then and there that I was hooked (although the Our Best Smoke was actually terrible) I haven't put it down yet and have recruited many more to enjoy their lives fuller, with the smoke of a good pipe!
This mainly goes out to a few of my pipe smoking buddies, Gonchi, Ashwani, John, Jack, Rayt, Phil, Clem, Alfonso, Allan, etc. Without them, I would have never been able to try the blends I have… Also, I'm just your average-Joe, so these reviews aren't going to be really refined. Either I like the stuff, or I don't…
Cornell and Diehl Tobaccos-
C & D is easily my favorite on-line ordering company. Craig and Patty
are super to work with and just great people. I agree with the masses
that most of their blends come a little too dry, but for most of their
English blends, I prefer that. Also, some of these blends I tried right
after starting pipe smoking, (thanks to Allan's sampler pack!) so my
palate wasn't as refined as it is now. These blends were a gift, and he
had had them for years before I got them, so that dried them out even
more. In these instances, if I still have a sample of these blends left,
I will mist them and try again. If not, I will just give them an
incomplete rating, but will still comment on what I can remember…
Mocha- #306 My first bulk order from C&D. It's an all Black Cavendish mixture, but different from your drug store variety. This is fairly dry, and has bits of lighter flake instead of the jet-black blends. It's a mix of #305 Espresso and #700A Dark Chocolate. I smoked this blend in a Sherlock Holmes meerschaum, and the flavoring that the meerschaum gives off goes perfect with this blend. The Pouch aroma is that of a really strong coffee/caramel odor, and is very pleasing for the first smoke of the day. This blend is very mild, and really doesn't have a lot of "natural" tobacco taste, but in a small pipe (it gets sort of bland in a large pipe after a good bit of smoking) with a cup of strong dark coffee, nothing goes better. The room aroma is fairly sweet, with a hint of a "spice", probably due to the Burleys this blend is made up of. The Chocolate taste is almost non-existent to me, but I think it comes out as an added sweetness in the aroma. Overall, a nice blend for the Aromatic lover.
Espresso- #305 I was given a sample of this from a friend. It's very similar to Mocha in taste, except without the sweetness that the dark chocolate gives off. Overall, everything is essentially the same except Mocha is more suited to my tastes. This also has a very strong pouch aroma, and this blend might have a stronger room aroma than Mocha, also. I do find that the blend burns more into a caramel type taste than Mocha at the bottom of the bowl, which I like a lot…
Scot's Pub- #901 C&D describes this blend as a "mixture of the finest Scandinavian tobaccos in light cavendish cuts, skillfully blended with Scotch whiskey. Very mild". Well, the "very mild" part can be thrown right out! This is one of the strongest smokes I've ever had. It is almost impossible to French-exhale this blend, and the nicotine content must be sky high! It is only suited for a small pipe, and this was one of the blends that needed misting right after I got it. The Whiskey flavoring is only really noticeable in the first few puffs- it then turns into more of a strong neutral tobacco taste. I first started smoking this in a big black sandblast bulldog, but I have had to change it to a small Italian pipe called a Mini-Bent. The pouch aroma has a great smell to it, and the tobacco is a mixture of long thick cuts and smaller ones. It's mainly light tobaccos flecked with black. The room aroma is sort of neutral, mainly due to the natural taste of the tobacco, and not much of a whiskey casing. I have since pressed the remaining sample of this on my "homemade" press, and after a good misting/pressing, the blend has become a tad milder, although still not so to be smoked in a large pipe. I will let it age for a while longer and see what happens. This might appeal to a person who really wants a high nicotine boost, but there are more flavorful blends out there that will do it better than this one.
Plantation Evening- #416 A mixture of Virginias, Perique, Turkish, and a little Latakia. This blend is almost all light tobaccos, with just hints of black, probably the Latakia. I have read it is made up of 60% aged Virginias, so this is one naturally sweet smoke. For as long as I have started smoking, I have searched for the perfect English blend and this is as close as I have come to it! The room aroma is superb, the taste mild and extremely flavorful, and the look and cut of the tobacco really appeals to me. This has been my mainstay of English blends, and every English I try out now has to be compared to this blend. The Virginias seem to get sweeter every time I smoke it, and the Perique gives it a certain "sour" flavor (not a bad thing at all!). I have also pressed this blend and will see if it gets better with some additional aging. The room aroma is fantastic, also- with a slight "dry" sweetness, that lingers for a short time.
Orange Sherbert/Peach Brandy- This is a mixture made especially for Ashwani that combines the flavors of both #403 and #515O. It looks to be a blend of Virginias with a decent helping of Black Cavendish also. The pouch aroma is sweet with hints of citrus, but this is also not your usual aromatic blend. The tobacco is dry to the touch, and not heavily cased at all. I broke in a Rosewood pipe with this blend and the first smoke has never been duplicated. I had a distinct taste of oranges with a hint of vanilla, which surprised me because Ash said he had tasted no citrus at all. The taste and aroma was fairly strong, also- and it burned a little hot. I had never really tried a "strong" aromatic, and I really enjoy that quality of it. The room aroma is slightly sweet also, but not clogging like many aromatics. My wife really enjoyed both the pouch aroma and the room aroma, and she usually prefers my English blends over aromatics. Since that first smoke, I have never gotten the distinct flavor of citrus again, no matter what pipe I smoke it in, which is a shame because I really enjoyed that. It still gives off a nice aroma of fruits, and has plenty of natural tobacco taste, though. It has turned into one of my favorite aromatics.
Espresso/Jamaican Rum- This is another blend that Ashwani had made up by special order. I was expecting another all Black Cavendish blend like the original Espresso and also Mocha, but this is predominantly light tobaccos with black flecks. The pouch aroma has a distinct smell of coffee, and easier to describe as "coffee" compared to the other blends. The tobacco is fairly dry as well, and "bit" a little, so I misted the blend and it's much better now. Upon smoking, the coffee taste is really enjoyable and the room aroma is pretty nice. The Rum flavoring is almost undetectable to me, and it might come out more in the aroma than in the taste. This blend is a tad strong, so I'll assume it has some Burleys in it, but it's not TOO strong. I've smoked this blend in a Stanwell straight apple, and because of the dry tobaccos, it stays lit very easily, with almost no need for a re-light the whole smoke. It has a nice "natural" tobacco flavor, also, with the hints of Coffee. Overall, a pretty good blend, and I must say that I enjoy this one over the others because of the tobaccos used and the ease of filling the pipe.
Tradewinds- #444 An English/Aromatic crossover blend. It's listed as a "natural blend of Burleys, Virginia and specially sweetened Latakia for an exceptionally light, flavorful taste and distinctive aroma". It should be listed as a fairly bold blend with a distinctive taste… The Burley gives it a good dose of nicotine, and the Virginias make it bite a tad. I asked Craig before ordering what the "Aromatic" part would actually taste like, and he said it was hard to describe, but it had bits of Chocolate, Vanilla, Tonka (the bean I guess), and a touch of Anise. I wasn't sure if I wanted a whole pound of this stuff, so I ordered a pound of his Crooner blend instead and he threw in a free sample. It is extremely different from anything I had smoked before…and I've smoked plenty of it just to be able to write this review, since the first few times I couldn't figure it out. I still can't now, but will try to give you an idea. It seems some days I enjoy it, and other days I don't. I guess it just depends on my mood and the pipe I smoke it in… It's fairly strong in my book, and exhaling through the nose is hard for me. There is a distinct Aromatic flavor, and it seems to center on the Vanilla portion he wrote about. There is a hint of something odd, which is probably the Tonka bean. The room aroma is hard to describe also, it's pretty smoky from the Latakia and there is a touch of Vanilla, which almost turns into a burnt-sugar flavor later in the bowl. I started smoking this blend in an old briar that is reserved for English crossovers, and had had plenty of rest in between smokes since I hardly ever smoke any of these blends. I'm puffing it in a really old meerschaum now while writing. The blend is a mixture of dark tan and black tobaccos, and is cut very wide so it's easy to fill in a large pipe. Small pipes might give you trouble with this cut. It's fairly dry, and burns fast and hot, so I figure misting this blend would help some. It also gives off a funny feeling in the back of my throat, like some other Burley/Latakia blends do. I cannot taste the Anise at all, which is good since I usually hate the flavor of it. It burns to a speckled gray and black ash, and has a touch of wet dottle at the end. For somebody that likes Vanilla Aromatics and wants to step up to Latakia blends, this might be it, although the strength and slight bite might put off Aromatic smokers. I sort of enjoy the blend since I've never had anything like it before, but it's hard for me to see myself smoking this full time. My tastes have changed many times before, though, so there's no telling. Maybe it will grow on me by the time my sample is gone. Overall, a pretty decent, strong smoke with a nice room aroma and a healthy dose of Latakia.
Bag Piper- #043 This is a blend of Latakia, Burley and Deer Tongue and I'm smoking it in an old meerschaum. First impressions is that the Burley and Latakia go really well together which is surprising since I was made to think by the masses that Burley is not considered an ingredient in a true English blend. It seems sort of similar to Dunhill's Standard Mixture Medium, although the Deer Tongue gives it a slightly tart taste, and the Burley a hearty taste, which is really good in this blend. It also seems more aromatic somehow… My wife just walked in the room and asked what smells so good! By looking at the blend, I wouldn't have figured that it had much Latakia, since in the pouch everything is fairly dark, but it certainly does by the taste. Something is tickling the back of my throat when I puff, but I'm not really sure what it is- maybe a combination of things. French exhaling through the nose is a little rough, but very tasteful, and the aroma from the pipe is very sweet, similar to raisins and bread baking. This is a wonderful blend for a smoker that enjoys the flavor of a good natural burley, but with enough spices to keep it interesting! A superb blend, Craig!
Crooner's- #104 Made by C&D, from a recipe of one of Bing Crosby's friends (hence the name). Apparently this was Bing's everyday smoke- and it is quickly turning into mine also. It's a blend of natural Burley with Deer Tongue added for a slightly tart/spice flavor. The pouch aroma is superb. I could use this for incense or car freshener! It's extremely hard to describe, but has an aroma of something like pastry, although don't get me wrong- this is an all "natural" blend without even PG to promote even burning… Packing the pipe is extremely easy since it's sort of a cube cut, and it goes well in small or large pipes. My first sample, which I got from a friend, had big hunks of the Deer Tongue, which made it look really neat (a brown and green blend). When I ordered a pound of the stuff from C&D, the Deer Tongue had been ground up smaller, and was harder to locate in the blend. Upon lighting up, you can tell it's still there though! The taste is of a nice non-sweet natural tobacco, which doesn't bite at all (contrary to most people's opinion of Burley blends) and is easy to exhale out the nose. The deer tongue adds a slightly tart taste, but it just "hints". The blend is a straight Burley all the way… I enjoy the taste, and the rich fullness that this Burley gives off (which is surprising, since I really enjoyed Virginias over Burleys before), but it's the aroma of both the pouch and room that made me fall in love with this blend as much as I have. It smells of an old house or maybe a library with very old books...it gives off that comforting "safe" feeling. A blend like this will also make you think back of days long gone. This is the type of blend that Native Americans would have smoked in their rituals, or Civil War soldiers around their campfires. It's such a nice, natural blend that we forget about it in the days of "English this or Cherry that". It also reminds of when Dunhill pipes were only in England, and not worth hundreds of dollars, and when clay, and later, drugstore pipes were the only things around in the U.S. to enjoy a blend like this. This easily beats out any other Burley (Aromatic or Non-Aromatic) blend out there. Thanks Paul Z. for finding my everyday blend… (If there's one blend I really want somebody to try- it's this one.)
Oriental Silk- #414 This blend consists of Virginias, Turkish and Perique. I usually enjoy a Va/Perique blend, especially in a meerschaum, but this one isn't one of my favorites for some reason. The first few bowls seemed like they had gone overboard on the Perique, and it was actually too strong a smoke- the remaining sample seemed to get a little bland, so there was no "medium" for this blend to me. It's a nice looking yellow colored tobacco, more suited for a big pipe than anything else, because it does burn a little hot. The flavor had a distinct sweet/sour flavor that was enjoyable at times when I got the right combination of Virginias and Perique. It tingles a good bit when exhaling through the nose and it has a nice amount of body to it. The room aroma is that of a plain Virginia, sweet at first and then goes stale. I'm actually going to give this rating an incomplete, because I only got a small sample from a friend, and didn't get to smoke enough of it to fully grasp it.
My Blend (Christmas Morning)- This is a blend that I asked Craig to make up for me. It's an Aromatic/English crossover without Latakia. I had enjoyed the Aromatic flavor of his Cross-eyed Cricket blend, but not the Latakia, so I asked him to use the "rum punch" flavor, add a bit of cinnamon, and add more Perique. He added a good helping of Turkish tobaccos, also. It's a base of Black Cavendish, with long strips of the yellow colored Perique and Turkish. The pouch aroma has a distinct fruity smell, but upon lighting up, the Perique takes over and it gives it a spicy taste. Again, the rum flavoring is almost non-existent, and the extra cinnamon flavoring comes out more in the spiciness of the Perique. I really enjoyed this blend, and will probably order a pound of this some other time. I'm waiting until Dec. 25th to light up my Bari Special Freehand with this blend and sit by the fireplace…then I'll see if it's worth the name I gave it…
Cross-eyed Cricket- This is a fairly new tinned blend that consists of Black Cavendish, Latakia, Perique, and Turkish enclosed in a rum-punch flavor. I was given a nice sample of this from Ashwani, but I have a hard time putting the "punch" flavor with the Latakia. It was actually a pretty good smoke, though. I smoked this in a Big Ben pipe that has smoked English blends since I picked it up from Terry Hagley's website (shameless plug!). It really is a crossover blend because neither of the Aromatic or English really stands out, which is odd with crossover blends. Every puff gives you the punch flavor, and also a healthy taste of Latakia. The Turkish doesn't do much for me in this blend, and the Perique just adds a slight spice to it…It's almost as if it's just a Black Cav/Latakia blend. The aroma is pretty sweet, and might win non-smokers over (after reading other reviews- How many of us actually know what is going through the head of a non-smoker while we're lighting up in front of them!?!?). I liked this blend a little bit, but I'm not partial to "crossovers". I prefer English, Aromatic, or Natural- not all entwined with each other. This blend went over really well with my buddy, Gonchi, who smokes Thompson's Magic Flute (an aromatic similar to Lane's 1Q) everyday, with an "English Night" on Thursdays, with his friend Allan…He was getting the best of both worlds with this blend…
Coffee/Dark Caramel- This was a blend I had Craig mix together for me. It's #909 Coffee (Cavendish, Burley, Virginia) and also #668 Dark Caramel (black and white Burleys). The pouch aroma is of a strong caramel flavor, which my wife kept picking up and sniffing over and over again. The taste was of a really strong blend- too strong… I think the mix of all the Burleys really made it so strong that exhaling through the nose was almost impossible for me. I sent a sample to Ashwani, and he liked the stuff, but he inhales pipe tobacco and was in the mood for a strong smoke. I could taste the caramel over the coffee, which was surprising, and the room aroma was sort of sweet in a natural/musty Burley way. I'd recommend caution to anyone who wanted to try either one of these blends- it's not the usual aromatic blends that people are accustomed to. For the Aromatic smoker that enjoys a hearty blend- well go for either one! (again, this blend came really dry and I never misted it at all- maybe that would have helped some)
New Market- #410 A mixture of Lemon Virginia and Black Cavendish with a small sampling of Deer Tongue. This is one of the best Virginia blends I have tried, and certainly the best already rubbed-out. It's a bright yellow tobacco, in a ribbon cut, with flecks of Black Cav. and (hard to see) flecks of Deer Tongue. This is one of the most "naturally" sweet blends I've tried. Both the Deer Tongue and Black Cavendish, should be almost non-existent in this blend also, although the Black Cav. does come through with a slightly flat flavor, that goes well with the sweet Virginias. I can see where they get the name "Lemon Virginias", because the whole blend tastes like a lemon-cream dessert! The room aroma is fantastic, as well as the pouch aroma (even though the pouch aroma has a slightly odd smell) and for a person liking Virginia Flakes, or an Aromatic smoker looking for something with more of a natural tobacco taste- this would be a blend I recommend highly. BTW- the description on C&D's page is better than one I can give….
Danish Pastry- No longer listed on C&D's web page, but I was given a sample from Allan, and then sent one off to Ashwani where he ordered 2 pounds of the stuff! After a year, he sent me back a nice sized sample, which was fairly different from the first sample I got from Allan. Both tickle the throat and bite a good bit, and are fairly strong- but not dry like other C&D aromatics. The slight bite might be the added PG. The pouch aroma is nothing to write home about, but the room aroma is really nice- I can smell cinnamon rolls baking in the oven! Not sure what types of tobaccos are in this blend, but I'll guess Burley, Virginias, and Black Cavendish. This blend is better than any drugstore aromatic, and is similar to a Lane aromatic, so would go over well with new smokers or the local "bulk" buyers at your neighborhood smoke shop...
Berries and Cream- #301 An all Black Cavendish blend flavored with blackberry brandy. When I got my sample of this, it was extremely moist, and needed a day or so to "air" out some. The pouch aroma is of a nice fruity flavor, and upon lighting up, you can see why. There is a strong, strong, taste of blackberries and a slight hint of something else, which must be the brandy flavor breaking through. The room aroma is pretty much the same, something like a Lane blend, with hints of fruit. A lot of people I've talked to didn't like this blend a whole lot, and I'm in a cross between really liking it and ordering more, or giving it away to somebody else. I have a hard time smoking a fruit flavored Black Cavendish because I keep expecting something like a Captain Black blend- lots of smoke and a strong taste of vanilla. This blend was really mild, also, and I prefer something with a bit more body 90% of the time. I think Craig makes this flavor with a different group of tobaccos that's not a Black Cavendish base, and that would be more up my alley. I really enjoyed the flavor of the blackberries, but it just didn't have enough "umph!" for my tastes. For somebody looking for a mild, all-day blend and wants something a little bit better than drugstore stuff or bulk blends, this could probably be it…
Berry Good- #210 I was given a small sample of this from a buddy.The description is a combination of Burleys and Green River Vanilla (also Burleys). This is not your typical Cherry drugstore tobacco, either! It's good stuff…fairly dry to the touch, with hints of raspberry. The Burleys keep it interesting and lend enough punch to let you know you're smoking something. I look at this as a "natural" tobacco with a slight flavoring more than anything else. From what I smoked- I liked, but I'll have to give this an incomplete also since the sample was pretty small (about 5 bowls worth).
Spice Nut- #484 Various cuts of Burleys, Maryland and toasted Virginias. I pretty much hated this sample from Allan. It was way too strong, and impossible to exhale through the nose. Really bland also. Incomplete rating.
Pasha's Dream- #272 a Blend of Turkish, Latakia, Red Virginias, Kentucky Burleys and Bright Strips. This also came from Allan, and was extremely dry. I never got the flavor of Latakia or Caramel (it's an English crossover) and it wasn't for me. Really strong, also- Incomplete.
Tartus- #552 A new blend from C&D that includes Syrian Latakia, Turkish, Bright Virginia Ribbon and stoved red Virginia Ribbon. I received a sample of this from Ashwani, and it's another bright yellow/tan blend, but with a good helping of black tobaccos, and fairly dry (just the way I like an English blend!). The pouch aroma is really nice and obviously English. Upon lighting up, in a Dadson full bent briar, it takes on a different type of "English" flavor. I think I prefer this Syrian Latakia more than the norm, Cyprian (sp?) Latakia. It seems milder and sweeter tasting, and more flavorful (maybe even spicier?)- almost what I was expecting from the "specially sweetened Latakia" in the Tradewinds blend. This is a really good English, that has an ample flavor of Latakia, probably more than Plantation Evening. The big Latakia lover wouldn't like this blend (compared to something like Pirate Kake that has 70% Latakia), but for someone like me that just likes "hints" of Latakia in an English blend- this is great! The room aroma is slightly sweet, with the distinct smell of an English blend, but different from a Cyprian Latakia blend. Exhaling through the nose is almost heaven, although at times I get a "bite" on the tongue, but not every puff…It does get the bowl of the pipe a little too warm, and burns a little fast, but that's only because of the dryness. I think I'll give this blend an incomplete also, just so I can try and figure it out more… Actually, what the hell…another great C&D blend. Thanks Ash! Let's hope the cost of Syrian Latakia eventually goes down a little for this poor boy!
Finck's Cigar Co.-Out of Texas, they are a decent supplier of pipe tobaccos and accessories- but mainly concentrate on cigars more than anything else. They are also a joy to work with, and house blends can be bought by the pound or in 1½ ounce samples. All House blends are made by Peter Stokkebye, of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Generic Balkan Sobranie a.k.a.- Finck's English- This isn't really like the Original Sobranie that I have tried- BS white pouch. True, it has plenty of Latakia but is missing something (maybe the Yenidje tobacco?). The room aroma is that of a normal English blend filled with Latakia (either you like it or you don't) and it burns superbly. It is fairly dry to the touch and has a nice black/semi-reddish tint to the tobacco. Clem describes it as having a "mint" flavor, which I detected too, but the Original Sobranie does not really have. It's a good after-dinner Latakia smoke, but not really close to the original. Maybe it's more like a Frog Morton-type blend than a Balkan blend. Don't get me wrong, it's fairly good, and cheap, like all of Finck's blends, but it shouldn't have the name Sobranie. Maybe Generic Frog…
Generic Mac Baren a.k.a. Finck's Golden Cavendish- Another superb blend from Peter S. This is a fairly light blend that is probably supposed to be the generic version of Mac Baren's Golden Extra. It has almost 95% of light tobaccos, with a few specks of dark tobaccos. If you look closely, many of the strands of tobacco have been pressed and then crumbled up. It gives off a wonderful aroma, and semi-natural tobacco flavor, even though the blend tastes like Virginias to me (the original Golden Extra is said to be a pressed burley on the Mac web page). Whatever it is, it bites a good bit if not smoked slow (which is why I think Virginias) and the room aroma is superb- a sort of sweet natural aroma, that almost smells similar to a "premium" cigarette tobacco (is that possible???) after awhile. To me, it seems like a better Virginia tobacco than any Lane Blend- and doesn't burn as hot or as fast. The flavors really come out in this well-broken in Meerschaum lined briar. French-exhaling is sort of tough, because there is plenty of body in this smoke. This blend is made for a person who likes a natural tobacco and doesn't want to mess with rubbing out flakes. It burns to the finest cleanest ash you can imagine. I enjoyed this blend enough to order another sample…
Istanbul- A superb English blend more like the Original Balkan Sobranie than the Generic blend that Finck's sells. The catalog says it's a blending of the finest Smyrna Kavalla, Basma, Dubek, Basha-Bagli, Persian, Shiraz and Latakia. It is also supposed to be aged and cured to smoke extra mild, but don't think this blend has no flavors! I don't have any idea about the tobaccos in the description except that Frog Morton on the Town has Balsa, and I know what Latakia tastes like! This is a fairly sweet English, more for the English pipe smoker that also smokes a naturally sweet Virginia blend. The pouch aroma has a great Latakia smell with plenty of a sugar/caramel type smell also. It is stronger than Frog on the Town, and much cheaper in price so that should attract many Frog smokers. The room aroma is of mainly Latakia, but a hidden undertone of a musty sweetness. French-exhaling is easy, and you can taste the strength and body of the smoke by doing so. I mainly smoke this blend in a curved Stanwell, to get the heavy Latakia aroma, or a corncob to get the natural mild flavors. Either way, a great blend for the English smoker…
Peach- I smoked this blend in a rosewood pipe that had been broken in with C&D's Orange Sherbert/Peach Brandy. It is a fairly dark blend of tobaccos, and very moist but burns well. Upon lighting, it smells like a fruity Pop-Tart in a toaster! The taste is not really of peaches, but of a generic fruit flavor. It is heavily cased, and not much "true" tobacco taste comes through, although it has enough nicotine to keep you interested. The pipe smoked a tad hot with this blend, which was surprising since the OS/PB was much dryer than this blend. The room aroma has a nice sweet smell to it, but I have gotten used to the "naturally sweet" smell of Virginia blends and this seems like it is the casing that gives off the sweet smell, not the actual tobacco. Not bad, but different from what I'm used to…This blend would be the next step up from the "drugstore cherry smoker". Much better burning characteristics, and a better quality of tobacco.
Imperial Chocolate- a black and burley blend that is good enough for me to order another sample. It does not have a strong dark chocolate taste, but a sweet chocolate taste- more like chocolate milk. The blend is extremely creamy, and a joy to smoke for my aromatic needs. The pouch aroma is a sweet almost raisin like aroma (it's amazing how many blends have a raisin type aroma to me!) The burley (probably an all burley blend) gives off a nice bit of nicotine, and I have reserved my Tommy Cook pipe for this blend. It's not something that I would smoke all the time, but once a week in this pipe with a few brews makes my day. The room aroma is just like the taste- a sweet semi chocolate aroma. It burns to a speckled ash, but you can tell it is made from damn fine tobaccos. Probably the best of Stokkebye's bulk tobaccos. of tins before I found something better…
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