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Pipe Tobacco Reviews

We have been getting reviews mixed up on a few different threads, thought maybe it was time to have one thread for all Pipe Tobacco Reviews.
Pleas make note at beginning of comment what your doing a review on and if it is or isn't Aromatic.
All are welcome to make reviews of their favorite and least favorite Pipe Tobacco's.  
 
When I get time I will copy and paste all the Aromatic Reviews done on our Aromatic Smokers Only thread.
 
Thanks
«13456716

Comments

  • Anyone want to go first before I copy some over or do my own review?
  • I've got a few in the works so now I'll simply post them here. Nice idea to keep everything in a central location. Might even be a good idea to check back in the archive and see if someone started a similar post earlier. I personally don't remember seeing one - then again I've also seen UFOs on several occasions so my eyes can't be completely trusted. 
  • @ghostsofpompeii I did not see one so that is why this is here and yes it is better to have all reviews on one thread, going to move as many as I can find to this thread, I will copy all the ones from the thread Aromatic Smokers Only, if you know of any others in other locations either copy them and put them here or let me know where they are and I can do it. 
    Thanks 
     
    P.S.  UFO's?  Nothing wrong with that.....anything you can't be 100% sure of in the sky is in fact a UFO.  Now alien space crafts might be another thing...lol 
     

  • motie2motie2 Master
    I'm really looking forward to this discussion evolving into a valuable resource.
  • Sorry been offline, checked in but left, busy couple of days.
  • Yes this thread should be a good one once we get it going.




  • Orlik Mellow Mixture is a regular all day smoke of mine,
    especially in warmer weather, but its sweetness is sometimes a bit too
    'soprano' or citrus high for me. Anybody have any recommendations that
    are in the same vein but not *quite* so high-note sweet? Maybe same
    flavor profile but with a little more body?

    The second half of
    the bowl of Orlik Mellow Mixture is perfect, but the top half is just a
    bit too tangy-sugary for me.
     
    Wolf41035

    Professor







    OK as promised, from my list the other day I have tried:
     Straus
    Tobacconist's Sleepy Hollow - Smells like a couple others they have up
    there and the taste is kind of Bland....Wouldn't buy it again, I think
    my Halloween blend had more flavors.
    H&H Egg Nog - Not so sure
    why it was named after Eggnog because it just doesn't have that smell or
    taste to it, maybe someone that put 3/4 of a glass of Jack Daniels
    instead of Rum and 1/4 glass of Eggnog....Maybe then you could say it is
    not bad....LOL  Personally I hope the others are better or I am going
    to just blend my own from here on out! 
    Still a lot of them to try so not going to give up on finding a great Holiday blend!
     
    ghostsofpompeii

    Professor






    @Wolf41035 Here is my message you asked me to post on this discussion board:

    Last
    night I put on my Frankenstein lab coat and went all out creating a new
    blend that went beyond simply mixing existing blends or adding a touch
    of Perique or Latakia to an established blend. And since I've pretty
    much given up on English blends and happily accept the fact that I am
    and always will be an aromatic smoker I decided to expand my
    blending experiments by adding a combination of Watkins flavor extracts
    from the kitchen cupboard to an ancient can of Velvet Tobacco which has
    been gathering dust in my closet for over 20 years.

    My mind raced
    like the mad scientist in an old Universal Horror Classic. In that
    instant I was a combination of both the brilliant Henry Frankenstein and
    his mentally and physically challenged assistant Fritz, madly
    eyeballing the pile of 20 year old Velvet tobacco in the Tupperware
    container, as dead and dry as a mummified corpse, hoping to infuse new
    life into the crumbling remains. With equal parts anatomy, applied
    science, culinary artistry, alchemy and astrology I prepared the potion
    that would bring my creation life starting with a mixture of orange
    concentrate (about six capfuls), followed by an additional four capfuls
    of pure vanilla extract, and for added measure another four capfuls of
    imitation caramel flavoring. I then transplanted a pinch of Out Of
    Office "Gone Fishing" caramel flavored tobacco into the still dormant
    cadaver - and as a finishing touch ... a light dusting of clove
    seasoning. I then began hand mixing and massaging the moist concoction
    until I felt a faint heartbeat. After screaming ... "It's Alive!" I
    closed the lid on the Tupperware container to contain the beast for at
    least 24 hours.

    And this morning after opening the sealed
    container the unmistakable aroma of 'Dreamsicle' filled the air. The
    pouch note is a dead ringer for the orange and vanilla popsicle delight
    ... and the room note when smoking has a faint hint of it as well.
    Before telling her what I had created I asked my wife to sniff the
    contents of the Tupperware container and she immediately recognized the
    aroma as Dreamsicle. Even detected a trace amount in the room note while
    I was smoking. Unfortunately, although a very sweet and pleasant
    smoke I didn't detect that orange and vanilla flavor I was expecting. So
    I'll add a bit more tonight ... then let it age for a few days before
    trying again. It sure did smell nice though. If is ever tastes as good
    as it smells I'll have a real winner.  

     
     
    More to come....
  • Wolf41035

    Professor







    Well I am sitting outside on the front porch smoking some
    Tsuge the first day of Spring so here is my personal review.
    When
    you open the tin you get a pleasant aroma, reminds you of Spring, the
    tobacco has many colors ( shades brown from blackish to almost white),
    packing is real easy, first light is hard but after second try it
    usually always lights up, the first few draws are very bitter with
    hardly any taste because of it, once it is going and you can regulate
    your draws it mellows a little, still has a bitterness to it though, I
    detect hints of leather, floral hints and a little hot cinnamon like the
    red candies, after smoking a while it tends to mellow out even more and
    I get what could be a cherry bloom like aroma and taste, the leather
    starts fading away as well but is still there, not to hot of a smoke,
    actually kind of cool, over all after about half way through it is not
    bad and you do get that nice feeling of spring.
    As for the aroma, it
    is very pleasant and if you can get past the tastes it put out the
    smell is great and not to many people will complain about the smell.
    Over
    all would I recommend it or buy it again, well if you want a solid
    flavor and don't like bitter pipe smoke then no, if you like changes and
    experiencing complex tobacco them yes, you just have to get past that
    first bitterness it seem to always start with!

    Hope you enjoy
    reading my post, I am no professional and have not done reviews of
    tobacco other than a few personal reviews for Cigars so take it with a
    grain of salt and please don't complain about how it was done unless
    your going to do a bunch of them yourself....
     
    Wolf41035

    Professor







    Ok back out on the front porch, I was listening to L.A.
    Gunns what happened to Jane thinking of a girl I loved that was killed
    at a very young age when we first started hanging out....sad.

    Anyway back to why I am posting, got another review!
    This time I am going to give my personal opinion on Straus tobacconist Halloween blend called Sleepy Hollow.
    As
    I said the first time I tried it I didn't think much of it but I came
    back a couple days ago after trying it again and said forget that it was
    alright....
    Now for my actual review after smoking a bit of it,
    first off the aroma is unreal!, Something about it makes you want to eat
    it!. Kind of Moist yet only takes two times for it to burn very good,
    first is to char the top and tamp it down second lighting and your good
    to go, burns hot but smoke is not hot just a little warm, not much of a
    bite to it at all, the aroma is fantastic, smells like a bag of candy
    lol, the taste is complex, had hints of cushaw pie just a little over
    done or maybe a bland pumpkin pie over cooked, hints of mild chocolate
    or white chocolate, nutty at times with hints of spice, very little
    leather taste to this one but if you really trie I guess you might taste
    some, aroma while smoking is also very pleasant almost like a Holiday
    dinner or something, again not much bite at all, does get a little moist
    as you smoke it down but not so much that it makes a mess or gums up
    the pipe, burns hot if I didn't already say so but as I did say the
    smoke is just a little warm.
    Over all, good blend I would buy this again!

    I think I have gotten a taste of nuts, and a pinch of floral but nothing to make a distinction of what.

    Have fun and hope to be reading some of your reviews soon.
     
    Wolf41035

    Professor







    Well I waited a while and decided to try Wenceslas again
    since sleepy hollow got better, not the case with Wenceslas, one of only
    a couple I don't like from Straus Tobacconist.
    OK first of it is
    still moist after a few months in a ziplock bag, it has a decent aroma
    out of the bag but not great, it lights easy, packs great, burn mild,
    burning smell is a dull sassafras or old root beer smell but the taste
    is very bitter and more like a normal non aromatic tobacco, it is a wet
    smoke, my bent stem pipe is gurgling and that is not normal for me at
    all, it is very bitter and the moisture that gurgles up is bitter and
    nasty, leaves a very bad bite on the tongue to the point of when you
    take a drink of anything it burns on your tongue! I will either trade
    this off or use it in other mixes, I will not be smoking this again.
    Going to go rinse my mouth real good and try something else!!

    Personal opinion, some of you might like it??? Not me though.

  • Wolf41035

    Professor







    Ok on to number two today....
    another Straus
    Tobacconist blend, it is an Aromatic called Pondleton, I have smoked
    this a couple times and it is a good smoke, packs great, aroma from bag
    is good, lights easy and fast, has a great burning Aroma almost like
    camp fire marsh mellows and cinnamon toast mixture, taste is mellow
    cinnamon toast kind of taste with hints of sweet wood, hard to explain
    this one sometimes has a fruit taste and then nuts, very complex almost
    want to say also has a aged bourbon taste as well. Worth trying with
    out a doubt!
    No bitterness, no bite, very pleasant and relaxing.
    Kind of wish I bought more of this and less of the Wenceslas!

    My
    next reviews will not be all Straus Tobacconist I promise, I know not
    everyone has access to their pipe tobacco and depending on what happens
    with the Tobacco laws they might not be making these blends anymore....
    SAD!
     
    Wolf41035

    Professor







    H&H Egg Nog
    Good aroma in the bag, smells like
    cake, almost wedding cake smell, packs good, lights good, color is nice,
    smoke is cool to medium warm, taste is kind of watered down cake or
    milk type taste, not good, smell as burning is very pleasant reminds me
    of spring flowers blooming over all not worth buying unless you want
    people to think you smell pretty when you smoke....lol
    H&H this is dissapointing!
     
    Wolf41035

    Professor







    H&H Caramel Apple.....
    aroma in bag is like two
    week old apples left over from the carnival, packs hard, lights up very
    easy, aroma burning is like maybe apple wood in a smoker, taste is
    nothing like caramel or apples more like a stale candy out of a box of
    mixed candies but no chocolate flavor or the hard candies you find in
    bowls grand parents leave on the table for a couple months, not saying
    it is bad but nothing like caramel apple and it is disappointing when
    they label things wrong! Over all it is a medium to warm smoke with a
    decent flavor but don't expect to go back to the carnival in your mind
    while your smoking this!
    I can say both H&H I smoked today did not leave my pipe gurgling or over moist so they have that going for them.
    Hold
    on I had a hint of old caramel apple smell come from one puff of smoke
    but still no taste of it.....going to finish this bowl before I send
    this comment.... second bowl today and about the sixth total from this
    bag of caramel apple. Now just tasting like a smoker full of wood and
    food. lol done with this one.
     




    Ira at the Gatlinburlier in Gatlinburg, Tn has the Cades Cove Cavendish which is a
    Bright
    & Dark Cavendish, lightly sweet, with a cookie - like aroma. Our
    best seller for more than thirty years.It is my yearly treat when my
    wife and I go on our anniversary. We got married in Cades Cove
    ironically.
  • ghostsofpompeii

    Professor






    Just finished a bowl of Russ' Monthly Blend "Candy Corn" and it was delicious.

    Here's how it's described on the Pipes And Cigars website: Candy
    Corn is a sweet, but not too sweet blend of Virginia and Black
    Cavendish with a subtle vanilla note reminiscent of the traditional
    autumn treat. Strength: Mild - Medium ... Tobacco: Burley, Cavendish,
    Virginia ... Style: Aromatic ... Room Note: 3 - balanced

    Here are my comments on the blend: Candy
    Corn is another sweet aromatic concoction from Master Blender Russ
    Ouellette. Smells fantastic in the pouch, with a sweet creamy taste that
    damn near matches the pouch note - leaving behind an intoxicating room
    note which permeates the room like a scented Yankee Candle. The tobacco
    has a nice consistency ... not too moist ... stays lit and burns to a
    nice white ash ... and not a bite in the bowl. Taste wise I get less of a
    vanilla flavor but more of the sweetness associated with honey or
    caramel blends. But you could see where the name comes from during the
    retro-hale. I could almost imagine those little tri-colored triangular
    orange, yellow, and white Halloween candies melting in my mouth while I
    was smoking. 

     


    ghostsofpompeii

    Professor






    Just finished an afternoon bowl of Russ' Monthly Blend "Spring Training" in my Chacom Pipe.

    Here is how it's described on the Pipes & Cigars website: "Spring Training" ...
    and that means baseball, and baseball means snacks while watching the
    game. One of those favorites is caramel-covered popcorn with glazed
    peanuts. So my blend has a caramel top note with a nutty undertone.
    Load-up a bowl and watch the pre-season game. 

    Here are my comments on the blend: In
    the later part of 1968 I found myself employed at the Ovaltine Factory
    in Villa Park, Illinois, where not only their namesake chocolate
    drink Ovaltine was produced but a host of other snack food
    products including the caramel covered popcorn treats Fiddle-Faddle
    (which was their version of Crackerjacks) and Poppycock (an upscale
    gourmet variation whereby almonds, pecans and walnuts replaced the
    cheaper quality peanuts). I held the distinguished title of Popcorn
    Popper -  essentially tossing a shovelful of raw un-popped corn from a
    giant trough into a series of revolving ovens that resembled a clothes
    dryer without doors. The popcorn was air-popped, and unlike the
    intoxicating aroma of oil popped corn as you enter the lobby of a
    cinema, air-popped corn can be downright bland. Smelling more of
    Styrofoam packing peanuts than a box of buttery popcorn. But as the
    popcorn traveled down the conveyor belt to be merged with either the
    roasted peanuts for Fiddle Faddle or re-routed to another belt to be
    mixed with the almonds, pecans and walnuts for Poppycock - the
    concoction was then smothered in a sweet confection of buttery rich
    caramel coating. Well ... that's where the real olfactory magic
    happened. There was nothing quite like the mouth watering aroma of that
    still warm caramel covered popcorn. Russ' Monthly blend "Spring
    Break" brought back that aroma which I detected in both the pouch and
    room note while smoking. For the millions who never worked on the
    factory floor of the Ovaltine plant I'll describe the aroma in more
    familiar terms - imagine yourself at a County Fair standing in between
    the vendor popping up a fresh batch of Kettle Corn and the vendor
    selling roasted cinnamon almonds. Your nose is experiencing junk food
    Heaven. And the caramel-corn taste is captured in the flavor of the
    blend as well. And as always the retro-hale increases that flavor
    exponentially. Like all the aromatic blends I've tried from the Russ'
    Monthly Blend series "Spring Break" is a pleasant smoking experience in
    every way from the easy lit - burns to a nice white ash - no tongue bite
    - and a great flavor. Sadly another blend slated to be discontinued due
    to the FDA Deeming Regulations.  

     


  • ghostsofpompeii

    Professor






    Here's a riddle for you ... "When is an apple not an apple?"

    Well if you're expecting some clever response forget it ... my answer is "When it's Sutliff Apple Blend Tobacco."

    There
    are well over a thousand varieties of apples including: Gala, Golden
    Delicious, Red Delicious, Crab Apple, McIntosh, Jonathan, and Granny
    Smiths to name a few currently growing in orchards throughout the world,
    with new species being developed as we speak. As a matter of fact the
    internet suggest there are 7500 cultivars (some horticultural term
    pertaining to blossoms) of apple known to exist. Yet with all these
    variation of apples at their disposal you'd think the blenders at
    Sutliff might find some suitable concoction to infuse into the tobacco
    to replicate some semblance of apple flavoring in their Sutliff APPLE Blend. But nada!

    Here is how Sutliff Apple Blend is described on the Pipes And Cigars website: This
    gentle smoking mixture of Burley and toasted black Cavendish is
    finished with the subtle sweetness of apple. The caramelized toasted
    Cavendish adds a hint of brown sugar, making the blend a bit more like a
    baked apple. The tobacco rating is - Strength: Mild ... Tobacco: Burley
    and Cavendish ... Style: Aromatic ... Room Note: 1-Low

    Here are my comments on the blend: The
    first time I tried this I was somewhat disappointed because I didn't
    get a hint of apple in either the pouch note, room note, or flavor. I
    practically burned out my nostrils hoping that during the retro-hale
    some essence of an apple might reveal itself. But I could have rammed
    the stem of the pipe into one nostril to inhale while exhaling through
    the other and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference. For a blend to
    be called APPLE this proved to be a bust. And because I was so
    pre-occupied with searching for that apple flavor I failed to notice
    what a superb smoke this was actually turning out to be. It wasn't until
    the second bowl that I appreciated the pleasant smoking experience
    Sutliff Apple provided. It had the wonderfully sweet flavor of brown
    sugar and a burnt Graham cracker pie crust. And I might concede the
    slightest hint of singed apple pie filling way back in the distance
    - but not enough to warrant calling the blend Apple. I got absolutely no
    tongue bite what-so-ever ... and considering how hard I was working the
    pipe - puffing like a locomotive - to get at that apple flavor you'd
    expect my tongue to have suffered third degree burns. The room note
    was nothing special ... similar to OTC blend like Carter HallVelvet, or Edgeworth Ready Rubbed - pleasant enough
    to keep non-smokers from complaining - but hardly the aroma of freshly
    baked apple pies that I was expecting. Not a bad smoke by any means -
    but once the jar is I won't replace it. Yet my quest for the perfect
    apple blend continues.


  • ghostsofpompeii

    Professor






    @motie2
    I accidentally posted my review of Eileen's Dream on the "What are you
    smoking right now" - and forgot I was going to post it here

    At this moment I just completed smoking CAO Eileen's Dream with
    a nice cup of decafe coffee since it's so late. Almost 1:00am. As per
    the advertisement in the Pipes And Cigars catalog it's described thusly:
    A combination of Irish Cream and White Chocolate Truffles. And of the three CAO blends I've tried this seems to be the best. The other two "Black" and "Moontrance" has a decidedly fruity flavor that was much more pronounced than the other sweet flavor enhancers. For instance Moontrance boasts an intricate and unique blend of 100% all natural exotic fruit and bourbon vanilla extracts.
    Yet on Moontrace the dominant flavor if fruit. I can't detect any
    vanilla in the smoke or room note - and the fruit is dominant as well in
    the tin note. Black is described as a zesty raspberry essence with a gentle sub-note of vanilla and cocoa.  Once
    again the dominant flavor is raspberry with just a touch of sweetness
    associated with vanilla and the slightest trace of cocoa.


    The
    room note of Eileen's Dream is quite mild and sparse as the aroma
    dissipates quite rapidly leaving little aroma behind. You almost can't
    tell anyone was smoking in the room. I was smoking indoors in the family
    room since it's so cold and damp in the garage this evening, so my
    natural ritual after smoking in the house is to go through the
    house with a can of air freshener to mask the smell ... but in this case
    there was barely any lingering odor. Eileen's Dream is a
    smooth smoke, and bite free with the slightly reminiscent flavor of
    a glass of Baileys Bristol Cream liqueur. Nothing about the blend is
    over powering from the tin note, to the flavor, or the room note. This
    may not sound like a ringing endorsement but the smooth smoke provided
    quite a pleasant smoking experience without any real burst of flavors in
    my mouth. It's the type of blend I'll continue to enjoy so long as
    there is tobacco in the tin - but once it's empty I doubt that I'll buy
    another can.  

    ghostsofpompeii

    Professor






    I did give Eileen's dream another shot by itself earlier this evening in my Big Ben Jade #931 and it's starting to grow on me. The more I smoke it the better chance of me re-ordering it when the tin is empty. 

    @Wolf41035 
    I think it's a good idea to have more than one person review the same
    pipe tobacco blend - it's not a good to judge your decision to buy a
    blend based on one person's opinion. Based on our individual tastes we
    might be spot on with another smoker - but miles apart with another.

    More to come....
     

  • motie2motie2 Master
    @ghostsofpompeii et.al. -- Regarding Eileen's Dream: to what may the thing be compared? What is it like, or is it unique? 

    In another discussion one of us described Orlik Mellow Mixture as "lemony." I consulted http://www.tobaccoreviews.com, and the reviews are all over the place: flavors of pineapple, chocolate, caramel, cherry, non-aromatic, citrusy"flavor changes throughout the bowl," allspice, alcohol, and herby.....   Hmmmmmm. One reviewer said there's very little tobacco taste. So, what? A lightly cased, non-aromatic that doesn't taste of tobacco? I'm interested.
  • @motie I think that's my biggest problem with "Eileen's Dream" - the fact that I really can't pinpoint exactly what flavor profile best describes it. I mean what exactly are white chocolate truffles suppose to taste like? I like Fanny Mae's white chocolate almond bark ... but it's not really chocolate flavored, nor is it vanilla ... just creamy and sweet. So I guess that would be the best way to describe the white chocolate truffle aspect of Eileen's Dream". Non-distinct but sweet. Now I know there is absolutely no similarity between Bailey's Bristol Cream and the coffee liqueur Kahlua - but with a little prodding I can detect a slight flavor profile of Eileen's Dream as a hybrid of the two liqueurs.    
  • motie2motie2 Master
    @ghostsofpompeii -- I get it. Thanks for the clarity!!!
  • motie2motie2 Master
    Mini review

    Disclaimer -- I've admitted that I no longer care for the taste of tobacco, but I do love to sit out on the back deck (weather permitting) and smoke my pipe. As a result, I've ended up smoking Sutliff Private Stock tinned tobaccos (at least until @ghostsofpompeii pointed out some lovely Sutliff bulk blends, namely Creme Brulee, and Vanilla Custard.) My favorites have been Barbados Plantation, Vanilla Custard, and Molto Dolce. Now, along comes Sutliff Private Stock: TASTE OF SUMMER

    it tastes like peaches. It tastes like John Rolfe smelled, back in the day; it tastes like you wanted John Rolfe to taste, back in the day. [Ref.: "the mid to late 60's"] Best of all (don't hate me), there is almost no tobacco taste. Great stuff. Smokers of English, Balkan and VaPer blends will loath this.

    I know.... I'm quite mad.
  • I think ghostsofpompeii hit it on the nail @motie2 Eileen's Dream has that kind of white chocolate over a white cake type taste with a hint of what I think is like Bailey's Irish Cream with possibly a hint of a coffee liquor but faint.  I love it because of the complex taste that is hard to narrow down exact. 
    I am mixed on the tobacco, at time I like a tobacco taste and at other times I do not.  I smoke Cigars, Pipe Tobacco and Aromatic Pipe Tobacco.  I guess it just depends on the day and how I am feeling at the time.  lol 
     
    SO anyone else want to do a few reviews?  They can be short and do not have to be real complex, just try to describe the taste and aroma in the container and the taste and aroma while smoking it.  OR Just the Aroma and taste while your smoking it.  
     
    Thanks
  • Review: Russ' Monthly Blend "The Taxman Cometh" 

    This is the only taxman welcome in
    my home.'The Taxman Cometh' is one
    of four soon to be discontinued Russ' Monthly Blends I recently
    purchased during Pipe & Cigars bulk sale. And
    as with all Russ' aromatic blends I've tried ... another winner which
    will be sorely missed. The pouch note is quite
    similar to his other blend 'Ice Cream Sundae', but there the
    similarity ends. While 'Ice Cream Sundae' has
    the distinct fruity flavors of high end Italian ice cream like Gelato
    or Spumoni the flavor of 'The Taxman Cometh' has a pronounced roasted
    marshmallows and gram crackers taste, with little if any of the fruit
    I detected in the pouch note. I won't go so far as to compare it to
    Smores because they have a distinct melted chocolate flavor, where as any chocolate topping in The taxman Cometh is deftly buried in
    the blend and scarcely detectable. The flavor is sweet, cool,
    and could easily be an all day blend - with absolutely no tongue
    bite. And the room note is just as pleasing as the flavor.Highly recommended to the
    aromatic smoker. Get it while you can.



  • Review - Captain Black Grape

    I have to admit it, I was a bit
    apprehensive about this blend when I first ordered it. I've always
    been a fan of the Captain Black products and have a special fondness
    for the Original blend as well as Royal and Gold. I never tried
    either the Dark or Round so I purchased the sampler which included
    the Original, Gold, Royal, Round, and Dark (at a great price I must
    add). I'm a bit of a completest about things so to round out the
    collection of Captain Black blends I also ordered both Copper and
    Grape which were not in the sampler. When the order arrived I
    immediately gravitated towards the Dark, Round, and Copper - holding
    off on the Grape until the end - not expecting much. But once I
    cracked open the pouch and got a whiff my interest piqued and a wave
    of nostalgia washed over my body ... it smelled like a bag of Jolly
    Rancher grape candy. And once I lit it up it tasted exactly as it
    smelled. The folks at Lane Limited must have soaked the Captain Black
    original blend in a vat of NEHI Grape Soda. And it has a distinct
    grape room note as well. Now I'm sure fans of English blends will be
    gagging at the very thought of this ... but for the aromatic pipe
    smoker looking for a quirky change of pace from your favorite
    vanilla. chocolate, or maple blend ... this is a refreshing
    possibility. Not something I'll smoke on a regular basis - but as an
    occasional smoke this fits the bill. I probably wouldn't highly
    recommend it ... but might nudge the adventurous aromatic smoker to
    give it a shot. You too might be pleasantly surprised.



  • Tobacco
    Review: Captain Black 'Black Sea'

    I've
    been wanting to branch out and include blends other than aromatics in
    my rotation but continue to be dissatisfied with the results. I think
    I'm only doing it out of a need to feel more inclusive in the pipe
    smoking community as an 'all around' smoker and finally be able to
    take a seat at the grown-up table. But I just can't get past the
    strong flavor of Latakia. So I may have to resign myself to sticking
    with the blends that attracted me to the hobby in the first place.
    And acc
    ept
    the fact that I am - and probably always will be an aromatic smoker.
    But
    Captain Black 'Black Sea' sounded like a promising possibility for
    me. A less jarring way of easing into a cross-over aromatic/English
    blend. An assumption based on my familiarity with the Captain Black
    brand and my over all enjoyment of their aromatic blends.
    If
    anyone could sneak a whisper of rich smoky Latikia into a sweet
    vanilla blend without dominating the flavor it might well be Captain
    Black.
    At
    least that was my hope. But it was not the case.
    I've
    read a variety of reviews emphatically stating ... "Captain
    Black 'Black Sea' is not your Father's Captain Black" ... but I
    assumed it to be the type of hype meant to get tobacco purist who
    had long given up on the brand to give it a try. This was no hype.
    'Black Sea' is a blend that could and should appeal to aficionados of
    mild English Latakia blends.
    But
    as for the cautiously curious aromatic smoker like myself, expecting
    the transition to be tiny baby steps let me assure you - there is
    nothing in 'Black Sea' that would lead anyone familiar with the
    Captain Black line to assume it was one of their blends.
    Latakia
    is such a dominate tobacco that it masks any sweet cased vanilla
    Cavendish or premium Virginias that an uneducated palette like mine
    could detect. A true tobacco connoisseur might easily differentiate
    the flavor profile of individual tobaccos - but not me. All I could
    taste was Latakia. Cracking open the tin - that was the dominant
    note. And Latakia was the predominant flavor. 
    I've
    not given up on this blend and plan to return again tonight. I've
    often heard it takes a few bowls before you can get a real feel for a
    tobacco. Some claim to have hated a blend upon their initial smoke,
    then after returning to it at a later time found it to be quite
    enjoyable. So I'm keeping an open mind.
    I
    also plan on doing a little experimenting by adding a touch of
    Perique. And if that doesn't help I'll blend a 50/50 mixture with
    Captain Black Dark. Might tone down the Latakia just enough to make
    it more enjoyable for me.
    I'm
    not to fond of it as it is ... so I doubt if I can do that much harm
    by tweaking and experimenting.







  • (Tobacco
    Review: Out Of Office "Gone Fishing")

    ooc-tp-1000



    I
    bought the five tin sampler of P&C's 'Out Of Office' series a few
    months back, which include: "Up All Night" (Rum), "Civic
    Duty" (Cherry), "A Few Too Many" (Whiskey), "Lock-Out"
    (Vanilla), and "Gone Fishing" (Caramel), and finally got
    around to cracking open a few tins. I've yet to smoke "Up All
    Night", "Civic Duty" or "A Few Too Many" but
    did try the vanilla cased "Locked-Out" - and just last
    night smoked "Gone Fishing". And boy was it good.
    This
    recommendation is strictly for the aromatic smoker who enjoys the
    sweet taste of caramel. And the smoker who doesn't recoil at the
    touch of a moist goopy tobacco. Because "Gone Fishing" is
    about as moist in the tin as Molto Dolce - another flavorful blend
    worth the extra effort - but believe it or not the tobacco burns to a
    powdery white ash.
    And
    here's the real shocker ... it leaves the bowl bone dry.
    At
    least that was my experience last night. I may have run a pipe
    cleaner through the stem once or twice as a precautionary measure and
    force of habit, but never noticed a bit of gurgle throughout the
    smoke. And keeping the pipe lit after the initial fire-up was not an
    issue as it can be with some moist aromatics. After about 45 minutes,
    when I assumed I was nearing the bottom of the bowl, I stirred up
    what was left of the tobacco with my pipe tool and did my only
    relight, and ended up with about ten more minutes.
    It
    was a much longer lasting smoke than I imagined it would be for the
    size of my bowl. I was watching the cheesy 50s' sci-fi flick "Queen
    Of Blood" and damn near smoked my way through the entire movie.
    So "Gone Fishing" proved to be a mild slow burning tobacco.
    The
    tobacco is listed a Green River black Cavendish. 
    Both
    the tin and room note are very pleasant. Best of all the taste
    remained consistent to the end of the smoke. And beside being a great
    tasting aromatic tobacco P&C currently has a close-out sale on
    all five blends. And at $3.77 for a 1.75 oz. tin that's about the
    cheapest I've seen for a tin tobacco. That's a better price than most
    OTC blends, and should appeal to the smoker who enjoys the Captain
    Black line at half the price ... and a better smoke. I ordered four
    more tins to cellar since this is unfortunately going to be
    discontinued in the very near future.
    By
    the way ... the vanilla blend "Locked-Out" is pretty good
    as well, but not so much that I would have taken the time to sit down
    to write a review.
    (*Follow-up:
    Found quite a bit of moisture in my last two bowls so I guess the
    first bowl prompting me to write the review may have been a fluke.
    Still taste great, and is a long lasting, burning to a white ash. And
    at a great price. But now it appears "Gone Fishing" has the
    same characteristics as most extremely moist aromatics.)



  • ooc-tp-1000



    (Tobacco
    Review: Out Of Office "Gone Fishing")

    I
    bought the five tin sampler of P&C's 'Out Of Office' series a few
    months back, which include: "Up All Night" (Rum), "Civic
    Duty" (Cherry), "A Few Too Many" (Whiskey), "Lock-Out"
    (Vanilla), and "Gone Fishing" (Caramel), and finally got
    around to cracking open a few tins. I've yet to smoke "Up All
    Night", "Civic Duty" or "A Few Too Many" but
    did try the vanilla cased "Locked-Out" - and just last
    night smoked "Gone Fishing". And boy was it good.
    This
    recommendation is strictly for the aromatic smoker who enjoys the
    sweet taste of caramel. And the smoker who doesn't recoil at the
    touch of a moist goopy tobacco. Because "Gone Fishing" is
    about as moist in the tin as Molto Dolce - another flavorful blend
    worth the extra effort - but believe it or not the tobacco burns to a
    powdery white ash.
    And
    here's the real shocker ... it leaves the bowl bone dry.
    At
    least that was my experience last night. I may have run a pipe
    cleaner through the stem once or twice as a precautionary measure and
    force of habit, but never noticed a bit of gurgle throughout the
    smoke. And keeping the pipe lit after the initial fire-up was not an
    issue as it can be with some moist aromatics. After about 45 minutes,
    when I assumed I was nearing the bottom of the bowl, I stirred up
    what was left of the tobacco with my pipe tool and did my only
    relight, and ended up with about ten more minutes.
    It
    was a much longer lasting smoke than I imagined it would be for the
    size of my bowl. I was watching the cheesy 50s' sci-fi flick "Queen
    Of Blood" and damn near smoked my way through the entire movie.
    So "Gone Fishing" proved to be a mild slow burning tobacco.
    The
    tobacco is listed a Green River black Cavendish. 
    Both
    the tin and room note are very pleasant. Best of all the taste
    remained consistent to the end of the smoke. And beside being a great
    tasting aromatic tobacco P&C currently has a close-out sale on
    all five blends. And at $3.77 for a 1.75 oz. tin that's about the
    cheapest I've seen for a tin tobacco. That's a better price than most
    OTC blends, and should appeal to the smoker who enjoys the Captain
    Black line at half the price ... and a better smoke. I ordered four
    more tins to cellar since this is unfortunately going to be
    discontinued in the very near future.
    By
    the way ... the vanilla blend "Locked-Out" is pretty good
    as well, but not so much that I would have taken the time to sit down
    to write a review.
    (*Follow-up:
    Found quite a bit of moisture in my last two bowls so I guess the
    first bowl prompting me to write the review may have been a fluke.
    Still taste great, and is a long lasting, burning to a white ash. And
    at a great price. But now it appears "Gone Fishing" has the
    same characteristics as most extremely moist aromatics.)







  • Not going to include a picture again it really screwed up the review I tried to copy and paste.


  •  




    Tobacco Review: Out Of Office: Gone Fishing"

    I
    bought the five tin sampler of P&C's 'Out Of Office' series a few
    months back, which include: "Up All Night" (Rum), "Civic
    Duty" (Cherry), "A Few Too Many" (Whiskey), "Lock-Out"
    (Vanilla), and "Gone Fishing" (Caramel), and finally got
    around to cracking open a few tins. I've yet to smoke "Up All
    Night", "Civic Duty" or "A Few Too Many" but
    did try the vanilla cased "Locked-Out" - and just last
    night smoked "Gone Fishing". And boy was it good.

    This
    recommendation is strictly for the aromatic smoker who enjoys the
    sweet taste of caramel. And the smoker who doesn't recoil at the
    touch of a moist goopy tobacco. Because "Gone Fishing" is
    about as moist in the tin as Molto Dolce - another flavorful blend
    worth the extra effort - but believe it or not the tobacco burns to a
    powdery white ash.

    And
    here's the real shocker ... it leaves the bowl bone dry.

    At
    least that was my experience last night. I may have run a pipe
    cleaner through the stem once or twice as a precautionary measure and
    force of habit, but never noticed a bit of gurgle throughout the
    smoke. And keeping the pipe lit after the initial fire-up was not an
    issue as it can be with some moist aromatics. After about 45 minutes,
    when I assumed I was nearing the bottom of the bowl, I stirred up
    what was left of the tobacco with my pipe tool and did my only
    relight, and ended up with about ten more minutes.

    It
    was a much longer lasting smoke than I imagined it would be for the
    size of my bowl. I was watching the cheesy 50s' sci-fi flick "Queen
    Of Blood" and damn near smoked my way through the entire movie.
    So "Gone Fishing" proved to be a mild slow burning tobacco.

    The
    tobacco is listed a Green River black Cavendish.

    Both
    the tin and room note are very pleasant. Best of all the taste
    remained consistent to the end of the smoke. And beside being a great
    tasting aromatic tobacco P&C currently has a close-out sale on
    all five blends. And at $3.77 for a 1.75 oz. tin that's about the
    cheapest I've seen for a tin tobacco. That's a better price than most
    OTC blends, and should appeal to the smoker who enjoys the Captain
    Black line at half the price ... and a better smoke. I ordered four
    more tins to cellar since this is unfortunately going to be
    discontinued in the very near future.

    By
    the way ... the vanilla blend "Locked-Out" is pretty good
    as well, but not so much that I would have taken the time to sit down
    to write a review.

    (*Follow-up:
    Found quite a bit of moisture in my last two bowls so I guess the
    first bowl prompting me to write the review may have been a fluke.
    Still taste great, and is a long lasting, burning to a white ash. And
    at a great price. But now it appears "Gone Fishing" has the
    same characteristics as most extremely moist aromatics.)



  • Sorry for the multiple posts but something wasn't working properly. Probably seems like I'm a salesman for Out Of Office "Gone Fishing". 
  • motie2motie2 Master
    @ghostsofpompeii -- Don't worry about it. I am most appreciative of the time you are taking to post these reviews, and the grace and with with which you write them. Thank you.

    Now, make sure the text you are trying to paste is plain text/unformatted. You seem to be posting things with carriage returns where they ain't oughta be.
  • LOL No worries Ghost, I like your reviews and even found myself reading two of the copies even though I knew they were the same.  Sounds like a good Blend.
  • motie2motie2 Master
    As usual, @ghostsofpompeii is doing good work on our behalf. Thanks Ghosts!!!!
  • Can't wait until it warms up and I can do a little myself, right now I think I am catching a cold.  Maybe I should find a menthol Pipe tobacco for when sinus's are getting backed up.....lol
  • motie2motie2 Master
    Esteemed Pipers,

    What I'd like to see is a pipe tobacco review discussion modeled after Muttnchop Piper's Blend Club, of course with simplifications and modifications

    I think such a thing is adaptable to TPL. How do these "we all can participate in the tobacco blend reviews" work? 

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