MANITOU ML

Reviews


Stands & Pouches - Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation Pipe Stand - Leather
Wonderful leather pipe stand!
Received this stand as a Christmas gift. I think it’s wonderful! It’s worked well with the two Savinelli 626’s I tried with it so far. I would most definitely purchase this item again and recommend getting one yourself.

G. L. Pease - Quiet Nights 2oz
Peaceful Easy Feeling..
As the title says, this blend is just wonderful. This has to be included in your cellar at all times, it’s that good!

Cornell & Diehl - From Beyond 2oz
Small Batch goodness
This is my first time with a Small Batch blend. I was excited for the release of From Beyond as I missed the last batch. I’m not a heavy smoker but grabbed 4 tins so I could enjoy one and put away three for later down the road. Upon initial lighting I could pick up notes of toasted nuts which immediately grabbed my attention. Early on it was very pleasant with a sour slightly sweet flavouring. The Latakia is there but very well balanced making this not your typical Lat bomb. The retro hale is a bit spicy but not harsh. Near the latter stages I picked up a black licorice note which wasn’t bad at all. Moisture level was perfect straight out of the tin and burned perfectly right to the end. I’m so glad I got to participate in this years release and I’m looking forward to seeing how this one matures with time.

Cornell & Diehl - Nutty Irishman
Perfect in every way.
I finally got some NI after many months reading reviews. I’m glad I grabbed a couple oz’s on my last order, this is wonderful stuff! I’m four bowls in and the only regret I have is that I should have ordered more. It’s just so good! It’s not wet and goopy like other aromatics, it stays lit with minimal relights and the flavouring is addictive. I really… really enjoy this! I will be stocking up on the next order. A full 5 star blend!

G. L. Pease - Meridian 2oz
No complaints!
Meridian has it all going for itself. It says ribbon cut but my tin definitely is not ribbon, more so a broken flake cut if you ask me. It has just the right amount of Latakia to satisfy that smokiness that is adored by the English blend lovers. I find it has a slight sweetened spice rolled into it and the aroma while puffing keeps me dialed into it. It’s good, try it and you’ll see what I mean.

G. L. Pease - Penny Farthing 2oz
Meh.. STILL Just meh.
With the shag cut this stuff burns fast and can bite. I can say I tried it but I’ll stick with the English flakes that I prefer. I’ll tuck it away in the cellar and revisit down the road. UPDATE: I jarred this and set it back in the cellar and forgot about it for a little while. It’s been 6 months and figured I’d give it another go. It’s much better than fresh out of the tin I must say. Packs, lights and burns well. It’s quite a bit tamer now which is nice. There’s still something I’m not liking about it though, I’m sure it’s the DFK as this is the only tobacco I’ve smoked with it, I’m not accustomed to it which is why I’m still not rating it higher. This is not one that will be in my regular rotation but I just wanted to come and say I’ve given it an extra half star as it’s better than my initial try. Who knows, I may enjoy it more as time goes on.

G. L. Pease - Horizons Flake 2oz
A rich English!
After cracking the tin and sniffing that initial aroma you can tell it’s an English but you really do get that bbq joint vibe thing going on. The tin note is delectable! The fact that it’s a flake makes me like it even more. This is my third flake blend and I have to say that flake blends are so easy in all aspects. Perfect moisture, rubs out beautifully and falls into place when loading up the pipe nicely. Like most reviews state, there definitely is a mesquite bbq thing going on which is like no other blend I’ve tried thus far. I like it. It’s actually smooth and savoury with that little bit of sweetened bbq flavour. The spice is detectable through normal puffing and through the retro hail from the orientals, very nice. This one doesn’t have that predominant campfire thing going on like other Latakia based English’s I’ve tried, but very much has that “smoking brisket” in the backyard picture painted around it. It’s very nice. I’m glad I decided to try it and I’m more happy that without trying it I already have another tin arriving soon for the cellar!

Stands & Pouches - Acrylic Pipe Clip
What’s not to like?
This is a great accessory! Does what it’s intended to do and it does come with a screw! I will purchase more to display my Savinelli 626’s.

G. L. Pease - Maltese Falcon 2oz
Savoury and smooth.
Very nice blend. I like Latakia but when it’s more well balanced such as this. It’s rich, savoury and has a little dark vibe going on. All the tobaccos are well proportioned. You definitely get that campfire creosote flavour with a hint of burnt oil smell (being around tools and machinery my whole life I don’t mind this). This is a great English! Tin note, room note and retro hail are all excellent. Already ordered more! A few more bowls in and I pick up a smoked bbq flavour here and there, can’t complain about that!

Peter Stokkebye - PS400 Luxury Navy Flake
Virginia masterpiece!
Slowly venturing into the world of Virginia’s. This is my third Virginia blend, so far the only other two I’ve tried are GL Pease Windjammer and C&D Briar Fox. Briar Fox was a no go for me, I guess it was just too Virginia forward and had too many similarities to the taste and smell of cigarettes. When I stumbled upon Windjammer, now this is what I was looking for in a Virginia! I didn’t think I would find another that was similar but was atleast heading in the direction that I was looking for. Upon reading reviews on Luxury Navy Flake I decided to pick up 1oz to see what the hype was about and I’m sure glad I did! This is similar to Windjammer but I find it’s a little more subtle and toned down. You can detect the perique but it’s floating around in the background as a very nice compliment to the sweet Virginia’s. I would say this is a notch down from Windjammer in strength but still definitely worthy of being in the top of the rotation. It’s sweet and citrusy, you really can detect the smoother bready note which helps round the flavour out with the added perique. Retro hale is a little spicy which I like but the sweetness still shines through. This is a very good blend, I’m glad I decided to try it. In fact, I ordered 2 more oz’s immediately after! I honestly prefer a flake over ribbon cut so this is a plus for me as well. Moisture content was spot on especially being a bulk blend. Very tasty, I think I have found the 2 Vaper’s that will always have a spot in my regular rotation!

Sutliff - Eastfarthing 1.5oz
Flavourful goop.
I’ve tried a couple other Sutliff blends in the past, one being Vanilla Custard. That stuff was nothing but an artificial sloppy mess, horrible. Grabbed a tin of Eastfarthing and had high hopes as it had more flavour profile I was looking for and less of a chemical taste. WRONG. This stuff is nothing but a goopy mess that takes hours to dry out to make it smokable. Honestly, I’m not upset that Sutliff is pretty well gone, there are much more premium blends out there from other manufacturers *cough, cough.. C&D* that just smoke incredibly well without the goopy wet fuss and can just light and go. Bye Sutliff! Only reason I rated this a 2.5 is I like the taste and amora, other than that it’s drowning in the creek, literally.

Cornell & Diehl - Briar Fox 2oz
Not for me.
As only my second Virginia blend I’ve tried I have to say I’m not disappointed. I could get use to this and it could make into my rotation. The only negative I can say about it after only a handful of try’s, is that it gives me a tad of tongue bite. Other than that I plan on giving this tin a good go. UPDATE: a few more bowls in and I’m rethinking my initial review. Although it’s smooth and I’ve worked around the tongue bite, the after taste is that of stale cigarettes.. I don’t smoke cigarettes and never have but really dislike the smell of a lit one or the nasty smell that lingers on a person after one. My wife even said I smell like cigarettes after smoking Briar Fox. Therefore for those two reasons alone, I won’t be picking any more of this up. It’s just not what I’m looking for. Not saying it’s bad, it’s just not for me.

Cornell & Diehl - Golden Days of Yore 2oz
It’s good, not great.
I was hoping for a little more “Christmas spirit” I guess.. There’s not enough pine, cedars or cinnamon qualities there to make me want to classify it as a Christmas blend. It’s not horrible but GDOY is I guess you could say somewhat of a sleeper for me, it’s missing the “wow” factor.. My 2 tins should last me my lifetime. UPDATE: One year later after putting GDOY off to the side, I decided to revisit it for the holiday season. I’m glad I did. My tastes must have changed or I’m now able to detect some of the ingredients used for the topping. I like it. I like the spiciness and can pick up hints of the allspice, cinnamon and cardamom. It really does fit in at this time of year. I’m glad I came back to this and I have raised my initial rating up one full star to reflect my feelings towards it. Merry Christmas!

Cornell & Diehl - Cross-Eyed Cricket 2oz
Bingo!!
I’ve been in the game for a year now and have found many blends I like and dislike. I like aromatics, I enjoy some Latikia, and Perique is starting to grow on me. I’ve had Cross-Eyed Cricket on my radar for a long time but felt it may be too hard on the Latakia compared to maybe Da Vinci or Black Duck but this is an extremely pleasant surprise! The Latakia is there but not right up in your face. My first lighting gave me flashbacks of Frog Morton for some reason, and for this I had high hopes it could be an everyday day blend for me. I’ve smoked 3 bowls so far and it just keeps getting better. Very balanced, not overly sweet. In fact I would go as far to say this IS more on the English side vs. an aromatic if I had to categorize. It’s a beautiful blend that suits my tastes perfectly! I highly recommend Cross-Eyed Cricket and this moves to the top of my list. I’m willing to bet this will be my daily summer smoke! It is a little wet with the rum topping so a little dry time is needed imo and the retro hale is very satisfying. 10/10!

Cornell & Diehl - Autumn Evening 2oz
Sweet & Savoury!
I’m trying to expand my palate with non aromatics but then I find another beautifully constructed blend like this! It is sweet, it is savoury, it’s pancakes and maple syrup in the morning or bbq’d ribs coming off the smoker for dinner.. As much negativity as aromatics get, this one will always have a top 5 spot in my rotation. You like what you like and Autumn Evening is definitely one my senses tingle for. The only thing I regret is not getting a tin sooner!

G. L. Pease - Windjammer 2oz
My first Virginia!
As my first dive into the virginias I am so happy I decided to go with Windjammer! I have to watch, it bites me which is one of the firsts to do but it’s so good! I’ve only had a couple bowls thus far but I very much enjoy the spice I taste from it, is that the Perique giving off the spice note?? I could use more of that!! I can see this one becoming a daily enjoyment for me as long as I can slow it down so it doesn’t bite and burn the ol’ tongue which shuts me down for a few days.. Great blend!

Cornell & Diehl - Bailey's Front Porch 2oz
On the fence..
This one is different. It smokes ok and is easy to keep going without any tongue bite. However, I just can’t get past the unpleasant tin note.. honestly, it smells like vomit from a vehicle with the windows rolled up in the middle of July. It turns me off really. Maybe my nose will learn to adjust as my journey goes along but this is one I won’t run out and stock up on.

Cult - Blood Red Moon 50g
Comfort smoke
I really enjoy BRM. It’s sweet, it’s creamy, it’s rich, it just hits that sweet tooth spot so to speak. Like when craving something sweet this is a great blend you stuff in the pipe and sit back and enjoy the treat. It’s definitely not an everyday blend but occasionally when you’re in that mood it’s better than other cherry blends out there. I get a good cream soda pop vibe with a chocolate/vanilla undertone. I’ll always have this one on hand.

Cornell & Diehl - Black Duck 2oz
Campfire heaven
Out of the handful of blends I’ve tried containing Latakia, I have to give Black Duck top tier standings. It’s not over the top like Da Vinci which I find too strong but has enough to keep you satisfied. If I’m not sitting around a camp fire enjoying life, I’m smoking a bowl of Black Duck to fill that void. Good stuff!!

Sutliff - Z92 Vanilla Custard
Too artificial!!!
I was really hoping to love this as I am a vanilla fan. I’ve given this tobacco 3 tries and I hate it more each time. The tin note is ok but it’s so unbelievably wet that even over 2hrs dry time it’s still a goopy mess. The after taste is what I hate the most, it’s just very unpleasant. I like Aro’s but this one is a nope.

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