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John F.
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Savinelli - Roma Lucite (114 KS) (6mm)
Best of the best
Why best of the best? Well, for me Savinelli represents the best value in pipes from a price/quality perspective. In addition, for me the billiard is the classic king of shapes, I own more billiards than any other shape by far. Lastly, in my opinion the Roma (especially the lucites) line is Savinelli's most beautiful, and at a much better price than some of their others. The bowl fits great in hand, accommodates a generous portion of your favorite baccy for a long smoke, clenches great, and looks great doin' it! But hey, these are just my opinions, and that's what makes this hobby so great - there's something for everyone. {One small niggle, which has nothing to do with this pipe in particular. I understand times are tough, money is money and business is business. But..It is a bit frustrating to see fewer and fewer pipes individually photographed and having to sort of roll the dice on whether or not you'll be happy with whatever particular example you receive. I was hesitant to mention it, but now I have. Thanks.}
Filters & Adaptors - Tsuge 9mm Filter - Kulu Cool (Single)
I like it
It's very cool looking, which to be honest is what drew me to it initially. I must confess I also like things that are different and "gadgety". To boot, this will last forever, as long as you don't misplace it - which I may have already done with one of the two originals that I bought. At any rate, I find myself using it quite often for tobaccos where I don't necessarily want to alter or mute the flavor or sharpness, but want to reduce moisture a bit and also add a bit of resistance to my draw, especially with certain pipes or blends - and since I've been packing ever so slightly more lightly lately. To those ends it works well. For those who use filters to keep any loose tobacco from reaching their mouth, this certainly serves that purpose as well. I've had only positive experiences with it. Recommended.
F&K - Lancer Ready Rubbed
Super good
A lovely, strong "tin" note with an almost clove-like spice scent to it. Smokes fine right out of the jar, but can benefit from even 5 or 10 minutes of drying. It's seemingly a simple blend with only two components but it's got to be high quality tobacco because the sum is definitely more than the parts. The first puffs to about the first 1/3 of the bowl after lighting are honestly some of the most sublime smoking time I've ever spent. It seems to settle down a bit after that. There is nothing like it I've yet found.
Peterson - Nightcap 50g
Another famous Peterson-Dunhill blend that I really do not like
I know, I know - I'm in the minority here, but I've got to call 'em like I smoke 'em. I have tried a couple tins of this over more than a year and I have never enjoyed it. I don't get any of the nuanced flavors other reviews mention. It just doesn't taste like much and I even find it a bit harsh. I enjoy plenty of tobaccos with the constituent components, but for some reason they just don't work for me here. For comparison, I also do not like Early Morning Pipe - and for pretty much the same reasons as Nightcap. I have other tins of Peterson blends (Standard mixture, Balkan blend and Scottish mixture) and now I'm wondering if I should open them to try, or just unload them somewhere. For comparison, a couple of my favorite blends are PS52 Proper English and Lancer Slices (or ready-rubbed). Not sure if this even makes any sense, but it's almost beginning to seem that for some reason I enjoy bulk blends over tins.
Peter Stokkebye - PS52 Proper English
One of the Best
Quite simply one of the best, if not the best, English blends I've had. For me it's far better than the much-vaunted Nightcap, for example. This one does everything - smoke, sour and sweet. It's got the right mix of strong latakia presence, supported perfectly by the base of virginia and tang of the oriental. The fact that something this good is available in bulk at a lower price than some of the supposed premium English blends is quite amazing and a huge bonus. Other similar English-Balkan blends that I also rate very highly are Arango Balkan Supreme, Kramer's Father Dempsey, Ten Russians and Engine 99.
War Horse - Bar 1.75oz
Surprisingly good
I'm not going to lie - the name and tin art on this sucked me in. Tin note to me is just amazing with deep tobacco scent but also that not-so-mild but not-so-strong, exotic, baking-spice-but-not-cinnamon, floral-but-not-perfume topping. Some say it's Lakeland. It's like nothing I've ever smelled, but it works! The plug peels apart easily to be rubbed out. Could use some drying time once rubbed, but smokes perfectly from fresh. It is full flavored but not at all overpowering or offensive (like some of the Gawith plugs, say). The flavor of the topping does not come through very much in the smoke but, to me, serves to even and smooth things out without being noticed too much. Needs few (if any) re-lights, and if so is probably down more to my imperfect packing than anything else. I've so far only been smoking it in a new meerschaum. I'm new to meerschaum and can't say if it's affecting the experience one way or the other. If you're at all curious about this, I would say to definitely give it a try. Addendum: Now discontinued due to the STG/Sutliff situation. Sad.
Newminster - No. 17 English Luxus
Not really an English IMO
It's a nice enough smoke, but you've got to know what you're getting, which is not a real English in my opinion. It's very, very mellow and has some sweetnes and not enough latakia. I even added latakia and it still doesn't have enough. Again, sometimes I'm in the mood for something like this, but it's much milder and sweeter than I expected.
Drucquer & Sons - First Amendment 100g
Oh, NO!
I'm obviously in the minority here, but this is awful. I've had it open for 6 months or more so that I come back to it from time to time and see if it changes for me, as many tobaccos taste different at different times - even tobaccos I love taste not so great sometimes. This one does nothing but burn, burn, burn my tongue. Tin note is nice, but the smoke is a big NO.
G. L. Pease - Maltese Falcon 2oz
Just so-so
I have to agree with the others here who question the hype behind this blend. I have to say it does smell great in the tin, but something is missing in the smoke. Not sure if it's the "special spice" that softens the hit but lacks the "bite" of some of my other favorite english blends. For a better smoke for less money try some bulk blends such as PS52 Proper English, Father Dempsey, Engine 99, Super Balkan and Balkan Supreme to name a few.
Solani - White and Black - 763 50g
High quality, nicely balanced
It's interesting how your tastes in tobacco change over time. Used to be if something wasn't a lat bomb I wasn't interested. When I first opened this, maybe this sounds stange, but it just looked like really high quality tobacco. The scent was also high quality. But was disappointed that I wasn't bowled over by heavy latakia. Fast forward a few months, I've come back to this and have a new appreciation for it. Tastes very high quality and also very, very well balanced between the virginia and much more laid back lat, all smoothed out by the BC. Who knows...some day maybe my taste will even change to where I can enjoy a straight Virginia.
Half and Half - Half and Half 1.5oz
Nice for a change of pace
I typically don't care for aromatics much - and this is definitely an aromatic. I didn't like the tin/pouch note the first time I smelled it. But something about it kept enticing me back. I really like the note now. As for the smoke, not a ton of flavor but enough to satisfy, like a mildly sweet dessert. I now know what people mean when they say that this or that tobacco is best when sipped, and that is true of this one. Easy, slow smoking gets the best out of this one.
Ashton - Artisan's Blend 50g
Just another positive review
There are certainly enough glowing reviews of this here, so mine will certainly not add anything new. And I don't have the experience, nose, palate or prose to match some of the excellent and clever things you'll read here. Suffice it to say that this is just a damned good smoke. Full, rich, flavorful, consistent, complex and very, very satisfying. I find myself reaching for it again and again and again.
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Dark Flake Unscented
S T R O N G!!
This is gorgeous flake tobacco. The tin note is dark, decadent, smoky bbq delicious. I found it tough to light but once going it burned well. Initially I found it very strong and somewhat acrid, as it burned my nose quite a bit. It settled down quickly with quite strong flavor. Be warned however, this has a big Nic hit. It was too much for me..it brought me to my knees and sent me to bed early, sweating. I will continue to try it from time to time in smaller doses to hopefully slowly acclimate myself to it.
Cornell & Diehl - Haunted Bookshop Cake 2oz
A dissenting view
Have to say I just really don't like this. For me it doesn't really have any flavor - or at least none that I find pleasing. I find the smoke a bit acrid - especially if it gets in my nose. It reminds me a bit of Druquer's First Amendment in that sense - that tobacco smells so good in the tin I was sure I'd love it, but no go. I wish I was able to taste and enjoy this tobacco like so many others do, but this one just isn't meant for me. I do enjoy what I consider some other 'unflavored' tobaccos such as Stokkebye bullseye flake, Virginia and Burley (and tons of latakia blends). Hopefully something I've said here helps you decide whether or not this is for you.
Peter Stokkebye - PS17 English Luxury
Nice English with a bit of creamy sweetness
Every time I smoke this it really hits the spot. I'm a fairly new piper and my taste in tobacco seems to be evolving quickly. My first "English" was Lane HGL and I considered that an 'entry' English because of its heavy aromatic component with some Latakia, and I liked it. Now, HGL tastes rather bland to me, and English Luxury now tastes to me how I remember HGL first tasting - creamy, literally luxurious with a nice smokey Latakia presence. I've also been enjoying some less aromatic English blends such as PS 52 Proper English and Arango Balkan Supreme and Kramer's Father Dempsey, but this English Luxury is still very nice indeed when I want something with a bit of sweetness. I hope this helps someone decide whether or not they will like this blend.
Peterson - Early Morning Pipe 50g
Not. For. Me.
I know this is rated highly by many smokers. I'm not one of them. I've tried it many times and I've never enjoyed it. I think it really just comes down to body chemistry. This does not suit mine. I get none of the flavors I hear everyone else reviewing. Even just "puffing" an unlit bowl of this has an unpleasant oily taste/scent. The smoke just burns and tastes acrid. No enjoyment whatsoever. I know none of these are direct comparisons, but I like English Luxury, Proper English, Arango Balkan Supreme, Engine 99, Father Dempsey, Plum pudding, Sextant, Pirate Kake, Red Odessa, Star of the East,etc. This EMP I just can't do. I've read through the reviews and it does seem there are a few others who share my negative experience with this. Again, I'm thinking it just comes down to a body chemistry thing. I think I'm not very much of an oriental fan, which could be part of why I don't like this. Lastly - and now I know I'm really going to ruffle some feathers and cause some head scratching - I think there's just something about the Peterson blends that just doesn't mesh with me (as I also really dislike Nightcap and Old Dublin). The reason I say this is because there are plenty of blends out there with the same components (albeit surely from different sources and vintages, and in different ratios) that I really love, but these Peterson blends for some reason just don't hit home with me. Again, I know I'm in the extreme minority, but that's how it is. Hope this helps someone decide if this tobacco is worth their time or not.