Public Profile

Peterson - My Mixture 965 50g
Dunhill classic
The classic. What more is there to say about this blend? Often copied, never replicated. If I had to explain to a new smoker what an English blend tasted like, I’d probably pass them a tin of this. It might not be your favorite, but it’s undeniably well made. Ribbon cut, nice and smoky, and not overloaded with Latakia. Balanced

Mac Baren - Virginia Flake 1.75oz
Clean
I think I got my tin from p&c, so apologies to smoking pipes. Tin presentation was clean, as was the flavour and almost everything else about these thin flakes. Clean and bright. Left practically no residue in the bowl. Creamy, tea and hay, slightly citrusy. Emblemic of what a good Virginia could and should be. One dimensional and not very complex at all, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. In fact, I would say these flakes are exactly what you would expect a pure Virginia to be. Could be an all day smoke for some. For me, I prefer something with a little more oomph, but of course, that is purely subjective to my tastes. Good stuff

BriarWorks - Smokehouse 2oz
Surprisingly good
Can’t remember if I bought this from here or p&c, but I just opened a jar from 6/25 and gave it a try. I liked this quite a bit. Maybe a little one dimensional, but good despite. Obviously smoky, but also quite rich and creamy. The smoke is chewy and mouth coating. Takes to the flame quite well, and I only had to touch it up a couple times. Slightly sweet from the Virginias. C&D blends have a very specific flavor profile that seems present throughout their whole line, usually leaving a dustiness on the palate that I don’t find appealing. Maybe it’s their Virginias, not sure. I don’t know if briar works is sourcing from different farms, but I didn’t get the dirty aftertaste, so that’s definitely a plus. If you’re going to try this, make sure you like smoky blends, the name is not a lie. Update: I’m really liking this stuff so I bumped up to 4.5. Smokes great and has great combustion. Jar note smells like ketchup or maybe a-1 sauce. Don't think this would be an all day smoke for me as it’s just soooo smoky. However after a nice meal with a coffee or a cold beer it’s delicious. My daughter thinks it smells like when I bbq burgers. Damn fine stuff

Kramer's - Father Dempsey 50g
All day English
The way I’ve heard the story, father Dempsey asked Allen Kramer if he could make a bulk house blend something like Dunhill 965. He tried and tried constantly making adjustments to get it just right until one day the reverend stopped him and said “that’s it! Actually, it’s even better than 965”. Now I love 965 as much as anyone, and certainly it’s a classic for a reason. This however, I like a little more. There are so many English blends out there, it’s hard to know where to start. This would be a good place. Medium strength, medium body, and just about everything about it comes up right in the middle. The sourcing of the Latakia is lovely, and the orientals and Virginia are beautiful as well. Slight sweetness, sour, with a nice perfumy creaminess. Definitely a contender for an all day smoke. I can imagine a little age would smooth it out even more, but great fresh. Highly recommended

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. - Maple Twist
A taste from a bygone era
This stuff is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the strongest tobacco’s I’ve ever smoked in any format. Faintest hint of maple. More of a casing than a topping. Not terribly complex, yet beautiful in its simplicity. I can imagine a rope of this hanging in the crew quarters of an old ship waiting for a sailor to come and cut a pinch off. Their daily ration of grog being the only beverage adequate to stand up to the strength of this stuff. It smells like a leather combat boot from the army surplus. After prepping the smell sticks to my hand. A gentle reminder that I have some drying out in anticipation of a quiet half hour in the backyard. I wouldn’t call this an everyday smoke, nor would I even think about trying this first thing in the morning or on an empty stomach. There’s some real history here. Hard not to be romantic about a company that holds roots in the Napoleonic era. Made using machinery from the Industrial Revolution. This tobacco reminds me why I smoke pipes. I smoke this in a small cob, as I haven’t yet summoned the courage to try in a larger briar. I can only imagine how fast this would get me kicked out of the pub. Probably not for indoor use. I’ve been using kitchen shears to cut off a coin, then rub out while repeatedly smelling my work as I go. I ordered 4oz and was pleasantly surprised at the volume I was sent. Thinking in cigar terms it was the equivalent of one robusto and two churchills, all at about a 50 ring gauge. So this will last a good long while. I’ll bet this will age beautifully. Maybe I’ll smoke the robusto sized rope and put back the two churchills for aging. Smoking this makes me want to watch master and commander or mutiny on the bounty. G&H are truly a cut above the rest. Satis facere

Mac Baren - Virginia No. 1 3.5oz
A classic
Blended orange and yellow virginias with an extremely light topping of maple sugars, if I’ve heard correctly. Just a delightfully smooth all day blend. This is the one I reach for when I don’t feel like fighting or experimentation with a new blend. Citrusy and smooth. Bready, with some nice tea flavors. I don’t believe there’s any perique in this one. If there is it’s at an extremely low percentage. Not very spicy through the nose at all. Nice chunky broken flake cut. I like to pack this one a little tighter because of the courseness of the cut. Or I’ll palm some and roll into a tight ball and stuff. Beautiful in my Virginia dedicated cobs, but also quite nice in briar. Can get extremely hot if pushed. Recommend caution if you’re using meerschaum and like to smoke fast. Highly recommended

Peterson - Royal Yacht 50g
Nice kick
I grabbed a tin of this and tried immediately from the tin. My first impression was not great. I’ve learned from many years of smoking to never trust the first bowl, especially out of a fresh tin, and most especially one that was purchased by mail, as all tobacco seems to need a little time to acclimate to the new climate. This is especially true of cigars but most certainly true of pipe tobacco as well. After breathing for about a month, this stuff is absolutely fantastic. Nice and stout, with a rich and yet, surprisingly light mouth feel. The smoke is almost delicate in weight. Yet, packs a delightful punch in the strength and nicotine department. Nice ribbon cut too. Packs like a champ and burns like a dream. 10/10 in combustion. It really does burn down to light, feathery, white ash. My overall impression of this is one of lightness except in the strength. Packs a nice wallup and pairs marvelously with a spirit of your choice. I’m rather keen to take some of this down to the pub and see if it doesn’t get me kicked out

Samuel Gawith - Chocolate Flake 50g
Light on the chocolate
Very interesting blend. I was expecting something different to what it actually is. What it is, is a beautiful blend of dark flavor and body. Earthy, woody, very lightly smoky. In fact the smokiness is about as perceptible as the chocolate, which is hardly at all. These flavors are more supportive notes than explicit tastes. A suggestion of dark cocoa and smoke. Despite this, I found it utterly charming. Albeit, almost impossible to get lit without burning the piss out of my tongue. However, I’ve changed my tactics a bit. I now will fill a bowl in the afternoon for an evening smoke, and the drying time works like magic, as these flakes come extremely moist. Not unlike one of my other favorites, university flake. This actually has some similarities with my beloved university, and bites me just as bad. It’s just so hard to smoke them slow when they taste so good. Goes great with a beer too. I can’t emphasize enough how difficult it is to take to the flame. That’s really my only complaint. I’m giving it 5 stars anyway, simply on the merit of its wonderful rich flavor. Truly top notch stuff here, just don’t expect it to be chocolate flavored tobacco, which it most certainly is not. Again just the faintest hint of dark cocoa with a wisp of smoky over one of the richest, creamiest, and downright chewy smokes I’ve had in recent memory

Reiner - Professional 100g
Pipe pourii
Odd, this one. I like it? I’m still talking myself into this. Very unique stuff, to start off with. Almost like the smell of walking into bed, bath, and beyond. And I don’t mean that as a negative. It has an almost pot pourii smell to it. It comes in a very smart tin encasing a cellophane bag that has been taped closed. Not a ziplock or sealed bag, so that’s a definite minus. The cut is lovely and it burns to a very clean and very white ash. I smoked it nice and slow with no burn. A couple relights here and there, but nothing to write home about. My daughter loves the smell and the subsequent beard note, so that’s a plus. I really do like it, it’s just so unique that it kinda threw me a little. Sometimes I find that which I love immediately i tire from quickly, so my apprehension could be a good thing. In one week this might be my greatest of all time, I’m just not quite there yet. Still, I’ll definitely keep smoking if for no other reason a sense of profound intrigue. I’ve never tasted anything like this. Smokes great in a cob, by the way. Like just about every other blend I suspect. Update: ok this stuff is growing on me. If you’ve ever tried enigma flake from L.J. Peretti, this smells almost identical. But this is a little less rich and taste is a little different with this blend being milder and sweeter. I think I try the ultimate test and start up a bowl down at the pub next

Rattray's - Blower's Daughter Smooth Light (49)
Diminutive is right!
What an adorable and tiny little pipe. It looks like the size of one of those little clay pipes or something you’d smoky weed out of. No problem here, it gets nigh unto 120 degrees in the summertime here in Vegas so I’ll definitely make use of a pipe that gives a 15 min smoke. Now as to the the quality, very light weight, with good solid fit. The stem was mis drilled though, and I spent about a half hour trying to break loose the offending piece of acrylic that was partially plugging the stem. I think I got it all, but still won’t pass a pipe cleaner. I’ll work on that some more. Also this thing smokes extremely hot. I’ll admit to impatience in my smoking on occasion and certainly to smoking to fast every now and then so I’m willing to concede to user error with the hot pipe. Over all a lovely little piece of kit that will see plenty of use as long as I can get the stem fully sorted out. However, I did ding it for quality control. At this size for that price, it should have been perfect

Missouri Meerschaum - 150th Anniversary 1.75oz
Try it
I’m not really a big aromatic guy, especially the American style. Mostly due to overstated, heavy handed and gloopy blends comprised of inferior tobacco. This is quite another. Lightly aromatic and more importantly, a blend I would smoke minus the topping. Russ Oulette really is a great master blender and I have yet to try one of his delicious concoctions that I didn’t immediately like. Crumble cake that breaks up nice and easy. Also, I know it says vanilla in the description, but I can taste coconut throughout the whole bowl from top to bottom. Like Hawaiian tropic lotion. Truly unique blend, without seeming heavy or obvious. I just love this stuff. A little pricey, but honestly, it’s a pittance to what the price of cigars are becoming. Which is why I smoke pipes so much now anyway hahaha. Also gentleman, please do yourselves a favor and smoke this slowly as it will burn your tongues something awful if you try to freight train

Peter Stokkebye - PS403 Luxury Bullseye Flake
Best bang for your buck
I just tried this for the first time today. I love to smoke Virginias all throughout the day, Orlik, mac Baren Virginia, et al. So I was super excited for this one. Used it to break in a brand new cob to boot. There’s something magic about smoking Virginia out of a corn cob. It just smokes sweeter to me. These beautiful flakes were even better than I was hoping for. Nice moisture upon arrival. Deep rich flavor for a vaper. Nice creamy mouthfeel from the cavendish. And it’s fun to fold the flakes too. I’ve read some of the negative reviews on here, and honestly I don’t get any of them. Must be from newer smokers who haven’t developed a taste for the pure stuff yet. I bought 4 oz to try out, but after trying this stuff, im not even sure this will last the week hahaha. And of course the price is amazing. Think of how much work must go into making these coins. And at less than 80$ for a full pound!? No brainer

Peterson - University Flake 50g
The question is…
You really only have to ask yourself one question when evaluating an aromatic. Would I smoke this without the topping? In many cases the answer is that, because they add large amounts of flavor to coverup an inferior blend, you would not. I find this to be especially true with American aromatics. They can be heavy handed, gloopy, and even clumsy. University is a European aromatic in the classic style. Understated, mature, and lightly topped. Its topping is more a suggestion of flavor, in fact. It’s something that accentuates and lifts the already dark and sweet flavors of this beautiful blend. I don’t always smoke aromatics, maybe one bowl a day if I’m in the mood. But when I do, to answer my original question, a resounding yes!

McConnell - 5 Year Matured Virginia 50g
Please get this in stock!!!!
Went to my local brick and mortar on the hunt for some capstan which they’d unfortunately never heard of and saw a tin of this looking lonely amongst their stock of more well known blends. 5 year old Virginia? Yes please, I said. Popped the tin later that night and meh, pretty forgettable stuff. Came back the next day to revisit and it was a completely different experience. Maybe it just needed some air like tobacco sometimes does. It had been there for a long time in the store, I suspect. It was sweet, beautifully sour, and a little smoky. I kept puffing in disbelief that it could be that good. Honestly, I already want to go back out into the freezing cold for another bowl and I just came back inside. I’ve really been on a Virginia kick lately, finding so much complexity in these simple blends. This stuff seems pretty hard to find, but you can bet i’m stockpiling this stuff if I find more. The hunt begins…

Cornell & Diehl - Byzantium 2oz
Missing something
If you’ve ever been in the kitchen making your favorite chili and no matter what you do to it, it just seems to be missing something, then you understand what this blend tastes like to me. I certainly don’t hate it, and it’s nice and strong, but I don’t get any sweetness at all, probably because of the absence of Virginia. I thought the oriental would fill in, but even the lovely sour tang they usually provide seems muted. I wish c&d would diversify their tobacco sourcing as well, just to provide more differentiation between blends. I picked up some engine 99 as well. Maybe that will be a little more up my alley. Update: 2 stars. I’ve returned to this a few times thinking it would develop or maybe it was just me. I don’t care for this one. It’s strongly bland. Like if you had the blandest blend and just keep turning up the strength dial. Also it leaves a dustiness on the palate as if you just licked your ashtray. I like the incense flavor but that’s about it. I’m starting to notice a common inferiority in c&d blends that I’m not loving. Can’t tell if it’s the Latakia or not. Also I’m trying not to judge on a subjective level, rather objectively as the leaf quality is noticeably of a lesser quality than say Mac baren or rattrays. Take my review for what it’s worth and a grain of salt, for Byzantium may prove to be your favorite. As for me I’ll keep searching for mine

Peter Stokkebye - PS306 English Oriental Supreme
Give it a try
I like strong tobacco. Quite a bit, actually. This is not that. It is extremely light, which you might find to be as pleasant a change of pace as I did. It has a richness that is undeniably delicious. And there is a time for lightness, as there is for all things under the sun. First thing in the morning with coffee, before a meal, late at night when you just want something that’s not going to knock you over, etc. this blend packs extremely well owing to it’s fine ribbon cut, lights very easily and stays lit. It doesn’t seem to matter how you smoke it, it never bites. Pack too tight? Ok. Too loose? Sure. Slow sipper? Great. Freight train? No problem. I can’t remember smoking a more forgiving tobacco. As such this would be stellar for beginners as I’ve always believed in order to get good at pipe smoking, you have to first experience a couple of wins. Then you can take that and apply it to the more stubborn pipes and tobacco’s. While this is light in strength, it has surprising depth of flavor, with its lovely sweet and sour overtones. This has become my hassle free, everyday smoke. It even works beautifully in some of my angry pipes, stubborn devils that they are. As a bonus, you really can’t beat the bulk price. I really can’t recommend this enough. I think I’ll have a bowl right now

Rattray's - Bagpiper's Dream 100g
Very surprising
I really like this for a nice change of pace. It’s topped but not heavily so, which pleases me, as it speaks to the blenders intent. Also, you can taste cognac, not random booze topping but cognac. The mix of cuts is quite interesting. With coins, flake and ribbon, the flavors play peek a boo in the bowl. This definitely isn’t my all day smoke, but it sure is nice to mix it up. I really have to try more Rattrays. Might have to wait though, my tobacco is getting stacked up to the roof . I either have to start smoking faster or buying slower. Anyone else out there seem to have this problem?

Orlik - Golden Sliced 50g
Have patience
When I first tried this I was expecting a lot because of all the hype. The first bowl was, I don’t mind saying, completely underwhelming. Just the most bland flavorless tobacco ever, with a blast of white pepper through the retro. Yet there was something about it that still interested me, and I can’t exactly say why. So I left it alone for a long while. I just tried a bowl again last night after maybe 3 months after date of purchase, and holy cow, a complete metamorphosis has taken place. I knew Vgrass needs a little age, but this changed completely. It’s now sweet, bready, grassy, and basically tastes like spring time. So the point is if you’re not “getting” what all the hype is all about, just give it a little time. It’s well worth the wait. I just ordered a large tin and can’t wait to see what a year does for this stuff. This is one of those blends that tastes better folded and stuffed than rubbed out, the which of why being unclear. Though after trying both methods repeatedly, I have realized that it is so