Pipe Tobacco: Belgian Semois (5/10)

The Semois tobacco by Windels, is a very traditional Belgian 'tabak' and named after the Semois valley in Belgium, where since the mid-19th century, tobacco has been grown in quantity. The tobacco grown there is primarily Kentucky-style, but Virginias and Burleys are cultivated as well.

The smoking of this tobacco is a history lesson- although it smokes very well, it is not a terribly pleasant smoke. In fact, it's 'like smoking the Sahara' according to my friend Tom. However, it is incredibly traditional- the exact sort of tabak that the Belgian farmers would have been smoking when the Germans came storming across the valleys towards France in 1914, and again in 1940...

• Flavour: 6/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 2/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 10/10
• Value for Money: 7/10
• Indulgence Factor: 3/10
• Overall Rating: 5/10

Pipe Tobacco: Peterson's 'Old Dublin' (9/10)

Peterson of Dublin is one of the most well-recognised makers of pipe and pipe tobaccos, and I must say, then little tin of tobacco was a bit like heaven. Just imagine for a moment: a mahogany-paneled room, fine stocks of brandy and single malt whiskeys in the sideboard and a generous amount in your Waterford tumbler; you're sitting in a red-leather chesterfield wing back chair, there's a crackling smoulder in the stone fireplace, and you're smoking a pipe. That is a fantasy of mine, and this is the tobacco for just that occasion.

The 'Old Dublin' is a blend of Latakia, Turkish Oriental and Virginia Leaf. What more can I say- the blend is pretty much perfect: It produces a medium-strength smoke, and although one can certainly taste the Latakia, it doesn't overpower in any way. There is very little tar buildup, but yet the smoke is not dry. The smoke is not sweet, but still flavoursome and elegant.

My only complaint is that it burns a bit quickly- and this may be a result of the pipe I am smoking it in, the way I pack the bowl, or that the shreds of tobacco are cut just a touch too thin. I'm undecided- really I need to try smoking it in an expensive Peterson pipe for the full experience.

A tin of 50 grams should cost you around £9.50. It's well worth it!

• Flavour: 7/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 3/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 8/10
• Value for Money: 7/10
• Indulgence Factor: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 9/10

Cigar: Chinchalero Novillo (7/10)

Chinchalero is a Nicaraguan cigar manufacturer, who have been making hand-rolled cigars for a while now. We reviewed a Chinchalero Chico a long while back, it scored a 6/10: http://cigarsandpipes.blogspot.com/2009/01/chinchalero-chicos.html. The mas gordito brother of the Chico is the Novillo. It's a fat 66 gauge, 10cm long beast of a cigar.

The Novillo is certainly an indulgent more-ish cigar. Hand-rolled with Nicaraguan and Honduran leaf filler, with an Ecuadorian wrapper, the flavour is moderately light, but the nicotine buzz is heavy. They are is exactly how one would expect a cigar to taste- nothing fancy, no gimmicks, just good plain ol' tobacco. In fact, many cigar experts are now saying the best cigars are coming out of Nicaragua, not Cuba. Why? Climate change? Socialism? Pink jungle hedgehogs? I'm not sure, but there are some very nice cigars coming out of Nicaragua, and they can be quite inexpensive for the quality.

I definitely recommend these for the seasoned smoker, or for someone new. They would also make a great gift, for they appear to be far more expensive than they actually are. In the UK, they'll cost about £3.50 for one, and likely less on the continent.

• Smoking time: 30-45 minutes
• Flavour: 5/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 3/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 8/10
• Value for Money: 9/10
• Indulgence Factor: 7/10
• Overall Rating: 7/10

Pipe Tobacco: Ashton's Consummate Gentleman (8/10)

The Consummate Gentleman is Ashton's 'Proper English Blend:' 'Tis terribly English old boy, tally ho, what what... mheh... Of course, Ashton is an American company which began in the '80s, but we won't hold that against them; most English tobaccos are grown in that old rebellious colony.

The Consummate Gentleman is a blend of Virginia, Burley and Maryland tobaccos, with a touch of Latakia. The blend is delicious and wholeheartedly a traditional English blend- we really enjoyed it. One can certainly taste the Latakia, but it is not overpowering (Latakia so often is...). Unfortunately it is sliced just a bit thin for my liking, so it smoked a bit hotter and faster than usual.

The 50g tin will cost you about £10.50 or €10.00, a slightly expensive but reasonable price.

• Flavour: 7/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 3/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 7/10
• Value for Money: 4/10
• Indulgence Factor: 7/10
• Overall Rating: 8/10

Pipe Tobacco: Wild Cut Radford's Old Scotch (6/10)

This is a tobacco commonly found in Germany, where it is simply called Wild Cut Radford's Old Scotch. However, it is the suspicion that this is the very same tobacco as the Gawith and Hoggarth 'Radford's Old Scotch.' Ha! Another G & H...

The tobacco is a mixture of Virgina and Burley tobaccos, with a bit of aromatic Black Cavendish. It is overall a good blend, but when smoked slowly, it develops a slightly sour flavour. When smoked more quickly (and subsequently more hot) it produces a less sour flavour which I think is considerably more enjoyable. However, the tobacco is already such a thin cut, when smoking it hot, it will disappear rapidly. It is marketed as having a scotch flavour, yet I could not tell...

The Old Scotch is fairly standard in price: 50g on the continent will cost about €5,50, whereas it'll cost about £8.50 in the UK.

• Flavour: 5/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 5/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 4/10
• Value for Money: 5/10
• Indulgence Factor: 4/10
• Overall Rating: 6/10

Cigar: Guantanamera 'Minutos' (5/10)

We reviewed the Guantanamera 'Cristales' a while back: http://cigarsandpipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/cigar-guantanamera-cristales.html and unfortunately they were not really up to scratch, scoring only a 4/10. The Cuban company's newest cigar, the 'Minuto' scores only slightly better, a paltry 5/10.

The problem with the Guantanameras (both the Cristales and the Minutos) is that they are extremely light-bodied. I'll admit, some people like a mild cigar, but far too little flavour has no excuse; there's light-bodied, and then there's anorexic. Nevertheless, I have absolutely no negative comments about the little flavour there was; they are certainly smokable, just failing to impress.

The Minutos are petit coronas (4 inches long and 43 gauge), and unfortunately smoke rather quickly for their size. Once again, the prices vary between Europe and the UK (€2,50 for a pack of three on the continent, and about £3.50 for a single cigar in the UK).

• Smoking time: 15-20 minutes
• Flavour: 2/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 4/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 8/10
• Value for Money: 4/10
• Indulgence Factor: 4/10
• Overall Rating: 5/10

Pipe Tobacco: Gawith and Hoggarth Bright CR Flake (8/10)

Yes, I am posting another Gawith and Hoggarth, and for those who do not have access to these tobaccos, I apologise. But they form the majority of the bulk tobaccos available at the Durham tobacconist, so naturally they are what I buy. Worry not however, we'll have a few tinned and/or widely available pipe tobacco reviews up soon!

The Bright CR Flake is yes, a Gawith and Hoggarth Kendal pipe tobacco, but it is superb! (I do not know what the CR stands for, and if anyone can enlighten me, I'd really appreciate it). The tobacco is a fine Virgina leaf; it tastes light and mild, but nevertheless gives you a strong nicotine buzz. It is neither sweet, nor dry, but well-balanced, and there is a slight hint of raisin.

I very much enjoyed this tobacco, and I will certainly be buying it again. Because it is light and mild, I also would recommend this as a must for beginners! Definitely give this one a try!

• Flavour: 5/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 5/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 5/10
• Value for Money: 5/10
• Indulgence Factor: 7/10
• Overall Rating: 8/10

Cigar: Toscano Classico (7/10)

I'd like to make an analogy: some cigars are like a Bentley or Rolls Royce, and some are like a Catarham R500 (and some are like an old rusted Fiat but that is beside the point). Bentleys and RRs have their time and place, but so does a rough yet fun kit car.

The Toscano Classicos are like the Catarham; they are rough, earthy cigars, that, although you won't be seeing them at a white tie gala, are still bloody good. Maduros, and aged for four months, the flavour is very rough, or 'edgy,' but definitely nice, even to a refined smoker's palate. These are Italian- made in Cava dei Tirreni and Lucca and although machine-rolled, it is difficult to tell- they are tightly and consistently packed. The Classicos are 6 inches and 38 gauge- nothing massive, yet they smoke for a surprisingly long time.

I most definitely recommend these cigars, and I look forward to trying the rest of the Toscano range (the Classicos are the cheapest of the range, and if they're this nice, then their other cigars must be excellent). Having said that, although they are roughly only €5,50 for five (a great value) on the continent, they are going to be at least £16 for a pack of five in the UK (due to our ridiculous taxes).

• Smoking time: 35-45 minutes
• Flavour: 8/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 4/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 6/10
• Value for Money: 5/10
• Indulgence Factor: 5/10
• Overall Rating: 7/10

Pipe Tobacco: Gawith and Hoggarth No. 25 Blend (5/10)

I realise I've been inundating you all with many middle-of-the-road scoring tobaccos, and the No. 25 Blend by Gawith and Hoggarth is unfortunately another to add to the growing list, scoring 5/10.

The major problem with the tobacco is how thinly cut it is- indeed I suspect one could use it in a rollie. As a result, it smokes quickly and quite hot, which is unfortunate. When I did manage to slowly puff my pipe at a decent temperature for this tobacco, the flavours were really quite nice. The blend contains 53% Virginia, 17% light burley, 10% dark sun-cured and what really gives it a kick; 20% Latakia. Latakia is quite possibly the most intensely-flavoured tobacco in existence- Indeed most people cannot stomach smoking pure latakia, but in this particular blend, it is very nice. I would also add that the blend has no harsh or undesirable aftertaste. If it didn't smoke so damned hot, it would be really nice.

• Flavour: 7/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 4/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 5/10
• Value for Money: 5/10
• Indulgence Factor: 5/10
• Overall Rating: 5/10

Cigar: Real Feytoria 'Reserva' (5/10)

Well, once again we bring you a review of an acceptable, but in no means great cigar. Real Feytoria is a Portuguese company producing cigars and cigarillos on the Azores, and while readily available in Portugal, might be a bit hard to find in the UK or US. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view), this isn't really a shame...

They are made of a hybrid filler, and come pre-cut. I found them to be quite dry and smoke quite quickly. They do have a definite 'cigar' flavour of pretty much pure tobacco, so if you like a cigar that has a strong flavour, unmuddled by any additives, you may like these. Personally I think they are, for the most part, very average.

These will cost you about 7.50 euros for five corona-sized cigars; not a bad price. Of course, we would expect them to be more expensive in the UK due to taxes.

• Smoking time: 10-15 minutes
• Flavour: 6/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 2/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 8/10
• Value for Money: 7/10
• Indulgence Factor: 3/10
• Overall Rating: 5/10

We're Back!!!

My deepest apologies to our avid readers out there for the lack of new posts in quite a while... a long while... sorry...

Thankfully, we now have several new tobaccos to review, so please keep reading and enjoying your ability to smoke a fine cigar, or a Peterson pipe- for it won't be long before there is a complete ban on our civil liberties (I'm a cynic, but hey, most smokers are...).

Cigar: Don Julian No. 1 (6/10)

Don Julian is a cigar manufacturer operating in Spain and Portugal, and their cigars can be found in most tobacconists on the Iberian peninsula, and quite possibly in some UK ones as well. The No. 1 coronas we tried (pre-cut and machine-rolled, but well-sealed) were made of Sumatran tobacco, and were ridiculously light in flavour; a very 'blond' smoke. Though I generally like my cigars to be pungent, thick and flavoursome, these were not bad- certainly there were no negative flavours at all.

My colleague (who tried more of these than I did) told me that he had a couple good ones, but a couple bad ones as well, so unfortunately we are left with another one of those inconsistent manufacturers. Give them a try if you like, especially if you prefer a very light smoke. A pack of five will cost around 10 euros, and a bit more in the UK.

• Smoking time: 10-15 minutes
• Flavour: 3/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 5/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 5/10
• Value for Money: 6/10
• Indulgence Factor: 6/10
• Overall Rating: 6/10

Pipe Tobacco: Coffee and Caramel (6/10)

According to our tobacconist, the Coffee and Caramel by Gawith and Haggarth is one of their best-selling, even approaching the popularity of their Cherry and Vanilla. If you recall, the cherry and vanilla was a light smoke, slightly sweet and we said would make for an excellent beginners tobacco. The Coffee & Caramel also makes for a good beginners smoke. It is slightly sweet, but certainly heavier in flavour.

The Coffee & Caramel is made of rich black cavendish tobacco and has an incredibly dark, weighty and even syrupy appearance. Unsmoked the aroma is almost sickeningly sweet, and one can definitely smell the coffee, but the smoke is neither overtly sweet nor terribly strong. Unfortunately it is hard to keep lit (my mate used up about 20 matches), and the tar does build up on this one- so pipe cleaners and a pipe-knife are a must! You may even wish to try using a filter if your pipe has a space for one.

• Flavour: 6/10
• Sweetness: 6/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 3/10
• Value for Money: 4/10
• Indulgence Factor: 5/10
• Overall Rating: 6/10

Rollie Tobacco: Brandy (5/10)

There is very little positive or negative to say about the 'brandy' handrolling tobacco by Gawith and Hoggarth. I smoked it and generally thought; 'eh... not bad.'

There really are no defining characteristics of the Brandy. It is moderately tarry, has a moderate barely-sweet flavour, neither boring nor exiting... you get the picture. Anyways, you'll take it as no surprise I rate it a 5.

• Flavour: 6/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 4/10
• Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 6/10
• Value for Money: 5/10
• Indulgence Factor: 4/10
• Overall Rating: 5/10

Pipe Tobacco: Three Nuns (4/10)

Nearly all of our reviews of loose tobaccos have thus far concerned Gawith and Hoggarth brands and there is good reason for this- they tend to be quite good (with a few notable exceptions), and are available from our tobacconist in bulk.

However, we are aware that many people do not have access to these tobaccos, so we have reviewed a pipe tobacco that is very common; 'Three Nuns.' Their motto is 'none nicer'... well, I have tried much nicer, but to be fair, this was not an unenjoyable tobacco, but neither was it a particularly enjoyable tobacco. We mutually decided that it was like the 'Drowning Mona' of pipe tobaccos... in that, like the film 'Drowning Mona' there is nothing wrong with it, and at the end, you feel moderate apathy; 'well, that's two hours of my life gone... but not that there is a desire to have those two hours back, just... eh.'

Flavours... yeah... well, it's not too dry, not too sweet, slightly spicy (from the perique tobacco in the blend). The only real downside is that it gets quite hot, which is certainly due to the fine cut of the shag. Give it a try, or not... I don't really mind... But it'll cost you about £4.50 for 25 grams, slightly more than the price at which we get our G&H bulks.

• Flavour: 3/10
• Sweetness: 4/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 5/10
• Value for Money: 4/10
• Indulgence Factor: 3/10
• Overall Rating: 4/10

Rollie Tobacco: Mixed Coconut (5/10)

Well once again I have nearly finished off my last purchase of rollie tobacco from the market, so it's time for a review. This time it's the coconut rollie tobacco from Gawith and Hoggarth.

I haven't much to say about this particular tobacco. The tobacco itself does smell like coconut, but I think if I hadn't been told what it was and smoked it, I wouldn't be able to tell exactly what the flavour was. Indeed, several people have asked me; 'What is that you're smoking?' To which I have replied; 'coconut.' 'Ah!' was always the reply.

My only complaint concerning this tobacco is that the tar is quite foul. The first half of the cigarette is smooth and otherwise fine, but once the tar builds up, it is not terribly pleasant. Of course, many tobaccos suffer this problem, and the lesson is to not smoke them to the very end... Concerning its positive traits, it is moderately strong and yet surprisingly cool. It's an acceptable tobacco, not great, but not bad either.

• Flavour: 4/10
• Sweetness: 4/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 4/10
• Value for Money: 5/10
• Indulgence Factor: 4/10
• Overall Rating: 5/10

Pipe Tobacco: Broken Scotch Cake (4/10)

The Broken Scotch Cake by Gawith and Hoggarth is, I think, best described as bland and inoffensive. It's like the Bells or Famous Grouse of whiskeys (ok, to some they are quite offensive), or that gateau someone else baked at a party that you say is really nice, but never get around to finishing because it's dry and flavourless and really just mind-numbingly dull.

I could not discern any particular flavours of the Broken Scotch Cake, but as the little amount of tar did build up towards the end, there was a bit more of whatever flavour it was. Thankfully there was no offensive aftertaste either, so really I have no complaints about the tobacco except that it's just generally boring.

Give it a try if you like... I'm neither recommending it nor warning you not to spend your money on it, but personally I'll leave this one to the hoi-polloi- it's not for me.

• Flavour: 2/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 3/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 7/10
• Value for Money: 4/10
• Indulgence Factor: 2/10
• Overall Rating: 4/10

Cigar: Rocky Patel '10 Year Panatelas' (8/10)

Rocky Patel is a well known name in circles of cigar aficionados and his company produces a range of cigars from the moderately priced to premium cigars in the same price range as the best Davidoff or Montecristos. The company is relatively new, however, it has certainly made a name for itself, and we were very impressed with the cigars we tried.

My associate and I tried the small panatelas which were aged 10 years. These are among the cheapest cigars produced by Rocky Patel, but we were very impressed. They are made of Nicaraguan long filler in a dark Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. Typical of a dark maduro cigar, the panatelas had a very strong and spicy but well-balanced flavour that was quite enjoyable. For the first few minutes of the smoke, the cigar was a little too hot for my taste, but as soon as the tar built up slightly, they were considerably nicer, and thankfully the tar did not build-up to excessive levels towards the end.

A tin of five of these small panatelas will cost around £25, so about a fiver each. For their size, this might seem a bit expensive, but they have as much flavour in them as a churchill would at three-times the price. We definitely recommend the Rocky Patels for any special occasion or times in which you just want a great smoke.

Smoking time: 20-25 minutes

Flavour: 9/10

Smoke Sweetness: 4/10

Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 5/10

Value for Money: 5/10

Indulgence Factor: 8/10

Overall Rating: 8/10

Cigar: Jacob van Meer Corona (4/10)

Jacob van Meer is another Dutch cigar manufacturer, and I have found it very difficult to find them for sale in the UK via the internet. Nevertheless, they are readily available in the EU. Their coronas are made of Belgian short filler (stems and bits) in an Indonesian tobacco wrapper.

We thought these cigars were alright, certainly nothing special, and I have very little to comment on. Moderate tar, neither a dry nor sweet smoke, they were simply a fairly average cigar. I have little complaint, except that they were loosely packed which made them smoke a bit hotter than would be desirable.

In the Netherlands a box of ten of the Jacob van Meer Coronas will cost around €13. In the UK, if you can find them, I would expect the price to be at least £17 for ten, due to the extra tax.

Smoking time: 20-30 minutes

Flavour: 5/10

Smoke Sweetness: 5/10

Tar (1=very wet, 10=very dry): 5/10

Value for Money: 5/10

Indulgence Factor: 3/10

Overall Rating: 4/10

Pipe Tobacco: Kendal Kentucky Nougat (7/10)

Nougat [noo-guht, noo-gah]

-noun

A chewy or brittle candy containing almonds or other nuts and sometimes fruit.

Kentucky [kuhn-tuhk-ee]

-noun

A southeast-central state in the USA, known as the bluegrass state, and famous for breaded chicken, horses and conservatives with unintelligible accents.

Well, when it comes to the Kendal Kentucky Nougat by Gawith and Hoggarth, I am not sure about 'Kentucky' descriptor, but certainly I would agree that 'nougat' is an appropriate term. Not that the tobacco is a chewy or brittle candy, but rather that there is certainly a nutty caramel butterscotch flavour to the smoke. It is also sweet, but overtly so, and for the most part, is quite pleasant. The primary problem is that the tar itself is quite sour, and there is a considerable amount of it.

Overall, this tobacco is definitely worth a try, I suspect many will like it, but be prepared for the tar... I personally decided to smoke this one through filters to cut down on this detractor.

• Flavour: 7/10
• Smoke Sweetness: 6/10
• Tar (1=wet, 10=dry): 2/10
• Value for Money: 5/10
• Indulgence Factor: 7/10
• Overall Rating: 7/10