ATTENTION: CB Pipe Tobacco Review Bombing Run Version 2.0

[cpmcdill]

Got a chance to do my first review sooner than I planned. Maybe I'll do "Pink U" tomorrow.

Details-
Date: April 06, 2015
Name: cpmcdill
Tobacco: Yellow E Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake
Pipe: BBB Superfine straight lovat
Site: Indoors

Observations-

Examination: (how it looked, felt and smelled).
Tobacco was short pressed intact flakes (tin-size, none broken or rubbed out), of a medium reddish brown color flecked with yellow. flakes are flexible and seem to have a good moisture level for smoking. The aroma of the blend was the grass/hay of Virginia and another subtly floral note which makes me wonder if this is a Lakeland. I do not suspect the presence of perique or burley. After a bit of airing the floral note seemed to fade a bit, so it may not have been a significant topping.

Preparation: (how did you prepare and pack it).
Rubbed it out and allowed it to air a few minutes before packing. Stuffed in two generous pinches and got it nicely packed while still allowing a good draw. Didn't feel like using Frank or air pocket methods.

Burn: Matches were used to light the tobacco. Took on a nice burn after the initial light-tamp-relight. Stayed lit most of the way through and burned cool with no tongue bite. Had to relight once about 85% through, when I had to dump some ashes off. After that, smoked all the way down, with minimal dottle at the end and no residual "juice" to deal with.

Flavor: Starts off with a toasty-bready flavors which broadens into a semi-sweet and complex mix of flavors I associate with Virginias, but not monochromatic. Still plenty of grass/hay, so I suspect at most a blend of several Virginia varietals and no other tobaccos. Picking up that other note again, which reminds me of tobacco in the Gawith family.
Halfway, the flavor remains much the same, but in the last quarter some bitter notes creep in. Was I being unmindful and puffing too hard? I wouldn't know, as it's still smoking rather cool. It does sort of remind me of the faint garlic chives flavor I've noticed with Bosun Cut Plug. No criticism there, as I'm still enjoying it. Toward the end that Lakeland-y character gets more pronounced, but subtle and in a good way.

Comments and conclusion:
From the very first puffs, what a delightful first impression. The taste from the first light conveyed a tobacco of high quality. Have I had this before? It's not something I have in my cellar presently, but might have gotten as a bomblet sample long ago. This was a fine smoke, and I'm thrilled I was given enough to carry me through many more enjoyable pipe sessions. I'm grateful to have this opportunity to have such a focused smoking experience, where I can put all my attention on the nuances of the tobacco.

[Alligator Gar]

This was a fine smoke, and I'm thrilled I was given enough to carry me through many more enjoyable pipe sessions.

That's a point worth noting. I've got a week's worth of tobacco "samples" which is good news, as I highly prize the first one I tried.

[cpmcdill]

This afternoon's mail brought:

Yellow E
Pink i (vac)
Green J (vac)
Pink U

Impressed by the quantity. These'll keep me busy for a long time. I have not smoked any yet, so I guess I'll randomly pick Yellow E to review first. I hope to get to it by tomorrow evening.

Great packaging, Pete!

[cbr310]

I got my samples along with the tins of Presbyterian that I purchased off pete! Thanks for doing this, reviews to come! uploadfromtaptalk1428338307137.jpg
1. orange H (vac) reviewing this first
2. pink E (vac)
3. pink V (vac)

[NeverBend]

I got my samples along with the tins of Presbyterian that I purchased off pete! Thanks for doing this, reviews to come! uploadfromtaptalk1428338307137.jpg
1. orange H (vac) reviewing this first
2. pink E (vac)
3. pink V (vac)

Perfect Matt, thanks for posting them.

[cbr310]

Date: 4/7/15
Name: cbr310 (Matt)
Tobacco: Pink E (vac) Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake
Pipe: mm cob
Outdoor

Observations/Examination : In vacuum pack looks like tree bark, once cut open aroma of I think a cherry hint. Felt stiff and didnt want to bend without spliting. Rubbed out very easy, seems ready to smoke.

Preparation: Rubbed out gravity tampered in thirds till almost full

Burn: Burned well only had a few relights

Flavor: Smelled of cherry, that was it for the cherry, like an otc cherry blend I could never taste cherry flavoring. Tasted to me like pepper. Pretty spicy especially on the retro hale, couldnt do many of that. most of the bowl was spicey and peppery. Had a strong tobacco flavor to it as well. At the end of the bowl the spiciness seemed to mellow out and ended with a decent smoke. Lots of smoke on every puff. Mild with nicotine, a slight head changer for me.

Comments and conclusion:
This tobacco would tame a crave for spicy cravings. Didnt really care for the stronger tobacco(cigarette) taste. Dont think this is a blend I would buy. I enjoy the different flavors and not so much the tobacco side. first bowl I ever smoked with only about 3 relights!

[Tobias Lutz]

Details
4-14-15
Tobias Lutz
Green “C” G&H Dark Flake Unscented
Karl Erik Freehand
Indoor (enclosed porch)

Observations
This is a flake of medium thickness, variegated brown in color, that arrived in long strips (close to 6"). It had a bit of sugar glistening on it, but one site was very shiny from being vacuum sealed against the package. It had the scent of a mature Virginia, dry hay with secondary notes that, for lack of a better example, reminded me of manure mixed in straw. Mind you, this wasn't unpleasant, just very earthy and seemingly unadulterated. There was definitely a dark sweetness to it that made it very appealing. The moisture level was pretty average- it would have rubbed out easily without crumbling if I had elected to go that route.

Instead, I decided to go with a fold and stuff method because I was smoking out a rather large pipe, with a deep bowl. I folded about a flake and a half and packed to ensure an open draw.

At first I found this blend to be fire proof- a great option for roofing material Once it got going, however, it was fine. It stayed cool and produced a bellowing, thick smoke with a room-note that will not be favored by the uninitiated.

There was some Lakeland essence in the beginning, but it wasn’t very strong. Frankly, it was overwhelmed by the full-bodied tobacco. At various points the blend tended to waffle between reminding me of cigar leaf, and also having faint touches of vanilla. There was a peppery grassiness in the retrohale, particularly when it really got to burning steady. Bite free, with a decent dose of nicotine, I can’t say this is something I would smoke in the mornings.

Comments and conclusion
This was a little outside my wheelhouse. I was a bit surprised by the Lakeland flavor that made it through the Virginia, but more specifically at how it then disappeared completely. I don’t believe there is any questioning the quality of this blend, but I would say it borders on being an “acquired taste”

That’s my fourth and final write up- thanks for the samples and the fun, Pete!

[Tobias Lutz]

And now for the two winners...

This was harder to judge than I expected- I actually had it down to four pretty easily, but then I hit a wall. After much consideration, in no particular order (other than incidentally alphabetical), your winners are:




@Alligator Gar
@JustTroItIn

Pete, they're all yours

Congrats gentlemen!





@NeverBend

[Tobias Lutz]

I got my samples along with the tins of Presbyterian that I purchased off pete! Thanks for doing this, reviews to come! uploadfromtaptalk1428338307137.jpg
1. orange H (vac) reviewing this first
2. pink E (vac)
3. pink V (vac)

How come the post office delivers your samples promptly, and either delays or destroys mine?

[cbr310]

Details
Date: 4/6/15
Name: cbr310 (Matt)
Tobacco: Orange H G&H Scotch Flake Aromatic
Pipe: mm Cob
Indoor / Outdoor: Indoor

Observations
Examination (how it looked, felt and smelled): Vacuum packed, looks like beef jerkey in the pouch, making me hungry!
Preparation (how did you prepare and pack it): Rubbed out,gravity 1/3rds till full. Opened pack up and it grew, pretty good aroma of chocolate at first smell of package
Burn: Took some flame to get going
Flavor: Chocalte, some nuttiness, mild spice

Comments and conclusion:
A nice sweet smell of chocolate right out of the gate. Rubbed the tobacco out and the smell was still there, very enjoyable. Took some flame to get it started. I taste chocolate, some nuttiness and mild level of spice. Couldnt quit taking puffs cause the flavors where there. Good amount of smoke came along with them.Thinking it might be stronger than what im used to cause after about 10 mins of puffing I could feel a head change coming on, not over powering but just what the dr. ordered for a stressful morning! with the retro-hale I feel the spiciness, and with regular ex-haul I get the chocolaty-sweet nuttiness i crave with this smoke. I cant quit puffing away like a locomotive cause the flavor rolling across my tongue is more intense with every hit. Last third of bowl the chocolate got stronger, I liked it more! My cob never really got hot just warm. All in all a great smoke with tastes I havent had before in a tobacco. Thanks for this sample and will have another few bowls before going on to the next sample. I think sample "H" meant hell yeah its a good 1!