Milan Tobacconists House Blend Reviews

[cpmcdill]

Blend: Reflections by Milan Tobacconists
Pipe: Vintage Dr. Grabow Golden Duke rusticated straight pot with Adjustomatic Stem (no filter)
Packing method: Codger stuff
Appearance: Ribbon cut, more than 50% very dark/black, another 40% medium reddish brown, and the balance some light yellowish. I infer that it is mostly cavendish and burley, with a condimental amount of Virginia.
Pouch note: On first sniffing, my general impression was something of a butterscotch topping. The description at Milan say it is "vanilla, caramel, sweet cream, nutmeg, and gentle spice" and seeing that I can understand how that might add up to butterscotch. Anyway, the fragrance is very pleasant.

It took a flame very easily, and I had a few puffs before allowing it to go out again. The initial smoke carried the distinct black cavendish flavor, as well as many of the flavors from the topping. A sweet, nice tasting blend, is the first impression.
After setting the pipe aside a few minutes, I re-lit and this time the toppings were less prominent in the flavor, but still distinct in the room note. Mostly, as I'm giving it a slow puffing cadence, I'm finding it to be a cool-smoking, sweet cavendish flavor. It's quality stuff. Sometimes cav-based aros taste like nothing, which makes me feel like I'm smoking for the benefit of others than myself. But this stuff has flavor.
The tobacco stays burning very well. Relatively few relights for an aromatic. The tobacco in the pouch feels moist, and that moisture is a presence in the pipe, though this pipe I'm using is highly resistant to gurgle. There are however a lot of sizzle sounds coming from the bowl. Next time I'll try leaving some out to dry a while, to see how that affects things.
Anyway, it burned right down to ash with minimal dottle. It wasn't until afterward when I sipped a beverage that I discovered I might have gotten a smidgen of tongue burn. Might have been puffing a little faster as I approached the finish.

For the most part, I'm not an aro smoker. But sometimes I find aro blends that hit the spot. This was a satisfying smoke, and I'll enjoy these two ounces while they last.

[cpmcdill]

Blend: Hazelnut by Milan Tobacconists (review #4 of 5)
Pipe: Vintage Dr. Grabow Golden Duke rusticated straight pot with Adjustomatic Stem (no filter)
Packing method: Codger stuff
Appearance: Ribbon cut yellow and dark brown, with the darker color somewhat dominating.
Pouch Note: Hazelnut and cavendish, with a subtle hint of Play-Doh.

Preamble: A reviewer I highly respect over at tobaccoreviews.com voiced a suspicion verging on certainty that this, rather than being a Milan house blend, is just Lane Limited's Hazelnut bulk blend. I have not had LL's Hazelnut, so I'll try to judge this on its own merits, whatever its source. A few years back I got myself in a bit of hot water with the proprietor of 4noggins when I speculated that their Three Blind Moose blend was Lane LL-7. Further scrutiny of those latter two confirmed to my senses that the 4noggins blend is superior, though similar.

It often happens on the charring light of aromatic tobaccos that I do get a strong hit of the flavors in the topping. In this case a big dose of hazelnut and possible some vanilla flavor, but little tobacco. Oddly this didn't go out after the initial light, and so I just kept puffing along. Some of the flavor is still coming through at the first quarter mark. Not sure if it's something in the tobacco, but I find myself salivating heavier than usual. Can't really clench this, or I'll drool all over myself.

I suspect what I'm puffing out is more steam than smoke. Yet halfway in, still no relight, tongue burn or gurgle, but the pipe is feeling really hot. The tobacco flavor seem mostly cavendish. Can't really distinguish any Va flavor. I like Nutella spread, but I never really cared for Hazelnut coffee. When it comes to eating actual nuts I like peanuts, almonds, cashews and sometimes Macadamia. So I have mixed feelings about the use of Hazelnut to flavor things.

At about the third quarter, the flavors goes off in a more sourish direction, and the flavor's getting more like some expired OTC pouch you buy from a gas station when you are travelling and can't find good tobacco. So at this point I'll just call it quits and clear the remainder out of my pipe. I'd say this is a perfect tobacco for those who enjoy goopy bulk one-note aromatics, and knowing that this category far outsells English, VaPers and Va Flakes combined, there will always be those who'll make Hazelnut their all-day staple.