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.