Summer of 2016 Blind Review Thread

[c.ortiz108]

That one is SPS Navigator:

Modern technology has made navigation more predictable and less of an adventure; however, it wasn't always that way. The navigator's skill was once measured by simple devices, charts and dead reckoning. This soothing, sweet Aromatic lends itself to relaxation, allowing the imagination to soar. So chart your course for an adventure in smoking pleasure with this superior mixture of all Dark Tobaccos.

Interesting... I looked it up and it's supposed to be a VA black Cavendish with maduro cigar leaf and vanilla. No wonder I couldn't figure it out. No one mentions anything tart or lemony, though. I'll try it in a cob next time.

[BryGuySC]

Okay! I've got my initial impressions down. I may come back and elaborate, but these are my vague and unhelpful first thoughts.

Thank you for giving us this opportunity, Tobias!

4
Light to black pieces. Pretty even mix.
Faintly English, but I get more orientals than Latakia. There is a buttery spice there.
This reminds me a little of Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, but more subdued. Not huge volumes of smoke from this one.
I want to freight train this smoke to pull more flavor from it, but force myself to settle back and enjoy it for what it is.
I dumped the ash, stirred the tobacco, tamped and relit. This helped it wake up a bit. The buttery oriental jumped back to the front.
No burn on the retrohale.
A slight sweetness is coming out, like I normally find in Virginias.
All in all, an enjoyable smoke.
Don't pack this one too tight.

5
Very chopped ribbon, including a lot of little pieces. Light to black pieces, so I expect Virginia, burley, and Cavendish.
Bag note: sweet. Maybe a hint of fruit and vanilla
Smoke: starts off with a smoky note, which I did not expect. Not sweet or fruity.
Add the bowl settles in, a thicker mouthfeel develops, and bounces back and forth between very mild English and very mild aromatic. Maybe a kind of berry? I'm not great at this.
The fruit gets stronger for the second half of the bowl. I still can't place it. Not peach, apricot. I don't think it is cherry or raspberry.
Overall, a very pleasant, soft smoke.
Doesn't bite. Stays lit. Hint of fruit sweetness and smoke.
I would recommend this to a new smoker.


6
Mix of Cavendish and burley?
Bag note: cherry?
Smokes easily.
I taste burley. I don't pick up any Virginia.
Fruit, cherry I think. But it is mild.
Some vanilla.
Halfway through the bowl, the fruit pulls back and the vanilla comes out more. Then it dies back again.
As I let the pipe go out, I think I get a faint hint of pineapple.
After relight, it is hot and a little dry.
As it settles back down, a little cherry comes back.
Not much in the retrohale. A hint of the fruit.
I get a very mild amount of numbness in my mouth.
A little sweetness picks back up. The flavors are very timid.
Overall, this is a mild smoke. The flavors are subtle.
A good easy going smoke with flavors that are not overbearing.


20
All shades from light yellow to black, not a lot of black.
A smooth smoke of the English variety.
Pulling on the pipe draws in a smoke with the sensation of sipping on water that is just barely over body temp. No big hit of flavor on the tip of the tongue. The flavor more settles on the sides.
This strikes me as more of a Balkan Sobranie English than a Dunhill English.
This coats my mouth with a soapy feel, but not flavor.
Produces nice smoke with a pleasant English room scent. I really enjoy the scent of the exhaled smoke that is wafting about.
Retrohale has a mild effervescence, but no bite to it.
I like #4 better. Subtle butter > lively soap.

[Tobias Lutz]

Okay! I've got my initial impressions down. I may come back and elaborate, but these are my vague and unhelpful first thoughts.

Thank you for giving us this opportunity, Tobias!

4
Light to black pieces. Pretty even mix.
Faintly English, but I get more orientals than Latakia. There is a buttery spice there.
This reminds me a little of Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, but more subdued. Not huge volumes of smoke from this one.
I want to freight train this smoke to pull more flavor from it, but force myself to settle back and enjoy it for what it is.
I dumped the ash, stirred the tobacco, tamped and relit. This helped it wake up a bit. The buttery oriental jumped back to the front.
No burn on the retrohale.
A slight sweetness is coming out, like I normally find in Virginias.
All in all, an enjoyable smoke.
Don't pack this one too tight.

5
Very chopped ribbon, including a lot of little pieces. Light to black pieces, so I expect Virginia, burley, and Cavendish.
Bag note: sweet. Maybe a hint of fruit and vanilla
Smoke: starts off with a smoky note, which I did not expect. Not sweet or fruity.
Add the bowl settles in, a thicker mouthfeel develops, and bounces back and forth between very mild English and very mild aromatic. Maybe a kind of berry? I'm not great at this.
The fruit gets stronger for the second half of the bowl. I still can't place it. Not peach, apricot. I don't think it is cherry or raspberry.
Overall, a very pleasant, soft smoke.
Doesn't bite. Stays lit. Hint of fruit sweetness and smoke.
I would recommend this to a new smoker.


6
Mix of Cavendish and burley?
Bag note: cherry?
Smokes easily.
I taste burley. I don't pick up any Virginia.
Fruit, cherry I think. But it is mild.
Some vanilla.
Halfway through the bowl, the fruit pulls back and the vanilla comes out more. Then it dies back again.
As I let the pipe go out, I think I get a faint hint of pineapple.
After relight, it is hot and a little dry.
As it settles back down, a little cherry comes back.
Not much in the retrohale. A hint of the fruit.
I get a very mild amount of numbness in my mouth.
A little sweetness picks back up. The flavors are very timid.
Overall, this is a mild smoke. The flavors are subtle.
A good easy going smoke with flavors that are not overbearing.


20
All shades from light yellow to black, not a lot of black.
A smooth smoke of the English variety.
Pulling on the pipe draws in a smoke with the sensation of sipping on water that is just barely over body temp. No big hit of flavor on the tip of the tongue. The flavor more settles on the sides.
This strikes me as more of a Balkan Sobranie English than a Dunhill English.
This coats my mouth with a soapy feel, but not flavor.
Produces nice smoke with a pleasant English room scent. I really enjoy the scent of the exhaled smoke that is wafting about.
Retrohale has a mild effervescence, but no bite to it.
I like #4 better. Subtle butter > lively soap.

4. SPS Sunrise (the poor man's EMP):

Sunrise Smoke is a light but lush mixture of Virginias ribbon, pressed black ribbon, Turkish Smyrna and a subtle measure of rich Cyprian Latakia. People who want a lighter Latakia blend will fall in love with Sunrise Smoke.

5. SPS R Blend:
R Blend is Sutliff's tribute to the late, lamented Revelation. A classic mixture of cube-cut Burley, red ribbon-cut Virginia, flake-cut lemon Virginia, Latakia and Perique, R Blend is finished with a mellow combination of fruit essences to round out its old-time feel.

6. SPS Spinnaker:
Spinnaker takes one of the most popular flavors of aromatics and puts an elegant twist on it. Mellow white Burley is used for its ability to take on flavors, while black Cavendish is added for underlying sweetness and a cool burn. The blend is finished with a cherry note, but not the sharp, cloying type - rather, it uses a deep, dark, extra ripe cherry flavor.

20: H&H Victorian Stroll:
Victorian Stroll is a mixture of bright Carolina, red and stoved Virginias, a dash of Turkish and two types of Latakia, this represents a fresh approach to the lighter English blend. Smooth and clean-tasting, this can be a great morning smoke, or for any time of day.

[BryGuySC]

4. SPS Sunrise (the poor man's EMP):

Sunrise Smoke is a light but lush mixture of Virginias ribbon, pressed black ribbon, Turkish Smyrna and a subtle measure of rich Cyprian Latakia. People who want a lighter Latakia blend will fall in love with Sunrise Smoke.

5. SPS R Blend:
R Blend is Sutliff's tribute to the late, lamented Revelation. A classic mixture of cube-cut Burley, red ribbon-cut Virginia, flake-cut lemon Virginia, Latakia and Perique, R Blend is finished with a mellow combination of fruit essences to round out its old-time feel.

6. SPS Spinnaker:
Spinnaker takes one of the most popular flavors of aromatics and puts an elegant twist on it. Mellow white Burley is used for its ability to take on flavors, while black Cavendish is added for underlying sweetness and a cool burn. The blend is finished with a cherry note, but not the sharp, cloying type - rather, it uses a deep, dark, extra ripe cherry flavor.

20: H&H Victorian Stroll:
Victorian Stroll is a mixture of bright Carolina, red and stoved Virginias, a dash of Turkish and two types of Latakia, this represents a fresh approach to the lighter English blend. Smooth and clean-tasting, this can be a great morning smoke, or for any time of day.

Wow. I'm pretty pleased with what I picked up from these!

Thanks, Tobias!

[Haebar]

Blend #1

This was fairly moist, I let it dry for 24 hours before smoking it. It seems to be an English blend with Virginia, Orientals, and Latakia. The intensity of the smoke body is somewhere between mild and medium, depending on how you smoke. There is some complexity with it being an English, and an adequate balance of flavors. If any one component is too weak in the balance, that would be the Virginias; the Orientals seem to dominate the flavor. The latakia is there with it's characteristic note. This is not particularly strong in terms of nicotine, mild to medium.

[Tobias Lutz]

Blend #1

This was fairly moist, I let it dry for 24 hours before smoking it. It seems to be an English blend with Virginia, Orientals, and Latakia. The intensity of the smoke body is somewhere between mild and medium, depending on how you smoke. There is some complexity with it being an English, and an adequate balance of flavors. If any one component is too weak in the balance, that would be the Virginias; the Orientals seem to dominate the flavor. The latakia is there with it's characteristic note. This is not particularly strong in terms of nicotine, mild to medium.

You smoked a bowl of Private Stock Blend No.5

Blend 5 is perfect for anyone looking for an all-day type of Latakia blend. A good share of the black Cyprian leaf is combined with fully tumbled pressed Virginias and just a bit of mellow white Burley to adds richer body.

[Haebar]

You smoked a bowl of Private Stock Blend No.5

Blend 5 is perfect for anyone looking for an all-day type of Latakia blend. A good share of the black Cyprian leaf is combined with fully tumbled pressed Virginias and just a bit of mellow white Burley to adds richer body.

Well I blew that one mistaking burley for orientals.

[c.ortiz108]

Mystery Blend #14


Fourth and final tobacco to review. Smoked in a cob.

Out of the bag it smells like Burley and sour apple Jolly Rancher candy.

Full disclosure: I’m a Burley-phobe. Unless it’s buried in a blend in small quantities, I just don’t like the flavor. It doesn’t taste nutty to me, just a little sickly. Besides that, Danish style Burley aros all taste the same to me, regardless of topping.

This one is no different. I couldn’t tell it apart from Sugar Barrel or Sunset Breeze or SWR Aromatic. I have some kind of defect when it comes to this strain of tobacco, I guess.

Having said that, I’m enjoying it okay. It smokes smooth and sweet in the cob, and is an easy-going smoke on a warm summer evening. Some toasty marshmallow flavors, and maybe I am tasting some nuttiness after all. No sour apple, which is probably a good thing. I’ve found some Burley blends can bite but this one doesn’t. No cigarette taste, which I appreciate. But half a bowl is enough for me.

It’s nice to revisit styles once in a while to see if my tastes have changed, but in the end I find they haven’t really. Sorry for the lame review but I feel like I’m a poor judge of this kind of blend and would rather not mislead anybody.

[Tobias Lutz]

Mystery Blend #14


Fourth and final tobacco to review. Smoked in a cob.

Out of the bag it smells like Burley and sour apple Jolly Rancher candy.

Full disclosure: I’m a Burley-phobe. Unless it’s buried in a blend in small quantities, I just don’t like the flavor. It doesn’t taste nutty to me, just a little sickly. Besides that, Danish style Burley aros all taste the same to me, regardless of topping.

This one is no different. I couldn’t tell it apart from Sugar Barrel or Sunset Breeze or SWR Aromatic. I have some kind of defect when it comes to this strain of tobacco, I guess.

Having said that, I’m enjoying it okay. It smokes smooth and sweet in the cob, and is an easy-going smoke on a warm summer evening. Some toasty marshmallow flavors, and maybe I am tasting some nuttiness after all. No sour apple, which is probably a good thing. I’ve found some Burley blends can bite but this one doesn’t. No cigarette taste, which I appreciate. But half a bowl is enough for me.

It’s nice to revisit styles once in a while to see if my tastes have changed, but in the end I find they haven’t really. Sorry for the lame review but I feel like I’m a poor judge of this kind of blend and would rather not mislead anybody.

You smoked (note I didn't say enjoyed) a bowl of SPS Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge brings the enjoyment of French dessert to your pipe. This combination of Virginias and black Cavendish is melded with sweet fruit essences to deliver a wonderful taste with a room note that everyone will love.

[c.ortiz108]

You smoked (note I didn't say enjoyed) a bowl of SPS Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge brings the enjoyment of French dessert to your pipe. This combination of Virginias and black Cavendish is melded with sweet fruit essences to deliver a wonderful taste with a room note that everyone will love.

Ha ha! Hilarious that it isn't even a Burley blend at all! It's supposed to have cherry which I didn't taste, and reviews compare it to Molto Dolce which I don't see at all. Shows how much I know..... Maybe my regular coffee pairing is killing my taste buds.

I agree with @Branzig - this has been a mind-messing exercise (and a little humbling for me). Looking forward to smoking all these again now that I know what they are. In order of preference so far: Navigator, Molto Dolce, Distinguished Penguin, Moulin Rouge. It'll be interesting to see how my opinions evolve.