Table of Contents

1. Mac Baren HH Burley Flake
2. G. L. Pease Barbary Coast
3. Tabac Manil La Brumeuse
4. Sutliff Ready-Rubbed
5. John Cotton's Double Pressed Burley
6. Solani Aged Burley Flake
7. Peterson Irish Flake
8. Cobblestone Hiking
9. Cornell & Diehl Haunted Bookshop
10. Wessex Burley Slice

Burley is perhaps the most common varietal seen in  pipe tobacco blends after Virginia, but it's often defined more by its utility than its flavor. Bringing body and strength to a blend is of course important and plays a significant role in how we experience the taste of a mixture. However, the beige flavors that we often associate with Burley can belie the nuance of this tobacco. However, we see in many Burley-centric blends that the potential for the air-cured leaf is far-reaching and versatile. 

It wasn't easy to narrow down, but we've put together a list of some of the best Burley pipe tobaccos that showcase the virtue of this humble varietal. 

Mac Baren HH Burley Flake

The HH Series from Mac Baren's Per Jensen is an assembly of incredible blends, each formulated to speak to the individual allure of natural tobacco—no topping and no more casing than necessary for balance.

For HH Burley Flake, the air-cured American staple is on display, bolstered by Virginias and a light portion of Dark-Fired Kentucky for complexity. The attractive, neatly pressed flakes carry the essential Burley nuttiness and molasses. Virginias bring tang and enough sweetness to take the edge off without bringing the Burley out of focus. The Kentucky modestly imparts floral and wood notes. A Burley attraction with a few players adeptly added for a perfect balance. 

G. L. Pease Barbary Coast

One of Pease’s early blends in his line of  Original Mixtures, Barbary Coast was first introduced in 2001 and has remained a favorite for many pipe smokers. 

Burley is foundational to Barbary Coast, but there is plenty else going on. Atop the nutty and woody body, Red Virginia offers dark fruit, tang, and sweetness. The Perique perfectly complements, adding some spice throughout the smoke in moderate yet apparent measure. Finally, the brandy topping is faint, bringing depth to the profile without eclipsing the fine, natural tobacco.

Tabac Manil La Brumeuse

Tabac Manil La Brumeuse is a special tobacco that is all its own. It features Semois, a uniquely rustic Burley sub-varietal that is only grown in the Semois Valley in the Belgian Ardennes region. Confounding common wisdom around efficacious growing conditions, this shady floodplain produces a tobacco unlike any other. Once a thriving industry in the region, today only a few growers keep Semois tobacco alive—among them is Vincent Manil.

La Brumeuse means "the misty one" in French, aptly named for the peculiar conditions from which the Semois is grown. Manil undertakes the entire process from seed to packaging. No need to import outside leaf, as La Brumeuse is purely Semois—no other varietals and no added flavors. The result is an earthy, herbal smoke to be enjoyed slowly and tranquilly (and a respect for a healthy dose of nicotine). A fine choice for those coming from  premium cigars.

Sutliff Ready-Rubbed

Sutliff Ready-Rubbed pays homage to the legendary Edgeworth Ready-Rubbed, which was released in 1913 as a pre-prepped alternative to Edgeworth Slices—quite a novel format at the time.

Sutliff tobacco's take offers a topping-forward interpretation of the classic Edgeworth mixture. Molasses and cocoa are perfect complements to nutty Burley. Though Aromatic-leaning, you still get a clear Burley taste. The leaf goes through a slight toasting process, mellowing the mixture and allowing sweetness to flourish. You won't get the nic-hit that often comes with Burley dominant blends.

John Cotton's Double Pressed Burley

Manufactured by Sutliff, the  John Cotton's Double Pressed series offers some excellent mixtures, Double Pressed Burley being a favorite. 

"Double pressed" refers to the process of first pressing the tobacco into a flake, before being tumble into a ready-rubbed mixture to again being pressed into a crumble cake, resulting in a harmonious and rich flavor profile. 

John Cotton's Double Pressed Burley is presented as a great introduction for those who have not yet found the charm in Burley as a nuanced varietal. Virginias are added to give the Burley-centric blend a natural sweetness, as well as some Dark-Fired Kentucky to offer complexity with a bit of spice.

Solani Aged Burley Flake

Solani Aged Burley Flake can be one of those elusive blends. Thankfully it's still in production, but it doesn't last long once in stock. Nonetheless, its scarcity is for good reason—this is a beloved mixture that’s well worth grabbing once it comes around.

An R. L. Will creation, manufactured by Kohlhase & Kopp, Solani Aged Burley Flake offers deep flavor with a light sweetness. The earthy, brown sugar notes from the Burley are pleasingly topped with accents of cocoa and licorice, the latter seeming to take the lead. These top notes bring out the Burley's fine qualities without taking too much attention from the natural flavor. 

Note: For the popular blends that don't stay in stock long, consider signing up for an email notification. 

On the listing for out-of-stock blends, there is a text box where you can submit an email address. You'll recieve a message immediately when stock is updated, so you won't have to be checking back.

Peterson Irish Flake

For many, the best Burley tobaccos must have a kick.  Another great option for those who enjoy a stout blend,  Peterson Irish Flake sees Burley, Kentucky, and Virginia mixed together in equal measure for a truly robust and flavorful smoke.

Burley offers a hearty base, but Kentucky is the foremost flavor. Unsurprising, as the seasoning tobacco is often used as a spice in condimental measure. A little goes a long way, and there’s a bit more than a little here. Virginia brings things together, offering a sweetness to add some nuance. Tangy BBQ, anise, spice, and smoky flavor are in full effect here.

Cobblestone Hiking

A relative newcomer to the world of pipe tobacco, Cobblestone Hiking, from the  Outdoors series, has quickly become a mainstay for those who are fans of the popular Burley Flakes that take inspiration from the legendary Edgeworth Sliced. No doubt, it’s appreciated as a mixture on par with the best Burley blends out there, while being (at this time) more accessible than some of its popular peers, which tend to be scooped up quickly.

Cobblestone Hiking takes the cocoa topped Burley mixture in a natural direction, only lightly flavored, bringing out a delightful sweetness and depth reinforcing the best characteristics of the air-cured leaf. There’s plenty of natural woody and nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness and nutmeg spice. 

Cornell & Diehl Haunted Bookshop

The late Bob Runowski knew his way around a Burley blend, and we can thank him in part for a Burley renaissance of sorts to which his contributions to the  classic Cornell & Diehl line up have certainly played a crucial role. Burley focus was much a staple of the so-called Codger blends. These are fine Burley blends indeed, their staying power isn't for nothing, but a rise in boutique Burley-focused mixtures has gifted us some of the best Burley blends.

Perhaps most appreciated of Runowski's blends is Haunted Bookshop. Named for the Christopher Morley novel, the modern classic is a love letter to Burley’s natural, understated flavor, displaying the charm in subtle nuance. The base is further filled out with plummy Red Virginias, atop which we have peppery Perique. Haunted Bookshop offers a significant strength, so come  prepared for a healthy nic-hit and stout body.

Wessex Burley Slice

We end with  Wessex Burley Slice. Like Solani, here is another elusive blend, but well worth looking out for. Wessex Burley Slice is also another favorite from the blending house Kohlhase & Kopp—apparently the German blending house knows the American leaf well, as it seems we can thank them for many of our best Burley blends.  

In Wessex Burley Slice, the eponymous leaf imparts delightful notes of nuts, wood, and toasty bread. Here, the cocoa accent takes a step above the subtle licorice lilt. These flavors bring a fine nuance to the blend, but Wessex Burley Slice is another wonderful flake leaning into the natural Burley quality. Moderately sweet—satisfyingly nuanced. And if you enjoy a smoke with your coffee, few blends are better compliments in my opinion. 

In assembling this list, it's struck me how the best Burley blends are crafted like odes to the natural qualities of the leaf—be that through minimal added flavors or an approach to flavoring that is subtle and more accentuating than contrasting. But this is far from a comprehensive list of the great Burley blends out there. We carry many more as well as amazing blends of all varieties. And if that wide selection leaves you unsure where to start, feel free to  get in touch and we'll happily help you find the right tobacco or pipe for you. 

Why Cellar Tobacco Blends

How Different Blends Change

The Right Environment for Aging Tobacco

Keeping Track of your Cellar

Different Containers for Cellaring

If you’re at all like me when I was getting started, “cellaring” is something you often hear mentioned, but it carries a daunting undertone, or at least implies a prerequisite experience not yet achieved. It took me a while to even look into.

Maybe it’s something about the word “cellar”—a more recent coining for the practice of aging tobacco blends. I thought there would be a lot of investment, preparation, and finicky maintenance. I soon realized how simple it was and wished aging some favorite tobacco blends.

Like most things in pipe smoking, you can take a meticulous approach. You can put together a spreadsheet, monitor with a hydrometer, develop a procedure for how and what you cellar, when something gets opened, etc. But you can also get by just fine, reaping the benefits of aging tobacco, with a very uncomplicated approach.

There are a lot of reasons to cellar tobacco—it’s economical, practical, and makes for some fantastic blends while letting us stroke that inclination toward curiosity and experimentation so common to pipe smokers.

Let’s start with the why and then get into the how.

Why Cellar Tobacco Blends

Economic

The unfortunate truth is tobacco isn’t getting any cheaper. This isn’t just a matter of inflation, but the threats from excise tax and regulations. By even the most sober judgment, it’s evident prices will go up as they have been. Does that mean we’re facing the “tobacco apocalypse” as some prophesy? That most of us will get priced out? No, it just means you’ll save in the long-run by stocking up on some favorites.

Availability

Blends change. Blends get discontinued. Brands close their doors. Varietals become inaccessible. A sad truth but it’s the reality of things. Cellaring some favorites is a good measure of insurance that you won’t be without them, or at least not for a long time.

That also means you may end up with some aged and discontinued blends. If not for your own enjoyment, you could find yourself making a trade at a show or club meeting.

Setting aside for later

We’ve all experienced disappointment with a blend before. It’s always a good idea to put that tobacco away without just letting it dry out in a tin or trashing it.

First of all, tastes change. This is true for everyone but especially beginners who may be trying blends that, for many, are an acquired taste, such as those containing a good helping of Latakia or Perique. Or maybe that Virginia causes too much tongue bite and you haven’t learned to keep a cool smoke yet. Basically, there’s a lot of reasons you might love that tobacco later. And even if you don’t, it’s worth preserving to gift to or trade with a fellow pipe smoker.

Aside from how your own tastes and experience may change your impression of a blend, the blend itself will change too.

Refined with age

Aging tobacco does wonderful things to the profile. The flavors marry and refine in interesting, complex ways. Tobacco, much like wine, “improves” with age, as it's often put. Now, I use the quotes there because it’s not quite that simple. Different types of tobacco age differently and the way they change may or may not be preferable—that entirely depends on your personal taste.

How Different Blends Change With Age

Let’s get more into the weeds on how certain tobacco ages so you can have some direction on what to expect from cellaring tobacco.

Virginias

Virginias are the most appreciated for their aging qualities, and go on refining for longer than other varietals. There's a consensus that a varietal improves for an approximate amount of time before declining. The range in which that age is reached for each type is of course a matter of discussion and preference. Virginia tobaccos’ potential for aging is notoriously long—they could go on developing into interesting new profiles for decades and decades. This is due to how Virginias' high sugar content affects the fermentation process.

Orientals

Over time, Oriental tobaccos tend to soften, moving away from that slight spice and take on a more fruity taste. Not on the same scale as Virginias, but they too have a higher sugar content as a result of sun-curing preserving the natural sugars in the leaf.

Latakia

Latakia mellows and loses some of its robust smokiness over time. Although, as it ages with a blend and flavors are disseminated, it can impart some unique qualities to the unified mixture. 

So, aging English and Balkan blends for too long may not be ideal for the Lat-bomb lover, but for those who appreciate Latakia’s role when used more as a team player rather than a headliner, having some years on one of these blends can make for great smoking experiences.

G. L. Pease posits in his Briar & Leaf Chronicles that there is a stage after the mellowing of Latakia where it will increase in complexity and richness.

Aromatics

Aromatics are a bit of an exception. You don’t want to age Aromatic blends too long, the top flavoring doesn’t refine like the natural components do. They may have an arresting effect on the aging process, and some say even tarnishing the blend. But two things to keep in mind:

1. It would likely take years of aging to have such an effect, so don’t be too worried about those Aromatics that have spent a few months or a year idling on the shelf.
    
2. What exactly makes an Aromatic isn’t so well defined. They're understood to be blends with top flavoring, but almost every blend is cased in at least a minor way, and many blends have top flavorings that play an accenting role, i.e., aren’t heavily coated; Peterson’s Irish Whiskey or Bengal Slices Re-Release for example. I don’t imagine lighter top notes such as these would spoil a blend. It would seem to me that they would at least have a much longer shelf life than those heavily coated Aromatics.

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How to Cellar Tobacco - The Do’s and Don’ts

Cellaring tobacco is easier than you may think. There may be certain conditions that need controlling, but they are simple and far less particular than, say, aging cigars in a humidor.

What Is the Right Environment for Aging Tobacco?

Luckily, the right environment probably already exists somewhere in your home without any manipulation. Plenty of folks put their sealed jars and tins in a closet or cabinet or just some dark place and have no problem, it’s usually that simple. But of course, there are some factors that may be relevant to one cellar and not another, such as regional climate. So for good measure, we’ll cover all the bases of a proper tobacco cellar’s environment.

Temperature

You’ll hear different ideal temperature ranges. So long as your tobacco is approximately in the “room temperature” range, it shouldn’t be a problem. I’d say between 50-70 Fahrenheit is safe. Cooler is better, but do not keep your tobacco in the fridge as it’s too dry.

What’s really important is that the temperature stays relatively consistent. The seal on the jars and tins of your aging tobacco can be broken if they expand or contract too quickly from an abrupt shift in temperature.

Humidity

Then, you need to make sure the environment isn't too humid. Humidity can cause rust, corroding a jar or tin’s seal.

Getting a hydrometer is a great way to check that the humidity isn’t too high or fluctuating too much.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep your jars and tins inside of some sort of container. I especially recommend a cooler, as they’re designed to insulate, so whatever fluctuation occurs in the room will be less dramatic in the container.

Store your tobacco in a dark place

You don’t want to store tobacco in the light. You’re best off keeping your tobacco cellar in a closet or some other dark environment.

Keep Track of What You Have Cellared

It’s nice to have some sort of system in place to keep track of the blends you're cellaring and how much they've aged.

Personally, I like updating a Google Spreadsheet. You absolutely don’t have to make such a song and dance of it, all you really need is a notebook and pen. I just love an excuse to make a spreadsheet.

Here's a mockup to show how I've set mine up. I've added functions so that an Elapsed Time column automatically updates based on the Cellar Date input. Similarly, every number I put in the Weight (oz) column automatically updates the blue cell in the top right corner with the sum of the whole column so that it displays the total weight of tobacco in my cellar. Why is this necessary? It’s not really. Spreadsheets are fun.

Finally, I use the # column to assign the corresponding jar a serial number. I’ll write the name of the blend and date on the jar as well, but putting a corresponding number on the lid just makes organization easier for me, especially for multiples of the same tin with different ages.

Again, a notepad will do you right. Heck, some people just write the sealed date on the tin or jar, stash it away, and feel it out. The only right way is the way you prefer. 

Different Containers for Cellaring Tobacco

Different types of packaging and jars come with their own implications for building a tobacco cellar. 

Jars

Jarring is necessary for aging tobacco that is packaged in bags (bulk). As for those sealed in pouches such as Amphora or Captain Black, it's my understanding that these are more secure and fine for longer storing, though not necessarily for reaping the benefits of aging tobacco. 

Jars can also be an alternative to cellaring in the tin. I’ll go into why transferring to a jar from the original packaging might be ideal in the next section.

If you’re jarring tobacco, make sure the jars you’re using create a seal. This would be those with the traditional mason jar design. Notice the orange ring in the image below. It’s made of a supple compound that acts as a gasket creating a seal when the screw band presses the lid down on the rim.

Make sure both the rim of the jar and the gasket are clear of any debris that could obstruct an airtight seal before screwing on the lid. The left image pictured above shows a nice, clean gasket, while the right image shows one that should be wiped of debris. 

These jars are also ideal for storing your on-deck blends (those you're currently smoking). If you’re regularly opening and closing the jar, the tobacco isn’t going through the aging process, but it is a good way to keep the mixture from drying out. And hey, they look nice on a shelf.

When you do fill a jar for aging tobacco, some recommend that you leave space at the top, the idea being that the oxygen sealed in facilitates a longer period of aerobic fermentation.  

Flat Vacuum-Sealed tins

These are the familiar twist-off or coin-pop tins. Some say that because they are vacuum sealed, tobacco left in these will age slower than other containers as they don’t go through aerobic fermentation due to lack of oxygen.

Pop-Tops

These are those tins from Cornell & Diehl, G. L. Pease, Captain Earle’s and the like. Since they aren’t vacuum sealed, but are airtight, they allow for both stages of fermentation to occur. 

Vacuum Sealed bags

Some folks will use vacuum sealing bags as reinforcement just in case the seal of the original container fails. This isn't a necessity, but offers some extra insurance. 

One case that you might want to consider is with Esoterica bags.

While the bags Esoterica is packaged in are sealed and fine for aging, some report that they’re easily punctured or worn down. I can’t say I have any personal experience with this, but if you want to double down, you may opt to store these packages in vacuum sealed bags. That way if the seal is compromised, the tobacco will go on aging. Alternatively, you could re-seal in jars.

Jars or Tins?

Jars are your best option for cellaring bulk tobacco or anything that didn’t come in an airtight container. But when you receive a tin, it’s already aging—no need to jar, label, or any of that (except maybe to date it). Let’s wrap this up with a little on why you might prefer one or the other.

Personally, my cellar consists almost entirely of jars, even for the blends that originally came in tins. This doesn’t stem from some theory of jar supremacy regarding the aging process, but it just works best for the way I engage with pipe smoking.

Edit: Since writing this piece, the amount of tins in my cellars is about equal to jars. I just relay this to keep making the point—the right way is what works for you, and that may change. 

Pros of rejarring

1. One reason I often rejar is so I can try a blend before storing it. At this time, I’m not very repetitive about what I smoke. I have a few favorites I like to keep on hand, but I’m always smoking something new. My rotation is more wide than deep you might say. So, when I get a new tin, I generally like to split it up, having some for my current rotation and some for aging.
    
2. I like cellaring one blend in small quantities. I’ll pack multiple small jars of about 0.5 oz each so that I can try that tobacco at different intervals of aging. Remember, when that seal breaks, you can’t just take some out, seal it back up, and continue the aging process in the same way.
    
3. There's another reason I prefer cellaring in small quantities—so that opening an aged jar of tobacco doesn't feel like a race against time to smoke it. Once you open that jar or tin that’s been aging, disrupting the internal ecosystem, you should smoke through that tobacco relatively soon to get the most out of the qualities that aging has imparted. Because I always have quite a few tobaccos on deck, I don't want to sit on one opened blend from my cellar too long, but I also don’t want to reach for it for every smoke just because I feel I have to. So, 0.5 - 1 oz is perfect for me. It lets me keep up my preference for constant variety without losing the mature qualities for those latter bowls. 

Cons of rejarring

1. One benefit of tins that I miss out on in my rejarring is that I’m resetting the aging process on a blend that’s already been aging undisturbed, maybe for months. Some brands like G. L. Pease, Mac Baren, and Cornell & Diehl will even label the sealed date so you know exactly how much time that blend has already been aging for.
    
2. Jars are also another expense. I've actually come to enjoy the process of labeling and weighing—it's just another little pipe ritual. But it would be nice to just get the tin and stow it away. That said, I do recommend having some jars ready to transfer tin-aged blends into once opened. The airtight seal will preserve those age-imparted qualities a little longer as you smoke through the contents.
    
3. Finally, the tins are easier to store. Most jars do stack, but they’re more fragile and heavy.

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If it seems like a lot to take in, just get started and I'm sure you'll find it's not all that much. You can refine your approach to how you cellar and age tobacco as you go, or not. Just consider how you engage with pipe smoking and figure out what speaks to that. But as always, reach out with any questions and we'll be happy to help. 

For the March 2023 Tobacco File, we have one from the cellar and one from the press. I figured it was a good time for a Latakia-forward blend, because knowing me, those won't be my preference in the warm months ahead. So, I pulled a tin of Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake from the cellar. As for our second March blend, well, I bought one of the Kershaw knives we have in the store. So, I had to feature a plug cut, you know? What better than JackKnife Plug from G. L. Pease

And finally, I enjoyed a smooth Connecticut shade with the featured cigar—Rock Patel White Label.

Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake

Entry 1

I believe this will be my first Tobacco File featuring a blend with some age on it, a few years worth at least. This tin of HH Latakia Flake was sealed in August 2018, roughly 4.5 years ago. I’ll of course keep this fact in mind as I familiarize myself with the mixture. The common wisdom around Latakia is that it mellows with age—an experience I’m beginning to relate to.

Lucky for me, some Latakia mellowing is welcomed. I know the true Latophiles would demur, but my favorite English blends are generally more to the Squadron Leader or Presbyterian side of things; a condimental Latakia presence.

All that said, the common wisdom—Latakia mellows with age—may be a bit simplistic. I recalled reading an article by G. L. Pease tackling the topic some time back, and revisited in anticipation of this Tobacco File. From Latakia Doesn’t Age Well—

Latakia does soften somewhat over time, for sure, and even a couple years in the tin can noticeably blunt some of its sharper edges, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In a greater sense, though, it’s not losing its flavor so much as its flavor is integrating more fully into an increasingly complex mélange created as the other tobaccos in the mix evolve. Virginias, for example, develop more rich and often more intense flavors as they age, as do most Orientals. If the same mixture is smoked young and well-aged side by side, the latakia might seem duller in the aged version, but some of that is simply that the other components are presenting more assertive notes. If a mixture is well crafted from the outset, it should keep its composure as these changes take place, and there’s no reason it can’t be enjoyed for decades.

Pre-Smoke

I pop the tin to find three rows of tightly pressed flakes. Mostly dark, with some light brown mottled throughout. It crumbles down to a nice broken flake with ease. 

Not too moist, not too dry, thankfully. There was a bit of corrosion around the side of the lid, stirring concern with how well the seal held. It’s said the round tins are more reliable in that regard, though I’ve had no misfortune so far with a square tin. HH Latakia is no exception.

I take the remaining flakes and move them to a Ball jar. Usually, I don't immediately jar a newly opened tin. There's often a honeymoon phase where I'm frequenting that blend. If that attention wanes before I go through the tin, I'll jar the remainder so it doesn't dry out. However, blends pulled from the cellar are exceptions. My understanding is the benefits accrued from age are best retained by storing in a sealed container.

As I move the flakes, I inspect them a bit closer just to make sure there are no signs of mold. Nothing in the appearance or smell elicited suspicion, but I make a point to be pedantic about these things. Doesn’t hurt to be cautious.

Lighting up

First smoke of HH Latakia Flake goes to the English dedicated Sasieni.

From the char light, the Latakia is forward, more to that smokey, meaty side than leathery. Orientals bring a zesty spice. Virginias seem to impart bread, tangy sweetness and—a bit later as I become acclimated—bright grass and citrus notes.

Latakia sits back in the profile as I’m roughly a third into the bowl—still prominent and leading, but the Oriental component is apparent.

The retrohale has a dry, floral, earthiness to it and accentuates the spice a bit. A nice presence in the sinus but innocuous; no pinch to speak of.

Admittedly, I made a note of the significant Red Virginia presence I was getting, but I read the tin description again and realized only Bright Virginias are mentioned. Maybe something imparted from the hot pressing gives me that impression—or maybe I’m just wealthier in imagination than gustatory sophistication. 

One component I haven't noticed (or imagined) is Burley—at least in terms of flavor. There’s a certain weight to HH Latakia Flake and I could certainly see where the air-cured leaf may be contributing in those textural, sensory ways. Strength-wise however, I’d put it right between mild and medium.

I should say, I go through a bit of an English blend kick every now and then, but haven't recently, which I think makes me less sensitive to the subtleties when I come back around, especially for Latakia focused mixtures. As I get more familiar with Latakia Flake, I’ll make a note to throw a few other Lat-forward blends in rotation. I notice that this usually gives some context that helps open things up again.

Entry 2

I’ve gotten a much more fleshed out impression of HH Latakia Flake over the past 3+ weeks. There’s more complexity than I first found. 

I've noticed that my experience with the blend is notably dependent on the state of my palate when I approach it. That may sound obvious—the nuance of any blend is going to be affected if your palate is burnt out or coated with chocolate. But with HH Latakia Flake in particular, the difference between good-but-familiar English and something more interesting and dynamic has has been coming to it fresh. But that has been my determining factor for otherwise consistently enjoyable smokes. 

I usually feel mixes like this lend more to wider bowls but HH Latakia Flake hasn’t seemed to favor a certain bowl material or size or any of those factors.

I’m coming to the heel of a fine smoke in my Rossi Piccolo 313 now. This is one of my smaller pipes; a dainty prince if you will. But the complexity is not lost. There’re dark, woody, smoky flavors fully on display with the sweet compliments, but they aren’t vying for space. Perhaps the melding of the hot pressing is behind it, but also could very well be the years of age allowing the Virginias to mature and the Latakia to disperse. 

I’d say, this is my favorite smoke of HH Latakia Flake so far (I always like when that happens while writing an entry). Sweetness alights pleasingly beneath and at the tip of the tongue; earth, wood, and floral notes make for a complex core; and the smoke and spice in the sinus—engaging the whole palate.

Strength:    ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Taste:       ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○

For fans of...

I struggle to find meaningful comparisons with this one, but hey, that’s why I call this section “for fans of” and not “perfect matches.”

• Sutliff Bengal Slices
• John Cotton’s Double Pressed Latakia

G. L. Pease JackKnife (Plug)

Entry 1

I believe this is the second proper plug cut that I have featured in a Tobacco File, the first being Cornell & Diehl’s Dreams of Kadath. This is one of those terms that gets applied vaguely, often interchangeable with crumble cake, but traditionally is understood to be a densely pressed cake of whole leaves. Since the leaf isn’t pre-cut, you can’t break off a piece to rub out, you need to slice against the “grain” with a knife.

Pre-Smoke

Popping the tin reveals the pristine brick. The top and bottom show dark whole leaf, but looking from the side reveals the light-brown, golden Virginia at the center layered between a mixture of Red Virginia and Dark-Fired Kentucky.

The tin note offers a dark smokiness—robust but not permeating the air, as if it’s heavy set in the tin.

I used my handy Kershaw Gadsden knife and sliced down, the flakes rubbing out to a somewhat broad cut. I take another slice off the side, this time a bit thinner for variety. Moisture content seems just right, and I pack it in my newest pipe—a Chacom Reverse Calabash that’s brought me several fine smokes so far.

Lighting up

After a char light, JackKnife takes to an easy smolder with no protest. Citrus, herbal tea, wood, and spice are the first things I notice. There’s a sweetness, though subtle. There’s a floral incense note which nicely seems to bridge the foundational flavor with the spice in the sinus. That spice isn’t timid but not too imposing.

The Kentucky offers a light smokiness, but its woody, floral attributes seem to offer the primary flavor. The Reds bolster and impart sweetness, which the high notes of the Bright Virginia contrast, bringing dimension to the profile.

As I keep smoking, the dark, woody side seems to become more forward, but never usurping the fruity, grassy, floral aspects which remain on display.

The burn is exceptional throughout. As I wrote in the HH Latakia Flake section, I generally keep a blend in the tin for a bit after opening, but eventually jar to avoid over-drying. However, I may jar JackKnife sooner than later to keep it at this moisture level. Although the plug will hold moisture longer than ribbon would, the hydration is currently perfect.

Entry 2

I gotta say, the spice and overall weight of JackKnife is more intense than I seemed to get from that initial smoke.

The layered bright citrus and rustic earth of this blend is remarkably well balanced. Currently, I'm enjoying a smoke in my Bruno Nuttens' Heritage Bing.

Despite my last entry, I haven't jarred JackKnife, but it's still offering an amiable burn. 

I'm taken with the fruit aspect of the blend—orange peel comes to mind. Yeah, that’s the part of the orange we throw away, but its the best way I’ve thought to describe a particular trait I appreciate in mixtures like this. Something in the intersection of the dark fruit, tart citrus, and dry woodiness.

In a wider bowl, JackKnife seems to lean more to those darker characteristics. Here are some notes from the other day, smoked in my Schoenleber Prince (a recent estate clean up), now one of my wider chambers—

Bold, dark woodiness from the Kentucky in this one. Plenty of floral, a lot of spice, less of the dark fruit from past smokes. Doesn’t take long for that stoutness to develop. Not a bad idea to have some water with this one and of course not approach it with an empty stomach.

This seems to agree with other wide chamber smokes of JackKnife. I could see it being favorable to the premium cigar aficionado’s taste in pipe tobacco. 

Strength:  ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○
Taste:     ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

Entry 3

I don’t imagine it’s easy to balance a blend that features one of the spice varietals such as Kentucky so prominently without it eclipsing, but here we have that bold Kentucky on display with much else to sift through. Maybe it’s to do with the layering of the ingredients; we usually talk about the “melding” of a blend appreciatively, but with JackKnife, I get the impression it’s that contrast from the Bright Virginias that brings out the complexity.

I’m just yapping from the arm-chair. Whatever the explanation, JackKnife speaks to Pease’s reputation for creativity and originality.

Featured Cigar

I grabbed this silky Connecticut wrapped stick early in March as I was doing a little write up on the Rocky Patel White Label. An excellent smoke. 

Rocky Patel White Label Robusto

Wrapper -  Connecticut 
Binder  -  Nicaraguan
Filler  -  Nicaraguan, Honduran 
Size    -  5 X 50

The White Label is wrapped with genuine Connecticut—not so common these days. Cedar, almond, hay, and citrus were definitive flavors, with a thick smoke and easy draw throughout. A bit more of a toasty, bready side develops with a very light pepper. Very smooth, and while quite straightforward, more eventful than what I expected. 

Until next time...

April's Tobacco File may come a little early or a little late. It's a busy month that I'll be closing out at the Chicago Pipe Show. This will be my first time attending and am beyond excited. Hope to meet some of you there! 

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos?—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.

It’s been a busy April at TobaccoPipes and it all culminated with the Chicago Pipe Show over the weekend. I generally like to feature regular production blends for the monthly Tobacco File and save special releases for the irregular, one-off columns. I was going to write one such column for Samuel Gawith’s Brown Sugar Flake, but with the restraints of time, I opted to make it one of the two blends covered here in the monthly column. 

So, I apologize that one of these tobaccos came and went within April, but it will hopefully return. Our first blend is readily available however, Peterson’s Sherlock Holmes.

 Peterson Sherlock Holmes

Entry 1

Though there's no Latakia or Oriental leaf here (as one might expect given the association between England and the eponymous detective), Peterson's Sherlock Holmes is purported to be a recipe that dates to 1889, two years after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced Holmes in A Study in Scarlet. 

A previous tin description of this blend mentions Burley, though the current description calls it a straight Virginia, so I've left Burley out of the components above. That said, I figured I should clear that up as you may see the tobaccos listed differently elsewhere. I'll be looking for any discernible Burley as I get familiar. 

Pre-Smoke

I break the seal and remove the liner which shows an attractive tobacco plant illustration. I find plenty of golden, long-cut ribbon, with just a bit of red and medium-brown, densely packed in. I fluff up the top layer to allow the leaf to air out some. 

The tin note is singular; a  fruity, berry aroma. 

The moisture of the leaf is about where I like it, maybe a tad beyond, but not by much. It may even be preferable—often my preference fluctuates with cuts like this. Long ribbons often have an agreeable burn, but too dry and it can be easy to take them from a flavorful smolder to an acrid ember.

Lighting up

My first smoke will be in my Lorenzetti Avitus 49. This petite Acorn has been a trusty conveyance of straight-forward flavor profiles. I don't know if that's necessarily what we have here; the topping is evident from the tin note and there's a good deal of uniformity in the leaf, but my hunches aren't backed by as sagacious a mind as Holmes'.

From the start, a tart berry flavor comes through. I get something a bit tangerine from it as I keep going. The top flavoring certainly isn’t hidden but it’s not overly emphatic either.

Grass, citrus, and bready Virginia notes all have a place, and as I smoke it, the line between the topping and the natural Virginia sweetness is dim. The flavoring seems to be thoughtfully devised to sit with the blend, not on it.

That top note is nagging me. Not that the taste is disagreeable; sometimes a taste elicits that annoyance of a word on the tip of your tongue that you just can't pull from memory. I think there's particular association I have with this flavor, maybe even a different blend, but I cannot place it. 

Anyway, maybe it will come to me later on, but enjoy I it and that's what matters.

A pretty straight forward first impression. 

Entry 2

My notes on Peterson Sherlock Holmes since my first impression name a few different blends that come to mind in trying to pick out that flavoring. 

• Reminds me of Presbyterian Reformation. Has a Danish Aromatic taste to it
• Sort of a floral fruitiness. Samuel Gawith Fire Dance?
• Fruit and honey, similar to Savinelli 140

As I'm currently enjoying Holmes in my Missouri Meerschaum Kingston Cob, that association with Savinelli 140 resonates. Maybe the similarity in cuts bolsters the association, but I’m certainly getting a honey quality with Holmes that didn't register in my first impression. 

Peterson's Sherlock Holmes has quite a bit more oomph—more weight on the palate and sinus—than it initially let on. Not that it’s especially stout. It's just one of those friends with a languid hello who gets comfortable and a little bolder with time. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was Burley imparting some of that weight, but can’t say I notice it explicitly in the flavor.

Speaking of which, the flavor doesn't have the arc that the strength seems to. Not that it's static—I do get some variance in the profile throughout the smoke—but a level enthusiasm is maintained in the taste department. I find Holmes to express a bit more Virginia brightness to begin with, but get a Red Virginia dark fruit and an earthiness developing soon into the smoke that I was less perceptive of in my initial impression.

All in all, it has been an enjoyably uncomplicated blend, but a few other impressions have developed—

After smoking Peterson Sherlock Holmes at different moisture levels, my preference is actually to lay it out for very little time, if at all; maybe fifteen minutes. It dries quickly, which is unsurprising for this springy, thin cut, and as I thought might be the case, it has an easy burn that benefits from a little resistance. In my experience, Holmes has insisted on a tempered cadence to keep a good steady smolder. Smoking much drier than out of the tin and I tend to over-stoke it.

Strength:     ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Taste:        ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Flavoring:    ◙◙◙○○○○○○○

For Fans of...

• Savinelli 140th Anniversary
  • Moreso speaking to the topping here. 140 has a bit more complexity from the Oriental and Kentucky components. 
• Peterson Royal Yacht
  
  • Maybe a bit of a reach, but could see it as a less strong/more flavored option for something in that vein of Virginias. 

Samuel Gawith Brown Sugar Flake

Entry 1

Brown Sugar Flake was initially launched as an exclusive offering for The Danish Pipe Shop. Supposedly, the folks at Samuel Gawith and Sutliff discussed bringing a run of Brown Sugar Flake to the US market, to which the Danish Pipe Shop gave their blessing. However it came to be, many are glad it happened, and I'm certainly among them. 

Pre-Smoke

I open the tin to find the quintessential Samuel Gawith flakes, sturdy and pressed thin yet dense.

Taking in the tin note, I notice citrus, herbal tea, molasses. I'm reminded of Orlik Golden Sliced but a bit more assertive. As I understand it, Brown Sugar Flake takes inspiration from Orlik Brown Sliced. I haven't had this bygone mixture, but if it's fair to call Brown Sliced the molasses-y cousin of Golden Sliced, these flakes in front of me seem to fit the bill. 

As has been my custom, I don’t dry the leaf long, if at all, for the first smoke. It seems pretty clear that I should in this case, which is expected for Samuel Gawith, but I’ll keep to my ways and will adjust accordingly with proceeding smokes. For the inaugural smoke, I pack up one of my favorite estate pipes—a Duke of Dundee bent Billiard.

Lighting up

As expected, things were a bit temperamental getting started. I find it’s easy to over-stoke when trying to get an initial light going with leaf that doesn't want to take a flame, so I'm mindful to patiently give as many char lights as I need for the tobacco to graciously relent. Soon enough I coax out a decent smolder, bringing a toasty note and caramelized sweetness.

There’s a pleasant spice from the Oriental in the sinus, and clear evidence why it’s named Brown Sugar Flake. Bread and molasses sweetness are in effect. There’s a woody, Burley character to the base.

Some blends are finicky to smoke right out the tin, but not futile. Stubborn doesn't always mean unmanageable. But right now, that smolder does not want to keep, and while I'm not averse to some relights, Brown Sugar Flake really does need some time sitting out before packing; for me anyway.

Entry 2

I’ve now had a few smokes of Brown Sugar Flake—giving some time to dry makes a world of difference. I think I'll make an exception to the smoke-fresh-and-adjust-from-there routine in future cases like this. Samuel Gawith's flakes ask for a little more, and I don't see why quality tobacco shouldn't.

My notes from the first entry before things got too cumbersome hold up. Sweet and toasty and accurately named. Brown sugar in congress with the Oriental herbal spice makes for something special. Much like my impression from the tin note, the smoking experience too gives me a sense of a built up, more complex Golden Sliced. It takes the sweet and the herbal and adds spice and more of a fullness. The spice is to the woody, zesty side. With a Virginia citrus note, it's not unlike a delightfully herbal tea, slightly bitter with a squeeze of lemon.

There's a floral note here and there, some grassiness and hay in the base. A very gratifying blend.

My current smoke is in my Rattray's Butcher's Boy. I'm enjoying it, but I think I have a preference for narrower chambers with Brown Sugar Flake. Not a hard preference, but for whatever reason, my average sized bowls seem to be most obliging. I tried Brown Sugar Flake again in my Duke of Dundee, this time having been dried some, and it was perfect. 

One thing I’ve had to be mindful of with these smokes is packing so that there isn't too much airflow at the bottom of the chamber. I don’t know if this is a common experience, but for whatever reason, I can often overestimate how densely I'm packing with a rubbed out flake of this sturdy consistency. I imagine this is because, once dry, there isn’t a lot of pliability to the the leaf, so making sure there’s some more coarse material layered throughout has worked well for me. Doing this, gravity packing with the lightest tamp is just right.

Brown Sugar Flake still needs a few more than the average relight, and still asks for some patience getting started, but nothing near unmanageable.

Strength:      ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Taste:         ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○

Entry 3

I thought I'd smoke Brown Sugar Flake side-by-side Gawith Hoggarth Best Brown No. 2 which I recently opened. They're distinct blends but in a similar vein and I find that I get a better sense of the subtleties of a blend by exploring where it differs from something similar. 

I found Best Brown No. 2 to be a bit sweeter than Brown Sugar Flake, with less of the zest and spice (which makes sense as Best Brown contains Virginia and Burley—no Oriental like Brown Sugar Flake). Best Brown No. 2 also has more of a vegetative, grassy base. 

For fans of...

• Orlik Golden Sliced
  • Maybe Orlik Brown Sliced even more so, but I can't attest to that. 
• Gawith Hoggarth & Co Best Brown

Until next time...

Again, it's been quite a busy month so I didn't get to a featured premium cigar this time around, but I will say that for our Compare & Share Mystery Cigars this month, there was one I enjoyed immensely, the identity of which was revealed yesterday—Casa Turrent 1880 Oscuro Perfecto. A nutty, woody perfecto I highly recommend. 

I'm currently getting reacquainted with Paradoxical ahead of its May 17th release. This is the final tobacco in the Sutliff/Per Jensen collaboration series, Birds of a Feather—so, look out for a bonus Tobacco File on that soon.  

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos? Always welcome—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.

The Chicago Pipe Show, beloved to pipe smokers around the world, was first hosted in Rosemont, Illinois in 1996. There were events and gatherings hosted in and around the Chicago area previously, but this show, spearheaded by the late Frank Burla and his fellow members of the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club (CPCC), would set in motion the Chicago Pipe Show we know today.

I arrived at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort on Thursday, April 27th with anxious excitement. The Chicago Pipe Show is a staple of the pipe and tobacco world. I assumed it would be the kind of environment where the unique joy of old friendships built from and transcending a mutual passion is palpable in the air. Quite a special event, but for a first time attendee with a few years in the hobby, maybe a little intimidating. My first assumption was correct, but I quickly realized this show was also the kind of occasion where new kinships come about in an instant. 

My firsthand, first time, Chicago Pipe Show 

After briefly getting settled, I was off to dinner with some of the folks from Sutliff and Missouri Meerschaum. Then it was off to a cocktail hour. I spent much of that evening putting faces to names and talking pipes, tobacco, and beyond with the kindest of company. 

My night ended in the smoking tent with plenty of convivial puffing. I personally enjoyed an excellent cigar that was graciously given to me by Rich Messineo from Briarville, if only I could remember what it was. Folks, if you’re attending a pipe show, take some notes along the way, it goes by fast.

Friday - Swap and Smoke

Friday began with the Swap and Smoke in the smoking tent, where vendors and collectors had tables set up with rare tins, pipes, tobacciana, works of leather, pipe making and restoration tools and materials—just anything a person in this hobby would want to see. And of course, as you enter the tent, there is a table set up with tins and jars of tobaccos of all kinds—many of them limited releases, out of production, or rarely available—donated for anyone to enjoy.

I helped myself to McClelland 40th Anniversary. Working from TobaccoPipes HQ here, I’m very fortunate to get to try all sorts of blends. But for the most part, that only applies to things still around, so while I don’t take the privilege for granted, I’m always interested in trying something that made like the dodo before I came to the hobby. 

Another such extinction just before my time was Syrian Latakia. The first table we approached was Arlington Pipe & Cigar, a Chicago brick and mortar. Behind the table was a familiar face from the night before, Amu Torres, a pipe and tobacco specialist at Arlington. Somewhere in our conversation the night before, my Syrian Latakia blind spot had come up. Walking up that morning, Amu immediately hands me a tin of  Ashton Artisan’s Blend (still in production but now with Cyprian Latakia). A kindness for which I'm tremendously grateful. Friday was off to a marvelous start. 

Yiannos Kokkinos Pipes

A lot of the folks set up for the Swap and Smoke are collectors offloading some of their personal collections, or pipe makers wanting to make the most of their time in Chicago and come home as light as possible. We came to Bruno Nuttens' table with his wonderful pipes on display. My Heritage Bing is one of my favorite pipes, and I always admire his Twiggy style.

That afternoon we met with Tommi Ascorti of Caminetto pipes, who showed us selections of myriad Italian brands—look out for some beautiful new listings from Kristiansen, Ser Jacopo, Mastro Geppetto, Luigi Viprati, and Caminetto in the near future.

Saturday - Day One on the Main Floor

Saturday morning it was time to set up and welcome the main event.

Pipe shows are enough fun without having something new in tow, but we were all the more excited about this event to show off our first bundle of estate pipes.

Estates are one thing we’ve been wanting to host on the site for some time, and we’re pleased to say that time has finally come, but Chicago had a first look at these pieces of history. Our estates were restored by Rich Messineo of BriarVille. This lot (the first of plenty to come) is mostly Dunhills, but also included a no name African Meerschaum, vintage Peterson, and a Butz Choquin.

At our tables we also had a selection of factory brands (White Elephant, Barling, and Molina) as well as some of our artisan makers (Chris Morgan, Sean Reum, and Yiannos Kokkinos). At one point our pal Kokkinos even stopped by and showed me how one of the stands that came with a pipe was made from the same briar block (pictured in the top right picture below).

I gotta say, my favorite part of manning the stand had to be when I sold matching White Elephant pipes (well, different pipes from the same line) to a young couple who were sweet as Sutliff Vanilla Custard. That was not something I expected to check off my pipe show bingo card but boy was it wholesome. They were about half as smitten with the pipes as with each other (which is still very smitten) and I hope they are enjoying some delightful smokes together.

Behind us we had the Sutliff Tobacco tables, proudly displaying and selling samples of their new Per Jensen collaboration, Space Force. All of these blends contain Stoved Katerini or Stoved Rustica (some both), which have never been blended with before. Having written the descriptions for these mixtures, I’ve been enjoying them the last couple weeks, and I was pleased to see the Space Force samples appreciated in the smoking tent through the weekend.

Limited releases are fun, but many of us have faced the regret of only getting a tin or two of something we end up loving, or vice versa. It's a nice change that many will have some familiarity with these blends prior to release to know which really speak to their taste.

Here are the release dates for each (yes, it does start with Episode IV—now, why could that be?) 

• Episode IV - First Sergeant Deckard (7.12.23)
• Episode V - Captain Ryan (9.13.23)
• Episode VI - Specialist Falfa (11.25.23)
• Episode I - MAJ O'Meara (1.17.24)
• Episode II - Sergeant Kimble (3.13.24)
• Episode III - Lieutenant General Marshall (5.15.24)

Along with the samples for sale, nine pound blocks of each blend were on display, which were all donated to the silent auction. 

I did get some time to make my way around and check out all the great stuff from other vendors. Beside our table we had Shannon and Bret Hock from Missouri Meerschaum with a large selection of their exceptional acrylic-stemmed corn cob pipes. One I was especially interested in checking out was the Reverse Calabash they recently released.

Working my way around the rows, I came to the Seattle Pipe Club table, where I got a sample of their latest offering, Down Yonder, a crumble cake of Stoved Brazilian Virginia. 

I could go on and on. Even for a lucky so-and-so like me who’s surrounded by pipes and tobacco 5 days a week, it was something special. I liken it to visiting the Toys ‘R’ Us in Time Square as a kid. The one local to me induced all the giddiness you’d expect, but the one in Time Square had a Ferris wheel. Well, this pipe show had a Ferris wheel, so to speak. 

Luigi Viprati Pipes

Bruno Nuttens Pipes

Ascorti Pipes

Nording & Fourth Generation Pipes

Battle of the Briar

That evening was the Battle of the Briar. Hosted by Jeff Gracik (J. Allan Pipes) and Steven Fallon, three pipe makers (Scottie Piersel, Jared Coles, and Tommi Ascorti) were given the same tools and one hour to take a pipe kit and deliver a finished pipe, which were then voted on. I was tied up for this but luckily the live stream was posted to Youtube. Big congrats to our friend Tommi Ascorti for taking home the gold, but all three of these pipes are gorgeous and I’m just in awe that they could craft such works of art in such a short time.

That evening the TobaccoPipes and Sutliff crew attended a dinner honoring the Master and Doctor of Pipes. James Foster and Nate King are our newest Masters, Scott Thile and Tom Eltang Doctors. All much deserved.

Again, my night ended in the smoking tent, where we broke the seal on Paradoxical, and I enjoyed a smoke of the final installment of the  Birds of a Feather series. I’ve had samples of Paradoxical from when it was blended by Per Jensen last January, but as this was my first smoke out of the tin, I kept my tradition of inaugurating each Birds of a Feather blend with my Georg Jensen Granat—a beautiful Danish style bent Egg.

Sunday, Closing Time

Finally, Sunday wrapped things up with another day on the show floor and a few more events. On the show floor, it was much of the same, with many taking the opportunity to make deals and go home a little lighter, or jump on that purchase they were on the fence about yesterday. With foot traffic a bit lighter, I took the opportunity to do some shopping of my own.

I walked away with two pipes I am very happy with. The first is a Stanwell second—a petite, sandblasted Lovat from Lazarus Estates. The other, an Old West Briar. This is a brand from restorer/maker Tim West, which includes pre-turned stummels he stems and finishes.

As you can imagine, I do a good deal of typing and smoking, so I love my light pipes that make for comfortable clenchers.

Slow Smoke

My time at the pipe show ended with the Slow Smoke Competition. Hosted by the United Pipe Clubs of America (UPCA). The pipes for this year's Slow Smoke were provided by Chacom, and the tobacco was a blend of Red Virginia, Stoved Virginia, and Burley, courtesy of Country Squire. For those unfamiliar, here's the run down from the UPCA site:

Everyone gets a new pipe (Yay!), three grams of tobacco, and two matches. They have five minutes to load their pipes with tobacco, and one minute to light their pipes with the provided matches. After that, it is up to the skill of the smoker to keep his pipe lit. Smoke too fast and you run out of tobacco. Smoke too slow and the pipe can go out on you.

In the end, it was Lester Young who came out champion. 

The top three:

1.  Lester Young 1:06:40
2. John Warner 1:06:00
3. Allan Boyd 57:03

Thanks Chicago

After the slow smoke, my first Chicago Pipe Show and second ever pipe show came to a bittersweet end (sad to leave, but I was really missing my dog). I can't stress enough, if you enjoy this hobby, try and make it to a pipe show. 

Introducing this piece, I mentioned a bit of nervousness going into the weekend as a newcomer, before coming to realize this show was as fertile for new kinship as it is for stoking old ones. That's the thing about a tradition, a pastime, I suppose—it honors the past, but is sustained in the present. Goodwill and neighborliness were the default at the Marriott last weekend. Maybe I'm being a bit schmaltzy, but I think such an atmosphere is rare, and I'm delighted to have been a part of it. 

Paradoxical is now live

Hard to imagine but we are at the final release for the Birds of a Feather series.

Paradoxical closes out this first collaboration between Per Jensen and Sutliff with a tobacco blend that includes the bold Rustica leaf. Each mixture in the series features one or more rare tobaccos. Of these, Katerini Perique, was a complete novelty, which debuted in the first and penultimate blends of the series—Uno and Anomalous. Rustica and the other rarities are uncommon, though not without precedent in a blender's arsenal. 

To go a little deeper, you can check out my write-up on the making of Sutliff's Birds of a Feather series. 

Sutliff - Paradoxical (Birds of a Feather)

Entry 1

I first smoked Paradoxical with the rest of the series in January 2021 when the blends were developed. I held onto a sample of each from this time, and split each sample in two—half of each cellared, the other half on deck. However, my sample of Paradoxical was small and, being the furthest from release, I knew wouldn't last long, so I went ahead and spread it best I could. All this to say, I'm not going in totally fresh, but my familiarity is limited. 

With these blends, it’s been my custom to write my first column entry alongside my first smoke from the tin, but I actually enjoyed that first-tin experience a few nights from the time I'm writing this, at the Chicago Pipe Show. I even kept to tradition, having my first smoke in my Georg Jensen Granat. Of course, there was too much merrymaking to concern myself with notetaking there, but I did go ahead and grab a quick, crude picture for this column. 

That first smoke wasn't actually from my tin, I got mine upon returning to Richmond. So, it's time to break the seal and dig into the final instalment of the Birds of a Feather series—Paradoxical.

Pre-smoke

We have a classic Sutliff crumble cake—slabs as I think of them—medium to dark brown, with some bright and dark mottled through.

I get orange peel from the tin note, in a natural way. Leaning to tart and woodiness with an undertone of the fruit.

The cake breaks apart easily, and into a confetti of small to medium flakes of ribbon. Paradoxical is well-hydrated out of the tin, but not too moist to get a smoke out of now. 

Once broken down, that dark, glossy leaf—the Rustica I imagine—seems in higher portion than I thought from the cake.

For this smoke, I've packed up my Old West Briar bent Billiard, a wonderfully petite tobacco pipe I brought home from Chicago the other weekend.  

Lighting up

Immediately there’s Virginia citrus and tart and bready, toasty notes. A minute or so in, that nutty Burley comes about in higher resolution. There’s a weight that settles in and a pinch in the sinuous, which I imagine is a collaboration between the Rustica and Burley. I make out some of the Rustica earth and light-BBQ, but it seems to bring body and play more of a sensory role than lending to the flavor.

I don’t recall quite the Virginia focus I'm getting from this smoke, so I’ll be interested to see how it does or doesn’t align with my developing impression. Though not the same boldness and strength of Mac Baren HH Rustica, I feel those robust, earthy qualities had more of a say in previous smokes. At 15.87mm, the Old West Briar has the second most narrow chamber of all my pipes, so that could very well be a factor in how Paradoxical expresses here.

Entry 2

The ostensible correlation I find in how a given blend might smoke this way in a wide chamber and that way in a narrow one usually feels flimsy. When I notice the pattern, there's usually some pairing that inevitably challenges it. That's just how it is when so many variables have a say. But as for my experience with Paradoxical so far, the pipe size has been a reliable determiner of how the profile leans. 

From a wider bowl, I get more from the Rustica and Burley. It need not be an especially large chamber. I started with a bent Brandy with an 18.84mm diameter (I know it's all relative—this is roughly a couple steps from the medium to wide side for my pipes) and have tasted Paradoxical in larger sizes from there. 

I neglected to take a picture at the time, but the one above from the column on Eccentric (the fourth Birds of a Feather blend) shows the pipe in question, a Captain Kidd bent Brandy.  

Save for in my especially narrow chambers, I find the Burley prominent and upfront, bready and woody. The Virginias aren't absent, still providing a necessary sweetness and imparting those grass and citrus notes as well as dark fruit. Traces of that Sutliff Red Virginia vinegar wade in the background, a nice complement to the Rustica.

I also pick up on the caramelized sweetness of stoved Virginia, though as I've gotten more familiar, this seems consistently noticeable, regardless of the pipe used. It makes sense that it's not merely Rustica making up the darker leaf in this mix, though it is far more noticeable in the larger pipes. The Rustica brings woody, vegetative notes and I get a mushroom umami undertone from it.

Be ready for a decent nic hit, even if it doesn't show at first blush—in the medium-full range I'd say. Some hearty mixtures land with authority on the char light, Paradoxical opens up.

Packing up my Meerschaum bent Billiard—my narrowest chamber—Paradoxical very much plays like a bready, somewhat bright Virginia/Burley blend. Still a nice smoke with some strength, and the Rustica seems to pull through in the profile from time to time, but ultimately, I find Paradoxical much more interesting in my larger bowls. 

Also, if I may point out, this meerschaum is starting to look like a bit of a toasty marshmallow on the shank and face of the bowl, which has me excited. I have one other meerschaum pipe and it doesn't color at all.  

Strength:  ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○
Taste:     ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

Until Next Time...

Seeing the last Birds of a Feather mixture off is exciting, but a bittersweet chapter to close. But after all, it is just one chapter in the collaboration between Per Jensen and Sutliff Tobacco. The next series is already blended and will see its first launch this summer. Next up: Pipe Force.

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos?—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.

May 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of Mac Baren’s acquisition of the Altadis USA Pipe Tobacco Division, now Sutliff Tobacco (the original name which Mac Baren promptly restored).

The pipe tobacco operation was of little significance as a division of Altadis USA, itself a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco. But to us with a fondness for the tobacco pipe, such motes of the vast tobacco industry matter quite a bit. So, what is there to be said of one of the longest running pipe tobacco companies being extricated from that behemoth, acquired by another historic manufacturer in the same niche? 

In addition to streamlining and expanding distribution for both, the acquisition was to foster a synergism that could only be cultivated between companies with a shared investment in pipe tobacco. 

“The last time this company was owned by an actual pipe tobacco company was 1969,” explained then-Sutliff President Paul Creasy in Pipes Magazine ahead of the acquisition. “Commonwealth-Altadis is in the cigarette and cigar business. Pipe tobacco is so different and so small that it doesn't even merit an asterisk in the annual report. On the other hand, the Halberg Family has owned Mac Baren Tobacco Company for 125 years. They are pipe tobacco people.”

The kinship between Richmond and Svendborg seems to have delivered. As a member of that Richmond team myself, maybe I'm a bit partial, but it's that sentimentality that compelled me to write this piece. One decade out from the union of two of the oldest pipe tobacco companies in the world, I thought I’d explore the history of each and some of what this decade has sown.

Let’s start from the very beginning—the mid-19th century.

Sutliff Tobacco origins

Tom and Henry Sutliff were young brothers from Baltimore, Maryland in the mid-19th century when they decided to make their way out west. The California Gold Rush was underway in San Francisco when the brothers opened up shop in 1849. The Sutliffs were trained cigar makers, the first manufacturers in San Francisco according to a 1924 Tobacco Journal. But the business wasn’t limited to cigars, and the shop became a popular haunt for smoking and socializing. The Tobacco Journal reports that the brothers “...stressed the retail end of the business and their store became the chief rallying point for the sailors and the miners, as well as headquarters for all Baltimorean adventurers.“¹

Tom would pass away and Henry would continue to run the store. Eventually, his nephew, Tom’s son, Henry H. Sutliff would take over the family business. Then called H. Sutliff’s Pipe House, the business would stay in the family until 1969.

In a 2013 interview for the Pipes Magazine Radio Show, Creasy tells host Brian Levine that Sutliff began blending their own tobaccos in the 1880s. But it seems it would be some time before this was the primary focus. Reports from journals in the early decades of the 20th century mention a pipe repair service and sales of pipe tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, and pipes—even manufacturing calabashes from gourds harvested near Fresno, California.²

It’s hard to tell when the narrowing of focus occurred, but if not before, it was likely ushered in with the success of one infamous blend, Mixture No. 79.

Mixture No. 79, released in 1933, became widely popular among American pipe smokers. Outgrowing their facilities and leaning full in on the manufacturing of pipe tobacco, Gordon Sutliff—founder Henry Sutliff’s great nephew—moved the company to the tobacco capital of Richmond, Virginia in 1953.

“...San Francisco was far away from the tobacco fields and warehouses located in and around Richmond, Virginia, where the Sutliffs bought most of their tobaccos,” writes Tobacco Business. “Shipping the raw materials from the southeastern United States to San Francisco incurred costs and risked damage to the precious leaf.”

Leaving the retail side and fully embracing tobacco manufacturing, this was the place to be. The factory, still occupied by Sutliff today, was set up entirely around the production of Mixture No. 79.

In 1963, Sutliff expanded their range with the purchase of the Heine's brand.

Finally, after 110 years, the family era came to an end when Gordon sold Sutliff to Consolidated Cigar in 1969. At least, that was the end of family ownership—Gordon would stay on until his retirement in 1989. Consolidated Cigar would go through their own string of ownerships in the decades that followed, before being bought by the French cigar monopoly, SEITA, in 1999. SEITA soon merged with Tabacalera, the Spanish tobacco monopoly, from which Altadis was formed. In 2008, Altadis was bought by Imperial Tobacco.

Expanding from the popular Mixture No. 79 and Heine's, Sutliff leaned into American smokers' growing preference for flavored Cavendish blends—todays Aromatics. The Sutliff range would be largely developed by celebrated blender Carl McAllister, who joined Sutliff in 1977 and became head blender in 2000, where he would remain until his retirement 15 years later. 

Although Sutliff garnered a reputation for their Aromatic Cavendish mixtures, a style that gets criticism from purists, one can look to much of McAllister’s work to see the breadth of artistry there, including a range of still much appreciated match blends for classic mixtures, and many other offerings popular today running the gamut of blend types.

Mac Baren origins

In 1887, Harald Halberg came under ownership of S. Bønnelyckes Tobaksfabrik, a modest tobacco factory in Svendborg, Denmark, first opened in 1826. It would be renamed Harald Halberg Tobacco Factories.

The young Halberg had completed school in tobacco rolling—no small thing in 19th century Denmark. Harald’s sons, Otto and Einar, would come to take the reins. But it was under the direction of Jørgen Halberg, Einar’s son, that the company would find wide success in pipe tobacco in the mid-20th century.

Jørgen studied tobacco in the United States. His stay extended due to the outbreak of WWII, Jørgen returned to Denmark six years after his departure, ready to put his education to work. This was the beginning of the pipe tobacco brand, Mac Baren.

Using a German sounding name was not conducive to business in the postwar era, and since Danish names were easily mistaken as such, Mac Baren was chosen for its English flavor.

Quick detour for an interesting aside...

It seems similar cultural forces during WWI were imposed on the Sutliff pipe house. A June, 1918 Tobacco Journal relays: “Henry Sutliff, well known pipe dealer and repairer, recently received an order to remove from sixty dozen pipes the lettering ‘German silver.’ San Francisco smokers do not want anything about to remind them of Germany when they are enjoying a smoke, and the order while unusual is, after all, but a natural sequence of the war.”³

This tidbit isn't exactly a substantive episode in the Sutliff story. Still, I found the parallel interesting and worth a little aside.

It was under the Mac Baren brand that the first hit for Halberg came in 1952, Golden Blend (Golden Extra in the US), followed by even greater reception with Mixture in 1958. We can likely thank the success of Mixture for the range of Mac Baren tobaccos appreciated today. There are the blends of the same period whose stars' rose with the success of Mixture, fixing them in the constellation of Mac Baren Classics (Dark Twist, Plum Cake, Virginia No. 1, etc.). Then there are the modern classics, such as Per Jensen’s HH Series or Seven Seas.

The Mac Baren brand came to eclipse Harald Halberg Tobacco in name recognition, and the company officially rebranded in 1995. With the passing of Jørgen the following year, his son Henrik Halberg took over the company.

Along with Mac Baren’s own classic line-up of pipe tobacco, the blending house would manufacture other tobaccos under contract over the years. But this created complications. Taking up production of Swedish Match's Borkum Riff in 2002, this contract came to account for much of Mac Baren's business. When Swedish Match merged with Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) in 2009, production was moved, nearly devastating Mac Baren. 

On the other side of this challenge, it was clear that depending on the endurance of volatile arrangements could not make for a secure, healthy business.

The acquisition

In May 2023, Mac Baren acquired Altadis USA Pipe Division from the Imperial Tobacco subsidiary, and promptly restored the company’s historic name—Sutliff Tobacco Company.

Part of this deal included license for production of Capstan and Three Nuns from Imperial, which were produced by STG at the time. Mac Baren would expand the line up, creating Capstan Gold and offering Original and Gold in both flake and ready-rubbed cuts. What’s more, these blends had been off the market in the States for 18 years. With the manufacturing move to Mac Baren, they returned to the US market, imported by Sutliff who had taken over US distribution from Phillips & Kings International. 

This led to an opportunity for Mac Baren to purchase these brands they were already producing. In 2015, Imperial  departed from pipe tobacco, selling Mac Baren the trademarks for Capstan, Three Nuns, Amphora, St. Bruno and many others. It was no small expenditure, but was a bold decision made with the lessons of the Borkum Riff pull out not forgotten.

Additionally, Mac Baren would purchase the Planta portfolio in 2019. The sixty-three year old company had already stopped production earlier in the year, fully departing from the tobacco industry. Most notable among the blends acquired was Presbyterian Mixture, the historic light-English blend. Mac Baren and Sutliff would expand the line-up with, as of right now, two limited releases—Presbyterian Reformation and Ordained. 

The synthesis of Mac Baren and Sutliff realized

Sutliff's prioritizing of the wide Aromatic market came with some judgement from captious aficionados. Though there had been plenty of pre-acquisition blends that spoke to Sutliff's adeptness beyond Aromatics, there were limitations to the autonomy of the blending house to pursue certain styles. It was hoped that the joining of the pipe tobacco companies may open things up for more attention to the artisan side of blending.

Creasy told Pipes Magazine in 2013, "It’s hard to make the case for a new flake that will set the pipe tobacco world tingling, but not even register on the radar of a large company—cigarette people deal in billions, cigar people deal in millions and pipe tobacco people deal in thousands. Thousands still means something to us. They don’t mean as much to very large corporations. Expect to see more new products and promotions in the future."

Sutliff’s presence has grown in the boutique blending side of things in the last decade with such series as Crumble Kake, Barrel Aged, and Cringle Flake, as well as introductions of popular Virginias like 507 Virginia Slices and 515 RC-1 Red Virginia. To be sure, I can't unequivocally say that none of these tobaccos would have come about if Sutliff remained Altadis Pipe Division, but I don't think it's unreasonable to glean that there was a renewed creative license. 

Not all the benefits of synergism are neatly quantifiable, but there are clear examples of the fruits of this union. For starters, I've mentioned the widening of distribution for Sutliff in Europe and Mac Baren in the States. 

Leaf sourcing

Then there is leaf sourcing. Henrik Halberg was notorious for sourcing fine leaf throughout the world. He would travel to anywhere quality tobacco was cultivated to secure high grade leaf for Mac Baren. 

When he came across something he found special, he would purchase it. Even if not immediately of use in the Mac Baren range, he knew it would pay off (HH Old Dark Fired is a perfect example, made with Dark-Fired that Henrik bought in 1974, stored until Jensen put it to use in 2012). Sutliff now benefits from Mac Baren's tobacco stock.

“Being allied with Mac Baren gives us access to the best tobacco from around the world,” current Sutliff president Jeremy McKenna told Tobacco Business. “...We always had access to good leaf as part of Consolidated and Altadis, but they were more focused on cigars. Now we have someone whose sole focus is on pipe tobacco, and Henrik finds the best tobaccos available. He recently procured mature Red Virginia and Latakia for us; both tobaccos have been hard to source at times. His worldwide contacts have been invaluable at sourcing the world’s best and hardest-to-find tobaccos.”

Sadly, Henrik Halberg passed in 2021. The connections and hauls from his travels continue to enrich our smokes and his passion resonates still. I highly recommend this Pipes Magazine Radio Show episode in which Brain Levine and Per Jensen celebrate Henrik. 

Broadening Latakia production 

From the outside, it may seem that there was an abundance of Cyprian Latakia accessible for an uncomplicated (albeit, upsetting for many) transition as Syrian Latakia dwindled. But it wasn't and hasn't been that simple. Availability even for Cyprian was inconsistent. Sutliff was stocking up anytime Latakia was available, unsure how long it'd be before they could purchase more.

In an effort to assure their continued supply, Mac Baren and Sutliff funded a Latakia processing operation. 

"We got with some people and had barns built and smoked," McKenna told Old Hollywood Briar for Pipes Magazine. "I paid for a lot of mine up front in huge deposits to fund their operation because they built it from the ground up...There was a lot of trial and error I mean, they promised us a whole bunch one year and it almost got delayed a whole year. But it’s working now, it’s putting out some good Latakia, it’s a nice stable base."

Collaboration

Another begotten gift from this union is the Birds of a Feather series that just this month saw its final blend released, Paradoxical. The series was a collaboration between Sutliff and Mac Baren master blender, Per Jensen. Jensen travelled to the Sutliff factory in Richmond Virginia, and, using both Mac Baren and Sutliff leaf, blended six special mixtures, each using at least on rare tobacco.

And now we have Pipe Force, the next installment in this collaboration. This time, Jensen and Sutliff have worked together to blend with never before used tobaccos, Stoved Rustica and Stoved Katerini.

As the histories of Mac Baren and Sutliff show, pipe tobacco has a long tradition, but the more than century of these companies' existence is only recent memory relative to the history of the pastime. But the pastime finds itself in a peculiar place. Uncertainty around supply and the myopic approach to legislating implores a creative, adaptable pipe tobacco industry. 

From efforts to sustain supply of the tobaccos our favorite blends rely on, to imaginative blending approaches that still push the art forward, even amid restrictions limiting product development, it seems Mac Baren and Sutliff are here for the cause.

References:

1. L. E. Beals. "Sutliffs, Tom and Henry, Were First Cigar Manufacturers in San Francisco." Tobacco Journal, Vol. 101, (1924)
2. "Increased Cash Trade in 'Frisco." Tobacco Journal, Vol. 84, (1915)
3. "'Frisco Trade Show Further Growth." Tobacco Journal, Vol. 89, (1918)

For May's Tobacco File, I thought I'd choose two pipe tobaccos that are on theme with another blog I was chipping away at through the month; One Decade of Sutliff Tobacco - A Mac Baren Company.

May 2023 marks ten years since Mac Baren acquired Sutliff, or, the Altadis USA Pipe Tobacco Division, as it was then named. So, while I explored the long and recent histories of these company’s, I thought, why not smoke their flagship blends? This month we have Sutliff Mixture No. 79 and Mac Baren Golden Extra.

Sutliff Mixture. No 79

Entry 1

Oddly enough, though I work right above the Sutliff factory this will be my first taste of Mixture No. 79. I understand it was widely popular in the decades following its 1933 release, but is now somewhat polarizing among pipe smokers. Whether it’s to my taste or not, I’m always happy to broaden my experience, especially with infamous blends.

Pre-smoke

The pouch note gives a licorice and root beer aroma.

Taking a pinch and placing it on my mat, the ribbons are cut short and there is contrasting reddish brown and yellow leaf, and just a bit of black. Though not mentioned in the description, I supposed it's Black Cavendish. 

I’m a bit surprised by the moisture content. I assumed more wet—a “goopy” Aromatic, to borrow the epithet. But the hydration seems perfect to light on arrival. I’ll be inaugurating this one in my Longchamp leather-bound Billiard.

Lighting up

I notice cocoa Burley abutted by some interesting flavoring. I get the root beer anise notes and liqueur. A soapy floralness and vanilla sweetness.  

It's been a while since I've had it, so I may be way off, but something about Mixture No. 79 reminds me of Sillem's Commodore Flake. Not that they're similar blends, but an isolated note the two share. I mention in last September's Tobacco File that featured Commodore that it has "a bit of anise, almost a root beer note without much sweetness," and "...a subtle creamy vanilla hit," so I can see why the association came to mind. 

I find a bit more of a woodsy side going along, and the burn keeps consistent and smooth. 

I can see where Mixture No. 79 may have stood out as something peculiar yet founded in the palate of its era. I get the impression of a classic over-the-counter (OTC) Burley that's been flavored generously (OTC blends being those, usually Burley-based, mixtures found in super markets, drugstores, or other places beyond the tobacconist shop in the heyday of pipe smoking: Prince Albert, Carter Hall, Granger, etc.)

It almost seems to bridge the American trends of Burley supremacy and Cavenidsh Aromatics. But the flavorings don't exactly seem intuitive. It's not maple and walnut, vanilla and honey—it's, well, its own thing. 

Entry 2

It's not unordinary for a blend to need quite a few smokes before seeming familiar, the resolution slowly heightening as the subtleties emerge. But there are times when it isn't that there's some great complexity to navigate, the puzzle is simply whether it's something I like. When it comes to peculiarities, the difference between off-putting and delightful can be a little experience. Mixture No. 79 is certainly a distinct flavor, and that often takes some experience to really locate my own impression. 

Smoking now in my first pipe, a Molina Barasso Billiard, I haven't noticed any correlation between factors like pipe size or material and taste. Sometimes I do find this to be more OTC-cocoa-Burley-centric, somewhat like Sutliff Ready-Rubbed Match, but not totally without the anise, fruity, floral, sweet topping. Sometimes the topping is more forward, and sometimes one constituent of that bouquet is more vibrant than expected. I assume the "why" is a matter of my own palate.  

I can see why Mixture No. 79 would seem like a polarizing you-love-it-or-hate-it blend. I mean, it's not all that different from licorice in that regard, or the smell of gasoline. It also makes sense that 79 was prominent at a time when these flavors were probably more represented in general—not just in tobacco, but in the treats I imagine aren't commonly stocked in most of today's candy aisles, but perhaps the Cracker Barrel gift shop.

Strength:   ◙◙○○○○○○○○
Taste:      ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○
Flavoring:  ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

Entry 3

Acclimating further to Mixture No. 79, I'm finding myself enjoying it more and more.

Though, after this pouch, I don't expect I'll be returning to it regularly, but that's more to do with broader preferences. Aromatics aren't so represented in my routine smokes, and when they are, they're usually teetering on that edge of Aromatic and another category.  

None-the-less, I'll be packing from what's left when the mood strikes. I'm interested in how I'll feel about the topping when returning to Mixture No. 79, not as total strangers, but some time removed from the repetition of smoking it this month. Sometimes that's just not so conducive to experiencing a blend, especially when it's a style I wouldn't smoke that regularly even as a favorite.

For Fans of...

Instead of giving blend names here, I'll just say, if you like OTCs and you like Lakelands and the idea those colliding stirs any feeling in you between keen and curious, this might be your niche.

Mac Baren Golden Extra

Entry 1

Golden Blend (or Golden Extra as it's named in the States) was the first Mac Baren blend when it was released in 1952. Granted, "Mac Baren" as we know the company, was Harald Halberg Tobacco Factories at the time. Mac Baren was the name of the brand of tobaccos that garnered such popularity, the company took on the name in 1995. 

Although Golden Extra kicked off the Mac Baren brand, The Solent Mixture is actually the earliest blend still in production. It was released in 1950 by Harald Halberg Tobacco, two years before the Mac Baren brand was launched, but it was inevitably absorbed into it. However, it was Golden Extra, created by Jørgen Halberg upon his return from studying tobacco in the US, that set the trajectory of a global staple in pipe tobacco, with Mac Baren Mixture, released in 1958, truly solidifying the brand's success.

To be honest, Mixture is probably more of the Mac Baren flagship—its success inextricable from the company's—but Golden Extra is also crucial and fits my theme here. And frankly, though it's not a rule, I like writing about blends I'm less acquainted with for the column, and I know very well I'm a big fan of Mixture.

Pre-Smoke

This particular tin is from August 2021, a year and nine months back. Not uncommon to get a tin of Mac Baren with some age on it, which is always a nice perk.

I break the seal and remove the lid and paper liner, then fluff up the ready-rubbed strands, as the tin was packed tight. 

After a little airing out, I take in the tin note. A dry, natural aroma—nutty and woody with light grassiness.

The ready-rubbed is nearly ribbons and doesn’t need any further breaking down, unless it’s one's preference. Seems to be perfectly hydrated to smoke immediately, so I pack an estate pipe I recently spruced up for the inaugural bowl, a Schoenleber Prince. 

First I’ve ever heard of the brand but it's a handsome pipe. A look at the Pipedia page relays that Louis Schoenleber was an Austrian pipe maker who immigrated to New Jersey. He opened a shop in Newark in the 1920s, perhaps closing in the 1960s.

Lighting up

First thing I notice are bready and molasses notes over nutty Burley.

Smoking on, the cocoa aspect rises and I get a bit of that feeling in that chocolate feel back on the palate. 

As I get more familiar, some subtleties come into view. The Virginia is grassy, hay, and slightly woody. Very natural and underscoring the Burley and cocoa topping’s more forward role here.

The burn rate has been perfect. In my experience, Mac Baren blends have never been uniquely prone to bite as some attest, but Golden Extra seems especially amenable; over-stoking would take an active effort. But keeping a mellow cadence, the smoke is nice and voluminous. 

Entry 2

Most of my notes from the ensuing smokes don't stray much from my initial impression. Mac Baren Golden Extra is a consistent and straight forward smoke. Toasty baked bread and nutty, light honey sweetness, and Virginia grass and citrus. Probably most forward is that cocoa flavor, but it has a natural character and has a role in serving the tobacco, not covering it. 

Golden Extra also has a place in the OTC realm. If Mixture No. 79 is an eccentrically flavored defector somewhere between OTC and generously topped Aromatics, then I'd say Golden Extra is more between the OTC style and Burley flakes like Wessex Burley Slices and Cobblestone Hiking—sparingly flavored and leaning natural.

I should note, I mentioned in the first entry that over-stoking Golden Extra "would take an active effort." Though the tobacco had a smoke-ready moisture content out of the tin, I did smoke some after drying further, as I always want to approach a blend I'm familiarizing myself with from a few angles. While I still had no problem with bite, it burned a bit quick and flavor seemed to be lost. After a couple instances of that, I just kept pulling from the tin. It may take me some time to get through the remainder of the 3.5 oz tin, so I'll probably jar Golden Extra soon to keep it sealed with that perfect hydration. 

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Similar to:

• Cobblestone Hiking
• Granger

Until Next Time...

I think I ought to consider more angles for picking Tobacco File blends and cigars around themes of sorts. The blog I linked at the top of the column was one of my favorites to research and write, and it was interesting having these blends relate to a topic I was currently in the weeds of. 

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.

Table of Contents

The stories of Sherlock Holmes have enchanted readers since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published A Study in Scarlet in 1887, introducing the world to the detective through the narration of his partner and roommate, Watson. This would only be the first story of many to come and countless adaptations and inspirations from every storytelling medium. 

It's no wonder that the cultural import of the character is especially potent amongst pipe smokers. The tobacco pipe is elemental to the iconic Sherlock Holmes' aesthetic, as well as his methods (exemplified in the quotable "three pipe problem"—the detective's unit of measurement for his deduction). Some characters merely smoke a pipe, but others are pipe smoking characters, embodying some aspect that resonates with those who appreciate pipe smoking. We may not have his sagacious deduction skills, but the pipe as a ritual that buttresses contemplation is a familiar association to many of us.

It's through this lens that Peterson of Ireland venerates the fantastic character and adventures Doyle brought us with their Sherlock Holmes Series.

The Sherlock Holmes Series

Now a staple of the Peterson marque, the Sherlock Holmes series began with one commemorative pipe released in 1987 to celebrate the centennial of the publishing of A Study in Scarlet, the novel that introduced the world to the infamous literary detective. 

Following this first Sherlock pipe—its shape dubbed the "Original"—a series was built, with shapes being added in waves over the years, each inspired by a different aspect of the Sherlock universe. From 1989 to 1991, the Original Sherlock Holmes Collection was released, bringing the series to seven fine shapes. Seven more would be added between 1992 and 1997 in The Return of Sherlock Holmes collection.

Each features a P-lip bit leading to a silver band, stamped with the Peterson Sherlock logo of Basal Rathbone's silhouette clenching a 4AB Peterson System pipe. But what really ties this series together is the size of the shapes. They are husky and muscular and, well, if these are the pipes smoked for that three pipe problem, it must be quite the conundrum. 

Special editions may depart from some of the consistencies in the regular production. For instance, the 2021 Peterson Christmas Pipe featured all fourteen Sherlock Holmes shapes, but saw the sterling silver band swapped for copper, and the vulcanite stem and P-lip bit replaced with acrylic fishtails. These special editions were available in two finishes. 

Peterson Sherlock Holmes Finishes

The regular production Sherlock Holmes includes eight finishes, each bringing a unique personality out of the respective shapes. 

Dark Smooth

Also a popular finish on Peterson's Deluxe System, Dark Smooth offers a deep walnut stain. The perfectly modest shine gives the light and dark contrast in the grain a wonderful marble texture for a vibrant yet not overly glossy enthusiasm.

Ebony

You can find the Ebony finish on many Peterson designs. It's one of the ways the brand shows their capacity for bringing a bit of a modern cadence to classic shaping. The finish isn't quite gleaming, not quite matte—it wades between without leaning into that listless plastic shine. Ebony offers an elegant, tasteful simplicity, especially for those who find that the dimensions of the Sherlock Holmes pipe is statement enough. 

Heritage

Heritage is the most recent finish introduced to the Peterson Sherlock Holmes line. In some light, it seems to have a similar black sleekness as Ebony with a little more shine. But at closer inspection, we have a deep, swarthy burgundy. I'm especially partial to the way Heritage catches the light on the rigid lines of the several diamond shanks represented in the series. 

Natural

Peterson Special Blast (PSB)

The Peterson Special Blast is another distinguished finish that is reserved for select pipes. In 2020, Peterson began stamping certain sandblasted pipes with PSB, denoting the exceptional grain. This grade came about in recognition of stunning results that the Peterson team were getting in refining the sandblasting process. 

This isn't necessarily a different finish from the regular Peterson Sandblast, but a grade of the Sandblast. However, because of how infrequently a blasted stummel qualifies for the honorable PSB stamp, they are currently exclusive to a few Peterson lines: Deluxe Classic, House, Deluxe System, and of course, Sherlock Holmes. 

Rustic

Much like the Sandblast finish, Peterson has stepped up their approach to rusticating in the last few years. This deep, craggy rustication was developed by Peterson's Wojciech Blaszczak. This rustication wonderfully contrasts the black and red finish, and depressions offer more purposeful orientation than I expect from a rusticated finish. This has more of the visual texture of a wind swept sand-scape—craggy directional ripples.

The style is especially alluring in the Sherlock Holmes line up, since the large shapes allow for a deeper rustication than may not be permitted by pipes with thinner walls. The result is a satisfying texture for shapes that are already notably comfortable in the hand.  

Sandblast

Although the pipes in the regular Sandblast finish didn't quite meet Peterson's high standards for a PSB grading, these stummels are chosen for Sandblast because they have beautiful grain but would not work as a smooth due to some blemish that the blasting process removes. Or they they may be chosen for grain that particularly lends itself to a Sandblast, usually nice ring grain. So, they are far from rejects, the standard for the PSB stamp is just incredibly selective. 

Smooth Terracotta

The Terracotta imparts an alluring tuscany red that brilliantly displays the grain. Personally, I love a red finish when it works but I'm picky—often they're either a bit too candy-bright for my taste, or they're dark to the point of losing contrast with the stain. The Terracotta perfectly brings a warm  vibrancy without undercutting the whimsy of a lovely grain. 

Peterson Sherlock Holmes Shapes

Original - Sherlock Holmes Commemorative Pipe (1987)

The Original was the first shape in Peterson's Sherlock series, though at the time, it was a one-off commemorative pipe to celebrate the centennial of the publishing of A Study in Scarlet. The Original was crafted in the style of Peterson's House Pipe range. This series gives recognition to the manufacturer's history of offering especially large pipes, the earliest known example being printed in an 1896 catalogue. Designed by Peterson great Paddy Larrigan, this brawny Calabash set the precedent for the rest of the Sherlock Holmes line to be of similar proportion. 

It's not hard to imagine where the inspiration for this shape came from. The famed detective has long been associated with the Calabash, although Doyle's writing never places the gourd in Sherlock's mouth. This association actually started with William Gillette's portrayal of Holmes in an 1899 play. He would remain in this role for many years, and would be the first to portray Holmes on the screen in a 1916 silent film adaptation. It's likely the distinctive Calabash was the optimal choice as a pipe that would be plainly visible in stage performance. 

Appropriately, the Sherlock Holmes Original is a statement pipe of its own. The full bent stem takes a precipitous dive to the shank which transitions with a dramatic bend of its own, turning up into the bowl, so slightly widening toward the rim like an upturned bell. Its a husky pipe, but somehow is proportioned to impart a lean brawn. It's often that the shank leaves little gap with the bowl in a sizable full bent such as this, but the Original maintains that Calabash flexibility. 

Original Sherlock Holmes Collection (1989 - 1991)

Baker Street

Between 1989 and 1991, six more Peterson Sherlock Holmes pipes would be added to the range, each named for a significant aspect of the Holmes legacy. Baker Street of course references the London address of the detective, 221B Baker Street. 

In the Baker Street shape we have a stout, flinty Bulldog. The ridges are sharp and muscular. The bold underside brings to mind the vee-bottom hull of a ship; sound and sturdy. The bowl sits up straight from a strong heel, widening up toward two fine bead lines, where the it then tapers in toward the rim. The stem briefly adopts the broadness of the shank before a quick narrowing to the bit. 

An interesting aspect of this shape is its softer appearance from above, with less say from its chiseled lines and more input from the round P-lip. 

Baskerville

Baskerville is named for the third Holmes novel, The Hounds of the Baskervilles. It was also the first widely popular upon its release, as it was the Sherlock Holmes short stories that Doyle began publishing in The Strand starting in 1891 that brought the series commercial success. 

The bead line brother-shapes are well represented in the Peterson Sherlock Holmes series, those being the Bulldog and Rhodesian. Defined by its round shank, here we have the latter, but even among its designation, the Baskerville stands out, and not just for its size. While many shapes in the Holmes line have their counterpart in the traditional shape repertoire, Baskerville really has a flavor its own—it's not often you see a full-bent Rhodesian. 

The Baskerville wears its bead lines high before tapering briefly toward the rim. The broad shank pulls up close to the bowl, leading to the steep stem which maintains that visual weight up to a strong bend before the bit. The usual analogy for the stem would be swan-like I supposed, but the broad neck on this swan more favors Nessie peaking out of the loch. 

Deerstalker

Of course one of these shapes had to be named for Sherlock's iconic cap. The double billed, ear flapped headwear originally associated with hunting garb (hence the name) has become so tied to Sherlock, its image is essentially a visual metonym for detective. 

I can see why this shape is apt for the Deerstalker name. The round bowl pulling in above the bead lines gives that cap atop the head image, and the stem with its languid dip of a slight bend calls to mind the subtle downward slant of the deerstalker bill. 

Personally, I place Deerstalker among my favorites in this line. Again, we see the English classic Rhodesian given a twist, not too eccentric but certainly creating an identity of its own. It brings a strong forward weight, the bowl catching the eye and the shank and stem not quite as bold as we get from some of the other Sherlock shapes. Additionally, where much of the Sherlock line has a stoic briskness about the aesthetic, the light wave of the Deerstalker, following from heel to bit, adds a lithe, playful touch to the range. 

Professor

In 1893, the short story "The Adventure of the Final Problem" was publish in The Strand, introducing Sherlock's heel, Professor James Moriarty; the shape for which the nemesis is named certainly has quite the heel. 

With the Professor, we are right back to the bold, husky design at the heart of the Peterson House Pipe style. 

The plump heel gives a bulbous visual weight to the base of the bowl. The silhouette offers a bit more splay to accommodate the 1/3 bend. I'm eschewing the swan neck and Nessie comparisons for this stem, I see more of a strong elephant's trunk in the Professor. It fits just right for the thickset bowl. Though that bowl naturally attracts one's focus, the stem bears a proportionate strength that keeps the shape in balance. The Professor's outward reach and large bowl may not make for a comfortable clench, but it practically begs to be cradled in the palm.

Squire

The Squire is named for one of the twelve short stories making up The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Reigate Squire." The name certainly underscores a stateliness that is apt for this slight bent Bulldog. 

The diamond shank elegantly bends into the low base of the squat bowl so that the bowl almost seems to be held from below, offered nonchalantly in the loose cradle of an upturned hand. The Squire's squat bowl belies its capacious chamber. With a broad, strong base below the bead lines, the Squire evokes the ample Bull-Moose shape.  

In all, the Squire touts a distinguished appeal, but a bit less rigid than the conservative Baker Street. Even with that sharp, diamond shank, there is a relaxed posture. 

Watson

Watson of course was Holmes' confidant and biographer through his many adventures. It couldn't be a Sherlock Holmes line without a Watson around, could it? 

Another full bent Rhodesian, the Watson sees the stout Baskerville portioned up. Aside from its scaling up the dimensions, the base has been pulled back a bit giving an Oom-Paul likeness, and creating a slightly less plum silhouette, with the shank and thick base of the stem not so snug to the bowl—a lean muscularity. 

The Watson was designed by Larrigan, but inspired by an idea sketched for a hybrid of the Oom-Paul and Calabash by Mario Lubinski, an Italian pipe maker who collaborated on many Peterson designs through the years.

Return of Sherlock Holmes series (1992 - 1997)

Hansom

You may recall instances of hailing hansoms in the Sherlock stories. Though certainly attractive carriages of the 19th century, they were named for their designer, Joseph Hansom, who patented the cabbie in 1834. The carriage was designed to have a low center of gravity—though, this Hansom surely wasn't.

With the second string of Sherlock shapes released, we see the whimsy and playful takes on traditional shaping applied in the Peterson House Style in even more interesting ways. The Hansom brings us a wonderful reimagining of the Bulldog. The proud, tall-standing, high-waisted bowl has the industrial integrity of the smokestack of an old locomotive. The stummel sees a brisk transition, giving distance between the attention grabbing bowl and giving the sinewy shank an exhibition of its own.

Hudson

The Bulldogs continue with the Hudson, named for the landlady at 221B Baker Steet. 

With the Hudson, we have something more akin to the stiff, resolute profile of the Baker Street. The bowl is stout and and transitions to the shank in such a way that eludes definition between the subsections. A notably streamlined shape, the Hudson has a unitary feel, with the single quirk being the slight bend just before the bit, offering the subtlest of bows. It's a great touch to a especially muscular and stout Bulldog. 

Lestrade

Ironically enough, one of the most out-there shapes in the Peterson Sherlock Holmes flock is named for Detective Inspector Lestrade—the by the books detective often soliciting Holmes for his take on a case. 

Another creation designed after a sketch from Mario Lubinski, the Lestrade features a low visual weight on the bulbous, squatting bowl. The shank briefly pulls up to the band making the foundation for the long, full bend of this saddle stem. It's worth mentioning that the Lestrade is only joined by the Strand in the traditional Sherlock Holmes shapes in featuring a saddle stem as opposed to tapered. 

While sometimes balance is achieved through proportional counterweight, sometimes a shape is a natural exhibitionist and that's just that. The narrow stem serves to underscore the oomph of the bowl while adding its own lithe touch. I'm realizing, it's the most sensational shapes in this range that I find myself favoring the more I look at them—this plump fruit on the vine is up there for me. 

Milverton

"The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" was one of Doyle's 52 Sherlock Holmes short stories. The shape is quite appropriate to represent the malevolent blackmailer in how he is depicted by famous Sherlock Holmes illustrator, Sidney Paget. 

In Milverton, we have another bold, bent Billiard with a bloated base akin to that of a Brandy. Where this shape most notably departs from the Professor is in its Bulldog diamond shank. The sinewy shank and stem—half bent into the assertive bowl—bring a more rigid muscularity. The bowl's obvious girth is met with depth as well; you can certainly get a long smoke from the Milverton. Unlike the Lestrade, this wide and tall bowl insists upon a shank and stem of proportionate strength, and that's just what we get. 

Mycroft

The Mycroft is named for Sherlock's older brother, Mycroft Holmes. In Mycroft's first appearance in the story "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter," published in 1983, Sherlock tells us that his brother processes greater investigatory instinct than himself, but doesn't feel compelled to use them.

Like the Deerstalker and Strand, Mycroft keeps continuity with the huskiness of the range, while offering a more lissome, unassertive shape. Designed by German pipe maker Jan Harry Seiffert, the Mycroft curves from heel to bit with a relaxed posture, offering that slight bend leading up to the P-lip. Like many offerings in the Sherlock line, the Mycroft takes a hybrid approach to its shape with a tall Dublin bowl brusquely pivoting to the Zulu-like shank and stem. 

Rathbone

For its name, the Rathbone steps from the page and looks to one of the most important adaptations in the Sherlock universe. Between 1939 and 1946, Basil Rathbone starred as the preeminent sleuth in 13 feature films. To many, Rathbone is the definitive portrayer of Sherlock. Which is saying something—in 2020, Guinness World Records recognized Sherlock Holmes as the most portrayed literary human character in film and television.

According to Peterson, the Rathbone is inspired by two of the pipes frequented by Rathbone in his portrayals of Sherlock. 

With appropriate Sherlock Holmes series proportions, the Rathbone brings a classic bent Billiard that keeps things elegant and simple. While some in the series have designs that thoughtfully lean into the bulky theme, the Rathbone is one of the more svelte styles in the range. From the handsome, vertically straight bowl, the stem gradually inclines for a long soft bend, bringing a bit of nonchalance.

Strand

Last but certainly not least is the Strand, named for the monthly magazine that published Sherlock Holmes stories beginning in 1891. It was in this time that the stories began to garner wider attention. 

Not unlike the Mycroft and Deerhunter, the Strand takes the brassy Sherlock series into a softer realm. While many in the Peterson Sherlock Holmes line seem to bring a stalwart initial impression with an elegance that becomes more apparent the more you sit with the shape, the Strand seems to reverse that. I find it has a lithe, graceful flow to its silhouette, but a distinguished composure becomes more apparent the more study it. 

The round and capacious bowl of the Egg brings a sturdiness to the shape, seeming to meet the traditional with the classical aesthetic of the Danish Egg. The oval shank offers a more petite side profile while the feel in the palm remains commensurate with the robust design that holds the Sherlock line together. The Strand joins the bold Lestrade in donning a saddle stem which offers a languid, subtle bend toward the bit, completing the lissome curve flowing from the softly raised heel. 

Peterson Sherlock Holmes pipe tobacco

Peterson has paid homage to the famed detective beyond their Sherlock Holmes line. The Sherlock Holmes pipe tobacco from Peterson offers a delightful Virginia-based pipe tobacco blend, the recipe for which is said to date back to 1889, two years after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle publish A Study in Scarlet. The grassy, citrus, bready Virginias are nicely complimented by a topping that introduces a fruity berry note with a hint of honey. 

Peterson Pewter Pipe Tamper 

Finally, we have a Peterson Sherlock inspired pipe tamper. For many, a pipe accessory with a little character of its own is all part of the enjoyment of how pipe smoking is a personalized experience. For any fans for the timeless adventures of Sherlock Holmes, this is a nice companion to a smoke. And being a sizable, weighty tamper, this pewter tool is also a great companion to the sizable bowl of a Sherlock Holmes pipe. 

In writing this piece, my appreciation for the Peterson Sherlock Holmes line has grown. I found them interesting before, but having pulled pipe after pipe off the shelf, sat them in front of me, really exploring at length—I get a sense of the nuance and detail that goes into taking a classic shape and giving it an identity of its own. It's something that Peterson has a particular penchant for. 

Sutliff Phantom Privateer goes live on Tuesday, July 4th at 6pm

The sixth installment of the Sutliff Barrel Aged Series has arrived. 

For a little background, the Barrel Aged series are limited release blends in Sutliff's Crumble Kake series, which includes regular production mixtures such as Red Virginia, English #1, and Va Perique. The trend seems to be that twice a year—at the beginning of the year and early summer—a new Barrel Aged is released. The defining trait, unsurprisingly, is that each in the series has been stored in a used liquor barrel, where the leaf is imbued with the remnant flavor and aroma. 

The liquor is chosen to best complement the particular blend...or maybe vice versa. Here are the tobacco/barrel combinations we've seen to date:

1. Virginia; Apple Brandy barrel
2. Kentucky, Virginia; Cognac barrel 
3. Black Cavendish, Burley, Virginia; Bourbon barrel 
4. Burley, Virginia; Bourbon barrel 
5. Burley, Rustica, Virginia; Bourbon barrel 

Of these, I've featured No. 4 and No. 5 in previous Tobacco Files.

Sutliff Phantom Privateer - Barrel Aged No. 6

Entry 1

Barrel Aged No. 6 is novel in several ways. For one, Perique makes its debut in the Barrel Aged series. As you can see from the past iterations listed above, the spicey condiment from St. James Parish, Louisiana has yet to make its way into one of these mixtures. 

Additionally, for the first time (in this series), Sutliff is rolling out the rum barrel. This definitely piqued my interest. Barrel Aged 3, 4, and 5 were bourbon barreled, and while I enjoyed each, it's fun to change things up. Also, those are the only three from this series I've had. Although, the Sutliff produced Mississippi River from Seattle Pipe Club has a rum barrel-aged option that I'm fond of, so I'm interested to see how the flavor plays with a blend that is quite different.

But the most overt distinction with this installment is right on the label. The tin art for each Barrel Aged has followed the template of the Crumble Kake series (as shown with No. 1 below), but No. 6 sees an adventurous departure. Then there is the name, Phantom Privateer, in eerie harmony with the tin art. Each blend prior has only differed in name by their number in the series. 

I love some vibrant artwork on a tin, but I do also enjoy the classic simplicity of a tin design with stylish font and color scheme. That said, I'm happy to see the Barrel Aged line up lean to the former. As a twist on the Crumble Kake series, I like seeing them stand out and have their own identity. The talented man behind the art is Eugene Falco, who you may know from The Greywoodie Show podcast. Hopefully we see more tin art contributions from him.

Okay, this introduction is a bit long for a Tobacco File, let's get to the blend—Phantom Privateer.

Pre-smoke

I break the seal on Phantom Privateer and find a few crumble cakes in that classic Sutliff slab-cut style. The tin note isn't immediately bold like some of the Sutliff Crumble Kakes (namely those leaning to the Red Virginia vinegar profile). But it isn't too shy either. Somewhat unexpectedly, the first thing that comes to mind is apple cider. A sweet, spicy, stewed fruit aroma that's curious and enticing to me. 

I break a piece from one of the slabs and rub it down to the familiar gravity-pack ready bits. A little moist—probably just a bit beyond my usual preference, but then again, it's to be expected from a barrel aged blend, and drying too long might mean losing some of that rum spirit, so I've just aired it out for about twenty minutes.

Lighting up

For my first smoke, I thought I'd pack a recent estate pipe I've cleaned up. The "S" stamp on the stem tells me this is a Sussex, one of the Comoy's second brands. "337" is stamped on the side shank—this handsome Prince is represented in the Comoy's shape chart by the same number. But the opposing side of the shank dons the stamp "Sutliff's Select."

Sutliff has a long history—just over a century of existence as a retail tobacconist in San Francisco before the move to Richmond in 1953. It's not uncommon to see estate pipes made by Comoy's for the Sutliff store, sometimes as seconds, sometimes still marked with Comoy's stamp. Anyway, it seemed apt to inaugurate this Sutliff blend.

I give the leaf a single char and upon relighting am met with woody, tangy, fruity Virginia. No doubt there's some of that caramelized sweetness from the Black Cavendish, but clearly some natural sweetness from the bright leaf and rum.

Smoking on, I get a warm breadiness and a bright grass note, the stewed sweetness reminds me a bit of Rattray's Marlin Flake, though I may need to revisit to see how my memories serving here. 

The Perique is certainly there in the nose. Beyond its sensory characteristics, it’s taken some time for the flavor to come into resolution except for a bit in the retrohale. But the darker woody notes are becoming more noticeable and I’m getting more of that fermentation and mushroom savoriness. At this point I’d gauge the strength shy of medium.

The flavor holds up very nicely, even the spicy sweet rum. About two thirds in and it’s still coming through, even amidst some of the darker woody tastes rising.

Entry 2

My first impression of Phantom Privateer was a positive one, but it’s really grown on me having spent more time with it in a few different tobacco pipes. The Virginia and rum comes through right away each smoke. There’s a tartness, somewhat orange flavor there that works nicely with the rum spice.

I get a sugar cane sweetness from Privateer that I imagine is brought about somewhere in the emulsion of Black Cavendish and rum.

I’m currently enjoying a smoke in my Chacom Brilliant Brown Reverse Calabash, and while the Perique is earthy in the retrohale, I don’t find as much of its savoriness in the profile as I have with past smokes. The chamber is moderately wide in my arsenal—that may be a factor. Or maybe just how I'm experiencing it today. 

I feel Phantom has a sort of dual sweetness. There’s the deeper, caramelized, bass-y sweetness, but also a brighter sort that alights on the sensitive areas of the palate; the honeysuckle note as a call it, not so much for the flavor, but for that acute, localized sweetness on the tip of the tongue, which reminds me of that rewarding, blissful droplet coaxed from the flower.

I may need some more smokes, but I have to say, this is likely my favorite that I’ve had in the series, though that’s only Barrel Aged 3 through 5. Not too surprising seeing as a VaPer with some Black Cavendish is right up my alley, but it does make me want to try that Straight Virginia (Barrel Aged No. 1) all the more.

Strength:   ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Taste:      ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○
Flavoring:  ◙◙◙○○○○○○○

Entry 3

Smoking now in my Stanwell second Lovat, one of my more petite pipes, I notice more woody than breadiness, and more dark woodiness and spice at the onset, which seems to wash with most of my Privateer smokes out of smaller pipes. That darker side, though not missing, seemed to develop in my wider bowls. But the sweetness is very much present and brightly contrasts against a woody, floral backdrop in each smoke.

To sum up…

The spice and sweetness of Virginia, Perique, and rum just seems like an intuitive mixture, and each smoke from Privateer has made that case. The Black Cavendish pulls it together—underscoring the sweetness, giving body that better displays the flavorful depth of Privateer, and, I imagine, acting as a particularly hospitable host to the rum. It’s one thing to have good parts, but a dynamic, balanced blend is realized when those parts are chosen and mixed with thoughtful consideration as to how they'll interact and complement. To me, Phantom Privateer checks that box. 

Until next time...

Keep an eye out for Phantom Privateer going live on Tuesday, July 4th at 6pm.

I’ll certainly be back soon with another special Tobacco File for the first release of the Sutliff Pipe Force series, due in mid June. However, the regular monthly column is temporarily on pause, at least for June, while I focus on some other projects.

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.

Why Cellar Tobacco Blends

How Different Blends Change

The Right Environment for Aging Tobacco

Keeping Track of your Cellar

Different Containers for Cellaring

If you’re at all like me when I was getting started, “cellaring” is something you often hear mentioned, but it carries a daunting undertone, or at least implies a prerequisite experience not yet achieved. It took me a while to even look into.

Maybe it’s something about the word “cellar”—a more recent coining for the practice of aging tobacco blends. I thought there would be a lot of investment, preparation, and finicky maintenance. I then realized how simple it was and wished I'd started aging some favorite tobacco blends sooner.

Like most things in pipe smoking, you can take a meticulous approach. You can put together a spreadsheet, monitor with a hydrometer, develop a procedure for how and what you cellar, when something gets opened, etc. But you can also get by just fine, reaping the benefits of aging tobacco, with a very uncomplicated approach.

There are a lot of reasons to cellar tobacco—it’s economical, practical, and makes for some fantastic blends while letting us stroke that inclination toward curiosity and experimentation so common to pipe smokers.

Let’s start with the why and then get into the how.

Why Cellar Tobacco Blends

Economic

The unfortunate truth is tobacco isn’t getting any cheaper. This isn’t just a matter of inflation, but the threats from excise tax and regulations. By even the most sober judgment, it’s evident prices will go up as they have been. Does that mean we’re facing the “tobacco apocalypse” as some prophesy? That most of us will get priced out? No, it just means you’ll save in the long-run by stocking up on some favorites.

Availability

Blends change. Blends get discontinued. Brands close their doors. Varietals become inaccessible. A sad truth but it’s the reality of things. Cellaring some favorites is a good measure of insurance that you won’t be without them, or at least not for a long time.

That also means you may end up with some aged and discontinued blends. If not for your own enjoyment, you could find yourself making a trade at a show or club meeting.

Setting aside for later

We’ve all experienced disappointment with a blend before. It’s always a good idea to put that tobacco away without just letting it dry out in a tin or trashing it.

First of all, tastes change. This is true for everyone but especially beginners who may be trying blends that, for many, are an acquired taste, such as those containing a good helping of Latakia or Perique. Or maybe that Virginia causes too much tongue bite and you haven’t learned to keep a cool smoke yet. Basically, there’re a lot of reasons you might love that tobacco later. And even if you don’t, it’s worth preserving to gift to or trade with a fellow pipe smoker.

Aside from how your own tastes and experience may change your impression of a blend, the blend itself will change too.

Refined with age

Aging tobacco does wonderful things to the profile. The flavors marry and refine in interesting, complex ways. Tobacco, much like wine, “improves” with age, as it's often put. Now, I use the quotes there because it’s not quite that simple. Different types of tobacco age differently and the way they change may or may not be preferable—that entirely depends on your personal taste.

How Different Blends Change With Age

Let’s get more into the weeds on how certain tobacco ages so you can have some direction on what to expect from cellaring tobacco.

Virginias

Virginias are the most appreciated for their aging qualities, and go on refining for longer than other varietals. There's a consensus that a varietal improves for an approximate amount of time before declining. The range in which that age is reached for each type is of course a matter of discussion and preference. Virginia tobaccos’ potential for aging is notoriously long—they could go on developing into interesting new profiles for decades and decades. This is due to how Virginias' high sugar content affects the fermentation process.

Orientals

Over time, Oriental tobaccos tend to soften, moving away from that slight spice and take on a more fruity taste. Not on the same scale as Virginias, but they too have a higher sugar content as a result of sun-curing preserving the natural sugars in the leaf.

Latakia

Latakia mellows and loses some of its robust smokiness over time. Although, as it ages with a blend and flavors are disseminated, it can impart some unique qualities to the unified mixture. 

So, aging English and Balkan blends for too long may not be ideal for the Lat-bomb lover, but for those who appreciate Latakia’s role when used more as a team player rather than a headliner, having some years on one of these blends can make for great smoking experiences.

G. L. Pease posits in his Briar & Leaf Chronicles that there is a stage after the mellowing of Latakia where it will increase in complexity and richness.

Aromatics

Aromatics are a bit of an exception. You don’t want to age Aromatic blends too long, the top flavoring doesn’t refine like the natural components do. They may have an arresting effect on the aging process, and some even say tarnish the blend. But two things to keep in mind:

1. It would likely take years of aging to have such an effect, so don’t be too worried about those Aromatics that have spent a few months or a year idling on the shelf.
    
2. What exactly makes an Aromatic isn’t so well defined. They're understood to be blends with top flavoring, but almost every blend is cased in at least a minor way, and many blends have top flavorings that play an accenting role, i.e., aren’t heavily coated; Peterson’s Irish Whiskey or Bengal Slices Re-Release for example. I don’t imagine lighter top notes such as these would spoil a blend. It would seem to me that they would at least have a much longer shelf life than those heavily coated Aromatics.

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How to Cellar Tobacco - The Do’s and Don’ts

Cellaring tobacco is easier than you may think. There may be certain conditions that need controlling, but they are simple and far less particular than, say, aging cigars in a humidor.

What Is the Right Environment for Aging Tobacco?

Luckily, the right environment probably already exists somewhere in your home without any manipulation. Plenty of folks put their sealed jars and tins in a closet or cabinet or just some dark place and have no problem, it’s usually that simple. But of course, there are some factors that may be relevant to one cellar and not another, such as regional climate. So for good measure, we’ll cover all the bases of a proper tobacco cellar’s environment.

Temperature

You’ll hear different ideal temperature ranges. So long as your tobacco is approximately in the “room temperature” range, it shouldn’t be a problem. I’d say between 50-70 Fahrenheit is safe. Cooler is better, but do not keep your tobacco in the fridge as it’s too dry.

What’s important is that the temperature stays relatively consistent. The seal on the jars and tins of your aging tobacco can be broken if they expand or contract too quickly from an abrupt shift in temperature.

Humidity

Then, you need to make sure the environment isn't too humid. Humidity can cause rust, corroding a jar or tin’s seal.

Getting a hydrometer is a great way to check that the humidity isn’t too high or fluctuating too much.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep your jars and tins inside of some sort of container. I especially recommend a cooler, as they’re designed to insulate, so whatever fluctuation occurs in the room will be less dramatic in the container.

Store your tobacco in a dark place

You don’t want to store tobacco in the light. You’re best off keeping your tobacco cellar in a closet or some other dark environment.

Keep Track of What You Have Cellared

It’s nice to have some sort of system in place to keep track of the blends you're cellaring and how much they've aged.

Personally, I like updating a Google Spreadsheet. You absolutely don’t have to make such a song and dance of it, all you really need is a notebook and pen. I just love an excuse to make a spreadsheet.

Here's a mockup to show how mine is arranged. I've added functions so that an Elapsed Time column automatically updates based on the Cellar Date input. Similarly, every number I put in the Weight (oz) column automatically updates the blue cell in the top right corner with the sum of the whole column so that it displays the total weight of tobacco in my cellar. Why is this necessary? It’s not really. Spreadsheets are fun.

Finally, I use the # column to assign the corresponding jar a serial number. I’ll write the name of the blend and date on the jar as well, but putting a corresponding number on the lid just makes organization easier for me, especially for multiples of the same tin with different ages.

Again, a notepad will do you right. Heck, some people just write the sealed date on the tin or jar, stash it away, and feel it out. The only right way is the way you prefer. 

Different Containers for Cellaring Tobacco

Different types of packaging and jars come with their own implications for building a tobacco cellar. 

Jars

Jarring is necessary for aging tobacco that is packaged in bags (bulk). As for those sealed in pouches such as Amphora or Captain Black, it's my understanding that these are more secure and fine for longer storing, though not necessarily for reaping the benefits of aging tobacco. 

Jars can also be an alternative to cellaring in the tin. I’ll go into why transferring to a jar from the original packaging might be ideal in the next section.

If you’re jarring tobacco, make sure the jars you’re using create a seal. This would be those with the traditional mason jar design. Notice the orange ring in the image below. It’s made of a supple compound that acts as a gasket creating a seal when the screw band presses the lid down on the rim.

Make sure both the rim of the jar and the gasket are clear of any debris that could obstruct an airtight seal before screwing on the lid. The left image pictured above shows a nice, clean gasket, while the right image shows one that should be wiped of debris. 

These jars are also ideal for storing your on-deck blends (those you're currently smoking). If you’re regularly opening and closing the jar, the tobacco isn’t going through the aging process, but it is a good way to keep the mixture from drying out. And hey, they look nice on a shelf.

When you do fill a jar for aging tobacco, some recommend that you leave space at the top, the idea being that the oxygen sealed in facilitates a longer period of aerobic fermentation.  

Flat Vacuum-Sealed tins

These are the familiar twist-off or coin-pop tins. Some say that because they are vacuum sealed, tobacco left in these will age slower than other containers as they don’t go through aerobic fermentation due to lack of oxygen.

Pop-Tops

These are those tins from Cornell & Diehl, G. L. Pease, Captain Earle’s and the like. Since they aren’t vacuum sealed, but are airtight, they allow for both stages of fermentation to occur. 

Vacuum Sealed bags

Some folks will use vacuum sealing bags as reinforcement just in case the seal of the original container fails. This isn't a necessity, but offers some extra insurance. 

One case that you might want to consider is with Esoterica bags.

While the bags Esoterica is packaged in are sealed and fine for aging, some report that they’re easily punctured or worn down. I can’t say I have any personal experience with this, but if you want to double down, you may opt to store these packages in vacuum sealed bags. That way if the seal is compromised, the tobacco will go on aging. Alternatively, you could re-seal in jars.

Jars or Tins?

Jars are your best option for cellaring bulk tobacco or anything that didn’t come in an airtight container. But when you receive a tin, it’s already aging—no need to jar, label, or any of that (except maybe to date it). Let’s wrap this up with a little on why you might prefer one or the other.

Personally, my cellar consists almost entirely of jars, even for the blends that originally came in tins. This doesn’t stem from some theory of jar supremacy regarding the aging process, but it just works best for the way I engage with pipe smoking.

Edit: Since writing this piece, the amount of tins in my cellars is about equal to jars. I just relay this to keep making the point—the right way is what works for you, and that may change. 

Pros of rejarring

1. One reason I often rejar is so I can try a blend before storing it. At this time, I’m not very repetitive about what I smoke. I have a few favorites I like to keep on hand, but I’m always smoking something new. My rotation is more wide than deep you might say. So, when I get a new tin, I generally like to split it up, having some for my current rotation and some for aging.
    
2. I like cellaring one blend in small quantities. I’ll pack multiple small jars of about 0.5 oz each so that I can try that tobacco at different intervals of aging. Remember, when that seal breaks, you can’t just take some out, seal it back up, and continue the aging process in the same way.
    
3. There's another reason I prefer cellaring in small quantities—so that opening an aged jar of tobacco doesn't feel like a race against time to smoke it. Once you open that jar or tin that’s been aging, disrupting the internal ecosystem, you should smoke through that tobacco relatively soon to get the most out of the qualities that aging has imparted. Because I always have quite a few tobaccos on deck, I don't want to sit on one opened blend from my cellar too long, but I also don’t want to reach for it for every smoke just because I feel I have to. So, 0.5 - 1 oz is perfect for me. It lets me keep up my preference for constant variety without losing the mature qualities for those latter bowls. 

Cons of rejarring

1. One benefit of tins that I miss out on in my rejarring is that I’m resetting the aging process on a blend that’s already been aging undisturbed, maybe for months. Some brands like G. L. Pease, Mac Baren, and Cornell & Diehl will even label the sealed date so you know exactly how much time that blend has already been aging for.
    
2. Jars are also another expense. I've actually come to enjoy the process of labeling and weighing—it's just another little pipe ritual. But it would be nice to just get the tin and stow it away. That said, I do recommend having some jars ready to transfer tin-aged blends into once opened. The airtight seal will preserve those age-imparted qualities a little longer as you smoke through the contents.
    
3. Finally, the tins are easier to store. Most jars do stack, but they’re more fragile and heavy.

   ---

If it seems like a lot to take in, just get started and I'm sure you'll find it's not all that much. You can refine your approach to how you cellar and age tobacco as you go, or not. Just consider how you engage with pipe smoking and figure out what speaks to that. But as always, reach out with any questions and we'll be happy to help. 

Compare & Share July is now live!

- Pipe Tobacco Compare & Share -

- Cigar Compare & Share -

Another fine month of mystery tobacco tasting! The pipe blends and cigars for June 2023?

Mystery Blend #1 - Peter Stokkebye PS 31 Optimum

Mystery Blend #2 - Newminster No. 23 Blackberry Brandy

Mystery Cigar #1 - Patina Habano Bronze

Mystery Cigar #2 - Romeo Y Julieta Reserva Real Gran Toro

Thank you to all who participated! We started a Facebook group where all are welcome to join to discuss the Mystery Blends. Feel free to join us for the current Compare & Share and those to come!

Recent Compare & Share blends:

We’re very excited to announce a new offering here at TobaccoPipes.com that we hope you’ll take part in—Compare & Share. An opportunity to explore different blends, engage others in the hobby, and get a good deal all at once.

Here's How Compare & Share Works

At the beginning of each month, a listing will go up on TobaccoPipes.com for that month’s two Compare & Share Mystery Blends. For $7.99, you will receive 2 bags, each containing 1 ounce of each of these blends. Everyone will receive the same two tobaccos. They'll be packaged as bulk, but these could be any blend we offer, not limited to bulk mixtures. We won’t disclose what the Mystery Blends are until the end of the month, at which time we’ll post a reveal right before the next ones drop. 

Our hope is that while trying these tobaccos, all who are taking part can discuss their thoughts, analyses, impressions, and whatever else on our social media pages. We’ll make an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter post that will be dedicated comment threads for Compare & Share discussions.

We think this could be a fun way to bring together two tenets that—for many—are at the core of pipe smoking: exploration and community.

Exploring New Blends

In launching our  Random Tobacco Tin listing, it became clear that the intrigue of a mystery blend could be part of the fun for many pipe smokers. 

If you’re not familiar, when a tin gets dented or in some way blemished, we’ll move it out of inventory. Once these have accumulated enough, we’ll apply them to our Random Tobacco Tin listing—$4.99 for a tin of who knows what. We heard wonderful feedback on this. We all have our tastes and preferences; however, folks were not only willing to take the gamble for their mystery blend, the mystery was part of the fun too. You could get something you love, or something totally new to explore, and of course there’s the possibility you don’t get something that you’re interested in. But for such a bargain, it’s an exciting roll of the dice.

We knew we should look for more ways to engage this side of the hobby.

Embracing the Social Nature of the Pastime

Then there’s the community side of things. We wanted to think of a way that we could spur the social side of this great hobby. 

Pipe and cigar smoking has such a strong and wide community, so much so that terms like “lifestyle” or “passion” may be more appropriate than hobby. But it’s that passion that is the strength of the community—in terms of numbers, we know pipe smoking is far from the ubiquity it once had. That’s what’s made the forums, YouTube Pipe Community, Facebook groups, and other such alternative avenues of engaging with fellow pipe smokers such a boon for this fraternity.

And as a tobacco online retailer, we place a high importance on any endeavor that can undermine the expectation of impersonalness that can be the rub of our modern, digital commerce. We think it crucial to explore more ways to fuel the kinship between folks far and wide who are bonded by a mutual affection for this tradition.

We Hope You Will Join Us

So, in the spirit of mystery, exploration, and community, we’re launching Compare & Share.

Table of Contents

1. Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia
2. Peter Stokkebye PS 402 Luxury Twist Flake
3. Sutliff 507c Virginia Slices
4. Escudo Navy De Luxe
5. Cornell & Diehl Bayou Morning Flake
6. G. L. Pease Telegraph Hill
7. Cobblestone Outdoors Hunting
8. Rattray's Old Gowrie
9. Peterson Irish Whiskey

What is Virginia Tobacco?

Virginia tobacco is a commercial term for sub-strains of the species Nicotiana tabacum that are (usually) flue-cured, resulting in a higher sugar content than other sub-strains in the species. 

Virginia tobacco does originate from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States that we now know as the state of Virginia (or Commonwealth if we want to be pedantic), but at the time of its early cultivation, it was the colony of Virginia. Colonists smoked and cultivated  Nicotiana rustica, a very bold, harsh variety of the Nicotiana family that natives smoked. However, Spanish tobacco had begun to garner favorability for its more agreeable flavor and less harsh qualities—this was of the species N. tabacum.

John Rolfe secured seeds from Trinidad and began farming Nicotiana tabacum in the rich soil near the James River. The resulting crop became immensely popular. However, it’s the innovations to curing and tobacco cultivation that have developed over the centuries that have given us the sweet, versatile leaf we know today. Though still grown in the southeastern US, Virginia is cultivated in many countries around the world including Zimbabwe, Brazil, Malawi, India, and China.

Again, “Virginia” is more often used as a commercial term for what those on the agricultural side would call Bright leaf. But in pipe tobacco, “bright” usually takes a more narrow meaning. Bright (or Yellow) Virginia, Orange Virginia, and Red Virginia are all approximations along a spectrum of Virginia characteristics. Stalk position and when the leaf is harvested factor into how the leaf is graded by the farmer and ultimately categorized by the blender. 

The "Bright" end of the spectrum is lighter colored and milder, most often attributed with citrus and grass flavor qualities. Reds are dark and deeper with wood, earth, dark fruit, and fermented notes associated. However, the growing conditions and curing method play a huge role in the individual characteristic of a crop, so this "spectrum" is useful for sorting, but even crops categorized the same will have unique attributes.

This is all to make the point that Virginia tobacco is incredibly versatile—it's no surprise it's used in some measure in most every blend. Whether a main player, base component, or a light complement to the other flavors, Virginias are crucial to the blender's arsenal. What's more, there’s just as much diversity in what we might call a “Virginia blend” as there is in the varietal itself. So, we’re going to look at some of the best Virginia pipe tobaccos to try. I'll be choosing a few from different Virginia sub-families, starting with straight Virginias.

Straight Virginia

A straight Virginia blend is exactly as the name suggests, a  pipe tobacco mixture of only Virginia leaf. But as we touched on in the introduction, there is a great deal of diversity in Virginia tobacco, so these blends are indeed blends—i.e., a recipe, not just a single blending component. Some may be mixed in such a way that showcases a balance of Virginias across the spectrum, or alternatively, may lean into the light or dark characters. Grades of Virginia are scrupulously chosen and ratioed, and casing is applied to play to the best attributes of the Virginia leaf.

Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia

Through the talents of master blender Per Jensen,  Mac Baren introduced the HH series in 2006 as an embrace of tobacco’s natural character. Blends in this series have no top flavoring and minimal casing, just enough to soothe and bring out the natural leaf’s best qualities. A good place to start for our dive into the Virginia style.

HH Pure Virginia was released in 2015 to showcase Virginia tobacco’s natural flavor and sweetness. The familiar fruit, tang, and citrus all come into effect with grassy and hay notes accenting, mellowed and melded in the hot-pressing process. HH Pure Virginia offers a delightfully smooth Virginia experience that is mildly complex, presenting a broad view of the flue-cured leaf. But even so, it is straightforward and consistent, very much fulfilling the HH series ambition. 

Peter Stokkebye - PS 402 Luxury Twist Flake

Manufactured by Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG), the  Peter Stokkebye brand offers some of the most highly appreciated Virginias in several styles. In addition to PS 402, the Luxury Flake line includes Navy and Bullseye Flake—two excellent VaPers.

Luxury Twist Flake, however, is a pure blend of Virginias with a light top flavoring that wonderfully plays to the inherent character of the flue-cured leaf. Fine Virginias from the US and Zimbabwe are blended and hand-rolled before being cut into a unique and pristine flake. Luxury Twist Flake brings honey sweetness and toasty bread notes front and center with accents of dried fruit atop a woody base. Some equate bulk with less quality, but the Luxury Flakes definitively contradict the premise. I recommend any nascent Virginia fans explore their taste with some of these quality and affordable  bulk options.

Sutliff 507C Virginia Slices

Getting that fine, perfectly pressed flake that doesn’t crumble easily takes particular equipment.  Sutliff Tobacco Company, not having the necessary pressing capabilities, collaborated with Orlik to create a Sutliff straight Virginia flake. The result was Sutliff 507C Virginia Slices, produced by Mac Baren since 2013 with their acquisition of the Altadis Pipe Department.

Another great bulk option, Virginia Slices present an especially natural Virginia experience. The sweetness is there, but less underscored by added top flavoring as it is with Luxury Twist and some other prominent straight Virginias. The Bright Virginias here evoke more of the herbal, lightly woody, citrusy side of the leaf. Virginia Slices reminds me of Orlik Golden Sliced with an attenuated sweetness (and without the minimal Perique, of course). Both have this naturally herbal spice quality about them.

Virginia/Perique (VaPer)

There’s no varietal that doesn’t work with Virginia tobacco, but the emulsion of the flue-cured leaf spiced with Perique has ascended to a subgenre of its own. Perique is a unique tobacco in  how it is processed. Having been barrel fermented for one to two years, it is a special condimental tobacco with a dynamic character. A little goes a long way, but the abutting flavors in a mixture and the ratio added can bring out totally different sides of the rich, complex leaf noted for its pepper, spice, plum, and umami qualities.

Escudo Navy De Luxe

Escudo Navy De Luxe is a legendary tobacco with a long history. First made by Cope Bros & Co in Liverpool in the early 1900s, Escudo would go on to Gallaher, A&C Petersen, Orlik, and finally STG, where it is manufactured today in Denmark.

Escudo is the quintessential VaPer blend. The original Navy cut sees twisted rope tobacco sliced into immaculate golden-brown coins. For lovers of a full-body Virginia, Escudo layers tangy, figgy Virginias with a good portion of Perique spice—enough that the Louisiana condiment is a major player, but not so much it overpowers the dynamic profile. 

Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning Flake

To a VaPer lover like me, Bayou Morning Flake is among  Cornell & Diehl’s best, and with a selection as large and varied as theirs, that’s saying something.

Blended by Bob Runowski, Bayou Morning Flake offers a Perique-heavy mixture—in fact, it’s not often we know the ratios of blends, but the label proudly touts Perique’s 25% share in Morning Flake. Even still, the Red Virginias are vibrant and offer a lot of flavor. This is a VaPer with grit, leaning into the tangy, zesty, fermented side of the Virginia sub-family. However, delightful lemony citrus notes accent for a full experience across the palate. For those in the early exploration of VaPers, this may be one to work up to. But you never know, many  beginner pipe smokers take to the spice quickly. 

G. L. Pease - Telegraph Hill

No doubt  G. L. Pease would have a place on this list, the difficulty was just choosing one (I should say up top, every lover of straight Virginias should try Union Square). However, Telegraph Hill is one that has really grabbed me lately. Telegraph Hill was released in 2005 as part of the Fog City Selection, a collection of blends that are built from a refined base of Virginias, atop which carefully chosen tobacco spices and accents.

In this case, we have Perique added to the Fog City resident. Earth, wood, and dark fruit notes from the Virginias make for a rich and flavorful base. The Perique embellishes with spice and a somewhat savory quality. “Each sip builds upon the last,” reads Pease’s description, and that resonates to me. Telegraph Hill offers a view that’s just a little bit richer with each few ascending steps. 

Virginia Based

The diversity of profiles represented in straight Virginia or VaPer blends is wide, but this is truly the miscellaneous drawer of the Virginia sub-families. Virginia based blends are simply those in which the Virginia role is significant, yet don’t fit squarely in any other category.

But even that’s subjective, there are blends that perhaps have a Virginia base spiced with Perique and Dark-Fired Kentucky that many wouldn’t hesitate to call a VaPer. To some, Peterson Irish Whiskey, which I include below, may be more accurately called a Virginia/Burley. For our purposes here, I think a broad, catch-all definition of Virginia based within the taxonomy of Virginia blends makes sense. So, simply put, the following are some Virginia focused blends that play outside the straight Virginia and VaPer families.

Cobblestone Hunting

Cobblestone tobacco is a somewhat new brand of pipe tobaccos and accessories that has recently garnered some interest and recognition with blends such as the Burley flake, Hiking, or the sweet offerings of the Aromatic Indulge series. There are a few Virginia blends in Cobblestone’s young catalog that I’ve taken to, especially Hunting. This particular collection, the Outdoors series, comes from German manufacturers Kohlhase & Kopp, though some series from Cobblestone are produced at Sutliff.

Grassy, woody Virginias with a light honey sweetness is the first thing noticed when lighting up Cobblestone Hunting. Burley shyly comes through with natural nutty and hay notes, imparting body to the mixture. The Perique is noticeable and earthy but is included sparingly enough so as not to impede the Virginias, whose role is ascendant in Hunting.

Although not specified in the tin description, I get the sense that we have some Kentucky in the mix, supporting the spice of the Perique with some floral, smoky accents. 

Rattray's Old Gowrie

Next we have  Rattray’s Old Gowrie, a classic Virginia based mixture also manufactured in the German Kohlhase & Kopp factory. 

Old Gowrie features superb dark Virginia leaf, elevated with Perique and Kentucky. The Virginias bring tang and earthy tones, atop which the Kentucky accents with a floral, smoky character. Perique is applied just above a whisper, offering a spicy, dark fruit complexity in melodic accord with the Kentucky.

I should say, I try to pick blends that are for the most part regularly available for these lists, but there are a number of Rattray's tobaccos that move rather fast, Old Gowrie among them. If this one piques your interest, I recommend entering your email in the "Notify Me" area of the listing, that way you'll get an automatic message when it is restocked.

Peterson Irish Whiskey

Peterson’s Irish Whiskey may be more accurately considered a Burley based blend, or some may say Virginia/Burley—it’s just a matter of whose palate it’s alighting on. But the Virginia’s are certainly central to this blend and it’s a great illustration of just how murky our categorizes can be.

The grassy and sweet Virginias seem to speak to the bright attributes of the varietal. They are in pleasant harmony with the Burley, providing nutty and woody tones to the base. The outfit is pulled together by the sweetness, spice, and slight smoky accents from Dark Fired Kentucky and a light Whiskey topping. The topping adds a liquor and apricot overtone that pairs graciously with the grassy, nutty base. Very flavorful, though its lithe, bright and fruity character belies the  healthy nic-hit that develops through the smoke. 

This list only scratches the surface. I could go on and on in any of the categories, but I think that would only serve to overwhelm. But I hope it does provides a useful jumping off point for exploration into great Virginia blends and navigating the wonderful diversity of this tobacco—or for those already fans, perhaps points you to something you haven't yet tried.

Being summer, it's a great time to try some of these, as many find Virignias particularly suited for the warm months. Although I'm a big year-round fan, there is something intuitive about the combination. But whenever you're reading this, it's always a good time to discover something new! Checkout any of our other lists of  tobacco recommendations.

Table of Contents

1. Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia
2. Peter Stokkebye PS 402 Luxury Twist Flake
3. Sutliff 507c Virginia Slices
4. Escudo Navy De Luxe
5. Cornell & Diehl Bayou Morning Flake
6. G. L. Pease Telegraph Hill
7. Cobblestone Outdoors Hunting
8. Rattray's Old Gowrie
9. Peterson Irish Whiskey

What is Virginia Tobacco?

Virginia tobacco is a commercial term for sub-strains of the species Nicotiana tabacum that are (usually) flue-cured, resulting in a higher sugar content than other sub-strains in the species. 

Virginia tobacco does originate from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States that we now know as the state of Virginia (or Commonwealth if we want to be pedantic), but at the time of its early cultivation, it was the colony of Virginia. Colonists smoked and cultivated  Nicotiana rustica, a very bold, harsh variety of the Nicotiana family that natives smoked. However, Spanish tobacco had begun to garner favorability for its more agreeable flavor and less harsh qualities—this was of the species N. tabacum.

John Rolfe secured seeds from Trinidad and began farming Nicotiana tabacum in the rich soil near the James River. The resulting crop became immensely popular. However, it’s the innovations to curing and tobacco cultivation that have developed over the centuries that have given us the sweet, versatile leaf we know today. Though still grown in the southeastern US, Virginia is cultivated in many countries around the world including Zimbabwe, Brazil, Malawi, India, and China.

Again, “Virginia” is more often used as a commercial term for what those on the agricultural side would call Bright leaf. But in pipe tobacco, “bright” usually takes a more narrow meaning. Bright (or Yellow) Virginia, Orange Virginia, and Red Virginia are all approximations along a spectrum of Virginia characteristics. Stalk position and when the leaf is harvested factor into how the leaf is graded by the farmer and ultimately categorized by the blender. 

The "Bright" end of the spectrum is lighter colored and milder, most often attributed with citrus and grass flavor qualities. Reds are dark and deeper with wood, earth, dark fruit, and fermented notes associated. However, the growing conditions and curing method play a huge role in the individual characteristic of a crop, so this "spectrum" is useful for sorting, but even crops categorized the same will have unique attributes.

This is all to make the point that Virginia tobacco is incredibly versatile—it's no surprise it's used in some measure in most every blend. Whether a main player, base component, or a light complement to the other flavors, Virginias are crucial to the blender's arsenal. What's more, there’s just as much diversity in what we might call a “Virginia blend” as there is in the varietal itself. So, we’re going to look at some of the best Virginia pipe tobaccos to try. I'll be choosing a few from different Virginia sub-families, starting with straight Virginias.

Straight Virginia

A straight Virginia blend is exactly as the name suggests, a  pipe tobacco mixture of only Virginia leaf. But as we touched on in the introduction, there is a great deal of diversity in Virginia tobacco, so these blends are indeed blends—i.e., a recipe, not just a single blending component. Some may be mixed in such a way that showcases a balance of Virginias across the spectrum, or alternatively, may lean into the light or dark characters. Grades of Virginia are scrupulously chosen and ratioed, and casing is applied to play to the best attributes of the Virginia leaf.

Mac Baren - HH Pure Virginia

Through the talents of master blender Per Jensen,  Mac Baren introduced the HH series in 2006 as an embrace of tobacco’s natural character. Blends in this series have no top flavoring and minimal casing, just enough to soothe and bring out the natural leaf’s best qualities. A good place to start for our dive into the Virginia style.

HH Pure Virginia was released in 2015 to showcase Virginia tobacco’s natural flavor and sweetness. The familiar fruit, tang, and citrus all come into effect with grassy and hay notes accenting, mellowed and melded in the hot-pressing process. HH Pure Virginia offers a delightfully smooth Virginia experience that is mildly complex, presenting a broad view of the flue-cured leaf. But even so, it is straightforward and consistent, very much fulfilling the HH series ambition. 

Peter Stokkebye - PS 402 Luxury Twist Flake

Manufactured by Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG), the  Peter Stokkebye brand offers some of the most highly appreciated Virginias in several styles. In addition to PS 402, the Luxury Flake line includes Navy and Bullseye Flake—two excellent VaPers.

Luxury Twist Flake, however, is a pure blend of Virginias with a light top flavoring that wonderfully plays to the inherent character of the flue-cured leaf. Fine Virginias from the US and Zimbabwe are blended and hand-rolled before being cut into a unique and pristine flake. Luxury Twist Flake brings honey sweetness and toasty bread notes front and center with accents of dried fruit atop a woody base. Some equate bulk with less quality, but the Luxury Flakes definitively contradict the premise. I recommend any nascent Virginia fans explore their taste with some of these quality and affordable  bulk options.

Sutliff 507C Virginia Slices

Getting that fine, perfectly pressed flake that doesn’t crumble easily takes particular equipment.  Sutliff Tobacco Company, not having the necessary pressing capabilities, collaborated with Orlik to create a Sutliff straight Virginia flake. The result was Sutliff 507C Virginia Slices, produced by Mac Baren since 2013 with their acquisition of the Altadis Pipe Department.

Another great bulk option, Virginia Slices present an especially natural Virginia experience. The sweetness is there, but less underscored by added top flavoring as it is with Luxury Twist and some other prominent straight Virginias. The Bright Virginias here evoke more of the herbal, lightly woody, citrusy side of the leaf. Virginia Slices reminds me of Orlik Golden Sliced with an attenuated sweetness (and without the minimal Perique, of course). Both have this naturally herbal spice quality about them.

Virginia/Perique (VaPer)

There’s no varietal that doesn’t work with Virginia tobacco, but the emulsion of the flue-cured leaf spiced with Perique has ascended to a subgenre of its own. Perique is a unique tobacco in  how it is processed. Having been barrel fermented for one to two years, it is a special condimental tobacco with a dynamic character. A little goes a long way, but the abutting flavors in a mixture and the ratio added can bring out totally different sides of the rich, complex leaf noted for its pepper, spice, plum, and umami qualities.

Escudo Navy De Luxe

Escudo Navy De Luxe is a legendary tobacco with a long history. First made by Cope Bros & Co in Liverpool in the early 1900s, Escudo would go on to Gallaher, A&C Petersen, Orlik, and finally STG, where it is manufactured today in Denmark.

Escudo is the quintessential VaPer blend. The original Navy cut sees twisted rope tobacco sliced into immaculate golden-brown coins. For lovers of a full-body Virginia, Escudo layers tangy, figgy Virginias with a good portion of Perique spice—enough that the Louisiana condiment is a major player, but not so much it overpowers the dynamic profile. 

Cornell & Diehl - Bayou Morning Flake

To a VaPer lover like me, Bayou Morning Flake is among  Cornell & Diehl’s best, and with a selection as large and varied as theirs, that’s saying something.

Blended by Bob Runowski, Bayou Morning Flake offers a Perique-heavy mixture—in fact, it’s not often we know the ratios of blends, but the label proudly touts Perique’s 25% share in Morning Flake. Even still, the Red Virginias are vibrant and offer a lot of flavor. This is a VaPer with grit, leaning into the tangy, zesty, fermented side of the Virginia sub-family. However, delightful lemony citrus notes accent for a full experience across the palate. For those in the early exploration of VaPers, this may be one to work up to. But you never know, many  beginner pipe smokers take to the spice quickly. 

G. L. Pease - Telegraph Hill

No doubt  G. L. Pease would have a place on this list, the difficulty was just choosing one (I should say up top, every lover of straight Virginias should try Union Square). However, Telegraph Hill is one that has really grabbed me lately. Telegraph Hill was released in 2005 as part of the Fog City Selection, a collection of blends that are built from a refined base of Virginias, atop which carefully chosen tobacco spices and accents.

In this case, we have Perique added to the Fog City resident. Earth, wood, and dark fruit notes from the Virginias make for a rich and flavorful base. The Perique embellishes with spice and a somewhat savory quality. “Each sip builds upon the last,” reads Pease’s description, and that resonates to me. Telegraph Hill offers a view that’s just a little bit richer with each few ascending steps. 

Virginia Based

The diversity of profiles represented in straight Virginia or VaPer blends is wide, but this is truly the miscellaneous drawer of the Virginia sub-families. Virginia based blends are simply those in which the Virginia role is significant, yet don’t fit squarely in any other category.

But even that’s subjective, there are blends that perhaps have a Virginia base spiced with Perique and Dark-Fired Kentucky that many wouldn’t hesitate to call a VaPer. To some, Peterson Irish Whiskey, which I include below, may be more accurately called a Virginia/Burley. For our purposes here, I think a broad, catch-all definition of Virginia based within the taxonomy of Virginia blends makes sense. So, simply put, the following are some Virginia focused blends that play outside the straight Virginia and VaPer families.

Cobblestone Hunting

Cobblestone tobacco is a somewhat new brand of pipe tobaccos and accessories that has recently garnered some interest and recognition with blends such as the Burley flake, Hiking, or the sweet offerings of the Aromatic Indulge series. There are a few Virginia blends in Cobblestone’s young catalog that I’ve taken to, especially Hunting. This particular collection, the Outdoors series, comes from German manufacturers Kohlhase & Kopp, though some series from Cobblestone are produced at Sutliff.

Grassy, woody Virginias with a light honey sweetness is the first thing noticed when lighting up Cobblestone Hunting. Burley shyly comes through with natural nutty and hay notes, imparting body to the mixture. The Perique is noticeable and earthy but is included sparingly enough so as not to impede the Virginias, whose role is ascendant in Hunting.

Although not specified in the tin description, I get the sense that we have some Kentucky in the mix, supporting the spice of the Perique with some floral, smoky accents. 

Rattray's Old Gowrie

Next we have  Rattray’s Old Gowrie, a classic Virginia based mixture also manufactured in the German Kohlhase & Kopp factory. 

Old Gowrie features superb dark Virginia leaf, elevated with Perique and Kentucky. The Virginias bring tang and earthy tones, atop which the Kentucky accents with a floral, smoky character. Perique is applied just above a whisper, offering a spicy, dark fruit complexity in melodic accord with the Kentucky.

I should say, I try to pick blends that are for the most part regularly available for these lists, but there are a number of Rattray's tobaccos that move rather fast, Old Gowrie among them. If this one piques your interest, I recommend entering your email in the "Notify Me" area of the listing, that way you'll get an automatic message when it is restocked.

Peterson Irish Whiskey

Peterson’s Irish Whiskey may be more accurately considered a Burley based blend, or some may say Virginia/Burley—it’s just a matter of whose palate it’s alighting on. But the Virginia’s are certainly central to this blend and it’s a great illustration of just how murky our categorizes can be.

The grassy and sweet Virginias seem to speak to the bright attributes of the varietal. They are in pleasant harmony with the Burley, providing nutty and woody tones to the base. The outfit is pulled together by the sweetness, spice, and slight smoky accents from Dark Fired Kentucky and a light Whiskey topping. The topping adds a liquor and apricot overtone that pairs graciously with the grassy, nutty base. Very flavorful, though its lithe, bright and fruity character belies the  healthy nic-hit that develops through the smoke. 

This list only scratches the surface. I could go on and on in any of the categories, but I think that would only serve to overwhelm. But I hope it does provides a useful jumping off point for exploration into great Virginia blends and navigating the wonderful diversity of this tobacco—or for those already fans, perhaps points you to something you haven't yet tried.

Being summer, it's a great time to try some of these, as many find Virignias particularly suited for the warm months. Although I'm a big year-round fan, there is something intuitive about the combination. But whenever you're reading this, it's always a good time to discover something new! Checkout any of our other lists of  tobacco recommendations.

Pipe Force Episode IV goes live tonight, 7/12/2023 at 6 pm eastern time.

Last year, Sutliff introduced the Per Jensen Signature Series with Birds of a Feather. The collection included six pipe blends, each containing at least one special, rare tobacco. I knew that the series would return this year with a new line of mixtures, but I was anxious to know what thematic thread would run through this collection, if one would at all. Then the folks at Sutliff introduced me to Pipe Force and two special tobaccos—Stoved Rustica and Stoved Katerini. Each blend in the series will use at least one of these. 

I'm exited to get into this series and first blend, but the best introduction to Pipe Force is from the one who mixed these blends—

Pipe Force

Another step into the tobacco world, or should I call it a new galaxy has been discovered concerning two brand new experiences in pipe tobacco. These are Katerini Oriental and Nicotiana Rustica, both tobaccos have been transferred into Cavendish tobacco.

It all started with my visit to Jamestown (Virginia) and learned that Rustica had been smoked by the Powhatan people in that area of Virginia, USA. Back home I came up with the idea to make pipe tobacco using Nicotiana Rustica, and the result was HH Rustica.

Last year I was gifted the Katerini Perique which I used in some of the tobaccos in the Birds of a Feather line of pipe tobaccos. I can assure you that it is seldom to get your hands on new sorts of pipe tobacco and use them for the first time ever. And especially when you reach my age you imagine that you have seen everything, but real-life surprises you time after time so just keep your mind open.

This year I was asked by Jeremy Mckenna of Sutliff Tobacco to create six blends that were going to be named Pipe Force. As always, my mind was thinking in which direction to take the blends and especially how they could differ from current blends. One night the idea came to me and as trivial as it sounds, the beauty lay in the simple idea. Why not expose Katerini Oriental and Nicotiana Rustica to the special Cavendish process and try to make deep black tobacco? Both contain natural sugar, so the prerequisites were in order. The Cavendish process makes the original tobacco slightly milder, and since Rustica is a strong tobacco, it shouldn't hurt and Katerini was tried as Perique with a light fruit/floral note. So, what is not to like?

My goddess of happiness turned out to be Jeremy Mckenna, CEO of Sutliff Tobacco. After I explained my idea to Jeremy, he was equally excited and offered to make the two new Cavendish tobaccos. It's always special when 2 tobacco brains think the same thoughts, not so common, but it happens. Jeremy and his craftsmen performed miracles, and the result was no less than amazing. At the same time, the two Cavendish tobaccos were completely new types of tobacco that no pipe smoker had ever tasted.

Mixing these tobaccos was done with awe, just trying completely new flavors was out of this world. One thing didn't change though, it was still trial and error until the blend was as it should be. I hope you will enjoy these new Pipe Force blends; they are special individuals with their very own flavor profiles.

Pipe Force – a series that celebrates pipe smoking by showing innovation isn’t a thing of the past, there are still frontiers to explore.

Happy smoke

Per Georg Jensen 

Coincidentally, when I was introduced to these tobaccos I had recently finished writing a deep dive into Cavendish, digging into the murky history and significance of the processing convention. I was very much in the weeds, just fascinated with Cavendish/stoved tobacco and its historic and continued role in the blender's arsenal. So, you can imagine how intrigued I was when samples of two stoved tobaccos that had never been processed in such a way appeared on my desk. 

Now, the first blend of the Pipe Force series is upon us, Episode IV - First Sergeant Deckard (yes, these blends will be released IV, V, VI, I, II, III. I'm sure most can glean the reason for this quirk). 

Side note before we begin—

I think its necessary to clarify some terminology. 

Now, we all know that Cavendish is a stoved tobacco, but not all stoved tobacco is Cavendish, which must come from the Cauvignon Plat region of France.

Okay, okay—I'm just kidding. Stoving is the same process as Cavendish—darkening with steam, heat, and pressure. The techniques and equipment to achieve these ends certainly vary from one blending house to another, but there isn't some modification to the process that determines whether the result is a Cavendish or stoved tobacco. 

I'll be referring to these tobaccos as Stoved Rustica/Katerini as I have been, but as you can see in Jensen's communiqué introducing the series, Rustica/Katerini Cavendish is another way to label them. 

Sutliff - Pipe Force Episode IV - First Sergeant Deckard

Entry 1

Before he was the Mac Baren tobacco savant we know today, Per Jensen was a pipe maker. Georg Jensen Pipes was established in 1954 by Per's father. With his sister, Per would come to run the company from 1980 until it was sold about two decades later. 

In the months leading up to the first launch in the Birds of a Feather series, Uno, I had begun taking an interest in pipe restoration (maybe a generous term for the sprucing up I do). One of the first estate pipes I acquired was a lovely Georg Jensen bent Egg. It became tradition to have the inaugural smoke of each blend from the series in this pipe. I planned to continue this, but then I thought, why not treat myself to another Georg Jensen to devote to this series?

I found this handsome Georg Jensen De Luxe and gave it a clean. I'm very taken with it and it will make for a wonderful clencher, which is always a plus for trying blends I'm simultaneously writing about. 

Okay, on to the actual tobacco.

Pre Smoke

Breaking the seal on Pipe Force Episode IV, I find a nicely intact Sutliff-style plug; ribbon—as opposed to whole leaf—that's pressed and cut to easily pull layers from the side of the block to be rubbed down to the desired consistency. Definitely won't need a knife to prepare this plug. 

There isn’t a strong tin note, but bringing my nose to the open tin, I get a light smokiness, and what seems to be a vinegar note I associate with some of Sutliff's Reds such as the Red VA Crumble Kake or 515 RC-1.

I take a strip from the side and break it down into reddish and dark brown ribbons, with just a few bright pieces peeking through. Moisture content is fine enough, however, I rub out enough for a few bowls. I find that just having that loose ribbon in the closed (but not sealed) tin will have the moisture more to my preference for smokes to come, at least in the short term.  

Lighting up

I instantly notice woody spice. The Oriental flavors are clear as day, a joint effort between the Oriental component and the Stoved Katerini I imagine. It contrasts gracefully with the dark earth and woody flavors of the Stoved Rustica, while some of that Sutliff Red Virginia tang accents.

The Latakia is very tame in Episode IV, adeptly underscoring the Stoved Rustica's BBQ character. 

There's a complexity of savory flavors in this smoke. I can imagine the Stoved Rustica and Orientals and perhaps the Stoved Katerini are all in collaboration in some way here. I'm very eager to try the Stoved Katerini and Rustica again in isolation and see how that influences my experience with Episode IV, if at all. With any complex blend, it takes familiarity for some nuances to come through, but with two varietals processed in an unprecedented way, I'm all the more fascinated. 

Going into the final third or so, Episode IV seems to lean more earthy, but not in an acrid or burnt out palate way, as is sometimes the case with the final act—there are still dimensions to the profile, and the Rustica takes a slight lead on the Oriental.

Detour

I'm changing things up a little bit with this column. Usually, after having journaled a few more smokes of the featured blend, I'd consolidate my developing impression with Entry 2. Since I'm reacquainting myself with these new stoved tobaccos in isolation, I figure I'll share my impressions of them before returning to my exploration of Episode IV, hopefully a bit more perceptive to the nuances of the novel tobaccos' roles.

Stoved Katerini

First, we have Stoved Katerini. Katerini is an Oriental sub-varietal. The initial inspiration for the Per Jensen Signature Series was the special Katerini Perique featured in Uno and Anomalous of the Birds of a Feather series. Now Katerini has been put through the stoving process. One point of interest here is the sugar content of the tobacco. Of our basic pipe tobacco varietals, Oriental takes the second slot behind Virginias in sugar content—a result of sun curing preserving more of the natural sugars. This is an important factor when considering how the leaf takes the stoving process. 

Stoved Katerini seems to retain much of the Oriental floral spice notes. I often get a herbal tea flavor from Oriental tobaccos, often with that citrus tinge like a bit of lemon. Its recognizable here, but the stoving has accentuated that citrus and caramelized sweetness in a unique way. Despite the mellowing of the stoving process, it retains some of that sensory experience familiar to Oriental tobaccos, gently engaging the sinus. 

Stoved Rustica

Next we have the Stoved Rustica. This one is very interesting, as we have the notoriously robust Nicotiana rustica, undergoing a process notable for its mellowing and rounding of the natural leaf. 

As I understand it, this Rustica was hot pressed prior to stoving—a practice employed by Per Jensen to tame the powerful tobacco when developing the popular Mac Baren HH Rustica. I believe the hot pressing helps to retain some of the natural sugar as well, which may be beneficial for how Rustica takes the stoving process. 

The strands of Stoved Rustica are strong and leathery. There is that unmistakable BBQ dark note that is present in HH Rustica, clearly not totally extinguished in the stoving process.

Lighting up, I'm instantly met with some savory, smoky flavor. There's a floral side with a definitive sweetness, very much with the caramelized "warm" sweetness that a Stoved Virginia delivers. Spices and a soapy floral lilt are about. It's interesting what complexity there is to find in this single component. Even still, there's a distinct "rounded" character here, placated in all the sharp, rough areas. 

That's not to say Stoved Rustica is entirely declawed. Although it certainly seems to be through the first third or so of a bowl, that body and nicotine hit does develop. It's certainly tempered from the pre-stoved Rustica, but definitely the strongest stoved tobacco I've had.

Entry 2

Right now I have Pipe Force Episode IV in my Sasieni One Dot Billiard, which I dedicate to English blends. But I have tried it in quite a few contexts the last week or so, and I have to say, it’s one of those blends I can expect something different from each time.

The Oriental character is always a main player, but sometimes the sweetness and dark fruit attributes from the Red Virginia seem to come more to the fore, though that is not so much the case in my current smoke. In my Sasieni, there was a floral, spicey start, leaning more into the smoky attributes, which I imagine has something to do with this pipe's intimate relationship with the English style.

Speaking more to my general experience with Episode IV, it’s certainly a balanced yet animated debut of these stoved tobaccos. Smaller bowls seem to accentuate the spice, especially in the sinus, but in any pipe, the sensory experience is a central feature of the blend's character. Episode IV is hearty—not a knock out—but certainly bold. But it’s those sensory attributes lighting up the sinus and palate that may make this an evening smoke for me. Or at least to be smoked knowing I won’t be finding much nuance in a subtle Virginia for some time after.

Strength:   ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○
Flavor:     ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

I’m reminded a bit of Birds of a Feather in how the first release in the series, Uno, debuted Katerini Perique as one component in an elaborate assortment of varietals, from base to the condiments. But then we had Anomalous later in the series, which gave us the Katerini Perique in a more simplistic VaPer format, allowing the smoker a chance to really locate the unique tobacco in a less busy context. 

Even in the layers of Episode IV, there is little trouble finding attributes of these stoved tobaccos, especially the Rustica, but they are pieces of this complex medley. Whereas later in this series, we’ll have Episode V. Minimalistic yet refined, this is a blend of Virginia, Katerini, and Rustica—all stoved. Here, these unique tobaccos are truly showcased in that less busy context. 

Episode V is next up on September 13th, which is definitely a favorite of mine in the series. 

Until next time...

Thanks for sticking this one out, there was a bit more to get into outside of just my experience with the blend.

Going forward with this series, I know many out there have or will have already had each of the Pipe Force blends by the time of their respective releases through purchasing samples at pipe shows. If you'd like to give me your thoughts on any of them, I think it'd be neat to get to feature other voices in the Pipe Force columns to come. 

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.

Table of Contents:
Conceiving the Blends - Stoving Katerini and Rustica
Developing Pipe Force
The Blends - Descriptions and info

Pipe Force is the latest collaboration between  Sutliff Tobacco Company and Mac Baren master blender Per Jensen. Many will be familiar with the Birds of a Feather collection, the first iteration of this ongoing project. Now, we are seeing a new chapter in the Per Jensen Signature Series, continuing the innovative aspirations of its predecessor.

Origins of the Signature Series

Let’s do a quick background on how the series came to be, setting the stage for Pipe Force.

Incrementally released from May 2022-2023, Birds of a Feather was a collection of six excellent pipe blends that was sparked from a single innovation.

It started when Mark Ryan of LA Poche came to the 2021 CORPS Richmond Pipe Show with a bag of Katerini Perique—the Oriental sub-varietal had been pressure fermented in the Perique process, resulting in an unprecedented ingredient. At the show, Sutliff would commit to purchasing the few barrels that were made. This unique opportunity compelled Sutliff President Jeremy McKenna to invite Per Jensen to Richmond, Virginia to develop a blend using the Katerini Perique. However, with Jensen traveling from Europe, it seemed more than one or two blends should come of his visit, but the special ingredient was in limited supply.

It was decided that six blends would be made, each containing at least one component tobacco that isn’t commonly found in regular production blends: Rustica, genuine St. James Perique, Katerini, and of course, Katerini Perique. The series was tied together perfectly with tin art from Jeremy’s brother, Jacob McKenna. When Jeremy saw the vibrant birds Jacob was drawing for his son, he knew they were perfect for this series of unique mixtures.

It was a confluence of fortunate developments that led to this fine series. This time around, it’s a little different. With the joy that came from creating the first collection and the warm reception it received, the decision to do another series all but made itself. However, where Birds of a Feather just sort of came—I’m sorry—flocked together, Pipe Force would be enthusiastically developed from the ground up, from the concept that ties the tobaccos together, to the eccentric sci-fi military theme.

Conceiving the blends

There's no denying that Pipe Force has a pretty out-there, let's call it "external theme" (by which I mean, everything that ties this series together aside from the tobacco: tin art, crest , challenge coins, etc.) That's all good fun that we will be getting into, but the substance of this or any significant series comes down to quality pipe tobacco blends. So naturally, that's where we'll start—with what defines these mixtures as a collection.

To get some insight as to how this series came together, I sat down and chatted all things Pipe Force with Jeremy McKenna.

Just as Birds of a Feather saw a delightfully curious addition to the blending arsenal in Katerini Perique, Per was interested in finding an approach to Pipe Force that also broadened the potential for interesting, unique blending.

"The Katerini Perique last year got Per thinking, well we can take what we think of as traditional tobaccos and maybe put them through a different process to get different attributes out of them," McKenna tells me. 

Of course, Sutliff wouldn't be able to take on the incredibly specialized process of barrel fermentation in their facilities. Considering the blending house's highly efficient stoving operation and aptitude for small batch manufacturing, experimenting with stoved tobacco just made sense.

The practice of stoving, or the Cavendish process, has a long history with much flexibility and irregularity in the terminology. But simply put, stoving is the process of darkening—sometimes blackening—tobacco through steam, heat, and pressure. Methods of achieving this result vary between blending houses; Sutliff stoves with a conditioning chamber where metal tubes lined with holes are inserted into hogsheads of tobacco. The tubes pump the hogshead with steam for 24 hours before being flipped to ensure at even darkening. 

Burley or Virginia are almost exclusively used for this process. Usually called (Black) Cavendish, European blending houses will most always use Virginia as the source leaf. In the States, Burley is most often used, and when Virginia is, it's generally called "Stoved Virginia," but there are of course exceptions. 

The Katerini Oriental and Rustica seemed like perfect candidates to create stoved tobaccos with distinguished characters within the traditional blending tobacco roster. Oriental leaf has a decent sugar content, not as much as the flue-cured Virginia, but the sun-curing process retains much of the natural sugar—an important trait when considering the caramelizing effect of the stoving process. The robust Rustica on the other hand is one of the heartiest ingredients you can have in a blend. Putting the bold leaf through a process notorious for its mellowing effects was an intriguing and ultimately fruitful experiment.

"Per loves to play with tobacco," McKenna tells me. "You know, as a master blender, understanding the nuances and the blending behind them, he really likes to see what other flavors can be developed or how you can blend them together to get a different experience."

The first Pipe Force blend was released July 12th, Episode IV - Sergeant Kimble—but we've already seen two introductions of the entire line-up that have stoked out excitement for more folks to try these tobaccos. The first was a tasting panel at the Sutliff factory. Establishing a tradition started last year with Birds of a Feather, a handful of determined pipe smokers came to Richmond to participate in a tasting panel, where all six of these blends were sampled. 

Then, just days later, we were at  the Chicago Pipe Show, where Sutliff was selling a sample pack of the Pipe Force blends, and even auctioned off a 9 pound block of each. 

"It was very positive," McKenna tells me of the series' early reception at Chicago. "It was good because people got to come early enough on Saturday and get the tobaccos and take off to the smoking tent at lunch. They would circle back and be like, hey, I haven't smoked them all, but I smoked Episode III or IV or V and be like, that was really good. So, it was nice to get that much feedback ahead of the release." 

Pipe Force beyond the blends

With Birds of a Feather, McKenna saw an opportunity to move away from the somewhat indifferent design and naming conventions in Sutliff's back catalogue. "It really came out of seeing comments online asking why can't there be tin art as opposed to just brand labels," recounts McKenna. "And there are different manufacturers that do a better job of putting some sort of art on there. We historically have not done a good job with tin art."

McKenna knew he wanted to keep that approach with the next series, and when he saw some beastly creatures drawn by his brother Jacob, McKenna asked him to come up with a few more in a similar vein for what would become Pipe Force.

The concept around these creatures began to take shape following a conversation that McKenna, who is ex-Army, had with his other brother who is in the Air Force. "We one day got to talking about Space Force, about its creation and how he's instructing ROTC right now," explains McKenna. "He was taking some of his cadets to a symposium on Space Force and from there I started thinking, you know, if the U.S. Military can have Space Force then we can have Pipe Force, right? And then let's apply these fictional characters. That's kind of where it originated from."

From there, McKenna went all in. One of the first developments was designing a clever PF logo made from the images of a Billiard pipe and Czech tool, a nod to the Military unit and regimental crests. You'll notice the emblem on the uniforms of each of the Pipe Force...Guardians? (Guardians are to Space Force as Airmen are to the Air Force or Sailors to the Navy—is it accurate for Pipe Force? McKenna might have some more world building to do). 

The crest was made into lapel pins and patches, “much like a patch that you would sew—or in these days, Velcro—onto a Military fatigue uniform, or a lapel pin that you would use on a dress uniform or a beret," expounds McKenna. "Those we’re giving away at different trade shows like Chicago or Ohio or Vegas.”

Then came the challenge coins. One in every ten tins will include a coin featuring the character on one side and the Sutliff logo on the opposite, another element taking inspiration from Military culture. "Challenge coins are something in the Military that you get for on the spot reward for some accomplishment, some deed," says McKenna. "The person whose coin it is normally coins you."

The characters were given ranks and names that relate to the Military and sci-fi theme respectively. "We did three enlisted and three officers. The names all have a theme to them that we're not telling anyone." 

The Pipe Force ranks mirror that of the Army, and although Space Force is set up like the Air Force, some folks intuit that’s not right either. “People are giving me a hard time, like well if it’s a space force, then it should be Navy to a lot of people.” 

I guess I can see that. Ships…spaceships…why not? But it’s not quite as persuasive as McKenna's argument: “You know, people can argue whether it should be Navy or Army but, being the boss, it’s Army.” I for one am not inclined to disagree.

Wrapping up our dive into the world of Pipe Force, I made the simple observation, "you had fun with this one." 

"I had too much fun with this one," McKenna shoots back. "It's the Military sci-fi geek in me."

The themes tying Pipe Force together—the innovative stoving that inspired these blends and their theatrical delivery—embrace originality and quirk, traits that seem particularly constrained given the climate around the pipe tobacco industry today. It sometimes feels the pastime has been condemned to stagnancy, just surviving without the license to experiment and create. Maybe that outlook is gratuitously gloomy, but even from the optimists perch, it's refreshing to have a series make the case that it hasn't all been done, and we can have fun doing it.

The future of the Per Jensen Signature Series

A new Pipe Force blend will be released every two months, the final installment launching in May 2023. So, there's no need to get too ahead of ourselves with what's next—these blasters are still hot. However, this being the second Signature Series, I was curious if we could expect this to be a yearly fixture on the Sutliff calendar.

"As of now, Per and I have an understanding that we'll keep making Per Jensen Signature Series," says McKenna. "Right now, I can see a future of another series of Pipe Force like Pipe Force Next Generation or something there abouts."

The blends

Episode IV - First Sergeant Deckard - 7.12.23

Tobaccos: Latakia, Oriental, Stoved Katerini, Stoved Rustica, Virginia

A light, Oriental-focused English mixture accentuated with two novel, stoved tobaccos—Rustica and Katerini. The Orientals are musky and herbal, bringing much of the flavor alongside Red Virginia tang and wood as well as spice from the Stoved Katerini. The Stoved Rustica offers a stout body and peppery sensation, harmonizing with a light Latakia smokiness.

Episode V - Captain Ryan - 9.13.23

Tobaccos: Stoved Katerini, Stoved Rustica, Stoved Virginia

Hot-pressed and ready rubbed Rustica is stoved, resulting in a smoothing of the bold leaf, but its familiar BBQ tang and floral spice are preserved, dynamically complementing the caramelized sweetness of the Stoved Virginia. The Oriental Katerini takes to the Cavendish process beautifully, offering herbal, woody undertones. The result is an exotic mélange with a vitality that reimagines what a stoved mixture can be.

Episode VI - Specialist Falfa - 11.25.23

Tobaccos: Kentucky, Perique, Stoved Katerini, Virginia

A woody, tangy mixture of select Virginia leaf is elevated with Stoved Katerini, adding dark berry and spice. Dark-Fired Kentucky and St. James Perique enrich the base with earthy notes, pepper, and a light smokiness. Episode VI is a savory, vinous evolution from the natural sweetness and dark flavor of the Virginia/Perique genre. Richness with nuance all the way down.

Episode I - MAJ O’Meara - 1.17.24

Tobaccos: Latakia, Oriental (Katerini), Stoved Rustica, Virginia,

The Latakia-forward English mixture offers plenty of smoky flavor from the fire-cured leaf, which is artfully harmonized with floral, earthy Stoved Rustica. A mixture of high-grade Virginias imparts a natural sweetness. Katerini, the sole Oriental component, offers herb and spice notes bringing complexity and nuance to the flavor profile.

Episode II - Sergeant Kimble - 3.13.24

Tobaccos: Katerini Perique, Kentucky, Latakia, Stoved Katerini, Stoved Virginia, Virginia, 

A mellow, sweet mixture of Bright, Red, and Stoved Virginia offers the exceptional base for smokey Latakia, floral Kentucky, spice of Stoved Katerini and the ambrosial berry and spice of Katerini Perique. The result is a harmony of flavor in perfect balance.

Episode III - Lieutenant General Marshall - 5.15.24

Tobaccos: Kentucky, Stoved Rustica, Stoved Virginia, Virginia

Stoved and Red Virginia give a naturally sweet, tangy, woody foundation. The hearty Rustica leaf has been hot-pressed and stoved for the first time. The process slightly tempers the bold tobacco and imparts a floral note, but still, the robust character is not lost, bringing body to the smoke. A portion of Dark-fired Kentucky then offers a mesquite spice to the mixture.

Table of Contents

1. Presbyterian Mixture
2. G. L. Pease Westminster
3. Peterson Nightcap
4. Sutliff Balkan Sobranie Match
5. Cobblestone Pawn
6. Cornell& Diehl Star of the East
7. Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding
8. Ashton Artisan's Blend
9. Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake

---

9 of the Best English Blends to Try

In definition and in taste, English blends can be a controversial genre of pipe tobacco. Some pipe smokers are devout appreciators of the smoky Latakia, some are particular about its influence and role in a profile—for others, it’s a nonstarter. So long as you have any appreciation for the fire-cured Oriental, there’s a  pipe tobacco here that’s worth trying.

In its most quintessential form, we might think of an English blend as a mixture of Latakia, Oriental, and Virginia tobacco. The exceptions are plenty and it can be deliberated whether some tobacco mixture that plays about the margins of a traditional English blend should be labeled as such, or whether one that goes beyond these core components is better served by some term even more loosely defined such as American English, Scottish, or Balkan.

For this list, we won’t concern ourselves we'll avoid getting too pedantic. The mixtures in this collection of some of the best English blends certainly demonstrate the diversity that does exist within the genre, and each exhibit that familiar English charm while appealing to a range of preferences. 

Presbyterian Mixture

We’ll start with one from the pantheon of storied blends whose trademarks reach back to the early days of commercial blending— Presbyterian Mixture. Initially, this great English blend which William P. Solomon created for the Glasgow firm A. Gale & Co. Ltd. was not called Presbyterian. It was blended prior to WWI for the minister of the Church of Scotland, Reverend Dr. John White. The mixture, nameless at the time, was eventually introduced to Prime Minister Earl Baldwin, who became smitten and allegedly deemed the tobacco Presbyterian Mixture. The blend would come to be owned by Planta Tabak in the decades to come, until they left the tobacco business in 2019 and Mac Baren purchased their portfolio.

Presbyterian Mixture is a quintessential light English, which I use to mean an English that is mild in strength and with a Latakia presence that's noticeable but with an accenting role. In Presbyterian Mixture, the Latakia is minimal, adding a layer of smokiness that nicely pulls out some of the Oriental spice, but it is far from dominating or even taking a lead in the profile. Bready, sweet Virginias and woody, herbal Orientals are most prominently featured here. Presbyterian Mixture offers a mild, great all day smoke with some intrigue—not too complex but with some nuances that peek through.

G. L. Pease Westminster

Westminster was created by celebrated blender G. L. Pease in homage to the original  Dunhill London Mixture, blended to the likeness of the Dunhill production, prior to when manufacturing was moved to Murray's. Released in 2007, this was the second blend to grace the Heirloom series, a collection of tobacco mixtures that, in Pease’s words, “are exemplary in their category, or those that blaze new trails.”

The Latakia is up front in Westminster, and is supported by buttery Virginias and woody, spicy Orientals. As one can expect from a G. L. Pease blend, there is a fantastic balance. Even with the Latakia’s rich and forward place in the profile, it doesn’t dominate, but allows for the complexities of the mixture to come through. Full flavored and smooth to the very end, Westminster is a take on a legend that solidified a place as a modern classic itself. 

Some of the more full flavored English blends can be quite strong in the nicotine department, as we'll see in this list. Westminster is a great pick for one who wants the flavor without too much heft; not to say it's mild, but not a bear either.

Peterson Nightcap

From Westminster, it seems natural to take a step into the Dunhill legacy with one of the most exemplary English blends there is—Nightcap. Dunhill’s Nightcap has been a continuously beloved mixture through the Murray’s and STG eras of production, and was one of the handful of Dunhill blends revived under  STG’s Peterson Tobacco brand after Dunhill left the pipe tobacco industry.

Nightcap was released in 1951 beside Aperitif and Early Morning Pipe, the latter being a counterpart of sorts to Nightcap. Where Early Morning Pipe is a mild English that delightfully eases one into the day, Nightcap is a heavy, bold English crafted as the perfect companion to the waning evening, as one winds down or enjoys an after-supper smoke. Of course, Nightcap can be enjoyed any time the urge strikes, but you would do well to not smoke it on an empty stomach. The dark, woody smoke of the Latakia is front and center, supported by Virginia and Oriental tobaccos. Finally, this English is brought together with Perique, adding some spice and complexity to the mixture.

Sutliff Balkan Sobranie Match

This match of the original Balkan mixture was blended by Russ Ouellette for the  Sutliff Tobacco Company and is based on the Balkan Sobranie mixture of the 1970s. Though we still have Balkan Sobranie, now a Gallaher production, it has gone through many changes in blending houses from the original. The Sutliff take has proven to be a notably well received match, which isn’t for nothing. The very claim of a "match" assures some cynicism on arrival. For my part, I can’t speak to the accuracy of the resemblance, but it is surely a great English blend by its own merits.

Orientals and Latakia are the main players here, as you’d expect from a Balkan mixture. Buttery, floral, and smokiness are in perfect harmony. Even though the Orientals and Latakia are most on show, they are balanced and give the base of tangy, woody Virginias room to come through.

Cobblestone Pawn

Cobblestone Pipe tobaccos have come on the scene more recently. These recipes are produced by Sutliff or Kohlhase & Kopp depending on the series. A few of these mixtures have proven to be dark horses, found to be worthy contenders for rotation and cellar space. The Burley flake Hiking and the Aromatic Vanilla Custard are two such examples. But green as the brand is, the larger catalog is still unexplored by most pipe smokers, so I thought I’d highlight an English from the Chess series (from Kohlhase & Kopp) that I find wonderful and underrated.

The core English ingredients still take precedence in Cobblestone Pawn. Red Virginia with notes of wood and dark fruit play a forward role, well mixed with flavorful Orientals. Most notable is no doubt the bold Latakia. The other ingredients certainly bring a nuance and utility to how Pawn expresses, with Perique adding a fine spice and Black Cavenidsh effectively dispersing the flavors and introducing a creamy sweet undertone. All in all, Cobblestone Pawn is rich in flavor but maintains a respectable medium body. 

Cornell & Diehl Star of the East

Next we have Star of the East, a  Cornell & Diehl classic, and a real Latakia powerhouse among these mixtures. The ribbon cut is available in tin or bulk, so if you’ve only flirted with Latakia but want to try something truly Lat-heavy, this could be a good one to test the waters with an ounce of bulk—less expensive and less of a commitment than a tin. But if you are big on the Latakia, this may be one that hits just right. Per the tin description, the fire-cured leaf accounts for half of the tobacco in Star of the East.

This English mixture leans to the wood and leather side of the genre, but more than anything, it encapsulates that "campfire" smokiness. The Stoved Red Virginias take a little time to come through, as you acclimate to the full flavor of the Latakia, but its utility in the blend is noticed right away with the lush smoke Star of the East produces. Once those base components come more into resolution, the Virginia offers a bit of tang and wood in the profile. This creates a fine base for the flavorful Orientals whose floral and spice become evident through the smoke, creating more harmony than you would think attainable from a Lat-bomb.

In addition to coming in both ribbon and  flake cut, there’s Star of the East Gold—a well executed reinterpretation that may be more amenable to the appreciator of Latakia who isn’t quite a fiend for it. Star of the East Gold sees Red Virginias, Stoved Brights, and Orientals mixed with a fair but more conservative portion of Latakia.

Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding

Seattle Pipe Club is a purveyor of modern classics, and none have been more of a marvel of boutique blending as Plum Pudding. Created by the late Joe Lankford, it was the follow up to his and Seattle Pipe Club’s first success, Mississippi River, and while both still enjoy wide recognition as two of the best English blends available today, Plum Pudding really catapulted the brand.

Stone fruit sweetness from the Red Virginias is superbly balanced with woody Latakia. Herbal spice from the Oriental component introduces flavorful complexities, as does the light yet noticeable Perique, which offers a spice of its own and deep plummy notes. The blend is smoothed and brought together with the addition of Black Cavendish, which also adds some sugary sweetness.

What’s more, there are several varieties to explore. In addition to the original, there is the Special Reserve and—my favorite—Plum Pudding Bourbon Barrel Aged.

Ashton Artisan's Blend

Ashton’s Artisan’s Blend is another superb full-body English that may be a bit hefty for those with a preference for mild blends. But if you like your flavorful Latakia blends with some oomph, this is likely among the best English blends for you.

The campfire smokiness and musk comes through immediately, with the Oriental just behind offering a floral spice and incense. The Virginias provide a smooth base with tangy sweetness and bready notes. Finally, there is an added spice from the Perique, which also contributes some of that boldness to the body of Artisan’s Blend. Truly an English blend that effectively brings balance to complexity.

Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake

Finally we have HH Latakia Flake from Mac Baren.  Mac Baren’s HH series was created by Per Jensen to showcase the inherent character of tobacco types. Each blend in the series is without top flavoring and uses a minimal amount of casing to balance the profile without detracting from the natural flavor. Debuted in 2014, HH Latakia Flake is certainly a success in parading the fire-cured leaf essential to English blends.

In HH Latakia Flake, we have a mixture of Latakia and Orientals atop a Virginia and Burley base. The mixture is hot pressed and sliced into pristine flakes in the Danish style we expect from Mac Baren. The body of HH Latakia Flake is buttery and nutty with Virginias bringing dark fruit and tang. It’s a great foundation on which we have the smoky BBQ and earthy spice from the Latakia and Orientals. Despite being a blend that showcases Latakia, the condiment is far from eclipsing. The well balanced mixture is certainly helped by the mellowing and melding from the hot pressing.

One of the most interesting aspects of pipe smoking is the vast selection. We have all these blends that have a common thread running through them that justifies some categorical umbrella, yet each has an individuality about them. It seems intuitive that with a few varietals, the limitations would be reached rather quickly, but it's just not that simple. Grades of the leaf, ratios, casing, and other particulars of processing ensure a world to explore, and the best English blends are those that satisfy that familiar taste, while gratifying us with a profile that stands out in its own way. Hopefully some of the blends do just that. 

About two months ago we were introduced to Sergeant Deckard, launching the second Sutliff presented Per Jensen Signature series, Pipe Force. That can only mean we are due for another invasion shortly. 

At precisely 6pm EST, September 13th, 2023, Captain Ryan touches down in Pipe Force Episode V. Many will have already enjoyed these blends that have been available as samples at various pipe shows since they debuted in Chicago in the spring. But the official releases of these six pipe blends are intermittently scheduled about two months apart, the last to be released in May.

For a more in depth look into the series, including background on its development as well as descriptions and launch dates for each blend, check out A Closer Look at Sutliff's Pipe Force - Return of the Signature Series by Per Georg Jensen.

Beyond the eccentric Pipe Force concept, the thread that pulls this series together is the use of two debut tobaccos, Stoked Rustica and Stoved Katerini. Each Pipe Force mixture contains at least one, but Episode V offers a chance to experience each more intimately, and I can say it’s one of my favorites in this series. 

Sutliff - Pipe Force Episode V - Captain Ryan

Entry 1

Each Pipe Force blend has something of its own to offer, but what really makes Episode V stand out to me, is that it highlights the attributes of these novel tobaccos—Stoved Katerini and Rustica—in a mixture where their unique characteristics are discernable to the curious pipe smoker, as its not as busy as some of the others. Though these tobaccos prove to bring wonderful accents and nuances to a diversity of blends through this series, here they are joined only by Stoved Virginia.

Pre-Smoke

Unsealing the tin, I twist off the lid to find three Crumble Cakes in Sutliff slab fashion. The tin note is mellow, but there’s a pleasant herbal and floral woodiness as I bring the open tin near.

Dark and oily, I strip a piece off one cake and it breaks down easily into small coarse chunks of ribbon. The leaf is on the moist side; I was in the habit of giving Episode V some dry time when smoking through my sample, however, I’ll keep to my practice of having that inaugural smoke from the tin as is.

I’ll also continue the tradition of having that first smoke from my Georg Jensen De Luxe S779, a recently acquired estate pipe purposed with kicking off each blend in the Pipe Force series. 

Lighting up

Floral, herbal with a sugar cane sweetness lift from the char light. I go ahead and give it a second char before I really get going. One of the many compelling qualities of Stoved tobaccos are their usefulness in tempering an eager burn rate, but here there are only stoved ingredients. Couple that with the moisture of the leaf right now, and I expect there many be some fussiness ahead. I find a second char helps get that char light nice and even and sets me up for more amenable smoke altogether.

Grassy bright citrus alights on the tongue, especially vibrant to the more sensitive areas of the palate, which is contrasted by the bold Rustica's earthy spice that simply couldn’t be snuffed out by the stoving process. It doesn’t take long to understand this stoved blend is more robust than we’re conditioned to expect. This is Nicotiana Rustica, and while the sugars are wonderfully retained and its hardy stature is softened somewhat, it isn’t absolutely declawed by the steaming and pressing process.

If you’d like to go deeper into these varietals, my account of smoking both Stoved Katerini and Rustica discretely is included in the Pipe Force IV Tobacco File.

I’m surprised by just how amenable this burn is. As I said, I've had a sample of Episode V I have been smoking, but most of my smokes were after giving it some dry time. Feeling this leaf right out of the tin, I anticipated it would be less inclined to keep lit. However, a nice consistent smolder has been maintained with no fuss.

The Stoved Katerini offers that herbal tea presence as a nice compliment to the umami, woody body of the Rustica which rises through the smoke and does a nice job of bridging the bright flavors and spicy earthy side that remains present. Though never totally lost, that darker side does intensify into the smoking experience. 

Entry 2

I haven't noticed any pattern to my experience with Episode V from one pipe to the next. I have gravitated toward smaller bowls but for no reason I can glean. That very well may be my preference of late and not necessarily speaking to attributes of this blend in particular. Currently, I’m enjoying Episode V in my Vauen New York Rhodesian, which is certainly on the smaller side.

However, I do notice that I get more of the sweet attributes and Stoved Virginia's sugar and tang character when smoked more on the moist side. The profile does journey a bit, leaning more into some of the dark, woody, spicy flavors, but, when given some time to dry, this darker side seems to be more pronounced throughout and the sweet mellow character less so. But luckily, I’ve continued to have easy smolders with Episode V, even when smoked with a seemingly high moisture content. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if it’s not as high as I thought—the stoving process seems to leave the tobacco with an oily feeling that may give the impression of significant moisture when handled.

Pipe Force Episode V certainly is a blend that challenges notions of an all stoved tobacco. While bringing more oomph than we associate with Stoved Virginia or Black Cavendish—an attribute of the somewhat subdued but still energetic Rustica—it also offers much color in its bold, dynamic flavors. From bright sweet notes, to umami, to earthy spice, Pipe Force Episode V mirthfully engages across the palate and sinus. 

Strength:   ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○
Flavor:     ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

Until next time...

Two down, four to go.

Pipe Force Episode V was the first in the series to really hit home for me, but in many ways it's like the single on a great album. I started off enamored, and it hasn't lost the charm, but the more familiar I get with the others, a few have grabbed my attention like the B sides that were appreciated at first, but then truly click. Which is to say, I'm excited to keep sharing my experience with all these mixtures. And of course, I'm eager to hear others' impressions. 

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos? Always welcome—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.

Table of Contents:

• Pipe Stem Anatomy

Materials

• Ebonite (Vulcanite)
• Cumberland
• Acrylic (Lucite)

Styles

• Straight/Bent
• Fishtail/P-Lip
• Tapered/Saddle
• Military Mount

The stem of a  tobacco pipe is perhaps the unsung hero of the apparatus. It defines our smoking experience in ways that are easy to overlook. 

Like much of pipe design, stems are tasked with satisfying both aesthetic and functional demands.

A picture frame must be well constructed, with hardware well secured and able to bear the appropriate weight. It has to be aligned to keep the picture level. But the utility is hardly worth it if the frame doesn't serve what it's framing, if it ostentatiously clashes, or has awkward dimensions. This is similar to the purpose of the pipe stem. To serve a function in facilitating a good smoke while giving aesthetic balance that complements the bowl.

Of course, each pipe smoker has has their own preferences when it comes to meeting these standards. In fact, multiple preferences can exist within that one smoker, opting for that statement-pipe one day and the humble one the next—perhaps a softer material for situations where clenching is ideal. The right answer can only come from your experience, as it will be what feels and looks right to you, but it doesn't hurt to have some background to help you navigate these preferences. 

Pipe Stem Anatomy

Let's start with the parts of the pipe stem. Terminology can vary, so I'll mention some of the other terms you may here, but we'll stick to the illustrated terms in this piece.

• Stem - The entirety of the appendage from one end to another. This may also be called the mouthpiece (more of a Britishism according to some sources).  
• Tenon - The tenon is the cylindrical piece that protrudes from the face of the stem and inserts into the mortise. The push tenon is most common, but some are threaded (screw in).
• Draft hole - The draft hole is the channel that carries smoke from the chamber to the end of the stem. This may be referred to as the bore, airway, smoke channel, and probably some other intuitive names.
• Bit - The bit refers to the very end of the stem opposite the tenon. This is also called the button or lip. 
• Slot - The slot is the opening of the draft hole specifically on the bit end, where the draft hole usually fans out, or is "slotted."

Pipe Stem Materials

Historically, pipe stems have been made from many materials, but the two that are most common today are ebonite and acrylic.

Ebonite (Vulcanite)

Ebonite refers to hard, or, vulcanized rubber. Much like "band-aid" and "jello," ebonite is a genericized trademark—a term broadened from its origin as a brand of hard rubber to now being used to describe the material more broadly. We will use ebonite here to describe the material, but it may also be called vulcanite. In fact, it's hard to say which is the de facto prevailing term. But just know they are synonymous.

That said, I've noticed—as have others—that vulcanite might be favored when speaking of cheaper hard-rubber. But that's far from a rule to apply when hearing one talk about vulcanite without verifying context. 

The quality of ebonite is certainly of concern to the pipe smoker. Of the two widely embraced stem materials (ebonite and acrylic), there are differences to consider. Ebonite is softer—it's supple and therefore much easier on the teeth, especially when clenching. But due to the sulfur content, ebonite is notorious for oxidizing; dulling and developing a light, sometimes greenish discoloration, especially around the bit where the mouth comes into contact. 

However, higher quality ebonite with less sulfur content is more available these days. This higher purity ebonite doesn't oxidize, or at least it does much slower and fainter, especially when taking some preventative measures. Not a certainty, but you can mostly expect the quality to track with price range for new ebonite stemmed pipes. To keep the price down, more affordable lines often use less quality ebonite. But you can still minimize oxidation. 

Caring for ebonite stems

A good rule for ebonite stems, especially those that are more prone to oxidizing, is to avoid storing in direct sunlight. You can also regularly apply a solution such as Briarville No Oxy Stem Oil, which is a preventative treatment that slows the rate of oxidation. 

Ultimately you can treat oxidation, but it's something you don't want to do more often than is necessary. Personally, I don't mind living with some oxidation, especially with my cheaper pipes. It seems like a fair trade off for the price point, and it's only once the oxidation is significant that I notice it affecting the flavor. Though I generally try to deoxidize before that point.

For light oxidation, I'll wet a magic eraser with water and rub the affected area, or wet sand with micromesh pads. 

This method generally gets the job done for regular maintenance, as I don't let the oxidation get too bad. 

To get rid of heavier oxidation (generally, this will be  estate pipe restoration, but sometimes oxidation-prone stems), I soak the stem in Briarville Oxidation Remover, which brings the oxidation to the surface to be wiped with cotton pads and 91%+ alcohol. I'll start with about one hour of soaking and re-submerge if necessary. If the stem has an insignia, I'll cover it with petroleum jelly, as the solution can eat away at the paint. When satisfied, I'll bring back shine with microfiber pads. You can do this with lighter oxidation, but be especially cautious not to leave the stem soaking too long.

Cumberland (Brindle)

You may hear brindle—or more often, cumberland—referenced as a stem material. However, this isn’t so much a material as it is a style, distinguished by the swirl of color resembling wood grain.

Cumberland takes its name from the  Dunhill Cumberland series that popularized the style with a dark red accent. These stems are also represented in Dunhill's Chestnut and County finishes.

Traditionally, Cumberland stems are ebonite, although it’s often noticed that they (or colored ebonite in general) seem harder than most black ebonite stems. It's proposed that the chemical makeup of the colored ebonite material that is extruded into a single rod may lend to this, which makes sense enough but I'm no authority. These stems also seem less prone to oxidizing.

However, acrylic stems, which often tout colorful hues, may also have a cumberland-like design. The Savinelli Morellina line is a good example of this. 

Acrylic (Lucite) 

Then there are acrylic stems. Acrylic does not suffer from the same propensity to oxidize like ebonite does, making it exceptionally low maintenance. However, acrylic is much harder than ebonite, and can be disfavored for being less comfortable. This is especially so when clenching, or, holding the pipe by only the teeth, but even when supporting the pipe with the hand, many find the give of ebonite more agreeable. 

Distinguishing ebonite and acrylic pipe stems

From appearance, black ebonite and acrylic aren't so easy to tell apart. Acrylic has a bit more of a natural shine and you can usually see your reflection in it. That may be the best indicator by sight, but some nicely polished ebonite can be tricky. 

Simply pointing out that one is softer isn't so helpful, it's all relative, and again, ebonite can sometimes seem uncharacteristically hard, especially colored ebonite stems. I find tapping my nail against the material is often more illuminating, as ebonite gives more of a *thud*, acrylic a *clink*. I know, very scientific. 

Last, and maybe most effective, rub the stem in one place with your thumb and smell the stem. Does it smell like hot rubber? That's ebonite.

Plastic

These days, plastic stems are mostly found on Missouri Meerschaum pipes, the historic corn cob pipe company.

Their lower end pipes use plastic stems that are soft and easy on the teeth and keep the price low, fulfilling that corn cob pipe role as great smokers anyone can afford. Despite sometimes being thought of as disposable, even the cheap cobs can last years. And for stems that really last and look great, often in wonderful color schemes, they offer acrylic stemmed corn cob pipes in a slightly higher price point.

Some less common pipe stem materials 

• Bakelite - Not so common today, Bakelite is a hard plastic, usually with a yellow tint.
• Carbon Fiber - The Turkish Meerschaum pipe carvers at Altinay Pipes make their Meerschaum Pokers' rod stems from carbon fiber. You could just as well call these shanks, as they insert directly into the bowl and are fixed at one end with a short acrylic stem.

• Metal - Another stem material you will find on certain rod stemmed Pokers such as the Nording Compass or Star Meerschaum.

• Bamboo - Though a common stem accent, the only absolute bamboo stems you're likely to see these days are on Old Dominion corn cob pipes. Old Dominion was founded in 2013 by brothers Bob and Bill Salvage. They successfully set out to make traditional corn cob pipes with bamboo rod stems, a convention of cob pipes that had long been a thing of the past. They are now made by Missouri Meerschaum.

• Amber - most common on Meerschaum pipes from time ago. Estate pipes with apparent amber stems may be imitation amber. According to William Augustine’s Tobacco Leaves (1915), “by far the largest quantity of amber used for ordinary pipes is imitation amber. The manufacture of this is a trade secret. It is so good and fulfills its purpose so well that only experts can distinguish it from genuine amber. There are many substitutes for amber.”

Pipe Stem styles

When it comes to the actual shape of a pipe stem, the scant terms we use to categorize belies the breadth of diversity there is in stem shaping. Pipe makers thoughtfully shape stems to give balance in comfort and aesthetic to the overall design. 

Straight vs Bent Pipe stems

The most basic way of classifying a tobacco pipe stem is whether it is bent or straight. The terms don't need much explaining, but there are implications for both that may factor into one's preference.

Once shaped, those destined to be bent stems are heated up just enough to make the material pliable. This takes tact—not hot enough and the stem could snap, too hot and it could soften and lose structure. Once the ideal bend is achieved, the stem is usually dipped in water, cooling it and thus setting the bend.

Some bends are dramatic, others show the subtlest down turn, so you'll often have them specified as slight, half, or full bent. 

Straight stems are more amendable to passing a pipe cleaner, i.e., getting the cleaner all the way from the slot to the chamber without separating the tenon from the mortise. Since you don't want to separate the two while the pipe is still hot, this is convenient for absorbing moisture and clearing build-up mid-smoke or immediately after. 

Bent pipes on the other hand often make for great clenchers. Because of the downward weight distribution, you might be surprised at the sizable pipes that can comfortably be clenched. 

The exceptions are many. There are surely straight pipes that don't pass a cleaner due to narrow or imperfect drilling. In contrast, plenty of well made bent pipes will pass a cleaner. There are light straight pipes that are great clenchers—sometimes due to their petite size, but some average sized pipes can surprise you with their lightness. 

Fishtail vs P-lip

Most tobacco pipe stems have fishtail bits, which see an inflated ridge at the bit. It's a simple design to the eye, but when the bit is just a little too big, the feel in the mouth can be awkward. Too small, and it doesn't seem to offer the intended support, especially when clenching. There's a subtle art to shaping the bit that is easily taken for granted.

The P-lip is a patented design from Peterson pipes. The round slot at the top of the bit directs smoke toward the roof of the mouth with the purpose of reducing tongue bite. The drawback with P-Lips is they are somewhat cumbersome to clean, but they offer an experience of their own that many swear by. 

Saddle vs Tapered

The terms tapered and saddle as they apply to pipe stems describe how the stem narrows from the tenon-end to the bit. Tapered refers to those that gradually narrow down the length of the stem. Saddle stems will narrow abruptly from the continuity of the shank's width. Some designs feature a mix of tapered and saddle, often called a combination stem.

There are also diamond shaped stems, which may be saddle or tapered. Diamond shanks and stems are often associated with the Bulldog shape, being its defining quality from the Rhodesian, but the diamond stem certainly isn't exclusive to the Bulldog. 

Military Mount

Taking our attention back to the other end of the stem, we have a departure from the traditional tenon system. Also called an army mount, this design features a stem that tapers in on the would-be tenon end, which communicates with the mortise for a tension fit. The shank will most likely be reinforced with a band, insuring it against cracking from the pressure of the tension fit. In addition to being a handsome style, the physics of this system allow for removal of the stem while the pipe is hot without the risk of damage that the traditional tenon fit imposes.

Like so much in pipe smoking, we have a number of broad terms to best describe a world of nuance and style. In navigating your own pipe stem preferences, keep your mind open, and always consider why something is working. Sometimes it's an anomaly—that pipe that almost always delivers a great smoke for no discernible reason. But often, part of what's working for us are small factors we don't immediately consider that we would do well to integrate into our choosing of pipes going forward, such as that brand whose bits just feel right for you, or the draft hole dimensions for your ideal draw. 

For May's Tobacco File, I thought I'd choose two pipe tobaccos that are on theme with another blog I was chipping away at through the month; One Decade of Sutliff Tobacco - A Mac Baren Company.

May 2023 marks ten years since Mac Baren acquired Sutliff, or, the Altadis USA Pipe Tobacco Division, as it was then named. So, while I explored the long and recent histories of these company’s, I thought, why not smoke their flagship blends? This month we have Sutliff Mixture No. 79 and Mac Baren Golden Extra.

Sutliff Mixture. No 79

Entry 1

Oddly enough, though I work right above the Sutliff factory this will be my first taste of Mixture No. 79. I understand it was widely popular in the decades following its 1933 release, but is now somewhat polarizing among pipe smokers. Whether it’s to my taste or not, I’m always happy to broaden my experience, especially with infamous blends.

Pre-smoke

The pouch note gives a licorice and root beer aroma.

Taking a pinch and placing it on my mat, the ribbons are cut short and there is contrasting reddish brown and yellow leaf, and just a bit of black. Though not mentioned in the description, I supposed it's Black Cavendish. 

I’m a bit surprised by the moisture content. I assumed more wet—a “goopy” Aromatic, to borrow the epithet. But the hydration seems perfect to light on arrival. I’ll be inaugurating this one in my Longchamp leather-bound Billiard.

Lighting up

I notice cocoa Burley abutted by some interesting flavoring. I get the root beer anise notes and liqueur. A soapy floralness and vanilla sweetness.  

It's been a while since I've had it, so I may be way off, but something about Mixture No. 79 reminds me of Sillem's Commodore Flake. Not that they're similar blends, but an isolated note the two share. I mention in last September's Tobacco File that featured Commodore that it has "a bit of anise, almost a root beer note without much sweetness," and "...a subtle creamy vanilla hit," so I can see why the association came to mind. 

I find a bit more of a woodsy side going along, and the burn keeps consistent and smooth. 

I can see where Mixture No. 79 may have stood out as something peculiar yet founded in the palate of its era. I get the impression of a classic over-the-counter (OTC) Burley that's been flavored generously (OTC blends being those, usually Burley-based, mixtures found in super markets, drugstores, or other places beyond the tobacconist shop in the heyday of pipe smoking: Prince Albert, Carter Hall, Granger, etc.)

It almost seems to bridge the American trends of Burley supremacy and Cavenidsh Aromatics. But the flavorings don't exactly seem intuitive. It's not maple and walnut, vanilla and honey—it's, well, its own thing. 

Entry 2

It's not unordinary for a blend to need quite a few smokes before seeming familiar, the resolution slowly heightening as the subtleties emerge. But there are times when it isn't that there's some great complexity to navigate, the puzzle is simply whether it's something I like. When it comes to peculiarities, the difference between off-putting and delightful can be a little experience. Mixture No. 79 is certainly a distinct flavor, and that often takes some experience to really locate my own impression. 

Smoking now in my first pipe, a Molina Barasso Billiard, I haven't noticed any correlation between factors like pipe size or material and taste. Sometimes I do find this to be more OTC-cocoa-Burley-centric, somewhat like Sutliff Ready-Rubbed Match, but not totally without the anise, fruity, floral, sweet topping. Sometimes the topping is more forward, and sometimes one constituent of that bouquet is more vibrant than expected. I assume the "why" is a matter of my own palate.  

I can see why Mixture No. 79 would seem like a polarizing you-love-it-or-hate-it blend. I mean, it's not all that different from licorice in that regard, or the smell of gasoline. It also makes sense that 79 was prominent at a time when these flavors were probably more represented in general—not just in tobacco, but in the treats I imagine aren't commonly stocked in most of today's candy aisles, but perhaps the Cracker Barrel gift shop.

Strength:   ◙◙○○○○○○○○
Taste:      ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○
Flavoring:  ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

Entry 3

Acclimating further to Mixture No. 79, I'm finding myself enjoying it more and more.

Though, after this pouch, I don't expect I'll be returning to it regularly, but that's more to do with broader preferences. Aromatics aren't so represented in my routine smokes, and when they are, they're usually teetering on that edge of Aromatic and another category.  

None-the-less, I'll be packing from what's left when the mood strikes. I'm interested in how I'll feel about the topping when returning to Mixture No. 79, not as total strangers, but some time removed from the repetition of smoking it this month. Sometimes that's just not so conducive to experiencing a blend, especially when it's a style I wouldn't smoke that regularly even as a favorite.

For Fans of...

Instead of giving blend names here, I'll just say, if you like OTCs and you like Lakelands and the idea those colliding stirs any feeling in you between keen and curious, this might be your niche.

Mac Baren Golden Extra

Entry 1

Golden Blend (or Golden Extra as it's named in the States) was the first Mac Baren blend when it was released in 1952. Granted, "Mac Baren" as we know the company, was Harald Halberg Tobacco Factories at the time. Mac Baren was the name of the brand of tobaccos that garnered such popularity, the company took on the name in 1995. 

Although Golden Extra kicked off the Mac Baren brand, The Solent Mixture is actually the earliest blend still in production. It was released in 1950 by Harald Halberg Tobacco, two years before the Mac Baren brand was launched, but it was inevitably absorbed into it. However, it was Golden Extra, created by Jørgen Halberg upon his return from studying tobacco in the US, that set the trajectory of a global staple in pipe tobacco, with Mac Baren Mixture, released in 1958, truly solidifying the brand's success.

To be honest, Mixture is probably more of the Mac Baren flagship—its success inextricable from the company's—but Golden Extra is also crucial and fits my theme here. And frankly, though it's not a rule, I like writing about blends I'm less acquainted with for the column, and I know very well I'm a big fan of Mixture.

Pre-Smoke

This particular tin is from August 2021, a year and nine months back. Not uncommon to get a tin of Mac Baren with some age on it, which is always a nice perk.

I break the seal and remove the lid and paper liner, then fluff up the ready-rubbed strands, as the tin was packed tight. 

After a little airing out, I take in the tin note. A dry, natural aroma—nutty and woody with light grassiness.

The ready-rubbed is nearly ribbons and doesn’t need any further breaking down, unless it’s one's preference. Seems to be perfectly hydrated to smoke immediately, so I pack an estate pipe I recently spruced up for the inaugural bowl, a Schoenleber Prince. 

First I’ve ever heard of the brand but it's a handsome pipe. A look at the Pipedia page relays that Louis Schoenleber was an Austrian pipe maker who immigrated to New Jersey. He opened a shop in Newark in the 1920s, perhaps closing in the 1960s.

Lighting up

First thing I notice are bready and molasses notes over nutty Burley.

Smoking on, the cocoa aspect rises and I get a bit of that feeling in that chocolate feel back on the palate. 

As I get more familiar, some subtleties come into view. The Virginia is grassy, hay, and slightly woody. Very natural and underscoring the Burley and cocoa topping’s more forward role here.

The burn rate has been perfect. In my experience, Mac Baren blends have never been uniquely prone to bite as some attest, but Golden Extra seems especially amenable; over-stoking would take an active effort. But keeping a mellow cadence, the smoke is nice and voluminous. 

Entry 2

Most of my notes from the ensuing smokes don't stray much from my initial impression. Mac Baren Golden Extra is a consistent and straight forward smoke. Toasty baked bread and nutty, light honey sweetness, and Virginia grass and citrus. Probably most forward is that cocoa flavor, but it has a natural character and has a role in serving the tobacco, not covering it. 

Golden Extra also has a place in the OTC realm. If Mixture No. 79 is an eccentrically flavored defector somewhere between OTC and generously topped Aromatics, then I'd say Golden Extra is more between the OTC style and Burley flakes like Wessex Burley Slices and Cobblestone Hiking—sparingly flavored and leaning natural.

I should note, I mentioned in the first entry that over-stoking Golden Extra "would take an active effort." Though the tobacco had a smoke-ready moisture content out of the tin, I did smoke some after drying further, as I always want to approach a blend I'm familiarizing myself with from a few angles. While I still had no problem with bite, it burned a bit quick and flavor seemed to be lost. After a couple instances of that, I just kept pulling from the tin. It may take me some time to get through the remainder of the 3.5 oz tin, so I'll probably jar Golden Extra soon to keep it sealed with that perfect hydration. 

Strength:   ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Taste:      ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Flavoring:  ◙◙◙○○○○○○○

Similar to:

• Cobblestone Hiking
• Granger

Until Next Time...

I think I ought to consider more angles for picking Tobacco File blends and cigars around themes of sorts. The blog I linked at the top of the column was one of my favorites to research and write, and it was interesting having these blends relate to a topic I was currently in the weeds of. 

As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.