Tin Description

Fully matured Virginias, Ready Rubbed Burleys, Latakia and a touch of Fire-cured Cavendish is the recipe. We added one of the world's finest 30 year old Scotch whiskies, Glenfarclas. The natural flavors from the tobacco and the delightful taste of the Scotch marry perfectly, so when smoked you experience the mellow taste and subtle smoky note of the tobaccos combined with the overtone of a fine scotch.

This has a very interesting taste at first light. It is a very familiar almost caramel candy-like flavor that I believe forms from the combination of the tobaccos and Scotch whisky, certainly not any aromatic component. Aside from the whisky this is straightforward tobacco. Once the ember is going this unique taste slides behind the expected flavors of the tobacco.

Be careful to take your time lighting this one. This is not a blend you want to burn hot. I have to really watch my smoking cadence with Mac Baren blends else I wind up bitten. With Highland Blend’s inviting but reserved character I can easily get carried away puffing a little too greedily, chasing more of the flavors.

My guess is this blend will appeal more to those who generally steer clear of the heavier Latakia-laden blends. While an English or Balkan lover may like this in his rotation as a change of pace, it bares little resemblance to the typical English blend in character and body.

The taste from the component tobaccos throughout the bowl is very dry, crisp, and almost sharp. While I detect the sweetness from the Virginias I cannot think of this as a sweet blend.

The Latakia is also always present but applied very delicately. Highland Blend is a textbook example of the blender using Latakia as a condiment rather than a component. The way the Latakia coaxes the sweetness of the Virginias out from behind their tang and zest is artful. It plays well with the whisky too.

The Burley and Cavendish has a welcome but fairly nondescript role in the Highland Blend, especially early in the bowl. Maybe the Burley is what brings the crispness to the blend’s character. As the bowl passes the halfway point the Burley begins to stand out more and contributes an increasing amount of body and depth. Very nice.

Mac Baren is a must-try if you are comfortable with the disciplined and observant smoking. For me, the strength of the blend is in the complexities. I cannot fully enjoy it as an all-day smoke. It needs too much attention. Anyone willing to give this tobacco enough attention will be rewarded an incredibly interesting experience.

Video Review of Mac Baren Highland Blend

Tin Description

“A combination of Virginia ribbon, Brown Virginia, Burley, and Perique.”

I noticed a couple things about this blend as I investigated background information on it. For starters, as you can see, C&D no longer mentions any reference to Three Nuns. At one point they may have included some verbiage in the official description with something like “reminiscent of Three Nuns” but they don’t now - at least not on their web site. It does continue to show up on some retailers and tobaccoreviews.com that way.

My advice is to let the Three Friars stand on their own feet. Consider this blend exactly what it is - a combination of Virginias, Burley, and Perique.

Another comparison made rather often is to another C&D blend - Haunted Bookshop. Haunted Bookshop is more of a Burley blend with Virginia and Perique, where Three Friars is a Virginia blend with Burley and Perique. While I don’t doubt that if you like one you may very likely enjoy the other I think its a mistake to categorize them too closely together.

I say all that because I have learned it is important not to bring too much to blend. Too many presumptions lead to unfair expectations which lead to unnecessary disappointment.

There’s a Zen story about a professor who visited a master to learn about Buddhism. The Zen master poured him tea but did not stop pouring when the professor’s cup was full. The tea overflowed and went everywhere.

"The cup is full!" said the professor. "No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," said the master, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

If you want Three Friars or any other pipe tobacco to “show you Zen” come to the blend with an open mind.

Now on to the actual tobacco review...

Like I said, this is a Virginia blend. The Virginias are primarily bright and a litttle grassy, with lemon zest-like flavors. The Brown Virginias pull in a little more sweetness and add body. A modest amount of Burley modulates the sharp edges without adding heaviness but helps bring up the bottom with more structure and body.

Cornell & Diehl can tend to be heavy handed with the Perique. This is not the case with Three Friars. While the pepper is readily apparent they certainly did not overdo it. With a blend like this it would have been easy to obliterate the nuances in the high notes with an overdose of Perique. To my tastes, they got it just right. Perfect.

The tobacco is ribbon cut, mostly loose, and soft and springy to the touch. My tin came at the perfect moisture level. The tin I smoked from for this review was only a few months old. A couple years in the cellar would no-doubt do wonderful things for the blend but don’t hesitate to pop a relatively fresh tin.

C&D Virginias hold a soft spot in my heart because they are very easy on my tongue. Three Friars is no exception. The ribbon cut also burns very nicely and requires no preparation before filling the pipe.

If I were forced to squeeze in one negative thing about the blend I would say that it falls just a little behind in complexity. There are no breathtaking transformations between the first light and the bottom of the bowl but it does deepen as the bowl progresses. And while the blend would not be wasted on absent minded all-day sipping while you work Sudoku puzzles there are those interesting nuances I mentioned earlier you can watch for. As the bowl progresses look for those delicate flavor variations to give way to deeper, sweeter, more melded flavors.

Of course I could turn those cons into pros very easily by pointing out that this is a very comfortable, pain-free, user-friendly, and unpretentious smoke that will fill the bill perfectly if you are looking for an anytime VA/Per that falls on the lighter and brighter side.

If you’ve tried this please let me know what you think of it in the comments.

Low Country Cooper

The tin description:

The confluence of the Cooper and Ashley Rivers create Charleston Harbor, the most important port in the antebellum South. Following trade winds, goods flowed to points north and, especially, across the Atlantic to the great British ports of call. Commemorating the Cooper River's contribution to world trade, we have selected choice Orientals and Cyprian Latakia to accent a base of fine Bright Leaf and Red Virginias to create this exceptional medium English Flake.

Inside a Tin of Low Country Cooper

Low Country Cooper is an English Flake consisting of the standard Virginia, Latakia, and Oriental leaf pressed and sliced. Cornell and Diehl provide the component tobaccos and manufacturing. The recipe itself is the creation of the folks behind Smokingpipes.com and its sister store Low Country Pipe & Cigar in South Carolina.

This English blend is brilliant for its balance as much as anything. When it comes to English blends there is really nothing new under the sun as we talk about ingredients. The blender’s expertise shines when he can balance those ingredients to create complexity and showcase the strengths of the component tobaccos and the interplay between them. That’s exactly what happened with Low Country Cooper and makes this a remarkable blend.

The “Choice Orientals” in combination with a harmonious balance of Latakia and Virginia launched Low Country Cooper to the top echelon of my list of favorite English blends.  The Orientals here are amazingly delicious. There’s a certain saltiness that makes my mouth water along with leather and herbal notes. The Cyprian Latakia is obvious but not overdone and the Virginias linger between tart and sweet.

Smoking Characteristics

The blend has body and substance without being heavy. I can and do smoke this all day or any time of day. There’s enough complexity for devoted attention to a meditative smoke while also being well behaved enough to share my focus with a book, movie, or work on the computer. This blend works well for me in a variety of roles.

The nicotine strength is, again, moderate and satisfying. I experience no tongue bite and the burning characteristics are superb straight from the tin. I have experimented with various filling methods such as folding the flake, air pocket, etc but find rubbing the flakes out works best to my personal tastes. This is the case for me with any flake tobacco so I suspect pipe smokers who prefer folding and stuffing other flakes will prefer Cooper prepared that way.

I imagine a few years age will be good for Low Country Cooper but I must stress that I have not had any older than a few months and can say a fresh tin is not to be missed. Buy some for now and buy some to cellar.

Be sure to pick up several tins - a couple to age and you'll want to pop one right now. Cooper is available at Smokingpipes.com. Reviews on the rest of the Low Country tobaccos are coming soon. Maybe you'll want to add those to your order as well. Spoiler: I found them all superb!

Have you smoked this blend? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it in the comments.

This is by no means a sweet blend...oh no. Those of you used to Burley flakes such as Solani Aged Burley or even Peterson's University Flake will find something altogether different in Burley Flake #4.

Matching the stronger flavor is the stronger nicotine content. This flake will put hair on your chest and your wife or girlfriend out of the room. Go ahead and enjoy a beverage with this one, it will stand up to anything.

I am very pleased overall with this and eager to try the rest of the series, especially those featuring the Dark Burley. Those preferring to fold and stuff should find the flakes in good enough shape for some careful folding. I like these rubbed out and filled.

Old Dublin by Peterson - Pipe Tobacco

This traditional mixture of the finest Latakia, Turkish oriental, and Virginia Leaf is slowburning, cool and still blended by hand.

Two thoughts struck me as I lit up my first bowl Old Dublin. The first was "wow, this is so middle of the road, but in a good way." The second thought was "where you been all my life!" Further bowls have revealed a most pleasant English that is perfectly tolerable in every way. I think this is what I noticed when I was seeing Old Dublin in the middle. There wasn't anything extraordinary that I had to interpret, it just tastes good - it tastes like an English blend rather than an English blend but only little more this, or like and English blend, but with a lot of that. Like the tin description says - traditional English. Old Dublin was not an attempt to reinvent the wheel.

If anything stands out it is the Orientals. They are absolutely heavenly to my taste, much like a dry white wine. I love Old Dublin after a meal whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It has this dry fragrant character. Of course, when I say dry I don't mean the moisture content, but the taste. So, the Turkish is right up there with everything else. Latakia fanatics may be underwhelmed, but those of us who would rather the Latakia leave room for others will find the proportions a wise choice on the blender's part. There is more tang than sweetness from the Virginias. You have to pay attention or you may miss it.

The cut is ribbon, fine to medium. Moisture was perfect from a fresh tin. The burn is perfect and a good fill is near effortless. I had no problem with tongue bite and the strength is suitable and satisfying any time of the day. If you like English and Balkans, especially in the medium range, you'll want to try this if you haven't already. If you have tried it, or even if you haven't, please comment below.

This is from the excellent "Hearth & Home" series distributed by PipesAndCigars.com.  The manufacturer's description reads as follows:

"Larry Loerzel, one of our regular store customers, and connoisseur of English/Balkan blends had tried Ten to Midnight, and although he liked it, he was looking for something a little fuller and different. Based on his preference, we blended a full, traditional Balkan using Orientals that were more “buttery” and amped-up the Latakia. This blend is now a big hit among our full-bodied English fans; a cool-smoking, very rich mixture."

This mixture is a classic medium cut, rather dark in color although by looking closer, there is some variety in there.  But when you look at this tobacco, the main thing that strikes you is the incredible aroma of spice, leather and molasses.

The tobacco is on the dry side to the touch, similar to C&D's usual hydrometry.  15 to 30 minutes "drying" time is all it needs.

Lighting is easy, nothing fights back or stands up.  The burn is very good and even and the pipe stays lit easily.

Initially, the main flavor is similar to that of a campfire.  The smoke is cool, salty, savory, and then becomes spicy.  The tobacco tastes lightly woody and earthy but is dominated by the spice.  There is a definite fruit element in there that reminds me of juicy cherries.  As the bowl progresses, the spice intensifies, becomes deeper and triggers the heat receptors like a habanero pepper would. 

After roughly half the pipe, the taste becomes very deep and dark, the fruity character fades and the spicy character takes over.  The earthy side of the blend really comes forward now and gives the smoke a leathery taste that intensifies towards the end of the bowl.

Larry's Blend is my favorite Balkan blend.  It is medium in nicotine but full in flavor! 

Tin Description: A mild easy smoking blend of fine Virginia and Burley tobaccos, made the traditional way.

A light berry essence melds nicely with the Virginia and what I believe is likely some dark fired Kentucky Burley. Whether you crumble Peterson University Flake out or fold and stuff, I find it burns evenly enough even fresh from the tin. The Burley makes it a fairly hearty blend with a few robust moments coming throughout the smoke. I experience no tongue bite from University Flake.

Peterson University Flake has become somewhat of a classic pipe tobacco. While being unique, it also sets a standard for Virginia and Burley Flake pipe tobacco. Try smoking Peterson University Flake with the air pocket method.

Blender's description:

A pure Virginia blend from the best fields of Zimbabwe and the Eastern United States. Rolled Twist Flake, then Cavendish pressed and cut.

These square flakes have leaf ranging in bright to medium brown. They are easy to rub out or burn well stuffed in the bowl. I prefer wadding one into a ball, rolling it a little, the stuffing the whole works in the top of a narrow-chambered pipe leaving an air pocket underneath.

The overall flavor includes a lot of high notes, considerable citrus-like tang, much like lemon or orange peel with bright Virginia's characteristic grassy flavors. The darker leaf provides an appropriate amount of balance with body and a clean sweetness. Any added flavors are very subtle and not readily apparent during the smoke.

I'm surprised to find so little propensity to bite the tongue. I expect a little tingle and irritation from leaf of this sort, but this leaves my tongue ready for another bowl. This is one of the rare Virginia-only blends I could smoke bowl after bowl all day. The burn is cool and clean. No unpleasant aftertastes. It arrived in bulk with perfect moisture content ready to smoke as-is.

This is not the most complex Virginia blend I've smoked, but it does grow deeper and the sharper tastes yield to richer, earthier, sweeter flavors as the bowl progresses. There is a nice interplay between the brighter and deeper sides of the smoke with the later gaining ground as the ember floats to the bottom.

Virginia lovers will likely find this a very agreeable companion and it makes a great introduction to those new to Virginia blends.

Blended with just the right prportion of Golden Virginia and Burley`s, the basic blend of Toasted Cavendish tobaccos takes on a zesty dimension. This mixture gets better as you smoke it all day long

This ubiquitous industrial bulk aromatic goes by almost as many names as there are shops selling pipe tobacco across North America. Pipe smokers who dislike bulk aromatics of this sort may find they dislike this one the least.

RLP-6 packs and smokes very nicely, has a clean flavor and finish, and I can't get it to bite my tongue. Many compare it to its over-the-counter cousin, Captain Black White. It has been a while since I've sampled Captain Black, but I can say my memories of it are not as fond as my appreciation for the bowl of RLP-6 I smoke as I write this. I'm pretty sure there are differences between the two.

This is no boutique blend by any stretch of the imagination, but it never pretended to be. There is a reason this has been around for ages upon ages and outsells more refined pipe tobaccos pound for pound.

I make out a good deal of the underlying heavily processed tobacco flavor and its not in the least unpleasant, nor is the top flavor applied more subtly to this blend than most other aromatics of this caliber. Its pleasantly sweet but won't make you worry about cavities as you smoke it.

You've likely smoked this before. What were your thoughts on it? Please add them to the comments below. Just for fun, if you know, I'd be interested to know what your local B&M names this blend.

A light, naturally sweet blend created for renowned pipemaker, Lannes Johnson, who selected this mixture to send as a sample to his pipe customers. Two diff- erent types of nutty Burley are laced with an unusual cube cut Virginia and a Burley-based natural toasted Black Cavendish for a splash of non-flavored sweetness. Now available to the general public for the very first time. If you're looking for an all-day blend that isn't wet or overly sugary, give this one a try.

Expect this tobacco to arrive well on the dry side. I recommend leaving it as is before smoking. The overall taste is slightly sweet with a healthy tang. Maybe its my imagination but I'd swear I taste a little Perique, but the blend description doesn't mention it.

The base of burley is easy on the tongue but deserves a careful smoking cadence to keep off any bitterness. This is a clean medium bodied that won't win any rewards for complexity and likely never sought any. The blend was created for an all-day pipe smoker, and an all-day blend it is if you share LJ's preference for a straightforward tangy smoke.