Jim's Standard Tobacco Company Reviews.
Aug 3, 2017 21:28:54 GMT -5
Baboo, crapgame, and 10 more like this
Post by JimInks on Aug 3, 2017 21:28:54 GMT -5
As there was a thread posted about the Dobie's recreations, I thought I'd post STC's entire line up here for those who may be interested.
Bengal Slices:
The very smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is the star component, but this is a lat-bomb with nuance. The Orientals are smoky, woody, with some spice, and is slightly sweet with a hint of sour. The yellow Virginias provide a light citrus and minor spice hit, while the black stoved Virginias have a fermented fruity sweetness. The unflavored black cavendish is brown sugar sweet and has a smoothing presence to tame any potential harshness, which you’ll hardly find in this product, even if you puff hard, though there is a slight edge to the latakia once in a while after the half way point if you go at it at beyond a moderate pace. The very mild top note is licorice. The slices are thick, and easily broken apart to prepare to your preference level. Well blended with some complexity - more so than your average lat-bomb - it burns slow, and does require a few relights, though the number of them will depend upon how you break apart the slices and pack your bowl. I suggest you do so a little loosely. The very rich flavor is consistent and fairly smooth to the finish with no weak or dull spots, and no bite. Has a slightly less than moderate nic-hit, and the strength is a little more than medium with a fulsome taste. Leaves no moisture in the bowl, which doesn’t often happen with this kind of manufacture. Has a very pleasant after taste, and the room note is not as pungent as I expected. I credit the sweetness for that.
This is the only mixture in the line up (besides War Horse bar) where I had tried the original, which lacked the latakia and Virginia richness of this recreation. It had a very light floral note, and more obvious “barbecue” essence in addition to a rough edge that this production lacks.
Dobie’s Four Square Aromatic:
The black cavendish offers a little vanilla. The mildly nutty, molasses sweet burley is more obvious. The bright Virginia provides some grass, citrus, and a little toast, and forms the base of the blend. The vanilla, honey, sweet citrus and sugary caramel toppings are mildly applied. I also get a slight sense of nougat. The nic-hit is low. Won’t bite, and has no harsh or weak spots. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a very smooth, consistent flavor from start to finish. Requires an average number of relights, and leaves just a little moisture in the bowl. Easily burns to ash. The after taste and room notes are pleasant. An all day smoke.
Dobie’s Four Square Cavendish:
The black cavendish has a deeply rich, creamy smooth vanilla flavor. I also get a very light toast, brown sugar and honey note. No nic-hit to speak of. It won’t bite, and has no harsh or dull spots. Burns at a moderate pace, cool, clean and silky smooth with a very consistent flavor. Requires a few relights because the tobacco is mildly moist. Leaves just a little moisture in the bowl, but no goop or dottle. Easily burns to ash. The after taste and room notes pleasantly linger. An easy going all day smoke that also makes a good mixer.
Dobie’s Four Square Circles:
The Virginias have a bit of grass, some citrus, and light dark fruit and earth, along with a mild rough edge. The spicy, raisin, plum and figgy perique plays a strong second lead. The light vanilla sweet black cavendish core provides a little smoothness. The nic-hit is just beyond the mild threshold. It won’t bite. Burns a little slow with a cool flavor, though there is a little inconsistency due to its presentation. Needs a few relights. Can burn to ash with just a little work. Leaves little moisture in the bowl. Has a nice after taste. Not quite an all day smoke, but it’s certainly repeatable.
Dobie’s Four Square Cut Plug:
The Virginia cavendish offers a light citrus, a bit of grass/hay, and a small amount of earth. The topping is coconut, and a little fruit and caramel. The coconut also provides a mild perfume note. The nic-hit is a step or two past mild. The flakes easily break apart and burns at a moderate pace, fairly cool with a light creamy, consistent flavor. Won’t bite or get harsh. Requires few relights, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. The after taste pleasantly lingers. Despite it being a mild blend, it’s not an all day smoke due to the perfume quality of the coconut topping.
Dobie’s Four Square English:
The smokey, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is a team player and takes a little lead as it lets the other components shine through. The nutty, molasses sweet burleys are support players, and also sport a touch of earth, spice and toast. The description claims they are used instead of Orientals, but I get a taste of them just the same, and I claim a little is present. The brown sugary black cavendish provide a smoothing sweetness to run out potential rough edges, none of which are present. The grassy, citrusy Virginias also have a little earth and dark fruit hit in the background. The nic-hit is a little past the mild threshold. No chance of bite. Well blended, it burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor from start to finish. Requires few relights, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl. The after taste is pleasant and lingers just a little. An all day English that makes a good starter blend in this genre.
Dobie’s Four Square Red Aromatic:
The burley is a little nutty, but sublimated by the other flavors. The black cavendish offers a mild vanilla. The cherry topping is mild, lacks some depth, and has a light sour hit. Won’t bite. The nic-hit is hardly noticeable. Burns at a moderate pace; cool unless you puff real fast, and then you may experience a harsh note. Has a very mild syrup taste in the last quarter of the experience. Requires an average number of relights, and will leave some moisture in the bowl, but no dottle. Has a decent after taste. An all day work and play smoke.
Dobie’s Four Square Virginia:
The flue cured Virginia is grassy/hay-like with some citrus, and a little earth. There’s a light sugar note along with a mild spiciness. The nic-hit is a shade past the mild threshold. Burns slightly fast with a consistent flavor. Requires few relights, and leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Easily burns to ash. The after taste and room note are pleasant, but short lived. An uncomplicated all day smoke. More of a two and half star blend.
John Cotton’s Number 1 Mild:
The bright and red Virginias are mildly grassy, citrusy and tangy dried fruit sweet with a touch of earth, and are the star components. The Cyprian latakia is smoky, woody sweet as a supporting player that you’ll notice all the way to the finish. The Orientals play a minor role, but adds some complexity: smoky, woody with a touch of sweet spice. The sweetness from the Virginias and latakia hits you as you light up, and this well balanced blend holds a consistent, clean, smooth, cool and creamy flavor to the finish. No dull or weak spots, no moisture in the bowl, and no bite. Has a pleasant after taste, and the room note passes the wife test. Though the blend purports to be mild - and the nicotine and strength levels are indeed that - the taste is a shade over the mild mark. I attribute that to the rich sweetness you get in every puff. A very good entry level English that an experienced smoker could smoke all day without feeling that they’re missing anything.
John Cotton’s Numbers 1&2 Medium:
The very smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is the star component, but this is not a lat-bomb. The light and red Virginias offer some citrus and tangy stewed fruitiness along with a mild grassiness, plus a little earth. The Orientals are woody sweet with a touch of spice and sour in a supporting role. Has a moderate nic-hit, and is medium in strength and taste as the name states. Well balanced, rich and creamy smooth with some complexity, it burns well, cool, and even with few relights. The deep flavors never weaken, and there’s no dull or harsh spots to be found. Won’t bite, and leaves no moisture in the bowl, so you can burn it down to the last strand of tobacco. Has a camp fire-like room note, and produces a large volume of smoke. Not quite an all day smoke, but it’s repeatable during your smoking day.
John Cotton’s Number 3:
The smoky, woody, mildly sweet Cyprian latakia is the lead component. The woody, mildly spicy, buttery sweet and sour Orientals play an important second lead. The grassy, citrusy Virginia mostly forms the base for the other tobaccos as a supporting player. The peppery, raisiny perique constantly underscores the blend. The nic-hit is a couple steps past the mild threshold. Wont bite or get harsh. The tobacco is a little dry, but I did not hydrate it. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with very consistent flavor that sports a touch of smooth, creamy sweetness. I suspect an extremely mild topping is present. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, lingering spicy, woody after taste, and a noticeable campfire room note. Can be an all day smoke.
John Cotton’s Smyrna:
The Cyprian latakia is smoky, woody sweet. The Orientals and Turkish are fairly sweet with a touch of sour, and are very woody and spicy with a deep smoky earthiness. Obviously, you can credit the Smyrna for much of that. Playing back-up is a citrusy sweet, lightly grassy, slightly earthy brown Virginia. You can taste all of the inherent tobaccos flavors in every puff. Burns clean with some complexity, and has a refined creamy, spicy sweet smoothness that makes you think there might be a little less latakia than there is. One might think all the spice would nip at your tongue if you puff fast, but that doesn’t happen, nor will it bite, though I do suggest smoking it at a moderate pace. This is the spiciest blend in this company’s line up, and it pleasantly lingers in the after taste. Medium to full in strength, and full in taste, the nic-hit is between moderate and full as it seems to get a little stronger in the last quarter of the smoke. Burns well with few relights, and a very consistent taste with no dull or harsh moments. Leaves no moisture in your bowl, and produces volumes of smoke as you go along to that fine white ash. The room note is stronger than a camp fire; very pungent. Not an all day smoke.
John Cotton’s Sweet English:
The grassy, citrusy Virginia is the base of the blend, and has a little dullness. The nutty, earthy molasses sweet burley is a supporting player, and not forceful in any way. The unsweetened black cavendish adds some brown sugar smoothness. The Cyprian latakia is lightly smoky and woody sweet, and does just a little more than underscore the experience. I’m not sure what the sweet, very lightly creamy topping is, but I get something almost vanilla-like, and it tones down the tobaccos a little. The nic-hit is very mild. Won’t bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a very consistent flavor. leaves some moisture in the bowl, and needs a few relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste. Can be an all day English aromatic smoke. Two and a half stars.
Murray’s 1810 Belfast:
The various Virginias are mostly grassy with citrus, and minor dark fruit and earth notes, and forms the base for the other components. The burleys are molasses and nutty sweet as a noticeable supporting player. The brown sugar from the black cavendish provides a smooth and creamy undertone to the experience. The smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is a team player that plays nearly at the same level of the burleys, though at times, just a mite less so. There is a slight sweetness from a topping of some kind, though it’s not distracting. The nic-hit is mild. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a smooth, consistent flavor from top to bottom. Requires few relights, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Easily burns to ash. An all day semi-sweet American English that could be an entry level blend for those interested in trying this genre, as well as a change of pace from heavier blends.
Murray’s 1862 Whitehall:
The Virginias offer some grass and citrus with minor dark fruit notes and forms the base of the blend. The very nutty, molasses sweet burleys have a touch of earth and provide an important semi-lead. The brown sugar from the black cavendish adds a bit of creamy smooth sweetness. The smokey, woody Cyprian latakia is a team player that plays well with the other components, and often competes with the burleys for attention. I detect a sweet topping, possibly sugar. The nic-hit is mild. Won’t bite and has no harsh moments. Burns at a slightly more than moderate pace, cool and clean with a fairly smooth, rather consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and hardly needs a relight. Has a pleasant after taste that lightly lingers. An easy going all day semi-sweet English.
Murray’s 1921 Cunningham:
The Virginias are very grassy along with a hint of toast, earth, and wood. In a secondary role is the spicy, raisiny, figgy perique. The sweet rum topping is lightly applied. The nic-hit is a shade past the mild level. Won’t bite, and has no dull spots, but can get slightly warm on the tongue if puffed fast. Burns clean at a moderate rate with a very consistent flavor. It does need a few relights, but leaves little dampness in the bowl. Can burn to ash. The pleasant after taste and room notes will linger a little. Can be an all day smoke.
Murray’s 1A Linfield:
The rich, smokey, musty woody sweet Cyprian latakia is a star component with some support from the other tobaccos. The grassy/hay-like, citrusy Virginia forms the base of the blend. The dry, woody sweet and sour Orientals underscore the experience, and sports a light spice note. The nic-hit is just past the mild level. Won’t bite, and has no harsh or weak spots. Burns reasonably well and clean, though the flavor has a little inconsistency after the half way point, and the finish has a mild musty sourness. Will burns to ash. Requires few relights, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. More of a two and a half star work and play smoke.
War Horse Bar:
The dark air cured tobacco is toasty and boldly earthy with a little smoky, woodiness, and fair amount of spice. The dark fired Kentucky also has a bit of smoke and wood, and a touch of cocoa along with a little spice. In a support role is a tangy ripe, fermented dark fruit red Virginia, which also offers a little earth. The toppings are the very rich Valerian root, a deep anise extract along with a tonquin-like essence. While they do tone down the tobaccos just a little, they also work well together to create a sweet, floral synergistic contrast to the varietals. The strength and taste levels are very strong, as is the powerful nicotine content. I recommend you do not smoke this on an empty stomach. There’s no chance of bite, and there are no harsh spots or dull moments. The plug has a little density, but is easily broken apart to suit your preference. It’s a little moist, but needs no dry time. Packs well and lights with no trouble. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a very smooth, consistent flavor from start to finish. Easily burns to ash, and requires only a few relights; less than expected. Leaves a slight dampness in the bowl. The after taste pleasantly lingers. The room note is potent. It most certainly is not an all day smoke, but if you like really strong tobaccos with a deeply filling quality of taste, you’ll have more than one bowl a day.
In comparison to the 1970s and 1980s versions that I have smoked, I find the amount of the various tobaccos in the new release are not far off from the earlier versions regarding the flavor. The only differences I note are that this is mildly more spicy, and a shade less earthy. The toppings are close as well, though the new version is a little sweeter. However, the toppings on the earlier incarnations may have faded just a little, which furthered my impression of the sweetness level of this plug.
War House Green:
A companion to the new War Horse Bar, it has the same constituent tobaccos. The dark air cured tobacco is toasty and boldly earthy with a little smoky, woodiness, and fair amount of spice. The dark fired Kentucky also has a bit of smoke and wood, and a touch of cocoa along with a little spice. In a support role is a tangy ripe, fermented dark fruit red Virginia, which also offers a little earth. The toppings are the very richly sweet, incense/floral, and fairly perfumy heliotrope along with a deep anise extract, and a tonquin-like essence. They do tone down the tobaccos a bit; more so than the toppings do for the Bar. They also work well together to create a compatible contrast to the varietals. The strength and taste levels are not quite as strong as the Bar, and I would rate them as full for this plug. The nicotine content is just past the medium threshold. It won’t bite, and has no dull or harsh spots even when pushed. The plug has a little density, but is easily broken apart to suit your preference. It’s a little moist, but needs no dry time. Packs well and lights with no trouble. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a very smooth, very consistent sweet, earthy floral flavor from top to bottom as it easily burns to ash. Needs few relights, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl. The after taste pleasantly lingers while the strong room note is a little sweet, spicy and very floral. It’s not quite an all day smoke, though experienced smokers may consider it to be one.
Designed to be in the same family as Condor, this is not a copy of it. There are several differences. This is a little stronger, a little more floral, perfumy, sweeter and spicier. You won’t mistake this for being a Condor clone, but it should appeal to those who smoke it.
War House Ready Cut:
The burley is toasty, and a little nutty with a strong, bold earthiness. The burley is a little sweet, though I don’t notice that particular sweetness as much after a few puffs. The rest of the time you’ll discern the other aspects of the burley that I mentioned. It's one of the major components, although the spicy, woody, smoky dark-fired Kentucky kicks in from the start, and you’ll taste it all the way through as it grabs your attention a little more than the burley does. It does seem to recede a little in the last quarter of the smoke. The perique isn’t always as obvious as it plays a minor part in the proceedings. More often than not, its spicy quality is mildly sublimated by that of the dark-fired. The plum, fig, and date notes it provides are more noticeable to me. The red Virginias are tangy dried dark fruit sweet with a touch of earth in an important support role as it provides a bit of sweetness, which I seem to observe more after the half way point, though it’s always there. The sweet topping, which seems to be licorice, competes with the red Virginia in the taste department in the first half, and though the topping weakens just a little after that, it will remain to the end. The blend’s strength is a little over the medium threshold while the taste is almost full. The nic-hit is a little more than moderate. Dry out of the tin, it burns well with very few relights, cool, smooth and a little creamy with a fairly consistent complex flavor. A little hydration brings out the flavors more, especially the perique. I suggest a moderate cadence and a wide bowl to heighten the experience. Leaves no moisture in the bowl, produces lots of smoke, and the sweet, spicy after taste pleasantly lingers as it leaves nothing but burnt ash at the finish. Despite its strength, it’s almost an all day smoke, and long time smokers may consider it to be one.
Bengal Slices:
The very smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is the star component, but this is a lat-bomb with nuance. The Orientals are smoky, woody, with some spice, and is slightly sweet with a hint of sour. The yellow Virginias provide a light citrus and minor spice hit, while the black stoved Virginias have a fermented fruity sweetness. The unflavored black cavendish is brown sugar sweet and has a smoothing presence to tame any potential harshness, which you’ll hardly find in this product, even if you puff hard, though there is a slight edge to the latakia once in a while after the half way point if you go at it at beyond a moderate pace. The very mild top note is licorice. The slices are thick, and easily broken apart to prepare to your preference level. Well blended with some complexity - more so than your average lat-bomb - it burns slow, and does require a few relights, though the number of them will depend upon how you break apart the slices and pack your bowl. I suggest you do so a little loosely. The very rich flavor is consistent and fairly smooth to the finish with no weak or dull spots, and no bite. Has a slightly less than moderate nic-hit, and the strength is a little more than medium with a fulsome taste. Leaves no moisture in the bowl, which doesn’t often happen with this kind of manufacture. Has a very pleasant after taste, and the room note is not as pungent as I expected. I credit the sweetness for that.
This is the only mixture in the line up (besides War Horse bar) where I had tried the original, which lacked the latakia and Virginia richness of this recreation. It had a very light floral note, and more obvious “barbecue” essence in addition to a rough edge that this production lacks.
Dobie’s Four Square Aromatic:
The black cavendish offers a little vanilla. The mildly nutty, molasses sweet burley is more obvious. The bright Virginia provides some grass, citrus, and a little toast, and forms the base of the blend. The vanilla, honey, sweet citrus and sugary caramel toppings are mildly applied. I also get a slight sense of nougat. The nic-hit is low. Won’t bite, and has no harsh or weak spots. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a very smooth, consistent flavor from start to finish. Requires an average number of relights, and leaves just a little moisture in the bowl. Easily burns to ash. The after taste and room notes are pleasant. An all day smoke.
Dobie’s Four Square Cavendish:
The black cavendish has a deeply rich, creamy smooth vanilla flavor. I also get a very light toast, brown sugar and honey note. No nic-hit to speak of. It won’t bite, and has no harsh or dull spots. Burns at a moderate pace, cool, clean and silky smooth with a very consistent flavor. Requires a few relights because the tobacco is mildly moist. Leaves just a little moisture in the bowl, but no goop or dottle. Easily burns to ash. The after taste and room notes pleasantly linger. An easy going all day smoke that also makes a good mixer.
Dobie’s Four Square Circles:
The Virginias have a bit of grass, some citrus, and light dark fruit and earth, along with a mild rough edge. The spicy, raisin, plum and figgy perique plays a strong second lead. The light vanilla sweet black cavendish core provides a little smoothness. The nic-hit is just beyond the mild threshold. It won’t bite. Burns a little slow with a cool flavor, though there is a little inconsistency due to its presentation. Needs a few relights. Can burn to ash with just a little work. Leaves little moisture in the bowl. Has a nice after taste. Not quite an all day smoke, but it’s certainly repeatable.
Dobie’s Four Square Cut Plug:
The Virginia cavendish offers a light citrus, a bit of grass/hay, and a small amount of earth. The topping is coconut, and a little fruit and caramel. The coconut also provides a mild perfume note. The nic-hit is a step or two past mild. The flakes easily break apart and burns at a moderate pace, fairly cool with a light creamy, consistent flavor. Won’t bite or get harsh. Requires few relights, and leaves little dampness in the bowl. The after taste pleasantly lingers. Despite it being a mild blend, it’s not an all day smoke due to the perfume quality of the coconut topping.
Dobie’s Four Square English:
The smokey, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is a team player and takes a little lead as it lets the other components shine through. The nutty, molasses sweet burleys are support players, and also sport a touch of earth, spice and toast. The description claims they are used instead of Orientals, but I get a taste of them just the same, and I claim a little is present. The brown sugary black cavendish provide a smoothing sweetness to run out potential rough edges, none of which are present. The grassy, citrusy Virginias also have a little earth and dark fruit hit in the background. The nic-hit is a little past the mild threshold. No chance of bite. Well blended, it burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a consistent flavor from start to finish. Requires few relights, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl. The after taste is pleasant and lingers just a little. An all day English that makes a good starter blend in this genre.
Dobie’s Four Square Red Aromatic:
The burley is a little nutty, but sublimated by the other flavors. The black cavendish offers a mild vanilla. The cherry topping is mild, lacks some depth, and has a light sour hit. Won’t bite. The nic-hit is hardly noticeable. Burns at a moderate pace; cool unless you puff real fast, and then you may experience a harsh note. Has a very mild syrup taste in the last quarter of the experience. Requires an average number of relights, and will leave some moisture in the bowl, but no dottle. Has a decent after taste. An all day work and play smoke.
Dobie’s Four Square Virginia:
The flue cured Virginia is grassy/hay-like with some citrus, and a little earth. There’s a light sugar note along with a mild spiciness. The nic-hit is a shade past the mild threshold. Burns slightly fast with a consistent flavor. Requires few relights, and leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl. Easily burns to ash. The after taste and room note are pleasant, but short lived. An uncomplicated all day smoke. More of a two and half star blend.
John Cotton’s Number 1 Mild:
The bright and red Virginias are mildly grassy, citrusy and tangy dried fruit sweet with a touch of earth, and are the star components. The Cyprian latakia is smoky, woody sweet as a supporting player that you’ll notice all the way to the finish. The Orientals play a minor role, but adds some complexity: smoky, woody with a touch of sweet spice. The sweetness from the Virginias and latakia hits you as you light up, and this well balanced blend holds a consistent, clean, smooth, cool and creamy flavor to the finish. No dull or weak spots, no moisture in the bowl, and no bite. Has a pleasant after taste, and the room note passes the wife test. Though the blend purports to be mild - and the nicotine and strength levels are indeed that - the taste is a shade over the mild mark. I attribute that to the rich sweetness you get in every puff. A very good entry level English that an experienced smoker could smoke all day without feeling that they’re missing anything.
John Cotton’s Numbers 1&2 Medium:
The very smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is the star component, but this is not a lat-bomb. The light and red Virginias offer some citrus and tangy stewed fruitiness along with a mild grassiness, plus a little earth. The Orientals are woody sweet with a touch of spice and sour in a supporting role. Has a moderate nic-hit, and is medium in strength and taste as the name states. Well balanced, rich and creamy smooth with some complexity, it burns well, cool, and even with few relights. The deep flavors never weaken, and there’s no dull or harsh spots to be found. Won’t bite, and leaves no moisture in the bowl, so you can burn it down to the last strand of tobacco. Has a camp fire-like room note, and produces a large volume of smoke. Not quite an all day smoke, but it’s repeatable during your smoking day.
John Cotton’s Number 3:
The smoky, woody, mildly sweet Cyprian latakia is the lead component. The woody, mildly spicy, buttery sweet and sour Orientals play an important second lead. The grassy, citrusy Virginia mostly forms the base for the other tobaccos as a supporting player. The peppery, raisiny perique constantly underscores the blend. The nic-hit is a couple steps past the mild threshold. Wont bite or get harsh. The tobacco is a little dry, but I did not hydrate it. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with very consistent flavor that sports a touch of smooth, creamy sweetness. I suspect an extremely mild topping is present. Leaves little dampness in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, lingering spicy, woody after taste, and a noticeable campfire room note. Can be an all day smoke.
John Cotton’s Smyrna:
The Cyprian latakia is smoky, woody sweet. The Orientals and Turkish are fairly sweet with a touch of sour, and are very woody and spicy with a deep smoky earthiness. Obviously, you can credit the Smyrna for much of that. Playing back-up is a citrusy sweet, lightly grassy, slightly earthy brown Virginia. You can taste all of the inherent tobaccos flavors in every puff. Burns clean with some complexity, and has a refined creamy, spicy sweet smoothness that makes you think there might be a little less latakia than there is. One might think all the spice would nip at your tongue if you puff fast, but that doesn’t happen, nor will it bite, though I do suggest smoking it at a moderate pace. This is the spiciest blend in this company’s line up, and it pleasantly lingers in the after taste. Medium to full in strength, and full in taste, the nic-hit is between moderate and full as it seems to get a little stronger in the last quarter of the smoke. Burns well with few relights, and a very consistent taste with no dull or harsh moments. Leaves no moisture in your bowl, and produces volumes of smoke as you go along to that fine white ash. The room note is stronger than a camp fire; very pungent. Not an all day smoke.
John Cotton’s Sweet English:
The grassy, citrusy Virginia is the base of the blend, and has a little dullness. The nutty, earthy molasses sweet burley is a supporting player, and not forceful in any way. The unsweetened black cavendish adds some brown sugar smoothness. The Cyprian latakia is lightly smoky and woody sweet, and does just a little more than underscore the experience. I’m not sure what the sweet, very lightly creamy topping is, but I get something almost vanilla-like, and it tones down the tobaccos a little. The nic-hit is very mild. Won’t bite or get harsh. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a very consistent flavor. leaves some moisture in the bowl, and needs a few relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste. Can be an all day English aromatic smoke. Two and a half stars.
Murray’s 1810 Belfast:
The various Virginias are mostly grassy with citrus, and minor dark fruit and earth notes, and forms the base for the other components. The burleys are molasses and nutty sweet as a noticeable supporting player. The brown sugar from the black cavendish provides a smooth and creamy undertone to the experience. The smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is a team player that plays nearly at the same level of the burleys, though at times, just a mite less so. There is a slight sweetness from a topping of some kind, though it’s not distracting. The nic-hit is mild. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a smooth, consistent flavor from top to bottom. Requires few relights, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Easily burns to ash. An all day semi-sweet American English that could be an entry level blend for those interested in trying this genre, as well as a change of pace from heavier blends.
Murray’s 1862 Whitehall:
The Virginias offer some grass and citrus with minor dark fruit notes and forms the base of the blend. The very nutty, molasses sweet burleys have a touch of earth and provide an important semi-lead. The brown sugar from the black cavendish adds a bit of creamy smooth sweetness. The smokey, woody Cyprian latakia is a team player that plays well with the other components, and often competes with the burleys for attention. I detect a sweet topping, possibly sugar. The nic-hit is mild. Won’t bite and has no harsh moments. Burns at a slightly more than moderate pace, cool and clean with a fairly smooth, rather consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and hardly needs a relight. Has a pleasant after taste that lightly lingers. An easy going all day semi-sweet English.
Murray’s 1921 Cunningham:
The Virginias are very grassy along with a hint of toast, earth, and wood. In a secondary role is the spicy, raisiny, figgy perique. The sweet rum topping is lightly applied. The nic-hit is a shade past the mild level. Won’t bite, and has no dull spots, but can get slightly warm on the tongue if puffed fast. Burns clean at a moderate rate with a very consistent flavor. It does need a few relights, but leaves little dampness in the bowl. Can burn to ash. The pleasant after taste and room notes will linger a little. Can be an all day smoke.
Murray’s 1A Linfield:
The rich, smokey, musty woody sweet Cyprian latakia is a star component with some support from the other tobaccos. The grassy/hay-like, citrusy Virginia forms the base of the blend. The dry, woody sweet and sour Orientals underscore the experience, and sports a light spice note. The nic-hit is just past the mild level. Won’t bite, and has no harsh or weak spots. Burns reasonably well and clean, though the flavor has a little inconsistency after the half way point, and the finish has a mild musty sourness. Will burns to ash. Requires few relights, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. More of a two and a half star work and play smoke.
War Horse Bar:
The dark air cured tobacco is toasty and boldly earthy with a little smoky, woodiness, and fair amount of spice. The dark fired Kentucky also has a bit of smoke and wood, and a touch of cocoa along with a little spice. In a support role is a tangy ripe, fermented dark fruit red Virginia, which also offers a little earth. The toppings are the very rich Valerian root, a deep anise extract along with a tonquin-like essence. While they do tone down the tobaccos just a little, they also work well together to create a sweet, floral synergistic contrast to the varietals. The strength and taste levels are very strong, as is the powerful nicotine content. I recommend you do not smoke this on an empty stomach. There’s no chance of bite, and there are no harsh spots or dull moments. The plug has a little density, but is easily broken apart to suit your preference. It’s a little moist, but needs no dry time. Packs well and lights with no trouble. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a very smooth, consistent flavor from start to finish. Easily burns to ash, and requires only a few relights; less than expected. Leaves a slight dampness in the bowl. The after taste pleasantly lingers. The room note is potent. It most certainly is not an all day smoke, but if you like really strong tobaccos with a deeply filling quality of taste, you’ll have more than one bowl a day.
In comparison to the 1970s and 1980s versions that I have smoked, I find the amount of the various tobaccos in the new release are not far off from the earlier versions regarding the flavor. The only differences I note are that this is mildly more spicy, and a shade less earthy. The toppings are close as well, though the new version is a little sweeter. However, the toppings on the earlier incarnations may have faded just a little, which furthered my impression of the sweetness level of this plug.
War House Green:
A companion to the new War Horse Bar, it has the same constituent tobaccos. The dark air cured tobacco is toasty and boldly earthy with a little smoky, woodiness, and fair amount of spice. The dark fired Kentucky also has a bit of smoke and wood, and a touch of cocoa along with a little spice. In a support role is a tangy ripe, fermented dark fruit red Virginia, which also offers a little earth. The toppings are the very richly sweet, incense/floral, and fairly perfumy heliotrope along with a deep anise extract, and a tonquin-like essence. They do tone down the tobaccos a bit; more so than the toppings do for the Bar. They also work well together to create a compatible contrast to the varietals. The strength and taste levels are not quite as strong as the Bar, and I would rate them as full for this plug. The nicotine content is just past the medium threshold. It won’t bite, and has no dull or harsh spots even when pushed. The plug has a little density, but is easily broken apart to suit your preference. It’s a little moist, but needs no dry time. Packs well and lights with no trouble. Burns at a moderate pace, cool and clean with a very smooth, very consistent sweet, earthy floral flavor from top to bottom as it easily burns to ash. Needs few relights, and leaves very little moisture in the bowl. The after taste pleasantly lingers while the strong room note is a little sweet, spicy and very floral. It’s not quite an all day smoke, though experienced smokers may consider it to be one.
Designed to be in the same family as Condor, this is not a copy of it. There are several differences. This is a little stronger, a little more floral, perfumy, sweeter and spicier. You won’t mistake this for being a Condor clone, but it should appeal to those who smoke it.
War House Ready Cut:
The burley is toasty, and a little nutty with a strong, bold earthiness. The burley is a little sweet, though I don’t notice that particular sweetness as much after a few puffs. The rest of the time you’ll discern the other aspects of the burley that I mentioned. It's one of the major components, although the spicy, woody, smoky dark-fired Kentucky kicks in from the start, and you’ll taste it all the way through as it grabs your attention a little more than the burley does. It does seem to recede a little in the last quarter of the smoke. The perique isn’t always as obvious as it plays a minor part in the proceedings. More often than not, its spicy quality is mildly sublimated by that of the dark-fired. The plum, fig, and date notes it provides are more noticeable to me. The red Virginias are tangy dried dark fruit sweet with a touch of earth in an important support role as it provides a bit of sweetness, which I seem to observe more after the half way point, though it’s always there. The sweet topping, which seems to be licorice, competes with the red Virginia in the taste department in the first half, and though the topping weakens just a little after that, it will remain to the end. The blend’s strength is a little over the medium threshold while the taste is almost full. The nic-hit is a little more than moderate. Dry out of the tin, it burns well with very few relights, cool, smooth and a little creamy with a fairly consistent complex flavor. A little hydration brings out the flavors more, especially the perique. I suggest a moderate cadence and a wide bowl to heighten the experience. Leaves no moisture in the bowl, produces lots of smoke, and the sweet, spicy after taste pleasantly lingers as it leaves nothing but burnt ash at the finish. Despite its strength, it’s almost an all day smoke, and long time smokers may consider it to be one.
