Presbyterian Ordained

I’m not sure if it’s old age memory lapse, or all the drugs I did when I was younger (just kidding, I still do them…. not really).  I don’t remember how I came across this blend, or why it piqued my interests, but I’m glad I did (spoiler).  My experience with the brand Presbyterian, specifically Presbyterian Mixture, was little more than meh/average, so I honestly didn’t have high hopes for Ordained once acquiring a tin upon release.  Let me just go on record saying, I’m very glad I tried this one.

From the tobacco reviews website:

“Matured bright Virginia flakes deliver a bouquet of natural flavors — bread and hay with a subtle citrus undertone and a gentle, amiable spice. This toasty, artfully sweet smoke charmingly showcases what the bright, flue-cured leaf is all about, delivered through an easy, cool burn.” 

Straight Virginia blends have certainly grown on me over the past 2 years; however, I would summarize my experiences with them as definitely hit or miss, no in-betweens.  Let’s take a closer look at Presbyterian Ordained and see what this tobacco all about.

Info & Overview

Brand: Presbyterian (Sutliff Tobacco Company)

Category: Straight Virginia

Blend Components: Virginia

Flavorings: None

Cut Type: Flake

Available Packaging: 50g tin

Price: $16.07 USD

On to the review…

If you would like to see my First Impressions review of Presbyterian Ordained from January 2023, please visit The Pipe Professor YouTube channel at the following link: https://youtu.be/IuGOTG3OKiU

From the Tin: Absolutely top-notch presentation from the tin.  Beautiful, thin flakes with a mixture of medium and light brown colors.  The aroma from the tin was truly amazing showing very strong scents of hay, fresh straw, grain cereal, sweet citrus/fruit, and brown sugar.  The flakes were spot on in moisture content and needed no drying time making for ease of rubbing out and loading my pipe. 

Tasting Notes: This tobacco is truly a treat.  Seriously!  Presbyterian Ordained has come out of left field to steal my little pipe smoking heart (or palate if you prefer).  The tobacco burns extremely well delivering a memorizing sweet room note of vanilla cream, rich baking spices, with hints of a yeasty/fresh bakery sweetness.  Flavors noted during the smoking experience include a grassy/hay start which morphs into a cashew nuttiness and finishes with toasted vanilla wafer and brown sugar.  Although the description details spice as a characteristic, I did not experience any type of pepperiness or harshness during any bowls smoked. The smoke remained cool, sweet, and smooth throughout.  This tobacco should be smoked slowly and deserves your full attention for maximum enjoyment. Nicotine level for this tobacco is low, however, body proved to be medium over each smoking experience.  Overall, a delightfully flavorful, clean tasting tobacco.  

Overall Impression: I love it when a tobacco’s taste and performance surprise me.  Even more so, I love it when I am able to find a new tobacco gem.  Presbyterian Ordained is just that, a gem!  No doubt this wonderful Virginia flake will only get better with age.  Further, I am so blown away by the amazing smoking experience this tobacco provides, that I am certain it will be a contender in my Top 5 Tobaccos for 2023.  As of the writing of this review, I have already smoked through two full tins and am contemplating opening a third.  Just wonderful!  Do yourself a favor, grab a tin or two, if you can still find it, and enjoy!  I have no doubt Virginia lovers will find much pleasure in this tobacco.  

Tobacco Score: 5 out of 5 Pipes