A Thanksgiving Day Pipe Poem
Category: Uncategorized
Ravenwood Moose Marmalade
Recently there seems to be an uptick in independent and small batch pipe tobacco blenders coming to the market. To be very clear, I find this insurrection to be a wonderful thing! Similar to artisan pipe carvers, these boutique tobacco blenders – when done well – help support the aging hobby of pipe smoking and contribute to advancement in the pipe smoking pastime. Furthermore, I do believe this creative practice generates a healthy, innovative avenue for those of us on the never-ending search for the perfect tobacco blend (this is where Tobacco Acquisition Disorder – TAD – originates from) and keeps the big boy tobacco producers from getting completely lazy and monotone in their blending practices.
For those who may not be familiar with the producer of this blend, The Briar Fellowship, owned and operated by James Ravenwood, is an independent pipe tobacco blending company and online pipe and tobacco consignment shop. Established in 2011, The Briar Fellowship is an online hub for the Ravenwood pipe tobacco blends, which currently have a portfolio of 14 – 20 blends at any given time. As many of the Ravenwood offerings are one-off creations or seasonal blends, the serious pipe tobacco adventurist will need to follow The Briar Fellowship on Instagram (@thebriarfellowship) to be informed of small and seasonal blend releases.
According to The Briar Fellowship website, Moose Marmalade was created as “a little different than your everyday aromatic. The main flavor profile is that of citrus – tangerine, orange, lemon. Using Virginia, Burley, and Toasted Cavendish, I tone the citrus down a notch with some sweetness and earth, balancing the mixture out. The end result is something that really is reminiscent of Marmalade, a slightly citrus sweet blend that retains some “baccy” flavor, with some wisps of almond and vanilla.”
For more information on this tobacco and other offerings, be sure to visit the website at: https://www.thebriarfellowship.com.
On to the review…
Info & Overview
Brand: Ravenwood
Category: Aromatic
Blend Components: Virginia, Burley, Toasted Cavendish
Flavorings: Vanilla
Cut Type: Ribbon
Available Packaging: 50g tin
Price: $18.50 USD
From the Tin: The first thing to note, even before opening the tin, is the awesome tin art Ravenwood has commissioned for this blend. Again, this is something the independent tobacco producers are doing much better than the large-scale tobacco conglomerates. And let’s be real, having great tin art is never a negative when it comes to deciding whether to try a tobacco blend. It’s part of the overall pipe and cigar smoking experience!
Upon opening, the first thing you will notice is the aromatic bliss of vanilla syrup and fruit zest. Before going any further – be warned – if you are not an aromatic pipe tobacco fan, you will not want to pursue this blend. The tobacco is a very nice mix of light and medium ribbon cut pieces, with the dark cavendish taking front and center stage visually. The tobacco is very moist upon opening and does need a bit of drying time before loading into your favorite pipe for enjoyment. I found between 20-30 minutes to be perfect for drying out the blend.
Flavor Notes (Taste + Aroma): After smoking six bowls of Moose Marmalade, I found that I most enjoyed it in a small – group 1 or 2 – sized bowl. The moisture level in the tobacco seemed to burn and perform better when not packed in large size quantitates/bowl. The room note on the tobacco is most enjoyable and continued to bring my palatable mind to glazed donuts and pancake syrup. The vanilla seemed to be the most prominent flavor with mild chocolate, roasted marshmallow, and faint orange fruits also being present in the tobacco’s flavor profile. The smoke consisted of a thick, rich creamy texture and the retro-hale proved to be harsh – almost unbearable. Between all six bowls I never once experience tongue bite and the total package – aroma + tastes – had me wanting more. This is a very well blended aromatic and I plan to purchase more tins for enjoyment with friends and family this holiday season.
Overall Impression: Fun, interesting, and enjoyable. Those are the three adjectives to best describe this blend. Has Ravenwood revolutionized the pipe tobacco and blending world? Probably not. However, it is very nice to have access to such a wonderful example of a classic aromatic pipe tobacco. In fact, this blend reminds me a lot of the aromatics I used to purchase at my local Brick & Mortar Tobacconist when I first started pipe smoking. And as discussed above, these small independent blenders are much needed to fill the unfortunate void where small town tobacconist have gone away and/or closed shop.
If you are looking for a nice sweet, aromatic smoke for the holiday’s, Moose Marmalade will not disappoint you (the pipe smoker) or your guests (the in-laws). Although pricier than most regular big-box production pipe tobacco blends, I most certainly recommend picking some up for the extra buck or two it will set you back. Not only will you be supporting both the independent blender and the hobby as a whole, but I am also confident you will find lasting enjoyment in each deliciously sweet and aromatically savory bowl. Finally, in a world that seems to be consistently fighting against our innocent and relaxing hobby of pipe smoking, I applaud James Ravenwood – and the many other boutique tobacco blenders – on being the continued innovators and pioneers of pipe tobacco blending. If these courageous folks keep fighting the battles, and we will keep supporting your endeavors.
Tobacco Score: 4 out of 5 pipes
Rating Chart Score Breakdowns can be found here.
Cornell & Diehl Reserve XXV Part I – Dawn
To celebrate 25 years in the pipe and tobacco industry, Smoking Pipes, an offshoot of their parent company Laudisi, has commissioned Cornell & Diehl with creating two celebratory premium pipe tobacco blends utilizing a rare 25-year-old Virginia tobacco that was cellared and sourced specifically for this project.
Named appropriately for their representation on the opposite ends of the tobacco composition spectrum, Dusk and Dawn were released in late July with only 10,000 tins of each blend manufactured. With the Reserve XXV being a speciality small batch tobacco, this was a one-time run and is now not available on the regular market. However, if you are willing to pony up the funds, tins can be found on secondary market websites such as www.tinbids.com for a premium price. I would most certainly not advise paying the astronomical price tags some of these tobacco thieves are seeking, as they only purchase blends such as this to flip for a premium at a later date and time. This by no means is helpful or supportive of our amazing hobby. So if you are one of those people and are reading this….stop it!
The following description for the Reserve XXV Dawn is from the smokingpipes.com website:
“The XXV Reserve: Dawn is a straight Virginia flake with bright highlights and a naturally sweet, bready character, perfect for enjoyment with a morning brew.”
Info & Overview
Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Category: Virginia
Blend Components: Virginia
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Flake
Available Packaging: 50g tin
Price: $14.28 USD
Tin Date: 07/2025
# of Bowls Smoked for Review: 7
On to the review…
From the Tin: Like the many other C&D blends claiming to be flakes, the XXV Reserve Dawn is NOT an actual flake, rather, a broken flake. I have no idea why these products from C&D are labeled in this manner, but I’ve come to expect it prior to purchasing. When they say flake, you’re going to get a broken flake. The color of the “flakes” is gorgeous with lots of medium and dark Virginias, and sprinkles of bright yellows throughout, similar to a seasoning on a great cut of meat. The smell from the tin showed notes of dark raisin fruits and sweet hay barn with mild earthy undertones. Out of the tin the flakes are at an almost perfect moisture level. I found giving them between 10 and 15 minutes of dry time placed them at a pinnacle moisture level for smoking.
Flavor Notes [Taste + Aroma]: Smooth, rich, naturally sweet, and savory. Those words are the perfect description for the C&D XXV Reserve Dawn flake. The tasting and aroma notes danced around a core of molasses, sweet hay/grasses, brown sugar, and dry toast. I noticed intermittent notes of dark fruits and graham cracker sprinkled throughout several bowls. The body of the smoke was straight medium, providing you with a nice mouthfeel, and strength was also medium but can edge to medium plus if the tobacco is smoked too quickly. At no point did I ever experience any type of tongue bite or harshness on my palate while smoking. The tobacco burns down to a nice grey, white ash mix. This tobacco does show some delicacy and needs to be savored at a slower cadence than what many of us are used to. Sip slowly and enjoy!
Overall Impression: Admittingly, I have not been impressed with the Cornell & Diehl small batch/special release portfolio in past years. I do believe the XXV Reserve Dawn has now broken that unpleasant streak. This is indeed a very enjoyable tobacco that has a uniqueness making it not only feel as though it were a top-shelf, well-aged product, but something special for the pipe tobacco enthusiast. From experience, I know that many Virginia and Virginia-Perique blends do better with some age, however, the Cornell & Diehl XXV Reserve Dawn does not need the extra time. It is ready to smoke and enjoy now. Is this due to the 25-year-old tobaccos in the blend? Possibly. But I do not foresee the couple of tins I have lasting longer than a year or two. It’s just that good! Do I wish I had gotten a few more tins? Yes. However, I hope with the larger production run, many of you were able to score a few of these special release tins and can enjoy them as much as I am. If you’ve been waiting to open them, don’t. The XXV Reserve Dawn is meant to be smoked and savored now.
Tobacco Score: 4 out of 5 Pipes
Video Review Cornell & Diehl XXV Reserve Dawn can be found on The Pipe Professor YouTube channel.
Rating Chart Score Breakdowns can be found here.
Top 5 Pipe Tobaccos of 2024
Reflection and contemplation tend to go hand-in-hand with pipe smoking. They pair together like peanut butter and jelly, or bacon and eggs. As I recollect and recount the many tobaccos I have had the privilege of enjoying this year, I found that my palate continues to gravitate toward similar blends and compositions that it has in past years. However, I will admit that I was much more specific this year when it came to selecting pipes to enjoy those tobaccos. Although I have an extensive cellar – that continues to expand even at my wife’s disapproval – I also have a pipe collection of more than 100 pipes that I am proud of. Do I need 100+ pipes? No. But each of them has meaning, value, or purpose that if I attempted to explain to a non-pipe smoker, they would surely believe me to be crazy. I do plan to write about this unique behavior in the future here on The Pipe Professor website, and possibly for the North American Society of Pipe Collector’s (NASPC) Pipe Collector publication; but, for the time being, here are some small snapshots of my collection (Note: some pipes not pictured due to a media disclosure form not being on file…in all actuality, not all of my pipes will fit on this one shelf).
So why do such a list each year? Bottom line is I enjoy putting together a compilation of my favorite blends and sharing it with others. Am I asking for validation on the list? No. Do I feel you should agree with each selection? Not at all. Do I recommend using this as a potential starting point for exploring blends you may not know about or haven’t tried? Absolutely! Furthermore, I enjoy watching how my palate changes and adjusts year in and year out. As Nathaniel Hawthorne notes, “Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.” I hope these pipe tobacco reflections are the shadow I can leave behind each year, and that others may have the opportunity to dabble into the enjoyments I have experienced over the past 365 days. Wishing each of you a wonderful and joyous 2025 and thank you for reading my nonsense for another year.
Without further ado, I present my Top 5 Pipe Tobaccos for 2024. Enjoy!
Tobacco #5 for 2024
L.J. Peretti’s Midnight
Info & Overview
Manufacturer: L.J. Peretti
Category: English
Blend Components: Black Cavendish, Latakia, Perique, Virginia
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Ribbon
Available Packaging: 1oz, 8oz can, or 1lbs can
Price: $5.65 USD per ounce
Tobacco Notes: For anyone who does not believe Latakia/English blends do not age well, think again. I ordered an 8oz tin of Midnight seven years ago and just opened it in spring of 2024. This tobacco is so good I only have a bowl or two remaining from the entire eight ounces. The blend has been nothing short of magical and I placed a restock order through L.J. Peretti during the summer as I hope to start the aging and settling process for my new 8oz tin immediately. L.J. Peretti Midnight is an all-black tobacco mixture that offers the pipe smoker a thick, rich, smokey experience. If you enjoy the burnt wood campfire essence mixed with a natural creaminess, this tobacco is for you. Full flavor, strong aroma (that may not be appreciated by non-pipe smokers) L.J. Peretti’s Midnight reignited its spot in my regular rotation. Simple and delicious!
Tobacco #4 for 2024
Sutliff Molto Dolce
Info & Overview
Manufacturer: Sutliff Tobacco Company
Category: Aromatic
Blend Components: Black Cavendish, Burley, Virginia
Flavorings: Caramel, Honey, Vanilla
Cut Type: Ribbon
Available Packaging: 1.5oz tin
Price: $10.41 USD
Tobacco Notes: By now I’m sure you have heard that Sutliff tobaccos has been bought out and will begin to cut their portfolio beginning…..NOW! This is highly unfortunate for us pipe smokers and potentially damning to the hobby as a whole. Only time will tell. With that being said, even prior to any announcement regarding the upcoming changes, I found myself continuously going back to Molto Dolce throughout the year for a sweet and flavorful aromatic smoke. This tobacco is a high-class aromatic and clearly provides the smokers with notes of vanilla, cream, light roasted coffee, and caramel sweetness. Want to turn others on to pipe smoking? Light up a bowl of Molto Dolce….just don’t tell them it’s going away.
Tobacco #3 for 2024
Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake
Info & Overview
Manufacturer: Samuel Gawith
Category: Straight Virginia
Blend Components: Virginia
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Flake
Available Packaging: 50g tin
Price: $14.15 USD
Tobacco Notes: To start, the “pop the top” video review of me sampling Samuel Gawith’s Best Brown Flake can be found here, or, you can read my the full review on The Pipe Professor website here. To summarize, SG Best Brown Flake greets your palate with a light pepper spice (tingle on the palate), dried fig, and brown sugar, all wrapped around a tight nutty core. On the retro-hale you will get an aged leather characteristic that is not present in the tastes while puffing. Aromas are a rye bread and maple syrup mix. An overarching chocolate scent will also be found by those with a keen sense of smell. A wonderfully sweet and subtle smoke. Easily approachable and crafted for those who enjoy loading a bowl and sitting back to puff on a fine pipe tobacco for an extended period, Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake is delicious and savory. Highly recommended for beginning and veteran pipe smokers alike.
Tobacco #2 for 2024
Esoterica Penzance
Info & Overview
Manufacturer: J.F. Germain & Sons
Category: Balkan
Blend Components: Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Flake
Available Packaging: 50g tin or 8oz bag
Price: Varies due to limited availability
Tobacco Notes: I can already hear the grunt and gruff of this tobacco being placed on the list. Get over it. Is the tobacco difficult to obtain? Yes! Will you probably overpay for a tin of this wonderful Balkan mixture? Yes! But it’s not impossible to find and Germain’s/Esoterica is still producing the blend (although in small quantities). If you are looking to find Penzance on a more immediate basis, I would recommend visiting the Pipe Stud website run by Steve Fallon (www.pipestud.com) or heading over to Tin Bids and finding an auction for a tin or two (www.tinbids.com). Yes, prepare to pay a premium, however, Penzance is typically available on one website or the other.
What can you expect in this blend? Silky, smokey richness, that will coat your palate with tastes of wet earth, musty antique books, dried oak, and an over ripe natural fruit sweetness. The aroma is reminiscent of an antique bookshop with a mix of black tea and damp pine woods. This tobacco has been a favorite of mine for much of my pipe smoking journey, however, for 2024 I found my enjoyment for this glorious tobacco only exemplified. If you have never tired Penzance I highly recommend doing so. If you enjoy quality Balkan blends, this is a must especially if you can afford to splurge on the experience. A true treasure tobacco.
Tobacco #1 for 2024
Hearth & Home WhiteKnight
Info & Overview
Manufacturer: Scandanavian Tobacco Group
Category: Balkan
Blend Components: Latakia; Oriental/Turkish; Virginia
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Coarse Cut
Available Packaging: 50g tin
Price: $14.25 USD
Tobacco Notes: Okay, first and foremost, I once again knew Hearth & Home’s WhiteKnight was my #1 pipe tobacco of 2024 well before any announcements about Sutliff and Mac Barren were made. Knowing that two of the top five on my list will be phased out and no longer produced is extremely disheartening, however, if you have the opportunity to try this glorious mixture before it’s gone, do it!
Being a part of their Marquee Series, and blended by Russ Ouellette, WhiteKnight is produced to be a substitute for the Original Balkan Sobronie Smoking Mixture. Unfortunately, I was not a pipe smoker during the time of the original Balkan Sobronie white label – in fact I don’t think I was born – however, many posts on tobaccoreviews.com and the Pipes & Cigars website attest to the amazing similarities this blend exhibits.
Cool and slow burning with notes of earth, floral/herbs, natural tobacco sweetness, mild spice, and charred barrel/wood, this tobacco is in a class of its own. The strength is medium and the body mild to medium. No tongue bit and just a solid smoking experience, Hearth & Home’s WhiteKnight is my Pipe #1 tobacco of 2024! If you are looking for an all-day smoke that offers a decent level of complexity, WhiteKnight is a definite win. I’ve made sure my tobacco cellar is stocked and can only hope this tobacco is saved from the impeding tobacco cuts to come.
Top Two Tobacco Disappointments of 2024
Disappointment #1 for 2024
Cornell & Diehl Small Batch Steamworks
Info & Overview
Manufacturer: Cornell & Diehl
Category: Oriental
Blend Components: Oriental/Turkish, Perique, Virginia
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Broken Flake
Available Packaging: 50g tin
Price: $14.55 USD
Tasting Notes: Not sure because the three tins I’ve opened this year have been full of mold…. I have no words. Get it together Cornell & Diehl. What a complete waste…
Disappointment #2 for 2024
Sutliff Maple Shadows II
Info & Overview
Manufacturer: Sutliff Tobacco Company
Category: Aromatic
Blend Components: Burley, Kentucky, Virginia
Flavorings: Maple
Cut Type: Ribbon
Available Packaging: 8oz tin
Price: $23.04 USD
Tasting Notes: I had high hopes for this blend as Sutliff tends to be up and up on their aromatic game, however, Maple Shadows fell way short for me. The description reads, “…seasonal blend inspired by the eerier aspects of the Fall season. The blend is a rich and complex aromatic mixture of Black Cavendish and Dark-Fired Kentucky topped with sweet maple notes, creating a smooth smoking experience redolent with earthy spice and subtle sweetness.” I smoked several bowls and never got even an inclining of these flavors or essences. Bland. That’s the best way to describe this tobacco. Bland and flavorless. If I wanted a dry smoke that lacks flavor, I would reach for an over-the-counter drug store burley pouch tobacco (no insult intended to the pipe smokers who only smoke OTC pouches). Ridiculous and a complete marketing trap. This tobacco can just stay in the shadows.
And that’s going to do it for my Top 5 Pipe Tobaccos for 2024. Thank you again for visiting The Pipe Professorwebsite. I hope you have enjoyed the list and stay tuned for more reviews and exciting content in 2025. So, all my readers know, it’s my pipe smoking resolution to contribute to the website on a more regular and consistent basis. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me over the years. I wholeheartedly appreciate your support. As always, I hope each of you has a blessed new year and until next time, cheers!
* All tobacco/tin pictures and blend information (excluding tobacco notes) were taken from tobaccoreviews.com, tobaccopipes.com, pipesandcigars.com, and smokingpipes.com. The writer of this post is not the owner of the above photos/blend information related to each tobacco and does not take credit for their creation.
HU Tobacco Nyala
Being a part of the African Line in the HU Tobacco portfolio, Nyala is described as “… a medium bodied blend made of Malawi burley with a hint of perique, Brazil tobaccos and a little amount of Havana cigar leaf. A well balanced mixture with decent chocolate notes, and the nice and spicy taste of the Havana leaf in the background. Smooth and complex” (TobaccoReviews.com, 2024).
Although I was able to purchase my tin of Nyala three years ago from Estervals Pipe House – prior to HU Tobaccos being sold on the US market – as of late October, early November 2024, pipe enthusiast in the United States should now have access to a variety of blends in the HU Tobaccos line-up.
I was met with some challenges when attempting to visit the HU Tobacco website (https://hu-tobacco.de). Firstly, the entire site is in German (I believe…) and there is not an option for translation to English. Therefore, the pictures all appeared great, however, I could not read any of the information provided. Secondly, the last post appeared to be from November 2023. Although not terribly out-of-date, I would argue the website has not been tended to for more than a year. Obviously, I encourage each of you to visit the site, especially if you are fluent in German, and dig into this new and unique line of tobaccos (at least for the US folks).
Info & Overview
Brand: HU Tobacco (Kohlhase & Kopp – blended by Hans Wiedeman)
Category: Cigar Leaf
Blend Components: Red Virginia, Havana/Cigar, Perique, Burley, Brazilian
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Ready Rub
Available Packaging: 100g tin
Price: $20.40 USD
On to the review…
From the Tin: The bouquet of tobaccos presents everything from light, to medium, to dark brown leaf, with the occasional mid-night black mixed in. The tobacco is a mix of ready rub and small chunks of flake tobaccos. The smell is easily and prominently chocolate. If I didn’t know any better, I would think some type of chocolate topping has been added to the tobacco, but the blend has no toppings or casings. Along with the chocolate, I find a dark red fruit smell present from the blend. It reminds me of an overly ripe plum or deep rich red wine. For being three years old, the moister content of the tobacco is excellent. I do want to note that I found the most success with this tobacco when I let it dry for 20-30 minutes before loading a bowl and smoking (a bit dry worked best for me).
Tasting Notes: Although the Red Virginia was the majority component of the blend, both the burleys and cigar leaf led the way when it came to my palate. Tastes during smoking included chocolate, creamy nuttiness, dry toast, and mild earth. The aroma was very pleasant and reminiscent of a freshly whipped silky chocolate mousse cream, and the tobacco never showed harshness or spice leading me to believe the perique was well-balanced or used sparsely. The tobacco produced a nice, thick, white smoke leading to an overall medium body with the strength also being medium. The tobacco burned nice and cool leaving behind a mix of light and dark grey ash.
Overall Impression: When we describe tobaccos as being “solid” I would argue HU Nyala is a prime example of that description. Originally, I would have said rookie palates should avoid this tobacco, however, now that I have smoked through an entire 100g tin, I must reconsider this recommendation. Not too light, not to strong or harsh, Nyala is a perfect all-day tobacco that can be enjoyed by newbie and veteran pipe smokers alike. If you are looking for a pipe tobacco that has sweet flavors but is not an aromatic, or caked with tons of flavorings, Nyala would be an excellent choice. We are very lucky to have this tobacco now offered in the US and I plan on making it a part of my regular rotation. Very much a recommend from The Pipe Professor!
Tobacco Score: 4 out of 5 pipes
Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake
Summer of Sammy G Series – Tobacco #2
Established in 1792, Samuel Gawith tobacco company, an offshoot of Gawith Hoggarth and Company, is one of the oldest and most well-known producers of pipe tobacco and nasal snuffs in the world. It comes as no surprise that their tobaccos have remained highly sought after by luxury tobacco enthusiast for 232 years.
Recap of how the Summer of Sammy G Series Started
As I came across a recent drop of their pipe tobacco blends on smokingpipes.com, I had a crazy idea to purchase one of each available tin and do a simultaneous review of the entire portfolio (or at least those I could access and purchase). As of the writing of this review, the Samuel Gawith pipe tobacco portfolio, according to tobaccoreviews.com has included 117 blends since their inception. For this Summer of Sammy G Series, I will be smoking through and reviewing 15 of these blends in search of the best of the best in their current production portfolio.
The second tobacco we will examine in the Summer of Sammy G Series will be Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake. For reference, I plan on doing pop-the-top tin reviews on The Pipe Professor YouTube channel and following up those initial impressions with a full review here on The Pipe Professor website once I finish each tin. If you would like to view my Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake first impressions video prior to reading the following full review below, the video may be accessed here: https://youtu.be/kq-vqngeTZE
Continue to check back as I will be posting reviews of the Samuel Gawith pipe tobaccos on a regular basis throughout the summer and beginning of fall.
Info & Overview
Brand: Samuel Gawith
Category: Straight Virginia
Blend Components: Virginia
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Flake
Available Packaging: 50g tin
Price: $14.15 USD
On to the review…
From the Tin: Once again we are presented with a beautiful stack of thinly cut dark brown flakes. From the tin we are provided smells of Earth, barnyard, sweet and sour vinegar, leather, and roasted honeycomb. A very pleasant and complex aroma package! Furthermore, and similar to Full Virginia Flake, the tobacco is extremely moist and needs plenty of time to dry before smoking.
Tasting Notes: Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake will provide the pipe smoker with a light pepper spice (tingle on the palate), dried fig, and brown sugar, all wrapped around a tight nutty core. On the retro-hale you will get an aged leather characteristic that is not present in the tastes while puffing. Aromas are a rye bread and maple syrup mix. An overarching chocolate scent will also be found by those with a keen sense of smell. A wonderfully sweet and subtle smoke. Regarding performance, the tobacco presents a warm smoke that is medium bodied and mild/medium in strength. Best Brown Flake is a very slow burning tobacco. Easily approachable and crafted for those who enjoy loading a bowl and sitting back to puff on a fine pipe tobacco for an extended period of time. In fact, my palate just kept wanting me to puff on this one. It is truly unique, delicious, and savory. With that being said, I did have a hard time keeping it lit and figured out that a minimum of one hour drying time was needed prior to packing and lighting this beautiful creation.
Overall Impression: Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake is a timeless tobacco that continues to perform at an ultra-superior level. In fact, to provide a small confession to my readers, I went and purchased several more tins after smoking through my first, as this tobacco has not only found its way into my regular rotation, Best Brown Flake is now a desired taste for this old pipe smoking professor.
Admittingly, I was worried when I first tried the tobacco as a cigarette like essence was present on my original pop-the-top experience, but it quickly dissipated, and I never had that same characteristic the remainder of the tin. Not sure what prompted the sensory memory the first go around (see my pop-the-top tin review on The Pipe Professor YouTube channel for details) but it never occurred again. Overall, I found Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake to be just a smidge more enjoyable than the Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake. Personally, this was due to Best Brown being a much more approachable, easier to smoke tobacco, and not as full force in body and strength as Full Virginia Flake. Because it’s more of an all-day smoke, I’m going to give it a nudge higher rating than Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake. We continue the excellence in our Summer of Sammy G Series with a potential top 5 pipe tobacco for 2024, Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake.
Tobacco Score: 4 ½ out of 5 pipes
Interested in seeing the video review for this blend? Visit The Pipe Professor YouTube channel at the following link for video review of this tobacco: https://youtu.be/kq-vqngeTZE
This review is a part of the Summer of Sammy G Pipe Tobacco Review Series. More information on this project and other Samuel Gawith pipe tobacco reviews can be found here: https://youtu.be/bniYy0MJmwI?si=lBjqfkSe5iPcSnLB
Until next time, don’t forget to slow down, simplify, and smoke a pipe. Cheers!
Montecristo Espada Guard
Made at the Plasencia factory in Nicaragaua, the Montecristo Espada Guard is certainly a cigar with style and class. Available in beautiful 10 count boxes, the Montecristo Espada is part of the ever-growing Altadis USA portfolio. From the Altadis USA website:
“Constructed with 100% vintage Nicaraguan tobaccos specially aged by the Plasencia family and expertly blended by the world famous Grupo de Maestros, Espada by Montecristo offers a bold, spicy and deeply satisfying smoke. Espada, which means “sword” in Spanish, is the first Montecristo with all of its tobacco coming from Nicaragua – a country celebrated for its robust and mellow tobaccos. Espada by Montecristo is a cigar of pure taste and true elegance”.
Being named to Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 (number 20) in 2015, I found this cigar catching my eye while at my local Brick & Mortar store this past week. Let’s find out what this sword swinging stick is all about.
On to the review….
Montecristo Espada Guard Attributes
Size: Toro (Guard)
Length: 6
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Habano Jalapa Vintage 2010
Binder: Habano Jalapa Vintage 2009
Filler: Habano Jalapa Vintage 2008; Ometepe 2008; Condega 2008
Country: Nicaragua (Plasencia)
Price: $16.20 USD each
Aesthetics [Construction/Shelf-Appeal/Pre-light]: The Montecristo Espada is almost completely covered with bands, three in total. I’m typically leery of bands covering most of a cigar’s body as you never know what is to be found upon removal (like a Christmas present), however, after removal of foot band and middle band, the cigar showed a nice milk chocolate colored wrapper with several veins throughout. The cigar’s cap was perfectly rounded, and no soft spots were found as I rolled the cigar through my fingers. The foot was jam packed and the pre-light smell was of rich tobacco with feeble woody notes. Cold draw was loose and showed very faint tastes of sweet wood.
Performance [Draw/Burn]: The draw of the cigar was perfect and easy throughout the entire smoking experience showing almost no resistance. The smallest of draws produced a lot of creamy white smoke, and I would classify the cigar as medium/full in body. Burn was wavy throughout the entire smoke and required several touch-ups and one re-light. Ash was a flakey mix of light and dark greys. I did use a V-Cut for this cigar due to the perfectly rounded cap. The Montecristo Espada was a medium strength smoke.
Flavor [Tastes/Aroma]: Throughout the smoking experience I mainly encountered heavy black walnut and dry wood characteristics with leather, faith vanilla, a meaty chewiness, and sweet cedar aromas finding their way to my senses. Not overly complex in the flavors and easily detected tastes were evident throughout smoking the cigar.
Overall Impressions [Value/Experience/Pairing]: My final assessment of the cigar is best summarized as solid. The cigar isn’t amazing, but it’s also far from awful. It’s a market solid cigar that will no doubt be consistent for those finding the flavor profile to fit their wants and needs. The biggest hinderance for me is the price tag. At the higher end of the premium level ($16.00) I can easily find other Nicaraguan puros that will give me a more enjoyable smoking experience. Is this cigar bad? No. Would it be better if the price tag was dropped? Absolutely! In fact, if this cigar were a $10.00 to $12.00 cigar, I would probably smoke it on a regular basis.
For reference, I paired the Montecristo Espada with black coffee and water, therefore, no pairing report was noted.
Cigar Score: 3 out of 5 boxes
Rating Chart Reference
Top 5 Cigars of 2022
Have you ever felt drawn to one form of tobacco over another? Or, to put the question straight forward, do you ever find yourself having stretches where you gravitate more toward cigars, or more toward pipe smoking, or even periods of dry nasal snuff use? Without a doubt, I do. In fact, 2022, for the most part, has been a cigar smoking year for me. Why? I don’t know, however, as of the writing of this piece, I have smoked over 197 cigars since April 2022. That roughly equates to approximately 5 cigars per week for 37 straight weeks. Is that too many? For some folks that may seem extreme, whereas for others, they may enjoy five cigars per day.
Similar to the subjectivity associated with tasting tobacco, the quantity of tobacco products one enjoys should be their own preference. With that being said, I do support the belief that moderation must be followed, not just with tobacco, but in all aspects of life. Regardless, no matter your thoughts on quantity, the question we are addressing with this list is the quality of cigars. Below, I have presented my Top 5 Cigars for 2022. Although the list could have easily been extended to include 25 cigars, I feel that anything past five just becomes grouped into a larger pool of good quality smokes. The five cigars presented below have consistently battled their way into the top spots, or in some cases, held the lead from the get-go to prove their worth, and I highly recommend readers of The Pipe Professor website make it a point to try each stick.
Before moving on, I will admit that although I have very much enjoyed cigars for the better part of this year, I am now trending back to my pipes and tobaccos. To be completely forthright, I have been enjoying dry nasal snuff more than any other time in my luxury tobacco journey. With that being said, I will present my Top 5 Nasal Snuffs on Friday, December 23rd and Top 5 Pipe Tobaccos of 2022 on Friday, December 30th here at The Pipe Professor website. Stay tuned for the next few Fridays!
Without further ado, here are my Top 5 Cigars for 2022.
Cigar #5: Padilla 88 Anniversario Robusto
Manufacturer: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez (Ernesto Padilla)
LH: 5
RG: 52
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Havana
County of Origin: Nicaragua
Price: $12.35 ea., $117 Box of 10
Notes: The Padilla 88 Anniversario Robusto was #21 on the 2021 Cigar Aficionado Top 25, which is where I learned of its existence. The following is from the Cigar Aficionado website, “this cigar was created to honor the 88th birthday of his father Heberto Padilla, a famed Cuban poet who was imprisoned in 1971 for criticizing the Cuban government, sparking what became known as “The Padilla Affair.” The smoke is gorgeous, made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez, with a beautiful Ecuador Havana wrapper and a touch of Pelo d’Oro filler in the blend, a fickle seed varietal that’s tough to grow.” I found that it was not always easy to locate this cigar and just received a restock earlier in December. Prior to that, I only had the two five packs that I purchased in early 2021 and have had to ration accordingly. However, the Padilla 88 Anniversario Robusto is a wonderful cigar and worth the hunt.
Tasting Notes: Tasting notes include, earth, dark chocolate, honey, damp forest floor, and leather. It is to be noted that this cigar does pack a punch in the nicotine department and is not for the faint of heart. Seasoned cigar smokers should be fine, newbies be warned.
Cigar #4: Aladino Queens Perfecto
Manufacturer: Aladino (JRE Tobacco Company, Julio R. Eiroa)
LH: 5 ¼
RG: 46
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
County of Origin: Honduras
Price: $6.75 ea., $125.00 Box of 20
Notes: From the 2guyscigars website, the “JRE Tobacco is a family centered company, founded by Julio R. Eiroa and his son Justo M. Eiroa, together they manage all aspects of the cigar growing and manufacturing for your enjoyment. This is a crop to shop operation as we like to call it. As the premier Corojo grower in the industry, Julio Eiroa, Master Cigar Blender and Tobacco grower, guarantees that all their brands will provide you the opportunity to enjoy an Authentic Corojo taste, the same as cigars from the 1960’s.” Making a debut in April of 2019, the Aladino Connecticut line includes four sizes, Churchill (7 x 52), Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), and the Queens (5 ¼ x 46). To be completely honest, if I had to pick a line of cigars that would qualify as the “line” or “brand” of the year, it would be Aladino. The Aladino Corojo Reserve #4 was a very close candidate to making this list, but the Queens was able to squeeze in the win at the end.
Tasting Notes: The Aladino Queens is a very soft subtle smoke that offers notes of rich buttered toast, vanilla cream, mild earth, fresh dried grasses, and wheated graham cracker.
Cigar #3: Montecristo Edmundo Tubo
Manufacturer: Habanos S.A.
LH: 5 3/8
RG: 52
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
County of Origin: Cuba
Price: $38.00 ea., $540 Box of 15 (5 Cartons of 3)
Notes: According to the Cigar Aficionado website the Montecristo Edmundo, “was introduced in the spring of 2004, but it has only recently begun to come into its own. The cigar measures 5 3/8 inches long by 52 ring gauge and is produced primarily in the H. Upmann factory, which is in the neighborhood of Nuevo Vedado in Havana.” It is true that Cuban cigars carry an inconsistency not typically found in new world sticks, but the Montecristo Edmundo Tubo consistently fired on all cylinders this year and offered its own special smoking experience unlike any other cigars I smoked.
Tasting Notes: The Montecristo Edmundo showed notes of salted cashews, leather, hay, assam tea, cedar, and sweet cocoa powder. Although there were times when the burn would be wavy on one of the sticks, the overall satisfaction I gained from the cigar was not just enjoyable, it was memorable, and I am glad I now have enough put back in my collection to rotate in these memories for the next few years.
Cigar #2: Bandolero Firecracker
Manufacturer: Select Tobaccos (Nelson Alfonso)
LH: 3 ½
RG: 50
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Undisclosed
Wrapper: Ecuador
County of Origin: Costa Rica
Price: $9.00 ea., $180.00 Box of 20
Notes: From The Cigar Authority website, “In 2006, from the creative mind of David Garofalo, the Firecracker line was born. The first cigar on the market with a long piece of tobacco at the head was shaped like a ‘wick’ or ‘fuse’ to capture the name of the line; Firecracker. After a few years on the market, the limited release Firecrackers came to life as United Cigars collaborated with a new manufacturer every year to create a celebration cigar for the nation’s Independence Day. This year in 2022, United Cigars tabbed Nelson Alfonso and Selected Tobacco to produce the limited edition cigar of which only 1,000 boxes of 20 have been made. The regular production Bandolero is available in three different series, but the Firecrackers pulls from two them to create this unique cigar. The blend for the Bandolero Firecracker is derived from the Clandestino line (Series C) that uses filler leaves from Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and undisclosed tobaccos. The filler is held together with an Ecuadorian binder and a dark Ecuadorian wrapper that is typically used on the Aventureros line (Series A).” I will admit that I have purchased more boxes of Bandolero Firecrackers than any other brand or line this year. The cigar is a pure superstar and I wish it would become a regular production stick. Nothing against any of the other cigars in the Bandolero portfolio, however, the Firecracker is a super flavorful, slow smoking stick that is the most consistent cigar I have ever smoked.
Tasting Notes: This little stick yielded big flavors with notes of earth, cedar, mild black pepper, raisins/figs, black coffee, and molasses.
2022 Cigar of the Year: Atabey Delirios
Manufacturer: Select Tobaccos (Nelson Alfonso)
LH: 5 ¾
RG: 55
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed
Wrapper: Undisclosed
County of Origin: Costa Rica
Price: $32.00 ea., $799.00 Box of 25
Notes: From the 2guyscigars website, “the name Atabey has ties to the Taino Indians and the cigar culture. It all began with Cohiba which referred to the circle the tribe would gather in to pray. They would offer their prayers to the leader known as Behike who in turn would deliver those prayers to the Goddess Atabey. Atabey Cigars comes to us from Nelson Alfonso and is made in Costa Rica where the blend is only known by a select few.” I honestly came across this cigar by accident when I was in Liquor Barn picking up some delicious wines and spirits. Like any good cigar aficionado, I always take a gander at the humidor before heading to the checkout. The Atabey line was on full display that day, and although carrying a hefty price tag, I decided to pick up three different sizes to give the line a try. My palate is surely glad I did, my wallet, not so much. Atabey cigars not only taste incredible, but they also perform/burn phenomenally, and are masterfully crafted with beautiful golden wrappers, offering the seasoned smoker a perfect smoking experience.
Tasting Notes: The Atabey Delirios are buttered cream, sweet molasses, dried grains, bready yeast, and fresh yellow cake. Fantastic smoke that has truly elevated the bar for what a quality cigar should be. Without a doubt, the Atabey Delirios is The Pipe Professor’s 2022 Cigar of the Year.
That will do it for my 2022 Top 5 Cigars. If you would like to watch the video presentation of these Top 5 cigars, please visit The Pipe Professor YouTube channel at: https://youtu.be/Ve5XwpQQNv0
Stay tuned for the Top 5 Nasal Snuffs and Pipe Tobaccos in the upcoming weeks. As always, thank you for visiting The Pipe Professor webpage and I hope you find you way back soon.
Cheers!
Cornell & Diehl Sunset Harbor Flake
To be completely honest, Cornell & Diehl has been very hit or miss with me over the past year or more. Some of their blends are very enjoyable, however, the ones that miss, tend to miss big. Specifically, I am referring to most of their Small Batch and special release series. Understanding this to be the case, I opted for a regular production blend that I’ve been wanting to try since the start of the year.
This blend came across my radar after seeing the well-known Mike Murphy from the Pipe and Tamper podcast blast rave reviews about it along with showing off the abundance of Sunset Harbor Flake tins he has cellared away. Of course, anyone who puts away that much of a single blend will raise eyebrows, especially mine. So, I decided to pick a tin up and see what the hype, if any, is about. Afterall, my recent luck with Cornell & Diehl has been dismal at best.
Info & Overview
Brand: Cornell & Diehl
Category: Balkan
Blend Components: Latakia, Orientals/Turkish, Perique
Flavorings: None
Cut Type: Flake
Available Packaging: 2oz tin
Price: $11.40 USD
Tin Date: 11/2021
On to the review…
Watch my first impressions video review here: https://youtu.be/tFLB9nn8GiU
From the Tin: Upon opening, the first thing noticed was the dark color of the tobacco. Tin aroma was a rich, dark leather, musty wood, and slight hint of campfire smoke. The tobacco was on the moist side and needed time to dry out before smoking. Having now smoked 8 bowls, I found 30 minutes to be just about the perfect amount of dry time before packing and lighting. Although marketed as a flake, this tobacco is far from what I designate a “flake” tobacco. In fact, there were not even long pieces of “broken flake” to be found in the tin. I would instead classify this tobacco as crumbled tobacco once being in flake form.
Flavor Notes (Taste + Aroma): C&D Sunset Harbor provides the smoker with a very rich, flavorful smoking experience. Tastes consisted of mossy damp forest, wood, mushrooms, leather, and an initial faint spice. Aroma was an antique mustiness with a very prominent sweet cream noted when smoked in a meerschaum. In fact, I have found I enjoy this blend most in a medium size (group 3 or 4) meerschaum pipe.
Overall Impression: C&D Sunset Harbor Flake burned cool producing a dark gray gritty ash. The smoke was thick and cool presenting no bite with the tobacco strength being medium and body medium/plus. Although very enjoyable, I would not recommend this as an all-day smoke as you run the risk of potential palate fatigue due to the opulence of the blend. Overall, I find Sunset Harbor Flake to be a solid offering from Cornell & Diehl and will certainly be purchasing more to smoke over the next decade or more (I do think short term aging will show rewards for this blend). This tobacco is very much recommended and if you’re a Balkan fan you should certainly give it a try.
Tobacco Score: 4 out of 5 pipes
Rocky Patel Sixty
Created to celebrate Rocky Patel’s 60th birthday in 2021, the Rocky Patel Sixty pulls out all the stops to honor the man, myth, and legend in the cigar industry, Rocky Patel. Aged a minimum of 2 years in the Rocky Patel headquarters after being rolled, these cigars are said to have some of the oldest tobaccos in the Rocky Patel warehouse portfolio. For detailed information and videos of Rocky and his team creating the Sixty line of cigars, visit the Rocky Patel website at: https://www.rockypatel.com/cigar-campaigns/sixty-by-rocky-patel/
On to the review….
Video Review: If you would like to watch the video review of the Rocky Patel Sixty, please visit the following link. While there, don’t forget to like and subscribe!
Rumble: https://rumble.com/v185u62-rocky-patel-sixty-cigar-review.html
Rocky Patel Sixty Attributes
Size: Gordo (Boxed Press)
Length: 6
Ring Gauge: 60
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres (Maduro)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Country: Nicaragua (Rocky Patel Factory)
Price: $18.00 USD each
Aesthetics (Construction/Shelf-Appeal): Three beautifully detailed bands almost completely cover the cigar. Very eye appealing from the consumer’s point-of-view with gold embossing and excellent color scheme. Very dark, smooth, maduro wrapper, however, the cigar felt light or under filled in my hand. Fantastic square box press with nice tight visible seams. Cap was a triple seam and overall cigar was beautifully made.
Performance (Draw/Burn): Very, very loose draw, to the point that it was a wind tunnel requiring no effort to smoke. Burn was extremely wavy throughout the smoking experience needing to be touched up several times. Ash was a wonderful white with mixed of gray sprinkled throughout. Smoke was a thick, soft, creamy white.
Flavor (Tastes/Aroma/Body/Strength): Cold draw was a dark fruit raisin taste accompanied by a small hint of earth and spice. Smoking taste profile noted cereal, buttermilk biscuits, earth, wood, and leather. Aroma was woody and savory with a creamy, soft texture. Body was full throughout the smoking experience and the strength I would classify as medium.
Overall Impressions (Value/Experience/Pairing): The Rocky Patel Sixty is a very good cigar, however, the size, looseness of the draw, price, and burn issues do not justify a second purchase for me, at least at the Gordo size. These characteristics make it seem that the cigar was under-filled and a bit expensive in the pricing category. The tastes were nicely refined, and I did enjoy the body to strength smoking ratio. I do plan to try this cigar in the robusto format and hope some of the performance issues are resolved with the smaller size.
I paired my Rocky Patel Sixty with a Versailles Brewing Company (VBC) Legit Kentucky Cream Ale. The beer and cigar paired well together with the beer offering an opposing balance to the heavy flavors and body the cigar presented on its close. The VBC Legit was crisp and refreshing, with nice light malty flavors and plenty or carbonation. It reminded me of a nice refreshing champagne.
I’m glad I was able to try the Rocky Patel Sixty and was able to confirm that the larger ring gauge cigars are not for me. I do look forward to trying the Sixty in other vitolas but will not be picking up any more of the 60 ring gauge samples.
Cigar Score: 3 out of 5 boxes
The Pipe Professor 