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.

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!

Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake

Summer of Sammy G Series – Tobacco #1

The first tobacco we will examine in the Summer of Sammy G Series will be Samuel Gawith Full Virginia 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 Full Virginia Flake first impressions video prior to reading the following full review below, the video may be accessed here: https://youtu.be/Wfm-8KQZgFM?si=usBOVO2ZqfMwYdxN

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: Virginia

Blend Components: Virginia

Flavorings: None

Cut Type: Flake

Available Packaging: 50g tin or 250g bag

Price: $14.15 USD

On to the review…

From the Tin: Beautiful presentation of thinly stacked dark brown flakes. The colors of the tobacco remind me of a mosaic with hints of light and medium browns sprinkled throughout a canvas of rich, dark Virginia tobaccos. The smell from the tin is a dry grassy straw barn with mild earth and dried prunes. The flakes are extremely moist and need plenty of time to be prepared and dried out.

Tasting Notes: The tobacco is very deep, dark, and rich for a Virginia flake. When the name says full, they mean it. The body and strength of the smoke were both in the full range with a noticeable nicotine punch being present. Note, if you are a veteran tobacco user, and have established a nicotine tolerance, you will be fine, however, newbie pipe smokers be warned. This one can, and does, pack a punch in the nicotine department.

Flavors of the tobacco were very enjoyable with tastes of ripe dark fruits, earth, tangy citrus, and new oak barrel to match an aroma of baked brown sugar, biscuit/bread, and molasses. The tobacco burns down to a nice white, gray ash mix and due to the high moisture content level, this tobacco must be smoked with a slower cadence to avoid tongue bite. There were several instances, when smoking, where my tongue reminded me that he is no superhero, and that I needed to slow down or pay the price.

Overall Impression: Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake is a classic tobacco that continues to perform at a superior level. With a market that is constantly being assaulted with new blends that are “the best ever” or “super rare and small batch” any sensible pipe smoker would be silly to not gravitate toward Full Virginia Flake. I guarantee you won’t be dealing with mold issues due to poor manufacturing practices and will enjoy the savory smoke that this tobacco offers in every time. I recommend that all pipe smokers try Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake at least once and am confident that more will be purchase once its classic characteristics are experienced. I will certainly continue to have a few tins in my cellar for rotation and enjoyment for many years to come. If you come across this tobacco, pick a tin or two up. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised at the distinctions this tobacco has to offer. Excellent start to the Summer of Sammy G Series!

Tobacco Score: 4 out of 5 pipes

Interested in seeing the video review for this blend? Visit The Pipe Professor YouTube channel at the following link for a first impressions video review of this tobacco: https://youtu.be/Wfm-8KQZgFM?si=usBOVO2ZqfMwYdxN

Until next time, don’t forget to slow down, simplify, and smoke a pipe. Cheers!

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