SO this isn't a review, because Grand Croupier is a 'bits and ends' blend from SP. As such, it is ever changing and I don't want these thoughts to color your decision to buy or not buy this tobacco. From the SP site:
This batch has been daunting, however. I tried it out in a brand new ROPP Vagabond. I figured this would make sense. Vagabond pipe, bits and ends blend... you know sort of a theme.
If you have never seen a vagabond pipe, they are the ugly beautiful tree branch pipes that are all finished asemetrically... But I digress.
The tobacco is undoubtably high quality. Smells good in the jar, a bit on the dry side but no overwhelming scents come at me. Very loosely cut and packs easily. Lights with no problem and stays lit.
So the flavor of this is very mild in fact, I am unsure how so many people could buy enough mild english tobacco as to merit me getting a pound of this. There seems NO latakia. This tobacco is not smokey, no BBQ, no tang of perique, either.
So in the beginning, there are some hints of spice that are complex and good. Then it passes through that and tastes quite a bit like a spicy cigar. Not that I mind this, it just does'nt strike me as being an English/Lat. It gets a bit ashy tasting like some cigars do and will bite the tongue if not smoked at a decent pace. In the middle, I caught some sweet virginia flavor briefly, as well. That was pleasant.
From time to time, some hints of the pleasant spice will come out, but then back to the ashy cigar taste. The room note of this is not super awesome either. :!:
It burns well, down to a fine white ash with little to no dottle. No left over ghosting seems to be happening, either. I have no doubt it is good quality leaf.
I have not had any experience to date with cigar leaf style pipe tobacco. I don't hear too many people raving about them though.
I just don't get along with this tobacco very well. This is a first. I have loved every tobacco I have tried, to some extent, with the exception of 1792. I guess it was only a matter of time before I found a 'meh' tobacco.
I think I will try this again in another pipe or two for variety, now that I know it won't ghost. If it doesn't pick up, I may jar it for a year or two and see what happens.
With these things, you pay little and get what you get and you don't throw a fit, as it were.
This batch has been daunting, however. I tried it out in a brand new ROPP Vagabond. I figured this would make sense. Vagabond pipe, bits and ends blend... you know sort of a theme.
If you have never seen a vagabond pipe, they are the ugly beautiful tree branch pipes that are all finished asemetrically... But I digress.
The tobacco is undoubtably high quality. Smells good in the jar, a bit on the dry side but no overwhelming scents come at me. Very loosely cut and packs easily. Lights with no problem and stays lit.
So the flavor of this is very mild in fact, I am unsure how so many people could buy enough mild english tobacco as to merit me getting a pound of this. There seems NO latakia. This tobacco is not smokey, no BBQ, no tang of perique, either.
So in the beginning, there are some hints of spice that are complex and good. Then it passes through that and tastes quite a bit like a spicy cigar. Not that I mind this, it just does'nt strike me as being an English/Lat. It gets a bit ashy tasting like some cigars do and will bite the tongue if not smoked at a decent pace. In the middle, I caught some sweet virginia flavor briefly, as well. That was pleasant.
From time to time, some hints of the pleasant spice will come out, but then back to the ashy cigar taste. The room note of this is not super awesome either. :!:
It burns well, down to a fine white ash with little to no dottle. No left over ghosting seems to be happening, either. I have no doubt it is good quality leaf.
I have not had any experience to date with cigar leaf style pipe tobacco. I don't hear too many people raving about them though.
I just don't get along with this tobacco very well. This is a first. I have loved every tobacco I have tried, to some extent, with the exception of 1792. I guess it was only a matter of time before I found a 'meh' tobacco.
I think I will try this again in another pipe or two for variety, now that I know it won't ghost. If it doesn't pick up, I may jar it for a year or two and see what happens.