I enjoy reading tobacco reviews, always hoping for a gem of good writing. Here are a few of my favorites. Note that I don't always agree with the review, but I enjoy good writing and especially a chuckle. Hope you enjoy. Please add some of your own favorites.
1) Pipeworks & Wilke No. 13 by Eulenburg, 10/30/2003:
It was old Herr Jäger, former aide-de-camp to prince Cajetan de Bourbon-Parma, Austro-Hungarian anecdotist extraordinaire, passionate dog-lover, habitué of the Austin Book Shop at Kew Gardens, NYC, that first introduced me to this tobacco, so many, many years ago. Seeing me smoke some anodyne popular blend out of a paper pouch, he suggested I try his: Wilke No 13.
I was still a teen and I had never encountered Latakia before. I had no idea that a pipe tobacco could taste so...magically good! I was suddenly transported to the Manègeplatz at Schloss Schönbrunn, a young guardsman smoking his pipe next to his Carinthian charger, waiting for the Old Kaiser to go out for the Corpus Christi procession. Felix Austria!
Latakia is the tobacco of day-dreams.
Looking like Fred Astaire going to his First Communion, I hot-tailed it to Wilke's Smoke Shop, a small, dapper tobaccy temple in Madison Ave near 47 Street??RIP!??and encountered, for the first time, BULK tobaccos measured out on old brass scales, Wilsonian-era vitrines laden with imported briars, and the most unforgettably delicious smell I have ever smelt: tobacco, oak floor, carnauba wax...
Wilke No 13 is an old American-type English blend, with a bit of Burley to buffer it and a smidgeon of scented cavendish to frou-frou out the Syro-Macedonian stench. It is remarkably pleasant, though slightly generic to my jaded palate, after all these years. I can't taste the Périque at all.
New York and Boston gentry smoked blends like these in the 20's, and the high-quality tobaccos used in these compositions are a far cry from the general-store Lumpen that most men smoked back then. Before the avalanche of tinned blends reached us from Northern Europe, this was a good smoke. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip in nostalgia, and I certaily wish Wilke's was still there in Mad Ave, en lieu of the Yuppitorium that has taken its place. You might prefer to spend your money in Lake-District foofaraw. But for me, nothing can take away the memories.
2) Captain Black by B.E. Goldman 02/17/2011:
Reading some of the other reviews of this well-known tobacco, I am reminded of the collegiate of up-nosed avant-gardes who populate the pipe-smoking community. It's no wonder that when many peope imagine a pipe-smoking chap they envision an snobbish demeanored 18th century English wasp textile-baron archetype.
"Lovey, I shall dine in three quarters of one hour, alert the staff!" "Yes, dear!" "Hmmmhmmm...yes, yes... and then after our dinner of baby seal snouts and braised elephant ivory I shall retire to a puff of smoke in the drawing room to plan the company budgets and sign yet another stack of dead-peasant filings... then perhaps murder an orphan child for sport."
Yes, Captain Black Regular or "White" IS an aromatic tobacco. Yes, it IS a "pharmacy-blend". It's also what half of our fathers, grandfathers, and uncles smoked. And for good reason. Captain Black Regular is smooth, mellow, and satisfying. This coming from someone who has tried many tobaccos, from your Prince Alberts and Carter Halls to your Reserve 1928s and your Revelations. The Captain packs quite nicely, lights without a fuss, and then ALWAYS burns down to the quick producing a fine white ash. It's also extremely easy to find, is faily priced, has absolutely NO tongue bite, and comes in a rather air-tight canister that makes for a consistent smoke.
The room-note is, in my humble opinion, unmatched in any tobacco out there. My significant other is quite fond of the smell as well. Trust me, it's hauntingly good. It's the kind of smell that, when smelled, reminds you of things past. Personally, I think of puttering around the yard raking leaves, mowing the lawn, roofing the garage, and detailing the GTO.
As for the taste... heh. Well, it's all a matter of taste isn't it? To me, the taste is light and airy with some more brutal undertones at certain times throughout the bowl. It tastes of sweet vanilla with a nutty undercurrent at times (especially at first), and then evolves (or devolves if you wish) into more of a toasty marshmallowy taste. It is best sipped with something sweet to accent it (such as a diet mountain dew or sweet tea) and not such a "coffee-paired" tobacco like say... Hal'o the Wynd. Certainly an all-day tobacco though, never wearing on my taste and forming the backbone of my rotation of favorites.
One caution though... DO NOT BUY THE POUCHES. The tobacco inside is dry and flavorless. ONLY BUY THE CANISTERS. You probably won't regret it.
So, this is MY opinion on the famous old pirate. Take it or leave it, but certainly consider it.
3) Autumn Evening by Dedalto, 09/18/2013:
First, you smokers of old camp fires and used leather goods, why do you buy something that claims to contain maple flavorings, sugar rum, vanilla,whisky, and citrus flavors, and promptly start whining that it is too sweet. Why are you spending your hard earned money buying tobacco that you don't like unless you simply want to bash.
On to the tobacco, it does not get ashy. I've went through two large tins, one older and one newer. It never happened. Next guess what? The tobacco was sweet, maybe very sweet. You know why? Maybe because it had maple flavorings, sugar, whisky, citrus flavors, rum and vanilla. It is exactly what it says it is. Now that that is resolved, lets review this tobacco based on what it is supposed to be. It's strength is somewhere between medium and strong. The older tin I had was somewhat milder than the newer tins. Also the nicotine was a little more than I expected from this tobacco. The room note was fine for me but I live alone. I could see how it might be too much of a good thing to some people. As far as taste goes, I like it. Guess what? It had a taste similar to sweet maple since it has in it maple, sugar, rum, vanilla,citrus flavors, and whisky. A fine tobacco which might be over the top for some tastes. If you like blow out taste and aroma, you will love it. It is what it says it is and is really good. 4 stars An aside, Wilke Maple is another maple flavored tobacco you might enjoy. Softer and some what more complex. Not better; just different. I enjoy them both.
1) Pipeworks & Wilke No. 13 by Eulenburg, 10/30/2003:
It was old Herr Jäger, former aide-de-camp to prince Cajetan de Bourbon-Parma, Austro-Hungarian anecdotist extraordinaire, passionate dog-lover, habitué of the Austin Book Shop at Kew Gardens, NYC, that first introduced me to this tobacco, so many, many years ago. Seeing me smoke some anodyne popular blend out of a paper pouch, he suggested I try his: Wilke No 13.
I was still a teen and I had never encountered Latakia before. I had no idea that a pipe tobacco could taste so...magically good! I was suddenly transported to the Manègeplatz at Schloss Schönbrunn, a young guardsman smoking his pipe next to his Carinthian charger, waiting for the Old Kaiser to go out for the Corpus Christi procession. Felix Austria!
Latakia is the tobacco of day-dreams.
Looking like Fred Astaire going to his First Communion, I hot-tailed it to Wilke's Smoke Shop, a small, dapper tobaccy temple in Madison Ave near 47 Street??RIP!??and encountered, for the first time, BULK tobaccos measured out on old brass scales, Wilsonian-era vitrines laden with imported briars, and the most unforgettably delicious smell I have ever smelt: tobacco, oak floor, carnauba wax...
Wilke No 13 is an old American-type English blend, with a bit of Burley to buffer it and a smidgeon of scented cavendish to frou-frou out the Syro-Macedonian stench. It is remarkably pleasant, though slightly generic to my jaded palate, after all these years. I can't taste the Périque at all.
New York and Boston gentry smoked blends like these in the 20's, and the high-quality tobaccos used in these compositions are a far cry from the general-store Lumpen that most men smoked back then. Before the avalanche of tinned blends reached us from Northern Europe, this was a good smoke. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip in nostalgia, and I certaily wish Wilke's was still there in Mad Ave, en lieu of the Yuppitorium that has taken its place. You might prefer to spend your money in Lake-District foofaraw. But for me, nothing can take away the memories.
2) Captain Black by B.E. Goldman 02/17/2011:
Reading some of the other reviews of this well-known tobacco, I am reminded of the collegiate of up-nosed avant-gardes who populate the pipe-smoking community. It's no wonder that when many peope imagine a pipe-smoking chap they envision an snobbish demeanored 18th century English wasp textile-baron archetype.
"Lovey, I shall dine in three quarters of one hour, alert the staff!" "Yes, dear!" "Hmmmhmmm...yes, yes... and then after our dinner of baby seal snouts and braised elephant ivory I shall retire to a puff of smoke in the drawing room to plan the company budgets and sign yet another stack of dead-peasant filings... then perhaps murder an orphan child for sport."
Yes, Captain Black Regular or "White" IS an aromatic tobacco. Yes, it IS a "pharmacy-blend". It's also what half of our fathers, grandfathers, and uncles smoked. And for good reason. Captain Black Regular is smooth, mellow, and satisfying. This coming from someone who has tried many tobaccos, from your Prince Alberts and Carter Halls to your Reserve 1928s and your Revelations. The Captain packs quite nicely, lights without a fuss, and then ALWAYS burns down to the quick producing a fine white ash. It's also extremely easy to find, is faily priced, has absolutely NO tongue bite, and comes in a rather air-tight canister that makes for a consistent smoke.
The room-note is, in my humble opinion, unmatched in any tobacco out there. My significant other is quite fond of the smell as well. Trust me, it's hauntingly good. It's the kind of smell that, when smelled, reminds you of things past. Personally, I think of puttering around the yard raking leaves, mowing the lawn, roofing the garage, and detailing the GTO.
As for the taste... heh. Well, it's all a matter of taste isn't it? To me, the taste is light and airy with some more brutal undertones at certain times throughout the bowl. It tastes of sweet vanilla with a nutty undercurrent at times (especially at first), and then evolves (or devolves if you wish) into more of a toasty marshmallowy taste. It is best sipped with something sweet to accent it (such as a diet mountain dew or sweet tea) and not such a "coffee-paired" tobacco like say... Hal'o the Wynd. Certainly an all-day tobacco though, never wearing on my taste and forming the backbone of my rotation of favorites.
One caution though... DO NOT BUY THE POUCHES. The tobacco inside is dry and flavorless. ONLY BUY THE CANISTERS. You probably won't regret it.
So, this is MY opinion on the famous old pirate. Take it or leave it, but certainly consider it.
3) Autumn Evening by Dedalto, 09/18/2013:
First, you smokers of old camp fires and used leather goods, why do you buy something that claims to contain maple flavorings, sugar rum, vanilla,whisky, and citrus flavors, and promptly start whining that it is too sweet. Why are you spending your hard earned money buying tobacco that you don't like unless you simply want to bash.
On to the tobacco, it does not get ashy. I've went through two large tins, one older and one newer. It never happened. Next guess what? The tobacco was sweet, maybe very sweet. You know why? Maybe because it had maple flavorings, sugar, whisky, citrus flavors, rum and vanilla. It is exactly what it says it is. Now that that is resolved, lets review this tobacco based on what it is supposed to be. It's strength is somewhere between medium and strong. The older tin I had was somewhat milder than the newer tins. Also the nicotine was a little more than I expected from this tobacco. The room note was fine for me but I live alone. I could see how it might be too much of a good thing to some people. As far as taste goes, I like it. Guess what? It had a taste similar to sweet maple since it has in it maple, sugar, rum, vanilla,citrus flavors, and whisky. A fine tobacco which might be over the top for some tastes. If you like blow out taste and aroma, you will love it. It is what it says it is and is really good. 4 stars An aside, Wilke Maple is another maple flavored tobacco you might enjoy. Softer and some what more complex. Not better; just different. I enjoy them both.
