Standard Tobacco Co. of Penn's New Blends - PRuss' Compiled Snapshot Reviews

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
Lassitude. Sloth. I have been smoking these samples for three weeks, and have yet to carve out the time to post this.
Thanks to the guys from STC of P, especially Woodsroad, who managed to magically produce these tobacco samples in my mailbox. Condor, did you have your yacht out in Lake Ontario on maneuvers again? Because the blockade was deftly handled. I was chuffed (that's for you fnord) to receive the note telling me to expect samples, and I've enjoyed smoking all of them, even if they aren't all in my wheelhouse.
I should note that I'm WAY TOO YOUNG to remember the original blends, and have not had the opportunity to smoke any of the cellared tins which remain from original production. So my analysis stands only on the shoulders of what was in the bowls I smoked of these samples.
Here are my reviews...
John Cotton's No. 1 Mild
Tobacco: Oriental/Turkish, Virginias, Latakia
Flavouring: None Noted
Cut/Style: Ribbon Cut
Aroma: Cedar/Balsam, Citrus, Stone Fruit
Drying: The sample arrived in a mylar bag and was moist enough to have some spring-back when packed, but was dry on the edges of the tobacco. This is my ideal moisture level so I stuffed and puffed.
Pipe: Castello Shape 32 Sea Rock
Prep: 3 step stuff, final pre-light draw is stiff, like drawing on a milkshake with the top of the tobacco resting about 1/8" from the top of the bowl.
Charring light: Tobacco took the flame easily, with good expansion. Sweetness accompanied the draw through the charring light with hints of fruit and a light pine note.
True light through first third: An easy tobacco to keep lit, the flavours evolved and became more homogeneous as the bowl began to burn in earnest. Smoke was medium bodied with a nice blue tinge, and the sweets intensified while picking up a bit of tartness or tang (which I am chalking up to the Latakia used as a condiment in this blend).
Second third: Smoke consistency is maintained, the flavours stay deep and sweet with pine notes giving way to earthy sweets.
Bottom third: Overall character continues to deepen, but without overpowering the palate. I find this tobacco to be complex without being overpowering.
Overall: I enjoyed this tobacco. I found it interesting, and characteristic of a mild Balkan.
John Cotton's No. 1 & 2 Medium
Tobacco: Oriental/Turkish, Virginias, Latakia
Flavouring: None Noted
Cut/Style: Ribbon Cut
Aroma: Stone Fruit, Wood Smoke, Citrus, Spicy
Drying: As with the previous sample, this sample was perfect for me right out of the sample bag.
Pipe: Group 4 equivalent Mike Parks' Bent Bulldog
Prep: 3 step stuff, final pre-light draw is stiff, like drawing on a milkshake with the top of the tobacco resting about 1/8" from the top of the bowl.
Charring light: As with the previous sample, this tobacco took the flame and expanded well. Flavours up front were sweet and fruit forward but with a noticeable sharp/tangy smoky quality.
True light through first third: Deep, resonant, smoky and bright. While not overpowering the Latakia is providing a tartness to this blend which complements the spicy and piney character of the Orientals and the fruit notes from the Virginias. Smoke consistency is full bodied, and creamy.
Second third: This tobacco marries well in the bowl delivering a fairly homogeneous flavour profile with sweet and tart notes blending together well.
Bottom third: This tobacco stays consistent from top to bottom, as does smoke consistency producing a satisfyingly creamy and white smoke.
Overall: John Cotton's No. 1 & 2 Medium is a full flavoured, and full bodied, English with the Latakia playing a foreground role. It isn't a latbomb, but you'll certainly know that the Latakia is present.
John Cotton's Smyrna
NOTE - Full disclosure... I love this blend. This is the cherry on top of the STCo. of Penn's sundae for me... actually... screw that... Smyrna is the hot fudge and the nuts. Complex, interesting, non-homogeneous, exciting. Right, the review. Ok. I really liked this blend. - ENDNOTE
Tobacco: Oriental/Turkish, Virginias, Latakia
Flavouring: None Noted
Cut/Style: Ribbon Cut
Aroma: Spicy, Bright, Pine, Burning Leaves
Drying: As with the previous samples, this sample was perfect for me right out of the sample bag.
Pipe: Castello Shape 32 Sea Rock
Prep: 3 step stuff, final pre-light draw is stiff, like drawing on a milkshake with the top of the tobacco resting about 1/8" from the top of the bowl.
Charring light: Took flame well. First aromatic notes are the spicy and piney notes of the Smyrna, supported by a sweet and tart note from the Latakia. Virginias are delivering sweetness and providing a foundation to the house that the Orientals built.
True light through first third: Soft, aromatic, and delicious. The spicy, cedar notes lay over the sharpness of the Latakia and the sweets of the Virginias. This bowl is complex and interesting, each sip delivers these flavour notes in different consistency. The smoke is light and blue and clean.
Second third: This bowl continues to deliver flavour in every sip without picking up some of the pitchy and resinous flavours which I find evolve in some Latakia blends. The spice notes and cedar notes stay up front.
Bottom third: To be fair, the bottom third was less complex and sharper than the top two-thirds of the bowl. But the smoke was consistent in body and intensity and the flavour delivery was good.
Overall: This was my personal favourite of the five tobaccos I sampled. It wasn't overpowering, but delivered an interesting, complex, and robust smoke which just kept giving flavour.
Bengal Slices
Tobacco: Black Cavendish, Oriental/Turkish, Virginias, Latakia
Flavouring: None Noted
Cut/Style: Crumble Cake
Aroma: Resinous, Sharp, Tangy, Wet Campfire
Drying: Out of the bag, this crumble cake rubbed out easily, and was slightly dryer than the previous samples.
Pipe: Peterson Rosslare 80S
Prep: Partially rubbed out, but left 1/5 of the cake in smallish cubes. 3 step stuff, final pre-light draw is stiff, like drawing on a milkshake with the top of the tobacco resting about 1/8" from the top of the bowl.
Charring light: This tobacco took me a couple matches to get a good char going, this likely due to how I prepped the bowl. First sip and I'm drinking Latakia. Which is a good thing if you like a flavour dominated by smoky, tangy (acrid?) sweetness. In this blend, the other Orientals are the condiments and the Latakia is the burger.
True light through first third: Bold, bright, sharp, and tangy. This tobacco delivers a robust and full flavour driven by the Latakia. Interestingly, while this tobacco could be a punch in the face with Latakia, the sugars from the black cavendish really do sweeten and soften the blow. This allows the Latakia to be forward and intense but without it being overpowering. The body of the smoke is rich and full and creamy.
Second third: Again, I find this tobacco to deliver a consistent flavour profile through the second third, as well as a consistently full bodied smoke.
Bottom third: While deepening slightly in the bottom third, Bengal Slices does not become overly sharp or bitter.
Overall: I liked the complexity and intensity of this tobacco very much. I also enjoyed the preparation and the challenge of prepping and smoking a crumble cake. This tobacco is too much for me on a regular basis, but was complex and interesting enough for me to want to have some on hand for those cold autumn evenings, or for when I need a tobacco to compete with an Ardbeg or a Lagavulin.
Warhorse
Tobacco: Kentucky, Burley, Virginia, Perique
Flavouring: Light, Sweet... notes of caramelized sugar (there's something there, but I'll be stuffed if I can figure it out)
Cut/Style: Ribbon Cut
Aroma: Toasted Nut, Sweet, Burnt Sugar, Lightly Spicy, Plum
Drying: As with the previous samples, this sample was perfect for me right out of the sample bag.
Pipe: Group 4(ish) Ryan Alden Canadian
Prep: 3 step stuff, final pre-light draw is stiff, like drawing on a milkshake with the top of the tobacco resting about 1/8" from the top of the bowl.
Charring light: Nice charring light with one match, producing a light blue smoke and sweet, mellow flavour.
True light through first third: In general, I found War Horse to be a surprisingly mellow smoke with a simple nutty sweetness. While notes of caramelized sugar, and a light spicy quality were present, they weren't forward. The smoke consistency was light bodied.
Second third: War Horse delivered a consistent flavour profile throughout the bowl. It was an easy tobacco to smoke, without intensity or boldness.
Bottom third: The flavour profile did deepen slightly by the bottom of the bowl, and I did find it easy to smoke to the bottom of the bowl. I would have been able to smoke this bowl to a fine white ash but my campfire was dwindling and the mosquitoes were up, so I dumped the dottle and headed for the house.
Overall: War Horse, in this format, isn't for me. I found it mild, and easy smoking, but lacking in the complexity or character that I generally look for in tobaccos I choose to cellar and smoke.
Lastly, here are some photos snapped along the tasting way.
The Samples!


Enjoying Some Smyrna.


Smyrna In My Castello.


Thanks for reading.
-- Pat

 

jfox520

Part of the Furniture Now
May 24, 2013
927
0
Great reviews and I still cannot wait for these blends. I was drooling over the Bengal Slices review.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Another great series.
I always love your snapshot reviews.
Great concept,

delivering concise descriptions always.
A reliable and enjoyable format for the reader to gain a general grasp.
:puffy:

 

May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Perhaps less concise when five snapshots are strewn together.
Still concise regardless of total text block size!
- giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive.
:puffy:
I should have said precise anyway,

because your reviews are always on the spot.

.

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
Thanks for the kind words, gents. I enjoy exploring tastes and flavours, and writing up those explorations brings some joy.
A note on Bengal Slices. One of the gents in our pipe club would bathe in Syrian Latakia if he could and exclusively smokes Latakia heavy tobaccos. I passed him Bengal Slices at our last meeting, and while he is always reluctant to try a new blend (they so infrequently deliver what he wants) his eyes lit up when his nose noted the scents wafting from the cake. He loaded up a bowl, applied fire, and smoked quietly. I looked over about thirty minutes later and asked, "Doug. What do you think?" Doug just clenched the pipe and gave me two thumbs up. That means he liked it.
-- Pat

 

jkrug

Lifer
Jan 23, 2015
2,867
8
Snapshot review??? That was the whole darn photo album!! :clap: Great reviews Pat. I am really looking forward to these new blends becoming available. Like you I have no experience with the original blends but I'm quite excited about the new versions. :puffy:

 
Dec 24, 2012
7,195
456
Great reviews. I have only tried the War Horse and liked it, except I found that it did burn quickly and would like to try it in plug form.
Can't wait to try the others.

 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,846
553,739
Peck: the English STC blends are all top notch. I like War Horse as an all day smoke. Check out my reviews of them if you haven't. Pruss and I mostly agree on them with the exception of War Horse, but I don't smoke English blends as much as I used to. I used to smoke about four or five bowls of it a day, but I'm more into Va, VaBur, and VaPer blends these days.

 
Dec 24, 2012
7,195
456
Thanks Jim. I have samples of all five blends but have only tried (and, indeed, finished) the War Horse sample.
I have not been in the mood for Lat blends lately, though I expect that wil change when the weather gets colder. So I am looking forward to trying them, but I want to be in the mood for latakia when I do.

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
So I added my samples of the STCofPenn blends to the Tobacco Buffet table at the gathering we had last weekend, and the clear winners from the five samples (based solely on what was left on the table at the end of the day) were Bengal Slices and JC Smyrna.
Now I did over-sell the Smyrna because it is my, hands down, favourite of the bunch. But we had some Latakia lovin' pipe folk that were salivating over Bengal Slices. The #1 and #1 & #2 were well received, but something about the complexity of the Smyrna and the resinous and creosote-ish goodness of Bengal Slices resonated with people.
Now we just need to get a Canadian distributor or an e-tailer not allergic to international shipping to list these bad boys.
-- Pat

 
Dec 24, 2012
7,195
456
I was thinking the same about distribution Pat. I hope SP carries these blends; otherwise, we will have a better chance getting Stonehaven in the Great White North.

 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
11,568
15,213
SE PA USA
"resinous and creosote-ish goodness of Bengal Slices"

Now you're talkin'
"Now we just need to get a Canadian distributor or an e-tailer not allergic to international shipping to list these bad boys."

Is there a distributor that imports other American tobaccos?

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
Is there a distributor that imports other American tobaccos?
There must be, as I'm seeing C&D in B&Ms. I just don't know who is doing the distribution. I'd guess Brigham, but there are likely more players than I'm aware of.
-- Pat

 
Status
Not open for further replies.