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Kevin Godbee - Jul 11, 2016
- 4 min read
Kyle Weiss
Ever had a hankerin’ for pumpkin pie in July? Mulled wine in spring? Grilling up hamburgers in a snowstorm? Yeah, me too. This was pretty much me with Latakia for the past week. It might be hotter than the devil’s toenail fungus outside, but here I am, seasonally breaking my own tendencies and smoking an English blend during summer.
It all started when I picked up (yet another) Peterson product, this time a sea-blue pouch of something called “Wild Atlantic.” It tempted me away from routine and circumstantial, seasonal dogma–I’m not much for the smoky stuff this time of year. The pouch of this leaf is inexpensive, and I’ve had some pretty good luck with the Peterson line of non-aromatic tobaccos. Generally speaking, I think most of us (especially in the US) don’t buy too much pouched pipe tobacco. For some reason, it suggests the pipe tobacco might not be quite as nice or quality as something in a tin. The last time I had a good tobacco I enjoyed out of a pouch was Warrior Plug–which the only reason why I don’t think they tinned that stuff was because it would sound like a rock rattling in a bean can.
Peterson’s Wild Atlantic intrigued me, however. The pouch states simply: “Luxury English Blend.”
Opening this pouch is easier than with other tobaccos, as many pipe tobacco pouches seem to be sealed for the coming end-times. There is an advantage here, as pouches never leave a person feeling they did something prematurely or wrong once that precious seal hisses when it is opened like a tin. Wild Atlantic’s scent is very English, not too heavy nor light on the Latakia, with a fairly evenly-distributed color of the tobacco between the dark smoky stuff and lighter Virginias. Moisture content is just about where it should be for my needs, not sticky or soaked and not brittle.
When I first lit Wild Atlantic I was surprised–it’s actually very reasonable on the Latakia. For an English mixture, it does a great job showcasing that it indeed has Latakia but never takes over. Since this tobacco is in a pouch, it doesn’t get that “mellowed” action that tends to do nearly any leaf good when sealed in a tin, even for a few months. Bulk tobaccos of the same name and make tend to be very different from their tinned counterparts. Wild Atlantic smokes decidedly smooth, and isn’t particularly wild at all. Which intrigued me further, because I like a bit of edgy character in my tobacco. Far from boring, bowl after bowl, this tobacco settled with me much like Peterson Balkan Delight does, being so simple yet so enjoyable. The character here is much like that, but a more Virginia-forward version. Early in a bowl, here’s hints of meaty, barbecue chicken sweetness on the nose, but savory, sage-like smokiness on the tongue. Later on, it gets a little spicier and richer, beefier and even tinges of salt–either that, or my imagination of inhaling a little brined Atlantic breeze is taking over. It did well with sweeter whiskeys, like bourbon and (not surprisingly) utilitarian Irish whiskey like Powers, but also paired well with coffee. I even suspect a nice sipping-quality red wine might do the trick! Again, I’m not sure why I’m changing things up this summer, but for me, Latakia is cold-weather leaf. It must be the campfire/peatiness that acts like a warm hug for the senses. Hugs are the last thing I want when I’m overheated.
Wild Atlantic’s ribbon cut does well for easy packing, even-burning and takes a flame without any trouble. The nicotine content is barely pushing mid-range, but the blend does deliver some satisfaction. It bears mentioning that keeping this tobacco in its original pouch is probably not the wisest choice for drier climates, as the seal on it is nothing more than folded plastic and mylar held closed by a sticky label. The label eventually loses adhesive, and in my case, tobacco started escaping and ending up all over the place. Get a zip-top baggie for it, a zippered tobacco pouch or even put it in a jar to keep it in its smoking prime.
This is the kind of tobacco I could confidently suggest to a seasoned smoker looking for a great all-day outdoor “doing stuff” smoke, be it fishing, hunting or hiking, or even to the newer guy who wants to try something in the English tobacco realm. The gentle-but-with-character way about Wild Atlantic along with surprisingly quality leaf out of a pouch, low cost and nearly effortless performance gives it very decent marks in my book.
Maybe what I need is a good camping trip up in the mountains, or a day’s drive to the coastal waters of the Northwestern US. As temperatures here continue to climb, especially as an outdoor smoker, I find myself either forced to stay in an air-conditioned nightmare with the walls closing in or sweating something fierce trying my darndest to relax with a bowlful. Maybe that’s another thing our tobacco can do for us: sharpen our wits to our day-in and day-out. If the tobacco is right, but the location is not–it’s easer to move the tobacco to the proper setting than it is the setting to the tobacco.
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 636. Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with Barry Kane. Barry started smoking a pipe in 1961 when he was 14-years old. Back then it seemed like everybody smoked, and you could buy pipes and tobacco just about anywhere. Barry is a true old-school pipe smoker, sticking to just one blend. See if you can guess which one before listening. At the top of the show Brian will give his take on Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s purchase of Mac Baren and Sutliff Tobacco and their announcement that they will be shut down.
There’s a pipe in my collection that I cannot bring myself to smoke, though I’ve had it for more years than I care to recall. It’s old, or shall I say, well experienced; that experience, that oldness came to it long before it was in my possession. The pipe is an old Comoy’s Grand Slam from the 1940s. The shape (#93), a slightly canted, stack billiard (sometimes referred to as a Belgian) is right up my alley, and it’s a beautiful example of it. It came to me with some wear and tear; nothing unusual for an old pipe, but more the signs of one that has been well loved, smoked a lot, treated as a favorite tool, cherished, in a sense, by frequent use. It’s the pipe equivalent of a vintage car that’s been driven a lot, enjoyed fully and maintained adequately, rather than one kept in a spotless garage, dusted and detailed weekly, brought out only for leisurely Sunday drives, or to be ogled behind the ropes at the next Concours d’Elegance. 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It revivified a long dormant memory that is mine, and mine alone, and that’s enough. I keep it in a drawer with other old English pipes. In some ways, it’s nothing special, just a nice old pipe. I don’t lavish it with any particular care that arguably befits the hidden treasure that it holds. It’s not in a special box, or displayed preciously in a glass cabinet. Every once in a while, I take it out, point my nose bowlwards, and every time, those memories return just as powerfully as they did the first time. I have no idea how long it’s been since its last owner smoked it, but in the years I’ve had it, there seems to have been very little degradation of the aroma, and that’s […]
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Soon now, supposedly, our neighborhoods will shift from grinning pumpkins, skeletons in various assortments, and zombies dashing about to pretty reindeer, angels, and flashing lights illuminating homes with sparkling stars and laughing, scurrying Santas. But, lest we forget, there is the turkey season, fancy pie aromas wafting from kitchens, and a national pardon of a big Tom Turkey. Remember, now, that only one of these holiday personalities is a pipe smoker. And that is the hefty, bearded fellow in a bright red suit sitting in a sleigh with a herd of deer hitched up and ready to streak across the globe, bringing tidings of joy and many presents. Ok, the scene is set for the next couple of months, right? So, before we get too far off the beaten path, let’s just take a deep breath of fresh autumn air, shall we? Ahh. That’s better, isn’t it? What’s got the Pundit in a snit is not all the Halloween spooks who came a-jostling for candy. 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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 633. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. We’ll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss tobacco growing, what happens to the leaf, and provide updated information on where tobacco is being gown today. Tobacco production originated in the United States and we were once the #1 producer. It’s quite different now.
Great review. I’m a big fan of this blend. The packaging and 40 gram size, along with the character of Wild Atlantic, make it even more suited to outdoor pursuits.
I, too, enjoy this blend. The only problem I have is that I finish the pipe too quickly.
I will say that I mostly smoke flakes so maybe that’s the problem. I do open each pouch and transfer the contents to tins for aging and saving for another time of enjoyment.
This blend I’ll keep in my collection.
One of the better Peterson blends.
Good review Kyle,,,but I get seasick.
Thanks guys. 🙂