Smoker’s Haven Select Mixture Tobacco Review
-
Kevin Godbee - Aug 6, 2013
- 7 min read
E. Roberts
Writing tobacco reviews is a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. Rather than let my smoking habits be determined by my mood, caprice or the weather, I am forced to buckle down and thoroughly deconstruct whichever blend is next on the slate. Sometimes the tobaccos reveal all their secrets quickly and willingly; others seem to be more reticent, difficult to pin down with just a few words. Some I wrestle with for days on end, some lead me quickly to the finish line. Occasionally, a tobacco comes along that overturns preconceived notions and puts to pasture the sacred cows of convention. Such is the case with Select Mixture, now produced by JF Germain for Smoker’s Haven.
Common wisdom says that Latakia-forward blends are best enjoyed in the cooler weather, being too heavy and complex for the summer months, and indeed I found my own habits to have fallen into this convention. Perhaps it was mainly because of reading this theory over and over that made me conform to it, as my own habits generally found me reserving Latakia for winter reading times rather than summer barbecues. How fortunate that the call of duty has led me to dispel this perception. In the midst of a classic New York City heat wave, I found cool refreshment in Select Mixture that has placed it at the top of my favorites list, of any genre.
A Hard Day at the Office
Tin: Opening a fresh tin releases a strong, sweet aroma of finest Virginias and the unmistakable tang of Latakia, with expressive floral hints of the Turkish tobaccos underlying and rounding out the bouquet. Predominantly a shag cut, with beautiful mahogany and dark millimeter-width ribbons, it is interestingly interspersed with small chunks of well-aged flakes of stoved red Virginia, glistening with crystallized essential oils on their surface. After some time airing out, the sweetness remains but is more tempered with the smoky florals of the Lat and Turkish, with interwoven notes of fresh clover honey, hyacinth, and a light fresh cherry blossom scent.
Char: Though the Latakia is used sparingly in this mixture, its presence is felt by how it defines the base of the mix. The Virginias perk up on the light, with the more acrid Turkish pronouncing after the ember takes hold. Immediately on the charring light, it evinces an aroma not unlike better cigarettes, owing largely to the common components. The cut is perfectly suited to an air-gap packing method, leaving a small pocket at the bottom of the bowl, and lights effortlessly.
Top: Once the bowl’s going, it deepens in flavor admirably, though not overwhelmingly, striking that perfect balance that is cited on the tin description; "just enough top quality Latakia and Turkish to KNOW it’s there." The smooth and sweetish Virginia owns the top of the bowl, burning with a smoothness that I can only describe as velvety, with a slight milk-chocolaty note sneaking in alongside the wheatish hay-like toastiness.
 |
 |
 |
|
Mid: This is where things get interesting. As the flavors deepen, the sweetness of the Virginia softens enough to let the smoky, savory character of the other components come through and take the lead. The chocolaty note becomes drier, spicier, and somewhat nutty—a telltale sign of burley, and sure enough there’s a touch of some dark-fired Kentucky in this blend, which performs a wonderful synergy with the Orientals. The Virginia remains in the chorus with its high & spicy notes, now more in the area of coriander and mustard seed, while the dark tobaccos carry the bass line into the territory of palm liquor, steak sauce and hide glue. Balance is everything here, though, and those bass notes never intrude too loudly on the lighter relief of the floral Turkish notes, which tend to define the room note.
Finish: Throughout the bowl the body stays intriguing but not overbearing, managing that tightrope walk between "just rich enough" and "too rich" marvelously. The flavor profile describes a graceful arc from the brighter Virginia-dominated light down through the creamier heel of the bowl, and finishes easily to a light ash consistently. If there is any fault, I should caution against becoming too inquisitive in your puffing while chasing the wisps of flavor; over-aggressive smoking will kindle a too-hot ember quite easily in this cut, and so should be avoided. Easier said than done, I’m afraid, because with a clean palate and reference materials at the ready, one could catalogue any number of fleeting glimpses of flavor—and a particular salt-tinged aftertaste that is perhaps owing to the "ideal climatic conditions" on the Isle of Jersey, the sea air embedding itself in the very leaf.
The flavors of Jersey Island
Room Note: Not wholly unfavorable, with some of the floral notes making themselves prominent after the light, but generally in the vein of a rich cigarette, with a good volume of smoke produced. While rather light and mild to smokers, non-smokers may not appreciate it as much as we.
Rating: 91
I’ll give Select Mixture 14 out of 15 for presentation. Its anachronistic, yet very recognizable, label packaging is reproduced from the originals and reinforces that this is a blend with a pedigree dating to the 1950s, from a blending house with a pedigree stretching back nearly two centuries. Also, unlike other Germain offerings, this comes in pull-top, 2-ounce tins, courtesy of Cornell & Diehl. As Kevin noted in his Exotique review, it’s great to see how this small niche industry works together to offer their creations to the consumer. The cut, color and texture of the tobacco itself is a beauty as well, earning the bulk of the marks for this score.
Out of 35 for the draw & burn, I think a 33 is fair to assess the fantastic cut and balance that makes this so easy to smoke. As noted earlier, the only problem encountered is staving off over-enthusiastic puffing. Tested in a variety of bowls, from tiny tavern-style clays to my largest meer, it performed admirably and equitably with slight adjustments to cadence. A 44 out of 50 is easily garnered for the flavor + aroma profile. For all its smoothness and softness, it could be an easy recommendation for an all-day smoke; conversely, with its delicate balance and deft blending structure, it could be as easily recommended for times of more studious appraisal. It’s certainly on the mild end of the spectrum, but not without some power behind the richness due to the modest amount of dark-fired in there.
Cellar or Smoke?
I smoked through a few bowls of this before it dawned on me just how complex this blend really is, while being at the same time easy enough to burn through all day. This is one of those great blends. With its quality of components, I can only imagine time in the cellar will yield one of the classics of the tobacco world. Worth its boutique price point, stock up on this one if it appeals to your tastes. It certainly places in the benchmark of mild English mixtures.
At the last couple of pipe shows I’ve had the good fortune to chat with Premal Chheda, the proprietor of Smoker’s Haven, about the current production of his shop’s classic blends. The Smoker’s Haven mixtures were once produced by the House of Sobranie, and now are again produced by the heir to that particular legacy, JF Germain & Sons. Germain’s reputation for an unparalleled commitment to quality and superior small-batch tobaccos is well deserved, as evidenced by the popularity of some of their other products such as Penzance. Fortunately, Premal does not foresee the problems with scarcity that the Esoterica blends seem to suffer from, with a steady current supply and plans to expand to 8-ounce tins by this autumn, and 4-ounce tins shortly thereafter. It is thanks to Premal’s love of pipes and tobacco that these recipes were revived a decade ago, and the legacy continued for us to enjoy.
Brand: Smoker’s Haven
Blend: Select Mixture
Blender: JF Germain & Sons
Type: Mild English
Country: UK
Cut: Shag & Broken Flake
Tobaccos: Virginia, Latakia, Turkish, Dark-fired Kentucky
Strength: Mild
Room Note: Cigarette-ish, mild
Tin Size: 2 oz.
Tin Age: New—under 1 year
Tin Description: WE MUST CONFESS!!! In our growing TOBACCO FAMILY, both in domestic blending of quality and outstanding mixtures from England, because many of us at the shop “crave” a goodly amount of Latakia and Turkish, our “first on the Hit Parade” have ample quantities used. WE WOKE UP FINALLY!!! Many of you KNOW the slow-burning, dry-smoking qualities of our outstanding English Mixtures BUT did NOT want large amounts of Latakia and Turkish. Our new SELECT MIXTURE answers that need now. MILD, SLOW-BURNING, DRY-SMOKING with just enough top quality Latakia and Turkish to KNOW it’s there. SELECT MIXTURE. RICH WITHOUT BEING HEAVY!!!
SPONSORED LINK: Smoker’s Haven Select Mixture – Click Here to Order Now!
Written by Kevin Godbee
7 Responses
Recent Posts
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 635. Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with James Ravenwood. James is the boutique tobacco blender of Ravenwood Blends. His blending started out as a fun hobby, and he now has professionally packaged commercially available products with some great tin art. Part of his interest in pipe smoking goes back to fond memories of a retired Navy Veteran that lived on his street while he was growing up that would sit in his driveway smoking a pipe all day. Later, in 2011 he began smoking pipes and soon after started experimenting with mixing different tobaccos. His other hobby, that he has been doing for 30 years, is photography. He takes wonderful photos of outdoor spaces, and still life pictures of pipes and tobacco. You can see them on his Instagram @thebriarfellowship. At the top of the show we’ll have an Ask the Pipemaker segment with renowned pipe artisan Jeff Gracik.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 634! Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with Warren Ertle. Warren is an extremely accomplished musician with a PhD in music. He started early as a percussionist in sixth grade. Later his grandmother got him a cheap Casio keyboard which he taught himself to play. He started playing in blues bands in high school, and has been a pianist with jazz big bands for years. Even though he was already a professional musician, he took his first real piano lesson when he enrolled in college with his studies in classical music. He is of course a pipe smoker. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA.
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. Or the wild turkeys gobbling in the backwoods or all the fuss and feathers over the big one—Christmas. No, it is that we might need to take note of all the little things that mean so much to us. Like a good sunrise (seriously, Pundit has not gone all Pollyanna.) Mayhaps we need to appreciate more of what we have than what we have not. Or something like that. Like, a good pipe in the morning with coffee as the dawn brings us coolish weather now that we have flipped the calendar to autumn. But it also brings beautiful leaves that have become a spectacle of technicolor in the wind. It is the little things. The rereading of an enjoyable book and finding something you did not see or learn in the first go-round. Or a stunning phrase you commit to memory with the re-read, while smoking that favorite pipe. And you notice a superior puff that just seems to be different. It’s in the air and the seasons of meaningful little things. It’s aromatic! Or perhaps it is that sense of satisfaction knowing and appreciating you made it to another day. With the world in a kind of rinse-and-repeat history, reminiscent of a Shakespearean play, it is perhaps a good moment to remember some of Pipedom’s philosophers whose cogent thoughts brought light to clear a path in the mists of confusion and confounding opinions. Ok. No gloom and doom. Just some down-home thoughts. Think of times in the past when history was running off the rails. It took our pipe-smoking thinkers (the mind workers of the world) to speak of better pathways to more light. Think for a moment, with a pipe in hand, these wizards of the world and word: Albert Einstein, J. R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edwin Hubble, Bertrand Russell, C. S. Lewis, and Jean-Paul Sartre. All learned and enlightened. They offered wisdom instead of storms of meaningless roads to nowhere. All while smoking their pipes! Maybe especially with the help of their pipes in the art of thinking and philosophy. Recall the words of Mr. E=MC2 when he said, “I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.” Amen and amen! Dealing with world-rattling events takes a calm and objective view of things, to the Pundit’s way of summing it up. You just don’t go messing around with quantum physics without a calm and objective approach, methinks. Or as the extraordinary physicist Robert Oppenheimer said after he and a team in the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos Labs developed a way to split atoms into bombs during World War II. “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” said Oppenheimer referring to the development of the first nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. It must be pointed out that Oppenheimer was more of a cigarette smoker than a pipe smoker. Nonetheless, pipes were part of his personality. Now, if you have read some of the great authors of the past and present, their pipes were always nearby. Reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can be a three-pipe problem at times. S. Lewis and Jean-Paul Sartre require time with your pipes to reflect on the existential problems and solutions these authors provide in learned novels and other narratives. Or take Edwin Hubble and Bertrand Russell, philosophers of another world. Pipes are required for reading. The quantum lode of ideas Pundit is attempting to sort out is that our pipes are relaxing and stimulate our thoughts and creativity. Especially in these last months of the year. Many times Pundit has had that light bulb flick on while smoking my beloved pipes. And friends in Pipedom, it ain’t easy to turn on the lights in Pundit’s rock pit head. Now it’s time for a quote from a Pipe Smoker of the Past. Shelby Foote was born Nov. 17, 1916, in Greenville, Miss., and died June 27, 2005, in Memphis, Tenn. A fact is not a truth until you love it—Shelby Foote. A parting thought: It is said that famed Southern author William Faulkner carried a packed pipe in a coat pocket wherever he went. That’s one effective way to deal with workday conflicts and confusion. A calm and objective judgment in our everyday human affairs, as the quantum man said.
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.
Well there’s nothing like a touch of the plague to usher in the changing season. Leaving the airport just when the first advertisements for all things pumpkin spice began to appear—lattes, muffins, shampoos, trash bags, and myriad other concoctions—so, too, my ability to breathe freely disappeared. The unfortunate side effect of losing one’s sense of taste and smell for weeks is the utter inability to enjoy tobacco. Not that I consider myself an expert on anything but my own tastes, but be forewarned that this review was made with mildly impugned sensory equipment. Just when a comforting pipe was most needed, its comfort was denied. Be that as it may, the road to recovery found me limping along on one lung this past month, trying to wrest the particulars of two blends on offer from Sutliff: the latest 175th Anniversary blend, Silver Quarter, as well as their spooky seasonal Maple Shadows II. Silver Quarter is a new style on offer from Sutliff, their first coin-cut blend. Naturally a Virginia-Perique, it is enhanced with a traditional core of black Cavendish. In the tin it holds much promise, with a lightly bready and very woody, if ever-so-slightly sour, aroma. After some time acclimating to air, the bouquet softens further and offers hints of the burley with some chocolaty notes wafting through the more dominant dry grassy aspect. The tin art is of a coin-style bas-relief bust, presumably of a founding Sutliff brother, à la The Old Boss On the reverse of the tin we find the blend’s description: Reflecting on Sutliffs 175 years of tobacco excellence, we came across a brand that embodies true value, SILVER QUARTER. This name pays homage to Sutliffs roots, the legacy of two brothers who popularized pipe smoking in the burgeoning mining society of San Francisco. We celebrate this heritage with a coin cut composed of the finest African Virginias, complemented by a core of Perique and Black Cavendish. The tin notes are, forgive the pun, on the nose for a good VaPer blend: mild tart sweetness peeking out from behind dried hay and slight chocolate undertones, with a lightly tannic finish of weathered oak. It is always a joy to prepare a coin cut, my preference being to put a few in my palm and vigorously warm my hands together to fully break them apart. These well-formed discs pack and light easily, and smoke with little prodding to the end of the bowl. For technical points it scores well—it smokes light, and it’s easy to tend the ember. While it gets sharp after a few quick bowls, pacing should be heeded to easily smoke down to the heel without inviting bite. Of the flavor, though, I am left a bit wanting. There are tart and high notes aplenty, but very little of the lemony citrus I would anticipate, as well as scant midtones; they tend more toward the red wine-vinegary and sour. The flavors are muted, also, lacking the sweetness and piquancy of other marques—the small measure of Perique tickles the nose now and again with peppery hints, and there is a smidge of a deeper sweetness to be found in the Cavendish from puff to puff, but overall it lacks some dynamism. The Virginias, to my palate, come off a bit on the dry side, and here they dominate the blend. The aftertaste and mouthfeel are neutral, again evincing more of the dry, woody, tartly tannic end of the spectrum. The blend has plenty of polish, but not enough depth or richness (*yet) to make it a standout. Here, comparisons are inevitable: Luxury Bullseye Flake has more sweetness, both from its Virginia as well as its Cavendish, and a better finish; Davidoff is similar but with a pronounced umami that is absent here; as for Escudo, I haven’t had any fresh tins lately so it would be unfair to compare. While it rates as a solid, fairly mild smoke, particularly to lovers of the genre, it does not surprise with any exceptional flavors. To be fair, all the boxes have been checked for the blend to benefit from some real aging, and it would be worth checking in on this after a couple of years sealed away. I’ve set half my tin aside to sample again in a month or two, in case I’m merely suffering from the lingering effects of parosmia, and will amend this review in that case. Maple Shadows II, on the other hand, made up for the weeks of sniffling and sneezing I’d endured. Offered in a full 8 ounce tin with delightfully spooky Halloween art, it’s (hopefully) enough to last through the season. Somehow I had missed this last year, so it’s a real pleasure to get some in my candy bucket this year. As the chilling winds of autumn draw eerie prattle from contorted, deciduous limbs, we find ourselves possessed by the spirit of the season. Bewitched by a dissonant charm, we’ve created Maple Shadows. In a season that is defined by the unlikely harmony of treats and frights, we’ve joined the enchanting sweetness of maple with the earthy spice of Dark Fired Kentucky for a smoking experience that captures the senses with an otherworldly fusion of flavor. This may be the best aromatic blend Sutliff’s ever made—and they make a ton of them. First off, it’s not overbearing in the least—quite the opposite, it is also one of the more restrained aromatics they’ve ever made, with a clear but very light topping that melds oh-so-well with their choice Kentucky added to the mix. Opening the tin, the sweet maple is up front and center, but so too is the must of fallen leaves, bready pie crusts, and a crackling fire in the hearth—a perfect invocation of Herbstdüfte in a can. Packing best in an open and capacious bowl, the flavoring is subtle, and recedes to the background while puffing. With a sweet coffee or tea to accompany, the aftertaste of the maple is reinvigorated on the palate […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 632. Our featured guest on tonight’s show is the host of the Pipe & Tamper Podcast, Mike Murphy. Brian and Mike will have an extended chat revolving around the days before, during and after the Las Vegas International Pipe Show. We will hear about their travels to the show and the anxiety of Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida at the same time while running a show and not knowing if your house is going to be there when you get home. In the end, the show went great and our homes survived, although many others in Florida were not so lucky. We’ll have clips from the show, and shoutouts to other podcasts and vlogs that were broadcasting from the pipe show.
Thanks, Romeowood!
I smoked through a can of Select and have 5 more cans in the cellar. I enjoy a “light” quality English/Balkan and for me, Select is the epitome of this genre. It does deliver great flavors with the virginias up front, but it’s so light, my plan is to let the other cans of Select sit in the cellar for at least a few years; I’m convinced that the blend with meld and the virginias will transition from very good to great in the process.
Will I be buying more Select? Probably not. I do want try the In-B-Tween though — I’m thinking the In-B-Tween will ratchet things up nicely.
Very nice Review, I have smoked this mixture and find it very smooth.
Another nice review, Bill. Since my poor taste buds only differentiate between “good” and “bad” I really envy your ability to detect so much varying flavor in a tobacco.
Premal is just aces.
Many thanks for the review!
One to try.
Another fantastic review Bill, thanks for the so many superlative descriptions. Germain IMO is the Finest of all tobacco blenders in the world bar none. Thanks to Premal for keeping this treasure trove of smokers Haven Blends alive.
Andy C.
Nice review. I like this blend in the morning. I’m a self professed “lat-lover”, so it doesn’t really scratch that itch for me, but for a mild, unassuming morning smoke, it hits the spot. I work literally 5 minutes from Smoker’s Haven, so I’m pretty lucky to have smoked all of their available house blends. I definitely prefer Exotique (great review on that one as well) and even In-B-Tween over this blend, but the quality of tobacco highly evident and overall taste profile is very good.
Thank you for a great review!! I’m looking forward to comparing my notes when I give this blend a try.
-Brian