I think plum and apricot are flavors that come naturally from the fermentation of VAs and Orientals. Quite a few Lat blends are said to have an "English plum pudding" taste, so I would assume the smoky scent adds to this overall experience.
H & H White Knight
- Thread starter badbriar
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Update -- bowl two of White Knight. A bit of drying was just the ticket - packed and smoked flawlessly. Only needed to put flame to tobacco twice - the toast and then a single light needed for the entire bowl. I am really liking this blend quite a bit. Easy to keep lit with just a light sipping draw. All of the individual parts of this bend work together well, with nothing really standing out. More like a smooth harmony of easy, slightly smoky, savory, grassy tastes with a bit of spice to keep things lively. Finish is smooth and short with not much sweetness. BTW - no more plum. 
Back to the White Knight. Just a a few weeks breathing after first opening the tin has made quite the difference in this blend. Does fine now with no further need to dry. Perfect right out of the tin, packs & lights easily and needs few re-lights unless you're a real talker! The latakia is just right - not a Lat bomb at all and smooth. There is a very slight spiciness that is not overbearing and works together with all the other parts in the blend. This is an easily repeatable tobacco. IMHO, worth keeping at least a few on hand.
White Knight is on my very, very long shortlist of tobaccos to try. I guess if it is a long short list, it would then be a longlist!
Same. Along with Black House. Should probably buy them both at the same time to compare and contrast. I have always enjoyed Russ' Latakia blends. Hard to beat Larry's Blend for a good Full Balkan style that comes in bulk.
Thanks for the review.
My take, before getting rid of it, was that it became a little sour toward the second half of the bowl and ended up as kind of a bland, dissatisfying, hot experience. Could've been insufficiently dry but I never have liked an H&H.
On the other hand, it seemed fuller-flavored to me than Germain's Sobranie, which I appreciated.
My take, before getting rid of it, was that it became a little sour toward the second half of the bowl and ended up as kind of a bland, dissatisfying, hot experience. Could've been insufficiently dry but I never have liked an H&H.
On the other hand, it seemed fuller-flavored to me than Germain's Sobranie, which I appreciated.
Smoking some Black House now. White Knight in the cellar.
Back to White Knight after some 6-7 months. BROBS and Embers found a bit of baking soda and some chemical aftertaste. I did notice a slight bit of that as well, so it went to the back of pack. Just recently, I ran across that lonely tin, packed a bowl and fired up. Wow - the rest time has done wonders. No off aftertastes and no rough spots now. Spot on moisture with a creamy, slightly savory tone. Turns out that whoever said to give it some down time to mellow was absolutely correct. After the false light, very easy to keep going with few relights. If sipped, smokes cool and no bite at all. Good to the end of the bowl with a few slight changes that keeps interest up. Back in the rotation. This is definitely cellar worthy. I stocked up!
One word: It’s a great blend but it doesn’t make it in my top ten English/Balkan blends.
If you enjoy it, it can be bought in bulk for less than $30/pound.
I enjoyed this and Black House. Along with Magnum Opus they are well represented in my cellar
Now if only Sutliff would put Magnum Opus available in bulk... between that and Peretti, I'd be covered in LatOr until the end of time!
I saw that. Jarred up a couple pounds each of the Sutliff bulk and am now focusing on Peretti for my Balkan fix. They mix up some good damned backer. Almost wishing I had skipped the Sutliff but for the insanely low price
Let me say that when I first tried WhiteKnight after coming off just trying original Balkan Sobranie a day or two earlier, I experienced a slight chemical taste. However, I recently revisited that opened tin in my best-smoking English pipe, and it was awesome, creamy, latakia goodness. When you have veteran pipe smokers telling you that it is the closest you will get to the original Sobranie, you might want to believe them.
Perhaps the tin having some time to air out got rid of the subtle chemical taste I originally detected.
Perhaps the tin having some time to air out got rid of the subtle chemical taste I originally detected.
I've got a bunch of WhiteKnight and BlackHouse (Well, not what @chasingembers would consider a lot to mean 
but a lot for me).
Of late, I have kind of of fallen out of the English Tobacco kick but I hope it's only temporary because I have some great stuff in the cellar that just doesn't interest me right now....
but a lot for me). Of late, I have kind of of fallen out of the English Tobacco kick but I hope it's only temporary because I have some great stuff in the cellar that just doesn't interest me right now....
Been diving into Peretti Royal & Tashkent. Royal is every bit on par with White Knight and then better again on top. If you haven't tried either and you like Balkan/Oriental forward, give them a run.
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