Here are the first five in alphabetical order. The other five are in the second post.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Crimson Shadow:
The stoved red Virginia provides an abundance of tart and tangy citrus, bread, sugar, floralness, vegetative grass, some earth, wood, tangy ripe dark fruit, spice, and mildly tart wine-like, acidic vinegar as the lead component. The creamy burley black cavendish offers earth, wood, nuts, sugar, toast, and light molasses as a supporting player. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a step behind that mark. No chance of bite or harshness. Has very few rough notes. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent fruity, creamy sweet, floral, mildly nutty, spicy, vinegar, deeply rich flavor that extends to the moderately lingering, pleasant after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl. Requires very few relights. Can be an all day smoke or a mixer. Four stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2025.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Custard Conspiracy:
The black cavendish provides a little toast, earth, wood, sugar, and very light nuttiness. The star attraction is the deeply rich, sugary, moderately creamy vanilla custard topping which has a slight burnt note. The strength is a step shy of medium. The taste is a notch past the medium mark. The nic-hit is light. No chance of bite or harshness. No rough notes. The tobacco is very moist though I did not dry it for this review. Burns cool, clean, and slightly slow with a very consistent flavor to the finish. The after taste pleasantly lingers a little. The very pleasant room note lingers longer. Leaves a little dampness in the bowl. Doesn’t require many relights. An all day smoke that will eventually ghost a briar. Three and a half stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2025.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Dark 70%:
The black cavendish offers a little earth, wood, bread, and sugar. The toppings dominate the proceedings with the bitter, toasty dark cocoa leading the moderately creamy milk chocolate and light vanilla. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is mild. No chance of bite or harshness. Barely has any rough notes. The tobacco is rather moist, but I did not dry it. Burns cool, clean, and a tad slow with a very consistent flavor that extends to the mildly lasting pleasant after taste. Has a very pleasant room note. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires few relights. An all day smoke that will eventually ghost a briar. Three stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2025.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Hazelnut Hollow:
The white burley provides plenty of earth, wood, nuts, floralness, sour bitter sharpness, some spice, vegetation, and mild cocoa as the lead component. The earthy, woody, bready black cavendish is a supporting player that mostly acts as a flavor carrier for the moderately applied hazelnut topping. The strength is a step past the middle of medium to strong. The taste is a notch past that mark. The nic-hit is a slot behind the overall strength level. Won’t bite or get harsh. Has a light roughness. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent sweet and sour, nutty, mildly spicy, floral flavor that extends to the pleasantly lasting after taste. The room note is in the middle of pleasant to tolerable. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires very few relights. Not quite an all day smoke due to the white burley, but it is repeatable. May ghost a briar in time. I recommend nothing bigger than a medium pipe for this blend. Three stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2025.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Maple Cask:
The white burley provides plenty of earth, wood, nuts, floralness, sour bitter sharpness, some spice, vegetation, and mild cocoa as the lead component. The earthy, woody, bready black cavendish is a supporting player that mostly acts as a flavor holder for the toppings. The impact of the sugary maple is a little more than moderate. The rum is in the background. Both toppings slightly weaken toward the last quarter of the experience as the white burley becomes a little more obvious. The strength is a couple of steps past the middle of medium to strong. The taste is almost full. The nic-hit is in the center of medium to strong. Won’t bite or get harsh. Has a little roughness. The tobacco is a little moist, but I did not dry it for this review as per my custom. Burns cool, clean, and a tad slow with a lightly inconsistent sweet and bitterly sour, nutty, spicy, floral flavor that extends to the pleasantly long lasting after taste. The room note is tolerable. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires very few relights. Not an all day smoke due to the white burley, but it is repeatable. Will ghost a briar in time. I recommend a small to medium pipe for this blend. Three stars out of four.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Crimson Shadow:
The stoved red Virginia provides an abundance of tart and tangy citrus, bread, sugar, floralness, vegetative grass, some earth, wood, tangy ripe dark fruit, spice, and mildly tart wine-like, acidic vinegar as the lead component. The creamy burley black cavendish offers earth, wood, nuts, sugar, toast, and light molasses as a supporting player. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a step behind that mark. No chance of bite or harshness. Has very few rough notes. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent fruity, creamy sweet, floral, mildly nutty, spicy, vinegar, deeply rich flavor that extends to the moderately lingering, pleasant after taste. The room note is a notch stronger. Barely leaves any dampness in the bowl. Requires very few relights. Can be an all day smoke or a mixer. Four stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2025.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Custard Conspiracy:
The black cavendish provides a little toast, earth, wood, sugar, and very light nuttiness. The star attraction is the deeply rich, sugary, moderately creamy vanilla custard topping which has a slight burnt note. The strength is a step shy of medium. The taste is a notch past the medium mark. The nic-hit is light. No chance of bite or harshness. No rough notes. The tobacco is very moist though I did not dry it for this review. Burns cool, clean, and slightly slow with a very consistent flavor to the finish. The after taste pleasantly lingers a little. The very pleasant room note lingers longer. Leaves a little dampness in the bowl. Doesn’t require many relights. An all day smoke that will eventually ghost a briar. Three and a half stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2025.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Dark 70%:
The black cavendish offers a little earth, wood, bread, and sugar. The toppings dominate the proceedings with the bitter, toasty dark cocoa leading the moderately creamy milk chocolate and light vanilla. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is mild. No chance of bite or harshness. Barely has any rough notes. The tobacco is rather moist, but I did not dry it. Burns cool, clean, and a tad slow with a very consistent flavor that extends to the mildly lasting pleasant after taste. Has a very pleasant room note. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires few relights. An all day smoke that will eventually ghost a briar. Three stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2025.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Hazelnut Hollow:
The white burley provides plenty of earth, wood, nuts, floralness, sour bitter sharpness, some spice, vegetation, and mild cocoa as the lead component. The earthy, woody, bready black cavendish is a supporting player that mostly acts as a flavor carrier for the moderately applied hazelnut topping. The strength is a step past the middle of medium to strong. The taste is a notch past that mark. The nic-hit is a slot behind the overall strength level. Won’t bite or get harsh. Has a light roughness. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable rate with a very consistent sweet and sour, nutty, mildly spicy, floral flavor that extends to the pleasantly lasting after taste. The room note is in the middle of pleasant to tolerable. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires very few relights. Not quite an all day smoke due to the white burley, but it is repeatable. May ghost a briar in time. I recommend nothing bigger than a medium pipe for this blend. Three stars out of four.
©Jim Amash 2025.
Rivertown Tobacco Works Maple Cask:
The white burley provides plenty of earth, wood, nuts, floralness, sour bitter sharpness, some spice, vegetation, and mild cocoa as the lead component. The earthy, woody, bready black cavendish is a supporting player that mostly acts as a flavor holder for the toppings. The impact of the sugary maple is a little more than moderate. The rum is in the background. Both toppings slightly weaken toward the last quarter of the experience as the white burley becomes a little more obvious. The strength is a couple of steps past the middle of medium to strong. The taste is almost full. The nic-hit is in the center of medium to strong. Won’t bite or get harsh. Has a little roughness. The tobacco is a little moist, but I did not dry it for this review as per my custom. Burns cool, clean, and a tad slow with a lightly inconsistent sweet and bitterly sour, nutty, spicy, floral flavor that extends to the pleasantly long lasting after taste. The room note is tolerable. Leaves little dampness in the bowl. Requires very few relights. Not an all day smoke due to the white burley, but it is repeatable. Will ghost a briar in time. I recommend a small to medium pipe for this blend. Three stars out of four.
