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Super Value - English Mixture 1.5oz
Nice baby English
A friend o mine (Donald T.) gave me a pouch of this. Don't let the brand name fool you. This is decent tobacco. I was pleasantly surprised. The ribbon cut was nice. The pouch note is excellent. Moisture is decent. The smoke is rather nice. It is similar to John Bull or American Patriot. It is light for an English Blend, but it is ideal for somebody wanted to break into English Blends, or for somebody that wants something a little stronger than the aromatic blends.

Peterson - Irish Flake 50g
Not what I expected, but nice
I am not a big burley fan, so I was hesitant with this blend. I love DFK, so I felt it might work out. I rubbed this flaked out and packed my pipe. The charring light went smoothly. I think I had to relight a couple of times, but it was a fresh tin. The room note wasn't great, but the taste was pleasant. The dark fired kentucky seemed balanced well with the virginia and burley. The nicotine was strong, but not as much as I was led to believe. I have smoked some other blends like Royal Yacht and Dunhills that are stronger, but I would caution the novice.

Missouri Meerschaum - American Patriot 1.5oz
Nice light English blend
I smoke a fair amount of English, but I started out with aromatics. My tastes run the spectrum. Donald T introduced me to this blend. I believe this was one of those that surprised me. The pouch note was nice. The room note was similar to an aromatic (maybe the black cavendish). This blend was nicely balanced and had a slightly sweet, smokey taste, with a bit of spiciness that won me over quickly. It seemed to be similar to that of John Bull with a little more kick to it. All things said, this is one to have handy, if you can get it. It seems to be on back order most of the time.

G. L. Pease - Abingdon 2oz
Did not fail to please
I had read about this blend many times. I love latakia, but for some reason, I have passed on this blend. Finally, a buddy brought some to try. The tin note was exquisite. The latakia and orientals seem to call to you. The moisture level was optimal and the mechanics of packing and lighting went well. The charring light was indicative of the awesomeness to come. This was a great balanced latakia smoke. It burned a little fast, but the experience was near perfection from light to dottle.

Dunhill - Royal Yacht 50g
Nicotine Barge
This is one of those blends that was unexpected. A buddy showed up with it. My son smoked it and loved the nicotine rush it gave him. I was intrigued. The tin note was pleasant, but smelled of plums. The ribbon cut tobacco was moist and easy to pack. The charring light went well and the taste was subtle. I remember the flavors seeming to be add odds with the tin note, and the overall experience was more about the nicotine. It was quite powerful. I have had some heavy nicotine blends before, so this was notable. Overall, it was not a bad smoke, but if the nicotine is the lasting reminder, it isn't a great smoke.

Sutliff - SPS-2000 Sunset Rum
My buddy's go-to for about a decade
My buddy, I believe his review is right above this one, has been smoking this for a long time. I prefer English blends, so keep that in mind. Burley is not my favorite tobacco, but this blend does burley and virginia right. The tin/bag note of Sunset Rum is great. You could bury your nose in it. It also smells wonderful. After years of smelling it, I have been around for the compliments on the room note. It burns nice and even. The taste is intoxicating. You get this mellow, creamy taste of rum cake (without the calories).

Sutliff - Cinnamon Delight
Something Delight
I love black cavendish and Cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors. As stated in many of the other reviews (including the one in Spanish) the Cinnamon seems to escaped the tobacco. The black cavendish was nice, no doubt. I was hoping for something more substantial in terms of cinnamon flavor though. This was like you had cinnamon flavor tea several hours ago, and there is the tiniest remnant of an aftertaste left. The moisture of the tobacco was fine. It burned well and the room note is what you would expect with Black Cavendish. I had high hopes for this blend.

Sutliff - B26 Dark Honey & Berry Cavendish
Starts off a little soapy
The black cavendish was the draw for me here. Overall, this is not a bad smoke. The cut is little rough, almost shag, but that isn't much of a problem. It is easy to light and doesn't goop in the bottom of the bowl, which can be a problem with some BC blends. The big issue I had was the subtle taste of perfumed soap at first. Maybe it is the casing or another chemical, but it put me off a little. I find it burns off after a few minutes. It is more of an after taste than anything, but I noticed each time I smoked it. Other than that, it is a decent smoke. Burns nicely, average burn time, good room note.

Sutliff - Match 20
Nice match
With the publication of Dunhill ceasing their production of pipe tobacco, I wanted to make sure there were suitable alternatives. Dunhill 965 is one of those tobaccos I felt I wanted to buy in bulk or find a replacement for. Fortunately, I didn't have to look far. Match 965, in my opinion, fits the bill. This gem provides a nice Lat bomb lovers fix. My mouth is salivating thinking about it. The black cavendish and Latakia meld with the oriental to produce an ideal miasma of deliciousness. Needless to say. I believe my first smoke tonight will be Match 965.

Kramer's - Father Dempsey
Father knows best
I don't know who Father Dempsey was, but he knew his tobacco. This blend was a great smoke. I really enjoyed the mixture of latakia, virginia, and orientals. I like to taste the latakia, and the orientals add a little something without overemphasizing their presence. This was definitely the case here. Father Dempsey smokes nice and slow. It lights easily and moves through like a good steady sermon, strong and resolute but with a great note. Enjoy.

John Cotton's - Numbers 1 & 2 1.75oz
Label mislead me to bathroom talk.
This blend was a light, light English Aromatic. I have a difficult time detecting the Latakia. Still, it was smooth and pleasant to smoke. Maybe, it works to introduce folks to English blends. JC No 1&2 is reminiscent of John Bull (English Aro), but a little lighter. All things considered, I recommend this one, especially those who are tipping toes into the English blends.

Sutliff - Z92 Vanilla Custard
Strong Vanilla Taste and Aroma
A friend gave me some of this to sample, and I ordered it. We were smoking on my porch. I am not much of a vanilla fan, but when it comes to smoking it, something is different. I like it that way. Anyway, I smell this terrific puff of VANILLA, and I ask what he's smoking. He throws me a bag of VC. I smoked a bowl, pulled out my phone, and ordered some. This is like the creamiest vanilla bean ice cream you ever had distilled into smoke form. It is delightful. I haven't had anything (bar-none) that has come close to this.

Sutliff - Irish Creme
Bit o' the bailey's
Sometimes I am looking for a one-dimensional smoke. Irish Creme fills that urge for Bailey's. It is creamy and smooth. Mellow. I can hear bagpipes in the distance and the lilt of an Irishman in somewhere. The smoke wafting in the air carries hints of Irish Creme and I wish I had some. As far as Aromatics go, this one delivers on the name in taste and aroma.

Captain Black - Grape 1.5oz
Good Golly Grape Ghost Galore
My buddy and I meet up regularly on Saturday. He, my son, and I smoke tobacco and converse. We often purchase new tobaccos to try. We had heard about CB Grape, so he purchased it. He said he had left it in his truck at work and it overpowered his vehicle with "GRAPE" scent. He had to put it in the backseat, away from other tobaccos. Any pipe you smoked it in "ghosted" the pipe badly. Be warned, any pipe. As far as the CB Grape, it was nice. It had a nice grape flavor. Something similar to Grape Nehi or Fanta Grape. If you like that in your smoke, this is for you. The 100 or so yards around my porch smelled like "GRAPE". I think we attracted a fresh swarm of Africanized bees from South America and kids look for a shaved ice stand. The tobacco burned down to a fine white ash, and the smoke had the CB gray-white smoke. It burned fast, as CB tends to do. Overall, I considered the experience good. I am not sure I would buy this to have. They issue not being the tobacco, but the "ghosting" quality it has on everything. It permeates the area it is in heavily. It has been several months and the swarm of bees has either left or gone underground.

Captain Black - Dark 1.5oz
On the dark side
Captain Black Cavendish is one of those comfort smokes for me. When I just want smooth and easy, CB Dark does it. The scent is akin to vanilla but the taste is a nutty (hazlenut?) sweetness. I have never had an issue with tongue bite. It will burn hot and fast, so you have to slow your cadence with it, but it is about slowing down for me anyway. For the price and product, I don't think you can come close to CB Dark.

Balkan Sobranie - Balkan Sobranie 50g
Doesn't dissapoint
My buddy brought this over to try. After waiting for over a year, I finally got a chance to try it. It was worth the wait. The tin note was nice. Rarely, is that the case with a balkan. You could taste the latakia and orientals, but they were not overstated. Synergy was definitely at play here. Things were working together and it my taste buds were loving it. The smell was heavenly. The bowl burned downed slowly to a fine ash. I cannot compare this to the original, but on its own merit, this was one great smoke.

Amphora - Special Reserve Black Cavendish 1.75oz
Black Cavendish good, burley bad
I love Black Cavendish and Virginia. Burley is not one of those things I care for. Still, it can compliment a blend, and for that reason, I continue to try blends with it. When I saw the chance of the aforementioned and citrus, I thought this might be a fine mixture to ponder. Unfortunately, the burley didn't seem to work for me this time. I am currently cellaring this, in hopes it well mellow. So far, it has been about three months. I will revisit if something changes.

Sutliff - #600 Mixture 79
Old ladies perfume cabinet
When I was a kid, I was in a hallway with a dozen or so of our more geriatric choir ladies. They were all dressed for Sunday Church and wearing perfume. The smell was strong of flowery perfume of many different types in that narrow hall. When I lit that bowl of Mixture 79, it was as if somebody had bottled the essence of that moment, planted it, and grew it in tobacco form , and then harvested it. That is what this blend tasted like. I usually smoke for five minutes to give something a chance to settle, or the charring light to take, but this didn't subside. It was tenacious. I felt like those ladies were all there again humming refrains from their practice.

Sutliff - Revelation Match
What a revelation
I bought this and Epiphany at the same time. You can read my review of Epiphany at Smoking Pipes too. I found this to be an awesome blend. I think the combination of tobaccos and the right amounts were masterfully blended because this creation is a pleasure to imbibe. It is something one could easily smoke all day, everyday. The aroma is enticing, and the savor flavor compels you back to another bowl. I can see why Einstein smoked this. I just don't know how he did everything else too!

Cornell & Diehl - Tuggle Hall
Burley forward
I have tried this three times now. I am cellaring it for a month. At this time, the burley is too strong in the mixture to enjoy. I think if it mellows, I could taste the perique and latakia better. At present, those appear in whispers or hints to tease me of what "could be". I love the fine ribbon cut of this blend. The tin note is pleasant, which is difficult with latakia and perique, but I am hoping the cellar time will tell the tale.

Cornell & Diehl - Super Balkan
Stout but good
I like latakia and VaPers. So far, my luck with orientals have been good. Burley is hit and miss, but I try things. This was one of those hits. Super Balkan was a nice Medium - Strong English mixture. The latakia flavor came through well, and the virginia and perique played well off each other. The oriental and burley complimented the other tobaccos well and this was a fine blend to smoke. It was an enjoyable, leisurely smoke.

Cornell & Diehl - Latakia
This is what they smoke in heaven!
I know you are supposed to mix it. I mixed mine 50/50. Latakia/latakia. My buddy (Awesome guy) brought this over to try. I filled up my biggest bowl (Missouri Meerschaum General) and smoked it. This was smooth, smokey, silky, and sultry. I am hard-pressed to understand the need to mix it with other stuff, unless you are trying to make it last longer (best guess?). This was a great smoke. I am trying to figure what blends that good use some extra help to use it on... or maybe another straight indulgence.

Cornell & Diehl - Epiphany
Gave it away
I smoked two bowls of this and gave it to my buddy. I think the burley over-powered everything else because I couldn't taste anything but a cigarette taste. With a typical VaPer, you have to smoke it slow to avoid tongue bite, but that wasn't an issue. Normally, the burley offsets that issue anyway. No, the burley seemed to be all I could taste. If you like burley, and I don't, this is probably right up your alley. If you like Latakia, Virginia, and Perique, this is going to be very subtle.

Cornell & Diehl - Crooner
Nothing to sing about
I have to qualify this by saying I am not much of a burley smoker. It tastes like cigarettes to me. So, if you like burley you might discount this review. Still, I have to say this wasn't bad for a burley. The cigarette taste was really subdued, and the deertongue had a nice vanilla tinge to it. Unfortunately, that is where things ended. If it had more to offer, I might have rated it higher. It was smooth, no tongue bite, and it smelled pleasant. It burned evenly and slow, but it came across as one-dimensional to me.

Lane Limited - 125th Anniversary
Nice mellow VaPer
You can easily see why Lane went with this for their 125th Anniversary. It is a fine smoke. To be honest, I think it is nice departure from their usual faire, which leans heavily toward aromatics (though nice ones). The blend is nice an mellow, and it smokes slowly to a fine gray-white ash. The golden virginias smelled great in the bag, and the room note was nice. There was a subtle spiciness in the retro-hale. This is definitely a keeper.

Newminster - No.17 English Luxus
Lucius Luxus
This was my first foray into Newminster's tobacco. I have to say it was a nice one. I consider this a Scottish blend (Has Black Cavendish) and when you have Latakia, Virginias, and Black Canvendish, you have my attention. Blend them right, and you have my attention for now on. No 17 English Luxus has achieved that with this smooth, slow-burning endeavor. I found the room note please (for an English Blend), and the taste was amazing. I will be ordering more of this.

Sutliff - D64 Queen Anne's Revenge
Awesome Aromatic
A friend of mine brought over a concoction called "Halfling Weed". It was a mixture of BCA-Very Cherry-1Q . In other words, it had Black Cavendish, Cherry, and Vanilla flavors. I liked it for the most part, but I could do without the cherry. Queen Ann's Revenge is that without the Cherry. I love the mixture, it has a great room note. The tin note makes you want to eat it. The tobacco isn't goopy, but it does burn a little fast, and a little hot. Otherwise, you have an awesome aromatic.

Planta - Anno MMX (After Dinner Mixture)
Whiskey Fruit?
I bought this to try it out because it said whiskey. When it came in, I forgot what it had in it. Much to my surprise, I thought this one had some kind of fruit. It smelled nice and tasted good. I kept trying to figure out the ingredient while I enjoyed the smooth and exotic complexity of the smoke. The bowl burned down slowly, so I had a long time to ponder the nature of the fruity taste. I never figured it out. When I looked it up, I was shocked to see it was supposed to be whiskey. I would not say I tasted whiskey, but I really enjoyed the flavor. I gave this 3.5 stars because it doesn't taste like whiskey, but if I had to rate it on taste without the attempt to taste like whiskey, I would give it 4.5 stars. It smells great, tastes great, and burns cool and long.

Dunhill - Elizabethan Mixture 50g
Too much of the cigarette for me
I like VaPers, so I thought this would be awesome. My first attempt left me thinking it needed to cellar. I put it away for a week. I came back to it, and it still seemed the same. I waited a month. It was mellower, but not to the point I wanted to smoke it. I am holding out of another month with the hopes more time will pay dividends. My gut tells me that patience will make it worthwhile. Otherwise, this will be the first VaPer to let me down.

Dunhill - Nightcap 50g
Lights Out
I am still working on my first tin, but wow. This packs a punch. I love latakia and Nightcap delivers. The virginias, orientals, and perique are, in my opinion, well balanced to provide a premium smoke that is sure to last. This blend is a great way to wind down the evening.

Planta - Anno MMVII (Black Mixture)
Great Bilberry flavor
If you are looking for an aromatic with a strong fruit flavor (Bilberry), then look no further. This blend has it. Bilberry is similar to blueberry, by the way and it smells great. I love to be near this one somebody else is smoking it almost as much as I like smoking it. It has a great room note. The taste is nice. It has a great mellow and smooth flavor without any tongue bite. It burns well with no goop. I have bought my second order of this one.

Sutliff - 503 Heavy English
Not-so Heavy English
Despite the name, this English is nice. I liked the Latakia flavor, and the oriental added a nice spice to the taste. The strength of the name is nothing in keeping with the tobacco as I would consider this more light - medium English. Still, this is a nice English. I would recommend this to somebody wanting to try an English blend.

Peter Stokkebye - PS400 Luxury Navy Flake
Nice VaPer Flake
I enjoy the peppery spice of perique juxtaposed with the sweetness of virginias. To me, it is a nice combination, sort of like barbecue. The LNF was really nice, the retro-hale on it had me on cloud nine. I think that the perique was perfect. The virginias were balanced to bring just the right amount of sweetness without it making it too sweet. Sometimes, you feel overwhelmed with the effort, or it is bitter and peppery mess that comes off poorly.

Carter Hall - Carter Hall 1.5oz Pouch
5 minutes of dirt...
I have a 5 minute rule. Tolerate 5 minutes of a bowl and then, if not better toss it. Carter Hall was almost tossed. I would have sworn somebody packed my pipe with potting soil. I couldn't imagine what would possess somebody to smoke the stuff. After about 4 1/2 minutes that tasted mellowed into a bland, mild, tasteless smoke. That allowed me to finish the bowl. My son, smoked a couple of bowls, to same effect. Needless to say, this is not the worst blend I smoked, but it is definitely close to it. The only redeeming quality I can find is that if I had made a bet to see if I could finish the bowl, I would only had to suffer for 4 1/2 minutes until the awful taste was gone.

Cornell & Diehl - Seersucker 2oz
Definitely needs to cellar more
My first experience with this was favorable. The problem is keeping the stuff lit. It is too moist. I dry it out for about 20 minutes, but that takes some patience. Normally, I smoke a bowl of something else while I wait. SS is smooth and complex. I enjoy the dark fired kentucky, which seems more noticeable than the virginias. The cigar leaf as a creaminess to the blend that is pleasant, but not overstated. I think it needs to cellar longer, as these might continue to improve with age.

Sutliff - Creme Brulee
Puddin in a pipe
This was my go to blend for years. The only drawback was the "goop". To be honest, that was hit or miss. Creme brulee is a delectable blend that tantalizes the palate and the nose. It is sweet and mellow without being overpowering. Think Molto Dolce without the price tag. It is nicely balanced and the scent is amazing. I never experienced any tongue bite. It lights wells, but the goop at the bottom made me subtract half a star.

Sutliff - B21 Black Spice
My after smoke, smoke
I lean heavily toward English Blends, but at the end of the evening I want something that smells nice. Black Spice feels that niche nicely. Black Cavendish is my favorite in that regard. The blend is something of a fall scent to me. It is reminiscent of mulled wine or apple cider without a fruit taste to it. The room note is sure to catch people's attention. The tin note is exquisite. This is an all-around great aromatic.

Cornell & Diehl - Billy Budd
Hated the book, but the tobacco is worth saving
Herman Melville was not my cup of tea, but Billy Budd, the tobacco, is a nice blend. I admit, I am not much for cigars, so the idea of cigar leaf leaves me apprehensive, but fortune favors the bold. This is true here as well. The latakia is nice, and the burley and virginias balance nicely to deliver a quality smoke. The cigar leaf adds something to the experience that is hard to put a finger to, but it is pleasant. I tried to smoke C&D's Seersucker, and I had a devil of a time keeping it lit. I had to dry it out 20 minutes before smoking it or it wouldn't light. Billy Budd was different. Give it a try. It is worth experience.

Captain Earle's - Mystic Blend 2oz
Can't nail this one down
One of the draws to pipe smoking for me is the variety. When I saw the reviews for Mystic Blend, two things caught my attention. 1) it is never the same smoke twice. 2) it is great every time. So far, I can agree with those. Granted, I have not finished the tin, but I am working my way slowly through it. It is my hope that savoring it will produce a ton of Unicorn farts, and I will be the happier for it. This blend has a ton of different tobaccos, and I surmise that part of the experience is due to the abundance of disparate types of tobacco. Still, I have also had kitchen-sink mixtures that didn't hold up well too. Mystic Blend seems to deliver consistently.

Sutliff - Aged Maduro Cavendish
A different AMC
I thing black cavendish and Latakia have to be my two favorite tobaccos (or tobacco and tobacco process for those purists). BC smells and tastes awesome and AMC really seems to capture the best of what I like about BC. It is easy to light, burns nice and slow, smells awesome, and tastes divine. The first time I bought this, I didn't finish the original bag before I ordered another. While it has not made my list of favorites, it is close. I highly recommend this to those aromatic smokers looking for something one-dimensional.

Peter Stokkebye - PS306 English Oriental Supreme
Smells can be deceiving
I ordered this with about five other tobaccos. I had recently discovered English blends were my true love, and I wanted to experience new blends. This mixture stunk up the box and everything in it. I was not to be deterred. I separated the bags, and I went with this one second. The tin/bag note was awful, which has come to be a promising sign where English blends are concerned. I packed a bowl and lit up. The charring light was heavenly. It only continued to get better. This is a fine blend. Although I am not a burley fan, it really does a good job of balancing out the virginia well. There is no tongue bite, and the black cav adds a touch of sweetness, without overdoing it. The latakia is notable, but not over powerful. All things considered, this is a fine medium strength English Blend.

Hearth & Home - Fusilier's Ration 1.75oz
Bengal Slices without the pretense
I love Bengal Slices, but this seems to be the less refined, less cultured brother of Bengal Slices. There is less of an orientals taste present, which I feel brings out a little more of the Latakia taste. It looses a little (just a little) smoothness in the exchange, but it is subtle. If you are looking for a replacement for Bengal Slices, this might be a little off-mark, but in its own right, based of its own merits, I feel this is a nice well-blended smoke. The mixture of orientals, latakia, virginias, and cavendish are nice. As I mentioned before, there is a difference in the presence of orientals, but I feel it is a nice change and not one that diminishes things.

Lane Limited - HGL
Lane Latakia done well
My buddy introduced this to me. I started to disparage that Lane would have something with some English to it. Then, he gave me a bowl of this. It had all of the smokey goodness I love in Latakia forward blends (English), but it had the nice smooth taste Lane is known for. It was like a perfect blend of Captain Black Original with Latakia. I love it. It comes across as a light to light-medium English blend.

Lane Limited - 1-Q
Not my thing, but pleasant all the same
I am not big on Aromatics, but I like black cavendish and virginia, so I thought I would give this a go. It was pleasant. The tin not and room note are obviously nice, but the flavor is mellow too. I would use this to cleanse the palate after smoking something else. If you like English blends, this won't be much in the way of satisfying, but it is a nice smoke for those who indulge in aromatics from time to time. For the aromatic smoker, this could easily be a regular "go to" or "all day" smoke. There is no tongue bite and the vitamin n is not strong.

Vauen - English Blend No. 22 50g
Scottish treat!
Vauen’s English Blend is a real treat. This sweet concoction is similar to Sweet Killarney with Latakia added, which makes it ideal to me. I really consider this more of a cross-over blend as it smells like an aromatic, but has a nice light-English blend taste. It has quite a bit of tobaccos blended in it. In my experience, the kitchen-sink tobaccos have a tendency to overdo a flavor, or they taste awful. Vauen blended this one nicely. The flavors are all there, but work in fine concert to deliver a smooth, silky, savory, and sweet creation worth of briar and flame.

Bengal Slices - Bengal Slices 1.75oz
A slice of heaven
I smoked aromatics for 30 years. My best friend brought over Bengal Slices one night, and I tried it. The hype of the blend was such that I felt it was worth a try, and it did not disappoint. Let’s just say that Bengal Slices started me on a sojourn trying English Blends for the last two years that has made my smoking experience much better. Bengal Slices brings an experience to the palate unlike most others. For one thing, it is a smooth smoke. The latakia and orientals bring a nice spiciness to the flavor. I really enjoy the experience in the retro-hale. Moreover, there is no tongue-bite. The only complaint I have, is the moisture level means delaying gratification 10-15 minutes before lighting up a bowl to dry it a little. Otherwise, this is a great smoke.

Peter Stokkebye - PS52 Proper English
Latakia... tasty
I am somebody that can and has smoke straight Latakia. I love it. Proper English is a blend that gives me that Latakia fix and something else. There are not many blends that do that for me. The mixture of Virginias, Orientals, and Latakia combine to make a balanced English blend. The flavors taste wonderful. This is a medium English blend similar to Dunhill 965 or Elizabethan in strength. While many find English Blends difficult to tolerate, if you like them, it has a nice room note. For those who don’t care for the smells of good tobacco, this will continue to be offensive.

Solani - X - Sweet Mystery 50g
No Mystery here
I have to qualify this by saying, I prefer English blends, but enjoy an aromatic from time to time. Solani Sweet Mystery X leaves me wondering why I don’t try aromatics more often. The tin note of this delectable blend was bliss. I was afraid it was heavily cased with something that would fade in a week or so. It has lasted months. The room note on the Sweet Mystery X never fails to evoke comment. Ostensibly, somebody will ask me what I am smoking. The taste is sweet, but not overpowering. One of the reasons I am drawn to English blends is the taste of the blends, in my opinion, is better. When I say Sweet Mystery X tastes great, keep in mind that comes from somebody that usually distains aromatics because of the chemical taste most casings leave behind. This Solani blend is top shelf. I can’t think of many aromatics of this quality.

Lane Limited - Medal of Valor
Medal of Valor deserves its own commendation
Medal of Valor deserves a commendation of its own. I was pleasantly surprised by this blend. I am not a burley fan, but I have come to find that some blends have mastered the blending. MOV is a prime example of using burley to add to the body of the blend to offset the bite of a Virginia without overpowering the flavor of the Virginia. The tin note (bag) was intoxicating. The room note is pleasant, and people often comment that smells nice. I usually smoke English blends, so this is noteworthy. Lane Limited has produced a mellow, yet full-flavored smoke with Medal of Valor. I purchased an ounce of this to try, and I bought four ounces before I finished the ounce.

Hearth & Home - Magnum Opus 1.75oz
Sweet notes from this opus
Let me qualify this review by stating I prefer English blends, but I enjoy an aromatic from time to time. One of the draws to Magnum Opus was that it was Latakia forward. I didn’t detect a strong Latakia presence; however, this blend was complex and balanced nicely. I enjoyed the room note, as did others. The taste was divine. The Orientals, Latakia, and Virginias struck a nice balance. There was not bite, and I find this one of those blends that I can pack into my biggest bowl and savor for an hour, while I ponder the end of the day on my porch. I will definitely purchase this in the future.