Tobaccos J. F. Germain & Son - Plum Cake Mixture

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2005-04-14		Mild to Medium	Strong	Medium	Tolerable

I guess I am the black sheep here, because this the bomb for me. I am normally not into aromatics, I wouldn't touch'em with a poker, but i found this one so unique and special that I would not count it as an "aromatic".

The cut is shag and the tin aroma is indeed very special. As always I will try to compare with foods: Aniseed, overly ripe oranges, dank store-room (yes I know, it is not food, and somehow or other it is meant positively) and Tawny Port. A strange mix indeed, but when lit, it produces the sweetest buttery smoke one could imagine.

The leaf is of outstanding quality and I sense some insignificant amount of orientals in it. It burns well, packs enough nic. to make me happy and does not bite at all. Normally I like some hot Earl Grey with my pipes, but somehow this does not work at all, because the fragrant aromas of both would mix in a negative way. Instead try some rich red Port wine with it, and sit back and dream away: This will tickle your tastebuds and lead your thoughts far away from the grey and dull everyday life.

The best (non-) aromatic I have ever tried, and I will explore the whole Germain line from now on.

=== Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark ===

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

Similar Blends: None.

31 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2013-02-02		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is a slight perfume taste and smell that comes and goes, and while it's not like the Lakeland essence, it has a light cousin-like effect. I taste a little vanilla note, slight touch of honey, licorice, and light sour wine. The grassy, citrus sweet Virginia is subdued a bit as is the black processed air-cured, lightly sugary, dark fruity, earthy dark and extra matured black cavendishes. I find the taste changes here and there as you smoke it down. Has a very mild nic-hit. The strength is mild and the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. Burns cool, clean and easy at a reasonable pace, and leaves very little dampness in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. No chance of tongue bite, harshness, or hot feeling in your mouth as you smoke it. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste, and can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

28 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobster (3)	2014-01-17		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow! This blend is sublime. I know it divides opinion, but the best blends often do. Upon opening the tin you are greeted with a predominantly yellow shag (or at least very fine ribbon) with black flecks, which has been pressed into a block. The smell from the tin is wonderfully rich, deep, fruitiness. The tobacco benefits from 15-30 mins drying time to really make it sing.

Plum Cake Mixture lights easily and rewards when packed correctly. It needs to be sipped or it could potentially bite. The casing, though sweet and fruity, is clearly derived from natural flavourings and I detect no chemicals whatsoever. Additionally there is a proper spiciness to the smoke which tickles the back of the nose on exhaling, similar to that of Perique. Lovely.

Alongside the quality Virginia and "plum" flavours is a touch of anise and an almost powdery element. Someone mentioned that this blend transports them to Victorian England and I can see why. This is what we imagine the world used to taste like.

The nicotine level is low, but this is not a weak smoke. To someone who usually favours strong blends, I still find myself satisfied by this blend.It is a delight. It does exactly what it says on the tin.

Don't be swayed by negative reviews. If you think this blend may appeal to you, grab a tin and find out for yourself.

Pipe Used: MM Legend Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke-King.co.uk

Similar Blends: It's unique..

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2004-07-04		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

This was one of my pipe club's tobacco bar offerings a few months ago. It is totally different in looks and smoking quality when compared to Mac Baren's blend of the same name.This Germain offering is almost a shag in cut, almost black in color and is very moist out of the tin. It has a delicious fermented fruit smell that did not match up with the taste. The general impression of my sample was that it was a solid and pleasant tobacco.

Pipestud

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marosi (70)	2011-03-26		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

First off, to the star rating. I struggled with how to rate this. On the one hand, I have been smoking from the same tin for 6-8 years, so it is hardly a go to blend, and that pushed me to give it 2 stars. The flavor and experience is so singular, however, that it really deserves some special recognition. I give it three stars, therefore, because when you have a hankering for this, even if that only occurs once every six months, there is nothing else that will take its place.

Update: I am not changing anything but wanted to state that now that I am out, and it is so hard to find, I really miss it. It is very unique both in cut and flavor, so when you have a hankering nothing else will scratch that itch like the real thing.

If I had to guess, I would say that they start with a base very similar to that which they use for their Royal Jersey blends. It is the same ribbon/shag cut virginia base. I find a little spice in this when I smoke it, which could be from some use of perique, or from the topping applied. I have Royal Jersey Perique, and they are not worlds apart. In the tin it has a very unique aroma. I do not know what the heck makes up the plum cake topping, but I really cannot think of any one thing that it emulates. It is a sweet odor, with a faint hint of licorice, and something else, maybe tonquin. Germain refers to it as "honey sweet." There is cavendish there, but not a huge amount, and some other black tobacco which may be what is referenced in the description above, which, as others have noted, is different from what is stated by Germain.

I find all ribbon cuts a little tricky to get going, as you have to keep tamping them down when they start to burn. After the 3rd or 4th time though this will settle into a nice even burn which required few relights. It can bite if you smoke it fast or too wet, but when smoked slowly is generally cool. I find the strength to be mild to medium. There is definitely some nicotine there, and it would probably get to you if you smoked a huge bowl of it. I like to smoke this in a smallish Becker & Musico saddle billiard. It is the right size to enjoy the flavor without things taking a turn for the worse, and, as this burns relatively quickly, provides a short, enjoyable smoke.

This will produce fine volumes of smoke. The room note is not as pleasant as the tin aroma, and my wife proclaimed this to be a "stinky one." That of course is because I do not smoke the hardcore stuff in her presence, and I could probably get her to leave not only the house, but the county if I rocked some 1792 while she was around!

Everyone should try this at least once. You may love it or hate it, but you are really missing out on a truly antique, and truly original, blend.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-07-20		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend was my first fro Germain's blends.once you break the seal a nice fruity,honey with some wine notes smell comes out,wich never appeared in the flavours while smoking.the blend moisture is ok and the shag cut has a very soft and smooth texture.while smoking it behaves totally differend than promised.it has a complexity wich is not always pleasant.the main player is the air cured virginias wich are mostly smoky and subtlimate the other compoments.some citruses,grass and earthy notes are present in the backround too.the nicotine level is almost medium and the room note is ok.the moisture being created is a lot.no tongue bite appeared.burns very cool and slow.generally it reminded me some cigarette rolling tobaccos.it can be an all day smoke.

Age When Smoked: Straight from the tin

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2015-11-24		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Plum Cake has one of the most peculiar tin notes of any tobacco that I have ever come across; its weird factor is right up there with 1792 Flake. I have to admit, the first time I smoked this blend I was repulsed and I couldn't finish a single bowl of it. I jarred up the rest of the tin and put it in the giveaway pile. That was a good four months ago. In the interim, I found a couple other J. F. Germain produced aromatics to be quite to my liking, so I figured why not try this one again. Much to my surprise, I found some enjoyment in this oddball traditional British aromatic. It’s good, but very different and very much what I would consider to be an acquired taste.

The tin aroma smells like a combination of spiced wine & dark rum, with hints of vanilla extract and licorice. The flavor improves and tastes more balanced with a bit of dry time. When lit, there’s a mild palpable tobacco flavor, a sweet mustiness and a slight acidic high note. By mid bowl the tobacco flavor strengthens, delivering a light spicy smoke with hints of anise & dark dried fruit, (kind of a currant and apricot flavor). The aromatic flavors are subtle but well nuanced, making this a better choice for moderate to lower temperature weather. Plum Cake is very smooth and burns cool with absolutely no bite.

Recommended, albeit with some reservations.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-05-31		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Dark brown ribbon, nicely packed in the tin with a layer of cellophane. The tobacco appears to be of high quality but the results were ghastly. I could only make it through 3 bowls of this.

The first bowl was fresh from the tin (2 year old tin) and the flavor was of the Erinmore/tastebud wrenching sickly sweet stewed fruit variety. Quite objectionable. Even worse, this stuff burned hot. So I dried out the next bowl and was rewarded with tongue bite, although it did subdue that nasty flavor somewhat. For the third bowl, I re-hydrated and the flavor became sour and bitter. The tongue bite remained. Since no one else was bothered by this, I assume the tobacco and I simply don't agree.

My one star means "Not Recommended" and that's not entirely true. I think there are enough smokers that get better results than I that if someone is in the market for a fairly heavily cased tobacco of decent quality leaf, this might do the trick. As for me, let's just say that if this blend ever joins the ranks of those that are continually out of stock, I won't be one iota of the cause. The tin description states that this may be the only blend containing the specially prepared black tobacco. I certainly hope that's true. I did see where this is sometimes spelled as "Plumb Cake" in certain circles, which I think is appropriate. It does taste like what I would imagine those urinal cakes taste like.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2006-01-18		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This blend was a definite surprise in that it is a time-machine in the form of tobacco, read on...

Appearance and Tin Aroma: smells like some sort of oil essence. I cannot put my finger on what it is, it is a little scary too. This is almost a shag cut of yellow and black leaf. The room I am in begins to get fuzzy.

Packing and Lighting: The long ribbons are a little fussy to pack. The moisture is a bit high, but settles down after 4-5 re-lights. My office lights have turned into oil lamps, my ballpoint pens have turned into feathers with an inkwell...

Initial Flavor: The aromatic agent is there firmly, but it tastes much better than it smells. The leaf is flavorful, but mild. I walk to my car only to find that it is a horse. Also, my clothes seemed to have changed and I realize I am now wearing a top hat!

Mid-Bowl: This blend is really growing on me, it is smooth, mellow, but the leaf is flavorful in-spite of the aromatic agent.The room note is wonderful as well. I now find myself riding my horse not in Orange County, CA, but London circa 1880AD

Bottom of Bowl: It ends too quickly! It does not build up much strength, but ends with a clean and dry ash that practically floats away as you dump it. I immediately reload and start all over in this wonderful journey. Yes, I am in London before the turn of 19th century and in the company of other gents who have nodded politely as thay catch a whiff of my pipe's smoke. As my second bowl ends, I find myself back in the hustle and bustle of Southern California, too bad...

Overall: I really enjoyed this blend. Will it replace my other blends? No, but it will be a ocassional part of my rotation. It really is a time-machine type blend. It does everything in a very subdued, classy way, just like the gentlemen of old Victorian England. This would be a perfect blend to smoke while reading or watching "Pride and Prejudice". Yes, I have acquired a half-dozen tins to keep for the cellar. Give it a try...

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael Kindt (18)	2014-11-01		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Of my most recent TAD purchase, I am finding Germain's Plum Cake a very nice smoke. I asked for advice before pulling the trigger from fellow pipers on what to buy and even took some of it. I also broke my self-imposed limits on TAD purchases, and my wife was totally fine with it.

Seriously, I have the greatest wife. Hang on, I'm gonna go kiss her. . . . . . Ok, I'm back.

Plum Cake is a delicate ribbon cut of mostly lighter colored tobaccos. Tin note is delightfully fruity with a darker hint of wine. Delicious smelling, like a high-end dessert. The smoking differs from the tin note quite a bit. It is rich and dark with hints of fruit popping in and out, certainly more tobacco forward than the tin note suggests it will be. It's a surprisingly complex and subtle smoke. Floral, fruity--dark, dried fruit, noticeable Virgina sweetness, an intriguing spiciness, which with the dark fruit, suggests perique. Very intriguing.

The Germain website says the mixture is four Virginas blended with cavendish and a "specially prepared black tobacco". Hmmm.

Nicotine-wise, it's on the medium to mild side (YMMV). It is weaker than Grousemoor, which also came in my shipment, but stronger than most American-style burleys, which I've also been smoking quite a bit of.

A civilized, fascinating, and well-done pipe tobacco, it certainly goes on my ORDER SOME MORE WHNE I RUN OUT list.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2014-04-11		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is a slight perfume taste and smell that comes and goes, and while it's not like the Lakeland essence, it has a light cousin-like effect. I taste a little vanilla note, slight touch of honey, licorice, and light sour wine. The grassy, citrus sweet Virginia is subdued a bit as is the black processed air-cured, lightly sugary, dark fruity, earthy dark and extra matured black cavendishes. I find the taste changes here and there as you smoke it down. Has a very mild nic-hit. The strength is mild and the taste is a couple of steps past that mark. Burns cool, clean and easy at a reasonable pace, and leaves very little dampness in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. No chance of tongue bite, harshness, or hot feeling in your mouth as you smoke it. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste, and can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2012-05-01		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm working my way through a few Germain's tobaccos at the moment, this being the second. After the first, I was hoping for something good, so let's see.

The tin aroma is mild and fruity, not that strong to be honest though, I do like to have a good waft when I first open the packet. After very easy packing and lighting, I found the smoke a little disappointing, there is hint of fruit in there, not sure if it could be described as plum, and a half decent tobacco flavour but it can get rough at a moments notice for no apparent reason and back again. The roomnote follows a similar fashion.

In summary, a reasonable smoke that doesn't really do what it says on the tin with a hint of multiple personality disorder to boot.

Update 12th July 2013

Strange that I can't remember that I'd reviewed this one already, mustn't have been smoking it properly. Anyway, having bought a tin on a recent visit to my local shop, its now time to correct my mistake.

There's a small honey farm on the English side of the border with Scotland, it sits just up the road from the world's oldest suspension bridge still to carry road traffic. It produces, in my humble opinion, the nicest honey going. The tin aroma from this stuff reminds me of that very honey, not quite what I expected from a tobacco with Plum Cake written on the tin but none the less encouraging. The fine shag, again I find myself with a Germain's offering described as broken flake yet so finely cut, is relatively easy to pull apart and packs so nicely. The lighting is so easy, once again our friends from Jersey get the moisture levels just perfect. The first taste from this is a mild whiff of plum. The first couple of smokes of this did get a bit rough and that yucky boot polish taste from the black cavendish (or cavendish like pressed virginia if the description is to be believed) came through and wasn't particularly pleasant. However, I did read Smokey Sam's review above and decided to take my subsequent smokes a lot more slowly, probably the best decision I ever made. The taste flows from one of a brief sampling of plum to that oh so fine honey described above and stays like that to the bottom of the bowl. And it takes a good while to smoke too, even on a small bowlful. This is a tactic I've that I've begun to adopt with all my tobaccos and works well with all of them, though all the Germain's offerings I have seem to benefit the most.

In summary then, an excellent smoke if taken slowly, and worth every single extra second it takes to smoke as a result. It's like that beautiful, sophisticated girl at the bar or the gym, go in all macho and she'll bite your head off, go in and all honey tongued and she'll reward with so much sweetness you'll wonder why you never tried that tactic before. But then I'm happily single, so what do I know?

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2008-08-21		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

There is an almost bizarre characteristic to the topping applied to Plum Cake. The tin note refers to it in a mysterious kind of tone that mixes well with the idea of, well, a cake made with plums. To be honest, I've never had such a concoction, but the idea alone got me thinking that this might be something of an interesting smoke.

That it is. The flavor, whatever it is, reminded me very much of the uproar over the tonquin additive applied to 1792. You can get a feel of that reading the reviews here. There is really no comparison, however, in strength. 1792 will rip you apart while Plum Cake will, at best, set you in motion on a rocking chair.

It's an appealing package, presented with a slick graphic that seems to invoke poppy plants rising through a thick cloud. The cut alone is a great novelty, the tobacco itself dense as a cake, consisting of a highly compressed, almost shag-like collection of blonde and black strands.

I enjoyed RCUSElder's poetic tribute to the blend, and I think that fits well. Plum Cake takes you back to a time more simple in its demands. I would love to smoke this on a cold winter day when the smell of burning firewood wafts through the air. You know, I think I'll do that. Winter's just a few months away.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sir Pipealot (8)	2016-01-08		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Bought a tin on a whim.

Smoked the first bowl... Ordered 4 more.

Former Somm and currently still in the wine Bussiness, so when I read about a tobacco that had been cured/marinated with wine I was both intrigued and skeptical all at once.

The smell in the tin is fantastic and took me back... In my younger years I consulted for a slew of restaurants and in building their cellars I'd always break a bottle of red on the floor to "baptize" it- but more importantly to make it smell like a wine cellar.

There's a certain dank grapey-plumminess mixed that sour tang of fermentation that is so very personal that smelling it ina tobacco sent me reeling.

Deeper olfactory examination of the fine and fluffy shag begins to reveal bitter-spice elements (someone before said Italian bitters which is spot on).

On the palate (sip this!!!) it fills your palette with that same wineniness found in the tin and the back-end unfurls with a panoply of dark sweet bitters and tobacco flavor proving the skill, ultimately, that went into creating such a daring (but balanced and delicious) blend.

I like it.

It's a grown-ass-man's aromatic.

Properly, it is a scented tobacco that the Brits seem to pull of brilliantly.

Everyone should try this- but everyone shouldn't expect to like.

Pipe Used: Briars and cobs- excels in small bowls!

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: There is nothing like it!!!.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2015-05-24		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is another traditional Germain's blend that comes in a fine ribbon, almost shag cut. Opening the tin, there's the sweet, fruity smell of dessert wine and aniseed. The tobacco tends to be quite moist, so you might want to dry it.

It's important not to fill your pipe too tightly, because it tends to burn rather hot and fast. I usually use the air pocket method. It lights and burns nicely, producing a dense smoke.

The taste actually delivers the honey sweetness promised on the tin with strong notes of aniseed or licorice as well as something flowery like lavender. Personally, despite the name I can't detect any plums or prunes in the aroma. Towards the end of the bowl some bitter notes like dark roasted coffee appear, and there's a lingering aftertaste. Enjoyed with leisure, it burns down coolly and dryly to some greying ash.

The room note is rather unobtrusive and sweetish.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Lilje

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: www.sokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2014-05-10		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

J. F. Germain - Plum Cake.

A pleasant looking shag with a couple of larger pieces. The unlit note's fruity, and because this was supplied bulk the moisture's good.

The smoke's pleasant, to me. A natural fruitiness comes from the Virginia and is enhanced by the added plum flavour. This extra flavouring refrains from becoming too sweet, or gloopy. It burns well and gives a bite free smoke.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.

Germaine's Plum Cake? Very good. Four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Mr Brog

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jakob Kiilerich (120)	2014-04-04		Mild to Medium	Strong	Medium	Tolerable

I guess I am the black sheep here, because this the bomb for me. I am normally not into aromatics, I wouldn't touch'em with a poker, but i found this one so unique and special that I would not count it as an "aromatic".

The cut is shag and the tin aroma is indeed very special. As always I will try to compare with foods: Aniseed, overly ripe oranges, dank store-room (yes I know, it is not food, and somehow or other it is meant positively) and Tawny Port. A strange mix indeed, but when lit, it produces the sweetest buttery smoke one could imagine.

The leaf is of outstanding quality and I sense some insignificant amount of orientals in it. It burns well, packs enough nic. to make me happy and does not bite at all. Normally I like some hot Earl Grey with my pipes, but somehow this does not work at all, because the fragrant aromas of both would mix in a negative way. Instead try some rich red Port wine with it, and sit back and dream away: This will tickle your tastebuds and lead your thoughts far away from the grey and dull everyday life.

The best (non-) aromatic I have ever tried, and I will explore the whole Germain line from now on.

=== Jakob Kiilerich, Denmark ===

Pipe Used: Several

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

Similar Blends: None.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cobster (3)	2014-01-17		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wow! This blend is sublime. I know it divides opinion, but the best blends often do. Upon opening the tin you are greeted with a predominantly yellow shag (or at least very fine ribbon) with black flecks, which has been pressed into a block. The smell from the tin is wonderfully rich, deep, fruitiness. The tobacco benefits from 15-30 mins drying time to really make it sing.

Plum Cake Mixture lights easily and rewards when packed correctly. It needs to be sipped or it could potentially bite. The casing, though sweet and fruity, is clearly derived from natural flavourings and I detect no chemicals whatsoever. Additionally there is a proper spiciness to the smoke which tickles the back of the nose on exhaling, similar to that of Perique. Lovely.

Alongside the quality Virginia and "plum" flavours is a touch of anise and an almost powdery element. Someone mentioned that this blend transports them to Victorian England and I can see why. This is what we imagine the world used to taste like.

The nicotine level is low, but this is not a weak smoke. To someone who usually favours strong blends, I still find myself satisfied by this blend.

It is a delight. It does exactly what it says on the tin.

Don't be swayed by negative reviews. If you think this blend may appeal to you, grab a tin and find out for yourself.

Pipe Used: MM Legend Corn Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke-King.co.uk

Similar Blends: It's unique..

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bob323 (46)	2014-01-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Ordering this was purely serendipitous...When ordering holiday tobaccos from Smokingpipes, one of my choices was out of stock...In a mad scramble to replace the o.o.s. tobacco I defaulted to Germain simply because I like and trust their blends...Lo and behold Plum Cake...Well, Plum Cake, plum pudding...Close enough...One of the most tasty aromatics I've encountered...Perfect balance of prime tobaccos and plum flavoring...Thank-you Smokingpipes for being o.o.s. with C&D's Christmas offering...Plum Cake is not something I can afford on a daily basis but I will reorder a few tins for special occasions like changing my socks and underwear, or taking the dog for her daily walks...Perfect strength, perfect taste...Burns clean to a white ash and the room note couldn't be better...What more could you ask for in an aromatic!?!

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Smoked when received

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoking Sam (20)	2013-05-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Teaching an old dog new tricks....

Parable: A city slicker stops at a general store out in the country. As he nears the store he spys an older gentleman sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, with a dog lying next to him, blocking the front door. As he approaches the dog raises up and looks at the stranger. Apprehensive, the city slicker asks the old man, "mister, does your dog bite?" The bib overall wearing country gent replies, "no sir, my dog doesn't bite." As the stranger nears the dog, it turns and bites him in the leg. The stranger angrily turns to the older man and says, "I thought you told me that your dog didn't bite!" To which the codger replies dryly, "that's not my dog."

Pipe tobaccos have personalities, just like people or animals. Some dogs, such as the family yellow Labrador retriever, will allow two year olds to pull on their ears and tail, ride them like a pony, and will generally allow themselves to be abused. They show no aggression and will often just grin and wag their tails at the silliness of it all. Carefree, user friendly, pipe tobaccos in this category would be Frog Morton Cellar and Larry's blend. They don't care how they're smoked, wet, dry, sipped, or puffed - it makes little difference. They just continue to act amicably.

Smoking my first bowl of J. F. Germain & Son Plumcake, I treated it like the family Labrador, showing it little respect. I packed a fairly moist bowl tightly, lit it aggressively, and puffed on it like a freight train going up a grade. Germain's Plumcake showed its dissatisfaction of my treatment, and turned around and bit me in the leg. In fact, my tongue bite and mouth burn was so bad that I couldn't smoke a pipe for three days - lesson learned. Thank goodness for Biotene!

Today, two weeks later, I thought that I would see if I could make friends with the beast. The tin that I opened had been packed very moist. The wax paper inside was discolored and several strands of the broken flake had fused to the paper. On the other side of the tin, there was a divot where I had filled my first bowl. This tobacco was fairly dry, and looked promising. Picking up a pinch of the golden tobacco it fell apart loosely, and looked and felt reminiscent of South Carolina delta Spanish moss. Using the three layer method, I allowed three pinches to settle into the pipe extremely loosely. I used my pinkie and put the tiniest possible amount of pressure on the tobacco. My second layer was the same. Only at the top layer, did I put the lightest resistance. This time I was showing the Rotweiler respect.

I lit the bowl, not as if stoking the fires of Hell, but gently, using only enough fire to get the bowl burning. I slowly sipped the pipe. When the bowl on my vintage Bennington Irish briar got hot, I stopped puffing and put the pipe down. The result was a satisfying two hour smoke. This time there was zero tongue bite, and I didn't even have to drink anything to accompany the pipe. I could faintly taste the fruit topping. The loosely packed pipe puffed easily. I did not touch my tamper, but used my little finger to GENTLY tamp the tobacco when it would not relight. The tobacco burned all the way to the bottom of the bowl. There was only the finest powdery white ash, and absolutely no dottle - a satisfying three star experience.

Some dogs are gentle, and some will bite you in the leg. Those latter dogs, and tobaccos, require one to show the proper respect and let their personalities dictate how they need to be handled. Germain's Plumcake taught me a new lesson. I guess its never too late for an old dog to learn a new trick.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2010-09-20		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I would like to start off with the description of this tobacco which is from what is printed on the tin face. Note that it differs somewhat from the tin description listed above:

"Pipe Tobacco made in the British Isles. Cavendish, virginia and air-cured tobaccos blended with a special black cavendish. Flavored with wine and spices to our 80 year-old recipe. A unique smoking experience."

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted with a generous amount of golden colored Virginia tobacco which was interspersed with some black tobaccos, all in a shag cut. It came folded within a wax lined paper insert - somewhat stained by the tobaccos and very inviting as it evoked a nice, old-world charm. The tin aroma, at first, was a bit overwhelming. I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. It was somewhat like a potpourri. With a more discerning second whiff, I detected a sour-wine smell (sour in a good way) and some spice. The tobacco was very fresh, but not damp. Packing and lighting were within reason considering its state of freshness. The first puff was spicy and the taste immediately brought to mind the taste of Sen-Sen breath mints that I remember from my youth. Sen-Sen is primarily licorice based and is augmented by several different herbs. It might actually be Heather Honey Liquor. The taste of the wine came through slightly with the smoking (perhaps a German plum wine, hence the name Plum Cake), and the Sen-Sen wafted in and out. The Virginia component was greatly tempered by the Cavendish treatment. I also feel there is a good amount of Burley in this blend as the overall experience was fuller than Virginia can give on its own. It tasted spicy all the way through and was very, very pleasant. One of the more unique tasting blends I have ever had in 35 some odd years of smoking a pipe. It burned slowly and not at all hot, nor was there any moisture accumulation throughout the length of the smoke. It was subtly sweet and there was no bitterness whatsoever. If I had to compare it with any other tobacco blend, I would have to say that it reminded me of Erinmore Flake - not exactly the same as Plum Cake was way milder in tobacco strength than Erinmore, and stronger in what it is cased in - making Erinmore tame by comparison. It was also reminiscent of the now defunct Irish Mead Pipe Tobacco by Douwe Egbert (which contained heather honey).

This tobacco has had many mixed reviews on this site as well as on other pipe smoking forums where one can draw the conclusion that either you like it or you hate it. I wouldn't classify it as an aromatic per se (certainly not American or even Danish style aromatics), as its flavorings (as prominent as they were) didn't interfere with good tobacco taste - albeit very mild. Obviously there are very high quality tobaccos used in this offering. I am glad I did not judge this solely on the initial tin aroma alone. After the tin is opened for a while, the intense top-note subdues quite a bit. A nice, albeit different, mild flavor that remains throughout, making for a different smoking experience. Its room note is very, old-world pipey. For when you want something different in your pipe, I've yet to find anything else quite like it. Not an everyday smoke for me, but when the muse strikes, it never fails to satisfy.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-06-17		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I purchased an old tin at the local smoke shop after I saw the owner pack it into one of her own pipes. She is by no means a blender per se but she has handmade her own pipes for over 4 decades and she rarely smokes in public (something about her german upbringing), so when I see her lighting up an exquisite pencil shanked squat tomato I was all questions. She did not go into great details like the other reviews here, but simply mentioned this was one of her all time favorite tobaccos. The next day I bought the last tin in the store - at least 5 years old but probably older. Tonight I cracked it open and was very intrigued by the tin aroma. The paper folds were stained brown and were very wet with very small crystals present. Someone who has the patience and experience for cellaring may know how significant that is, it is not in my nature but have been told by others that this phenomenon is an excellent sign. It smelled unique for a Va and was far more moist than most. I should clarify that I personally don't belong into any one category of taste classification or genre, aromatic, semi-aromatic, english, balkan, american, va/per, neo-pseudo-exotic-cavendish-whatsit-whatever. I like tobaccos from all genres and as a rule - don't enjoy the taste or odor of latakia, period (those of you who believe this to be heresy as the enjoyment of this particular tobacco is all too often equated with the upper eschalon of leaf conniseurs can go jump in a lake - with your shoe leather tasting tobacco).

The cut is extraordinary and very delicate. I did not let the tobacco air out at all. No drying whatsoever before carefully packing up an excellent smoking, small dublin and starting the lighting process. It burned much better than expected but the flavor was...odd. Not bad, just different and very subtle. While smoking I checked out the reviews here and when I read the reference to the taste of white wine it all clicked. This is what I imagine smoking the inside of a nice german sweet wine barrel would taste like. As the bowl is now at the finish it has a bit more body, probably due to a slightly increased cadence once my pallete sorted out the taste. No bite and a wonderful smoke. This is why I enjoy good VAs so much, it is subtle and will blossom into wonderful variations to the puffer who refuses to rush and allow the tobacco to stay just on the verge of going out.

Initially I thought the I was smoking quickly because at the first post-lighting tamp half the bowl had been consumed. Then it occured to me that perhaps I packed a little looser with less tobacco due to its high moisture. But as I...hold on a sec...yep, she's done...finish and check the clock it appears this was an hour and 45 minute smoke. It just seemed to go by fast due to the transcendant nature of the tobacco.

If you can ease up and slow down - this is a masterpiece. Outstanding and in a class by itself. I can't wait to taste some after a little drying.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dode (14)	2017-11-14		Mild	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

Looked forward to this and when opened the pouch the aroma was lovely. I did notice it was very golden in colour with not much of the black cavindish like blend. I also was disappointed in the fine cut. Very much like a cheap cigarette rolling tobacco. Couldn’t get it to light straight from the pouch so I dried a couple of bowls worth for around half an hour. The result was a tobacco that burned very quickly with loads of tongue bite. Very disappointing. The room note was neutral as was the taste. It just tased hot. Not much more I can say about this blend, I was extremely disappointed and somewhat annoyed that I had payed £13.96 +£2.99 delivery for 50g but it’s all chalked down to experience. I tried packing my pipe loosely and more tightly but couldn’t get a satisfying smoke. I’m sorry this isn’t an elaborate description of this blend but I don’t want to spend anymore time on it than I have already wasted.

Pipe Used: Cob, pear wood and briar

Age When Smoked: New and a couple of months old

Purchased From: Online CGars

Similar Blends: Cigarette rolling tobacco.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ross Arlen (5)	2015-01-22		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Perusing the reviews, I have become convinced that people are smoking two utterly different tobaccos. Plum Cake has a magical dark, dried fruit smell in the tin, and is a shag pressed into a small block. Like all Germain blends, waxed paper--never cellophane--is used to pack it. Upon the light, one expects a strong aromatic element due to the tin note, but it's not there, except as a pleasant backdrop to a dusty, savory brown VA which I find pleasant but not extraordinary. With 20 minutes of drying it's ready to smoke--right out of the tin it's too wet, and as with all shag cuts, rehydration would be a disaster, and it will bite like hell. But that is not a quality of the tobacco--when properly dried, even smoking a pipe that is normally mean to me if I stop paying attention, I found no bite whatsoever. I am especially sensitive to bite, smoking mostly brown Virginias, and so I can't see what all the whinging is about. Different palates, I guess, or improper drying. The aromatic element is not "chemically" at all--again, I am especially sensitive to polypropylene and detect none at all in the feel or in the mouthfeel of the tobacco. I will be buying some to cellar, as I'm sure the quality of the VA will do nothing except improve. It is my opinion that what some people refer to as a 'chemical' taste in their tobaccos is nothing but the soapiness of natural African Virginia leaf. There are no chemicals in this tobacco--or really in any Germain mixture; it's not their style. All in all, a fine tobacco that burns beautifully and quickly (like any shag cut), but just distinctive enough to scare off some smokers. I think that we need to be a little more careful with 'accusations' of heavy casing, since you should be able to tell simply by handling the tobacco--if it is tacky to the touch and shows no drying after 24 hours, it's probably cased. If it leaves a pool (not just dottle, but a pool) of liquid at the bottom of your pipe, it's probably cased. Germain's blends do neither of these things, and while technically an aromatic, the casing is minimal and tasteful.

Pipe Used: Dunhill 463 Group 2 1962

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: The Briar Shoppe; Houston, TX

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falcon Fan (22)	2014-10-26		Medium	Strong	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

On initial opening, the tin aroma is very powerful and doesn't evoke happy pleasant memories of anything in particular, at least not in me. (I don't have much experience with plum cakes so that could be a reason!). That led me to feel this is a rather synthetic and unnatural product. but not unpleasant, just odd. And at the same time, the tin says it is "a unique smoking experience" - it is, so no marketing fibs there; and it also says it is based on an 80 year recipe which means it was "a la mode" sometime around 1933 which was the very year that the London Passenger Transport Board (LT to londoners - red buses and tube trains to the rest of the world) was created. It is also around the time that my newly married grandparents bought their brand new semi detached house, no doubt full of anticipation and excitement for their life ahead, on the slopes of Shooters Hill (a house that I got know and love 4 decades later); an era of art deco, streamlined steam engines beating world speed records', talking movie pictures - and all of a sudden, I have a smell to associate with a bygone era and I really quite like it!!! The smoke is a bit on the hot and steamy side but controllable with care, and a little bit flat on the flavour side but not too bad. As the bowl develops I seem to get an ocassional faint sense of smoked bacon; I can't make my mind up on this between 2 and 3 stars but for the happy (and somewhat synthetic!!) evocation of a bygone but very optimistic age, It gets 3 stars! It also remains smokable well after opening the tin.

Postscript: after writing and posting I took a look at what others had to say - seems there is at least one other reviewer for whom this tobacco takes them back through the decades -for RCUSElder it is London in the 1880's, for me, London in the 1930's - so pick your preferred decade from years gone by, open a tin up and boom - you're there!,! Magical!

Pipe Used: Falcon

Age When Smoked: New to 10 months

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoomDealer (9)	2014-07-07		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I've always been quite fond of aromatics, having smoked various blends. So, when I visited my local tobacconist recently I decided to get a tin of Germain's Plum Cake. I felt like trying something new and I spotted this. It was an aromatic, I liked the sound of it and I knew that it would be decent quality tobacco (having researched it) ... if nothing else.

On opening the tin I was greeted by golden shreds of tobacco and a lovely smell of fermented plum and/ or raisins. My first thought was of Victorian England (others have noted this as well; a typical English 'olde worlde' aroma). The tobacco was slightly too wet, so I let it dry out a bit over night.

This is a beautiful smoke. Flavoursome, satisfying and well behaved with no tongue-bite. I prefer it after dinner or in the morning, but you can easily smoke this all day long. The sweet-ish, fruity flavour is there but never overpowering. An all-round great tobacco. In fact, having smoked a tin of this, I have come to the conclusion that this is much better than some of the other aro's I used to smoke; much better quality tobacco and a much more natural flavour. A definite keeper.

UPDATE: After a couple of tins of this I stand by my review - great blend and I'm definitely gonna keep a tin of this in my cellar. One thing I've noticed, though, is that the tin aroma seems to diminish quite a bit after you've had the tin open for a week or two and, consequently, the smoke seems slightly less flavoursome as well. However, since I don't recall anybody else having commented on this, it could be just my imagination.

Pipe Used: Aldo Morelli, Ermanno Elite, Peterson Churchwarden

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Brucciani Ltd

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipesterJim (47)	2010-02-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

My first review here and I wanted to redress the balance slightly as I feel that, for some people at least, this blend could prove more enjoyable than they might expect given its overall reception so far.

As someone who doesn't usually smoke aromatics I was a bit wary about ordering a tin, but I needn't have worried. This is not a heavily flavoured, cloyingly sweet or chemically tasting smoke - rather it is one where the slightly unusual aromatic flavourings blend nicely with the slightly unusual tobacco flavourings.

The taste in the pipe matches up to the smell in the tin, a slightly musty, fruity aroma that to me is reminscent of the filling from a mince pie. There is no bite or irritation here and with a bit of drying time the fairly fine shag cut smokes cool and dry all the way to the bottom, retaining its character as it does so.

Nicotine is on the medium side of mild (as opposed to the mild side of medium) and works nicely for me as a daytime smoke at the weekends.

The intriguing 'special' black tobacco that is mentioned in the description does impart a flavour which, I can appreciate, is going to be a love it or hate it experience, but I find it makes a nice change and gives the blend a body that it would otherwise lack.

The flavours in Plumcake seem to me a bit more grown up than the usual vanilla and cherry offerings most of us think of when we think 'aromatic'. I will be buying more. If you fancy trying something a bit different and like to be able to taste the tobacco in your aromatics then you might do well to pick up a tin yourself.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Monopod (26)	2009-08-07		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Yet another " Love-it-or-hate-it ".Aromatic ? By definition ALL tobaccos are aromatic, lit or unlit. After trying 3 tins of this, I have to completely change my ratings. If my taste buds (and smell buds) are anything to go by, honey is used in this tobacco.I found this to my cost when smoking hot, which is difficult not to do with this one, as it guarantees me a sore throat every smoke.The deposit in the bowl is like treacle. The room note is pleasant in the short term, but smoke regularly in one location, and the resulting aftermath is like an old fashioned "Bar Parlour". This is not the smell that I want in my office, (even if I liked the tobacco.)

Why are there two separate sections here for the same tobacco ?? Also, this is not broken flake, but shag....perhaps more suitable for hand-rolling cigarettes.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Philo Beddoe (221)	2007-02-18		Mild	Medium	Very Mild	Pleasant

One of the two or three sweetest smelling tobaccos I have ever tried. When I opened the tin I was greeted with the aroma of sweet figs and light berry, I was prepared for an aromatic delight. The cut is, as others have mentioned fine, like cigarette tobacco. East to pack and easy to light, the sweet smell permeates the room. Once lit the flavor quickly fades, Plum Cake becomes a rather bland, light English blend. The room aroma also quickly fades as well.

The sweet taste comes up every once in a while when smoking this blend, but on a whole it remains bland throughout. There are are many more light English tobaccos that taste better than Germains Plum Cake, but none that smell better.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Darth 69 (117)	2005-02-12		Medium	Strong	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Reading some of the previous reviews makes me think these people are smoking an almost entirely different blend. A rather intense aromatic tin and smoke aroma. The aroma is liken to perfumed talcum powder. The flavor as being so aromatic does not taste like tobacco. The flavoring gives a somewhat bitterness to the smoke. There is another character in the smoke that I can only liken it to the carbination in cola; bazaar, I know. Despite what the tin says this is not sweet to the taste like cavendish. The base is golden matured virginia ribbon with the corresponding medium stregth smoke and heat. There are some flavor undertones similiar to Germain's #7, so some common ingredients are shared. Quite possibly the most unique tobacco I have ever tried, but so odd that it is'nt something I will smoke on a regular basis, perhaps as an occasional departure.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (305)	2002-07-09		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This blend is sweet in the tin, taste and the room aroma. The light VAs are complemented by a black add that I believe gives the tobacco its fruity effect. I've heard that they treat this portion with oils and whatever they're using imparts a rather unique but pleasant flavor. Perhaps the 'cake' in its name refers to the baked variety since this is more of a ribbon cut preparation in my view. It therefore burns much faster than the flakes that I normally smoke. Moisture content and this cut requires some practice in packing technique/pipe size selection or a difficult draw and hot smoke may result. Once this is mastered, you are justly rewarded with a cool, bite-free smoke without moisture buildup in the bowl. The taste is consistent thruout the smoke and although one dimensional, is good. A smooth, sweet and mild smoke that I enjoy especially in the hot/humid weather like we've been having recently in the Northeast.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2019-03-10		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Shag cut brown leaf with scattered pieces of black tobacco thrown in. Smells fruity and winey and if you put your nose close to the tobacco you can sense the peppery spices as well. It is quite moist and should be left for a few minutes to dry before loading to prevent a wet smoke.

This is a wonderful everyday tobacco, it reminds me a lot of Esoterica’s Tilbury. Plum Cake has the mild addition of Black Cavendish (actually not Black Cavendish) which is sweetened and aromatized but otherwise they are very similar and for my tastes these tobaccos are interchangeable. It has affinities with Uncle Tom’s and Royal Jersey Virginia as well, but to me Plum Cake is much more preferable to both: more natural tobacco taste and less aromatized. And whereas Royal Jersey Virginia tastes like an old-fashioned Danish (actually …English) tobacco, Plum Cake, despite its mild topping tastes essentially of matured Virginia done in the Germain way. The taste is sweet but not too much, a little pastry-like with a wonderful mature tobacco taste.

Strength is medium, as is nicotine, it's not a mild tobacco. Lights easily and smokes a little faster than most due to its shag cut and if dried beforehand does not need many relights. Excellent for a first smoke in the morning and very good for those who like to inhale.

A little whimsical, can only be compared to other Germain tobaccos but I really like it. Were it more easily available it could serve as one of my standard everyday tobaccos.

Similar Blends: Esoterica Tilbury.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2018-11-26		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Not a lot going on here for me. This tobacco has a nice tin aroma of sweetness, orange and vanilla are the only 2 discernible things I can tease out. The smoke is very bland, some light grass and citrus from the VA's, a tangy earthy flavor from the Cavendish. I do not taste the topping at all in the smoke and there is a creaminess that is left behind in the after taste, almost like toasted marshmallow, the best part of the experience for me. I'd pass on this one as it isn't really an aro and it is bland for any other characterization.

Pipe Used: Briar’s and cob’s

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Valknuten (1)	2016-06-30		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

To me it is one of the great fruity aromatics. As soon as I opened the tin and breathed deeply i found myself salivating with thoughts of Christmas pudding. Not for everyone, but one that everyone should try at least once.

Pipe Used: Peterson Fishermans 069

Age When Smoked: 54

Purchased From: Online

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2016-06-06		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This reminds me a bit of a rustic version of certain older Dunhill blends, royal yacht and some of the old My Mixture blends you could find at the old Dunhill store on Duke St (i believe it was). I make a distinction between new aromatics and old school aromatics. This is old school. I taste a sour plum note, and maybe hints of vanilla (but just a hint) and perhaps something else -- in fact it reminds me a bit of the flavoring of old Fribourg and Treyer snuffs, the perfumed ones that used Arrak and Violet. Out of the tin it looks like an old Dunhill blend, too. Finely cut. Mildly moist. Whatever this black tobacco is, you can taste it. And this is what gives it this quality of rustic or traditional English pipe tobacco. I love it, I have to say. It may not be the most complex, though it has some complexity to be sure, and it can burn hot if you aren't careful, but overall this is a fine Virginia based old aromatic. High quality throughout. In fact all the Germain & Son tobaccos are quite high quality and I think somewhat neglected.

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: Old Dunhill My Mixtures, now sadly defunct..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CornCob (94)	2016-01-06		Medium	Very Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Certainly a peculiar blend, and definitely not my cup of tea but I won't spend the next while belittling an obviously popular niche blend. That said, I believe there to be some redeeming qualities worth mentioning.......qualities that should be considered speculation by myself as I didn't get the chance to have a second bowl due to a rapid onset of some sort of tobacco mold, something I can honestly say I've never encountered before. It's worth mentioning the care taken by the manufacturer to package this mixture, in a relatively attractive tin you'll find a lightly pressed block wrapped neatly in wax paper. The cut is quite uniform boasting every known range of colour when talking tobacco, moisture level was spot on and I attribute that to the careful packing mentioned above. The tin aroma doesn't really differ from inside the pipe or room and is that of herbs and Italian Bitters, the former reminds me of eidleweiss specifically (or how ever it is spelled). I didn't find either flavour all that agreeable, but I would've like to explored the whole tin if it wasn't for that mold episode mentioned earlier. I certainly couldn't recommend Plum Cake to a new or novice smoker, but I think it's worth recommending to the seasoned as I'd say it will contrast nearly anything you've smoked prior. I will buy it again and put it through its paces and update accordingly.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Talltree (31)	2014-06-13		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This tobacco smells like like old wine in the tin. It has absolutely no nicotine effect on me (something strong tobacco smokers might not like). A unique tobacco if not a little odd compared to other aromatics. I buy it now and then but is not a regular in my rotation.

This tobacco has been out of stock with all of the best known suppliers for quite a while. I'd like to get another tin but can't find it anywhere.

Pipe Used: Dr. Grabow Grand Duke, corn cob

Age When Smoked: fresh out of the tin

Purchased From: 4 noggins

Similar Blends: nothing like it anywhere.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	colonel jpl (25)	2014-04-11		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

First bowl out of a new tin I thought this is pretty good. The spicy aroma you get from the tin comes across in the smoke however you have to try to taste it. The spice taste is very faint. I can't smell or taste wine in this blend. Yet it smokes cool and burns clean. By the end of the tin I think I was bored with the taste. But overall its not a bad smoke just not one I will rush back too.

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: smoking pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bob323 (46)	2014-01-10		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Ordering this was purely serendipitous...When ordering Holiday tobaccos from Smokingpipes, one of my choices was out of stock...In a mad scramble to replace the o.o.s. tobacco, I defaulted to Germain simply because I like and trust their blends...Lo and behold, Plum Cake...Well, Plum Cake, plum pudding--close enough...One of the most taste full Aromatics I've ever encountered...Perfect balance of prime tobaccos and plum flavoring...Thank you Smokingpipes for being o.o.s. for my first choice...Plum Cake is not something I can afford on a daily basis but, I will re-order a few tins for special occasions like changing my socks and/or taking the dog for her daily walks...Perfect strength...Perfect taste...Burns to a clean, white ash...And the room note couldn't be better...What more could you ask for in an Aromatic!?!

Pipe Used: various for testing

Age When Smoked: fresh from Smokingpipes

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Simon.c (20)	2013-12-02		Extremely Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Strong

I was hoping to pick myself up a nice aromatic baccy to smoke over Christmas and Plum Cake sounded right on the money for me, how wrong I was.

This stuff is utterly shocking tobacco, it's very moist but even letting it dry out a little doesn't help the fact it's soul is utter rubbish, the smell coming off it is about 1% Nutragrain cereal bars and 99% artificial chemical sweetness mixed with something really unpleasant.

After loading a bowl all I was met with flavour wise was a very light sweetness and some really nasty sour/chemical notes, but the lack of any "plum pudding" flavour isn't the biggest problem.

This stuff burns like a bonfire and even with time to dry out it royally gunks up your pipe.

Oh and it's got a unpleasant room note that all I can describe it as is day old cat food wrapped in newspaper.

All in all save your money.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigCasino (27)	2013-12-01		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The first time I opened a tin of Plumcake not being a fan of black licorice, or the Anise flavor I was worried, as the smell of black licorice filled the air, but as tobacco often never tastes like what it smells like I gave it a go, and as I lit the her up I was happy no real strong licorice flavor, maybe a hint, but paired with what other flavors tingling my senses it was ok, for a long time I was never sure what all I was tasting, I just knew that I liked it, and the more I smoked it, the more I liked it and noticed the different spice notes, a carnival of flavors if you will, but now I believe (and this is just a guess) there may be a small amount of tonquin bean hiding in there

Pipe Used: Big Casino Dublin, I prefer it in a larger bowl

Purchased From: Allegheny Smoke Works

Similar Blends: None.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-08-20		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

To my taste this is the ideal "outdoor" blend. I generally smoke this in a small bowl pipe when I'm gardening or kayaking etc. and its ideal for that. Full taste, satisfying with an almost "peppery" note, you can taste the cavendish. Importantly, I found it to be a great burning tobacco as others have noted- stays lit very well and burns right down to fine ash. Its very lightly cased, you don't get a lot of sweetness once out of the tin, although as noted it does have an intriguing "nose" in the tin. If you are looking for a nice outdoor blend look no further

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-06-21		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

i found this a most unpleasant smoke . it looked like cigarette rolling tobacco ,was very wet and left a wet unpleasant residue at the bottom of the bowl.the taste was unremarkable bordering on the unpleasant . most disappointing .

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2012-05-23		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My experience with this mixture dates back several years and most recently in smoking 100 gr. over the last few weeks.

In reading past reviews it reminds me of how the same tobacco I find pleasing...others find displeasing or not as worthy as I.

However, that being said, I do find this mixture most agreeable, "round" in taste, pleasing aroma and room note, and while I'd prefer it in plug form, it smokes well in almost any pipe. Not a strong tobacco, so morning through afternoon for me.

I have never seen any flakes(broken or otherwise) in this tobacco, rather thin ribbon almost shag cut. For me, I smoke this in a group 5 and larger pipe and have had little issue with lighting and keeping it lit.

Not a go-to for me but one I will keep available in rotation.

...a pipe is to be savored...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	meerkat (64)	2010-04-14		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

Just like some of the other reviewers here I find the flavour of Germain's Plum Cake slighty difficult to categorise. Vanilla, fennel and licorace with some sweet damp hay? I don't know, but it's very sparingly applied and actually quite pleasant, to my palette at any rate.

The tobacco is very damp on opening the (wonderful looking) tin and so will bite like a violent psychopath in a straight jacket until given some airing time.

I found that it burns better when given a fairly firm packing into the bowl and you can then sit back and pretty much forget about it. Like Jakob Kiilerich, I found that the taste didn't really work with my usual liquid accompaniments and I've not yet settled on a fitting alternative. If this is the worst thing to say about the taste though, it's obviously not the end of the world.

The smoke is light and creamy but I found myself wanting more; more flavour, more nicotine, just more. So I had another bowl and another and another...

The flavour (of casing and tobacco) is so light that it never gets over bearing and the nicotine is so light that it never gets over powering.

I have to try to remain resolute when tempted to inhale though. Despite it's mild nature there is something about all flavoured tobacco that I find to be very irratating to the much abused haggis casings I use for lungs.

UPDATE...

I found that this worked particularly well in summer as it is a lighter tobacco but one with an unusally interesting flavour which never gets repetative, for me at least.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2007-10-26		Mild	Medium	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

I found the pleasant looking tin to be the best thing about this blend. It is nothing like Mac Baren's Plumcake (which I enjoy once a year or so)..... This mixture is a little wet out of the tinand took awhile to dry out before loading into my pipe. I liked the fermented fruit type smell coming out of the tin and the rich ripe Virginia flavor, added with the casing, that one tastes immediately at the match.

Germain is a terrific blender and this Plum Cake is another hit.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ducksbreath (125)	2005-07-06		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I thought I'd venture into some of the Germain line after being very impressed with the Smoker's Haven line of English mixtures (similar to Esoterica). I suppose the base leaf here is good quality but the aromatic additive is not to my taste at all. Actually, I was immediately repulsed by the flavor. Something like anise and rotten fruit combined, which is, oddly, kind of interesting in the tin but not under the match.

I can't reccomend this but of course taste is subjective. Not a thing like the MB blend of the same name, though the tin aroma may be vaguely similar.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2002-12-31		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is another hit in the Germain line, but a lightly aromatic one( I normally don't like many aromatics except for some lightly scented flakes or some old Edwards blends, etc.), but this is nice. Not hot or wet or anything like that.

Now it has a viriginia base so it should be packed in layers (with the top most firm), tamped occasionally during smoking, and puffed slowly, or it could bite some. We don't want that. But with proper packing and puffing technique, it is fairly cool and a delightful light virginia aromatic. I've smoked it indoors and outside in a large Bjarne bulldog. It's not really wet at all for an aromatic with a pressed cake for its formation. It's really quite dry smoking for a sweet blend.

I would call this a light Three Star Blue or a one-half or less CAO Blue Note in flavor. I can't tell what's in it, but is seems like a light grape or wine essence to me. I haven't tried MacBarens blend of the same name, but from the write-ups in these reviews, this blend must be cooler and lighter than MACs.

Now G's Plum Cake has not a lot of flavor, and it is lighter but sweeter with their Royal Jersey Perique for instance. (It's lighter and sweeter than Edward's cool Brandywine blend too.) I'd recommend this Germain blend for a light aromatic change of pace for natural smokers or as a mild dessert blend. It is probably not rich enough for a true aromatic smoker, but even for them it could be a change of pace into something a little more to the natural side yet sweet.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-04-05		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A very nice aro that's a little unique. As far as natural flavors, the Virginias take the initial lead and then give way to the Black Cav and the "nor cavendish". I can't describe the "nor cavendish" flavor as I've never tasted anything quite like it. It's very mild in flavor, but what I can taste of it I like. The topping is pretty much the star here and I get mostly plum and licorice. The combo is very pleasant. Overall a nice tasting blend that smokes smooth and burns fairly cool.

Medium in body. Mild to medium in taste and flavoring. Burns very well.

Pipe Used: MM Little Devil Cutty, Little Devil Acorn, Marcus

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2017-03-12		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Been looking forward to trying this blend for some time and then finally it came up in my rotation.

Perhaps reading the reviews BEFORE buying it didn't help, as it gave this tin much to live up to.

Well, the first thing is it isn't plum and it's not a cake either. Tin opening gave me a very pleasant aroma. The tobacco is in a 'cake' yes, I suppose, but then to get at it you have to dig in. When you do the tobacco kind of unravels, into very soft tendrils, very slightly moist, somewhat reminiscent of Robert Lewis' blends so the immediate reaction is to break it up a little more and pack very lightly.

It went dry very very quickly as I left it in the tin on the side to dry out a bit, but this was almost too dry, so it had to be smoked everyday. And sure, it would make a good all day smoke, but alas, I couldn't detect any taste at all.

I could find nothing even hinting at taste and I wondered if it had dried out somehow too much before opening or I had a bad batch. It certainly didn't seem to match any of the descriptions or reviews I've read.

It's not narsty and it's not awful. It doesn't ghost your pipes and is an easy smoke with few relights (probably because it's was so dry) smoking down to a fine cigarette-like ash.

I have now gone right through the entire 50g tin and to honest I am disappointed. My ability to taste tobacco is at fault, I am aware of that, but this had no taste at all. The note left behind indicated some git had been smoking tobacco, but it could have been anything, so generic was the smell.

Weirdly, this hasn't poisoned me against any other Germain's blends. Indeed the only other one of their mixtures I had tried was Uncle Tom's. And guess what. That was tasteless too.

I've given this one 'somewhat recommended' because taking my tasting impotence into account doesn't mean to say other smokers might get something out of it that I couldn't. Besides which it's Sunday Mrs RW is cooking a fine roast dinner and Spurs scored 6 at home in the cup, so I'm a good mood.

Pipe Used: All of them (briars)

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Can't remember

Similar Blends: Can't think of any similar..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2015-10-29		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

A nice, mild, and very unique British aromatic. Every few months I want a tin. It's shag - pack accordingly so you don't light yourself on fire.

Age When Smoked: 1 yr plus

Similar Blends: Nothing.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-07-24		Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Strong

In my opinion this is not a good blend. The taste is sickly and overwhelming and it left me with a nasty tounge bite. Never again Thankyou.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-12-26		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one is a funny cookie. A nice long cut, almost shag like, but not quite.

Very nice tin aroma, maybe something close to rum (like MacBaren's Plumcake).

Smoking it was not the most exciting experience however. Sure it smokes and burns well, but...something is missing. Vitamin N, I believe!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2004-03-18		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Germain has a reputation for high quality that is well deserved. This was the first of their blends that I have tried. Plum Cake has a delicious tin aroma that does indeed stimulate the appetite. It is reminiscent of raisins. It could be described as a very long ribbon cut. It was very tightly packed in the tin and needs to be rubbed out a bit to make packing into the pipe easier. It lit easily and produced clouds of thick smoke.

The taste, despite the tin aroma was very very mild. There was little there to ponder on, so I just puffed away. It maintained a pretty steady one note flavor the whole way down. It was not a hot blend by any means. Still, I was looking for a little more excitement.

It was not a total disappointment, but nothing to write home about either. If it were not for the price it would make a good all day blend for working in the yard and such that you dont want an overpowering blend or something to think about. There are other blends that do that for far less cost. Still it is not bad at all, just not that great either.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	thesmoggypipester (77)	2022-04-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

My second foray into the world of J.F Germaine. Plum cake, as much as I wanted to live it, I couldn't. While not an awful tobacco it just didn't hit the right notes for me. Very thin long strands, and WET! this needs drying before putting into a pipe or it will be like trying to set fore to wet grass. Flavour notes are of spiced cake batter, red wine tannins with no trace of plum. Once dried and packed right, both must be perfect or it just will not work, it is a decent smoke. Must be smoked slow or will bite. However I just don't think the effort is worth the end result. Quite mild in every area, once working as it should is palatable but thats about it. 1 star would be unfair so two is about right.

Pipe Used: Hardcastle crescent zulu

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: The black Swan shoppe

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bowler Hat Piper (24)	2021-04-26		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

Not for me, this one. I did dry it a little from the pouch and it lit and stayed lit well. However, from the first taste, all through the bowl it was sour and really unpleasant. It was so unpleasant that I can't bring myself to try it again. I could taste the wine flavour that some reviewers speak of, but it was more like wine vinegar. I am sure others will have a better experience, but for me, I'm not going to try again. I'll swap this out for other Germain blends that are far superior to this.

Pipe Used: Genod Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	McQueen (41)	2017-04-09		Mild	Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

Grassy hay like Virginia. The casing wears off even with light puffing. Not much too This mixture at all. Medium to strong nicotine hit. Enjoyable and will buy again .

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-13		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

YUK! I purchased two aged tins of this on Ebay over a year ago...I opened one, smoked one bowl, thought it was awful! But I put it in a Mason Jar for a year to see if it helped...WELL, it did not. Hot and Nasty with very little flavor, this blend is not even worth smoking. AND, I have another sealed tin! Oh well, at least the artwork on the tin is nice. ALSO, I don't know what the "unique added flavour" is, but what it tastes like is a word I like to use frequently, but is considered profane language and is not welcome on this forum.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fusty the pipe (33)	2021-12-20		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This honestly confuses the Dickens out of me because I can’t quite work it out - it keeps changing on me from pipe to pipe and sip to sip and I haven’t quite “got it” yet; perhaps I never will.

Let’s start at the start - tin note. The Virginias are there, by sight and scent, so too is the Cavendish. There is every possible hue of brown in there, from light, almost orange, to dark, almost black. There is certainly a fruitiness going on as well but it’s subtle, almost a fine mist of fruitiness, not overpowering or synthetic like say a Kentucky Black Cherry can be or other American style aromatics; it could well be the tobaccos marrying together or it could be the very slightest hint of a topping. It could be plum, it could be some sort of berry but it is barely there.

Intriguing.

It’s a shag cut, you could roll it up in a cigarette paper and smoke it that way if you wanted to and it burns to an ash so light and fine, I don’t think I’ve come across anything quite like it.

It behaves remarkably well as it burns down, giving off plenty of satisfying smoke for very little effort when it has been lightly tamped down.

All tobacco reviews are subjective so, in the interests of fairness I have smoked this in different pipes, at different times of the day and in different places and the stuff is ethereal.

The first few pulls offer a bread like yeast flavour, or possibly slightly heavier, more like a brewers yeast, but this soon settles down and leaves you with…well, I’m not sure how to describe it. There is the hint of some dark fruit, but only the merest subtlest of hints; if this is an aromatic then it is so by the narrowest of margins. There’s a warmth in there too; not a perique pepper but a fleeting mellow glow on the roof of the mouth that I can’t place and then it’s gone.

On the exhale, with a quick inhale up the nose, I’m getting old newspaper, like the old newspaper you find protecting something in a tea chest in the attic. Another tamp and the fruitiness is back. Some more of the bowl and crispy dry leaves is on offer. Now the flavour of old newspapers (not in a bad way) is there and then it’s gone again.

This is odd stuff; it refuses to be typecast.

A very mellow smoke that burns rather quickly thanks to the shag cut - all too quickly the bowl is done and you are left with more questions than answers.

If it weren’t for the enigmatic nature of this tobacco I could see it being an all dayer and, for some, I could definitely see this as something they would reach for regularly but, for me, it’s a bit like that girlfriend you liked but never quite understood…so the relationship eventually fizzles out but you are left in the certain knowledge that it failed because of you, not her.

If people call this a Lakeland or a “soapy” blend then we have not been smoking the same thing but then I could see how people might say that; it mutates it’s behaviour and flavours depending on the size of pipe it is smoked in. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to say it tastes of almonds in a large bowl and cherries in a small bowl; it’s way too subtle for that. The flavour profile is so nuanced that it takes on other things - time of day, tiredness, the place where it is smoked. It just won’t be tied down.

I have a pipe specifically for my Lakeland’s and I thought smoking Plum Cake in that would bring out the fruity nature but it went the other way, drawing out the woods and the newspaper. I tried it in my Cherry pipe expecting the same result but it brought out the warm glow on the roof of the mouth.

It genuinely is a difficult tobacco to nail down and at no point is it too much of anything - it’s like a song you have listened to a hundred times and on the one hundred and first listen you catch something new going on.

In all, it’s a wonderful “itch” tobacco - when you get that itch, nothing comes even remotely close to it. I’ll always have some on hand but I guarantee I’ll get that itch when I’m nowhere near the jar, on holiday or something, it’s that kind of a tobacco; like that girlfriend you never could understand.

A beginner to the pipe world would love this because of it’s mellowness and the lack of bite but I recommend this to the seasoned smoker who is looking for something different - you try and tame that stallion - I’m trying but I don’t think I’ll understand it it anytime soon.

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: B&M

Similar Blends: Nothing else really. At least nothing I’ve encountered yet..

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flint (30)	2003-05-21		Very Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one just didn't do it for me. What ever the flavor they added did not jell with my body chemistry. It was also way to bland for me. The flavor was not worth the time spent with this one. I have to say it's quality tobacco and burned well, maybe it will do something for you.

Nobody has rated this review yet.