Tobaccos Ashton - Old Dog

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2005-11-18		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

This Old Dog is not a mutt. Heavy latakia that somehow worked. I have always been somewhat of a fan of Xanthia from Macedonia, and that leaf sure pleases in this now long gone classic.

I've never tasted anything similar to this blend, so, I can honestly say it's unique.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old German puffer (106)	2015-08-30		Strong	Strong	Extra Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

With the smell of fall in the air this morning I opened up a cellared tin. At first crack it smells of burnt wood and leather. I settle it out and go make the coffee. Once brewing I come back and load my pipe. Tobacco is slightly oily but packs well with no fuss. First light chars and with a quick tamp and relight I am ready. On the first few draws the tobacco is strong. Perfect for the cool morning air. I sit outside with mug in hand and smoke waking up and waiting for the big storm that is coming. Flavor is one sided but in this man cave tobacco I feel at home. It is strong. The kick is stronger. Slow drags make it so much more enjoyable. The sun comes up and I am ready to start my day. Happy I chose this tin today. I will jar and smoke the rest over the week. One of my better moments.

Pipe Used: Lorenzo

Age When Smoked: Tin - 20 years plus

Purchased From: WASH. DC

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2004-09-01		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Ok, this is a Latakia mixture in the McClelland family that I truly like: while others claim to be "full" blends or Balkans, none of them are. This one ain't either, but its fullness is at a decent level at least. The cavendish adds some roundness and sweetness to a tasty but otherwise quite ordinary blend: as a medium EM, it definitely can be recommended to anyone. So, if you have been slightly disappointed by the light taste of the Frog Mortons, of British Woods and the Bombay Court couple, or by Celebrated Sovereign, but you still can't find the courage to try the "real stuff" (Odyssey, Caravan, Abingdon, Blackpoint...) try this and you will find its richness and intensity quite rewarding.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2001-03-22		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

A very dark blend with a very full can aroma, mostly sweet smoky (Cyprian)latakia with naturally sweet cavendish. Like most McClelland blends, this one benefited from some airing out before lighting. I may just like my blends a little drier than some. Upon lighting it, the flavor is just like the can aroma. Lots of latakia, balanced by the turkish and virginias, and a slightly sweeter note form the cavendish. I believe the sweetness is natural, as I could not detect any artificial flavor here. It burns well when puffed at a slow to normal rate, and is always cool on the tongue. As expected, the room aroma is quite heavy, and will drive most "significant others" to complain if they are not used to this much latakia.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2012-01-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Ah, the memories. This is one of the first real pipe tobaccos I ever smoked. Coming from a cigar background the brand Ashton meant quality to me and I just grabbed a tin off the shelf. Had I read the tin description and realized this was not an aromatic (pretty much what I looked for in my early pipe days) I probably never would have purchased it. I sure am glad i was in haste.

This is so nice. It has that beautiful sweet and sour thing going on. The orientals are so nice, and to be honest I have not really found anything that is close to this blend. The quality is there, and it is as strong as you want it to be, it just seems to be just right no matter what I am in the mood for. The room note is pretty skunky, this is a pipe smokers blend, not one for a pipe smokers significant other.

I can say this blend does not seem to age well, or maybe my memories are just better than the tobacco really is. My tin is from 2007 and although it has been stored properly it does not seem to have that beautiful pungent taste it used to, could be due to nostalgia palate.

Cannot comment on the re introduction by McClelland. I am going to give it a shot because I respect the McClelland name and I liked the original so much, but do those reproductions ever really work out the way you want them to? We shall see.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ELF (40)	2010-02-21		Medium	Medium	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

.....Get your fishing license,Pack your favorite Scotch or Bourbon...and get away for a couple of days;You deserve a break... This tobacco in my favorite Meerschaum is deep and complex,in my Briar,light tasting..but incredibly Hot(fast or slow puff'g)...I find this Tobacco Very Much a Camelion(Like when i smoke Frog Morton) *NOT for the FAINT of HEART.!. :+}

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Past Master (20)	2008-06-11		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

First off, the aroma coming out of the tin when its first opened is much more to my liking than Celebrated Sovereign. Old Dog is a good English blend with Cyprian Latakia, Xanthia, Black Cavendish and flue-cured Virginia. To me, this is the better of the two English blends in the Ashton series.

That said, its overall reviews are a bit shy of those for Celebrated Sovereign. Of twenty-seven reviewers to date, twenty-four of them are about evenly split between 4-stars, 3-stars, and 2-stars. Only three reviewers give Old Dog a 1-star rating. Average score to date is 2.81 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-08-11		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

For about three months I was smoking Peterson's "Sherlock Holmes" blend. When I finely tired of it, I bought a can of Old Dog. I mean, how can you go wrong with a name like that? Does not the name remind you of a faithfull friend, that was happy to see you at the end of a long day? This tobacco was that friend for a while. When you open the tin, you are greated by the scent of Latakia, and an overtone of a mild casing added. The cut was a corse ribbon, which packed into the bowl nicely. Upon first light, I expected to taste the Latakia, but instead, a sweet taste from the casing came through. However, soon after, the Latakia made its way to the top, and stayed there throughout the smoke. Occasionally during the smoke, the Virgina and Orientals came through, and always just in the background, the flavor of the casing was there. I liked it at first, and I stayed with this tobacco for some time. But, as some good friendships end, this one did too, I moved on to full English blends. There comes a time though, when I think about this tobacco, and I feel like I left that faithfull compainion, that "Old Dog" sitting on the step looking at me, as I moved on to new adventures.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stogie (26)	2003-03-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Ahh... down to the last bowl of this enjoyable blend. I want so badly to fall in love with Latakia blends, but it seems my palate just doesn't enjoy them the same way it craves aged Virginia flakes. Old Dog however, has really caught my attention. After receiving a sample of McClelland No.1 Balkan bulk blend, I realized that my poor experiences with Dunhill English blends could be a specific brand problem. So I bought three tins of 2000 Old Dog from a local retailer who was happy to get rid of them. (Actually I bought his entire stock of 1999/2000 Ashton tobaccos except for the aromatic blend). Here is my review.

Tin Aroma: Big Latakia with a high note?

Visual: 65% Black crinkled Latakia with the remaining 35% consisting of tan & mahogany ribbon.

Texture: Moist and just a bit sticky to the touch. I tend to prefer my blends on the moist side, so this was not off-putting.

Pack/Pipe: Since 90% of the tobacco I smoke comes in flake form, I'm afraid my packing technique with ribbon cuts leaves something to be desired. I began this tin with gravity feed and just a tiny bit of compression. I did not experience good burn qualities, and had 2 - 4 relights per bowl. (I usually require none or one). By the time I was halfway through the tin, I began packing more firmly, and experienced longer, more consistent smokes. This was smoked in my full Latakia rotation including a '73 Dunhill Redbark pot, Caminetto business squash/prince, Castello Old Antiquari and a few Israeli Alphas and virgins. Liked it in larger/taller bowls better.

Lighting/Burn: One long match to char, one long match to light. Occassionaly I needed a relight within minutes of starting the pipe. Once I began packing more firmly, the burn became consistent.

1st 3rd: By far the best portion of the bowl. Loads of flavor with a nice zingy spiciness and the comforting smokiness of the Latakia. Burns at a medium rate, and never felt hot - even with enthusiastic puffing.

2nd 3rd: More of the same as long as I kept the ember rolling. If I backed off to a slower pace, the smoke became much cooler, but lost flavor.

Final 3rd: Very seldom did I enjoy this portion. It was often ashy and devoid of flavor. Sometimes had difficulty smoking to the bottom of the bowl.

Notes: I have two more tins from 2000 cellared. I will come back to this again in 2 -3 years and see how it behaves. My palate may be much more attuned to Latakia at that time as well. Also, I will leave tin open for two weeks before smoking it next time.

Stogie rating of: Seven Heavenly Hoyo's

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JClark (26)	2002-12-10		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I would like to point out that I am an english fancier and enjoy lots of latakia in my pipe. Having said that, this is one of the better english type blends I am yet to come across. This is a rich smoke, smokier than most. The tin aroma is what you would expect, latakia (I love the tin aroma of this one). The only down side is the McClelland moisture. This tobacco definitly needs to be aired out unless you have plenty of pipe cleaners next to you at all times. The flavor upon lighting is basically the same as the tin aroma. There is no flavoring used here but the black cavendish adds a slight sweetnes that compliments the smoky latakia quite nicely. This smokes cool everytime, all the way to the bottom. If its not properly aired out, there may be a little moisture as well as a small amout of dottle (this is not a problem when properly aired). For some reason this one reminds me a little bit of McClellands British Woods, another top player among english blends (IMHO). Fellow enlish fanciers should definitly try Old Dog, and I feel confident in giving this one my highest recommendation.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tillmanj (73)	2002-07-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Tin Aroma: This is quintessentially english; dark and sweet, musty and vaguely oily. Really, much of my preference for english-type blends may be solely based on their tin aroma.

Physical Characteristics: A short ribbon cut, almost a cross-cut, if you will. Needs a bit of airing before it is smokeable, due to a high moisture content, but otherwise a beautiful dark blend. Smokes to a dove grey ash.

Notes: Fortunately for degenerate latakia lovers like myself, the taste and room aroma both accurately reflect the tin aroma, making this a near flawless blend. Make no mistake about it, this is 'big latakia', and may well destroy relationships with those uneducated to the sublime mysteries of the Cyprian leaf.

Verdict: Having so enjoyed Celebrated Sovereign, I have no idea why I did not try this earlier, but now that I have smoked my year old tin of it, I am sure to purchase more

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-07-03		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Old Dog was a sweet mellow English Blend that I have enjoyed for years. If you can get a relatively recent tin, I think that you will enjoy it as well. It is, however, out of production so check out the Internet and the old stock at your local Pipe Shop.

It is my feeling that any blend with a significant amount of cased tobacco present with otherwise natural tobacco will be best smoked early in its life cycle. Old Dog is a great tobacco when smoked within say six or seven years of its production but the cased Cavendish doesnt age in conjunction with the other natural leaf. This throws the older aged blend out of balance and results in an artificial induced edginess that isnt present in younger tins.

That being said, I have plenty of 04 left in my tobacco cellar and I love it every bit as much as I ever did. The tin from 1995 that I just finished had natural tobacco that had mellowed as expected. However the cased tobacco portion hadnt mellowed in harmony with the others. It could have been a manufacturing issue but McClelland has never had quality control problems in my experience. In fact, they always have done a great job and continue to do so with their other products. If you get a tin manufactured since 2000, you should be fine. Too bad it is out of production as I have always enjoyed this blend and I will miss it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zulujerk (146)	2006-04-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I could kick myself for buying this. I read a thread on pipes.org praising this blend, calling for a reintroduction. Having seen a short supply of old Ashton tins at a Tinderbox, I happily scooped this up, with a good two years on it. My problem is this--it's great! ...and out of production.

I won't bother going into the details regarding why I love this stuff. It will just make me mad.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2006-03-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Found the last few tins of the old Ashton blends on sale at a nearby B&M where sadly, pipes are almost completely forgotten.

For a blend that should be latakia-focused, OD lacks certain elements that I have come to expect from latakia; and it does take quite a bit of drying to get this to a reasonable moisture level.

On the other hand, it _doesn't_ smell like ketchup or vinegar at all, smokes well without much bite, and is (was) another reasonably decent addition to the pantheon of english blends out there.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-12-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Wow, distinguished gentleman, that's quite a review! While this tobacco does have elegance and polish, there's something lacking. I don't find it that luscious. As with its cigars, Ashton produces a refined label, but the product doesn't take me to the moon. This is smooth, probably due to the black cavendish, and it definitely isn't characteristically McC. Overall, though, it's a Frog Morton on Geritol. It's not bad, but five of four stars? De gustibus non est disputandum.

Three of five stars

--------------- December 7, 2005

By coincidence, I'm reviewing this again on that infamous day so declared by FDR. This tin had some time to age. Tried it again and liked it. The latakia is a bit spicier & it's more elegant, then again, I've been smoking a lot of junk lately. I'd like to try another tin, but alas, it's been discontinued, or at least, it is no longer being blended by McClelland. If you find a tin lying around in a close-out bin, give it a whirl.

Three and a half of five stars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-09-02		Medium to Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

i bought a tin of "old dog" at a recent pipe show.the tin was 7 year`s old so...i can`t compare it to the newer "old dog",since this was my first experience with this tobacco.i wanted to buy a tin after reading the description in a pipe tobacco catalog.the description seemed very close to another tobacco i really enjoy,british woods.

well,after the first bowlfull i fell for this tobacco.i think it has a nice smokey taste,and smokes cool for a heavier english tobacco.i think it is alot like british woods.i like my tobacco alittle on the dry side,so i let it air out alittle.this tobacco is easy to keep lit,and smokes to a nice gray ash.this one will fit in nicely with british woods and nightcap,which are in my tobacco rotation.give it a try.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2005-06-18		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

revised 06-17-2005

This is a variation of "Frog Morton" but with more vanilla added. When I first left the world of aromatics, I didn't notice the humectants used in a lot of blends, but now as my palate has had more practice, the topping and humenctant used in this blend is very off-putting with a bitterness that I just can't get by. So now, I just can't smoke this blend anymore. I do believe that this is also a repackaged version of "Chesdin" Mixture. I supppose if you are crossing over from aromatics, you might enjoy this blend, especially since this still uses quality leaf. But as for me and my pipes, no mas...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-05-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is truly an exceptional blend by any standard.Although McClelland blends this,there is no ketchup smell at all. IMHO this is probably their best English offering for the Oriental/Turkish afficianado. If FMOTT can be described as sweet then this would be tart.It is very similar to FMOTT, but the different orientals yield a more Germain like quality.This is for the lover of Turkish /Latakia blends.The addition of black cavendish yields a very smooth and sweet/tart flavor.It is so luscious in flavor it cannot be described.This is a triple chocolate torte with sweet chocolate ganache on top.It has a cube like cut,so be careful not to overheat the pipe.You will never experience any bite, harshness,or bitterness.The only warning I will attach to this is the folllowing: The flavor lingers on your tongue,anything you smoke after this will continue to tast like this blend.I give this 5 out of 4 stars! You read that right. Go get some.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-01-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Since the demise of the Syrian Latakia, I have been on the quest for a new go-to blend. My search led me to Old Dog.

The tin aroma was pleasant, for a lover of Latakia, that is! I could also detect the Xanthia influence quite readily. As has been mentioned before, the tobacco was too damp at first, some drying was definitely in order.

Once the mostly-ribbon cut was loaded and I lit it, I was instantly transported back to the day I last smoked FMOTT. Very similar style.

To me, the Cavendish and the Xanthia were a bit overpowering. In this case, I think the Frog would be my choice if I had to pick between the two.

In the future, I'll probably just let sleeping (Old) Dogs lie...

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ivanhoe (36)	2003-10-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I concur with Norm, tilman and JClark about this tobacco. It is one of the best English blends I have tried. It makes a large volume of thick, creamy smoke that is very, very smooth. There is no tongue bite here. The taste is rich and creamy, too, with a little interesting perfume added by the xanthia. The nicotine level is satisfying, but not overpowering. Put your feet up and watch the fire while you sip on a bowl of this stuff.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-03-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Can't add much to tillmanj and KEF except to agree with them and others. Old Dog is one of my favorite English blends as well. I rotate between VA,s & VA/Perique blends with the English/Balkan blends getting airplay whenever I have the chance, and OD is always there. The sweet yet tangy flavors together with the citrusy, smoky and nutty flavors make for a very enjoyable pipe whether relaxing with a good book or writing tobacco reviews :o). Smokes cool and burns well to gray ash. If you like blends of this sort you owe it to yourself to try this one. Works for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2002-07-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Strong

Old Dog is one of the better English mixtures that is somewhat smokier than the run of the mill English. Like most tobaccos blended by McClelland, it needs a little drying to get the best burning qualities. It packs and burns well. While this is not really a regular in my rotation, it is a most satisfying blend and if I ran out of my regulars, this would fill in nicely.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2002-04-17		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Strong

On opening the tin a strong aroma - sweet cyprian latakia and xanthi oriental - reminds me a bit of Frog Morton OTT. Kind of a mix of pebble and ribbon cut, darker brown with some light ribbon. As with many McClelland's blends, it is a bit moist, and takes some time to dry out. Packs and lights well. On lighting, it is a sweet/sharp cyprian latakia scent with mild sweet casing. As it is smoked down the oriental flavors grow stronger and temper the latakia, but the casing flavor, which I like, stays pretty constant. I don't know cavendish tobaccos well enough to say what role they play here. Tends to burn a bit wet, with slight bite if smoked quickly. The room scent is not overwhelming. I don't smoke this often, but when I do I find myself saying how much I enjoy it. 8 of 10. - Kelly

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2005-08-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I like Old Dog the most of Ashton English blends, however it is somewhat lacking. It is a nice start on an English/Scottish blend with the Orientals coming in beautifully, and the Latakia and Black Cavendish working in good harmony. The Virginias are a disappointment. I would expect something from McClelland would have a little better Virginia presence than this. Were I able to improve this, I would use a more noticeable Virginia (perhaps removing some Cavendish so it is not overly sweet) and add more Xanthi to keep its position on the palate the same. For all the grousing though, I find it to be a companionable bowl. It?s a fine choice for an all day blend on par, I think, with McCranie's Murdock's Pipe.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-07-06		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

You can definitely taste the McClelland hand on this tobacco, and it ain't bad. Not a full English, but it gets near, not a Balkan, due to a lack of deepness from the oriental part, it is a latakia-oriented blend reminding the Frog Morton series, as many here below has detected. It's a good tobacco, but it's something in the middle between the tobaccos you always want to be at home and the ones you won't even look at the tin anymore; something you can't decide if to buy again or not!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2005-06-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This Old Dog has "fleas." I have to agree with the two esteemed reviewers below me.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Simenon (20)	2005-04-08		Very Mild	Strong	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nose: A strange and mild puree of smell ranging from vinegar, to tobacco by way of ketchup. Quite odd, it provokes a double take: is this supposed to be an aromatic?

On the palate it also very mild: so much that it is hard to discern the various tobaccos in the symphony. Wait, its not a symphony at all --its someone snoring! The casing and Prolypilene Glycol treatment overwhelmed the tobacco aromas. People call this an English, but that type of tobacco is by definition, supposed to be mercifully devoid of additives, and this is not the case here. Lets call this Americanized English as in perverted. On the plus side, you can smoke this all day, since it is one of the most supremely unchallenging tobacco out there --asuming you don't mind additives.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-02-22		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

As others have mentioned, this is similar to FMOTT (too similar for me). For the price, and considering the first tin of this I had was 5 years old, I do not feel obliged to buy any more. Tasty, but FMOTT (and its bulk counterpart) is easier to get and cheaper too!

Save your money!

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-02-15		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

After being utterly disappointed with Celebrated Sovereign, why did I try Old Dog? It must be the Ashton cigars that I enjoyed in the 1990s. Ashton must produce a decent pipe tobacco. If so, after a second try, I have not yet found it. As many of the reviews suggested, I let this tobacco dry a bit before venturing forth. The smell of the tin was very nice as was the ribbon cut and its colour. I initially thought that this Old Dog may give my staunch Latakia No. 2 hound a run for its money. This Old Dog cannot run, though, or even hobble, and after a few bowls it was ready to be put to sleep. Sadly, the only burial fit for this animal was a quick flush down the loo to bark legless after some goldfish.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2004-10-29		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

From the tin notes, you would expect this to be a Latakia powerhouse. I beg to differ. While this is deeper than its brother Celebrated Sovereign, it is brighter than Frog Morton. It is possible that it's Latakia content is as great as FM, but there is a lively, zesty Virginia component present that makes this quite different. (Mind you, I like FM, but it is darker, and a bit more sweet/aromatic).

To be honest, I don't love Latakia. And I don't smoke this very often. But every time that I pull this out of the drawer, especially when I'm heading out for a snowy dog-walk, I am charmed by this blend. As with all Ashtons, this features a stellar Virginia backbone - McClelland Virginias, but deeper than usually found in Mc blends. While my taste buds are usually deadened by Latakia halfway through a bowl, this blend never does. This is one of five Latakia blends that I will always keep on hand (along with GLP Renaissance, Dunhill EMP, Mc 2020 and Clan Shaw Mountain).

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2003-05-18		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Warning this "review" is by a 6-month newbie, who doesn't yet have a palette. Having said that, I am disapointed in Old Dog. I read great reviews, but to me it just seems like a "watered down" version of FMOTT.

OK, OK I promise not to impart my impecable wisdom until 3 bowls. It is definately growing on me. There is some spicyness here that I missed the first go round. I will be smoking this more often.

Nobody has rated this review yet.