Tobaccos J. F. Germain & Son - Royal Jersey Original Latakia Mixture

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-05-29		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have been smoking Penzance pretty steady for years now and when I returned to my favorite tobacco store (http://www.cigarleaf.com/) one day to pick up a fresh tin, but alas they did not have any. He had ordered it, but it was not sent so he recommended Royal Jersey. Now I was not sure b/c I had tried so many other Latika blends that people have claimed tasted like Penzance but as we all know nothing quite does, but I was very surprised. It is not the same flavor but I do enjoy smoking it as it provides just the right about of nic, smokes cool, and has a wonderful flavor. I have heard many people say that "such and such" tobacco has a creamy taste and was never able (outside of aromatics of course) to taste anything near what people had describes. That is until Royal Jersey. I love the creamy taste and texture this produces. I recommend it to anyone and should for sure not be overlooked by any Latika smoker or fans of the Esoterica tobaccos.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-04-17		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Outstanding stuff! This is a wonderful tobacco in the vein of Esoterica's "And So To Bed".I have a request for future reviewers.If you don't like Germain Products - Please don't slam them. All Germain has that anise type flavoring added to it.Their treatment of the Orientals really brings out a unique flavor. You either like it or you don't.Enough said.This is a very unique tobacco. It is a full English with a wonderful Oriental component in it.Upon opening the tin you will be greeted by the wonderful smell of Orientals!I think it might have a very natural apple casing added to it.It has a very herbal smell to it.Upon 1st light you are met with a lovely, sweet,and intoxicating flavor. This is a very complex blend with Latakia in the forefront.The virginias provide some sweetness, but it is the orientals and latlakia that drive the blend. It burns easily after 2 lights and produces billows of sweet English smoke.It is a great all day companion that never gets hot. A must try for all Germain afficianados! 4of 4 stars!

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2003-11-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is a fine, fine Latakia blend. It comes in the typical rect. tin, with the strange mylar bag holding the precious leaf inside. Inside you are greeted by mostly dark, broad ribbon cut leaf. Tin aroma is delicious, very similar to "Margate" which they make for Esoterica, but a little less complex. Moisture is perfect, packing is easy, with three lights max to get going. Flavor is smooth with the latakia in the forefront but nothing in this blend overpowering your taste buds. It seems to taste a little darker than "Margate" but just as delicious. I am surprised this has not gotten more reviews since it is sooo delicious. It builds strength nicely down the bowl with a nice, rich finish that is not off-putting and has you thinking of another bowl. Rating: 5 out of 5 points. Don't just sit there! Go out and get a few tins and enjoy!!! Update: 11-14-2003 After smoking a few more tins of this tobac, I must say that it is definitely underated. This tobac is very delicious. The tin aroma reminds me of the complexity of a high quality cheese that my grandparents made in their farm. It is smooth enough to smoke all day and the cavendish never is cloying. Try it, you'll like it.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Clive Moses Apikouris (41)	2013-01-02		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I see that some prior reviewers are not quite as fond of this fine mixture as I am. Opinions are only subjective. I'll claim no expertise, however I know what I enjoy or not and that's what I'll express here. I find this Original Jersey Mixture to be almost magical. The cover of the tin is purple the color of wisdom and and in legend wizardry and from the moment I opened the tin and viewed, touched the somewhat roughly cut and moist mixture of light and dark tobacco and sniffed the nostril stimulating tin aroma I was draw under it's spell. Soon I was enveloped in the smoke of my pipe, (most recently an old Comay's Pebblegrain in a Liverpool configuration) It's quite a pleasurable purple piping experience. Yes,the Latakia element of it is nothing close to being a riot control quality smoke bomb and yes,the signature perfume of Lakeland we all hear so much about in these reviews subtly but noticeably raises her elegant head. I for one enjoy this blend immensely. The smoke is deliciously unctuous possessing a smooth and wonderful balance of flavors within it's lightly textured medium bodied smoke, complex flavors somewhat herbal, flowery, sweet/sour, a bit tangy. These flavors are carried along in a smokiness that is a bit piney not at all the hickory or heavy campfire smokey essence. There certainly seems to be a seasoning of some sort of light casing or topping. But so what, it tastes wonderful. For my most recent bowl, I paired it with a tea composed of a mixture of black tea, herbal tea and few drops of rose water (a secret recipe) and enjoyed both while listening to a compilation of "West Coast Jazz". Most highly recommended.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2004-10-19		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This has to be about the mildest Latakia dominant tobacco I've smoked. If you like Latakia very laid back then punch this ticket. The only other tobacco I can think of that reminds me of this compilation is Peterson's Sherlock Holmes (although the leaf color and cut is much different here.) And, of course, Germain uses its special processing to make this one shine. Quality Virginia adds depth and character. In fact, it is, in my opinion, very Virginia forward in its presentation.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ElMog (36)	2017-02-07		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Spotted a few tins of this blend resting on the shelf at my local B&M, and they've been there a while. The tin artwork looks pretty nice, so i decided to buy one. On opening, the tin note was very pleasant, slightly sweet, sour, with just a hint of Latakia. Probably something added too. The tobacco was also a feast for the eyes; the wax paper was oily and stained, and some sugar crystals were apparent on the leaf. The cut is a fine shag, the blend is mostly dark in color, with muted, gray-ish browns. I was excited and loaded up a bowl after some drying time. It is then that the disappointment begun... It finally took a light, and the initial taste is a subdued version of the tin note. Something fruity and sour (yes, it may evoke apple cider), a hint of delicate smoke, some spices (cloves?) and some ''dry'' sweetness. All delivered very lightly. On paper, it sounds delicious, but as a smoke, it somehow fails to impress or leave any lasting impression. To me, Presbyterian is a ''light'' smoke that satisfies, so is 3 Oaks Syrian or some of the Grand Orientals from McClelland. But sadly, Germain's Latakia mixture dosent quite hit the spot. I would still recommend it, were it not for the awful burn characteristics. The fine shag is a dubious choice... smoke it too wet, it will torch your mouth and leave a funky lump at the bottom of the bowl and gurgle. Smoke it too dry, and it is consumed all too quickly, turning to ashes in a few puffs, lacking in taste... maybe my technique is to blame here... I still find this blend's taste profile interesting, but not really worth the hassle...

2017-02-23 update: this tobacco REALLY must be sipped slowly, like some virginias, or else the taste quicly becomes unpleasant. Once again, not worth the hassle...

2017-06-17 update: I am now partially reconciled with this tobacco. If you can smoke it at the proper moisture content (and that sweet spot is quite hard to find...), you will be rewarded with: 10 minutes of tasteless smoke and acrid room note, and THEN, if smoked in a big, wide bowl, the flavour will start developping, and it becomes quite interesting. There is something powdery, light and faintly sweet, which merges with the subtle latakia, making it quite pleasant. A bit like the new Bengal slices, only Bengal Slices is about 10 times as tasty... The end of the smoke is the best part, and luckily for nicotine lightweights (like me), this doesnt pack a strong nic hit, so finishing a big bowl shouldnt be a prolelm. Under the right circumstances, will burn down to a proverbial fine, white ash. 2 and a half star !

Purchased From: Tabagie Giguère

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-11-04		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Let me preface this review by stating that I enjoy smoking primarily Latakia-based blends. I am a big fan of Dunhill's Durbar and Nightcap blends so I have some experience with smoking and handling heavy nicotine blends.

Our shop got some of the Royal Jersey Original Latakia Mixture in recently and having never seen it before I gave the tin a sniff. Even through the seal it smelled delightful. Intrigued, I went ahead and purchased a tin to smoke. Upon cracking open the tin I was greeted with the full gorgeous aroma of this tobacco. It has that wet grass smell that one associates with a good fresh English blend as well as an undertone of cider or sour apple. Unique to say the least.

Packing this fine-cut tobacco was easy but lighting required about three or four tries before I could get a good burn going. Once lit however, this tobacco smoked right down to the bottom of the bowl with nary a relight required. After this tobacco has dried out a bit the lighting problems vanish and one can usually get it going with just one false light and tamping.

It's worth the little bit of extra work to get it going however as this blend provides a very interesting and unique smoke. It starts off pretty mellow with a wonderful Latakia flavor which is enhanced by a sour apple/cider undertone. I don't believe that this tobacco is cased but rather that the sour apple flavor is created naturally by some step in the curing process. Towards the latter half of the bowl the Latakia flavor becomes much stronger and smokier and the sour apple taste drops away almost entirely to be replaced by the soft, mellow flavors of the Orientals in the blend. This part of the smoke reminded me of how a bowl of London Mixture tastes but with an overall sweeter undertone throughout. Overall, this is a wonderful, complicated blend which requires some attention to apprectiate fully. On the subject of strength, while this blend is nowhere near the velvet hammer that is Nightcap, it can still be heady at times. I would advise excercising some caution while smoking this on an empty stomach.

In my opinion a great blend. Currently I smoke this blend, the Germain's Special Latakia Flake, and Dunhill's Durbar in my English pipes. This stuff is definately worth a try if you enjoy smoking English/Latakia blends.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2001-04-17		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one was very strange. Like Germain's 1820, when I first smelled this one I thought it was cased. This blend has a distinctive apple flavor, both in the tin and in the pipe, however, unlike 1820, the apple character doesn't seem to go away with time. I'm not sure if it's cased or not, but it's certainly bizarre for an oriental/latakia blend.

This blend reminds me of Harrod's English Mixture (green lid). The flavor is sort of burnt apple and black walnut, with some additional spiciness from the orientals, although the Harrod's blend smelled like black walnut in the tin instead of apples. However, this blend definitely had Harrod's oriental throat-coating effect. Towards the bottom of the bowl, the flavor gradually turns more burnt and ashy.

The first part of the bowl was certainly interesting (if different), and would probably appeal more to fans of aromatics than to english fans. A meerschaum might help as well.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fife&Drum (34)	2017-10-14		Mild	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I’m not a big fan of making notes on tin labels but I do feel that it’s appropriate to have an elegant label with an appropriately elegant name. Royal Jersey Original Latakia Mixture fits the bill just fine. JF Germain is a fine tobacco company. They produce the Esoterica line of tobacco blends which I consider some of the finest blends on the market today, using some of the finest leaf anywhere. Penzance, Margate, Pembroke, And So To Bed all excellent English blends that are always in my rotations. This blend, Royal Jersey Original Latakia Mixture falls into the soft and pleasant world of And So To Bed. It is the same fine ribbon cut. Moisture is a bit heavy but slight drying suits it fine. Out of the tin fresh was 2 starting lights with one relight 3/4 down the bowl. Not horrible. Burns evenly. The first half of the bowl was soft and very pleasing. No bite. A bit lighter on the Latakia than ASTB. The Virginia’s take more of a leading role and slightly more piquant. The orientals taking a supporting role as the Latakia adds the smoky spice. The Vanilla topping adds a pleasant roundness to the mixture and creates the slight sourness near the finish. Vanilla and Latakia don’t always work together but this is not bad. I don’t detect any spirits added to this blend. The blend also doesn’t evolve tremendously throughout the Smoke, yet doesn’t leave my palette trashed with the fireplace ash taste that some Latakia blends tend to leave. The room note is pleasant to me. All and all a good blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2016-04-19		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

J.F. Germain - Royal Jersey Original Latakia.

Inside the tin resides a block of tobacco wrapped in greaseproof paper that's about a centimetre smaller than the tin itself. This set alarm bells off in my head at first as it's oily and moist; the paper's lost all of it's crispness. However, when I peeled it back to reveal the blend I was met by adequately hydrated ribbons that are fine enough to be labelled Shag and some crystals had even accumulated in places; perplexing!

If you like Lat-Bombs, this isn't for you. The Latakia adds a slight depth to the flavour, but in a different way to normal. I don't get any of the usual nuances I expect from Latakia; that's not a bad thing for me though, I like the way the Lat' comes over: calmly.

I also get a pleasing sweetness; like the dextrose variety that's produced by age. I don't really notice any other tastes that could be considered toppings; this sweetness accounts for a lot of the flavour.

I don't get much nicotine from RJO Mixture, I wouldn't even say it's any more than mild.

Personally, I enjoy this blend; I can see how some people would find it disappointing though; it just shows how our taste differs!

Three stars from me!

Pipe Used: Erik Nording Hunting 2011 (Brown Bear)

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (318)	2014-01-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A nice light-to-medium latakia mixture. The latakia is the main actor, with the Virginia peaking through and the orientals hiding in the background. Those who desire super-latakia mixtures would likely dislike this, those who want a bit more latakia than is found in the likes of Squadron Leader, Presbyterian, etc. should give this a go. I prefer the similar but (to me) a bit richer stablemate King Charles Mixture

Pipe Used: various briars and meerschaums

Age When Smoked: 3 months after purchase

Purchased From: Mars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-12-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't know about this one.

Try King Charles, it is much better than this one.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-05-03		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Preface: I have been smoking Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium for near-on 30 years, believing that it has no equal anywhere on earth. But it is gone now, and so I begin a quest for my Holy Grail: A substitute to replace the standard on which all English tobaccos are based:

Royal Jersey Original Lakakia Mixture (RJOLM) jumps right out of the tin at you. Sweet heavily fermented fruits can be smelled across the room! There is no question in my mind that this blend is cased. Aromatic fans might find something here, but it's all a bit too much for me...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-11-07		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

This is a quality tobacco and delightful in the tin. Once it's in the pipe though, it's only okay.

Upon lighting, the intial taste is very light latakia and not much else. As the pipe progresses I taste a light anise or sassafras note, which I suspect comes from the orientals. The most remarkable thing is how 'dry' the flavor is. I don't sense much of the sour apple or cider flavor that other reviewers mention, but I do get a bright sour burning taste on the roof of my mouth which is not all that pleasant. An experience I also have with other blends high in light or lemon virginas. The bite does go away fairly quickly, but why bother, especially for a blend with no disernable virgina sweetness. The surprising thing is how cool and dry it burns for a blend I find a bit nippy. If it were a straight VA that bit like this I'd expect the bowl to be scorching hot, then you'd just have to slow down to keep it in check.

Exhale through your nose, and you're likely to be surprised at just how light and airy this blend is.

Not much nicotine to be found here.

Overall I find that this blend is just too light for me, and would only recommend it to someone looking for the lightest english blend possible.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2005-04-26		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is similar to the King Charles blend and the 1820, though more tart and appealing. Typical of all Germains, the dressing gives the manufacturer away. This is a nice stringy cut of VA/MD & Orientals that packs well. I?m not sure if I ever tried Maryland tobacco before, so perhaps that?s what gives this its unique texture and flavor. It?s similar in style to ?And So to Bed,? though a lot more interesting and not as licorice tasting. The base taste is reminiscent of sour apple or cider. I wouldn?t associate that sort of flavor with tobacco, but it seems to work well here. It?s also briny and chewy, like an Ardbeg or Bowmore malt from Islay. As McClelland is woodsy like BBQ, Dunhill is smokey and IRC Three Star is characteristically licorice, RJ has that unmistakable note that?s Germain?s alone. If one can imagine the rugged landscapes, lonely moors and windswept dales of the Channel Islands, Royal Jersey is all those things in both tin and pipe. An unusual blend worthy of attention and one that I will turn to from time to time.

Three and a half of five stars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danno (106)	2003-11-01		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

With the prevalence of quality english mixtures available round the globe, I do not see myself reaching for this one again. I had a tin(a gift) sitting in the closet for some time, seemed a likely canidate for this past week, as it snowed incessantly. I enjoy alot of latakia blends, coupled with orientals, perique, va, et al. I do not like this. It is flaccid to the point of being nearly flavorless. The tin aroma is good-typical english/oriental. One reviewer made mention of the aroma being similar to Margate. I find the only thing the 2 blends have in common is maker. There is nothing here of interest. The strength is completely absent, the orientals are muted and the latakia is bland, completely lacking the shivery richness of so many other blends. I gave the last half tin to a fiend who has never smoked an engish, perhaps he will fare better.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2021-06-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

A very good friend of mine from the pipe club brought in some Germain’s that he had purchased from someone. For me and probably likewise others, Germain’s is a rare find if you can purchase it. This tin was circa 2017. This comes in a nice shag cut which had still maintained some of its hydration or so it seemed. Fired up smooth, with a slight sweetness to the smoke. Forgive the review as I only had two bowls of this fine blend. I would purchase this if I could. Side bar: "Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, an island group in the English Channel near France." Wikipedia. New Jersey was named after the Isle of Jersey.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Indianapolis (49)	2020-04-01		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

You guys are crazy.... two star average for this??! Wow. I just can't.

This tobacco is lovely. If you've ever smoked "And So To Bed" you'll know Germain's anise flavor profile. Personally, I love it, but if you hate ASTB, you'll hate this too. It's slightly sweeter and more incense-noted than ASTB, probably because of the cavendish. The latakia is not powerful, despite having Latakia in the name. And whatever Germain does to his virginias is absolutely unrivaled.

It's really a semi-aromatic, but there's nothing sticky-sweet-chemical-etc about this at all. To me, its like a happy mixture between ASTB and Stokkeby's English Luxury. If I could find more tins of this, I'd absolutely load by cellar with it, and happily call it my guilty pleasure smoke.

Similar Blends: Esoterica "And So To Bed".

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RoundTwo (38)	2017-10-21		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

After reading the reviews I think this is an under-rated blend. The Latakia and Oriental are forward in this blend that is light in Virginia by taste. At times it tastes like the Gourmet English. Similar smoking experience at times with slightly more Oriental forward taste. I recommend this blend to anyone looking for a full English.

Purchased From: Iwan Ries

Similar Blends: Iwan Ries Gourmet English.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluesmoke (75)	2014-11-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This medium English blend tastes more like an Oriental blend, the latakia is less pronounced and so are the VAs. This has an odd taste to it, as if there was some sort of topping of which I have no idea. In a way it leaves a taste of metal. I know that is sort of non-descript for it isn't iron or copper, I know those tastes. Well that's a big question mark for me, but it certainly isn't the type of taste you want to encounter while hoping for a rich English blend. Maybe some of the tin rubbed off on the tobacco? :) I'm not sure if I got a bad tin or this one just didn't go well with my constitution when smoked. I'll give this 2 stars just because of the odd interaction with this blend, otherwise it would be only 1 star. I must admit I'm very hesitant to buy this again.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-02-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This was an interesting offering from JF. I thought the tin looked quite regal with its purple label and hoped the tobacco would be equally impressive. Though the tobacco packed and lit well, produced a good cloud of smoke, it unfortunately was not that impressive with regards to taste and aroma. There was something acrid about the taste on my tongue which was quite bothersome and the feeling lingered well after I finished my bowl. I didn't smell anything fruity, but there was something "chemical" about the mixture. There seemed to be some sort of light casing on this weed since it felt a little sticky to me...smelled like a mutated latakia type smell...odd to be sure. I might have gotten a bad tin, but can't be certain. I may have to revisit this blend again someday. Somewhat Recommended.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-05-16		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This would be a good introduction to English tobaccos as it is quite mild. This however, is its weakness as it is too mild for me. This is otherwise a nice tobacco for an all day smoke.

soli Deo gloria

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peppino (74)	2011-03-20		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Nice light latakia that burns to a clean ash. Smokes great in any size bowl and has a subtle sweetness. Let it air out a few days and it will lose some moisture smokes very well right from the 1st match.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2010-10-28		Very Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I'm glad to discover I wasn't the only one to notice the sour apple undertones in this very strange blend.

This was one of the few blends I tried that the more I smoked it, the less I liked it: what started off as an ok english gradually morphed into something grotesque as those sour apple undertones started to appear. Then, once its presence was known, I couldn't get past it. It was like discovering the milk in your coffee was bad after having already finished half the cup.

It's not that the quality was poor (or even mediocre), but those cider undertones gone bad really put me off. I finally had to give the tin away.

I can easily conceive that some could develop a taste for this blend. Some people like the taste of durian. Good for them. But I can't, in good conscience, recommend this to the average pipe smoker.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-09-12		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

A friend gave me some of this tobacco to try, 4/5 bowls. The first thing I noted is a strange topping but, after that, the tobacco has little to say: too flat to be interesting, ever for a mild tobacco. Not really bad, but not something I will buy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dharma Bum (9)	2020-11-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The tobacco is mostly brown, with some light-brown and black parts. It smells sweet, with aromas of bread, old wood and campfire. It burns well and makes a sweet and sour, consistant and pleasant smoke. Like Dunhill Standard Mixture, I think it smells a bit like cigarette occasionally, but not in a bad way. The Latakia is definitely there and there's no doubt that this is a true english blend. It's strong enough to keep you satisfy, but mild enough to smoke all day.

If one acquires Original Latakia Mixture hoping for something like Special Latakia Flake from the same blender, one may be a little disappointed. Why? I couldn't say if it's because of the Maryland or the Oriental, but there is some sourness or tartness in the taste of this tobacco that I can only compare (for now) to Dunhill Standard Mixture. It is not bad at all and I find it gives another perspective to appreciate the flavors of the Latakia.

Some compare it to Esoterica And so to Bed, which makes sense because of its sweet smell and taste and the presence of a tad of sourness, but I think Original Latakia Mixture is a little less mellow than ASTB. There may also be a very mild topping (maybe anise as often suggested), that some reviewers find annoying. It is quite subtle though and it doesn't ruin the overall flavor. I even find it adds some roundness to the smoke.

I wasn't sure how much I liked it at first, but after trying it on different occasions I find it very good, enough to recommend the try for a change of pace. It is a good mixture from Germain.

Age When Smoked: Around 10 years of age

Similar Blends: Dunhill Standard Mixture, Esoterica And so to bed....

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WoodcraftSmoker (21)	2020-10-19		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This tobacco has taught me to give the product time before reviewing. Initially this tobacco was confusing, but after six months of smoking it in different moods, weather and times of day, I find that I enjoy Royal Jersey.

Opening the tin one is greeted with a sweet aroma and a moist shag cut tobacco full of brown Virginia with frequent flecks of black tobacco. The paper was slick with red oil. Nothing unpleasant, but different.

The predominant flavor in Royal Jersey is sweet and hay like. This is contrasted with the occasional earthiness of the Latakia. Small amounts go along way with Latakia, so while this flavor does not predominate, it does make its presence know, but in a surprisingly subtle way. The Orientals join in as an overtone and they are balanced by the casing on the "Red Virginia", which to me is just sweet. If the casing has any flavor, I taste honey, not vanilla.

In any case, a sweet and sour, light Latakia, held together by the gentle Virginia is what I experience. Because none of the flavors predominate except for the mild Virginia, it is subtle and interesting. Definitely worth a try for either an aromatic lover looking to explore English blends, or an English fan who want to go the other way. In summary, an light English blend and a worthy and enjoyable smoke.

Pipe Used: Peterson Donegal 999

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Tobacco Pipes

Similar Blends: Nothing I've ever smoked..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnH (24)	2019-07-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Well, well, well, this is a wonderful surprise!

J. F. Germain & Son make some of my favourite tobacco's, however nothing I've had of late has really impressed me. That was until I had this Royal Jersey Original Latakia mixture.

I wasn't expecting anything of exceptional note, and was actually a little perturbed as I'd been sent two pouches of this as appose to one and one other blend that was out of stock.

Germains state that this tobacco is "Specially processed to produce a mellow smoke with rich flavour", and I have to agree that it is indeed mellow with rich flavour. It is comforting and reminds me of blends my farther used to smoke. The Latakia shines, but is subtle and blends in with the rest of the blend. People have noted a sweet element which I get as almost liquorish root.

I'm really surprised this isn't rated higher as for me it really is one of the best tobaccos Germains produce. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh - 6 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pencils (58)	2019-03-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Bought this in error when searching for a pouch of Special Latakia Flake, and although I was initially disappointed at my carelessness, opening the tin and filling a bowl quickly changed my mind.

This has the characteristic Germain 'house topping' taste, in the same way that a certain other blending house has a ketchup note to everything that it sells. It doesn't intrude hugely, but it would be a mistake to discount its existence, and I suspect that the smoker that is unitiated to Germain's will either enjoy or be slightly put off. It is a matter of taste, and for this reviewer is not unwelcome.

I would put it in the higher bracket of flavour profiles for Germain. More latakia than SLF, less orientals than 1820, and more enjoyable in its entirety than King Charles. This is a middle of the road but satisfying latakia mixture that carries greater consistency from bowl to bowl than other JFG products - you know what is coming as you fill each pipe. Good tin smell, with sweet and sour layers, and a fair translation of that to the bowl as it burns. Easy to light, easy to smoke, easy to finish - not monochromatic, but not complex. Dry in the bowl and doesn't translate excessive heat to the briar.

Would I class it as an all day smoke? Probably not, but mainly because it does have that slight undertaste that is a novelty for the first couple of bowls, but can be wearying beyond that. I crave something else between bowls just to shift up the palate. I would go with it every other day, however, and at times have made it through an entire tin very quickly without realising just how much I have enjoyed the experience. Latakia content is good; great if you love it, probably not if you don't, but then you are unlikely to have bought a pouch if the dark weed disturbs. Not a lat bomb, mind. If you are after a latakia detonation, you need to go elsewhere toward the heavier Pease or Gawith blends, but at the same time this is bigger than a Stratford, Kensington or SLF.

I recommend this to all lat lovers who don't mind an easy going bowl that you don't have to think about. Good quality tobaccos, no tongue torture, no wet dottle, no nic overload.

Pipe Used: Various - large bowls and small

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: GQ tobaccos and Turmeau

Similar Blends: Germain lat products.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2017-11-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Another home run from Germain & Son The tin note on this is something I'd like my office to smell like. Germain uses some topping on this blend (apple brandy is my guess), it is strong in the nose and gives the tin note a very pleasant smell that goes well with the underlying tobacco's add to the note but it is all topping out of the tin.

This is a great Latakia (English mixture), I prefer this as an evening or post dinner smoke. The topping noted in the tin note are present in the first third of the smoke, but not so much that it masks the tobacco's, there are some great tobacco's in here! I am guessing that the topping is applied to the Maryland as it is a minor player in the blend but readily absorbs casings and flavors. The Virginias are sweet and are ever present but in the background. The smokey sweet Latakia slightly edges out the orientals in this blend (at least to my palate). The orientals add a sour and spicy note throughout the smoke that is really interesting in the first third when the apple brandy is more prominent. I am not a fan of aromatic's (as a rule) but a nicely topped liquor in an "English" blend I find pleasant. If I were a betting man I would say this is the original version of Pembroke under the Esoterica brand, also made by Germain. As the topping fades this becomes a very nice mild "English" blend. Smoothe and cool to the end and sweet and smoky. I am very glad I was able to get my hands on this and would recommend it to all but those that do not like a noticeable topping on their 'baccy.

Pipe Used: briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: <1 year

Purchased From: Iwan Reiss (BM)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-11-26		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend seemed to have some sort of strange topping and left a very chemical-like taste in my mouth. I found this to be quite an unpleasant ecxperience. This topping flavor made it impossible for me to enjoy the tin, I could barely discern the smokiness from the latakia...this one was a loser to me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	final_id (37)	2010-04-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a not-particularly-bad typical Latakia mixture. I had a bit of trouble with the overall tobacco flavor, because there's more Virginia and Maryland than I would usually like, so that it makes it taste like what I call the 'typical ashtray flavor' of a cheaper cigarette. But the oriental portions of the flavor are OK, though not stellar.

Basically, I got a bland and ho-hum impression from this, with a little bit of a disappointment and a little bit of a "I guess I could smoke this if I have to" kind of feeling.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cmhpipesmoker (21)	2009-03-09		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is an ok tobacco but I guess I was just expecting something different. Germain blends the Esoterica Tobacciana line of tobaccos, most of which have received numerous positive reviews, and they also blend Smokers' Haven's tobaccos, two of which (Our Best Blend and Exotique Mixture) are my favorites.

This blend is similar to OBB and EM in look with long, fine cut strings of dark brown and black tobaccos. In the tin, though, this blend's initial aroma was of plums and fruit with just a hint of the latakia in the background. Is this blend cased or just fermenting? Regardless, I was expecting a bit more of a natural English or Balkan aroma.

I removed this tobacco from its tin, placed it in a glass jar and let it age for a couple of months. It finally lost most of its unnatural aroma and had the heavier aroma I expected. Unlike others, I found this to be on the heavier side, maybe because I let it age as opposed to smoking most of it out of the tin. However, I did notice the somewhat bitter aftertaste others stated.

This is borderline on a two to three rating but I'll give a two because it just does not possess any unique qualities and is just bland.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2009-03-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

J. F. Germain & Son along with their offspring Esoterica are my favourite blending house.

The tobacco did improve after transferring it to the sealed storage jar. Mind you this tends to be a rule for all pipe tobacco rather than an exception.

It starts off with many high and nasal notes, which I quite like. The Orientals are high quality. Mid-way the Latakia becomes more pronounced. Near the end the flavours are full and hit the entire palate. This is not a Latakia blast which some may be thinking.

Overall a bit muted and monochromatic; just okay but not great. I certainly prefer Esoterica Margate.

1 person found this review helpful.