Tobaccos Sutliff Tobacco Company - Count Pulaski

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3046)	2013-12-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

The base of the blend is the grassy, tart and tangy citrusy, bready, mildly sugary, vegetative Virginia. The variety of burleys provide a mix of molasses, earth, wood, nuts and a bare hint of spice. There's enough smoky, woody, earthy, musty, floral, sweet Cyprian Latakia to form an important subordinate position. The rum and anise (which you'll notice slightly more than the rum) match up well with the other components to create an English/aro that's a little off the beaten path. The strength is a couple of steps past the center of mild to medium. The nic-hit is in that center. The taste barely reaches the medium mark. Won't bite or get harsh even when pushed. Burns cool and clean at a moderate pace with a smooth, consistent, smoky, nutty sweet flavor. Leaves just a drop or two of moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a nice, short lived after taste, and pleasant room note. Can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2006-07-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I heartily concur with the majority of the experienced pipe smokers here who are proclaiming Count Pulaski to be one of the finest tobaccos on the planet. This tobacco explodes with a variety of delightful taste sensations with every puff. I have also found (as have most of the other esteemed reviewers here) this to be one of the coolest burning blends on the planet.

I was recently given a pouch of this complex blend by a good friend (and former professional tobacconist) who said Count Pulaski was a bell ringer. I was truly fascinated by the combination of tobaccos and addition of just a smidgen of Anise.

Why this is not a tinned tobacco, I do not know. It is truly as fine a blend (English in nature) that I have ever smoked. It was at the perfect moisture content and had a very beckoning smell in the pouch. Once packed and lit, I experienced a rush of flavors ranging from Burley to Latakia with Virginia thrown in. All were complimentary and the burn was nice and even.

Finally, check out the various cuts in this blend. Cube and shag Burley, thicker Virginia ribbon, Latakia chunks and tiny bits of who knows what made for quite a visual show.

Not just recommended, but highly recommended!

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeProfessor (15)	2009-05-18		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Rich flavor, anise topping, nutty burley and latakia. This is a catch all for me, and I love it! Packs well, and burns great!

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2017-01-09		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a pretty decent blend from Sutliff and would fall into that American English/codger type blend. It is a little unique from many of the other blends in this genre with that slight licorice twang that is included in the topping.

The blend is big on burley flavor. Earthy and nutty sweet. The latakia is lightly applied but does its job of adding some smokiness to the experience. The topping is about medium applied. The topping was not too much to my liking and this is the primary influence on this receiving two stars versus three. Because of this point, I would rather reach for a C&D American English such as epiphany or Peter Stokkebye's English Luxury or Oriental supreme than this to scratch the same itch.

All in all it is still a pretty good blend and would mark a nice change up for either the Latakia smoker or the aromatic smoker.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2012-01-08		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Review is based on one ounce that I received as part of a blind test. The cut and bag aroma made me immediately think it was a C&D blend. I never did guess this one correctly.

This tasted like a budget blend, or rather, more like your prototypical bulk "pipeshop" blend. From there I guessed it was some cheap Lane's product. Wrong again. The virginias in this one seemed pretty cheesy and tasted substandard. The burleys seemed fine and the latakia was light. This is an American English with an aromatic twist. Nice idea, not so good execution. The rum and licorice taste was prominent for awhile and then those cheap-n-cheerful virginias took over. The blend started out not too bad but descended into bland territory, but with a bitter, chemical flavor. This seemed to be a middle-of-the-road affair that might be useful when you're busy and just want something to smoke. Then again, there are other, better blends for that purpose in my rotation.

I was not surprised to learn this was an Altadis offering, as I've not had much success with them. I'm not sure to whom I'd recommend this tobacco but apparently some folks like it, so it's most assuredly for them. But definitely not me.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OSR (78)	2008-11-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Altadis is known for their less expensive pipe tobaccos and premium cigars. This blend definitely puts their other tobaccos to shame. If Count Pulaski was in a tin with a more prestigious label...... well, you'd probably think a lot more of it with a "known" label.

Some folks have blend bias when it comes to Altadis and while admittedly, some of their offerings are mundane, this isn't one of them. No, it's not supposed to be the second coming of Balkan Sobranie! Let the blend be what it is and you'll do much better than having a blend bias going in.

There is a mixture of cuts here that is intriguing. The tobacco arrived at the right moisture to smoke so I fired up a bowl in a trusty "latakia pipe" that never fails to tell me what is good, what is not so good.

The match to tobacco produced a nice taste of all of the ingredients, sans the anise. I didn't get much of a flavoring at all but did notice a very nice, though light spiciness of something in the flavor so I'll suspect that since there is no perique noted - this was the anise, I reckon.

The mixture of burley and VA played very nicely together with the latakia being present but not overwhelming. Could this be the Carolina Flake making the whole blend some together? There's just enough of whatever it is to keep the burleys from becoming boring.

More people have picked up on this blend. When you're looking for an English type blend with something a little different, Count Pulaski fits this bill in spades. The Count burns cool, dry and picks up a little strength towards the end but never got hot or harsh. Sublime.

I suspect the different burleys give this blend the firm, round flavor and lets the other tobaccos dance in the background but not so far back that you can't discern them. This is a fairly complicated blend that goes over quite well. I can't compare it to anything else I've tried so no sense in even going there.

Distinctly different in a good way. I can't make this tobacco smoke badly in any type of pipe. Overlook the packaging - this is a diamond in the rough for sure. Charming to think that such a quality blend is available this cheaply in bulk. Get over the Altadis bias and enjoy this medium bodied, complex blend of flavors.

Update 11/08

This is one of the most requested blends at our pipe club meetings. I do the buying for our tobacco bar and the group continually requests Count Pulaski. I lean to this blend in a large bowled pipe vs. smaller bowls.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2015-12-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

If you enjoy sweeter Latakia mixtures this is one to try. Not only is Count Pulaski very affordable, it's also a darn good smoke. The course cut helps create some appreciable complexities and the flavoring adds a fair amount of sweetness that can be tasted on the tongue as well as in the side stream. The casing is somewhat sticky but the burn rate is slow, providing a cool smoke with a surprisingly low amount of excess moisture.

Count Pulaski is rich, sweet and well nuanced. The base tobaccos lend a warm, bready flavor with hints of dark fruit & spice and are balanced well with the smoky latakia. Off the bowl, I get a distinct scent of toasted grain along with subtle hints of the rum and licorice. The room note is quite nice.

As much as I enjoy smoking this fine mixture, I must admit that it leaves my tongue feeling a bit ragged. As a result, this has to be smoked very slowly. Nevertheless, I would still recommend it. For what it’s worth, Count Pulaski tasted best to me in a wider, shallower bowl.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-01-21		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I don't know if this is the worlds best tobacco but it seems to have something for everyone. I've heard it called a Balkan, full English, light English and American/English crossover blend. To me it is just one really, really good tobacco and it gets much better if allowed to age some...say, 6 mos. This could easily be an all day blend for many smokers. 4 big stars.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	stephenspring (13)	2010-01-23		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Our local pipe shop has pipe days on Saturday so its free tobacco for pipe smokers. Tried Count Pulaski described as mild english mixture with mild aromatic. Fired it up in my Savinelli Autograph. I was really, really impressed with it. I'm not normally an English fan or latakia, but this was impressive. Mild, even burning, and the smell was very pleasant. The weather was pretty nasty today but my day went great after trying this blend. I was so impressed I ordered some on the spot. Great stuff. Can't wait to try it in a meerschaum.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-07-21		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a great site. No way would I have ever found/tried Count Pulaski were it not for the comments of trusted reviewers.

Not much to add here, this one is Jagermeister meets latakia blend. A cornucopia of flavors that should delight both the openminded aromatic and English smoker.

It's amazing that this blend comes from Altadis.

I'm kind of torn between 3 and 4 stars on this one, but because of its unusual nature and low price this one gets the full 4 stars.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	michaelc (40)	2017-08-26		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I really have no idea why I bought this blend. I was looking through the descriptions of various blends and this sounded interesting so I thought three ounces should give me a proper taste so I could judge the smoke fairly. After just one ounce I believe I have made up my mind. This tobacco blend is a keeper and one I will purchase more in the future. This blend is complex and is not easily described by me. I do not have the taste buds of some who can describe the various flavors as a professional wine taster describes various fine wine vintages. All I can honestly do is say whether this smoke to my liking. It is very much so! It has a pleasant sweetness and the casings are just right to impart a very great smell from the pouch. The smoke is cool and long. It was ready to smoke with no preparation other than filling your pipe bowl and lighting. I usually require several relights as it burns down, but that is no big deal for me. It does not bite the tongue and I believe this could be an all day smoke. In the past I have had some unpleasant experiences with some of the other Sutliff blends, but of late I have found a few to be very enjoyable. Count Pulaski is one of those enjoyable blends. The Count will be accompanying me to Alaska in about a month because I feel he will be very good company in a cooler clime.

Pipe Used: Various briars and two inexpensive pearwood pipes

Age When Smoked: Fresh bulk

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Elwin (14)	2012-10-10		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

While I'd give this blend an A for effort, I'd only give it a C minus for execution. There are just too many other blends out there that rely less on humectants, and use a higher quality leaf in the same price range to make this a viable choice for me.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-09-27		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Greetings. WOW this mixture is something else. As a smoker of English blends during cold winter months, I find this tobacco to be sublime!!! Smoking this in a vintage Savenneli, large bowl, and shank bored out to a full 5/16 inch as recommended by the renouned pipe maker Lars Iverson. (this method of alowing the pipe to breathh properly, has created perfectly behaved pipes and the tobacco flavor really comes forth. Give this a try on a poor smoking pipe! It will virtually elimanate tongue bite). Filling the pipe, I love the feel of this weed in my fingers as i rub it gently as I fill. Leathery, not overly moist. The cut having large pieces to play with, and an aray of colors. The aroma teasing the scences. The charring light tells of what is to come. Fired up and underway. The taste of the anise is a wonderful touch and adds to its charactor and blend of the diffrent tobaccos...virgina, burly, latkia.....Midbowl..The Count has settled in for a long and wonderful smoke. Consistant. No relighting. End of bowl, the flavor remaining unchanged, a very nice clean burn, no wetness or goop. All I can say is that, this is my favorite mixture, and goes very well with a strong cup of good columbian coffee. Sadly I have never had the pleasure of smoking Balken Sobranie. I can only imagine.. very, very, highly recommended!!!!!!!!

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-02-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am not usually an English smoker as Latakia just wears on me after awhile though i do like a little of it as a spice as in C and D Tradewinds or Middletons Walnut and others but I heard so much about this blend that I had to to try it. Well, from the moment I lit a bowl in my Peterson, I was in utter heaven from beginning to end. While I could not make this an all day smoke, I sure am making it a staple to keep around as it is simply delicious. i have a thing anyway for a touch of anise or licorice in a lot of my blends this one is a perfect marriage and I would like it at any price but at Altadis pricing it is flat out a bargain. It is easy to light, stays lit, smokes dry, and has to me a great aroma and room note. I don't see how anyone might say this one is not a perfect blend to savor even for non aromatic smokers. I highly recommend at least trying it. If it had a Gawith name on it, it would have a huge following.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tacoeatingzebra (37)	2006-09-11		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Altadis tobaccos are not my bag, in general, unless you count the old Gauloise cigarettes, which in their own round about way lead me to pipe smoking in the first place, but I digress...

Count Pulaski is my bag (quite literally since it's only available in bulk). This stuff is amazing. Latakia and Anise flavoring??? That combination, to me, might just be the closest thing to manna I can think of, despite the fact that my wife will not let me kiss her once I've had either. Although not a fan of aromatics in general, with the exception of Lane's HGL and Peterson's Sunset Breeze, this stuff has become one of my favorites. The room note alone is quite possibly the best I've ever experienced. And oddly enough, though I am frequently indifferent to burley, it lends a delicious nuttiness to the sweet anise flavoring and the rich smoky latakia.

I will soon lobby my local B&M to pick this one up, as it has quickly become a favorite.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	wmjotten (12)	2006-08-20		Mild to Medium	Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

Everyone's opinions differ, but the majority rules with this exquisite blend from Altadis. I hadn't visited this one for some time but had the time to load up a bowl again this weekend while camping. What a mistake to have been away that long! I can echo all the superlatives already mentioned...this is a quality blend with rich, full flavor. Absolutely recommended.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2021-01-26		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

The Count is a sweet smelling English blend bastardized by the Americans. I opened this immediately on arrival, but I cannot detect a pouch note of rum nor anise.

Quite an array of sizes in the pouch. Some thick, wide chunks, some skinny ribbon, some cubes, and some tiny flecks. It doesn't hinder the packing though! The tobacco comes a bit moist, actually enough to form a ball when pinched together.

Initial lighting is an east task. The light, tamp, light routine. You're off to the races.

This blend is very well put together. Balanced, slightly complex, and perfect all day smoke. While I do not detect actual anise flavoring, there is a sweetness which I assume is coming from the rum that I thoroughly enjoy. The brown sugar and nuttiness from the burleys really shine when smoked slowly. No harsh dry spots that can come from a young burley, and absolutely zero tongue bite.

I went through a long stage of trying as many sweetened English blends as I could find. I'm not sure how this one escaped the roster. This has been a great morning smoke with black coffee on my morning commute the past week. Great value as well. With such high quality leaf and toppings used, we are talking a mere 26.00 for a pound! This 2 Oz went quick. Definitely going to order a pound soon!

Pipe Used: several

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2080)	2019-09-11		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Sutliff Tobacco Co. - Count Pulaski.

A strange one this, nicely blended tobaccos, yet the toppings are just enough to divest and remove the pleasure; to me!

The unlit blend includes some very coarse, leafy, pieces. It smells of a rum, anisette, flavoured English. My pouch had perfect moistness.

Upon my first puffs the anisette and rum were evident. However, I get a bitter, alcoholic, sharpness from the rum, not a sweet, fragrant, rummy character. The caustic anisette completes the 'harshness', thusly, subconrading the tobaccos and lowering the rating. The tobaccos taste decent; it isn't a Lat-Bomb, but more of a Latakia seasoned VaBur. I don't find the burn a problem, I rarely need to tamp/maintain it. Tongue bite doesn't happen.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: not good.

Count Pulaski? Because the tobaccos are nicely blended they rescue it, a little. Two stars:

Somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LeeDillan (1)	2016-11-02		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

One of my go-to tobaccos. In my opinion it has a hint of berry and rum aroma when you open the packaging. When smoking, it's got a nice woodsy taste as well.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum corncob

Age When Smoked: 24

Purchased From: Ye Olde Tobacco Shop; Savannah, GA

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2013-03-12		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

Sorry fellas, I'm new to English blends and Latakia... Initially, I was put off by the pungent aroma of, dare I say, damp wood fire. The aroma, for me, was near my limits of acceptability. I let it breath a little and tackled it in the morning.

I had a single bowl and found it to be a surprisingly pleasant smoke. Considering the intensity, before smoking, I found it to have a mild to medium flavor. I caught notes of very light anise and rum, leather, and mild camp fire. All in all, I thought it was an interesting and mild experience, different than expected. I would have to recommend at least a few bowls to get used to it. Worst case, it was a novel experience.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-07-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This tastes like a budget English blend. Not great, but not terrible either. I'm glad I didn't spend a lot on it.

The tobacco is rather difficult to pack. The cut is coarse, and is in all sorts of shapes and sizes (small twigs sometimes). It is very wet, and I had to dry mine overnight to smoke it without frequent relights. It also burns very hot, which is unfortunate because that kills what little flavor is in the tobacco.

The flavors of burley, cheap virginias, and latakia all come through. It took me a while to put a finger on it, but there is definitely anise in it. I think this is the main flavor that really killed the blend for me. The overall aroma is tolerable, as it doesn't have nearly as much latakia as most other English blends.

If you can get an ounce of this at your local shop, I'd say go for it because it's worth trying. I won't be smoking it again though.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Thorre (27)	2009-12-23		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a very good smoke. Burns well. Smokes to a fine white ash. It is one of the best tasting blends I have ever smoked. It is one of the few blends of it genre (American) I've tried. My wife likes the smell more than some aromatics. I am pleasantly surprised with the excellent quality.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: C&D Epiphany..

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2006-06-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The name of this blend brought back memories of the Pulaski Skyway in Newark / Jersey City, NJ that I occasionally traversed with my parents as a kid. I agree with the renowned thedstnguishdgntlmn in that this is similar to Ries? Dr. Bradley and yes, better. Both blends are by Altadis and very similar in appearance with one of them having slightly more lighter leaf but with each having its own, unique casing.

Although the description describes a hint of anise, I found its scent more evident than any other in the pouch aroma. But it is less noticeable in the actual smoking. This sweetness of the VAs / burleys are predominant with the Latakia and anise dancing lightly around them. As others have hinted, perhaps the ?secret? to this blend is the combination of anise with Latakia. It may be akin to that other great combination: peanut butter and chocolate. Who woulda thunk it? You could smoke this stuff like a Rhesus lab monkey and never get the slightest hint of a nip or bite. Thus it would be an excellent blend for the new pipe smoker. Additionally, Count ?P? has a bargain basement price with great burning qualities to boot. In summary, you can ?count? on this to be a winner so get off your ?dupa? and buy some today! You won?t regret it.

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 9.99 out of 10.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-06-21		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Unusual that Altadis would name a tobacco blend for a Polish expat American Revolution figure, but then again, why not? Cas Pulaski day is still celebrated in Chicago, and not just out of political correctness. All things aside, this is an excellent tobacco, and surprising for an Altadis. It's like so many other Latakia/Burley blends but with a twist. Can't say exactly what it is. Definetly worth trying. Nazdrovya!

Three of five stars set against the White Eagle -------------------------------------------------- Valentine's Day 2006

Actually, I'm raising this to four stars. Wonderful, and part of my regular bread and butter rotation. Spicy, sour, robust. My new Valentine love affair, and I don't have to buy the Count flowers!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-06-16		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I had to try this just for the name. I'm of Polish ancestry and the name just evoked a little bit of ethnic pride. With that aside, this truly is a very good blend that everyone, whether you are Polish or not will enjoy it. It does have a pronounced Latakia character to it. There is ,however, a wonderful casing that gives this a truly unique taste. The character of this blend is very similar to the "SERAD SERIES" by C&D.The flavors are muted yet form a wonderfully warm and complex aroma and taste.I have had something very similar to this- Iwan Ries' "Dr. Bradley". This is better. Where Dr. Bradley has a chocolate flavor this has more of an anise casing. I would suggest all pipers try this simply for its uniqueness. 4 of 4 stars.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bent-1 (39)	2006-04-12		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is a superb crossover blend. The Latikia is muted in the background and complementary to the VA's & Burleys. One moment the nut flavor of the burley steps forward, then the sweetness of the VA does so, all with Latikia taking back stage, adding great fill & thicker smoke. Packs well, & stay's lit easily. Burns cool, no tongue bite, flavorfull but smooth. A winner & new addition to my tobacco cellar.

Update 6-7-2015

Still same opinion. Smoked a couple bowls stored since 2008. Key is don't pack too tightly & puff slowly. Enjoy best in a cob.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-03-28		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I agree with Elkabong. This is a flat-tasting, hot-smoking tobacco that has a remarkably good room note.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Buster Bluth (56)	2006-03-06		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Despite the negative reviews of Altadis blends, I feel they have some hidden gems. I keep 'Fox and Hound' in my rotation as lighter English blend in Summer mos., but 'Count Pulaski' I will never be without!!!

The reason is simple. The Latakia does what it should. It's a background spice tobacco. But then again, it never feels like an aromatic even though there is Anise. The smokiness of Latakia coupled with Anise is a match made in heaven.

Second, there is nothing about this blend that looks cheap. Lots of nice flaked and cube-cut pieces. If you want to see cheap, buy something from Middleton. Again, one man's pleasure is another man's poison. If C&D or Pease put this in a can it would be 3x the $$$. But price isn't the point unless you're a snob. It also ages well.

I'd recommend this to anybody, beginners included. I find myself filling my 'English' pipe full of Count Pulaski 1st, while the more expensive tins in my collection collect dust.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-02-02		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

February 2006.

Count Pulaski required two lights and once lit,it just needed the odd tamp. The taste and feel of this tobacco is truly amazing for the price.

I totally agree with Pipestud,that this blend is good enough to be tinned,but if it was available in tin's the price would more than likely go up considerably.

The flavour from start to finish is consistant,and highly delicious in a most respectful way.Plus,it doe's not bite at all like most inexpensive blend's,even after back to back bowl's being smoked.My pipe's suffered no ill effect's in anyway,like goop,or being overtaken by flavour's.

A clean grey white ash was all that was left behind at the bottom of the bowl.

If Count Pulaski were allowed to age more,it would be an even bigger blast! So,buy plenty,and put some aside for aging in rubber sealed jar's.(You won't be sorry)

Very highly recommended.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-07		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

To give some perspective, I mostly enjoy English blends, eg. Black Mallory, Night Cap and Pensance, along with fine Virginia blends such as Stone Haven and Old Growie. Recently, however, I've been looking for a mellow all-day blend that smokes effortlessly. I'm a retired Lawyer who teaches philosophy at a local community college and I enjoy smoking while I do class prep as well as reading for pleasure. Count Pulaski came as a pleasant surprise as it costs less than half of what I ordinarily smoke. The room note is pleasant (my wife, a cigarette smoker who objects to my latakia blends, finds Count Pulaski pleasant.) The taste, which I find remarkably pleasant, is replicated by no other blend I've tried. For someone looking for a transition blend that can be smoked effortlessly and rewardingly, Count Pulaski fills an important niche.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gtclark (12)	2016-02-01		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I wanted to like this tobacco, and tried it many times in many different pipes. However, I found it to be too hot and bite-y for consistent enjoyment. There are many who love this blend, but it simply would not agree with me. To top it off, the wife despised the room-note.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Davo (3)	2010-05-12		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco has serious bite even after drying for a few days. It burns hot no matter how slowly it's smoked. None for me thanks.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Loboatomy (41)	2010-04-21		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A decent enough mixture that has some similarities to Peterson's Old Dublin, but of a much lower quality grade. This stuff (as I have purchased it) is quite moist and benefits from a fairly long dry out period. Slight bite if puffed fast, but a decent flavor all in all. I like the anise flavored tobaccos so that is on the plus column for this tobacco. For the price it is alright if you have the time and wherewithall to dry it out, but there are many better tobaccos out there. Best smoked slowly in a bent filter pipe in my opinion.

I think that if this was blended with less PG and a little more virginia it would be a great blend. Kudos to the guy who blends a bit of perique with this. I tried a bowl with a pinch of MacBarens Virginia #1 in it and it lightened the flavor and rrounded out the "light ends" nicely, but quite frankly with so many other blends out there I don't know if this one is worth the time and effort to customize.

Try a properly dried-out ounce before purchasing in bulk...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2010-02-04		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Repeat after me: Burly shag, burly plug, burly cube. This blend has the nice nutty chocolaty flavor of burly with a background of latakia and a light topping. If you do not like burly you will not appreciate this blend.

Since there is no oriental component other than latakia (no drama, basma, smyrna) the rum and anise were added to flavor the burly. The burly also adds strength.

If you want more or less latakia or other orientals or perique look at the other Altadis English blends (my personal favorite is English Oriental).

The pouch aroma is most definitely rum and latakia, smokey, pleasant but not overpowering. The anise is there but blends very smoothly.

Smoke is medium, of medium body and quite voluminous, moist and has fine flavor. Latakia is deftly applied and not overpowering. Smooth with little nose or mouth tingle. Bite less. Excellent medium flavor. But it will burn hot if pushed.

Aftertaste is slight peppery from the Latakia and mild but distinct bitter tobacco flavor. If it seems ashy clean your pipe, and try not to tamp as most burly tobacco will seem ashy if tamped to often.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-10-23		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

The latakia shines through the burley and virginias in this mixed English blend. I was able to detect a slight anise flavor, but not quite as much as other reviewers have.

As an aromatic and burley smoker, English blends don't usually do much for me, but this is one of the better ones in my book. For the price, it is probably the best English I have tried.

If you are looking for a low priced, latakia laced tobacco, then this just might hit the spot.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	newmystic (4)	2009-04-06		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love this blend, it's flavorful..the anise and latakia play well together.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-16		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first asked for this at my tobacconist, he looked twice to make sure I was asking for the right thing. I read some reviews here proclaiming it as the best pipe tobacco they had ever tried, and I had to try it. I was a bit wary, considering every blend I've had from Altadis is loaded down with tons of Propylene Glycol masking the taste, but I bought some anyway.

In the pouch, it looks like brown and black coloured confetti. It lights fairly easily, and smokes cool and evenly. One problem: it tastes like unsweetened licorice. And don't get me wrong, I love licorice. But this tastes like crap to me. I couldn't even last a minute. It's like someone played a joke and threw Good & Plentys into your Commonwealth.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old Puffer (42)	2008-07-09		Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant

Egad! I think I've found it. The world's best tobacco. This stuff is fabulous. Richly strong without being overpowering and pretty well stays that way to the end of the bowl. The flavors are tantalizingly complex; A hint of perique, certainly Va, a little fruity without being able to decipher the flavor (maybe a little chocolate?), but I sensed no anise which has been mentioned here several times, latakia is notably present without being obtrusive. The room note is definite but also not overpowering (my take, not the wife's), just pleasant. Lights easily and stays lit extremely well although I had to dry it considerably to get it that way. Smokes cool without even a hint of a bite. Never feel I have to suck up for a billowing cloud to get all the satisfaction out of it. Goes to the bottom without a whimper.

I've thought often about what I would expect my ideal tobacco should be like. Easy to pack. Easy to light. Easy to keep going. Rich, good flavored taste. No bite. No lingering bad aftertastes. Smokes cool. Holds my interest without ever getting boring. Comforts me when being introspective about other things. Heck, I could go on and on; this is just, in my humble opinion, one great tobacco.

This may not be the ONLY ideal baccy out there. I have long held that to keep a committed puffer completely happy, there has to be variety, so I will still keep looking. I certainly am not giving up other great blends that I have on hand.

This should be a very recommended baccy for a beginner also.

Thanks to all of you guys that led me to this. Can't express enough appreciation for this web site and all it has done for my pipe smoking pleasure.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-04-01		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If this tobacco was adorned with a Dunhill or Esoterica label I am certain that it would have been one of the most expensive and tried tobaccos available.

Its mixture is perhaps one of the most refreshing I have ever tasted. I was hesitant at first but I recently ordered a bag of it and I haven?t regretted it one bit. I was truly enthused with the combination of tobaccos that contains just a pinch of aniseed. The tobacco has the perfect amount of humidity and is topped by a scent that lures with seduction.

The variety of Burley Virginia and Latakia is very discreet and not tedious. The tobacco is strong and rich that leaves a long lasting taste.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-11-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really enjoyed this when I first smoked it a little over a year ago. The Anise topping worked with the Latakia and different Burley cuts providing a very smokey, nutty and smooth flavor with a cool slow burn into a dry white ash. The overall flavor and aroma was wonderful. I went through a pound quickly and enjoyed every puff. I recentley purchased four ounces to re-visit it now that the weather has cooled off again and to my dismay, the Count was not at all like I remembered it. The flavor was completely different as was its burn quality, even the ash color was very different, much darker. I thought it possible that I may have received some older stock where the topping had diminished or it had dried out a bit too much due to improper storage. After purchasing a few more ounces from several different sources to see, the negative changes in flavor and burn quality were consistant. It's a shame as I really enjoyed this at one time.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-04-26		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

This tobacco is a bit of an enigma to me. The "tin note" is of a cased Burly, almost chocolate smell; the taste is burly, with an almost english taste (the latakia sits nicely in the background to me); the room note is strongly like an english to me, very grassy.

My wife smelled frankinsence.

My wife was having some Absinthe as I was finishing this bowl, and I had a sip. I suspect this or Ouzo, would be perfect compliments to this if it was something you were settling in with. this smoked down to a fine grey ash for me.

This blend has a lot to recommend it, but it's just not my cup of tea. For a english smoker looking for something with more burly, this would probably be a great blend. I get the feeling that this is something I might grow to like more after several bowls, but I would have to smoke it outside.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-12-28		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not bad, not great. If you don't mind your tobacco treated with humectants(this stuff is swimming in it) and your local shop carries it, you might want to give it a try. It's cheep so it won't be too much of a loss if you only smoke half a bowl and throw the rest away. I finished half of my 2oz. bag and then passed it on. It really is an "interesting" smoke but I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase it again. Too much humectant!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SopwithCamel (255)	2006-12-07		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's odd really. I just don't see how this blend warrants any extreme rating one way or the other. It's a decent, affordable, pleasant smelling, mild all day kind of smoke. The flavor seems a bit flat to me, but obviously some experienced pipesters love it.

It's certainly the best Altadis blend I have tried to date, but I won't buy more, as there are others in this style that I prefer. This is more economical though, and for some people that is a strong selling point. It's certainly worth a try. If you live near a tobacconist that carries it, you are lucky indeed...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-11-11		Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

How on earth can this stuff rate four stars?

Count Pulaski is among the top ten of the worst tobacco's I have smoked in fifty years. Other than a pleasing pouch aroma, it has absolutely nothing to offer.

I have to wonder if any of the reviewers who gave this blend four stars have tried Dark Strong Kentucky or Ramsgate, both of which have an anise flavor and are top quality blends to boot. I suspect their initial ratings of Count Pulaski will be reduced accordingly.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-09-14		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have to agree with all who rated this 4*'s. This is one of those rare blends where the sum is greater than the parts and everything is in balance.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-05-10		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Count Pulaski is the best of the Altadis blends I have tried to date. Being an aromatic lover, it took me a couple of bowls to get used to their Fox & Hound blend, but the Count was wonderful, from first light, till I emptied the bowl of the dove gray ash. Count Pulaski was not too wet or goopy, it packed very well, stayed lit, and left a clean dry pipe. I experienced a cool dry smoke, with no tongue bite. ( And the craving for another bowl) The Count gets a royal place in my tobacco rotation, and in my cellar.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-08		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

As a smoker of English, Balkan and milder aromatics, I find this blend to be a wonderful combination. It is a rough cut that burns easily without moisture. The latakia blends beautifully with the anise-like casing for a bass note, while the other tobaccos provide intermittent welcome high notes. Despite the latakia, this is the tobacco my wife finds has the most pleasant room note. It is an all day smoke and is most highly recommended.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2005-10-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I smoked this in a smaller pipe which made the Latakia the dominant note. I will try it in a larger bowl as advised by the other reviewers. A very tasty experience. Ultra smooth with perfect moisture content. No fiddling needed. Highly recommended. 08/16/2005

Update: For those of us who don't like waiting a week or more for an order from the Eastern U.S., The Little Brown Smoke Shack near Yakima, Washington now has Count Pulaski on their website...lilbrown.com. It is under Bulk Tobacco, C.C.C. Brand. It sells for $18.10 per lb.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2005-09-30		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I notice a slight bit of warmth upon initial lighting, but this quickly settles down into a nice cool smoke. I don't really notice any strong burley characteristics either. My overall impression is a light natural type flavor which is modified by the presence of the Latakia. Speaking of which, I find just a hint of Latakia, it just barely peeks through in the background. Of the rum and anise flavors, all I can say is that they just meld in with the rest, and I really don't notice them while smoking this. Everything seems to be in balance here for the most part.

To me this seems pretty mild, yet it does have a pleasant flavor. This is definately an "all day" kind of smoke especially owing to its minimal bite factor, and good yet subdued flavor. You can pretty much puff away contentedly with this without putting much thought into what you are doing. Instead of a flavor overload, this blend slowly builds up, but it does fill your palatte with a nice natural tobacco type flavor. This is comparable in price to the cheapest drugstore burleys, but it really has more in common with tinned English blends. It seems best in a large bowl, and as cheap as this stuff is, you can load 'em up as often as you want.

Overall, this is a pretty light mild-mannered blend, and I can't seem to find anything that I don't like about this blend. So, given its budget bulk pricing, this is an excellent deal. I'm giving it a solid three stars after some consideration. I recommended as a "go to" or "general purpose" kind of smoke. It's good stuff, just not super outstanding or unique in some way. I think it is better than most blends, but not absolute top-shelf. It's worth giving it a try sometime at least.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Young Piper (304)	2005-08-13		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Picked up a sample of this based on pipestud and OSR's reviews. I liked the sample so much i bought a pound from http://www.pipesandcigars.com. The blend has every cut imaginable and has a wonderful musty aroma that makes my mouth water! Reaching into the bulk bag one can grab a handful of tobacco and your fingers will not get sticky as the moisture level is perfect (at least in my sample) and it will dry out which means there is no humectants or at least very little. I have been smoking this blend in a Ben Wade freehand as previous bowls in smaller pipes did not give the different types of tobacco room to burn and lost some of the complexity IMO. I actually smoked a bowl yesterday on the New Jersey Turnpike while driving under the Pulaski Skyway which was also named after that revolutionary war hero so that was kinda cool. The aroma while burning did not offend anyone in my home and one can taste all of the different tobaccos at different times while the bowl burns. This blend is indeed Altadis' best blend and is comprised of top notch tobacco. The quality is outstanding! Why is this not tinned?

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (197)	2020-11-05		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoking now:

This is the newer Sutliff version of Count Pulaski. Bag note smells more like an English, a fermented odor, earthy burley, and some rum/anise.

Lit and burned just fine. I did find that it burned a bit hot this first time and I lost a lot of the taste. So DRY IT at length. It’s an aromatic it needs to be dried a while. After that it burned just fine.

This is a strange one for me. I can see why this is a polarizing blend. It’s not like a savory English but rather has a sweeter and earthier smokey taste. It’s heavy on the burley which gives it a mellow earthy woody molasses quality but it also has that latakia herbal smoke that is very noticeable and on the retroale the Virginia. The topping is evident and I find it to be quite nice. But I could see how it would throw you off. It’s a sweet, relaxing, and creamy type of smoke, more complex than I would think. This blend has grown on me the more I smoked it.

If you’re a sweet / aromatic smoker and want to try something different I would recommend this very much. If you’re a cross over / sweet English smoker this should be on your list at once.

update 12/21/20

There’s a sweet smokey herbal earthy quality to this that I fell in love with. Maybe it’s my Polish roots or my love of crossover blends but if I could give this 5 stars I would. It’s something else and I haven’t found a blend like this. Easily my top 3 blends.

Za wolność Waszą i naszą!

Pipe Used: Meerschaum is my favorite for this.

Purchased From: PC

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Clive Moses Apikouris (41)	2017-10-17		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The reviews here are quite mixed and as a I loaded my first bowl I had some trepidation as to what I would encounter. Would this be a a nasty mixture that would foul my pipe? Or, perhaps would this be a pleasant addition to my rotation? Fortunately I had the later experience of the two. CP is an enjoyable and singular take on the "American/English" variety of pipe tobacco that I've been enjoying these days. It's a Burley forward blend with not much noticeable Virginia, a nice taste of Latakia and an aromatic topping that seems more rum than Anise, nice and sweet but not overly prominent. CP does have a unique flavor that separates it from others in this category , which is a plus. No tongue burn, smooth but I found that it required a number of relights. Very nice indeed.

Pipe Used: Stanwell and Vauen 9mm pipes

Age When Smoked: recently purchased

Purchased From: pipesand cigars.com

Similar Blends: Others of its genre..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2015-05-20		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The rum/anise topping is very tasty and ample, but not too strong. Nearly all of the natural tobacco flavor is provided by the Burley and Virginias in roughly equal amounts. The Latakia is light, but just right for this blend. A very pleasant smoke that is relaxing and delicious.

Mild to medium in body. Flavoring is mild to medium. Taste is medium. Burns very well and burns cool.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman, MM Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: fresh bulk

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ArchtopBill (16)	2011-07-26		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This was a delightful surprise. A tasty departure from the fuller body blends I usually smoke. Burns cooly and evenly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2011-05-07		Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

Would have to agree most Altadis tobacco is overloaded with Propylene Glyco, this blend has reduced amounts of the stuff, so a plus. The stuff smells good in the bag. I rolled it out between the fingers and lit it with one match letting it sit for a good five minutes in the bowl. I tamped it down and was expecting to use two more lights to get it going. It started burning correctly after the second, this was a surprise, and it burned to a fine white ash, this was about the only good points. I was expecting it to go medieval with tongue bite at any moment, which it didn't, it was rough on the tongue, seemed like a smoke that wanted to go hotter. The aftertaste is the thing I really disliked, reminded me of an old relit cheap cigar. This doesn't taste or remind me of an English blend. Count Pulaski does deserve to be better known to the public, not sure of this blend of tobacco. English blends can be a somewhat stout smoke that I on occasion enjoy but this isn't it, when I want a milder tasting one I will stick with the sudo English blend, Mild English, from Boswell. Mild English just has a more balance taste to it without the heat trying to come through.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DoctorThoss (146)	2010-01-28		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I normally enjoy American English mixtures, but this one was quite disappointing to me. For one thing, I found it far too mild, both in regards to flavor and nicotine. I also thought it burned too hot, was very rough on my tongue, and was absolutely soaked with PG.

On the plus side, the anise flavoring is very nice and I can see how the taste and aroma is appealing to many. Unfortunately, I just couldn't find enough of that flavor to satisfy me without scorching my taste buds. Your mileage may vary, of course.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2009-02-20		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was a wonderful surprise. Thanks to the previous reviewers for rating this blend so highly, especially Pipestud. The anise and latakia both vie for attention in this tobacco. There is virtually no harshness at all. The smoothness of this predominately burley blend is a real treat. The latakia is not overpowering and the aromatic casing isn't over-done or cloying in any way. This is very satisfying! The tobaccos used belie those normally associated with bulk blends and Altadis. I'll be ordering more of this right away.

Update: I tried adding 4% perique to this blend and I like it even more. I've just ordered some from http://www.pipesandcigars.com. I think that this blend will stand the test of time, unlike most blends that I initially like.

Update: June 16/06 This is still my go to blend. It's probably the best base blend I've ever tried, as adding 4% perique or 8% cigar leaf, or both,gives this blend multiple personalities, and all wonderful. This is the first time in my 42 years of pipe smoking that I'm not looking for the perfect blend, because I feel that I've found it.

Update: October 16/07 So much for everything I've said previously. After smoking this blend for the last couple of years, I have to downgrade my rating to 3 stars. I've been finding the taste tiring of late and don't plan to buy any more. It's still a good blend, just not great.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2008-05-02		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I liked this one,not as much as Voodoo Queen from Altadis, but it is a good smoke. I have gotten really fond of burley and Virginia mixed with a trace of latakia. I can get this very cheaply at one tobacco store which carries it as a bulk product, which sends up it's stock in my book. I like the room note of this one and find it a suitable all day smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-05-21		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Well other than the fact this blend sticks like glue to the bottom of your pipe like only an aromatic can do. It tastes like licorice with a hint of latakia weird combo for me. It is just an average tobacco i got a pound of it free so I will smoke it eventually. As of yet I can only think of one tobacco worth dumping Red Dawn. Try it it might be your cup of tea.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-11-23		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

This is a nice mild latakia blend, great for an all day every day smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-09-13		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

A good tobacco in the tradition of aromatic English blends (which I have liked for a very long time). I do not believe this tobacco warrants a 4 star rating but it is certainly no slouch either.

Interesting mix of various cuts from coarse ribbon, short flake and even a smidgen of cube. Lots of eye-appeal. Delicious pouch aroma of sweetened Latakia and cavendish. Reminds me very much of McCranie's Hell's Gate or Uhle's Irish Aromatic (both of which I prefer much more). Others which are similar include Tinderbox's Philosopher, Wilke's Pipemaker's Choice and Hermit's Pink Champagne (a real knockout in terms of pure strength).

This tobacco has PG in it and has been "steamed" or cavendish treated to some degree. Not a bad thing per se but perhaps a turn-off to you diehard English smokers. I do think it lightens the body of the smoke substantially. Yes I can detect a slight PG aftertaste (ala Lane Limited) as in some of the other bulk belnds.

Give it a try if you like this genre of tobacco. But even if you do not like this tobacco, there are other examples of the genre as mentioned above.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-07-04		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a low quality tobacco which offers nothing more than tongue bite and a fouled pipe afterwards. Like most all of the blends produced by Altadis, it sucks.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-03-01		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Wow what a nice blend. I can't add anything to what Gae and Pipestud has already said. A great smoke, A great price. Try some.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2006-01-21		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

I was wondering when I'd get "caught" by enthusiastic reviewing!

Altadis shows up at our pipe club meetings on occasion, and usually brings bags of tobacco. We are polite and appreciative, but none of us smokes any of the gifts more than once. I don't know where they get their tobacco, but they definitely show up after all the other buyers are done.

But four stars for this -- I had to try it. Thankfully, I only ordered 4 oz from my favorite shop. I don't think it is possible for me to disagree more. Do all you guys work for Altadis or something???

This is similar to the Fox and Hounds or, as I like to call it, moldy kibble that they offer. They perfume it somewhat. It completely ruined a Jobey pipe, and now even 965 tastes like it in the same bowl.

It isn't that it is nauseating, per se -- but it is definitely in the lower ranks of mediocre. Life is too short to smoke cheap tobacco.

I keep trying to explain to my aromatic friends that many blenders buy inferior tobaccos to "save" with a spritz of some vanilla or cherry or kiwi fruit and belly button lint. In my opinion, it never works, save in the case of some small batch blenders that start off with good tobac. These are rare. So, while they're smoking their "Conflagration in the Bakery" blends, they're encouraging this travesty. Feh! If you can't face real tobacco, go back to cigarettes!

I use unacceptable nigh-english blends, like the Frog Morton series, to add a bit of lightness to Holiday, which is grating to my tastes on its own. I think this stuff might work with that strategy, making something close to appealing (Holiday) moreso. But it is not going into anything but a corncob on its own -- I can't afford to lose any more pipes to its lewdly understated banality.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Boatdock (38)	2022-11-21		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I was aware of this blend for many years before I tried it and that's something I now regret. This is as close to perfection as an automatic gets. The rum and anisette flavors blend with the small amount of Latakia it contains to produce a pleasant sweet, smokey flavor that is unmatched.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Cup O' Joes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mel64us (46)	2021-11-13		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Hot, strange flavor. Apparently the burleys and I do not agree. Good moisture level, left very little moisture in bowl. Lit readily, burned slowly. May be a good mixer.

Pipe Used: Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	huffnpuff (53)	2009-11-21		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The count is a good sample , was afraid to try it after smoking blue note but it turned out very nice for latakia blend. The wife test did not pass but I can smoke this blend over and aver again.

huffnpuff

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	roberteconnors (11)	2008-11-23		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Probably the same as Iwan Ries Three Star Royale Purple...also made by Altadis.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Glorfindel (86)	2008-04-22		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Harsh!

Latakia and seemingly low grade VAs not married at all.

No-go for me.

1 star.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2007-09-01		Mild to Medium	Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you are into smoking licorice, then this blend is for you. I just don't see what all the praise is all about. The most pleasing thing I can say about this blend is the room note is not too unpleasant. This blend is just not for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-06-20		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco has an excellent aroma right out of the package! It smells very similar to halfzware shag cigarette tobacco with that strong smoked aroma. It lights easily, requires minimal relights, and is soft on the tongue. The room note is of Latakia which really smells fantastic as you smoke it. Then you get the taste of the anise oil coming thru (somewhat sweet)which really gives this tobacco it's uniqueness. You get a strong masculine aroma, but with a sweet taste. I give this a 4-star rating and will be ordering more...once I've smoked up a bunch of the tobacco I got for Christmas! :)

6/20/2007 I revisited this after being in the cellar for several months. It still smelled and packed the same, but it set my tongue on fire! I don't know if it spoiled or what. Down grading this to 3 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30167)	2007-05-31		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Actually, I would give this blend 2.5 stars rather than the three noted here. The tobacco is an interesting variation on true English/Latakia blends There is a package note of anise and rum supported by Burley. In the bowl, as the casings burn off, the Burley predominates and later the Latakia becomes more apparent with the anise notes still hovering about a peppery taste. There is a bit of aromatic-like glop at the bottom of the bowl and drying the tobacco has little affect. It's an interesting change from the stronger true English blends (Old Lodge, Squadron Leader), sort of an aromatic that doesn't wallow in that baked cake/cookie casing that seems the affect so many tobaccos these days.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	D.K. (58)	2021-11-14		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Wow. There is no doubt this blend is there when it lights and you draw on it. Jiminy cricket that is some eye opening potent weed! I love it!. This is a small thumb bowl Grabow lark tobacco in my opinion. Like smoking a Balkan blend maybe, while burning cedar shavings, with the tiny remnants of a rootbeer barrel in your mouth. A hint of cinnamon to me on the end of a retro hale, possibly brown sugar. Very subtle, but its there. My wife suggested I smoked it on the way to the mailbox (40yds) , or better yet, just stay there and smoke it. So....room note not so good. Its a keeper for when I want a kick in the pants. I can most definitely see me getting another 8oz for the jar room.

Pipe Used: Cob, Lark

Purchased From: P&Cig

Nobody has rated this review yet.