Tobaccos Sillem's - Black

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2010-01-22		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The best English/Aromatic I have ever smoked... hands down.

The tobacco nose from the tin is Latakia. The flavor at the match is robust, smokey and semi-sweet. I can readily taste the casing as well as the "campfire" flavor of the Latakia. Neither overwhelms and the "English" part of the flavor dominated... slightly.

The only drawback (and it is just a personal thing), is lack of strength. Still, for a fun, different and delightful smoke, Sillem's Black is just the ticket.

35 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2017-02-12		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

The smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia tends to lead the other tobaccos a little, but the nutty, toasty, earthy, lightly molasses sweet burley plays an important second position. The description mentions that there’s spice in the latakia, which had to be added by a topping before being blended into the mix. It’s prevalent all the way through to the finish. The rich vanilla from the black cavendish acts in a support role. The grassy, citrusy Virginia is a background player. It’s hard to define all the toppings, but the ones I notice are, in order of importance, dark berry, cherry, honey, mango and marshmallow. I suspect there’s another fruit essence or two, as well as an obvious incense/floralness that reminds me of rose. These toppings sublimate the tobaccos quite a bit, but doesn’t totally drown them out. The strength threshold is a little closer to medium than it is to mild. The taste level sits squarely on medium. Has a mild to medium nic-hit. Won’t bite or get harsh. The tobacco is a little moist, but doesn’t need much, if any, dry time. Burns cool at a slightly slow pace with a mostly consistent flavor, though it does occasionally have a very light syrup note. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires a few relights. Has a very pleasant, sweet, floral, spicy, lingering after taste. It’s a filling all day smoke for the experienced aromatic smoker.

-JimInks

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2014-06-28		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I don't smoke a lot of aromatics. I was a bit blown away when I tried Sillem's Copenhagen. I really like that one. Thought I'd try this one due to the high ratings and I'm very glad I did.

There is an underlying light English "flavor" that works as a base here. English blends are my favorite so that works well for me. The aromatic flavors are cherry, vanilla, honey, and some other things that I can't quite pick up on. The honey, as any good honey will, has a nice floral note. The sum total is delicious. Very pleasing and enjoyable.

Doesn't have to be dried, but it does burn just a bit better if you do. Mild in body. Mild to medium in taste. The added flavorings are also mild to medium.

As with Copenhagen, it can burn a little warm if you get carried away. I've been known to do that with blends that taste really good. This is a nice addition to my very small stash of aromatics. I'll always keep some of this around. 3+

EDIT: 3/5/15 I'm raising this to 4 stars. This has become my favorite aro.

Pipe Used: MM General

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marosi (70)	2011-10-24		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

There mere fact that this is a latakia based aromatic should tell you that you are in for something profoundly different. The latakia, as the blend notes above denote, is the predominate flavor, and it is wonderful. It looks like latakia and cavendish in the tin, and that is what it smells like, for the most part. The aromatic essence has more of a lakeland quality than anything to my nose, and smokes more "floral" than "berry." It is certainly not overbearing, and does not knock you over like some of the famous English Lakeland aromatics.

I have to disagree with the few reviewers who described this as having an artificial or chemical component. I, like them, can only speculate, but this does not behave like a tobacco which has been treated in that fashion. For one, it is not goopy, and dries very quickly when out of the tin. Second, it does not bite like many cheap aromatics do which have been loaded with sugar and flavors to make them taste like something other than lawn clippings.

It is a cool smoke, and takes a little effort to get it going. Once lit, it burns evenly, with few relights as long as you pay attention. The smoke is rich and voluminous. There is latakia up front, but also the cavendish and VA providing backbone, and that lovely casing which is there in the taste as well as the aroma. It really does not "taste" fruity to me, but that might just be due to the transformative aspects of fire on the blend.

Overall this is very unique, has fine burn qualities, and a wonderful rich flavor.

20 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2013-08-19		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Granted, latakia and berry casing aren't the most intuitive combination, but Sillem's has managed to work up a very satisfying blend. One that is evocative an old sort of store that carries really fine leather horse tack for English-style riding wherein is mingled the scents of sweet alfalfa hay and various aromatic liniments. Somehow Sillem's has translated this redolence into taste in a delicious, well-behaved and sophisticated aromatic.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2014-07-03		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I saw this in my local B&M and decided to take a chance on a tin. The first thing I didn't like right after opening is the plastic bag the tobacco is in and the second is the tin doesn't come vacuum packed. So I was surprised when I lit this up and there was not an overpowering taste to it, in fact it is on the underpowering side (if there is such a place). There is no tongue bite and the taste and room note are quite pleasing for the smoker and those nearby. You should get some compliments from passersby. The combination of tobaccos is first rate and whatever they use for a flavoring is done with moderation. It lights and stays lit easily enough and there is a fine ash at the bottom of the pipe when you finish. Overall, recommended.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stutter818 (51)	2014-06-05		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Delicious tin note - cherry, chocolate latakia. Like a rich chocolate cake. Slightly bitter smoke, can taste a hint of sweetness through the latakia. The latakia is mild tasting. Very enjoyable especially as a dessert smoke.

Pipe Used: Missouri meerschaum eaton cob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smoking pipe online

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tabaco (112)	2013-04-13		Mild	Extra Strong	Medium	Very Pleasant

This blend is is an Aromatic. If you're a big fan of Latakia English blends and their Balkan, Oriental cousins this blend will not be for you. Not a crossover blend in my view.

The tin is not sealed, simply a cellophane bag closed with tape and placed inside the tin. A bit concerning since there must be a tonne of added humectants. First nose is massive amounts of cherry and vanilla, with zero Latakia. After emptying the bag into a mason jar the bag itself had a slight smokiness to it.

Packs well, lights well and burns to a nice clean powdery ash, not gooey nor wet. A fairly cool smoke; however, can bite if rushed; obviously quality leaf.

The blending is expertly done, huge amounts of cherry yet rather mellow. The best cherry blend I've had, not that I'm an aromatic connoisseur. Disappointingly the Latakia never does show-up, it's used to make the cherry deeper/broader and does add a bit of depth "smoking satisfaction". Unlike most Aromatics which are far too bland and cannot deliver apart from pleasant aromas. This blend is also low in nicotine, not that I care but others do.

It's recommended to either to use one of your aromatic briars or if this becomes a favourite dedicate a few. I would not use my English pipes, it ghosts a lot despite the well behaved nature of the casings.

Unfortunately, every-time I smoke Sillem's I end up with a wicked headache due to the casing agents, humectants, and chemical additives therefore I cannot recommend this blend.

If however, you're looking for an English with a hint of aromatic sweet black cavendish I would highly recommend Boswell's North Woods the room note is definitely Latakia although the aromatic combines to make something which reminds me of Catholic High Mass and Frankincense and it tastes great too.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-03-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I am going to begin by saying I don't really enjoy aromatics, the artificial taste, the sugary sweetness, and those pungent floral scents are not really my cup of tea. I want to taste natural flavors when I smoke something, and aromatics always seem to have two layers to me, the actual tobacco taste and a superficial layer of whatever has been added.

However, as aromatics go this has a lot of flavor to it, a strong full bodied creaminess courtesy of the Latakia and a natural sweetness from the Cavendish, a truly bizarre medley but it seems to work here somehow.

The tin smell is still that ghastly waft you get from aromatics that reminds me of an air freshener in a public restroom, but it calms down and becomes pleasant and well mannered when you actually light it up.

It doesn't seem to burn as hot and definitely bites far less than its other fragrant cousins, and has a good tobacco flavoring. But most importantly, whatever was added to sweeten this manages to incorporate itself well and doesn't just sit on top like a candy crust.

This is still not something I will smoke often or am likely to purchase again, but it is excellent for what is and perhaps something for me to enjoy when I want something different.

This tobacco is different enough to justify trying once for any pipe smoker and a must try, I would imagine, for someone who enjoys Latakias and aromatics.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipetips (2)	2011-10-03		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

I've got it NOW!! For months I have been struggling to determine the predominant note in this tobacco and couldn't put my finger on it until today...its Frankenberry Cereal!! This is my all time favorite smoke, a PURE DELIGHT. It is UNLIKE ANY OTHER AROMATIC you will find. It also has hints of blueberry pop tarts and marshmallow! and A DESSERT TREAT that goes perfectly with a great cup of coffee. WOW! If you have not yet tried SB order a tin ASAP and get ready for something wonderfully DIFFERENT.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2017-09-03		Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Sillem's - Black.

The nose from the tin is unmistakably aromatic: fruity and sweet. It's not particularly damp, like a lot of heavy-smelling aromatics can be. In fact, the moisture's great! It's presented as a coarse cut mixture, of which the bright yellow Virginia pieces are the largest. It light's easily.

The toppings pair well in the smoke. The fruit/citrus are prevented from becoming too sharp by an aromatic sweetness from the honey. Not a gloopy, sticky, sweetness that can emanate from sugar, but more charismatic. Where the tobaccos are concerned, the stronger of the flavours are vanilla from the black cavendish, and a rich Latakia note. Although the Lat's presence is unquestionable, it isn't an outright smoky flavour, it has more depth. The Burley and Virginia are miles behind, these give very little in comparison. The burn from it can't be argued with, being even and cool, and I get no tongue bite.

Nicotine: medium. Room-note: well, it's Sunday afternoon and my wife's allowing me to smoke it in the living room with her, so it must be very pleasant!

This is a well accomplished blend, not my favourite aromatic, but still worth four stars:

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson 150th Anniversary Founders Edition

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PeterD (91)	2016-04-13		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

...One of the best English/Aromatics I've ever smoked...

Truly vary different in taste and aroma yet serves both the Aromatic and typical English smoker. An any time of day smoke for me and I've enjoyed it in small to large bowls with little difference. Moisture level is important in burn quality and in burn speed...so I keep the level at 72% and find that to be a reasonable.

This is not a mixture that "can't decide" if its an English or an Aromatic...It is simply an English/Aromatic.

Price is quite steep, otherwise it is a must try tobacco...

Pipe Used: gp 3-6 size...

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-12-19		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Addition By Subtraction.....

This is mild English Blend with flavored black cav.

Nothing new there. The market it literally saturated with blends made with Vanilla Black Cavendish. And this blend can be reasonably duplicated by throwing a splash of BCA in your favorite English Blend

But, what separates Sillems Black from the stereotypical "aromatic" black cav blend is not what it has. It's what it doesn't have.

It's not soaked in propylene glycol.

Black Cavendish and especially its flavored derivatives gets a bad rap. IMO it's not the black cav. It's not the topping typically applied. It's the PG that makes most of them nearly unsmokable. That waxy tongue artificial taste thing. No surprise really you're basically smoking tobacco soaked with antifreeze.

All of that is why Sillems Black is an absolute home run. A very nice dose of latakia. Not heavy handed. Just right. And a very very interesting top flavor that clearly goes beyond plain old vanilla. I get a hint of berry or something. Don't know for sure. I'm a smoker not an aficionado. But whatever it is it's damned tasty.

And this is high quality leaf. It stores, dries, loads, lights and burns like your favorite non aromatic blend. If left exposed to the air it dries like tobacco is supposed to. It doesn't stay wet for months in the desert like the typical Hot Fudge Sundae Cream Surprise Aromatic from the like of Altadis or Lane.

It burns right. Will leave some scent but not heavy goop in your pipe. Altogether, this is a legit smoke with a nice flavoring that enhances instead of disguising the good weed underneath.

If your looking to bring a bit of frivolity to a staid rotation of English and VA blends, Sillems is your blend. Fits a nice niche and is worthy of a try for any discriminating piper. And if you like aromatics but have been smoking the goopy crap, you owe it to yourself to give this a try. Whole new world.

A NOTE: The tin is really cool,but not airtight. If you're going to keep this around you'll want to either jar it or keep the tin in an airtight bag or humidor.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2018-08-01		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Are you a fan of english blends but sometimes you enjoy something more aromatic??does your wife complain every time she smells latakia blends!?i have a solution for you.Sillems black!i cannot leave without a comment the tin appearance which looks like a case from a medieval jewel.once it breaks a smokey and nutty vanilla flavour comes out.the blend is a mix of rubbed flakes,and different cuts of tobacco which doesn't make a ploblem at the packing.it is a bit moist but no drying time is needed.lights ok and several relights are needed.while smoking everything is perfect.latakias are the main player being coaly,sweet and smokey.burleys add some interesting molasses,nuts and spice notes.the virginias are in the backround not always obvious mostly grassy and citrusy.the deep flavoured cavendish make the difference here with a very natural vanilla flavour combining very well with the other flavours without subtlimating them.generally the flavours are natural with some complexity.burns slow and medium hot with a very few moisture at the filter not to perfect ash due to the different tobacco cuts.the room note is pleasant specially compared to other english blends and the aftertaste is pleasant.nicotine level is almost medium without a chance of tongue bite.not an all day smoke but a repeatable one.generally this is a very enjoyable blend that reffers to english and aromatic lovers.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BriarWoody (33)	2017-03-11		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a delicious English aromatic blend, a crossover of sorts that delivers on the promise of the Frog Morton series that McClelland couldn't accomplish. Smoky, sweet and fragrant, this will delight both the aromatic smoker and the English lover who desires something sweet.

It's not goopy, syrupy or overwrought. I get a touch of a floral note, perhaps honeysuckle and rose, but none of the heavy Lakeland-style soapiness. The toppings are prominent, but pleasant, akin to toasted marshmallows and blackberries. The Latakia, burley and cavendish are the lead players. The Virginias are not discernible.

Well behaved in the bowl. Burns dry and smooth in all pipes I've used. Complex and fun to smoke.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puss n' pipes (27)	2016-07-25		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Among the best aromatics in the whole world, not just because it has the latakia addition which makes is rare but because the balance of flavours is just perfect for such a complex mix.

The smokey and creamy substance of the latakia is present but doesnt dominate, just add his character with subtlety, surrounding the palate but letting the virginias carry the sweet touch, a combination that one may paragon between vanilla, some cherry and honey. The smoke is robust, mature like, balancing between creamy, nutty, just a tad sweet while the flavour, casing and taste always keeps a mild pace. Something you may like if you prefer the english personality from the mix, but on the other hand it may dissapoint a bit the sweet tooth as it never gets sweet, always keeping balance, always managing to grant an english with a grain of sugar.

Personally i love this blend, its unique. Very calming smoke, a must for the colder days.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dracula 221, Principe Albert

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geronimo Von Klaus (76)	2016-01-13		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Very Pleasant

WOW.

I had never heard of the brand or the blend, and when my pipe guy said I have to try some and described it as an aro with some latakia, I have to admit I was just humouring him when I fired it up.

It opens fairly innocently, big plume of aro smoke which tasted like a lot of other aros. Then all heck broke loose and the latakia came in beautifully. It's really something, the aro elevates into a really gentle but sublime taste, and the lat is just right coming in and adding just a hint of smokiness.

The concoction is just right, and it really changes the whole way down. Down near the end, its a very rich and deep bowl where the tobacco is noticeably present with the aro elements changing the whole way down too.

Cannot recommend it highly enough. Completely surprised, and now I need to find a procure a lot of this.

Pipe Used: XXL Freehand

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TorontoSmoker (19)	2015-04-01		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

An extraordinary, unique aromatic, blended with Latakia - truely a remarkable masterpiece!

There's not much more I can add to the glowing reviews here except for one thing - I have figured out what this subtle, enjoyable topping tastes like to me:

It's Black Forest cake my friends! And it's fantastic!

Two points of caution: The last 3rd of the bowl isn't quite as nice as the first 3rd of the bowl. And it does dry out rather quickly in the tin once you've opened the bag, even if you keep it tightly wrapped in the cellophane bag and the tin tightly closed

Pipe Used: briar

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rick5iron (20)	2013-10-05		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Quite simply the best tobacco I've had in long time just great.. As others have stated though, put this in a jar because the tin is terrible to keep it in.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-10-21		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

By all means, this is a very classy tobacco. Its packed in a square, shiny black box with an ornate silver cross on the lid. Very nice! This aromatic tobacco doesn't overdo it on any level. It's not too strong, not too flavoured, not too sweet. It's a very balanced blend where not one of the four different tobaccos overrules the other. Veeeeery smooth! It's a real pleasure to smoke this. The humidity is perfect. You just have to put it in your pipe, light it and the blend almost smokes itself. The aroma? Well, I can't put my finger on it, to me it's just a very sophisticated smell, nothing artificial. Nothing but positive notes on this one, except that the tobacco is just a bit too mild for my taste. Only in the last quarter of the bowl it gets a bit more punch. All in all certainly a tobacco I can recommend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	lastOFtheBOHEMIANS (5)	2022-02-28		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin note is pleasant albeit a little bit odd. It smells like a very fine latakia blend kept in a jam jar...with a bit of the jam left in it. The smoke is a nice smoky, leathery latakia, and the fruit flavor I pick on is that of blackberry. However, there is most likely more fruit essences included because it took a while for me to put my finger on that one in particular. A very flavorful smooth smoke, and amazingly balanced and homogeneous blend considering the wide and highly contrasting flavors it contains.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PickyPiper (11)	2021-07-18		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

What can I say about this that hasn't been said before? This blend is near perfection, if only it weren't so hard to find.

There are two different tins, a square kind and a rectangular kind. Neither are airtight, as the bags inside them are unsealed and simply closed off with tape. Luckily, it seems that even if the blend goes dry it doesn't get harsh or lose all of its flavor, like many other blends in the same packaging do. In fact, this blend smokes best dry, and it will dry; no goopy PG here. The tin note is fantastic, a sugary honey-like sweetness with a hint of fruit (think syrupy-sweet fruits like mango, passionfruit, or candied strawberrys) and a backing smokiness like marshmallows on a campfire. The tobacco is pitch black with some flecking of bright Virginia, not quite a ribbon cut but almost needle-like, kind of like some kinds of tea.

It takes to flame quite easily and forms a grey ash quickly. Some people like to call this a crossover English blend, but I disagree with the latter; it is not at all like an English, but its own thing. The taste is that of a wood fire perfumed with honey. It's a very gentle, mild taste: no intense Latakia soapiness, vanilla aromatic, or fake fruit topping, just a satisfyingly sweet smoke. The black Cavendish and Burley help provide a decent body to the smoke, which helps further accentuate its gentleness. The flavor lasts all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Won't bite, in fact it almost does the opposite; the smoke is so dry it'll start to dry out your tongue in a tannin-like fashion. An easy favorite, for as long as it's still available.

Purchased From: Smokingpipes, Cup O' Joes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-03-23		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I think of aromatic English blends, I tend to think of blends with the components of an English blend with some added sweetness (like Frog Morton’s Cellar) or a light topping. Sillim’s Black takes that to a whole new level. Black, like all of the Sillim’s aromatics is comprised of high quality tobaccos with a very heavy topping that smells wonderful. I don’t really pick out the toppings named in the description, but with that said, I can’t think of an aromatic blend that contains this much Latakia and is so aromatic (aromatic in an additive sense). It needs some dry time, and it will leave a pretty strong ghost in your briar so be sure to use a briar dedicated to aromatics or even a cob. It will even ghost an aromatic pipe that hasn’t been used with Latakia. With that disclaimer out of the way, it burns cool, is very rich in flavor and won’t burn hot. Black is fuller in body too. It will leave a tad bit of moisture in the pipe is not properly prepared. A lot of aromatics don’t cellar well, but I have had them jarred for as longer than four years without a problem. The packaging, while elegant, isn’t designed IMO for long term storage so I would jar it if cellaring is part of the plan.

Age When Smoked: New & up to 4 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkie (129)	2012-02-14		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

As others have noted, the tin fragrance is similar to toasted marshmallows. The marshmallow taste is greatly diminished while smoking which gives it a subtle quality. Contrary to other reviewer's comments, I could not detect any hint of floral or soapy smell or taste. It is sweet but not cloying or artificial or chemical. This is a unique blend because. although it is sweet and it has latakia like MacBaren's Latakia, it has a delicate, smooth taste. The idea of lat combined with sweet Cavendish seems bizarre but Sillems somehow accomplished it. It can give a slight bite if multiple bowls are smoked continuously but, generally, it is a well behaved blend. Great stuff and deserving of 4 stars.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-10-18		Mild	Mild	Mild	Strong

I couldn't even really taste and smell the tobacco through the soapiness and I even worked my way through 2-3 bowls of it. As soon as I smelled the tobacco through the tin I knew I wasn't going to like it. It smelled STRONGLY of some kind of chemical to me, but it was kinda funny cause none of my friends could smell it. The only way I can explain this is that maybe I have some certain gene that allows me to smell this soapy substance.

Example: In 1931, a chemist named Arthur Fox was pouring some powdered PTC into a bottle. When some of the powder accidentally blew into the air, a colleague standing nearby complained that the dust tasted bitter. Fox tasted nothing at all. Curious how they could be tasting the chemical differently, they tasted it again. The results were the same. Fox had his friends and family try the chemical then describe how it tasted. Some people tasted nothing. Some found it intensely bitter, and still others thought it tasted only slightly bitter.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SergentPepper (5)	2010-12-19		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

What a great smoking pleasure ! As soon as you open the tin, you clearly understand that it's gonna be something, boy... Perfect balance in the mixture of Latakia, Black Cavendish, Burley and Virginia. This tobacco is really... special and deserves to be smoked in a peaceful environment: doing nothing, watching nothing, earing nothing and, last but not least THINKING about nothing. Total exprerience :-) Very big stuff !

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-10-28		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Wow. I don't give 4 stars lightly, but this German-English blend absolutely will knock your socks off. Extravagant is the right description for this blend.

Tin aroma is definitely unique: the smoky spicy aroma of the Latakia is definitely the dominant part, but the sweet honey aroma of the black cavendish is the secondary subtle part. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't come vacuum sealed, but that's not a big issue. The tobacco is a bit wet anyhow, so if it dries out a bit, it's sure to improve the smoke. However, if you're planning on long term cellaring, put the pouch in a ziploc bag and place back into the tin.

From the first light, it became clear to me that Sillem's has taken this Latakia blend to aromatic levels that few other blends reach. The rich, creamy subtle spiciness is predominant early on. Others have described toasted marshmallows and I agree - definitely. There's a sweet nutiness to it that isn't overpowering and it's one of the few blends I've smoked that I could actually smell the room note and it is wonderful. The further into the bowl, the spicier it gets and I detected somewhat of a coffee bean flavor still mixed with toasted marshmallows. The bowl ended perfectly with nice white dottle and a very spicy finish.

One note about strength: this one is deceiving. It's stronger than you think. You'll get a nice nicotine buzz going about half way through the bowl and depending on the size of your bowl, it might grab you by the throat when you're done. It's definitely in the medium to strong range. I couldn't smoke this blend everyday, but it's a definite treat. It's a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for and this would be a welcome addition to anyone's stock.

A phenomenal blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-03-24		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

A smooth, easy going blend with a toasted marshmellow aroma. It burned easy with almost no bite. The latakia gives it a smoky body that lies under the sweetness of the cavendish. As others have said, a true English aromatic

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	bayro (30)	2009-04-06		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

After 30 years of pipesmoking, just one word - best!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TexJake (1)	2022-11-14		Mild	Extra Strong	Overwhelming	Tolerable

I had relatively high hopes for this based on the high average score here, and listening to others' descriptions of their enjoyment of this blend. I cannot jump on board with this one.

In the realm of Latakia blends (English, Balkan, etc), there are plenty that I greatly enjoy, and I think the tobacco blend here is decent. My issue is entirely with the cherry topping, which at no point during smoking ever completely disappeared. It was intensely strong in the tin note, as well as from first light. It reminds me of bitter, medicinal, cherry flavor cough syrup. The flavoring may have burned off of the leaf by halfway through the bowl, as it seemed to diminish, but I definitely tasted it (whether it was just aftertaste, I don't know) through the whole smoke.

Perhaps I am just more sensitive to this kind of flavor, because it doesn't seem like many others dislike it, certainly not with the same intensity that I do. What I could taste of just the tobacco blend was decent, but definitely not enough to make me want to suffer through the rest of the package.

I smoked 4 bowls in two different pipes, and tossed what remained.

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	relaxedpiper (2)	2022-10-19		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The Description for this Tobacco is spot on! This was recommended by Alan from the Pipe Cottage as a good English style blend. I've been smoking it for about a month and have enjoyed it from day 1. It has a great presentation from the Brander. It has a good aroma in the tin, smokey, dark, Latakia, typical, from what I'm discovering, of a good English scent. It lights easily and the smoke has a sweet taste to it from the Virginia that stays throughout the bowl. This blend does not Bite your tongue, like others I've experienced, and is flavorful and enjoyable to the bottom of the bowl, without getting bitter. I really like this tobacco and find myself reaching for it daily as a 1st or 2nd smoke of the day.

Pipe Used: Viking 105, Nording Calabash

Age When Smoked: Out of Tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bull&Burley (2)	2022-07-12		Medium	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant

This one got me from the first bowl! The tin note was great, but it was the tone of the first few puffs that sunk its teeth deep into my nostalgia bone and settled in for a good nibble. It has all the bark of a good English bulldog, but the soft caressing ‘bite’ of a Carnival kiss.

From the first puff to the last whiff it was smooth, dynamic, and alluring. My only complaint being that the sweet notes of the aromatic side of this Witchers’ coin faded out early…but, they leave you nestled in the sweet comfortable warmth of a quintessential English.

The Latakia notes were peppery and rich, complimented perfectly by the tangy virginias, and rounded off by a mellow burley vitamin-N brain-chill. The cavendish, while present, settled more into a supporting note than anything.

Not harsh, not bitey, not boring at all, just right.

Toss me a coin for this one, because I’m stocking up!

Update: …the beard-stank aftersmell on this one is rugged. Like, keep-you-up-at-night, rugged. I’d definitely wash the beard and brush the teeth after this one, lol. It will ghost a pipe like Casper…clean well!

Pipe Used: Vauen Taipan 5344

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (130)	2022-06-18		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Tin note is exactly the same as Reiner prelesional. But unlike Reiner the flavors are in the tobacco when smoked. Lots of sweet fruit and floral smells. Reddy rubbed many large chunks. Nice relatively light aromatic. somewhat sweet but not overly so. Even when dry needs quite a few relights. Gets much better as you progress through the bowl. To get the best of the flavors needs to be puffed lightly. Nic hit is light. Not sure its an all day smoke but a nice change for an occasional lite aromatic.

Review update Let this sit for a few months and as its a bit dryer the floral notes are much more noticeable the topping is more forward through the whole bowl. The floral notes are similar to a W.O Larsen blend with a bit of a musty flavor. At he halfway point most of the floral notes have burned off as well as the mustiness. You are left with what I find to be a much better smoke slightly sweet light Laticia cavendish with just a touch of the fruit essence.

Pipe Used: White elephant Briar

Age When Smoked: gift not sure but aged a bit

Purchased From: friend gift

Similar Blends: Reiner prelesional but still has the flavors.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (89)	2021-08-22		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Grabbed some of this stuff from a friend to make this reviewl, so here it goes!

This is not and cannot be an english blend, not just because it has topping/casing, but because it lacks oriental tobacco. It could be a scottish blend at most, but it’s... an aromatic, with a pinch of latakia. There are other blends that contain latakia and yet have topping or casing, like Samuel Gawith Perfection for instance, but there you can taste the latakia, in this one you cannot.

The tin note is quite pleasant, of dark fruit and plum mostly, and just a bit of citrus.

The cut is very nice but doesn’t seem ready rubbed to me, more like a granulated cut. Presents itself with lots of black leaves and some brown and gold leaves here and there. A bit moist, so I wouldn’t smoke it right out of the tin, because drying gives it a better taste as I’ve discovered.

Taste and aroma: Black cavendish and sweetness right from the first match. A honey taste with some dark fruits and/or berries/blueberries. Very sugary! The latakia is in the background, barely noticeble, with a sweet buttery taste and only a bit smoky. As you progress, it delivers flowery notes but the sugary taste continues to be strong. There is a little sweet virginia with some citrus and hay notes that are with you all the time, but temperate.

The tobaccos as I detect them are in the following order: Black cavendish, virginia, latakia and burley.

Burns perfect, no tonguebite, no overheating. Delivers a cool smoke.

Not a bad smoke!

strength mild or mild to medium flavoring is medium taste medium room note pleasant

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WorkingClassChap (197)	2021-06-05		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Smoking now:

I’m a few bowls into this as it was a complicated blend to review.

Tin note is unlike anything I’ve smelled. Fruit, sugar, vanilla, incense, licorice, fermented yeasty bread.

Moisture is perfect out of the tin. A typical European style aromatic. Packs and lights fine.

I get a distinctive sweet fruit taste but I can’t place my finger on the fruit. I want to say it tastes tropical. Peña Colada? It tones down the tobacco by a lot. The herbal earthy smokey Latakia is in the foreground as the fruit topping and vanilla sugar flavor takes the lead with the Virginia and burley. The topping does die down after a while but hangs on well. The Virginia and burley will then become more pronounced. The Latakia is always in the foreground. The sugary sweetness stays. The retrohale will tingle the nose but you’ll get tropical fruit and a fermented yeast bead and creamy flavor that is nice. Didn’t bite, didn’t leave a goopy mess in the bowl. Average relights. Lingering aftertaste. Very flavorful.

A unique blend indeed. A must try if you’re a fan of crossover blends. One of the best I’ve smoked. Don’t let the Latakia scare you if you don’t smoke Latakia blends it’s light. One of the best aromatics I’ve ever smoked.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GergelyAdam (10)	2021-05-06		Mild	Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

For me the tin note is is black cherry pálinka, anise, latakia. Anise is not my world, thankfully it does not translate to taste nor room note. The smell of the smoke is chocolate, berry orchard. Rather dark chocolate-tart fruit, not very sweet, but especially pleasant. The taste, I think, is specifically Sachertorte. Latakia builds up slowly, just fine, but whoever waits for Lat-bomb will be disappointed. More aromatic than english. In return, I don't think it would offend others around you! It burns more slowly than most aromatic tobacco, but it gives more smoke, does not heat up very much, and has little condensate. Overall, this is an outstanding blend! It reserved a place in my rotation right away. I highly recommend you to try it.

Pipe Used: briar

Age When Smoked: fresh from the tin

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	my_fahmi (2)	2018-08-28		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just bought several week ago, in pouch. I dont know different with the tin but i feel its strong smell when i opened it, smell of roasted black latakia.

I dont fan of latakian. But this blend is good stuff. My first bowl, i feel the flavor of honey, with 2/3 bowl the citrus comes and blows me away.

Isnt good for fast smoke, make the flavors not detected, just smell roasted latakia.

Pipe Used: Swiss bend pipe with falcon steam

Purchased From: Tokopedia.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dbl-bbl (45)	2018-03-09		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I truly enjoy a myriad of tobacco genres (i.e., Burley, Virginia Flakes, VaPers, VaBurPers, Orientals, English & Balkan blends). My personal 4-star rating system (opinion) is as follows: 4 stars = one of the best in class for this tobacco genre, 3 stars = a very good blend for this tobacco genre (but not a firm favorite), 2 stars = a good/decent blend in this genre (yet I prefer other blends), 1 star = the blends flavor or aromatic characteristics is not appealing to me (for the particular genre) and I most likely will not purchase it again.

Sillem's Black has been on my wish list for some time and was a little tough to find in stock. Having read many good reviews here about this blend I just had to try it as this one sounded like a unique blend worthy of a trial! And BOY-OH-BOY were the reviews right on the money. This is some excellent pipe weed with a savory, sweet & smoky flavor & aroma that keeps one interested & entertained throughout the whole smoking session. Even when I've had to interrupt smoking for an extended break and park the pipe ... when I come back to that same bowlful I can resume where I left off with little change (i.e., no bitterness, excessive dryness, or wet dottle). I really like this blend and highly recommend it to any Aro piper whom may be looking to venture in the realm of Latakia-containing blends. As for my brethren of the briar who are English blend stalwarts ... it probably won't tickle your fancy ... but for someone who likes the American-English hybrid blends ... give it a try. I think you'll enjoy it.

Pipe Used: Briars, Meerschaums, & Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: www.4noggins.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Richard Jhonson (13)	2017-01-13		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Granted, latakia and berry casing aren't the most intuitive combination, but Sillem's has managed to work up a very satisfying blend. One that is evocative an old sort of store that carries really fine leather horse tack for English-style riding wherein is mingled the scents of sweet alfalfa hay and various aromatic liniments. Somehow Sillem's has translated this redolence into taste in a delicious, well-behaved and sophisticated aromatic.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rob73 (77)	2016-10-30		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Description is right: a very original English/Aromatic blend. Strong hints o berries on a Latakia carpet in a blend that manage to not be boring, despite its sweetness. I suggest to dedicate a pipe for this tobacco. 3,5/5 in my personal rating system.

Purchased From: Dubini, Chiasso (Switzerland)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2016-04-12		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

All I can say is WOW. This is such a sublime blend that gives you the best of an English and the subtle touch of an aromatic. You get that meaty charcoal taste from the Latakia and just a taste of sweetness (brown sugar or caramel perhaps) to help mellow out the smoke. Be warned though, as the taste will stay in your mouth long after smoking it.

I decided to buy this because of Pipestud's review. I figured if an expert who has tasted over a 1000 blends said it was the best aromatic hands down, there had to be something to Sillem's Black. While I am new to the hobby, I'm sure I will be coming back to this one.

My one and only gripe is the packaging. It's cool it comes in a tin, but unlike most I am familiar with having a vacuum seal and a rubber insert to keep things fresh, the tobacco comes in this plastic unsealable bag (like you would buy chocolates in). The tin itself doesn't close in a satisfying way, it just seems more gimmick than practical.

Give this one a try, I can't imagine anyone not liking it!

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

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

Perhaps the best latakia-aromatic blends available. There is a dark berry note that complements the latakia very very well. It can bite and get a little ashy if pushed too hard, and the excellent flavor will tempt you into puffing too fast.

On a side note, it reminds me of the now defunct thepiperoom.com's "Midnight Vigil", and is the only tobacco I've found with a similar flavor profile. If you have fond memories of that blend, give this a try.

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: thepiperoom.com "Midnight Vigil".

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	natibo (169)	2015-10-12		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love this stuff. The latakia is not overpowering. The berry topping is quite nice. I am a big fan of these cross-overs. My only problem is that the flavor kid of dissipates after the first 2/3 of a bowl. That and it could be stronger. I'm a nicotine junkie.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Appalachian Chef (52)	2014-11-22		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Full	Strong

Unique! An interesting and very unique aromatic. Latakia adds to the tin note which is a potpourri of aromas. Smokes very well and has an excellent, but very different flavor. It will not be a staple in my rotation, but a great add to the collection for... when I'm wanting something different or exciting.

Pipe Used: Brebbia '1960' Noce

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pecci (9)	2014-07-01		Mild	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Perfection! I love Latakia with Blk. Cav. and this is the best example. I wouldn't change a thing. The tin note is unique and this blend smokes as good as it smells.

Pipe Used: Mr. Brog Kentucky

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2013-12-11		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It's quite strange, a latakiya blend with strong aroma of cherry, makes this blend a smokey cherry aromatic. I really don't like the tin packaging, is not good. The smoke is great but must enjoy it slowly, must draw slowly and longer to get a good smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-07-04		Mild to Medium	Very Strong	Very Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is quite a few reviews here that are calling this mild, lightly flavoured, mild to medium tastes. I really don't understand how.

This is strongly cased/topped tobacco that is latakia based. A good sniff into a newly opened tin will burn your nose. It smells good enough that you'll probably go back in for a second however lighter sniff. The first time I smoked it was a year or so ago and it was fresh out of the tin. I was intrigued but it was too much chemical. Overwhelming casing and oily mouth flavour that hung around all day. I let this one air out for a while in sorta sealed can for a few months. It mellowed out nicely.

I'm really impressed. It has a really nice aromatic type flavour with strong underlying natural nutty tobacco flavours. It's strong enough to taste good at the end of the day when other tobaccos might taste like hot air. I smoke it slow and dried to the point that a pinch just barely holds a clump, just before it gets crispy, and it behaves perfectly in the pipe.

I'm normally one to have a distaste for aromatic type blends. Heavy flavourings are usually there to mask the crappy tobacco underneath in my opinion. And why bother with tongue bite. This has none of those attributes and is smooth and comforting to me. It should be a must try for anyone. I'd recommend opening the tin and letting it get some air for a few weeks somehow for the best experience.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrumsAndBeer (217)	2012-04-02		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable to Strong

I purchased this tobacco thinking that it was a lightly flavored latakia mixture. I guess I was also swayed by the ratings, which at the time were very close to averaging four stars. As it turns out this is more of a heavily cased, fruity blend that happens to a have some latakia in it, but probably not very much.

To Sillem's credit, Black seems to be made from quality tobacco and I am sure this blend will appeal to some. However, I am always concerned when a manufacturer doesn't seal their foil pouches or tins. To me this tends to speak to the use of a humectant other than water in processing.

I am torn in my opinion here because strangely I like the flavor of this blend which is slightly sweet with an appealing zestiness. However, the room note is reminiscent of frangipani incense, an aroma that I have have never particulary cared for.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Taylor3006 (47)	2012-03-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

FIrst off I am not a latakia fan, but after reading the reviews here decided to give this blend a shot. Like all the blends I have tried with latakia in it, its always overwhelming. Overall this is a pleasant smoke, no bite, burns well, and smells wonderful in the pouch as well as when burning. Well behaved tobacco and if you like latakia then you probably will enjoy this blend. I detected no floral taste, nor chemically taste of any sort. I will cellar this and smoke it on rare occasions when I want a change of pace.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-02-18		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

Simply put, this blend is exactly as described above.

I've never really smoked anything like it. Grand Slam!!!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-12-15		Mild	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I smoked Peterson's Christmas Blend 2011 before this one, and the similarities are glaring. Same berry/fruit/spiced apple note, but Black carries an additional Latakia note that sits well with me, given what I usually smoke.

The Burley in the background can lend a slightly toasty flavor to those looking for it, but I don't detect the Virginia except to say that it is subtly sweet, which I suspect is what they intended.

For all it's nuance and complexity, it is still an aromatic, but a good one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-12-01		Medium to Strong	Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

It's an aromatic-englishy tobacco!! Ha ha. Seriously, this stuff is for the guy who likes to be social with aromatics, but doesn't get a lot of taste from the aromatic itself. This stuff smells wonderful to those around you, but also tastes better than most aromatics do on the tongue.

It smokes cool for me and never bites. No chemical taste like others have reported.

I smoke it in my Sillem's black onyx gentleman's pipe, so maybe I'm biased, but this is a great blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeGinger (2)	2011-09-25		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Not only was this my first tobacco, it still remains one of my all time favorites. To me its like a full blend on its own. but its like that something extra that dosnt over power and you dont have to meditate on to realize that its there. One of the best tobaccos I have ever smoked. Put it in your pipe and smoke it ! ! !

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Servo (58)	2011-08-07		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

The aroma out of the tin is quite intriguing. A mosaic of sharp Latakia, cherry, vanilla, baked goodies, and holiday spices. Warmly aromatic, no chemical odors, rich aromas from the tobaccos hold their own with the casing. I'm not a big aromatic smoker, I've had some bad experiences with bad flavored tobaccos. But this stuff smells so delicious, I can tell this is going to be different.

Coarse cut packs OK, slow to light but burns alright.

Well blended English mixture, sharp, smoky Latakia pulling most of the weight. The casing is very well done - contributes quite a bit of flavor, but doesn't overpower the tobacco flavors. Balanced, interesting, and really tasty. Cherry, chocolate, marshmallow, tart Virginia leaf, hops, dried beans, graham crackers, plum sauce, cherry cordial, distant smoke, almonds, popcorn, roasted grains, and prunes. Yet it never loses it's “English” tobacco character for even a minute.

Complex and delectable. Not at all artificial tasting, all aromatics should be this pleasant and flavorful. This stuff is amazing. Cool smoking and a nice room note.

4 Stars. It's rare for me to consider an aromatic for my favorites list, but this one made it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Katharsis (39)	2011-05-19		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Hmm, what to say here...

This was one of the first blends I tried since I started up pipe-smoking again a few months ago. (I used to back in 2003, but very lightly. Now I'm into it full-bore.) At first, I really liked this. However, that was before I tried other English blends. Since then, I came to realize this was an English/Aromatic, and it almost seems like it's low quality tobacco with simply some sort of flavoring added.

Another reviewer mentioned a soapy taste (or smell?). I get this too, and even if I let it air out for a while, it's still there. The flavor of the blend is good, but I can't get past that soapy/floral thing. I gave the rest to a friend in case he likes it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-04-22		Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

What a nice surprise, an aromatic, that doesn't taste like a 1960's drug store blend. This is a quality tobacco , yes, with just a touch of Latiakia. French inhale, exhale through the nose, side-stream, it's all good. There is a lot going on here, but the predominate flavor is that "Lane's, Peach Brandy John Rolfe". I hate to do that, compare the two, because this baccy is head and shoulders above JR ( last time I tried JR was 1960's). This tobacco comes damp so it needs to dry before smoking, (the poor closing tin will take care of that for you), it doesn't bite and flavor seems to last through the bowl. I think this has a little N kick also. What you don't get is that bitter/sour Burley taste, it's all good. Have a big pile of cash, because this one doesn't come cheap. I'll keep this around for when I want to impress guests. They will say " ooooh I love the smell of a pipe", my wife will say "not the crap he smokes" . I'll fire up some SB and she'll be wrong again!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-02-10		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Black...WOW-WOW-WOW! I love this leaf/just put a pnd of it in the tobacco bar, air-pocket method pack for me gives me max-flavors on this wonderful blend...

just for sitting back sip'in with nothing on the mind....you will love it if enjoyed this way

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kaziwazee (8)	2010-12-14		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

A really nice tobacco that I'm delighted to be smoking. A really nice tin aroma, and just as nice when smoking. It relights easily, and there is very little tongue bite. It burns clean and is a pleasure to smoke all day. This is really good tobacco. Highly recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2010-09-05		Strong	Strong	Extra Full	Very Pleasant

Wow...What can I say...Wow! A Neo-English indeed. The blenders found a way to compliment the Latakia in a way I never thought possible. The Black Cavendish truly makes this blend shine. This blend made it up in my top five within the second draw of the first bowl. This is a very sweet blend so if ya don't like the sweet with your smoke than stay clear but if you're a fan of the English blends and you're looking for something progressive and unique than dude, you gotta try this stuff! Well worth the price. I actually think this will appeal more to the younger generation of pipe smokers, for our numbers are growing. This hobby is coming back in a major way. Oh, and yes i can taste the toasted marshmallows! Essential.

Edit 11-17-17. Well time goes by and tastes change. I'm changing my review from a 4 star to a 2 star mainly because I just can't smoke blends like this anymore. Too much added flavorings and too little nicotine. I still recommend this to beginners but I prefer more stout blends these days. When I first started smoking a pipe (10-01-2009) I was very fond of Latakia blends and German aromatics, these days I prefer traditionally scented Euro baccies like Condor Plug and St. Bruno so my tastes have obviously changed. I still think Sillem's Black is much better than most of the American style aromatics out there but I can't highly recommend it anymore.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeadMensPipes (38)	2010-01-29		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wonderful. If you read my review of Iwan Ries' "Gourmet English," it applies to Sillem's Black as well - they are almost identical in appearance, taste, smokability and room-note, although Sillem's Black seems to have slightly more of whatever flavoring/scent added, which is more pronounced in the tin note as well. The tin description above is puzzling, and it is not printed on the actual tin I purchased. I detected no "fruit essences" whatsoever (and I am not a fan of "fruity" tasting tobacco).

It arrived a little over-moist in the tin, but rubbing out a portion and letting it air in the open tin before packing allowed it to smoke perfectly. If you drink a cup of coffee while smoking a bowl, you may notice that Sillem's Black leaves the same nuanced aftertaste as IR's Gourmet English on your palate, although Sillem's Black has perhaps a hint of a more licorice-like aftertaste. For this tobacco blend, I have nothing but the highest recommendation.

Now the critique - not of the tobacco, but the packaging and availability. While IR's Gourmet English is readily available in an airtight sealed two-ounce tin or in bulk, Sillem's Black only comes in a 100g tin. Although the tin is very aesthetically pleasing, and no doubt contributes to the higher price of the tobacco, unfortunately it does not provide an airtight seal so the tobacco dries out too quickly. The tobacco inside is packaged in a folded cellophane pouch which is taped shut, also not airtight. It helps to put a humidor disc in the tin if you are not going to smoke the entire tin soon. An airtight tin, or perhaps a resealable foil pouch inside, would be a huge improvement. It would be nice if it was available in bulk too, but it is not.

Right now, Sillem's Black is unavailable for purchase anywhere online that I know of. If someone comes across any website that actually has it in stock, please inform us. But until some more becomes available in the future, I recommend trying Iwan Ries Gourmet English, as it has almost identical qualities in every way, and it is available in bulk too.

[BTW: Stop whatever you are doing right now and call your representative in Congress. Tell him or her to vote NO on H.R. 4439, the Tobacco Tax Parity Act of 2010 which was introduced on January 13, 2010. If passed, it will raise the tax on pipe tobacco 775% - that's seven hundred seventy five percent - from $2.8311 to $24.78 per pound. At that rate, you'll see typical pipe tobacco retailing at $150 a pound - which will put a lot of local tobacconists out of business for good, which is the intent behind the legislation.]

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2009-12-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Wow. This is awesome stuff!! The tin note is sublime but, it's hard to describe. Latakia with a slight berry topping perhaps. The moisture content is fine and the tobacco lights up right away and produces nice plumes of white tasty smoke. It burns down to a nice white ash. The room note is very pleasant. You just don't want to bowl to end. I enjoyed this tobacco very much. I experienced no bite at all. It kind of reminds me a milder version of GL Pease's Maltese Falcon with twist. Excellent. Well done!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-10-20		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was gifted a generous portion of the this blend and I have to say i quite enjoyed it. Upon opening the baggie it was in, I was rewarded with a smoky sweetness that just begged to be put to the fire. It is a dark looking blend with a rough cut leaf composed of black and dark brown flakes that were of just the perfect moisture so Zi felt no drying time was needed. i don't know if the person that sent it to me had dried it or no. It loaded quite easily into my pipe, and lit up with one char and one full lighting. it burned quite well and provided right off the bat a nice sweet, creamy and smoky taste and aroma. This is for sure an English blend with the spicy taste of the Latakia, but the Black Cavendish content was there but in the background. it added a sweetness that was delightful, and it held this flavor all the way to the end. It never grew gruff or bitter and it never tried to bite me even when I pushed it. It burned cool in my pipe and burned down to a fine ash with no moisture or dottle in the bottom of my pipe and I smoked it in a large pot. I really like this blend for a Latakia smoke and I would highly recommend it to any one looking for a crossover English/Aromatic. I will buy more of this.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wrangler (16)	2009-08-21		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

This is the first aromatic that actually smokes as delicious as it smells in the tin, even better as far as I'm concerned. This stuff is absolutely scrumptious! One of the first to "burn to a fine gray ash without any bite". Don't pass this one up! One bowl last night and I'm gonna order several tins when I get my next paycheck. I can't really describe the taste except to compare it to drinking a really nice Amaretto such as DiSarrono or similar. Very rich and delicious. Get some!!!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jankoez (69)	2009-08-14		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Upon opening a tin, scent is surprisingly strong - at least for "traditional English art of blending". Fortunately, during smoking this strong flavour is not so dominant and smoking is easy and constant.

To me, this is not "the best tobacco I've ever smoked" as someone said, but it is good aromatic. Very good for easygoing hot Summer days along Adriatic Coast.

My rate: 3.80.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	k_pip_k (9)	2009-06-08		Very Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Wow, I'm hooked. I bought this not really thinking it would turn out to be a good or even great blend. But I figured if the manufacturers invested so much money and talent into a nice looking tin, then maybe they spent as much money and talent on blending the tobacco inside. Boy they sure did.

I'm not exactly sure how to describe the taste. Sort of like vanilla with hickory. The blend is reminiscent of an English, and yet it isn't. It tasted so good, I just kept wanting to smoke it.

The aroma upon opening the tin reminds you of other aromatic tobaccos, but it's not an aromatic. So don't get me wrong, I loved the smell, it's just deceiving. It burned nice, probably since I let it dry a bit. The taste was present all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

I'm getting a few more tins of these babies. I can't wait to try the other colors. I'll also keep this review up-to-date if anything changes over time.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	onehitter (16)	2009-06-03		Mild	Very Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

arrr me salty dog get ready for my leather boot to sink far into yrrr nether regions! This needs a latakia warning on the tin,it smells really great looks even better.You can smell the tobacco through these tins but I couldn't detect the taint, its been awhile since the last latakia attack. To me this had a medicine taste not unlike what mom gave you as a kid.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (242)	2009-05-07		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This was everything described in the tobacco description. I was hesitant in trying this one as I am only an occasional smoker of Latakia blends. However, for me, it was just about right - not too strong and certainly not overpowering. Even though Latakia is the dominating factor, there is a certain something to it that I have never experienced with any other Latakia blend. I can taste what is called the "honey, fruit essence," the fruit being plum. It adds an underlying sweetness which is very complementary to the Latakia. Put the pipe down after smoking it a bit, leave the room, and re-enter a minute or two later - what a fantastic room note! It's a very unique Latakia blend. It may be a bit over the top for a handful of non-Latakia fans, but it is a very nicely blended tobacco. It does have a tendency to smoke a bit hot (even with sufficient drying), along with the nipping at the tongue that I experience with Latakia. I believe the majority of pipe smokers would appreciate its merits. Even though I am not a regular devotee of Latakia, I was pleasantly surprised enough to consider revisiting this blend on a regular basis.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2009-03-31		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Delicious smoke when Latakia is combined with black cavendish, you can get the same blend using 50% Mac Baren HH Vintage Syrian with 50% Mac Baren Black Amrosia.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	nyelton (2)	2008-12-03		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I like this one. It smells faintly like toasted marshmallows, but isn't too sweet. One of my new favorites. I think everyone should try this at least once.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Brunello (166)	2023-02-18		Mild	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant

A YouTube presenter I watch, Bremen Pipe Smoker, enthused about this being one of his favorites, so I thought I’d try it. I waited until the biggest sale of the year, Black Friday, and even then it cost me $21.06. So this doesn’t win any points on being a good value.

Does not arrive in a vacuum sealed tin but the tobacco comes in a cellophane wrap. When I first tried it I found the blackberry topping too much, and after about fifteen minutes I’d had enough. I tried it a few more times but decided to put it in a jar and return to it at a later date.

Now, 18 months later, I’ve tried it again in several different pipes and have an increased appreciation for it. First off, the blackberry and vanilla , while still the dominant of the four flavorings, has receded enough that other flavors can be discerned. Besides Latakia, I also get honey, marshmallow, and whispers of Burley and golden Virginia now and then. The bowl is consistent throughout and the structure of the blend (apart from the toppings) is, I think, in better balance than something like Plum Pudding. There is a pleasing harmony and “sophistication” to this blend.

Still, three stars rather than four, because I think in the English Aromatic category, both Solani Black & White, and SPC Mississippi River Rum Barrel are even better. The tin also makes a nice container for matches or filters to keep on the desk, but I’m not sure that makes up for it being essentially an expensive novelty item.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sublimmedia (4)	2022-11-16		Mild	Medium	Very Full	Pleasant

Bear in mind, this is my first review of a tobacco but as a new pipe smoker I have to say that this is wonderful. Full of flavor, easy to keep lit and enjoyable from first to last puff.

Right from the tin I got hints of citrus, floral nuances and a what I imagine is the latakia. The smoke is something else. Sure there are still floral tastes and maybe some fresh fruits but the taste is much rounder, mature and a top of spice and honey.

As I said I’m new to this so do t take my word for it. Maybe not one that I could smoke each bowl but a great aromatic.

And it doesn’t hurt that the tin looks bloody fantastic!

Pipe Used: George Jensen

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RudyH (13)	2022-10-28		Very Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

This is what I call a European Aromatic, as opposed to an American Aromatic. The flavor is more subtle and appealing. It is not wet and does not leave a sticky residue in the pipe bowl.

The added flavor is pleasant, while still allowing the essential flavor of the tobaccos to define the blend. That is the great quality of the European Aromatics.

If you normally smoke English and Oriental, and want to try an aromatic like this for a change of taste, then this tobacco may be a good candidate for you. That's how I smoke it, along with a couple of other similar aromatics and an occasional bowl of Lane 1Q.

If I could only have one tobacco of this type, it would be Davidoff Danish Mixture because of the complexity of the flavors and the delightful occasional notes of unexpected flavors.

This tobacco is not sold in a conventional resealable round tin. You will need to move the tobacco to a jar or humidor.

Pipe Used: Various good quality briar and meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New to two months

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

Similar Blends: Davidoff Danish Mixture, WO Larsen Signature.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-12-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

i liked this blend. i bought it as an alternative to "shortcut to mushrooms," and found the two pretty similar, but this blend had a little more bite to it. not too much, but enough to notice. it has a pleasant, unique taste to it.

i'd recommend it. only complaint is the packaging, which i thought was kind of goofy. i couldnt get the tin to close properly. maybe i'm missing something.

anyway, i enjoyed the tobacco itself.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-09-06		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant

One of my favorites, this blend burns really well, bites a little but not too much, and has a lot of flavor. It smells great and tastes just as good, it satisfies my desire for a very full flavor with lower nicotine contents nicely.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-05-25		Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I concur fully with DrumsAndBeer's review. I didn't expect this to be so heavily cased, but I liked the room note and it was a nice change of pace. However, I don't think I will buy this again...at least for a few years.

Soli Deo gloria!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-03-24		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not my favorite baccy, but always good to have some on hand. A decent room note and clean burn.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2012-02-20		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Take your tobacco from this poor quality non air sealed tin and jar it. Then enjoy a unique and brilliant presentation of smell and taste complexity. So why not four stars ? Because it tends to dry out fast and at some point this taste complexity becomes arti-chemi-ficial.. but to a very low level. Anyway, it's nice to have some at home.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-09-16		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The smell is almost that of potpourri, a unique smell that you just need to smell to understand. It's quite floral but with other smells as well. It tastes like it has a hint of latakia but definitely retains that English taste.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-08-06		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Pleasant

I tasted a bowl yesterday (as if takis, the big-spender, would give me a second one). I didn't like it at all and I surely wouldn't categorize it as a Latakia blend. Very strong aroma, probably flowers. A sense on the tongue and some stinging on the gums (I do not know how and if it can be explained) gave me the impression that it contains many chemical additives. All aromas disappeared after the middle of the bowl as well as the hint of Latakia, which means for me that all chemical additives evaporated. Maybe it could help those who are not fond of Latakia begin appreciating the potentially enormous enjoyment this specific tobacco variety could lead to.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-05-30		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I've had this a number of times now after purchasing a tin from Iwan Ries. Great tin design, and as soon as I opened it, the best smoke scented latakia that I've smelled rolled up out of the little black box. My friends agreed and found it pleasing on the nose as well. This was the first pipe I've smoked after years of keeping a humidor full of cigars. Thanks to this blend, I've been seduced into the world of pipes. The fruit that I detected was cherries or dates and it was outstanding combined with the smoky litakia. I also detected the "soapy" smell that others have described as well. However, as soon as I took it out of the bag and jarred it in glass, it disappeared. The intensity of the litakia also came down a little, but the result is a wonderfully tasting and smelling blend that has decent complexity and the perfect strength. Not too soft, but enough zing to keep me very interested. After trying several other blends, this has remained as one of my favorites. It will be my trusted closer coming out of the bullpen in the late innings if I'm in a jam. I know that I can count on it anytime in my litakia dedicated Stanwell Canadian.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-03-24		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Sillem's Black looks like a Harley Davidson, smells like a high school prom queen and tastes like -- well, it tastes really good.

Update: The non-airtight tin and crackly plastic bag let the tobacco dry out rather quickly. I rehydrated a bowl's worth by wrapping it in a damp paper towel and microwaving it for 10 seconds. It smoked almost as good as new (downgraded from 4 to 3).

Update 2: My love affair with Sillem's Black did not last long. I couldn't tame the hot-burning aspect of this tobacco. The taste began to seem heavier and more artificial as I became more experienced. At this point I do not see myself ever buying tobacco from Sillem's again (downgraded from 3 to 2).

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-01-28		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

28th Jan 2011 - First smoke: Tin arrived this morning and I could not wait to get started on it. It was probably a mistake to start the day with it. I'll be perfectly frank - the overwhelming taste I got was of wax triggering unpleasant memories of 'dusty old churches'. I also took the pipe out with me and I fear I have abused this magnificent tobacco on its first outing by not giving it time and allowing it to burn too quickly outdoors. Even so, I was aware of a fascinating array of different rich and exotic tastes past the midway bowl point. Dull it most certainly isn't!! Extravagant really is the right word to describe the blend. I will try a second, more considered, smoke in the coming days and update this review.

Later the same day - Second Smoke - disaster. I either packed it too tightly or I packed it too directly from the tin not allowing it to dry out a little. Much wrestling with pipe tool, unpacking, repacking, went out constantly, very wet clump of steaming dottle that soured my pipe.

This may not be a beginners blend.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-01-20		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Every now and again, there's a blend of tobacco that comes along that melds all the ingredients together into a superb smoking experience. Sillem's Black does just that.

First off, this blend has only a mild casing added to it. Mostly the flavors you taste are from the interplay of the four tobacco types placed into it. And how well these four play together! To my mind, this is a totally English blend that has also included Burley and Black Cavendish in perfect proportions to yield an exquisite smoke.

Upon first lighting up, there is an unmistakable aroma of marshmallows as the Black Cavendish mingles with the Virginians and Latakia. The burley soon follow with a hint of nuttiness. Finally, you taste the spiciness of the Latakia, blended in perfectly with the others.

What you end up with is a complex, intriguing smoke. There is nothing too heavy here, so those who enjoying smoking the strongest tasting blends might not agree with my assessment. However, I'd suspect that at least 80% of all pipe smokers would find this blend the perfect masterpiece of craftsmanship I did.

I plan on making this blend one of my few regular smokes. To have the smoke change substantially during a bowl is one of the most wonderful qualities about Sillem's Black. I doubt that I'd ever get tired of it and even on my mundane days, I know that Black will continue to bring something very unique to my smoking experience.

Highest recommendation possible. A masterpiece of blending.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2011-01-06		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

Sillem's Black tin is a difficult tobacco to decipher. First off, there's not a word on the tin. Just a blue-studded iron cross on a solid black tin. Needless to say it's obvious that this is a rather German tobacco blend, and it would fit right in with the SS if you were going off of appearances alone. When I asked for a description from my tobacconist he said that it was a "full- flavored, sweet and spicy" leaf. "Spicy" is not a word I want to hear when it comes to tobacco. "Spicy" means there's Latakia in there. I'm not the biggest fan of Latakia, and it doesn't help that I don't know much about the staple tobacco in most English- style blends. It usually smokes hot, harsh, and too strong for my tastes, so I was a little discouraged to hear that such a wonderful smelling tobacco was tainted with the stuff. Sillem's Black however, is different. Sillem's Black is unlike any other tobacco I've tasted. Luxurious and decadent are just a couple words to describe its flavor. The tin note is absolutely incredible, smelling heavily of potpourri and incense. I noticed a rather striking scent of Pine, Jasmine and Patchoulli on top of the smooth, chocolaty Black Cavendish. There are also fruity notes from the Virginia blends as well. The Burley adds a nice creamy and toasty scent like roasted marshmallows, and the Latakia envelops it all under a smoky blanket. Although I could definitely distinguish what all was in this tin of beautifully cut leaf, I also noticed that it all smells very uniform. Nothing really jumps out at you, that is to say that it's rightly proportioned, and that's just how it tastes. The taste: Sweet and spicy, like a nice glass of dark rum, with just a little bit of a flowery, astringent flavor. As if it weren't complex enough, the prominent Latakia component adds a nice peppery bite to this blend. I wouldn't call this full bodied in the context that most smokers would, but I will call it full bodied in the context that there's a lot happening here. This blend is very tasty, with an unmistakable aroma and flavor that's sure to please any pipe smoker and any company he might have. A word of caution though; the nicotine content in this is higher than most aromatic tobacco, so don't smoke a whole bunch at once or you won't be able to walk right for a few minutes. In addition, make sure it stays well sealed. It smokes perfectly right out of the tin, so it's packed a little dryer than most hermetically-sealed tin tobacco. If you leave this stuff to dry it will lose its flavor, and its mellow notes and will burn rather hot and heavy instead. Keep it in the bag it comes in and make sure it's tightly sealed when you're done packing a bowl of Heaven, or it will make your tongue feel like Hell.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-12-30		Mild	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Ahh Sillems Black. Its the secons blend of sillems Ive tried and am yet again very pleased. I wasnt sure at first and cation people not to let first impressions ruin this blend. The aroma when I first opened the tin was strange. I cant place it, almost soapy I almost put it down and walked away. The first bowl left a strange taste in my mouth. But I didnt give up. I left it open for a couple hours and the smell began to change. It sweetened and became more favorable. After a couple bowls it began to taste better. A little time in the open air does this blend well. It wasnt too wet but I think a little drying does help though I am now smoking right from the tin with no problems. I highly reccomend this tobacco but caution to not let the first bowl turn you away from it. Open it up and let it breath a while. Give it a few days after opening and give it a go.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-11-02		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

One of my favorite tobaccos. Always a pleasure to smoke with no bite. Shows me something new each time I sit down and enjoy a bowl.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-10-22		Medium to Strong	Medium	Mild	Unnoticeable

Very Very RARE........... The amazing is when i smoke it i feel in the top of my nose a basic element from the "White Musk" fragrance...

WOW...

No comments, Just TOP !

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-09-20		Mild to Medium	Very Strong	Full	Pleasant

It is an black canvendish tobacco with honey and lemon aromes. The latakia in this blend is a good quality tobacco. It's my 1st aromatic tobacco, and I like it, but I taste John Aylesbury Jubilee, and it's better one, cause of arome of fruit and cognac, that I prefer.

Enjoy it !

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-09-18		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Pleasant

This tobacco has a strange smell in the tin. I could not recognize it, however someone else told me it smelled like potpourri. He was spot on. This tobacco has, by far, one of the weirdest tastes to it. Weird not in the sense that it tastes bad, but in the sense that the taste is something I couldn't recognize.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-08-27		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I am not a true fan of Latakia blends, but as I read the composition of this tobacco I gave it a try. It is excellent. It is not a daily smoke, but it is deffinetly a special ocassion choice.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-07-14		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm certainly not an aromatic smoker but i do believe that this is a blend to have in your collection of tobacco. It's worth a try at least. It's a cool aromatic with a smooth flavor. The Latakia is mildly present in the tin aroma. When smoked, the Cavendish comes out with strength while the smokiness of the latakia takes the back seat. As an English/aromatic i think the proportions of flavor are exceptional. I would suggest this blend for the english smoker amongst intolerable company or the aromatic smoker looking for make the switch to english. 4 stars in this new reviewers book.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-06-04		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Sillem's Black is the best aromatic I've ever tried, hands down. This is the stuff that makes pipe-smoking one of the greatest pleasures in life.

The tin aroma is inviting with a prominent Latakia/floral smell, but once smoked the Latakia compliments the Black Cavendish wonderfully and is not overwhelming, but stimulating to the tongue. The flavours are complex yet subtle and intensifies as the bowl progresses. I experienced no tongue bite or fowl after-taste.

The quality of tobacco leafs are almost identical to the 2009/2010 Limited Editions blends from Peterson (which I enjoy). The tobacco burns slow & cool producing a fine, white ash and should be smoked at a glacial pace to appreciate the multitude of notes.

This comes highly recommended and would make for the ultimate special-occasion luxury smoke. I'm definitely going to stock up my tobacco bar with this heavenly tobacco.

Update: 12/12/2011 This used to be the best blend in the world for me, being new to latakia type blends. I'm losing favour with aromatic blends these days. Once you get used to decent latakia blends, you'll find the flavour of Sillem's Black to be saturated and dull.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-06-04		Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Full	Very Pleasant

This is one of the best tobaccos i have ever smoked , just finished my fist bowl...and WOW..its amazing. When i lit it i got the marshmallow flavour with the latakia background. I have been mixing my own strong latakia's and i must say this artful blending of the tobacco's are amazing. First time i finished a complete bowl and want some more directly after.Its amazing stuff. We have to import it here at a price, but my next order is definately underway. Well done sillems on an excellent smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-05-15		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Very Pleasant

I own and smoke all four of the Sillem's "colors" - Red, Green, Blue and Black and excellent as they all are, I have to say Sillem's Black outshines them all by a comfortable margin. This is reflected in the fact that more people have reviewed Sillem's Black on this board than the other three Sillem's combined! This is a truly unique tobacco - an English/Aromatic with incredible balance and subtlety. The Latakia is definitely there but certainly not alone. As the bowl progresses I taste the nutty Burleys and sweet Virginias weaving in and out. But the most remarkable aspect is the difficult to identify flavorings! Sometimes cherry, sometimes a toasted marshmallow, sometimes... don't know what! But overall it is far more than just Latakia. People who smell the room note ALWAYS comment on how delicious it is! That rarely happens when I smoke a typical Latakia blend. And never any bite, even when I push it hard.

I just finished a bowl of the Blue and enjoyed it but I find myself looking forward to the great pleasure and satisfaction I get with Sillem's Black.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-04-27		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Definitely an English/Aromatic. Not an aromatic. Which is fine. But I was a bit disappointed at how the Latakia simply seemed to overpower the smoking experience and bury the subtleties of the other ingredients. I really wanted to like it more, and it is truly excellent quality tobacco. I would rate it much more highly just as a strong Latakia dominated blend. I simply did not feel it was as well balanced as I would have hoped, based upon the tin description and my expectations of a more diverse, quasi-aromatic experience. What toasted marshmallow??? Huh? Latakia!! Fruit and nuts? Where? Latakia!!!! It is what it is. But just that. Excellent Latakia...I was also surprised by a little unexpected harshness and bite which none of the other Sillem's blends seem to exhibit. Seems to smoke a bit hot.

I vastly preferred the excellent Sillem's Blue which is rich, heady, mapley and flavorful, and on its heels, the lighter, slightly less interesting Green, then the very different but quite excellent, fruity Red. YMMV. Still great stuff no matter what your preferences, all of it, and Sillem's is top notch across the board. Try them all. But try black if what you want is....LATAKIA. Try the blue if you want a slightly more aromatic experience of the highest order.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-04-26		Medium to Strong	Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smooth, but intense tobacco. Don't let the "aromatic" descriptions fool you, this is an English. Very overwhelming at first, mellows out towards the middle, burns nicely.

One tin should do me fine for a while. I'm mostly an aromatic smoker, but this is a nice addition to my repertoire.

Recommended if you enjoy Englishes, somewhat recommended if you enjoy aromatics.

Very tough to get your hands on! I had to wait two weeks for it because it was on back order from cupojoes.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-04-25		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

It's a very interesting mixture which seems like an experiment between latakia, burley and aromatics.The final tin aroma is campfire(latakia) and plum.The smoke is extremely good for beginners,but as your tastes evolve,its fruitiness dominates the aroma of a good quality tobacco.But it remains a very pleasant "desert"...

If you dry this tobacco,you will be surprised about the depth in aroma it can reach!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-01-15		Mild to Medium	Medium	Full	Pleasant

Received a tin for Christmas and was not disappointed! I had heard about this blend for quite a while, with various descriptions. I would have to call this a German English blend, because of the equal mixture of English flavors, with a unique and pleasant aromatic topping and just the right amount of sweetness for me! Cool smoking, I used it in a pipe my son bought me for Christmas as well, so I was able to enjoy it with no ghost flavors interfering. Complex, as the fruity nature of the tobacco mixes perfectly with the English. As I smoke more, I like it more, very well done and is becoming my new favorite! My tin came from Germany, not England, as the description states on this page hence, my previous categorization.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2010-01-11		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Strong latakia smell in the tin. You can smell this one across the room when packing your pipe. Is a little moist right out of the tin so I dryed mine a bit. Lights and burns easily. This is a 50/50 blend of latakia and black cavendish. I found it to be a little too much latakia for my taste. Mostly burnt rubber and licorish. It has some high notes and some low notes but nothing in the middle, which make for an unrounded flavor. A good smoke but will not get it again.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-09-07		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Aptly described as an English aromatic, this blend has quickly become one of my all time favorites. Enough latakia to satisfy ardent English blend smokers, but enough casing on the cavendish to make the room note fairly pleasant.

The only negative criticism I have about the blend is that it can smoke somewhat hot at times, giving a touch more bite than one might expect from a traditional English. That said, the bite/heat from Sillem's Black is nowhere near what one gets from most traditional aromatics.

4 out of 4 stars.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-09-07		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Good tobacco. I smoke this when I'm with people who don't smoke in general so I can smoke without being whined at (much unlike smoking Billy Budd). I am generally a sucker for Latakia, although it didn't hit quite as hard as I would have liked it to. Solid tobacco all the way around though.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-06-17		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

First let me say that this is simply the BEST SMELLING pipe tobacco that I have ever smelled. The aroma is fantastic! Reminiscent of smoky campfire marshmallows as others have noted.

This is no latakia lightweight; said weed is quite abundant in this blend and it is rather tasty. But the Virgina's are very young and bitey. Honestly, the Virginas seem a little "raw." It would have been like Heaven if Turkish Basma were used in place of the Virginas. With that said, I do think aging in a mason jar would mellow this blend significantly. As it is, Sillems's Black is a little rough around the edges.

This would be a very good dessert smoke, or those times when you have to have your Latakia kick but don't want to offend those around you. There is no question that even non-smokers will love the aroma, as it is very agreeable to the nose. I think beautiful women would find this blend comforting, soothing and sophisticated. Sillem's Black will remind them of Pappa.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-06-01		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The description & other reviews do this fine blend justice. I'll update after many more bowls.

Bad Good = Excellent * Exceptional

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-04-27		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

To date this is one of the best aromatic blend, I have had. this blend is for everyone. non-aromatic smokers will like the fact that it has an English tone to it.the latakia really makes this blend work for me. the flavoring of all the tobacco blends together so well, an all around great smoke, I know I will keep some tins in my cellar.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2009-02-24		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

i love sillem's black! this is one of my all time favorites. like, top 5. the aroma and taste is exactly as the other reviewers said: its like marshmallows over a campfire. the taste is not too sweet at all, and the smell is just fantastic. great tobacco! the dash of virginia is perfect, and it has just the right amount of latakia. this definitly makes me want to try sillem's other blends.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2008-11-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

The Dude! His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

the combination of smoky Latakia with aromatic black Cavendish reminds me marshmallow on campfire. I was also surprised by the kind of strange taste.. strange in a good way :)

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