Tobaccos CAO - Bella Vanilla

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TnRooster (15)	2014-04-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

For me, the vanilla was nonexistent in flavor. A very mild, bland, forgettable smoke. On the plus side: there was no bite and the room note is good. Not interested in such a bland, flavorless smoke for the money this costs. Aero lovers would probably be disappointed in this.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Alligator

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bbrown626 (150)	2015-06-28		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

Somewhat pleasant room note, but enough about its good qualities.

Bella Vanilla was a very disappointing smoke. The tobacco came wet and goopy, usually a sign that there will be some kind of flavor that will come through while smoking. Not so here. I detected no vanilla flavor, just a very mild, bland taste. The smell on my fingers and the taste in my mouth took me back to my cigarette smoking days.

Pipe Used: Harrington Park Billard

Age When Smoked: 3 mo

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gunner525 (66)	2015-04-03		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

It came rather moist. The first few bowls were rather harsh and not so flavorful. After the tin had been open for a few days the harshness faded and the flavor seemed to come through better. The tobacco didn't seem to be of a great quality. I've had other vanilla aromatics that had better leaf.

Pipe Used: Peterson Aran B5

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kraft1994 (54)	2014-03-04		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

CAO seems to make some of the better aromatics I've tried. Bella Vanilla is a mild, light aromatic. Very slight vanilla flavor comes through in the smoke but mostly the flavor is light cavandish flavor. Aside from the slight vanilla flavor this blend is a little on the bland side. Not too bad though.

The room note is fantastic. Sweet, light vanilla sugar scent. Very nice. Overall, Bella vanilla is one of the better aromatics I have tried. Its a little on the bland side, can bite a little if you are not careful, smells fantastic, just a quality aromatic. Hasn't convinced me to swing toward aromatics but for a change of pace its not bad.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	boc777 (39)	2013-11-13		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This is the one an only CAO product I have smoked and this knocked my socks off! Cant wait to try some others in their line. Never would have bought this on my own. Wife was travelling and went to an upscale baccy shop and this is what they recommended. Had she not got it for me as a gift, it would have taken me a long time, maybe never to get around to trying this. First off, the packaging looks like its some kind of foofy, loaded up perfumy stuff that only smells good in the tin and tastes like a car air freshener. What a nice surprise when I lit this up. It smokes as good as it smells in the tin, trust me. Nice plum and vanilla notes, but not overpowering. The key to this blend is that it is so understated. It does not smoke like a typical aromatic vanilla blend. The name is kind of misleading, which is the only thing I can find negative to say about Bella Vanilla! This stuff is awesome. Stays lit, perfect moisture content, no bit, tasty as hell and just a total surprise from what you think it would be. A nice "dessert" smoke. Not strong, just smooth and go ahead and smoke it hard, it wont bite! Gotta hand it to the wife on this one! Oh, and the room note is spectacular. If you need something to please the SO, this is it. Cheers!

Update 12-11-19 After aging, and after experimenting with several other aromatics, I am downgrading this one to a 3 star. I like it, just don't love it. The biggest thing it has going for it is a pleasant room note, which is not a bad thing. But for your own enjoyment, its just meh.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quincy (6)	2013-02-07		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I first started on this tin, I thought I had found something. I'm about done with the tin and I'm not sure if I'm going to get another one. It's ok but it gets old. Everyone once and awhile on first light you get this fantastic roasted marshmallow blast of flavor. However, that quickly wears off. It's a decent blend and I may pick up another tin down the road, but this wouldn't be my first choice...

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KhingKreepy (2)	2019-03-15		Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Jarred this up quite a while ago, smoked one bowl of it and never smoked another. It wasnt really anything special. Lately I have been wanting a few mild bowls in the evening after smoking VaPer's and English blends all day. At first light, again nothing special, but after 3/8ths of the bowl down, it really exploded with flavor. I could now taste the Virginia and Cavendish as well as the vanilla, though it is very subtle. It has no real tongue bite, but I dont get that much anyways and usually sip my pipes. Sipping this one I had more flavors come through than when I puffed it repeatably. Not a bad blend, just not something I would reach for much. If I am in the mood for a vanilla aromatic I probably and do reach for Lane 1-Q. Its what I am trying to find flavor wise in this, but cannot find it.

Pipe Used: MM Country Gentleman

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Rem's Pipe and Tobacco

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (395)	2018-04-14		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I bought a few cans of this in 2011. Not sure when I opened this one but it has been some time. I just finished it. When I read that it had pure Madagascar vanilla I expected something rich and refined. The packaging did not match the vanilla flavor I was expecting. I must agree with quite a few of the other reviews in that there just isn’t enough vanilla for me. It is good, mild, but not something that I will probably purchase again.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 7 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2017-05-21		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

CAO - Bella Vanilla.

Sunday always seems a good day for an aromatic, something to add to the relaxation, so this morning I popped this open.

The ready rubbed mixture's free from any twigs or clumps, and has a good quantity of moisture to it. Mine appears to be mostly Virginia and brown Cavendish, there's almost no black pieces. Dark yes, black no.

I've mentioned before how I have a penchant for vanilla aromatics, and this is one of the best I've had. The vanilla tastes crisp compared to some of the heavier vanilla blends; I don't get a sticky feeling from it. There's a sweetness, too, from both the vanilla and the Cav', but this doesn't feel too fondant, it seems sharper. A bowl burns superbly, requiring hardly any re-lights, giving off a thick, cool, smoke. Tongue bite? None. A cup of Douwe Egbert's Hazelnut Coffee pairs perfectly with it!

The room-note's lovely, and the nicotine's mild.

Bella Vanilla? Four stars.

Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Peterson System #314

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mhulsey (36)	2015-12-12		Very Mild	Medium	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

This is an alright aromatic but the flavor of the tobacco does not even come close to that of the tin note. The tin note is strong and falsely promises the pipe smoker with huge mouthfuls of creamy vanilla smoke, but I was disappointed when all I got was a thin very lightly flavored hint of villa. The tobacco is also very moist and slightly gloopy which means that the pipe really has to be cleaned out between each smoke or your in for some trouble. The tobacco itself seemed to be of decent quality and did not contain any twiggy or woody bits, but again definitely wet and gloopy here. Those around me did seem to enjoy the room note, but again it is nowhere near as nice as the original tin note. Overall I was disappointed with this one. I would have a hard time recommending this one even to a hardcore aromatic smoker.

Pipe Used: various briars

Age When Smoked: New from tin

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Hunter (54)	2015-04-03		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I am generally an aromatics smoker and love good vanillas, so I ordered two tins of this. This is the first CAO blend I have tried.

Tin note is Virginia and Cavendish. No top note was really forthcoming. Very nice tobacco aroma. Dark and somewhat sticky, the tobacco requires a bit more rubbing out to pack easily. I rarely have the patience to let things dry out, so I pack directly from the tin.

It lights nicely, stays going well and burns cleanly with ample amounts of rich smoke. Wife says the room note is pleasant, and most of the aroma is spent, strangely at the charring light. Smokes well to the bottom of the bowl resting smoothly on the tongue with no bite. Wife says room note for the rest of the bowl smells nice, "like someone just smoked a pipe in the room."

This is a very high-quality tobacco that I can smoke all day. The sweetness of the Virgina and Cavendish really shine.

What's missing from this review, and apparently from this blend is the vanilla. The description notes "essence" of vanilla. Essence is about right. Like a very dry martini made with outstanding gin and the presence of an unopened bottle of vermouth in the room, I would say this was produced with a very pricey vanilla bean maybe somewhere nearby, or waved ceremonially over the blending table.

It's an outstanding tobacco, but sadly lacking its namesake. There's really nothing here to compel me to buy more. However, I would recommend this blend to someone who is terrified of aromatics, as it is otherwise a very pleasant and satisfying smoke. But if you are looking for a good vanilla blend, seek elsewhere.

Pipe Used: Briar, cob, meeschaum

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marosi (70)	2013-12-14		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is a decent offering from the CAO Flavours line. This is not my favorite set of offerings from CAO in general, and I have been disappointed with the quality and smoking characteristics of these blends. This one is better than average, however, and is a strong offering in the VA vanilla flake category, of which there are several. While my personal preference is the Mac Baren Vanilla flake, which has a little more sweetness and flavor, this presents a "drier" alternative.

In this tin this is a deep red broken VA flake with a rich vanilla scent. While already broken, I rubbed it out a little more when packing the pipe, and let it dry for about ten minutes. It dried out quickly and this is a very good sign of a tobacco which has not been soaked in humectants. It lights readily and burns evenly down to the bottom of the bowl with a few tamps and relights.

The smoking qualities of this flake are very nice. It burns cool for a Va flake, and does not bite so long as respect is shown. The flavor is very consistent, and consists of a nice light VA flavor with an overtone of vanilla. It is not a huge flavor and it is not multidimensional, but it produces a decent volume of smoke and a nice mild smoking experience.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Autograph 5 Pot

Age When Smoked: 1.5 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Conde (17)	2012-12-18		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

Tin note was strong, but the taste was too mild for me. You barely notice the vanilla. Room note wasn't as nice as I thought it would be. Not a bad smoke but was expecting more flavor.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-09-12		Very Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Very Pleasant

I'm a big Virginia fan and love vanilla but this one falls short in the flavor department for me. The smell from the tin and the room note from the burn are top shelf in my opinion. It burns great right out of the tin (cool and dry) but letting it air out a bit the night before does help a little with the flavor but very little. But the taste is so flat and the vanilla flavor is lost somewhere in the clouds...

Overall it is an extremely mild and smooth smoke to be smoked for others around you to enjoy but the flat flavor will disappoint the smoker every time. So for me (notice I said ME, my opinion) this one only gets 2 stars for the great room note and smooth cool burn but the flat flavor is the only disappointing aspect.

Like noted before me perhaps it is that the vanilla is too much and overpowering itself? I have noticed this same effect in brewing, a little does go a long way and too much will be counter active.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bumble (65)	2021-11-04		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

As a newer pipe smoker, I am mainly exploring the different blends (I favor aromatic blends, although I am dipping my toes into the non-aromatic blends now) to find what I like. Opening the tin, what I smelled was vanilla. The flavor I tasted was vanilla, but it was subdued... I did not have any tounge-bite with this blend.

Pipe Used: Nording Autograph

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2018-07-24		Mild to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

A middle of the road vanilla from a company that has made some great aromatics (check out Eileen's Dream). The "alcohol" topping dominates the tin aroma, causing the vanilla to have an almost cherry musty finish. It isn't so much syrupy, just doesn't have a vanilla sugary smell I would look for.

Took a bit of work to get lit, which was odd for a product that wasn't excessively moist. The revealed flavor was pleasant with some brown sugar notes and the vanilla was present, but not in a bright french vanilla way (think ice cream with little black bean flecks) - it was more of a vanilla Coke.

I was told it smelled heavenly, so consider smoking it for your loved ones, they might appreciate it - or get pissed you lit up since they don't smoke.

I was considering giving this one a weak 3 stars, but the fact that I enjoy other vanilla blends more, I gave it a strong 2 stars.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old German puffer (106)	2015-08-02		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

Opened up a tin of this yesterday from JR's. Had it in the clearance bin. Thought that for 2.99 I would give it a try. First I opened up the tin and it had a very light smell. Nothing special. Second I grabbed 3 large pinches and laid it out on the table. Tobacco was a little wet. After finishing my lunch I loaded this up and attempted to smoke it. Took forever to get a good light and char going. Smell did come out more. Once lit it smoked even and required only one relight about half way down. Never tasted any real flavor. Light smoke and I would give this to a new pipe smoker to try. I found no value here at all and it failed to push any button for me. Much better tobacco is out there this is a no go for me.

Pipe Used: Stanwell

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: JR'S Cigar Outlet

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bassrep (25)	2015-02-28		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I used to smoke the pipe (tobacco that is) 40 years ago and never got the hang of it. Turns out the blends I was trying, according to this site, were mule droppings. Now there is SO much more info at your fingertips, literally, and I've decided to give it another chance. I really love the aromatics. MILD aromatics. I am a cigar smoker (not all that committed but enjoy it) and I like the "better" infused cigars Isla Del Sol is one of my faves. I REALLY get a laugh from guys whose profile reads: "English" smoker and then they have the audacity to review an aro. It's like a music critic hooked on Romantic period piano pieces reviewing Def Leppard. Anyway, this is a nice tobacco. Smokes well (after a month or so of it being opened-it was a little too damp in the beginning), no bite, smooth, rich flavor and aroma.

Pipe Used: Big Ben Bora

Age When Smoked: Me or the tobacco? HA! 2 months

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: MacBaren Vanilla (cream?).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	codyp (65)	2014-03-05		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

When it comes to Vanilla blends this is actually one of my favorites, which is not saying much, not easy to do a vanilla blend.

If your looking for an in your face Vanilla, look somewhere else. This is tastefully done and still has a pretty decent pipe tobacco taste.

It was cool smoking. The pipe itself got a bit hot, but never bit my tongue. It was an easy to light, kind of coarse cut that gave an above average length of smoke.

In the end a solid three, it didn't totally wow me, but will keep me interested in CAO blends.

Pipe Used: AKB Freehand Meerschaum, H.I.S Egg Bent

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Smoke_Ring (158)	2013-06-29		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

Bella Vanilla, 50g tin

Star Rating = 3.5

Rating Scores - 10 is the Best and 0 is the Worst

Pouch Note = 9

Room Note = 9

Flavor = 9

Bite = 9

Burn = 9

After Taste = 8

Raw Score = 53

Rated Percentage = 88%

Comment = Smooth, Very Mild, nice vanilla pouch Note & Flavor, has a little After Taste

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-12-15		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I've become a big fan of CAO pipe tobaccos. The Vanilla flavor is there but not overwhelming. Again lots of smoke, but I've gotten used to this with the aromatic type tobacco. Goes well with coffee. And is a nice smoke at any time of day.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-05-11		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I purchased this 50g tin by CAO. It was made in denmark and contains imported madagascar vanilla. Originaly I wasnt planing on purchasing this but as i was walking through my local tobacco shop I noticed the brown and gold tin hiding on the top shelf. it cost me about $11.00 and is well worth it.

Out of Tin- Great smell. Not oversweetend and the tobacco smell realy does shine through. I almost get a whisky smell even though it doesn't contain the substance.

Out of Pipe- A smooth even burn. I only have to temp at around mid bowl. Consistant taste through the bowl. Great Flavor, and an amaizing Room note. Still fairly new to pipe smoking but as of now I recomend the blend to anyone who isnt a fan of aromatics due to the fact that it isn't over bearing.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-04-05		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

My first tobacco shop pipe tobacco was a blend called Burley Cake and since then have always liked vanilla flavored tobacco. I have tried a few over the years with no luck finding one that I could smoke and like.I tend to smoke english and VA/VAPER and happened upon Bella Vanilla by accident and needing a change of pace,I decided to try it with some hesitancy.This is a very good vanilla blend,high quality tobacco with a cut I like.I rub out a little bit and dry it some for a good burn. One of the things I really like is that I can taste and smell the vanilla for sometime after the bowl is finished. With all that said I'm going to prepare some for my ride to work. Try it if you like vanilla. After a few properly prepared bowls I'm upgrading to 4 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-02-28		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I love vanilla but have been disappointed by the various vanilla pipe tobaccos that I've tried, looking for "the one." MacBaren, Dan, Holger Danske, Lane...all left me feeling that there just HAS to be a better vanilla aromatic out there.

This one is flawless.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-12-04		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

This is without doubt just about the best vanilla pipe blend I've ever smoked. I bought a tin a few months ago simply because I'd never tried it before. What a good suprise! Great natural vanilla flavor that last to the bottom of the bowl but never becomes overpowering, bitter, or bites. The high quality Virginia tobaccos used here really shine through with good flavor that marries perfectly with the vanilla. The cut of the blend is course so a bit of drying is required before smoking but the result is well worth the wait. If you enjoy vanilla smoking tobaccos you owe it to yourself to give Bella Vanilla a shot. Numm, numm, neighbor! Delicious with a cup of strong black coffee.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2020-05-22		Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

When I smoked years ago, Bella Vanilla was one of the blends that I enjoyed as a treat once in awhile. I remembered it having a nice vanilla taste as well as a great roomnote.

Wanting to revisit those days, I picked up a couple of tins when they were on sale and added them to the stack. I decided to smoke one recently and popped it. The tin note was how I remember it. Nice rich vanilla scent. The tobacco is very moist even after time in the tin and the cellar. I used to smoke it straight from the tin, but I decided to let it dry a little. After several hours, it was a "little" more dry which makes me think there might be PG on it.

Packing was easy. Lighting took a couple of tries to really get going which is a smolder. The charring and real light have a nice vanilla note to them. The smoke loses that quality and becomes much less noticeable as the bowl continues.

All in all, not a bad smoke, but not what I remember. For the normal price, you can do much better with Casey Jones Hero Blend or 1Q. On sale, might be worth it.

Pipe Used: Radiator Pipes, Cobs

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: can't remember

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PB (1)	2016-12-20		Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

It's a fantastic Cigar, the only negative point is that i suppose CAO is have great problems in quality control as it should be a VANILLA flavored cigar, instead at least 1/3 of the cigars are flavored with COCO!!! It would be enough to well flush the flavoring line before to change flavor but evidently it does not happen. So now I will have to change my cigars that I'm smoking since 4 years because I'm allergic to coco!!!!! What a shame for a great product.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jason h. (51)	2016-01-28		Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This is O.K., and thats just about it. The flavor of vanilla, is monochromatic at best, and doesnt really change throughout the bowl. Its pretty straightforward. Its not bad, its just not me

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Fred T (67)	2015-06-07		Mild	Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I'm a sucker for any pipe tobacco flavored with vanilla. I've tried 15 or 20 of them. My favorite so far is McClelland's CORPS Vanilla Ice. That's my idea of a great 4 Star Vanilla. CAO's entry is a good smooth smoke, but the alcohol is stronger than the vanilla. I would prefer no alcohol and a stronger vanilla flavor, such as in Vanilla Ice. I give this one a 3.

Pipe Used: Nording

Age When Smoked: 3 months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BuckW (4)	2014-11-16		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This was included in a package purchase and I was disappointed with the flavor (or lack of). There is a hint of vanilla. On the plus side it was a mild smoke but I'll have to find something to mix it with to give it flavor.

Pipe Used: Corn cob

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Cigar International

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-11-19		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a good vanilla aromatic. I got this in a monthly special packing, and its a good basic vanilla. I would and have recommended it to my friend who smokes a vanilla. Convert.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-11-01		Very Mild	Medium to Strong	Mild	Pleasant

Vanilla gets a bad rap. Synonymous often times with boring, it's subtle attributes are lost in a sea of chocolate and stouter 'in your face' essences. (Whiskey, tropical fruit, mint...the list goes on). That said, it is one of my favorite flavors. The fact it comes from the seed pods of a tropical orchid just heightens the snob appeal for me. But have you ever baked a cake? Ever notice that that big honkin' bowl of batter requires but a small spoonful of bean infused alcohol? Almost doesn't make sense...until you realize a little goes a long way. I've added extra extract to cake mix before (as in, two or three spoonfuls)..a pitiful difference to be sure. The net result was odd. The finished cake still smelled the same, but the taste was...off. Whereas a properly proportioned cake has that sublime vanilla flavor, lightly teasing the palate, the overdosed cake didn't. I could smell the vanilla, not taste it. The flavor was lost to my tongue, somehow. Tis much the same with Bella Vanilla.

I admit to not typically bothering with aromatics....but...the fact it's a VA...(good!), flake...(even better!) perked my ears. (Cavendish gloopfests need not apply.) Unfortunately, the copious amount of 'gently misted extract' totally reduced the experience into utter meaninglessness. Unless my threshold is way lower than most, the overabundance of flavoring ruins this potentially fine tobac. Dried out made no difference. I even cut it down 50% with a straight VA, and also a VA/Per, only to have 'eh...better' results.

At the premium a tin commands, I loathe tweaking in any form. Besides, I'm no blender. I have no intentions in buying any more BV. But, if you can hang with (what I perceive as) over the top aromatic VA's, be my guest. I'll not be your competition.

2 stars.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-24		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tried this tobacco after trying the cigar by the same maker and flavor and did not enjoy either one of them. the tobacco burned very hot and wet i tried drying it out to no avail I still couldnt taste any vanilla just nothing. my friends said it was ok smelling but the prefered my dainsh vanilla made by a local tobaccoist. if any one has any ideas of what i could do to make it more pleasent to smoke i will try all suggestions.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-11		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I believe this was actually one of the first Aromatics that i smoke. There is no bite and it burns evenly. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a aromatic vanilla blend.

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-07-18		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco is soooo under rated. Anyone looking for a cased or flavored tobacco worthy of a good briar look no further! I am an every day smoker of premium Virginia's and Virginia blends. I usually smoke un cased or un flavored tobaccos as anyone who smokes a pipes regularly probably enjoys the flavor of the tobacco. Every once in a while something a little sweeter that the regular blends is great especially one that is sweet, smells great in and out of the house, and maintains good quality tobacco flavor. The premium virginia flakes in this tobacco is similar to what I get in Astley's #109 and Dan tobaccos Blue Note. I have never had another vanilla cased tobacco that even comes close to the quality and astounding vanilla flavor in this. This smokes great in all my briar's and cob's. I have found that even A C Petersons Escudo smoke's more wet and with more bite than this. Plain and simple good high end tobacco with great fkavor without overfuing it. Smooth and silky white smoke with no tongue bite. I have put this in my regular rotation and I am on my 10th tin with alot more cellared. this gets so great with age that anyone looking for somehing of a treat for their celler this is it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-06-01		Mild	Medium	Mild	Very Pleasant

i picked this up as my first pipe tobacco ever. the store i picked this up recommended this to me so i just went with it.

as soon as the tin opens, great aroma of vanilla gets your senses. i'm on my 4th tin of this and this doesn't get old.

now days, i usually smoke virginia flakes but when i feel like having a good aromatic once in awhile, i go back to Bella Vanilla

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-01-17		Mild	Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

I picked up a tin of this without having tried it before - just looking for something mild and smooth. The owner of the store offered a smell of one of the CAO cigars flavored with this same vanilla. I almost did not puchase based on that smell, but I am glad I did.

Upon opening the tin I was greeted with a rich, but not overpowering scent. This tobacco was slightly moiste and I have been smoking it without drying. A mixture of light brown and dark brown rough cut tobacco. Slightly softer texture than MB Burley.

Smells great while packing and packed easily. Tamped only slightly and lit. Good thick white smoke and good flavor. Flavor stayed consistant to the bottom of the bowl. Only one re-lite to get to the bottom.

No bite whatsoever. I have been enjoying this tobacco as an early morning smoke before work.

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