Tobaccos Erik Stokkebye - 4th Generation 1855

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3047)	2014-10-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

The gold Virginia provides a lot of grass and tart and tangy citrus, light honey, wood, spice, earth, and acidic notes, and a touch of the floral. I think the discreet topping is honey, and it seems to smooth out the tobacco a mite. It's fairly smooth smoking, though I wouldn't puff it very fast as it does have a few rough edges. The strength is a couple of step past the mild mark, while the taste is in the center of mild to medium. Has a mild nic-hit. Won't bite, but it does burn a little warm. Burns at a slow to moderate pace with a very consistent flavor. Doesn't leave much moisture at all in the bowl. It requires a few relights, but that's why they make matches and lighters. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste and room note. An uncomplicated all day smoke. Two and a half stars.

-JimInks

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2015-03-12		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Very Pleasant

I am not getting a Mac Baren Virginia #1 taste when I smoke 1855 as some of the other reviewers have. Similar certainly in appearance and very little strength, but I get a more natural Virginia taste from this one and do not really detect casing. Too mild for me but I can see where the natural Lemon/hay flavor of quality Virginia will light up the life of lovers of this style of tobacco.

Pipestud

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SQUIBGHOST (1)	2016-08-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

Gents, and Ladies if you're out there,

This is my first tobacco review anywhere, ever.

First a bit of history:

I am a relatively new smoker. I began to smoke only in 2013, at the age of 62. I took to it, now work in a pipe shop and own about 15 pipes, which is a lot for a guy who doesn't collect pipes.

When I began smoking I thought I was smoking mostly Latakia blends sold in bulk by my local tobacconist. What I was actually doing, I think, was trying to learn how to keep the pipe lit without getting it too hot.

After a year or so I met a guy name Tom who seemed to know a lot about tinned tobaccos. So I thought I'd give them a try. By this time I had read some of the reviews on this website and was, very simply, amazed at the perception of the reviewers and the complexity of the flavors that they could detect and comment on. I decided to start with Virginias, exclusively for a year or so, because believed that I needed to learn the basics first and Virginia Tobacco seems about as basic as you're going to get it the world of tobacco.

I have been smoking Pure Virginias, VaP blends and Virginia Burley Blends for about four months now. I continue to avoid Aromatic Blends, although I do like to sit in a room where someone else is smoking one of them.

My Review:

Upon opening the generously sized tin the scent is that of a clean barn with a lot of hay in it. You can smell the whole barn: the hay, the wood of which the barn is made and maybe your little sister eating an orange in the tack room. (I live in California where barns are almost always made of Redwood, which has a distinctive scent.)

Texture, Appearance and Burn: The tobacco is ready rubbed and has a pleasing rustic look that is in keeping with the above mentioned scents the colors, an array of golds and browns, that are literally beautiful. It is packed into a rather firm cake, perhaps to ensure a decent life once the lid is cracked or to make sure that you get plenty or tobacco for your money. In either case, the tobacco separates readily under the hand and packs perfectly every time. I have found that I can pack it quite tightly yet still enjoy an easy draw through the whole pipe. It burns uniformly to the bottom of the bowl leaving a dry white ash throughout with no dottle, by which I mean smoked tobacco goo.

Flavor: Quite sweet. the flavor is consistent throughout the bowl. Predominantly Hay, Lighter on the Citrus than some other straight Virginias, a quality which I find pleasing - ("If I wanted a lemon I'd eat a D---ed lemon." ;-) There is also a quality that suggests to me some aging of at least some of the constituent tobaccos, a fulness of body not always present in a straight Virginia. This accentuates the complexity of this flavorful blend of Virginias. While not overpowering in any sense of the word, 1855 is no lightweight and will reward and, in my own case, educate the attentive smoker.

Conclusion: This is my favorite tobacco. I always keep a tin in my house or on my person. I love opening the tin, smelling it, packing it, lighting it and smoking it. In fact, writing this review has made me hungry for some and I am going to go smoke a bowl right now.

Best regards my friends.

Pipe Used: Dunhill Bent Bulldog; Stanwell Bulldogs, & more.

Age When Smoked: Always smoked within a month of purchase.

Purchased From: E. Crosby, Tobacconist

Similar Blends: N.B. I am unable to comment on the room note because: A) I am a bachelor; B) I am never across the room from myself to smell it. And, if I do ever learn to bi-locate it is my sincere intention to come up with a better use for this talent than smelling my own smoke and; C) Much of my smoking is done outside in a light breeze..

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-11-24		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This was a gift from a friend. I had perhaps 50 g total, and it was a little dry. I hydrated it before smoking. It is a mostly rubbed out flake in appearance. It packed and burned well. I found it easy to sip.

This is a very good yellow/gold Virginia with a light topping. I got mild citrus/sweet with a little hay when smoked. There is a very mild top note that may be honey with a little spice. It is a great combination and falls in the same camp as Virginia No. 1 and Capstan Yellow for me. I might have to smoke them side by side to identify differences. My sense is that the topping is similar to Virginia No. 1 but there is less of it.

If you want to try a lighter Virginia with (almost) no topping, this would be an excellent choice. It is easy to recommend.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TN Cowboy (5)	2015-08-01		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

This one confuses the heck out of me. It's advertised as pure matured VAs with no flavoring. But there's a huge, fruity aroma when you pop the tin, and the room note is like an aro. P&C is convinced it has some kind of topping as well and said the factory classifies it as an aro. So, I emailed 4th Generation to ask, and none other than Erik Stokkebye himself emailed me back and said it's just matured VAs with no topping. Totally confused.

Topping or not, this stuff is fabulous. It's got a ton of golden VA sweetness in every puff, medium body and a gorgeous room note that even my wife can appreciate. It is a bit wet from the tin, but with some drying, it is one heck of a smoke. It's definitely worth trying, and should age very, very well with that high sugar content. Try it!

Pipe Used: Savinelli 1988, Brigham Volcano

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: P&C

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bonneville (52)	2014-05-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The man who gave this a 1 star review is a paradox. He raves about Mac Baren's VA no.1 and claims that this blend is almost identical, then gives it 1 star. Yes, it is nearly identical to VA no. 1, but it is NOT the same blend. To me, this 1855 is like a higher grade version of VA#1. It's not as prone to biting your tongue (though all VA's should be sipped slowly). It is slightly creamier, yet has that same delicious hay-like honeyed sweetness. I LOVE THIS STUFF. If I had to pick one tobacco to smoke the rest of my life, this just might be it- right up there with Dunhill Flake and Orlik. Highly recommended for patient experienced VA smokers. Some complain about the price, but keep in mind these tins are double the size of your standard tin. Buy some!

Pipe Used: Peterson Meerschaum, MM Cob, Aldo Velani Milano

Age When Smoked: 1.5 years

Purchased From: Beehive Cigars, Salt Lake City, UT

Similar Blends: Mac Baren VA#1.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2081)	2017-10-12		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Erik Stokkebye - 4th Generation 1855.

If you like a flake fully rubbed, you'll find a small proportion of 1855 in need of a little more attention. Although the tin's seal was totally intact (hissed as I prized off the lid), the blend's a little on the dry side.

As expected, it lights easily. But, unless the chunkier flake pieces are used to fill with, it burns hot and fast. The flavour's quite nice: just sweet enough, but doesn't seem exactly cased, lots of zesty lemon and sharp grass: quite a sprightly smoke for the mornings? Although it burns too warm, it doesn't bite.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: pleasant.

I think 1855 justly deserves two stars:

Somewhat recommended.

Pipe Used: Cob

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PhillyB (70)	2015-04-13		Mild	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I was surprised by this bend. For price compared to other things that were available where I bought this, 1855 is a damned good bargain.

The tin note is of stewed tomatoes and sweet/sour citrus. Similar to a 'McClelland ketchup' and fresh Dunhill Flake if they were combined.

Flavor is pretty much the same as tin note, the only difference being more unified than in the tin. Sweet lemongrass with a little savory and tartness.

This blend will likely find a permanent home in my cellar! I can only imagine how well this would age.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Legend

Age When Smoked: fresh

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2012-12-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is the straight bright Virginia in Erik's new line. It appears as a fully rubbed out flake. Many thick ribbons. Smells haylike in the tin.

Easy to pack and keep lit. No bite to me (if you control the cadence). Nice amount of flavor for a straight Virginia. However, I did not find it strong as suggested, either in taste or in nicotine.

It has a natural, refined sweetness to it. Not honey. Again to me it smells and tastes of natural tobacco. Aged sure. I could be fooled but if it had much in the way of additives it would be sensed more I believe.

I remember tasting something similar from I believe Sobranie House some 40 years ago. It was called Virginia something, and it was a finer cut. It was a duller taste but nice. This one is a bit richer, even if not enhanced by condiments.

It also reminds me quite a bit of N.Y. Connoisser's Cavendish, also now gone, but that one may have had a bit more Indonesian oils added.

Very nice tobacco. I had an ounce to sample from Erik a couple of months ago that I much enjoyed, and the several more bowls now from the tin are just as good if not better.

I believe this should be puffed slowly, as with any Virginia, and if you speed up it may lose flavor or become too warm. The flavors are delicate enough to lose in a storm of puffs. That's where the experience suggested comes in.

Best for straight Virginia smokers.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Len (12)	2019-02-05		Mild	Mild	Full	Pleasant

I bought 4 sample packs but this one was the best for me. Mild but full tasting.Malty kind of taste. Smooth. Burns moderately. A nice smoke for beginners. A seasoned smoker may want to alternate between more robust tobacco. Tried it again 12/2021. Smells great. Great smoke, tasty. Smells like a rich Christmas cake.

Pipe Used: MR Brog. Sparrow. Falcon briar.n

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Smoke King UK

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2017-06-14		Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

My first foray in the the ES tobaccos.

Tin note is ridiculously sweet, like, jelly beans, grape Kool-aid. But there are lots of neat subtle hints of something darker in there too. Straight virginia? They say the same of Mellow Mallard (Dan) and it offers some similar fruity notes.

Big lumps of golden flake and rubbed flake. A bit sticky. In the pipe it takes fire just fine and stayed lit for me right to the bottom, I was able to relight a few times but basically the pipe was smoked out.

Very sweet virginia, really pleasant. No nicotine at all, which suits me. Not sharp or zesty, you could smoke this with a ferocious pace and not get tongue bite. Very friendly tobacco, probably a good intro to virginias for those looking for a gateway Va! Looking forward to the rest of this tobacco series.

Pipe Used: Castello big n small

Age When Smoked: 1 yr

Similar Blends: Mellow Mallard, Mac Baren Virginias.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2017-02-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I rather enjoyed this blend. Reading through the reviews I see some comparisons to Virginia No. 1. I would be more apt to agree with those that state that this is more like an untopped version of Va1, than those that contend it actually is Va1.

Va1, to my tastes, hits me with the topping before it does the Va. And for this reason, I find it too sweet. Virginias have enough sweetness without the help of a pervasive topping. I find 1855 to have a more raw bright va taste and thus, IMO, this far exceeds Va1. This, I find, would fit into the grassy hay like Va taste, but does have some earthy notes to it as well.

I find this to be a good yet unremarkable medium strength Virginia. I will likely throw a few more tins of this in the cellar to see how it ages.

Pipe Used: Old Mastercraft Pot primarily

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2016-03-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

As of the time of this review, I haven’t tried Mac Baren Virginia #1 so I don’t have a bases for comparison. This is also only based on a two bowl sample that was offered a pipe club meeting. As with 1931, I find that a light pack, with the flake broken into smaller pieces gave me my best results verses packing it firmer as I did with my first bowl. The sweet topping is tasty, but for me, it detracts a little too much from the tobacco flavor as I find it harder to get a sense of the Virginias although there are a lot of high notes. I really enjoyed the flavor of this blend, but I experienced some bite. Not a lot, but it was there and it was similar to the bite that I experience from some Mac Baren blends. Made by them, maybe? Overall, not a bad smoke, but not a blend that I would spend the money to cellar.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Carolus (29)	2022-07-17		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Eirk Stokkebye - 4th Generation 1855 is a (very) mild tobacco yet "tasty" tobacco. I'm not good with the metaphores, but things like hay and earth come to mind. The virginia is soft and uncomplicated, and I found it to pair quite well with a dark (quadruppel) ale. The room note is pleasant and - again - mild.

Age When Smoked: A couple of years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2020-05-17		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was most displeased with 4th Generation's 1957, so I was not terribly excited to go back in time with 1855, but everyone gets a second chance, so here we are. Thankfully, this year brought us an experience 180 degrees in the opposite direction, with a nicely dry, classic Virginia that wasn't drowning under the weight of topping.

The tin opens to a no frills, sweet, natural barnyard Virginia. Perfect for a simple, uncomplicated smoke. The ribbons were cut with several chunky, unrubbed strips, that made for some great packing. As I alluded to earlier, you don't have to dry it out, just pack-n-go. The golden smoke is all natural and very easy on the tongue. Nothing complex here, which is good for all day smoking with no problems... Just sit back with an easy sweet Virginia.

This was the sort of blend I can see briar fans flocking to in the summer. It also makes a great base to mix with other blends if you want to augment the flavor a bit. A great into smoke for those wanting to try a Virginia for the first time.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Weed (228)	2019-09-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Finally, the thirteenth pint canning jar of thirteen that I got in a collection I bought at our last show. I am not a devotee of straight Virginia blends and didn't know what I would get with this one. No problem, as it smoked well above my expectations. The blend looks like MacBaren Virginia #1 and Orlik Golden Sliced. However, it was like smoking both of them with the periperal harshness removed. 1855 is a mello Virginia that has a deeper bottom note than other blond Virginias I have smoked and I liked that. The other attribute that I liked was that this beautiful Virginia smoke lasted all the way down the bowl; somewhat unusual for a blond Virginia blend in my experience. As an English smoker, it is surprising to hear myself say these things about 1855 and I give it the four stars it deserves.

Pipe Used: John Eells Squat Bulldog-2008 NASPC yearpipe

Age When Smoked: unknown but not recent

Purchased From: a former pipe smoker

Similar Blends: To me, it is like a more refined version of Mac Baren's Virginia #1.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Glycanthrope (1)	2019-05-28		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Bottom line first: I like the 1855 blend. It's not a four-star effort, but I'll give it a solid three for uncomplicated niceness.

1855 is a virginia-based semi-aromatic with some added sweetness, and a touch of vanilla. Pure and simple. I think, that's what I like about this blend. It does not try too hard, or pretend to be more than it is. 1855 is not the tobacco to take your taste-buds on a wild ride into uncharted territory. Rather, it's a pleasant stroll around familiar pastures.

ES may claim this is "all pure virginia" with no added casing, but, let's face it: no "pure" virginia leaves behind a room-note this agreeable. And despite the fact that virgina has many lovable nuances to be teased out, vanilla was never one of them.

The smoking mechanics are excellent. The careless smoker can push this tobacco without scorching the tongue, though the taste WILL degenerate into a vanilla flavored one-note samba. But if sipped carefully, 1855 can produce lovely (yet fleeting) notes of citrus and florals. The topping is definitely present, but it never grows intrusive or overshadows the familiar virginia qualities.

The nicotine level is low, bordering on un-noticable, making 1855 a recommended choice for the new pipe smoker.

Purchased From: The Danish Pipe Shop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	renwardhoop (177)	2019-05-08		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

My first experience with 4th Generation, and a very pleasant - and surprising one at that.

Opening the tin (which is round and shallow unlike those SG deep tins I've been getting from UK tobacconists) you will find a stunning aroma. It's typically Danish though, but don't let that put you off. Sure it is somewhat flowery, but in a dessert way rather than a ghastly Lakeland sort of way.

The cut is standard for ready rubbed, but the mixture itself looks nothing like the picture above. It's rather dark, with some lighter strands here and there. IT feels a little like the shag that Erik Stokkebye does for the flavoured loose tobacco in UK online tobacconists. It's also a little wet and (unless you lay it out for an hour) that means many relights.

I dove straight in as the tin bouquet was so enticing and four cans of butane later it was smouldering nicely. The taste is refreshing and most of the alarming sweet sensation of the opening aroma dies away, leaving a fine quality virginia smoke with little twists and turns of varying complexity that bring to mind elements of alcohol, almonds and chocolate.

Yes, this really is a quality blend and it is still to be determined whether it gets sickening or not, as it's right on the edge, the cusp of an aromatic, despite the 'straight virginia' monicker above.

Virginias purists will no doubt have it in for this blend because of this and I have to say it is remarkable how the blender has given this tobacco the aromatic attributes, despite not owning up to anything other than virginia leaf in here. There is something else in here to be sure, and I am certainly not in a position to say what it is.

Make your own mind up I think. Buy if you're curious ; just don't expect a pure virginia taste that's all.

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke-King (Greens Leeds)

Similar Blends: Diluted Davidoff's Danish (aroma) better quality virginia blends (eg SG's, MacBaren).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CherchezLaghost (52)	2017-07-09		Very Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

A beautiful smoke. An exemplary mild, Danish Virginia that is everything one could ask for from this style of tobacco. The first light is slightly astringent, but quickly settles into a stewed fruit, plummy, slightly spicy sweet damp hay flavor. It remains so throughout the smoke. Burns a bit quickly, and can burn hot and nip if pushed. Slow cadence is required to get the most of this delightful smoke. I prefer to jar it for a few months to get the most sweet goodness out. Easy and true.

Pipe Used: Cobs, briars

Age When Smoked: New to 6 months

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (152)	2021-06-22		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

STG didn't put a production date before, so I was rather surprised to see 8 digits on a 50-gram tin that said the tobacco was released in April 2020.

The open tin immediately gave me food for doubt. The composition lists pure virginia without any flavoring. Nevertheless, in addition to the floral and herbal notes, bread tone and, for some reason, mahogany, the overall aroma clearly hinted at the presence of honey - and if I sniffed around, I also smelled notes of cocoa and roasted chestnut. Chestnut I was ready to put down to the presence of dark Virginia. But honey and certainly cocoa? I don't buy it.

Well, whatever. As they say, as long as it was a good blend. From the looks of it, everything said it: bright brown aged dark Virginia tobacco, clearly several varieties, a fine chop that's easy to stuff, and doesn't smoke too hot. Moisture is in the normal range. A little confused by the fact that the blend looked lighter in the photos. And another question: what kind of pipe to take with this tobacco - for Virginia or aromatics? I chose Virginia.

The tobacco was easy to light, giving the first lush sweet honey note and confirming that there was a topping involved. The taste was a little like Sun Bear, honeyed bread, but without the burley and elderberry flavor, but with a more pronounced herbal astringency, and a bit of citrus... It feels like a weak black tea with honey and lemon. The tobacco is smoked rather hot and dry, a shallow pipe will not do, heavy long or frequent puffs are also contraindicated. The tobacco smokes smoothly, doesn't bite, but has a slight roughness. Over time, the taste changes - the sweetness is gone, there is a slightly bitter and astringent depth of flavor chestnuts. Tobacco is not a threat of strength, nicotine hit missed me as well.

The ash is almost white in color, there is little of it, little moisture, too. When I tried to smoke with a filter for a change, it was half-dry.

The smoke is light, with a pleasant sweet flavor and notes of cocoa. People around you like it. Easy to disperse.

What's the bottom line? "I don't like being lied to, but I'm tired of the truth, too..." I still don't believe this tobacco is free of sauces and flavorings. But it's light enough, sweet enough and tastes good. Perhaps I'll mix the leftovers with another Virginia blend to add sweetness to it. Probably smoke it clean. Very good blend, for a hot summer quite good.

Pipe Used: Peterson 306, Peterson Mark Twain

Age When Smoked: 2020

Purchased From: Online

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ArturiusKN (6)	2021-03-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Contents This is a ready-rubbed broken Virginia flake with a mild topping (I detect honey but could be wrong here). Fairly grassy bright Virginia, becomes bready later on in the bowl. Sweet, but close to cloying at parts, as I'm not one for aromatics and sugar. Decently flavorful but not a serially smokable for technical issues raised by the sugar.

Technique As a rule, this tobacco seems to burn about 30% hotter than Virginia flakes that I like (Capstan, Dunhill, and Stokkebye Navy), and you can taste the high sugar content in the blend. It rewards a slower smoke with a Canadian or reverse calabash-type pipe, and I initially burned my palate smoking it as I would a burley flake in a shorter billiard. There is also a minor moisture challenge, in that my seasoned estates that I've smoked this in tend to gurgle, despite appearing dry in the tin.

Pipe Used: 1960's Sasieni Canadian

Age When Smoked: 3 years

Purchased From: Old Virginia Tobacco

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	James C. (17)	2020-09-22		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an amazing mixture of fine Virginia's. My first smoke of this was a 5 year aged tin from a B&M. Boy did that make me want more. It has that deep tangy, sweet, hay flavor with citrus, earth and spice. There are a lot of good Virginia's out there dont get me wrong, but this one is unpretentious, smooth and consistent. Does everything you want it to do down to a fine ash. I believe it when Erik Stokkebye says there is no topping and even if there is, all I can taste is carefully selected Virginia's. I smoke primarily Virginia's and this one is reflected well in my stocks. Not sure how you'll fair if you expect this to be a Virginia killer but smoke this blend with a little age indoors with your favorite drink. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Note: Jim Inks is never wrong to my tastes. But remember tastes are subjective even if his notes are objective.

Pipe Used: Dedicated Virginia Pipes

Age When Smoked: 1 to 5 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2020-01-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

1855 is not recommended. The tin note is very honey forward for me, followed by grass and a note of figs? and some mild citrus. The taste has a honey forward note that remains throughout the bowl under this is the grassy notes of the VA followed by a note here and there of citrus. I don't get anything else the flavor's do not develop further so the overall body of the smoke is mild to medium the nic is at the bottom end of that as well. It did nip at the tongue a little but not bad as long as I kept it to a bowl or 2 a day. It did smoke a little wet (something that I don't typically note but I smoke pretty dry as a rule so it is worth mentioning). The room note smelled more of cigarette than pipe tobacco and the ash and dottle smell horrific. They had to be removed while the pipe was still warm before bringing the pipe into the house. There are way better mild VA's out there. If you are looking for a milder VA I would suggest looking at Sutiff's VA Slices 507-C; G, H & Co. Bright CR Flake, or their Broken Scotch Cake all are mild to mild to med in strength with ample flavor don't bite and smell great.

Age When Smoked: 1 yr

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	craig61a (22)	2019-08-03		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very mild and just plain old Virginia taste. There are some slight nuances to it, but overall I found it bland and rather tasteless. There was light sweetness to it.

Had I not purchased it at a good discount, I would have disappointed.

If you are the type of pipe smoker that enjoys a tame tobacco, then this may be for you. But at the retail price it’s not something I would buy again.

11/21/2021 I bumped this up a bit after opening another tin after a few more years. With a total of 5.5 years of age on this it has become a bit more palatable. There no rough edges, the grass and hay notes are bit more noticeable, as is the sweetness. Visually it appears to have darkened slightly since the last time I smoked it.

I would say it's similar to Sutliff 507C Virginia Slices. As far as a comparision to Mac Baren Virginia #1 goes, well I haven't smoked any of that in a while...

At today's prices, I can buy just over double the qty of 507C compared to Stokkebye 1855.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: 3 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	archéologue (14)	2018-06-05		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

One of the best Virginias I have ever smoked. It smells good, burns well, and there is no bite. Mild in nicotine, this tobacco is very close to natural Virginia and can be a good all day companion. Enjoy it, in particular, in the summertime.

Pipe Used: Nording

Age When Smoked: new out of tine

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Helsinki Pipesmoker (2)	2018-01-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Very nice and smooth tobacco. Hints of honey&vanilla but it doesn't shadow the nice grassy Virginia at all. One of my favorites. This review is based on three tins and I will buy more of it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.James (39)	2017-01-03		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A straight forward demonstration of Virginias with light notes of clementine and honey. Sweet, slightly nutty background. Natural tasting. Burns at a moderate pace, leaves very little moisture behind. Mild nicotine strength, burns cool. A smooth all day smoke, 1855 makes up for depth and complexity with consistency and balance.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2016-01-27		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Unflavored golden ready-rubbed Virginia tobacco packed tightly into a simply-decorated round twist-off tin, made by a Danish blender, and sold as a light, sweet all-day straight VA? It's not Mac Baren's Virginia No. 1, but it would be if you somehow added napalm to 4th Generation 1855.

So first things first: it smokes cool. For real. I've had tins of this stuff off and on since it was released, and it doesn't bite. Where No. 1 has a tiny range of acceptable temperatures, 1855 is happy even if I puff away while I'm distracted. I'm sure it could be made to go hot enough to give tongue bite, but you'd have to try.

The flavor starts mild and never stoves above mild-medium in a deep, narrow VA pipe. It burns clean straight out of the tin, ships at pretty good moisture, but doesn't suffer if you let it dry. Those twist-on lids keep moisture pretty well too, although out here in the desert I have to jar it up after a couple days. Relights are rare, and there's no penalty for them.

The only thing keeping it from four stars in my book is the lack of flavor development, but I can't imagine that Erik Stokkebye was looking for flavor development ... he made a very good all-day golden VA ready-rub that smokes clean and doesn't require constant attention. He did a fine job.

Pipe Used: basket pipe

Age When Smoked: fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2015-07-26		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I have smoked a pipe for more than 30 years, off and on. I recently finally understood what Virginia tobaccos were trying to accomplish, and this one is a winner. I've kept this tin unsealed for better than a year but recently pulled it back out. Dried for about an hour and smoked without difficulty lighting, for 1.5 hours or so. I've read reviewers who said "tea" notes, and I agree; I didn't smell the ketchup or tomato notes. Slightly sweet. Smoked to the bottom of the bowl without difficulty.

Pipe Used: Peterson bent billiard

Age When Smoked: About 1 year

Purchased From: The Briary, Birmingham, Alabama

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rsvp2rip (27)	2014-06-27		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Is this the same as MB Virginia #1? I can't tell a difference and at nearly $5-$6 more it sure as heck isn't worth choosing this over VA #1. Still, my B&M stocks this and all of it there is from 2012 and they don't stock Mac Barens (?) and I do enjoy this so I can give it a good rating but can't recommend it.

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Kenny the King

Similar Blends: MacBaren Virginia #1.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	shintangle (1)	2013-05-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is a very tasty Virginia. I like to smoke it in a cob with a cup of strong black coffee in the morning. The bitterness of the coffee contrasts nicely and brings to the front the rich sweet taste of this fine tobacco. It is the tobacco I reach for first every morning. I like this tobacco and highly recommend it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2013-03-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am sorry, I have tried this blend in several different pipes and in different kinds of pipes such as meers, briars, corn cobs, etc and I just can't get excited about it. There are a lot of VA blends out there that just have a better taste than this one and I enjoy more. It is not a bad blend, just average at best. To me it tastes more like a Va cigarette tobacco more than a good pipe tobacco. It does have a nice sweet pouch aroma and made my mouth water smelling it. It is all a long cut ribbon and is all golden in color. It is a little on the dry side and it does pack and light very easily. It has pretty much the standard fresh hay like flavor and room note common in a lot of straight Va's, but that is just it. It is like a lot of other run of the mill Va's out there with a much higher price. Nothing about it made me stop and take notice. I did not dislike it and I have smoked all the bowls I have smoked all the way down to a nice dry grey ash with little dottle, so I do have that to say about it, it does smoke nice and dry to the end. Would I smoke a pound of this blend if given it, yes. Would I buy a pound of this to smoke, absolutely not! So I can only rate this one as two stars out of four.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (561)	2023-03-31		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of sugar, spices and hay. Tobacco is a ready rub of yellowish tan and brown. Moisture content is great. Burns slow with few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild. No flavoring detected. Taste is medium and mostly consistent, with notes of spices, floral, bread, wood, fermented vegetation, earth, sweet grassy, tart and tangy citrus, moderately savory, sugar, orange peel/zest, mildly spicy, a mildly sweet hay background note, and a peppery retro. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: Castello Old Antiquari G84

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kgmac311 (8)	2021-08-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I opened the tin and rubbed the tobacco a bit then let it air dry. At first the taste and smoker flavor was going well. After a while, I found that the smoke was somewhat bitter? I also found that I was getting a wet pipe and a sour taste in my mouth. I have not given up on this just yet, but its not in my top picks.

Pipe Used: Brigham 036S

Purchased From: Cigar Land

Nobody has rated this review yet.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30171)	2015-10-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Sweet smelling in the tin, easy smoking in the pipe. I'd put it on par with McClelland 2010, except it costs twice as much. 4 stars if it ever gets sold as bulk.

Age When Smoked: 7 months

Nobody has rated this review yet.