Tobaccos Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) - Escudo Navy De Luxe

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-07-31		Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Put off by all the hype I delayed opening one of my Escudo tins. I explored other VaPer blends and especially flakes, working my around to the "King Of VaPers". Well I finally decided that I had enough perspective to give Escudo an honest go.

All the hype holds true. This is a masterpiece tobacco. The tin aroma is sweet and tangy. Enough to make a non-smoker want another deep whiff! The discs are pretty to look at and fun to handle. One great thing about flake tobaccos is that once you know the best quantity and fill method for a pipe, you can recreate it quite easily. Anyway, Escudo is sweet, tangy, plummy, silky smooth, and burns great. There is a small nicotine effect, but it's gentle and welcome. I have smoked bowl after bowl of this exceptional tobacco.

May Escudo never part from our midst.

86 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3050)	2012-09-16		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Late 1990s to circa 2005 A.C.Peterson version: The Virginias provided a fair amount of tart and tangy citrus, tangy dark fruit, vegetative grass, bread, sugar, earth, wood, hay, mild foralness, tart lemon, and light spice as the lead components. The spicy, raisiny, plummy, figgy, earthy, woody, moderately sweet perique was a supporting player. Had an obvious prune topping. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels were a notch past the medium mark. Didn’t bite or get harsh. Had a few small rough edges. Burned cool, clean and a tad slow with a very consistent VaPer flavor. It was more citrusy and grassy than the Murray’s Deluxe Navy Rolls at the time, and a couple of step less fuller. Wasn’t an day smoke. Four stars.

Circa 2006-2013: It didn’t change that much. It was a little lighter overall than the A.C. Peterson version with a higher degree of vegetative grass and hay, and a tad less sweet and spicy. The dark fruit, earth, wood, and sugar were mildly lower. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels were medium. The rough edges were slightly higher. Burn rate was the same. Wasn’t an all day smoke. This was a three and a half star experience. Was a little further away from Navy Rolls than before.

2014-2022: This version had a duller Virginia presence using youthful Stokkebye stock with very little dark fruit earth and wood due the the use of lighter Virginias. Was more grassy, too. The perique remained the same with a tad more plummy presence, and that much less spice. It also had a light sour acidity that was never present in earlier manufacturers. The prune topping was lightly weaker. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels were a step below the medium mark. Had a few more rough edges than all previous productions. Burn rate didn’t change. This was a two and a half star blend that I lowered to a two star rating due to the mild, but heightened astringency. Had a smaller similarity to Navy Rolls than what I reported in the second paragraph.

5-16-2023 Update: The citrus level is a little higher now with less tartness. No dark fruit exists here now. Earth and wood are minimally present. The lemon notes have very slightly lessened to mild. It has a little more bread and sugar, and is a touch more floral and spicier. Has a fairly high grass content, though the vegetative aspects are very light. Acidity is very slight. Due to the severe reduction of the perique content, it is a condiment now. Very mild spice, barely has any figs and raisins, and the plum is lightly more obvious than the spice notes, but much less than before. The prune topping is very mild, more so than at any previous time. The strength, nic-hit, and taste levels are a couple of steps below the medium mark now. Rough edges are minimal. Burn rate hasn’t changed. The flavor is less complex than all previous productions although the astringency of the previous Escudo has vanished. It’s an all day smoke now. Two and a half stars upped to three because this is a more pleasant smoke than the 2014-2022 manufacture even if it is different. My current ratings are reflective of the 2023 product.

-JimInks

73 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Perique (163)	2013-01-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is, quite simply, the best VaPer out there. The benchmark by which all others are judged. The Holy Grail of VaPers. the gold standard. While there are many fantastic VaPers available (and some not-so-fantastic), Escudo is The One. My desert island tobacco. Rarely does a day go by when I do not smoke it. The Virginias are divine - that perfect, fresh hay tin note. I get very little Perique in the tin note. Flavorwise, the Perique is mild in this one compared to some other Perique-forward blends, but it's in perfect proportion. Remarkably cool burning. Not sure how you top this. I like to rub out the coins, and will typically smoke only one at a time in a smaller, wider bowled pipe such as a small pot or prince. I have a Stanwell 242 dedicated to Escudo that probably gets more than its share of use.

Everything that needs to be said has been said in previous reviews.

If you are thinking of trying it, stop thinking and order it. You will not be disappointed. And if you are, you can send the rest to me.

Similar Blends: Dunhill - De Luxe Navy Rolls.

60 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2002-10-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

I have always found it difficult to make Escudo behave. I tend to over-smoke it. When it burns too hot, it is horribly aggressive. When it burns just right??it is one of the supreme experiences.

A lot of guilded cant has been piled up under the heading "complexity" in tobacco talk. Mixing up a few strands of tobacco is not exactly like writing Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics. The unique simplicity of Virginia tobacco, as tasted in Escudo, is like the scent of a rose: not complicated, just ineffable. Ineffable is enough.

45 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2015-06-14		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Escudo Navy De Luxe is the benchmark for Virginia/Perique blends. That does not mean it is automatically the best, but it is the standard against which others are judged. Escudo means "shield" in Spanish and Portuguese, and the word was used for a large coin used in times past, a coin of roughly the size of these large medallions.

Escudo has a varied history. Originally made by Cope Brothers of Liverpool, it was bought by Gallaher, then A&C Peterson. and then resurrected after a hiatus by Orlik, which has now become a fully owned subsidiary of the Scandinavian Tobacco Group. It is listed as made for Peter Stokkebye, the Stokkebye name also now part of STG.

Open the tin and you find perfectly shaped disks varying with blond, medium, and dark brown color. The older the tin, the darker the hue. The tin aroma is typical for a Va/Per--grassy, slightly citrus Virginia and the rancid fig tang of perique.

The medallions can be rolled and crammed into the pipe, or rubbed out. The resulting load is easier to light with the rubbed out version. There is also a slight difference in smoking flavor. The rubbed out version has a steadier taste. The crammed version tends to show a puff by puff variation in the degree of perique flavor that comes through. The taste is medium, and neither the Virginia nor the perique totally dominates.

The room note is not generally perceived as offensive, although it has a touch of a burnt popcorn smell. As with all blends with more than a whisper of perique, the nicotine level is apparent, not really heavy, but certainly up to the medium range. It burns down to a fine clean ash with no goop.

The debate rages: Is Escudo Navy De Luxe the same as Dunhill Navy De Luxe? They are manufactured in the same facility. I suspect there may be a slight variance in the percentage of Virginia versus perique, but i doubt seriously if even the most veteran pipester could detect which was which in a blind taste test. Be that as it may, there is a discernible difference--the price. On that basis alone, my vote goes to Escudo.

I am giving Escudo the fourth star, but I must note that smokers who eschew perique will not like it.

42 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2014-07-17		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The presentation is excellent. The tin smells great - figs and hay - just a whiff of spice. It was a little damp when I started the tin, and I mostly smoked it without drying. Moisture was perfect by the end of the tin. I smoked this folded and rubbed out. I never tried cubing it.

It was a good Va/Per which I claim has some topping that contributes to the sweet. The perique was condiment+. You notice it, and it contributes to the flavor. There is a slight suggestion of caramel in taste, but it is really just good golden Virginia with a citrus, grassy, slightly sweet taste and a mildly peppery perique.

This tobacco has some serious fans, and I thought it was good. I only bought one tin and did not buy another when I finished it. In this type of blend, I think PS Luxury Navy Flake is just as good and comes at a better price point.

Having said all this, Escudo is a standard that probably every pipe smoker should try. You might be one of the fans. Even if you don't decide to buy it 10 tins at a time, you will know what others are talking about.

35 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2012-11-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

A very good reliable VaPer. I don't get as much sweetness as many others do, but I enjoy it for both the high quality Virginias used and what seems to be the perfect amount of Perique. I can see why this is used as such a benchmark to compare other Vapers.

UPDATE: 8/1/14

As I have now finished about six or seven tins of this since my review, I think it is also time to add another star. This one really does grow on you. I have had it aged and fresh and it is always good. It probably helps that my smoking has much improved over the last two years as well.

UPDATE 7-7-2017

32 tins in the cellar and I am not sure it is enough. Piper problems. :)

31 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-01-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

In my overall 20 years of smoking virginias and VaPers, I have to say that this is the best of the bunch - as the last reveiwer said, the "holy grail" of VaPers. Complex, smooth, hugely flavorful... a genius of a blend. I've smoked the new stuff back to back with the old and while I prefer the older Cope's blend, it could very well be because of its age, not because the blend is different. Youthfulness in tobacco isn't as desirable as it is in humans!

Many blends come close to Escudo. None have captured its essence. It is without a doubt the King of Virginia/Perique blends, in my humble opinion.

28 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-05-03		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

This is my no.1 tobacco. Has been for a long time. A smooth Vaper - no tricks. Easy to rub out, easy to light, stays lit. Enough flavor to not over puff. I hate to see a bowl end. When they throw me in the fire, I hope they stuff a couple of tins of Escudo in my pockets.

27 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2009-08-09		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

My review is based on a couple of six coins left-over in a tin bought in 1998 at JJFox in London. Producer was still A&CP.

The coins were dry but not brittle. They were briefly rehydrated over a humidified tissue, loaded in a unfiltered Savinelli Professor Pot smoked exclusively with Va & VaPer's, and left wait a hour.

Well, like Condor and other Gallaher's, Sobranie's, John Cotton's and other old British, Escudo has a special place in my earth. It was one of the tobaccos of my youth, I didn't even know it contains Perique... Four stars may seem something affected by that sentimental feeling, not in this case: Escudo is the benchmark of VaPer's, just or more than Three Nuns (the old days' one, I mean).

A medium strength, sweet/peppery smoke, very well balanced. The body is bit weak, common feature for VaPer's. The pleasure to the nose is great with notes of malt biscuits and occasional pepper.

Care must be put in non rushing the draw, but I have not faced particular problem or hot pipe even during enthusiastic sets.

Unfortunatly Escudo is missed from very long time from the Italian tobacconists, and I understand not very easy to find even in Europe. As a comparison, Solani 633 seems the one going very near to Escudo. Black Parrot is even more Perique oriented. Torben Dansk's Sailor Flake no. 15 is also something good substitute to Escudo.

Highly recommended.

26 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2082)	2016-06-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Scandinavian Tobacco - Escudo Navy De Luxe.

I loose track of how long I've been wanting to try this for, so I was enthralled when I found some at Smokingpipes.com! In all fairness I think the pleasure may have been enhanced slightly by my long period of yearning to pipe some, but either way, I love it!

The presentation of the tobacco looks very regimented: an overlapping display of coins, and despite the long journey they've resisted becoming dishevelled.

The freshly opened tin reveals the only negative: too moist. The blend needs drying prior to smoking, the coins aren't saturated, but by rubbing a one or two then leaving them to air for a short period the smoking's greatly improved.

Although the Perique gives a big amount of taste to the smoke it's not harsh; I'm a fan of this type of Perique: there's more dark fruit and less zing. I'd say the Perique domineers the smoke more-so than the Virginia, but it does so in a smoother style than the Perique in many VaPer's.

The nicotine falls perfectly in the middle (to me). I'd happily smoke this morning, noon, or night!

The room-note doesn't really have anything suprising about it: it smells like a VaPer, doesn't make much smoke, and it's quite pleasant!

To round things up: it burns brilliantly and gives a bite-free smoke!

Four stars.

Pipe Used: Levent Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes.com

24 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2007-12-24		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I have had both the Gallaher and A.C. produced discs of Escudo. My original review of this blend was after smoking a few bowls of the old Gallaher's version and since the review was not favorable, and it was a 15 year old tin, I suspect the Perique had soured the taste of the tobacco.

I recently had the pleasure of smoking a 3-year old tin of Escudo and scrambled to purchase more. I love the flavor which is tobacco rich. The strength is substantial and the burn is cool. I smoked 2-3 bowls a day until my tin was gone. The Virginia was deep, rich and flavorful with no tang and the Perique was masterfully blended into the presentation where it was detectable, but not overwhelming.

Escudo has entered my top-10... wait, make that my top-5 list of tobaccos and unless my taste buds make a right turn somewhere down the road, I'll always have a tin of this at the ready.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Flyerdog (9)	2014-04-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

I enjoyed this tobacco from the first time I smoked it but decided to wait until I'd gone through a couple of tins to review it. This is an A++ smoke. If you like VaPers this will probably be the best one you ever smoke. The Perique is present but not in your face. It is easy to smoke and does not require excessive relights. EZ to rub out and EZ to pack. The room note is toasty and the flavor is full - you don't need a big mouthful to get all you need. I've "sipped" it and I've smoked it hard and it's always satisfied. Tongue bite is not a problem. The only downside is that it is difficult not to inhale because it so mild (I try to limit inhaling).

I prefer VaPers and I thought that when I found McClelland's Beacon I had discovered the gold standard. I was wrong. This is the best by far IMHO. I hope I never have to be limited to only one tobacco but this might be the one I'd choose.

One last thought: the Virginia's in this blend are superb. Sweet and bursting with flavor.

Pipe Used: Bari, Dunhill

Age When Smoked: 2009, 2011, 2003

Purchased From: 4Noggins, eBay

Similar Blends: Beacon, Beacon Extra.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MJG (17)	2015-05-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Leaf: Beautifully cut golden brown coins of Perique and Virginia. They look delicious, and are laid out very nicely, overlapping in a neat circle around the tin.A very unique and fun appearance for those of us new to curly cut coins.

Tin Aroma: This is where I first got the hint that this stuff was as good as they say. The tine note is immensely pleasurable, a sweet nose of beautiful fresh hay from the Virginia hits first, with a rich smell of ripe fig joining in, and a very slightly tanginess that I believe was the perique. I KID YOU NOT, this smells so damn good I literally stuck my nose into the bed of coins and breathed the aroma deeply for about a dozen breaths.

Taste: Yes....It tastes as good as it smells. From first light it was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, just the lovely VA sweetness you would expect, the fruity fig and raisin undertones were there for me, and to top it off the perique comes through with a pleasant surprise towards the exhale which takes the smoke to a whole other level. My tongue was tingling with the well balanced mix of sweet, tangy and spicy flavours. It is smooth as silk and had no burn on the retro-hale, you could smoke bowls back to back without much trouble, apart from running out of precious coins too fast. Sip it and take your time and you will be rewarded in spades with flavour that will blow you away. As you reach towards the last 1/4 of the bowl the sweetness is kicked up a notch from the burning VA, and the Perique really picks up and takes off. What a great experience, VaPers being a new experience all together for me. Perfection.

Smokability: Spot on. I grabbed a coin after all of about 30 seconds of drying time, folded it, stuffed it in my pipe, then halved another coin, broke it up, and dropped it on top. No fingers in the bowl, no drying time, no rubbing out, just a quick stuff and go. It lit with one match and stayed lit the whole time with a few gentle tamps along the way, burning down to a fine white ash. Very easy to smoke and maintain.

Summary: What can I say, the legend is true, it is THAT good, and I have never smoked a VaPer before! If you haven't already, you have to smoke a bowl or 10. Just be prepared to say good bye to some of your favourite blends in the rotation to make room or this bad boy.

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Armac (10)	2018-06-01		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I may have reviewed this tobacco some years ago based on a tin given to me, but in truth, I don't remember.

I rarely post to Tobacco Reviews, so first, a bit of background: I've been a pipe smoker for 59 years and at one time was a collector with over 300 pipes. I reduced my collection to under 40 pipes back in the mid 1990s, and I consider myself simply a pipe smoker these days. As regards tobaccos, I'm afraid my jaded palate after all these years of puffing, doesn't pick up much on all the raisin, fig, molasses, grass, citrus, etc., descriptions used by many reviewers. I simply know what I like and what I don't like. That said, I do try to be unbiased and balanced in a review.

Due to the closing of McClelland Tobaccos, (My favorite for years and years - Loved their Virginias) I've been sampling a lot of different tobaccos, among them, a fair number of coin, rolls, or ring processed. These include Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, Davidoff Flake Medallions, (More on those two later), Mac Baren Club Blend, Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll Cake, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, Three Nuns, and of course, Escudo. Of those, I'll confine my remarks to Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, Davidoff Flake Medallions, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, Three Nuns, and Escudo. I exclude the two Mac Baren blends because they're in a world all their own, and many folks simply can't smoke Mac Baren tobaccos because of the hot, peppery, spicy consequences to tongue and palate. (As much as I like Mac Baren tobaccos, and I did try those two, I'm one of those folks.)

Escudo: Of the five remaining tobaccos, I found Escudo to be the harshest and it had a tendency to bite. Searching for words of description, I'd say it was stout, slightly bitter, and raw. I suppose I'm committing heresy with those last two sentences, but it is what it is. Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls and Three Nuns followed close behind. And contrary to most reviews, I found Escudo to be neither rich, nor a rewarding smoke. It is certainly well made and consistently blended. The aroma in the tin is tobacco, and little else, but pleasant.

As regards Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake and Davidoff Flake Medallions, both were a cut above when compared to the others. Both provided a subtle but consistent nutty aroma, something I like, and both smelled and tasted sweeter. (Not aromatic in any way - just sweeter) I recently read a comment by someone who claimed they were the same. I beg to differ. If placed side by side, there are slight differences, the Davidoff being slightly lighter in appearance and the "eye" in the center, slightly larger. When smoking, it is also the sweeter of the two.

The pipes used were two that were cleaned and rested between changes of tobaccos: A 1960 Dunhill Bruyere 127 (Similar to the Dunhill LB shape) and an Astleys, also similar to the Dunhill LB shape and purchased at the Astley's shop on Jermyn Street, London, in 1996 not long before they closed for good.

Pipe Used: Dunhill 127, Astley's Billiard

Age When Smoked: New

Similar Blends: Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, Davidoff Flake Medallions, Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, Three Nuns.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Thbg (29)	2012-04-04		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I thank all of my pipe smoking brethren on this site for the positive comments on this blend which led me to buying a tin.

Simply amazing. In 10 years of pipe smoking this has got to be the best tobacco I have tried. I can see myself smoking this blend for the rest of my days.

My only negative comment is that I did not try it earlier.

Cheers.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2009-02-12		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I smell plums when I first open the tin - the firmer, not-so-sweet kind of plums with the yellow fruit. Very unusual, actually, as this is the only tobacco I've ever experienced with that particular aroma.

Besides that, I can't add much to what's already said about this fantastic smoke except that I detect a very mild flavoring of some sort. Can't really put a finger on it but it's got to be more than just the Virginias and Perique. It lingers softly in the background, not in a bad way at all, but it's there. Is it my imagination?

Regardless, it's fabulous stuff. Pack it gently so it'll burn more easily - I like it better with a very free draw.

14 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jacinto Cupboard (209)	2014-06-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Coins of spun tobacco ranging from blonde to dark brown, predominantly mid brown. Tin aroma is dried figs, hay and pepper.

The coins are not as well presented in the tin as the Dunhill equivalent and seem drier and more fragile.

Burns well with minimal re-lights. There is a prominent lemon spritz on the tongue. It burns sweet throughout. Towards the end of the bowl this tobacco takes on a darker dimension. Beautiful stuff, already well documented.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-08-03		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The best pipe tobacco. period.

I've been trying many different Vapers over the last couple of years to find a complement or a close second to Escudo. I haven't found it yet. This tobacco is very consistent, subtle and refined. Solani 633, or SG St. James are almost in the same league, but not quite. 2015 is good but unsophisticated - like candy. Some of the G.L. Pease brands are nice, but they typically have too much going on for me. Reiner is the closest I've experienced.

Escudo is wonderful tobacco. If you haven't tried it, it should be your next purchase. I only wish they'd sell it in larger amounts.

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pegado (3)	2017-09-07		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Very Pleasant

It's my first review, and this review is important to me. Since I started smoking pipe, was a pleasant experience taste many blends of tobacco. And Escudo is my favorite of my top list.

My pipe have a bowl with 4,5 cm height. With only two coins of Escudo allow me a pleasant 2 hours of smoke. Since the first spark to last ashed shard, taste and fragance of this excellent tobacco make present. The burning is very cool, slowly and constant, indicate Virginia and Perique qualities. Moisture is perfect into tin, the coins are carefully embaled with paper, like a expensive sweety candy. And that's it!

For everyone who wants taste a VaPer for first time, I suggest the Escudo. If you make a try, test the ever piper's choice! It is a hors concours.

Pipe Used: butz-choquin jura

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Bullseye Flake (No. 403).

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Uban (60)	2014-05-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The thing that surprised me about the current Escudo is how easy it is to work with - stuff it, rub it, shred it, cut it, fold it, screw it in - the results are always the same. Bright high notes all the way, grassy flavor changes to full & sweet later on, burns all the way to a clean ash with no gurgle. Even fresh tins are worth diving right into. One of, if not the, best VaPers on the market.

Pipe Used: Meer, cob, briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: B&M

Similar Blends: 633, but smoother.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	musicman (131)	2012-01-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Ahh, The great Escudo. This tobacco really is as good as everybody makes it out to be. It took me a couple years for my palate to develop before I really "got it" but it really is nice. One of the biggest selling points about this tobacco is its consistent quality. Every tin is to notch quality product. It ages really well too.

Escudo is a somewhat middle of the road Vaper in terms of taste. It doesn't have the high notes that I love in Orlik Golden Sliced, but it is not as dark and sinister and lush as Wessex Dark Campaign Flake. It fits right in the middle, and its damn good. The perique is present but appropriately so, not in your face just fitting. This blend is a cornerstone in the pipe world and all true Vaper lovers must try this tobacco. Not my holy grail tobacco per se, but a really good, reliable, and pleasurable smoke Highly recommended.

11 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CubanPiper (13)	2013-06-07		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is a true classic. I do not understand why it only has 3 stars. If you are a VA/PER, I'm more than sure you will like this one. If you are not a VA/PER, don't review it.

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Circle H Brothers (10)	2017-10-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Escudo.

The name alone evokes a sense of mystery. Like other one name celebrities... Madonna, Cher, Bono, Prince... Escudo.

Okay, enough of the drama. Down to the tobacco.

Escudo was one of the first Va/Pers I ever tried (the first being Orlik Golden Sliced, and there is a little controversy to whether that blend qualifies as a true "Va/Per"). I will be honest that at first, I didn't get it. I couldn't understand why everyone raved about this blend. Sure it was a good smoke, but nothing of the transcendent nature that was touted in reviews. It didn't have Artisan Blend's complexity or Nightcap's punch. I just didn't see anything remarkable about it.

Then I decided to try it again one night, and was busy doing other things in the garage that forced me to slow my puffing cadence way down. I was about a quarter of a bowl through when suddenly the light bulb went on and I finally got it. The only thing I can compare this experience to is when you finally get what Pinot Noir is all about even though you only drink Napa Cabernet.

See, I had really only smoked big Lat bombs like Nightcap, Artisan's Blend, etc. These are the Napa Cabernets. Big. Bold. In your face, and intense. Bigger the Better. So the first time you have a taste of a well-made Pinot Noir, the nuance and elegance is lost on you because you are looking for the Big and the Bold. But after a while, you start to understand why this softer wine is so raved about. Why it is so sought after. And once you get it, you get really get it.

That's what Escudo is. It is like a fine Burgundy Pinot Noir. Nuanced. Elegant. Complex. It doesn't hit you over the head with intensity, it forces you to coax the flavors out slowly and once you find them, you cannot lose them.

The coins are beautiful to look at in their spiral configuration in the tin and the tin aroma is intoxicating. Somewhere between sweet horse feed and a freshly opened box of Fruit Rollups. The preparation is very easy. Either fold and stuff, or rub them out which they do very easily into fine ribbons.

Escudo takes to a light very easily and requires maybe one or two relights as I progress down the bowl.

The flavors range from sweet hay, dried fruits, spicy pepper and baked goods, but the flavors are pervasive and intense once you know what to look for. This is a blend that I could smoke all day, but it is equally nice in the evening.

The nicotine is around a Medium/Low to Medium depending on time of day, when I've eaten and how aggressive I puff. Not too bad.

I never could get Escudo to bite, but it loses a lot of flavor and can lean towards harsh if pushed too hard. It is definitely better to sip and savor.

With age, the blend only gets better. The flavors concentrate and smoke becomes creamier and more full.

Last note, some people compare Escudo to PS Luxury Bullseye Flake, and while LBF is a good blend in its own right, it is nowhere near a substitute for Escudo. While the component tobaccos are similar, the final product is very different. It is like the difference between drinking a glass of chocolate milk and eating a slice of chocolate cake. They're both chocolate, but one is much more rich and intense than the other. That being said, I enjoy LBF and smoke it frequently. But it has to have some age on it in order for me to really enjoy it.

Pipe Used: Various Briars

Age When Smoked: New to 1 Year

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

Similar Blends: Dunhill Navy Rolls, Samuel Gawith St James (sort of).

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-09-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Va/Pers have a special place in my cellar in this babe is in the top 3.A really expceptional blend!once the tin cracks a wonderfull smell comes out!plums,figs,grass and citruses are combined so well that makes you forget all the negatives that might passed you throught the day!the coins are very manageable either to rub or fold in the right moisture.the only difference is that by folding the lighting becomes harder and the burning is slower.while smoking the complexity of the blend amazed me.the virginias combine perfect with the perique from the beggining till the end offering just pleasure.the virginias are citrusy,grassy and sour(reminded me of Dunhill virginias).perique offers plum,figs and some discreet vinegar notes.rarelly some dark fruits popped out making the taste even better.burns slow and medium hot without chance of tongue bite.the nicotime level is medium without making it unsuitable for an all day smoke.the room note is plesant to others.i also noticed a nice aftertaste wich is difficult to find for me.definitelly an all day smoke!

Age When Smoked: Rubbed and packed at once

Similar Blends: Lots of co-smokers claim that it is the same blend with Dunhill de luxe navy rolls.i agree in many points but i found some differences wich i will review in DL Navy rolls.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	King Slender (9)	2017-02-21		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Despite its unassuming appearance, Escudo is, in fact, something of a minor miracle. Its effortless smoking mechanics are a revelation. If you have struggled at all with tongue bite in the past, this is a tobacco you need to try immediately. I have to believe that no matter what you do, Escudo will not bite you. If, perhaps, you have had trouble keeping a pipe lit properly without puffing too hard, you need to try this tobacco. The ease with which it lights and burns almost unfailingly down to a fine, light-grey ash is uncanny. These unique features allow one to essentially forget the mechanics of smoking the pipe and to focus entirely on the flavor in a way I had never before experienced. And it is a flavor you will want to contemplate: at once bright, fresh, and clean with darker undercurrents of dried fruits, cinnamon and black pepper. Nicotine content is seemingly just enough to stimulate, yet not so much as to agitate.

Although Perique wasn't produced commercially until 1824, Escudo has a certain "Colonial" character, such that one might imagine the founding fathers having smoked something similar. For a (previously) dedicated English smoker, it is a revelation indeed.

Pipe Used: Tsuge Kaga 901

Age When Smoked: New

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	piedpipester (19)	2012-05-08		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

All you've heard is true. Very clean flavor, good Virginia taste with mild spice from the Perique. Burns well, Very satisfying smoke. I smoke several blends, Escudo will always have a place in my rotation

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nathaniel (39)	2022-07-18		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ah, Escudo. This one doesn’t fly under the radar. You’ve probably heard of it, and if you don’t limit yourself to aromatics or a singular genre of tobacco, you’ve likely sampled it. This isn’t my first smoke of it... but it is my first review.

So then. Neat presentation, a ring of little discs circled in the tin. Dark brown and black, mottled with a little tawny gold. Similar in appearance to Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, without the black cavendish center. Tin note is, in this well-aged sample, a toothsome fig and sweet breadiness— pretty much a dead ringer for Fig Newtons, with the slightest hint of tang. Prelight draw (with fold and stuff into a brand new Robert Vacher poker) is also almost precisely the flavor of Fig Newtons. Lighting is a one-match job, if you’ve taken the time to properly dry your flakes.

Taste, at the beginning, is deceptively simple. A little hay, a tangy, persistent undertone as of cranberry juice, and a little burnt popcorn. Beautiful natural sweetness, as of white grapes. As you sip— this is not a tobacco to be puffed at— a slight brown sugar or jaggery sweetness suggests itself— Virginia. The perique manifests here as tanginess, without being very spicy. Lots of hearty, jaw-filling smoke, for a vaper blend. I don’t taste much on the retrohale, but the spice from the perique kicks in then. So, I don’t retrohale this one very much.

I like this one as a summer smoke, and so it is. 84 degrees at a few minutes before 8 in the evening here. A glass of gin on a single ice cube matches nicely. Not a lawnmower smoke, as there is some complexity, but not so much that I can’t put my feet up and enjoy the night.

Burnt popcorn note intensifies as I move down the bowl, bringing back memories of the public pool we frequented when I was a kid. The staff used to bring out wicker bowls of free popcorn that we ate by the pound on muggy summer nights just like this one.

The few relights this needs are because of the leisurely pace I’m smoking at. The tobacco itself is consistent, burning well, and quite, quite tasty. No harsh or rough spots.

There are flashier Virginia/perique blends. Ones with a little something extra, a little burley or flavoring added to present a deeper, more complex experience. But this one is the classic Va/per for me. It’s the Beatles of tobacco: you might like other bands or blends better. But if you want to get a working knowledge of what music, or the pipesmoking hobby, is all about, you can’t skip over this one. Classic.

Pipe Used: Robert Vacher Laughing Moon Poker

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JKOD (30)	2021-04-29		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Not being a huge Virginian fan, I wanted to give this a shot due to the reviews and folks stating it’s strength. I can do a Va/per for some reason, but believe it’s the perique that makes it more smokable for me.

This blend tends to burn a bit hot for me, and even when slowing down I seem to have issues with staying lit, so I either relight or puff a little too hard. I guess the trick is finding the sweet spot on smoking. As far as the strength goes, I certainly don’t agree that this is a “strong” blend. It’s medium at it’s best.

I do like the blend on occasion, but can’t say I’ll reach for this more than occasionally, primarily because I guess I’m just bad at smoking these blends! When I do find a nice pace the blend tastes really good. It’s a bit grassy but also sweet with a bit of tingly spice. It is pretty smooth, so it does have that going for it.

I will probably get 3-4 tins of this as people say it gets better with age. By the time I get to the last tin - it should be quite old as I don’t see smoking a tin of this a year. Although I did burn through the first one in a couple months. I’ve been smoking two discs when I have it - but, perhaps I’ll reduce to one and use this as a blend to break in my new pipes. Should last a while that way. Who knows.

Doesn’t seem like a good blend for a new smoker at all. I’m going to stick with some of the other burley and Latakia blends a bit more I believe. But, to be fair this is an alright blend. It’s just the effort required to get the most out of it is more than I care to try most of the time - pipes are for relaxing and the extra effort takes from the overall enjoyment, IMO. 2.5 stars.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gahdzila (61)	2017-03-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ahhhh, Escudo. My tin is a little over 4 years old, so I'm looking forward to this.

Escudo is presented as beautiful round coins, maybe about the diameter of a silver dollar, and maybe half as thick. I'm surprised they stay so intact in the tin, because they seem to fall apart easily when I handle them. It doesn't need much prep or drying time. The coins sort of fall apart into concentric circles and arced ribbons - imagine a slice of onion falling apart into rings and strips. I broke them apart a little with my fingers, loaded the longer strings and chunks in loosely, gradually packing tighter with smaller pieces nearer the top, then sprinkled a few loose crumbs on top for kindling. I chose my Savinelli Capri, a large pipe, and it required three coins.

Two paper matches to get 'er lit, and off we go. Ya know, when someone says VaPer, I think Escudo. This is exactly what a middle-of-the-road VaPer is supposed to taste like in my book, and will forever be the measuring stick of VaPers for me. Medium-full Virginias dominate, with perique just there on the edge. The flavor reminds me of a sweet cereal with a little fruitiness...think raisin bran or something similar - that's good Virginias right there Smile Perique pepper is virtually absent when lightly sipping. Puff a little harder, and I notice a bit of pepperiness. Snork a mouthful of smoke through my nose - hello, perique! Nice peppery burn, just right. Escudo is the very definition of balance. Flavors intensify as I pass the halfway mark. The smoke has a very light and fluffy mouthfeel.

Straw-hay-sweet cereal-dark dried fruit-hint of pepper flavors continue their symphony and it just keeps getting better as I near the bottom of the bowl. A man who checks the time while he smokes a pipe is doing it wrong, but I think this bowl has lasted a bit over an hour - and not one single relight, just a few tamps here and there to stoke the flame.

Beautiful cut, perfect moisture in the tin, extremely well balanced, complex flavor, perfectly behaved. Highly recommended.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Capri

Age When Smoked: 4 years

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OhioTony76 (59)	2017-03-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

As somebody that likes lots of perique in my va/pers, I thought this blend would bore me. I was wrong. Fresh out of the tin I admit I was a bit underwhelmed, but after some time to rest in the jar, it came to life. Yes this is on the more grassy, hay like side of virginia. Not normally my style, but WOW does it work here. The bread like notes mixed with this extremely high quality perique really made me a fan. Huge smoke output. The perique intensity and the Virginia body really bloom as you smoke down the bowl. The smoke tickles my tongue with a prickly spice then fades beautifully making me want to do it again. Really great as the first smoke of the day.

Pipe Used: Briar and cobs

Age When Smoked: 1 week

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Bullseye Flake, Dunhill Navy Rolls.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (220)	2016-03-11		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Escudo is one venerable blend that has survived several iterations more or less intact, at least the current, STG version suggests this. In the tin are large, thin slices of “navy roll” tobacco, aka “coins” consisting of a range of soft, tasty VAs and soft Perique, with several shades of the former due to leaf treatment, the gamut running from gold to medium and very dark brown, pretty much black bits. The various bits are blended then reconstituted to make the sheets that make up the rolls that are sliced to make the coins (whew). The tin note suggests the smoke, meadow grasses and faint, fragrant wood, along with ethereal meadow flower notes, and mostly plums from the Perique over the tobacco. Spices are more cardamom than coriander, and more fruity paprika than pepper, and there is a trace of anise. The taste follows the scents, and all is well from top to bottom. It takes a little doing to light it straight from the tin, but this is how I like to smoke it, and it burns well. While I like Perique a lot, I don’t like a lot of Perique, so Escudo suits me fine. Strength is shy of medium, and tastes run medium. I love the room note, which IMO is tame and pleasant for a Perique blend. Aftertaste trails off the smoke.

It seems like a popular pastime at TR to compare Escudo to Dunhill’s Deluxe Navy Rolls, so why not? I see and taste the former as generally lighter than the latter, from the tin through the smoke, and Escudo lights a little harder, then it burns down better for me. DDNR has more stoved leaf, and its Perique is more figgy than plummy, also more sour, with a little more pepper. If there is such a thing as an “all day” VA/Per, it might be Escudo, while DDNR might be a bit too much for this, at least for most. Other than this, they are similar, for sure, and four stars for both these terrific VA/Pers. IMO, everyone should try both. What an age we live in!

Pipe Used: small pot preferred

Age When Smoked: fresh; also jarred for ages; keep moist

Purchased From: cupojoes

Similar Blends: Dunhill's Deluxe Navy Rolls.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2010-08-22		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is a reason why this tobacco is reviewed so often and reviewed with such praise. Escudo may be the king of the Vapers. I think the key as Red stated before me, is balence. A little sweet, a little spicy and no dominate player. Since there isn't much to add, I would just like to point out that after reviewing the A&C production side by side with the Stokkebye, blender to blender, the taste remains the same. Often attempted in the tobacco world but seldom happens. If I could note one very slight difference, the A&C was a touch sweeter, but that was most likely due to the age on the tin. I am not a big fan of the Stokkebye Bull's Eye Flake, hopefully Escudo is maintain its integrity in the years to come. Highly Recommended!

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2018-03-22		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I enjoy VaPer blends as a rule but this was my first and continues to be the benchmark by which all others will be measured. While there are some like Dorchester and Dunbar that seem to take the genre in a very different and delicious direction, this is still the standard bearer for me. The tin note begins the experience and for me is almost as enjoyable as the smoke itself (I can always sneak a quick sniff even when I don't have time for a pipe and receive some quick gratification). The note is like taking raisins and figs and leaving them in the sun for a day on a bed of hay that was stored in the back of an old dry barn for a year. Throw in a small hadfull of fresh grass clippings and squeeze a bit of lemon on it and you have your tin note. Opening my mason jar is much easier than preparing that salad. The smoking experience for me is typical for this type of VaPer (Dunhill Navy Rolls, Stokebye's, etc.) it is pure simple smoking pleasure. Fold and stuff, rub it out or however you prepare it and just smoke and relax. This is not a contemplative smoke. The flavors are bready with dark fruits and pepper. There are some grassy and citrus notes as well. The toasty peppery smoke is consistent throughout the bowl and relights will give you a full flavored burst all the way to the bottom. The balance of the tobacco's in this blend and the spun coin preparation is what makes this the champion of VaPer's in my mind. Everything is in perfect harmony. The after taste is pleasant as well as the room note (at least to me). I like to play with the packing and do notice different "looks" if you fold and stuff vs rubbing out. I will admit I only fold and stuff on the days I run with scissors, it too risky to do all the time as I have screwed it up more times than I like to admit.

Pipe Used: Briar's and cobs

Age When Smoked: from fresh to 2 years old

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	guitar2mw (92)	2015-09-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Hail to the king! This one will be short and sweet, guys, because I just simply seem to echo everyone else here. This is THE BEST VaPer out there. It packs so much flavor that you really can't stop with just one bowl. First, the tin note is tangy and fresh VA. It is a bit more mellow and slightly fruity to my nose. The coins are easy to rub out and pack well. The only issue that I have is that some tins are a bit too dry (and I like my tobacco pretty dry) while others are just perfect. This is a very minor issue and it really doesn't affect the smoking qualities after letting a pouch button sit in the tin for a few hours.

Lighting up a bowl of this is a dream! It stays pretty consistent throughout the bowl but never gets old! It's much sweeter in flavor than any other VaBur that I have had. The Perique is there, but it plays more of a supporting role to the VA's (as it should) by adding a darker sweetness and that pinch of peppery zest. It will bite, as most VA's will, when puffed too hard - but trust me, you will want to savor this blend! Smoke this stuff in a meer and you'll find yourself burning through a tin in one setting. It's that damn good.

Pipe Used: Meers, Various briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh & aged (approx. 6+ months)

Purchased From: JR Cigars, pipesandcigars.com

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SegFault (1)	2015-06-20		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

My first review. This is for the current incarnation of escudo. Tin was purchased in May 2014 at Carmel Pipe Shop in Carmel CA during a vacation last year.

A bit about me, the reviewer. I am a relatively new pipe smoker and never used tobacco prior to being introduced to pipes through a friend and The League Pipe Club in Denver, CO. I have been smoking a variety of tobaccos to try and develop my pallate to understand the nuances and learn to appreciate what each archtype brings to the hobby. Thus I chose Escudo for the purpose of exploring the world of VaPers.

Presentation: The tins used by Scandinavian Tobacco Group speak of quality and, unlike the canned food pop-top tins of many American blends, provide a wide mouth lined with a corrugated paper liner that serves to contain the inevitable spillage when loading a pipe. The tin kept the tobacco moist for over a year after opening. The Escudo leaf itself is beauty to behold, the neatly stacked deli slices of rolled tobacco unlike anything else I have yet seen.

Tin Aroma: Sweet like the aroma of a pile of fall leaves moistened by night dew and gently warmed by the morning sun. There is also a hint of something fruit like, perhaps currant or raisin.

Texture: The deli slices are moist and pliable. The slices  unroll into chunky strands each made up of several layers of leaf that do not easily rub out. I had trouble with moisture with this blend. It took a week of drying time in Denver to get the slices sufficiently dry such that i could keep an ember in the pipe without drawing hard enough to bite or rasp the pallate. The flakes were still pliable and not crunchy. Other blends have become crunchy dry in this climate in as little as fifteen minutes, leading me to suspect that this blend is lightly topped with a humectant.

Flavor: I clearly pick up light virginia upon first light similar to the flavor of Dunhill Flake. The perique makes itself known subsequently through an additional astringency and pepper sensation. The flavors appear well balanced and I can see why this is a highly regarded mixture.  However, this one has bitten me several times. I have difficulty finding the balance between keeping the ember and over stoking this, which is what brings out bite. This is complicated by my experience with relights being astringent and resultingly unpleasant. I have yet to identify the plum flavor mentioned by other reviewers.

Mouth feel: The smoke feels thin compared to blends containing small amounts of latakia or a base of red Virginia, but fuller than a pure light Virginia such as Dunhill flake. Puffing strong enough to bring forth more than whips of smoke leads to extreme astringency and associated bite.

Overall: It seems silly to say, but the most important factor for me in a pipe tobacco is overall enjoyment of the smoking experience. As described above, Escudo is difficult for me to smoke, which detracts from my overall satisfaction with the mixture. However the flavor is clearly definitive of the style. As a result, while I give this three of four stars I will likely not purchase again soon.

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Carmel Pipe Shop in Carmel CA

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2013-10-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is a very nice VaPer. Love the coins. Wish it had just a little more body.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-07-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It has all been said quite well. This is one of the worlds best pipe tobaccos. There are several empty tins of this all over my house. Tangy sweet,warm dark fruit,highly satisfying.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2003-07-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This may not be an exceptional tobacco, but it certainly is a very good one. There is something of the old Three Nuns here: a tangy and piquant sweetness, and an enlivening Virginia aftertaste, rich but sober. As it happens with many good tobaccos, Escudo gradually grows on you. It has a remarkable balance between the matured Virginias--without these being too sweet (as in Dorchester, Astley's No 2 or Solani's 633), and the Perique, which I don't find particularly aggressive (as in Dunhill's Elizabethan mixture). Medium strength, cool, it is easy to break up or to pack the discs as they are straight into the bowl.

I had only once tried this blend before, under the Gallaher name (c. 1992). Perhaps my palate has changed, but I remember it to be slightly stronger, the Perique more prominent and the Virginias a bit on the raw side, with an overall monochromatic taste.

I am glad I gave the A&C Petersen version a try. It is now one of my favorite Virginia/Perique mixtures, together with Stokkebye's Navy Flake, Peterson's Irish Oak, and Fox's Dorisco (the strongest of the lot). A nice, quiet smoke, with a sharp woodsy flavor and a long lasting peppery under-taste, that lingers on nicely.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2002-09-07		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought 12 tins of this, untasted, when the rumor went around that it would no longer be produced. I don't regret that purchase, but I think 2 tins would have sufficed.

Escudo is a stout Virginia/Perique blend in a delightful "coin" cut. While some simply fold the coin into the bowl, I get better flavor from a medium rub-out consistency. The flavor is dark and rich, of considerable strength in both flavor and nicotine. It is satisfying. It is not, however, complex, and it can burn and lose most of its flavor by hot smoking. The Virginia leaf was clearly intended to lean towards the bass and middle-bass flavor spectrums, but I occasionally find myself wishing that some of the high-quality leaf had been allowed to remain in a zestier, sweeter state to balance the blend.

A permanent fixture in my rotation, but not in the top 20 frequently-smoked category.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AMDG (3)	2022-07-05		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Tin note: fantastic. Rich, umami-fermented goodness. Even my wife liked the smell.

Light-up: no issues

Smoking experience: the perique adds richness, complexity and balance which, when combined with the Virginia, provides a great overall flavor profile. Notes of ripe fruit and figs. Clearly has earned its place as a best-seller.

Pipe Used: Peterson 87

Age When Smoked: 2 years

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (108)	2021-04-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Prep: The coins come a bit on the wet side but I found drying unnecessary. I fold n stuff for a longer smoking regimen.

Description: It's hard to add to what has already been said about this blend. The aging and the darker leaf contents make this a predominately dark fruity concoction. Though hay notes are evident early in the smoke, stewed and dried fruit notes take center stage. The Perique "pepperiness" is constant but not strong, as in other Va/Pers, but continuously supplies further prune-like sweetness to the blend.

The popularity is understood. 8.5/10

Similar Blends: Marlin Flake.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pavulon77 (1)	2020-12-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I'm a daily smoker, who enjoys depending on a day 1-3 bowls. Occasionally I smoke a stoggie.I smoke all kind of tobaccos, least of them aromatic ones. The Escudo blew me away, before I've tried let's say 10 Vapers , none of them was the perfect one, these includes Ascanian no2, Louisiana flake by GH,Peter Stokkebye,several SG and so on! Let me tell you something about this blend, is a pure perfection, when I opened the can the flavour that I acquired was heavenly, figs,fried fruit,milk powder, spice. I smoked it fresh, imagine what is going to happen with some maturation. Smoked it in a Briar pipe custom made by Henryk &Mateusz" Worobiec" dedicated for Vapers. Doesn't need any drying ,lights up very easily, doesn't need any relights,first puffs take you on, perfect balance spice of Perique married with sweet Virginia.Great and pleasant after taste, no bite, White ash at the end of the bowl.Beautiful room note. Let me share with you that from now on its my winner among Vapers. Strongly recommended for all, won't be disappointed.

Pipe Used: Worobiec

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: Tobacco pipes.com

Similar Blends: Louisiana flake, Ascanian no 2.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2018-08-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really enjoy Escudo. Here are the top four reasons why:

I love the tin note. The Virginias and perique give off a wonderful grassy-bread-like aroma.

The moisture level was perfect right out of the tin and the blend is a high quality smoke—all the way down to the bottom of the bowl.

The curly cut/coin can easily folded or can be rubbed out. I prefer the large size and the thickness of the escudo coin over the smaller coins in 3 nuns.

For me, Escudo has a good balance of Virginias and perique that keeps me coming back for more. The spiciness of the perique seems to build the further down the bowl you smoke.

A nice blend worth a try.

Age When Smoked: 6 months

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	steppx (186)	2017-06-22		Mild	Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

someone wrote the holy grail of VaPers. Perhaps it used to be. Again....can we stop pretending that these new versions of old classics are as good as they used to be. They are not. Is 3 Nuns as good as the original? Is Dunhill's ye Olde Signe as good as the original? Is St Bruno's Flake as good as the original? Is even the new Amphora original the same or as good as the original? the answer is no. Corporate takeover does not produce excellence. And Escudo...once indeed the bench mark by which VaPers were judged....is not as good as the earlier two versions. Certainly not close to the very original. The ACPeterson was alright...it was in the ballpark...mostly, but now we have another second generation dupe of a classic. I refuse to judge it on its own terms because it is presenting itself as something it is not.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dbl-bbl (45)	2016-12-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I placed an order and received both Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls and STG Escudo at the same time. The tin note is a sweet & tangy aroma commensurate with the fine quality tobaccos used in these blends ... I have a tough time distinguishing the difference between these two based solely upon my sniffer. Both VaPer blends are pressed & rolled cut coins. Escudo does appear to be just ever so slightly lighter in color. Both baccys were slightly moist from the tin .... IMO just the right amount of moisture for using my preferred fold & stuff method of loading into the pipe. I had no trouble getting either blend to accept a decent char light. The Escudo is a delicious smoking experience (as is DDNR) nonetheless I detect a little less sweetness in flavor & aroma from the Escudo. The room note is quite appealing. Me thinks only the most hardcore olfactory recipients suffering from "tobacco-envy" would object to this heavenly aroma.

Pipe Used: Briars (Canadians, Lovats, & Billiards)

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	michaelc (40)	2016-11-29		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

What can I say that hasn't already been said? This has got to be one of the best VaPer blends around. I usually bring this out for a special relaxing smoking experience.

Pipe Used: Lorenzo Anello Oro 733

Age When Smoked: six months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: PS LBF. Comoy's Cask #7.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Corey Mac (9)	2016-02-22		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

If this tobacco was a cocktail, it would be a martini. This mixture, it isn't that it's not complex, it's just that it's to cool to be complicated. Martinis are a classy drink. I've never felt as classy as when I've had a martini in my hand! This is how Escudo is. It's the James Bond of pipe mixtures. As James Bond is to his many lovers, Escudo is satisfying!

I think on another Virginia Perique mixture I love. Samuel Gawith's St. James Flake. If Escudo is a martini, St. James Flake is an old Bordeaux. The complexities of that flake seem never ending. It satisfies too. Read my review of it if you'd like to hear specifically what I think of it. Both are excellent, but with Escudo I get the feeling that it's not trying to impress you, it just knows how cool it is and doesn't really give a shit what you think.

To look at it from another angle. Are you living in the west coast? More specifically, are you living in an area where there's an In-N-Out Burger? Sometimes you may want a beautifully crafted Kobe Beef burger, with a soft brioche bun, with organic, locally grown heirloom greens and tomato, with house smoked applewood bacon and three year aged white cheddar on it. Other times, nothing can satisfy your craving like a Double-Double with Animal Style fries and a shake!

Escudo is In-N-Out. If you're in the mood, nothing else can quite satisfy. By the way, yes I do feel classy eating A Double-Double.

Martinis, Double-Doubles, just sit back and feel classy.

Escudo Navy De Luxe

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Shane Ireland (8)	2014-09-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

There is not much that I can add to what has already been said about this classic blend, but I will say that I have a nice stock of very old tins, as well as tins produced by STG that are 7-8 years-old, and STG does an excellent job keeping this blend consistent with "the old days". I enjoy it very much fresh, and age is only a bonus.

Age When Smoked: Very old, and fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	plugnsmoke (6)	2014-05-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I bought a tin of this a while back as I've been honing my pallette for VaPer blends. I was not let down. The presentation of the coins inside were of an outstanding quality and the best I've ever seen. The moisture level was spot on and they rubbed out to very thin ribbons with the gentlest of touch. With the char light the va really sang a sweet note. On progression it developed that spicy nose tickle any pirique lover looks for. I didn't find it over whelming and really balanced with the va. I'll most likely cellar a few tins of this because what I've seen aged developed beautiful crystals and this tobacco will be sought after when production ends. Also, the price point for this kind of quality is awesome. Paul

Pipe Used: Paul Menard lazy poker,reversed calabash pot

Age When Smoked: 2yrs

Purchased From: local shop

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	brogreggblues (45)	2012-06-09		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoothest VaPer I've ever had. Lots of sweetness from Virginias, mildly spicy from Perique. Very mellow, no bite, lots of smoke. My tin is about a year old, and the aging really helped. Much more mellow than when new. A bit too mild for me, as are all Stokkebye blends I've tried. I love Perique, so I would like more of it in this blend. Escudo is not super complex, but is a great blend for VaPer fans, and for aromatic smokers who want to branch out.

Three stars.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-01-27		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Appearance: Beautifully formed disks, about 1 ¾ inches, mostly dark brown with lighter traces in a spiral pattern. The disks are of medium thickness, so can be rubbed out or rolled to suit the smoker, or the conditions.

Aroma: There is a significant ?sour? fermented smell of Perique, and a heavy sweetness of well maured Virginia. The overall effect promises a potent smoke, not a casual all-day tobacco.

Packing: Packing is relatively easy in medium to large pipes, or small ones with fairly wide bowls.

Lighting: The disks are at the ideal moisture level, and tend to remain that way for a long time, making lighting fairly easy. Of course, it depends somewhat on how well the tobacco is rubbed out.

Initial flavor: The initial flavor is the peppery Perique tingle, with the dark Virginias making their presence known very shortly. The two components mostly balance each other, occasionally one or the other will dominate for a few seconds.

Mid-bowl: The blend burns quite cool, and continues to play off the sweet nutty Virginias against the tingly Perique in a delightful way. This is a blend that really asks for, and deserves, you full attention. There is no noticable moisture.

Finish: Like most Virginias, the end is a bit stronger than the middle, but not harsh. The ash is a fine dark gray that coats the pipe walls.

Summary: This is and always was the standard againt which all Va/Perique blends are judged. An excellent evening smoke when you don?t want Latakia.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipefitter (51)	2022-06-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don’t think I’ve had a flake that I haven’t given at least a 3 and I really am enamored with the Virginia/Perique blend so there we have it then. I like the MacBaren Krumble Kake version of this blend better because it’s a little richer, but this one is a solid performer like all of the Va/Per matings. There’s just something about the grassy, sweetness of the V that the Smokey plummy Perique raises up. Burns cool and never bites and is an all day smoke for me….. I was at City Tobaccos the other day smoking a similar blend and a newbie was with us smoking something with an atrocious vanilla smell that turned my stomach and I let him try this. Needless to say, he didn’t last long and I could see the dizziness in his eyes. Well to each his own . Good thing it wasn’t something with a real kick…..Haven’t had this blend yet that I wouldn’t make part of my regular rotation.

Pipe Used: Cobb

Purchased From: Sergei’s in East Lyme Ct

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Thepipehunter (43)	2021-02-28		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

My review is based on current version of Escudo, produces by STG. From the tin the coins are tightly spun, and were not broken up. The tin aroma was strong hay and grassy, figgy with plum and raisin notes, as well as lightly peppery with a very light hint of molasses. The aroma is very fermented.

The Virginias have a lot of hay, and are sweet. They are also quite tangy and leads me to believe there is a touch of Red Virginia present. It sports notes of grass and a light touch of citrus but is not overly bright. I believe STG is using high quality VAs to achieve the sweetness. That being said, it isn’t as sweet as say Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake. The perique is peppery and figgy. It’s spicy with a strong plum note and also sports notes of dark fruit. The fig and dark fruit are noticeably different. The fig note is noticeable in every puff and very similar to a Fig Newton bar, so I would not be surprised if there was a light casing or topping to amplify this flavor. Overall this blend is sweet and tangy and in what I would call appropriate portions.

Escudo is a very consistent from tin to tin, though it does change a bit with age. The pepper is toned down and the perique becomes fruitier. It smokes well with some moisture and also on the dry side, and it also smoked well folded or rubbed out. It stays lit well and doesn’t bite but can get hot if you puff aggressively. It smokes smooth but can get a little bit of an edge if puffed too fast. The nicotine is a little more than medium. I couldn’t smoke it all day but I could certainly smoke multiple times a day. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

•••• It think Escudo would be a very good starter VaPer for someone looking to explore the genre. The Perique is peppery and plummy, and is constantly present however this is not a Perique bomb. The smoker can decide if they want their VaPers more peppery or more plummy, and if they want more or less Perique and continue to explore from there.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2020-02-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Oscar Wilde's paradox that smoking is exquisite because it is delicious and leαves you slightly unsatisfied applies to most excellent tobaccos. I can name Full Viginia Flake when not dried properly, Dunhill Flake or Capstan because they are a little more cased than I would like etc. etc.

On the other hand Escudo Navy Deluxe is exactly how it is supposed to be according to what it is. It is strong but not too much, though it lacks an wow factor, it is the perfect tobacco to smoke anywhere, anyhow. It's sweet but not too much. Perique is there as a mild pepperiness and plumminess but does not overwhelm. It is easy to smoke, it does not bite, it does not need drying. It's just perfect. And what a fine aroma to my nostrils when the tobacco is smoldering in my pipe!

Definitely one of the best tobaccos money can buy....

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PuffPuffLive (32)	2017-12-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I’m an equal opportunity smoker, but vapers are my go-to blend type. Escudo is the measuring stick I use to judge the rest of the market.

The presentation is beautiful, reddish coins with flecks of gold, flayed out in a circular pattern. The tin aroma is sweet and earthy with a hint of citrus and baking spices (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon).

The smoke is fairly straight forward, earthy and sweet Virginia flavors with a Perique spice in the back of the throat. A great bowl top-to bottom.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Various

Purchased From: Cigarsinternational

Similar Blends: Dunhill Navy rolls.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kiwipiper (6)	2017-09-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

New to pipe smoking I really struggled to get anything out of Escudo at first.

I tried rubbing it out, cube cutting it, drying it a lot, not at all, several different pipes and then finally I tried a technique I saw on a youtube video.

I simply very slightly break a coin up but keeping it's shape, let it dry a little maybe an hour and fold in half then sort of roll into a ball, stuff it down leaving a air pocket in the bottom and spinkle some tinder on top.

To me escudo is not a sweet Virginia like McClelled virginias, it's best smoked very slowly and you have to retrohale to bring out the flavour, you get a mildly sweet smoke with grass notes for the 1st half of the bowl, getting maybe a little citrus and hay notes further down the bowl you get, peppery retrohale but no burning on the retrohale or your smoking to fast in my experience.

Get all day smoke.

Pipe Used: Ser jacopo and comoy

Age When Smoked: Less then 1 year

Purchased From: 4noggins

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Haroldt (26)	2016-10-30		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

So after letting the tin sit a little better then a year, I'm REAL glad I've opened it. It's been about a week and I've smoked a large portion of the tin already.

This is my first tobacco I've had that is pressed and cut into little disk. I use two disk per pipe, folding the first and stuffing it in the chamber and rubbing out the second.

I'm surprise how many people state this is a medium strength blend. I find it very mild and a super cool smoke. Also very easy to light and smokes to the bottom. If the tin had not stated Perique, would not have guessed. The virginia is wonderful.

Great tobacco that has earned a spot in my line up.

I have never gone through a tin as fast I have gone through this one. GREAT Stuff

Since I have no one in the house to inform me about the smell, I really can't comment on that.

Pipe Used: various large bowl pipes

Age When Smoked: 13 months

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Swiss-smoker (87)	2016-10-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I have not smoked ESCUDO NAVY DE LUXE for many years. The only fact I remember, is that Escudo changed producer several times in the past, and that the taste of this mixture changed considerably each time. I shall not go into this, though. My review is based on the presently available edition.

Neatly arranged Curly Cut discs and flavourful smell of Virginia-hay and fruity Perique out of the tin. Moisture is on the damp side, some may want to give it a short drying time. For me it’s ok to smoke straight out of the tin. I do not rub it out, I break and stuff the coins into my pipe for best results. Cool and excellent burning conditions. First class selection of robust Virginias, without being too strong. Typical Virginia flavours with a distinct note of earth. I miss a fuller development of the Virginia flavours though. In the second half of the bowl the Perique becomes more obviously present, eventually taking the lead towards the end.

ESCUDO NAVY DE LUXE is obviously a sibling of DE LUXE NAVY ROLLS. Both are manufactured by STG Scandinavian Tobacco Group, by the way. It is very interesting to compare these two! You will find many subtle differences. But I am not going into this here.

No doubt, ESCUDO NAVY DE LUXE is a high end Va/Per generally deserving 4 stars. I personally prefer mixtures with a fuller aroma from the Virginias and I’d also prefer to have the aromas of Perique released more regularly from the beginning on. Therefore Escudo is a 3 star for me.

Age When Smoked: New, out of tin.

Purchased From: Via internet, www.smokingpipes.com

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Canicus (9)	2016-06-10		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

The absolute best VaPer IMHO; this is a great tobacco and an always enjoyable smoke. Gets better with age, though the longest I've been able to hold onto a tin is four years. Seems to have the perfect ratio of Virginia and perique - a fabulously smooth smoke with just enough spice.....this may be the best pipe tobacco around and certainly worth a try by everyone who enjoys the pleasures of the pipe!

Pipe Used: Wilke Straight Apple

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Valky (1)	2015-08-24		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I started smoking a pipe at age 16, I'm now 64. I've purdy much tried everything over the years from latakia's to Burley's to OTC's to special house blends and finally settled on VaPers as being my favorite smoke. Once I eliminated all the others I spent years trying all the VaPers available. When I found Escudo I was totally satisfied and haven't smoked anything but it since! Why smoke something else when you know there is that special one that will give you the smoking pleasure you seek everyday ?

Pipe Used: all brands, shapes and sizes

Age When Smoked: let them sit in the cellar for a couple years

Purchased From: anywhere available

Similar Blends: Dunhill Navy Flake rolls, Orlik Golden Slice, Luxury Bulls Eye Flake.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NobbyR (79)	2015-03-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Since both tobaccos are manufactured at the Orlik factory by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group and both are Va/Per blends that come as a curly cut, a lot of people claim that Escudo is the same as Dunhill's De Luxe Navy Rolls. I don't know if that's true, but I find them at least so similar, that I can't tell any difference. In fact, in Europe, where Escudo is no longer available, DLNR was more or less marketed as its replacement.

Upon opening the tin you'll find about 20 dark brown coins that have a few tan speckles and are neatly arranged in an overlapping circle. The scent is kind of sweet and sour with notes of prunes or dried figs, brown bread and malt.

Depending on the size of your bowl, it takes two to three coins to fill your pipe. I usually use the fold and stuff method, but one might as well rub them out. However, fully rubbed out Escudo will give you a hotter smoke, which might ruin the complex aromas it has to offer. Lighting the curly flakes can take a few matches more than usual, but it's important not to draw too eagerly in order to avoid it getting burn too hot. A re-light is better than that. Enjoyed with care, this Va/Per will give you a delicious, sweet and spicy smoking experience. There's always the grassy natural sweetness of the Virginia grades, combined and alternating with the tangy, yet somehow fruity notes of the Perique. Especially when the tobacco is fresh, there's a slight acididy, that is lost once the vacuum seal of the tin has been broken for a few days.

The room note is dominated by the rich and sweet natural tobacco scent of the Virginias.

To me this and DLNR are quintessential Va/Per blends. They age extremely well, creating an even mellower, more ballanced smoke.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Siena 320

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: http://www.cupojoes.com/

Similar Blends: Dunhill De Luxe Navy Rolls.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe Newb (49)	2014-05-12		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ok everyone can stop bothering me. I finally tried it.

Pouch note is... interesting. I'm getting pickled hot peppers upfront. Literally. Even handed the tin to my wife and she asked "Tabasco Sauce?". Very intense raisin/prune notes as well. I take two coins out and roughly rub them out onto a piece of paper before loading them into my falcon... and there is just enough left over to load into my backup tonight, a Big Ben Pipo.

Char and initial light, in the Falcon, it took to the match very well (not so much in the pipo, which was loaded with rubbed dust leftovers). Subtle, clean taste of scorched toffee/caramel and apple peel. Plum, black, and red pepper all make themselves known on the palate after the smoke has left my mouth and through my nose upon snork. Expecting the bowl to burn fast by assuming that's what virginias do, I took great care in a slow cadence. However, the times where I took big pulls on the pipe I was rewarded with a much amplified perique "plum and pepper", whereas when I pulled more gingerly I received a kind, caramel sweet and tart taste with only the plum and pepper in the background.

Second half of the bowl, the perique is making itself a bit more known. I have a strong taste of prunes and pepper, unique to this blend I'm getting a lot more of a red chili flavor than the expected black pepper piquant. Hot and sour (in a good way), I'm getting vibrant, bright citrus and salt water taffy with pepper.

Room note was decidedly sweet, more of that burned toffee and plum aroma. It reminded me of high quality cigarette tobaccos like Joker or Drum, but with a serious refinement and more pronounced sweetness.

I hated this tobacco... would be what I would say if it were opposites day. I didn't want to buy into the hype, but it is really good. With the exception of an occasional Luxury Navy Flake I am a usually committed English or Burley smoker. Thanks Escudo, for making me doubt my own preferences.

Mind = Blown.

Pipe Used: Falcon briar bowl, Big Ben Pipo

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Edward's Pipe and Cigars, Tampa

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Badbrude (17)	2013-12-29		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'd been reading near universal four-star reviews of this blend so I was anxious to try it after I got my first tin. The short of it is it came up short for me. Perhaps it's similar to when you see a movie that doesn't live up to the hype. The movie is OK; it just can't live up to the high expectation. Same deal with Navy De Luxe. It's a decent VaPer but no where near my top.

In my opinion, the main shortcoming is the "medallion" cut. When packed in the bowl, it's essentailly close to a shag cut. I'm not a huff and puffer; I smoke moderatly slow but even then it smoked too hot. This is similar to Esoterica's Dorchester and Peter Stokkebye Bullseye (minus the black cavendish), which like NDL has an excellent room note but smokes too hot.

I guess the bottom line is I prefer Vaper's in flake form such as McClleland's MC2015, Samuel Gawith's St. James flake, and the like. Oncd you get those going they smoke slow and cool. You can sip for an hour or two.

Navy De Luxe also packs more of a punch than expected so take it slow. It's not a particularly strong blend, just a bit of a surprise.

I bought a few tins so I'll have a chance to try the second in a few months and will report back in then.

Age When Smoked: Recently Purchased

Purchased From: www.pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Esoterica Dorchester, Peter Stokkebye Bullseye Flake.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sirchud68 (60)	2013-01-24		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Now this is a tobacco that was well worth the wait. Another one of those "legendary" blends, benchmark of all VA/PERs. Very similar to Davidoff's F.M. but even my unrefined palette tells the difference, slight though I find it. At 5 bucks cheaper then F.M. I can see myself stocking up on this stuff. Tin aroma is sweet, not sharp. Very, very pleasent smoke. A must try for VA/PER lovers as well as a great, affordable introduction to this type of tobacco. I recommend this, for sure.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	derlict311 (71)	2012-09-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I've had two different experiences with Escudo Navy Deluxe. The old and the new. Let me explain. The first tin I bought was presumably fresh but was still pleasing and left me with what an idea of what straight VaPer ought to be like. The little coins are great and real easy to rub out for a bowl. The price is remarkable for what you get, but hey, the earth didn't shake. This is a good staple blend. Three star experience.

I have heard Escudo ages well, which brings me to my second experience. I picked up two more tins of Escudo from a nice gentleman at Brothers of Briar, only this time they were aged six years. I noticed the label was slightly different. The font a bit faded....hmm, I thought, at least I wasn't ripped off. There is so much talk about aging perique that I was expecting a blessed experience. Well, yes and no. The tin popped and but there wasn't any bright light. The smell was great, though. Being so close to when I smoked the former tin of Escudo, the difference in the two was apparent. The notes were quieter in this tin, soften by time. I can't see bumping it up a star for that reason but I will say that if you can get your hands on some with years on it, I have a feeling you will like her a wee bit more.

I wonder what a tin with ten years tastes like?

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-03-19		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is one that gets better after being opened for a few weeks (as all tobaccos do). It definitely has that classic sweet virginia cereal and warm cookie taste to it, and if you sip it slowly it is quite mild on the tongue. The Perique in this is a perfect condiment, giving it that great spiciness, but is not overwhelming in the slightest. I am going to cellar few tins of this, as it is truly a winner.

Update: I have decided that this is one of my all time favorite tobaccos, and definitely the best VaPer I have smoked to date. I have a nice little S Bang pipe that is used only for VaPers, and this is the blend that really makes the pipe sing. I have cellared 10 tins of this.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-02-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm a huge VAPER fan, and Escudo is my desert-island smoke! I can smoke this everyday and never tire of it. Surprisingly easy to pack with incredible flavour. The VA and Perique is so well married together, you cannot taste either tobacco on its own, instead you get a delightfully fulfilling & unique tobacco which will never disappoint. One of the world's best-selling and highly regarded tobaccos.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-01-26		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Escudo. The word elicits excitement from smokers. I am now a big fan. I get the virginia and perique blend now. The character of the Virginia's, the subtleness of the perique. Great flavor and great smoking. I enjoy this blend rubbed and just folded and stuffed. Excellant. I wonder why o why did I f' around with the aros all this time. I am starting a journey that I am eager to continue. Great stuff this.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Big (321)	2011-04-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

This has to be the standard by which all VaPers are judged. It comes perfectly arranged in flake wheels that I find it takes about 1 2/3 wheels to fill a pipe. The tobacco burns perfectly with no gurgle, no bite and the perfect balance of Virginia and Perique. A very satisfying smoke, that I have enjoyed anytime of the day. I do like to change off Vapers between Escudo, Dunbar and St James Flake, as each has a slightly different flavor . I would say that Escudo sits in the middle, a slightly bitter/sour rasin taste , SJF is the smoothest and has the Virginia out front while Dunbar has the Perique. All three fail the " Wife Test" , as she hates the smell of Perique, oh well! I find that many of the mail order places run sales on Escudo from time to time, so I stock up then. This is a must have tobacco if you are into VaPers. Try these in a cob, they really sing.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	marosi (70)	2011-03-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The only way to truly appreciate this hallowed tobacco is to try any number of crappy VA/PER blends, and then smoke this. I think you will notice three differences. First, this has more flavor, and is a more well rounded smoke overall (I am not including blends which include cavendish. While I love that mixture, I think the addition of cavendish adds a component of sweetness and flavor which makes such a blend something different than a straighter VA/PER. For great blends in this category, try Davidoff's Flake Medallions or Hermit's Honor Blend). Second, this burns very easily and evenly, without becoming hot or grassy. Third, and perhaps most importantly, this is a very cool smoke (meaning no bite) for any VA blend. No amount of flavor can make a blend enjoyable if it is shredding your tongue the whole time.

With respect to the flavor, I, unlike some others, do not find this to be particularly sweet. The virginias do give it some sweetness, but nothing unusual or more than average. The perique is well balanced, and this does not seem to be super spicy. I would describe it as smooth, medium bodied smoke with a little spice and sweetness to be found in rich tobacco flavor. It is richer and more flavorful than Dunhill Navy Rolls, for example. The perique is noticeable in the room note, but not in a harsh way, and overall my impression is one of harmony.

With respect to the burn characteristics, what is really notable is that you can accomplish relights without increasing the level of bite, something that is often not the case. Of course, it burns so easily, and cooly, that I was surprised when I reached the bottom of the bowl.

This is an example of one of those rare blends which does everything right. It is not going to overwhelm you with flavor or nicotine, but everything is in balance, like the finest cigars (but not the taste, lest you be misled), and you do not have to fight it during your smoking session. This is an extraordinarily satisfying smoke, and should be considered an essential non-latakia blend to have in your arsenal. It really is that good.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Blew_Smoke (17)	2023-01-21		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Sweet and salty. This is a very nice flake. Complex. Beautiful, perfect spiral flakes. The virginias are mostly bright, sweet, and remind me of Orlik Golden sliced. The perique is salt and pepper, with a little raisin in the background. Tin note is lovely. This moist flake is a marriage where spouses take turns. First, the virginias, then the perique. They take turns and exist in balance. One does not overpower the other. No bite. Smooth. Better than SG St James Flake where the perique overpowers the virginia. Not here.

Pipe Used: Savinelli 673 KS and churchwarden prince of wales

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Exiled Michigander (26)	2021-12-15		Very Strong	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

The presentation when the tin is opened is simply amazing--so much so that I had to take a photo of it. Beautiful, tightly-coiled coins arranged spiraling upward from the bottom of the tin as if artistically placed by hand by magical tobacco elves. Awe inspiring.

Tin note is predominantly hay, perhaps with a touch of honey, and quite nice.

Taste when smoked was reminiscent of toasted raisin bread gently sprinkled with some coarse black pepper. The Virginias provide a hay-like breadiness, and I'm assuming the perique contributes the raisin elements. The pepper isn't overwhelming but is definitely there, and the tickle in the nostrils and on the tongue and lips evidences the perique even more. However, I found the taste relatively mild, especially compared to some of the straight Virginias I've smoked, and I personally would have liked a more robust flavor. It's definitely there, but perhaps a bit subdued. Nevertheless, very well-rounded. It also smokes astonishingly cool (credit the tight coins for this?) and dry.

For me, the nic-hit is very strong. The first bowl I smoked was with two coins . . . that put me in bed taking a nap with the room spinning! Built up a bit of tolerance smoking one coin at a time and am now able to smoke two coins after a meal without going comatose, but I still have to fight the urge to take a nap.

The lack of a stronger flavor as well as the strength are ultimately the biggest drawbacks for me. I can't imagine finding a place for this blend in a biweekly or even monthly rotation. I couldn't smoke it in the morning or I'd want to go back to bed. I hate taking afternoon naps so I couldn't smoke it after lunch. Couldn't smoke it before dinner like I can with some Balkan blends because then I would want to sleep rather than eat. And I like a fuller-flavored, latakia-heavy blend after dinner. So it just doesn't fit with why and how I smoke a pipe.

Escudo Navy De Luxe is something I could see myself buying a tin of once every couple of years and smoking it on the rare occasions I might be in the mood for it. But I don't ever see it becoming a standard for me as it is for so many others.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PaulMcCoy (78)	2021-11-17		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Escudo is one of the most popular Va/Per’s out there, and for good reason. Its mildly sweet, and tangy, with some grass, hay, and pepper notes. Burns cool, and even, with a slower cadence. Zero bite. The smoke is light, and won’t cloud up a room. My wife doesn’t really notice the room note on this one much, but says it’s pleasant. It also ages beautifully. I don’t smoke this often, but it great from time to time. This is an excellent one for sure!

Pipe Used: Savinelli 413 Bent Dublin

Age When Smoked: New and up to 9 years

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	trhl (1)	2021-04-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This is one of my favorites. Probably the gold standard for VaPers. I don’t really recall what I thought of this fresh from the tin, but it is so good with 10 years in the cellar that I’ll happily get another tin to back fill this one when it’s gone.

Pipe Used: multiple

Age When Smoked: 10 years

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rattdogg99 (53)	2020-11-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I know we all have different taste. I know my opinion will certainly be in the minority. Here goes anyway. This is one of the worst tobaccos I've ever attempted to smoke. Tasteless hot air. Nothing more. Someone had to say it.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 1 year

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Robguitar (3)	2020-07-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

What better tobacco for my first review than the one I've been smoking almost daily for the past 15 years?

I've had the good fortune to smoke tins from all but the earliest days of this blend, tins from 1962 to the present. While it's not fair to judge an early era against the current era since the earliest tins had a lot of age on them, I can say that the current version fares very well with the A&C Peterson era. The Virginias are rich and flavorful, the perique both spicy/peppery and fruity, resulting in a symphony of complex flavors. Much has already been written about this spectacular blend already but I would like to share a secret that probably isn't so secret: if you find the STG to taste different and less good than earlier versions, try aging it for 3-5 years. This narrows the gap considerably to the point where I doubt anyone, no matter how acute they believe their taste buds to be, would be able to tell the difference.

Escudo is the gold standard of VaPers. It's hard to imagine anyone not enjoying it thoroughly.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Viscfab (36)	2020-07-22		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Despite being a seasoned pipe enthusiast for more than 25 years already, I only recently discovered and had the oportunity to savour this magnificent pipe tobacco. I am already on the second tin and this will be in my permanent stash rotation for sure. Tin has an elegant and simple design and a funny description sayng it is scientically blended. If this is true or what it means I have no idea, but the beautiful coins displayed upon opening are wonderfully arranged. The smell is amazing, really delicious, dried figs and german vollkorn brot like. I like to fold two coins and insert it in a medium to larger bowl. It lights well and is not hard to keep lit. One should try to savour it slowly in short breathed puffs to reveal the deep and satisfying melange of flavours it provides. I always mix retrohale and french method to best savour the blend, and this one is little sweet - from the high quality Virginias and slightly nose tingling for the balanced amount of Perique it has. Burns slowly and does not bite. Does not leave a lot of mositure on the bowl and has a nice room note for pipesmokers but maybe not for non-smokers. I really recommend this one to any true pipe enthusiast who enjoys a bowl of quality Virginias with just a tad of spicy perique. This tobacco is very similar to what I recall from Three Nuns original Bells blend. Well done STG.

Pipe Used: Several 9mm

Age When Smoked: 1-2 years

Purchased From: Local tobacconist - importer

Similar Blends: Three Nuns original by Bells.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Peterson314 (43)	2020-03-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The jar note of this tobacco is plum jam. It smells amazing. It's one of my favorite tobaccos in the jar.

I folded up two coins and shoved it in my Peterson. I thought the draw would be tight, but it was pretty perfect. I puffed for about 5 minutes, then tamped it down, re-lit, and was good for the rest of the bowl. This tobacco is well balanced, very smooth. There are no harsh, unblended flavors overpowering anything else. When I got it too hot, the smoke got a bit bitter. Easing off fixed the problem.

This pipe tobacco is now a favorite. Easily the best VaPer in my cellar.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Original

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: Puff n' Stuff - Atlanta

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RonR (85)	2019-10-08		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

3rdguy

Will make it short and sweet with this many reviews on the blend but I am 100% in the camp that fresh it is mediocre but let it sit a year or more and it really shines as a VaPer. When you see those 10,15 and 20% off sales stock up on this bad boy. Aged Escudo is an easy trade\sell if it ends up being not for you...few safe bets on tobacco blends but this is one of them...once aged.

Pipe Used: Meers and cobs.

Age When Smoked: Fresh and 2 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gr8tefuldawg (87)	2019-10-06		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Escudo Navy deluxe, what a fantastic Va/Perique, give this a few months to stew in the tin or jar and you have a well rounded and fantastic blend. The grassy, breads Virginia’s play like old pals with the figgy, somewhat spicy just enough nose tingle for an occasional sneeze and not like I just snorted a pound of wasabi. This blend while only aged 7 months is already melding a little and intertwining better than when I opened it fresh. I’ve heard this ages particularly well. One of the best VaPers on the market for new or seasoned smokers.

Pipe Used: Various, Rossi notte 614 for final review

Age When Smoked: 7.5 months

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ronnstein (29)	2019-07-26		Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

The vast majority of blends that I smoke are straight Virginias or Va/Pers, so I was really looking forward to this one after all the hype. This is one of the driest, most unflavorful smokes I have ever had in my thirty-some years of pipesmoking. This is THE most overhyped tobacco ever IMO. Now I certainly appreciate what STG has been doing as of late, but just because it's called Escudo doesn't make it so. It may have been good years ago, but now it's just a very dry and lacking on perique goodness to justify the rave reviews and high price (as of this writing $12.95 per 50 gr.).

Age When Smoked: 2 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spinkle (16)	2019-06-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

STG – Escudo

I purchased a sample of this as a part of a special offered by an online retailer in conjunction with a YouTube piping channel.

In the tin (ziplock bag) this smells very bready, and I’m not really smelling a lot of the Perique. It smells almost like a bakery which is very pleasing.

The Virginias are very light compared to the almost black Perique, and spun into a very nicely presented coin. They clearly spend time on this as the presentation is essentially perfect.

Lighting up this is obviously a very high quality tobacco, the Virginia is very tasty and gets nice and savoury as I go through the bowl. The Perique is quite a bit less noticeable than other similar blends I’ve tried such as LBF and Davidoff Flake Medallions. In my book that is a plus.

Despite the fact that this is clearly a high quality tobacco and likely achieves what it sets out to do, I can’t get the taste of Perique out of my mouth during and after the bowl. To me it has a flavour not unlike sucking on a penny, like copper in the mouth. I won’t be repurchasing, but I’d recommend that if you like VaPers you should give this one a try as it seems to be quite storied on this site.

Pipe Used: Ropp Vintage Briar

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	riobrew (80)	2018-04-22		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant

What can be said has been said about Escudo. One of my favorite. Slow smoke this and he rewarded with a rich, smooth smoke. My take is get two coins, ball them up and stick it in the bowl. Take the bits that fall of and sprinkle on top and light. Enjoy!

Pipe Used: Peterson Aran Pot

Age When Smoked: Several months

Purchased From: Smokingpipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CherchezLaghost (52)	2017-08-25		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

As far as I can tell this is just about perfect. I'm a lover of Virginias and have a mixed relationship with perique, but this is a truly excellent blend. The va are excellent; they fall firmly in the grassy spectrum, and what they lack in brightness and sweetness they make up for with eminent smokeablility. They are softly sweet, and extraordinarily forgiving. Not a chance of bite here, and they maintain their pleasant hay and vegetal flavor even if puffed on. The perique is dankly sweet, to my palate quite heavy, and infused with the heavy pepper quality. Funny that a blend composed of va varieties that lack what i most like and perique that is pepperier than i usually like can provide a whole that i love. It just works well. Not very complex, or sweet, or rich, but perfectly integrated to a pleasing whole. I find deluxe navy rolls to be richer, sweeter, and less peppery, and prefer them, but really they are quite different things and do not really benefit from comparison. Nicotine level is a firm medium, a bit more than most straight vas, which i appreciate. Highly recommended to all, and would be an excellent primer on the flavor of perique.

Pipe Used: Cobs, meerschaums, briar

Age When Smoked: New to 6 months

Purchased From: PipesandCigars.com, smokers haven

Similar Blends: Dunhill deluxe navy rolls.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2017-06-07		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is the real deal. A pure Va/PER in its sincerest form. Obviously one is inclined to draw comparisons with its Dunhill counterpart, and let me tell you something, yes they're similar. Heck, I bet the Perique comes from the same batch... But NOT the Virginias. There's the difference I think. The smell out of the tin is fruitier and somewhat sweeter, packing and lighting is easy. Then, the puffs, those magic fleeting puffs... Just mesmerising. Figs and peppers, hays and an ever so slight tingly fruit flavour makes this an irresistible mélange. It burns cool, it's slow and it's delicious!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Theosprey247 (73)	2017-02-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Escudo is the so called gold standard of VaPers. The coins or medallions can be rubbed out or folded and stuffed into your pipe. The Virginias are more grassy/hay than sweet and the perique is more towards the figgy end of the spectrum, but still I get an occasional peppery taste in the background. This blend lights easily and burn well. It gets better and smoother with age.

Age When Smoked: new to 5 year old

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JEM (24)	2017-01-26		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

UPDATE - As I continue to smoke this blend, I think the Perique is a bit too peppery for me. I plan to try Davidoff's Flake Medallions, which is supposed to be a little milder, to compare. I will post another update when I do that.

I love Virginia blends and wanted to try a Va/Per. I bought this one because of the positive reviews and was not disappointed. It's pressed and cut into coins which pull apart easily and pack nicely into the bowl. Upon lighting the bowl, I was greeted with smooth Virginia with a dash of pepper. Nice! As I smoked, those around me commented on the pleasant aroma. I don't have a lot of experience with Va/Per, yet, but this one will stay in my rotation.

Pipe Used: Savinelli

Age When Smoked: 5 months

Purchased From: SmokingPipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lyle (32)	2016-11-08		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I have smoked many tins of Escudo, and have a pipe dedicated to this blend. This review is for the current production version.

In short, Escudo is my favorite overall pipe tobacco. It's not the single best bowl I've ever smoked, and it's not always what I'm in the mood for, but overall, this blend is a well-rounded classic.

First, in the tin, it's an uncommon, pretty sliced coin shape. It smells fantastic. There's a judicious prune topping, which adds sweetness and fruitiness and is a perfect compliment to the tobaccos. Note: this isn't an aromatic-type blend in any way, and the smoke doesn't taste or smell like prunes, but it's there and it's delicious.

I like this blend both fully rubbed out and "wadded up and stuffed", and the characteristics of each preparation are typical to any other flake/pressed tobacco. The flavor is just about the perfect restrained balance of sweetness, dark fruitiness, and spiciness. When very young, there are some green/grassy flavors. The flavor development throughout the bowl is interesting; I've never had a problem enjoying this tobacco all the way to the bottom.

A true classic.

Pipe Used: Many dedicated to VA/Per and this blend

Age When Smoked: Various

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	canvas (337)	2016-08-01		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

I just got back from the county fair and decided to pop open my first tin of Escudo. Through sheer coincidence, I was brought back to the animal pens at the fair. Both hung heavy with the musty wet pungence of hay, dung, feed, and animal oder. This city kid (out of his element) bravely set fire to a roll of coins stuffed into a pipe.

Wow, a mountain of smoke erupted! No farm flavor remained, just a very full bodied puffing smoke. If I had never smoked pipe tobacco before, this would be the taste I would of likely imagined. It feels as if the flavor is coming from the briar itself, conjuring up images of old-time sailors hoisting a rope and sail with a pipe firmly clenched.

Escudo meant business, while it lacked a particular flavor, it had nicotine in spades. Most other blends with a similar profile remind me of a cigar, this one however; did not have that bitter off putting taste I dislike.

While I still prefer the fun variety of aromatics and the charcoal taste of an English, I was happy to of run across Escudo. It likely won't make my regular rotation, but there will be times I want to revisit Escudo, and scratch a classic itch.

EDIT: Dropped this one from a 3. Recently bought a tin that was far more bitter, dense, and sticky than my first batch. It did not have any of that "barnyard essence" of the first time.

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	William H. Hardy (95)	2016-05-02		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Escudo is a great Virginia/Perique blend and, quite possibly in my opinion, the best that there is. The Virginias are top-notch, with sweetness and mild citrus hints and the Perique is in ample proportion. In my experience, there is not a lot of change through the burn, but this is fine for me. I like a tobacco that is consistent and Escudo has been that to me. It changes hands pretty frequently, but it still uses the same simple formula. However, different Virginias are used depending on the producer.

To me, Escudo is a tobacco that can be enjoyed at any time of the day and has enough body to be satisfying, as well. It does come a bit on the moist side, but not soaking, like a lot of Gawith offerings, so a little drying time may be necessary. Don't let it get too crispy, though, as it can bite like a fire-ant when it does get too dry.

All in all, Escudo is a definitely worthwhile tobacco. I find it sweet, spicy, and very tasty. It deserves all 4 stars that I rate it. I don't order it that often, however, as there are other VaPers that I enjoy more and which can be found in bulk. Stokkebye's LBF and C & D's Bayou Morning are two that I always keep around, for example. If Escudo was offered in bulk, I would stock up and keep it with me always.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	USVI sailor (16)	2015-12-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Going back to 1972, the year I started smoking a pipe, Virginia / Perique blends have been my favorite overall. Like everyone else, I'm not married to a particular blend - but - if I had to be then Escudo Navy is the one I'd pick. I generally will buy 8 tins at a time and store them for 12 - 24 months in my pipe cabinet. The aroma from a freshly opened tin is pungent as any good VA blend is, has scents of figs, plums, apples and fermented hay. I'll usually take the paper cover off, open the paper liner and losely set the lid back on and let it sit for a few days (I live in a high humidity area) before smoking it. I'll take 3- 4 wafers out and roll them around between my fingers to break them apart but careful not to reduce them to small pieces as short bits burn to fast and taste bitter. I take the smaller pieces and crumbs and place those on the top as they assist in the lighting of the tobacco. Once I have an even light with fairly thick smoke I give it a good tamping. The taste will definitely change througout the smoke - at first it is grassy as is all virginias but mellows near the middle. The perique really comes out in the end stage and especially near the bottom of the pipe. I take my time smoking this blend because it can get hot and wet. In a medium size pipe it is good for a 2 hour smoke. In a medium sized bowl you should get about 8 - 9 pipe fulls from a tin - at $8.00 - $9.00 a tin that is almost a buck a bowl - expensive but still way cheaper than a good cigar. I find this blend works best in pipe with a fairly deep and narrow bowl as opposed to a shallow wider bowl. I find Escudo pairs extremely well with Nobel Vines 181 Merlot, Ethiopian coffee that is slightly cooled and Addagio Earl Grey tea with brown sugar. My wife finds the aroma tolerable - but even so - I only smoke it in my office or the garage as it will 'hang' in the air for a while. Enjoy

Pipe Used: 1970's Ben Wade and early 70's Caminetto

Age When Smoked: 20 months

Purchased From: JR Cigar & Smoking Pipes.com

Similar Blends: unique blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	r (34)	2015-11-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Simply amazing. The Virginias work really well with what I think is a very subtle, perhaps minimal addition of Perique.

Royal Yacht has a strong plum dominance, while Escudo lets some citrus shine. I find Escudo to never disappoint. To me, the most noticeable difference between Escudo and the more expensive Dunhill De Luxe Navy Rolls is smoke production; Escudo is not as creamy and copious.

Similar Blends: Dunhill - Royal Yacht, Dunhill - De Luxe Navy Rolls.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2015-11-03		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ai! Those medallions. That fruity roof popping sophisticated summer sweetness. Between this and Samuel Gawith St. James Flake, it's a coin toss, which reminds me of the coin shape of this tobacco, so Escudo wins.

Similar Blends: Samuel Gawith St. James Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	point9 (114)	2015-06-23		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

The top and renowned Vaper with long history and great popularity. Quite similar to Dunhill's De Luxe Navy Roll in my opinion. Escudo seems a bit younger and citrus and DLNR being an elder gentleman with more depth. This is one blend you just can't afford to miss for being a pipe smoker.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2015-06-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Picked up a tin of this blend to see what all the fuss was about. I can see this had some time spent into making and packaging of this fine blend. The presentation of the coins is very nicely laid out in the tin. The tin note is as you would expect from a very good quality mixture. The moisture level upon opening the tin is right on the money for me. It lights up and stays lit with little effort. It burns to a nice ash at the bottom of the bowl. This one does seem to take some time to get to the bottom, since this is a slow burner. That is just icing on the cake to enjoy this fine blend. Highly recommended.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gunner525 (66)	2015-05-14		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The King of VaPers. That which all other VaPers are measured.

The only drawback to this blend is the fact that it comes a bit moist. I'm sure most people will want to dry it out for some time before putting fire to it.

The flavor is very nice, a wonderful sweet fruit Virginias and some nice grassy/hay notes as well. The Perique is noticeable, but not too powerful in it's peppery spice.

It burns really nicely. Very evenly. If you're getting into the flavor and puffing a bit more frequently it will heat up a bit. It won't bite your tongue however.

Overall this is a solid top notch VaPer. It's one of a few blends that any pipe smoker should try regardless of what blend styles you prefer.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Bing's Favorite Rusticated

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: SmokingPipes

Similar Blends: Dunhill's De Luxe Navy Rolls.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Light (7)	2015-05-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Having never smoked a Vaper before, I wanted to experience it but then only the best! Why? Because in my book, it makes no sense starting with crap to then afterwards declare that everyone was right after all!

If this was the gold standard I would give it my best try. As always when you read so many good things there is a risk of confirmation bias. You really want to find this good! So, I approached this with the proper scepticism.

The visual aspect of this tobacco is truly remarkable. In short, if you could ever call it this … sexy!

The tin aroma I found a tad confusing and very much aligned to dark, moist rye bread. Nothing to blow me of my socks but I kept somehow smelling it often, trying to pinpoint it to something I knew. Funny enough, every time I smoke a bowl of this tobacco, I keep doing it again. There is something enchanting about it.

Searching the internet for coin packing methods, 3 main philosophies seem to prevail. Fold and stuff, rub out or cube cut. In my experience so far I have found fold and stuff to work but I find myself puffing hard toward the middle of the bowl. Rubbing the tobacco out, sort of lost some of the taste. I have settled down on cube cutting and gravity filling - yes a lot of work but sooooo worth the effort! If you are going to cube cut… do NOT tamp down or ever so slightly. This tobacco expands like mad because of the pressing process involved during production. My tin came a tad moist for my liking and I found that 30 mins to max 1 hour of drying time gives me the best results.

The first part of the bowl starts of, nice and sweet with the perique teasing your tongue. Spicy, tangy and sweet all together in a very pleasant way. As a mainly “english” smoker, I was afraid this might be a bit of a monotonous smoke but it turned out very nice. Overall tastes of hay, mowed lawn, light fruitiness with at times earthiness and spice is the main theme throughout the remainder of the bowl.

This baccy never turns sour or harsh in the throat even with a few accidental inhales. There is zero tongue bite and the burn is nice an evenly with a clean white ash as a result. There is hardly any nicotine hit here and the overall experience is a wonderful uncomplicated smoke.

The room note is heavenly reminding me of freshly baked bread, yeastiness, never offensive and hence wife-friendly.

I will be stocking up on this tobacco and look forward to tasting more over the next years.

Pipe Used: Stanwell bent dublin

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: 4noggins.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jason h. (51)	2015-04-27		Medium to Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable

This is another one that I wanted to like based on all of the positive reviews. I just cant seem to like it. It reminds me to much of cigarette (im sure it might smell better to a bystander) but to me........don t particularly care for it. It seems to have a big following, and thats all that matters. I think im just not a big perique fan. By the way, the tin note is outstanding.

Pipe Used: Falcon, Stanwell

Age When Smoked: New-8 mons.

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cjone107 (18)	2015-02-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Never before have I fallen in love with a blend so quickly. This being my first venture into the world of perique - I was very nervous. Upon the first puff though, all I got was virgianas. After a few more bright puffs I ventured a retrohale. The spiciness finally hit many changed my perspective on tobacco entirely. It was peppery yet still oddly smooth and soothing. As expected - the virgianas nipped at my tongue throughout - only egged on at the difficulty I had at keeping my first coin cut lit. The bite was worth it though, and I've managed to mitigate it in subsequent bowls by sipping like I should. I now understand the obsession with perique and will be recommending this to everyone I meet.

Pipe Used: Luxor

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke & Ale, Nashville

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	huffnpuff (53)	2015-01-08		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Tin aroma hay and raisins I took a deep whiff to get the raisin aroma. Tobacco come in flakes the shape of coins:) I started to break down the coin into small chunks and gravity fed my pipe. It did not take much to light the stuff and kept going like a champ. Smoke was very smooth for a vaper and I almost didn't pick up on the perique but its there . Its very nice and gentle I smoked it down to an ash . Escudo is definitely a goto pipe tobacco and worth having more to cellar.

Pipe Used: grabow duke

Age When Smoked: 2months

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Scriptonic (3)	2014-12-11		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Very Pleasant

Escudo....its a Vaper, I think to myself as I contemplate what pipe to smoke out of. At first I reach for my comoy pot, then in the corner of my eye a slight glimmer from the wax on my Karl Erik bent egg catches my eye. Yes, this is the pipe. Rounded off bottom chamber, thick walls, slightly bent. This will do. I allow the escudo to dry out for a breif period, its been in the tin for 18 months, lets give it some air to breathe. Alright Scriptonic, lets get our mise en place together. Matches, check. Tamper, check. Pipe cleaners, check. A cold brew coffee, check. Ashtray check. As I allow my three coins to lose some moisture I cannot help but to smell the aroma of the tin. Slightly sweet, with a fig undertone to it. On the very tip of my nose a slight dark cocoa tingles. Alright a half hour has passed, time to take flame to tobacco. As I fold up my coins I can't help to notice how beautiful they are. A nice dose of Perique in the center with Virginias wrapped around it. Truely a fine tobacco to just look at, very eye pleasing.

First match to the tobacco. Spice. Sweet. Hay on the retrohale. Ohhhhh I can control how much spice that rolls across my tongue with the slightest adjustments of my cadence. My god does this tobacco love to be sipped like a fine scotch. Creamy silky smooth smoke.

As I approached halfway down the pipe the sweet hay on the retrohale has all but disappeared and tang and spice from the Perique takes over....When did King Virginia get over thrown and replaced? Former king is now on the tip of my tongue as I take each little sip.

Fine white ash.

Zero relights

My pipe is now empty and the ashtray is full. I am sad. Such a wonderful smoke only to be let down by the fact that was my last bowls worth. Oh why have I not picked up 10 tins of this yet? Such a fantastic easy to work with tobacco. Truly a blend that has been mastered over the generations of it being created. TL:DR It's good. Real fucking good. Get you some of this 5/5

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: 18 months

Purchased From: Gifted

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Der Pfeifenraucher (71)	2014-10-19		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Escudo demonstrated for me why it's important to smoke at least a tin of tobacco before judging it. This is my first shot at a Va/Per. I read the reviews and consensus is that Escudo is the best so I bought a tin. I smoked the first half of the tin getting some VA flavor and a lot of bite. I put the tin down for a couple of months to read reviews and talk to some guys at the pipe shop. Apparently some people get a physical reaction to the perique that feels a lot like tounge bite. I'm pretty sure I fall into that group of people, albeit a mild case. When stuffed another bowl with it months later I "got" the peppery pluminess of the perique in the tin note. When I smoked it somehow I could now pick out the perique in the tobacco and it tasted good but it did react with me and felt like burning. I have about a half a dozen coins left which I shredded in hopes of drying it out some. I'll finish this tin but not get another. The smoke seemed very "sharp" to me and I'm wondering if I got a Va/Per with some Cavendish in it if that would take the sharp edge off. May try it, May not. Good Nic, A little too moist and requires drying, Not a big fan of coins, plugs, or flakes. Great smoke for somebody else.

Pipe Used: cob, grabow briar

Age When Smoked: first half new, second half 2 months

Purchased From: PandC

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kerpap (14)	2014-10-07		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I had to hold back from running to the computer to write a review after the first bowl. I wanted to make sure I had a few bowls in a few different pipes before I made a decision on this tobacco. This in all honesty is one of the (if the not THE) Best tobacco I have ever smoked. I typically smoke English/Latakia blends with the occasional Aromatic thrown in. I have had several pure Virginia flake tobaccos but it wasn’t really something I went out of my way to smoke. I really like the tang of Virginias however I needed something more. A kick and some spice so I though, VaPer! Escudo comes in very thinly sliced coins that are very easy to work with. Moisture content was perfect. Tin note was sweet and tangy and earthy. The smoke was divine! It was sweet, Tangy and fruity. I had my first bowl with a glass of Syrah and it was a match made in heaven. If you are looking for a Virginia that has a little something extra, try this. The Perique was not particularly noticeable however you can tell it is there. It is definitely not overpowering. Virginia is the star of the show here. It got the thumbs up from the wife however she still leaves the room when I light up. For those who worry about Nicotine, it is fairly mild. I always smoke after a meal, however you could get away with this anytime during the day no problem.

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Houndstooth (34)	2014-08-15		Very Strong	None Detected	Very Full	Extra Strong

In the interest of full disclosure, I'd like to say that this tin made me realize I'm not a Navy Fan. And it's not that I find this a poor tobacco, but it's not my cup of tea. I don't think I know of anything with a stronger flavor or more unpleasant room note. I'm glad I figured this out on my own rather than via my gal's complaints.

I'm happier with flakes like Erinmore, Orlik or Peterson's Irish Flake. A Navy fan however should likely get a taste of this and pay little attention to my review other than the room note part.

I'd give this 2 stars but for the fact I know how admired this blend is, and in that vein I'd give it 3.

Pipe Used: cobs, small Italian briar

Age When Smoked: purchased this earlier this summer

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: P Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigNick (59)	2013-10-24		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Big fan of Virginias, so here is the famed Escudo, I am Portuguese after all, it's a must try. I cracked it open and took a whiff and got something totally unexpected. I was preparing for a spicy and sweet all natural mixture. I was getting something totally different. It was: toffee, chocolate, hazelnut and caramel. It was very candy like...I wanted to eat the little coins!! So I packed it in my meerchaum pipe, old fold and stuff method, and I was still picking up caramel and toffee tastes. Not much pepper at all. Some sweet Virginia notes, some very earthy notes, similar to wheat. What was strange to me was that the tobacco didn't seem to have a top flavor, nor was it like an American style "candy" tobacco, in a very unusual way they seemed so natural. The caramel and toffee flavors seemed to compliment the wheat and hay like flavors. I've had a multitude of bowls now with roughly similar results each time. I have to say that this has been a very unusual blend for me. Not at all was I expecting this blend to take on these qualities, but even though I was not expecting these characteristics, I am extremely happy with this blend. I don't know if this blend does have a casing or my taste buds are completely out of whack, I'm just really impressed at the quality of the smoke. Highly recommend!!!

Nov 2, 2013 addition- still smoking my little coins. The other day I decided to dry out the tobacco, it's now a tad milder, and it takes to a match so much easier. Furthermore it stays lit, I was having a problem with the baccy dying out after 5 mins, with drying this problem was solved.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (218)	2013-09-02		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have smoked just 1 tin and while many find this a cornerstone smoke, it missed for me. The VA's are good and there is a nice amount of perique too. I do think that I can detect a topping especially on the retrohale and it gets in the way of the overall tobacco taste just a little. At the same time it also seems to be the reason for the pleasant room note, although the wife still is not a major fan. In any case, a good blend but many others suite my palate better like Hal'O the Wind for example.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-08-17		Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

If you like perique then you will truly love this blend. For the first third of the bowl I was blown over by the strength of the baccy pepper; it really threw me off so as to not enjoy the rest of the bowl as I wish I could. Too bad really. I liked the tin presentation, the open tin presentation as well and the aroma in tin was quite nice. The tobacco packed and smoked well. Again, if you like perique this is a must try. I prefer something that is more balanced to my palate, like Esoterica's Dunbar.

Peace to all my brothers and sisters of the leaf.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	halpuff (11)	2013-07-29		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Tried Escudo for the first time today and only had time to toss a single slice into a small dublin. I just used the fold and stuff method and screwed it into the smallish bowl. It took a few lights to create a good char but once things got going I could settle in to experience this much raved Va/Per. On the initial charring light my initial thought was Wow!, meaning the peppery perique hit me full in the face and caused my jaw muscles to cramp with the strong pepper overload I was experiencing. And I began to wonder...am I going to really like this at all. However, as things began to settle down and settle in the perique spice began to wane considerably and by mid bowl the Virginia's were more to the forefront with the Perique now taking a back seat and weaving back and forth striving for dominance with the sweet Virginia's making for a very pleasant experience. The bowl finally finished up with the Virginia still in the foreground and only fine ash in the bowl with no sign of wetness left in the bowl at all. A great experience. Can't wait to try it in a larger pipe with two slices when I have more time.

Day two with Escudo: Yesterday I had my first experience with Escudo using a small dublin with a mere lined bowl. Today I used a 3/4 sized 3/4 bent briar. This time I allowed one coin to dry for about 15 minutes in the direct sun and warm breeze laying on the handrail of the deck. I slightly rubbed it out a bit and lightly tamped it home in the lower half of the large bowl. This time when I lit up for the char light.......Holy Smokes!!! It felt as if I had unscrewed the cap on my pepper shaker...stuck my nose in....and with the hardest vacuum I could muster through my nose suck raw pepper into my sinuses. OH MY GOSH, I thought I must have some aversion to Perique; this was down right painful. But I did not give up.......After the char light and relight and a light re-tamp, five minutes later or so it began to settle down and by mid-bowl the Perique had tammed way down and the Virginia's popping through again and taking center stage. From there on it was an incredible experience again. Smooth tasty aroma, at times creamy, and with subtle hints of the Perique peeking through once in a while. The first quarter bowl is torture for me for some reason, but by bowl's end I was sad to see it end.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2013-03-16		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin presentation similar to Davidoff's FM, though lacking a cavendish center. A distinct fruitiness is noted, but not in a cased-sort of way; it's like the coins were aged on top of a freshly baked fruit cake. The rolls are nearly perfect with regard to moisture-This tin was cellared around one year prior to opening. I rub out two coins per smoke, I've burned in a Aldo V billiard as well as a Nording free-hand (notorious for gurgling btw) with minimal lights. This baccy has more flavor than Davidoff's FM, slightly more Perique, and at 2/3 the price. It's good stuff, good all-day smoke, not much Vit N, I've smoked many bowls on empty. I am trying Dunhill Navy Rolls next, but if Stokkebye keeps the price point low I hope to cellar several tins. As good as Orlik Golden Sliced, but G&H's Louisiana Flake is still my favorite VaPer.

Update: 4 stars, my favorite Va type blend in the sense its the one baccy that seems to be consumed the fastest from the time the tins are opened. Its sweetness is on point, ordering buko tins for cellaring.

Pipe Used: Savs, meer

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: P & C

Similar Blends: Deluxe Navy Rolls.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	scottyspipesebay (25)	2012-06-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Escudo Navy Deluxe. I've been smoking these little coins for a good 4 years now. Rarely! A treat. As I would a Guinness Stout in an over frozen mug on Xmas Eve by a crackling fire. Wonderful Guinness Stout; wonderful Escudo coins. Now that's a thought! These two would no doubt go well together for the fact that the Guinness is smokey and the Escudo is spicy.

Moving right along...I'd imagine if you tugged on this stuff, you'd fall flat on your face. But, when treated with the respect it deserves; sip it slowly as you would good Stout, the outcome will be equally enjoyable. Perhaps rapture would be the event. Perhaps loathing if you're not a fan of brisk Virginia. This is more for the old hats, I'd say. On the other-hand, I dislike Dunhill Royal Yacht, but loved this stuff from the start.

After getting past the first light of this stuff, it takes off nicely because it's good to go straight out of the tin. When you open the tin, the fragrance will blow you away. It is one of my favorite raw tobaccos. So good, it almost smells edible! It springs to life once it burns down a 1/4". It goes from being tobacco to what we all recognize as Perique. I've heard it described in many different ways, but to me it is just...Perique. A wonderfully spicy, lilting creature unto itself. I find the spiciness to be nice and subtle. Nearly the same experience I get from Dunhill's Black Cav., but with a nice nic punch.

I have a 4 year old tin containing about 8 more coins. When it's gone, I'll probably cry. Aging turns this stuff into gold. Yes, it's good no matter what, but buy a few cans extra and forget them. Good luck with that, but if I did it, so can you.

Something else to consider: I've folded and stuffed it. Hmmm, didn't like the outcome. Tried cube cutting...nope! For me the best treatment for this is a simple rubbing out; drop it in; light tamp, and slow smoke. It's super this way. It's fairly cool burning and full flavored smoking pleasure without EVER becoming overpowering, be it palate or nose.

Escudo isn't necessarily one of my favorites. My favorite blends are those that keep me coming back for more on a regular basis. But, like that wonderful frozen Guinness at Christmas time...it will always be a treat for me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BronxBriar (10)	2012-05-21		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Lesson one: Don't smoke this on a empty stomach.

This was my first time smoking a "coin" style tobacco and one with perique (as far as I know). Had to experiment with the packing but found rubbing it out worked best.

Found it to be a bit strong and it burned well. Reminded me a bit like Dunhill's My Mixture but with a stronger edge. When I was done though I was lightheaded and a tad nauseous but that was more my fault than the tobacco's.

I am certainly going to finish the tin...and refine the review a bit later.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-09-16		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

While not having a vast history with VAs, some Blackwoods Flake, Orlik, etc, I wasn't happy with them straight or as the dominant factor. I leaned more towards English and Burley blends. The VAs seemed to smoke "thin" to me. By that I mean that if you sipped them enough to keep them from biting or loosing flavor then the smoke was thin and weak. I liked the full mouthfuls of smoke and the full flavors I got from the English and Burley blends I'd tried. The taste and room note of the VAs seemed more cigarette like to me, and I don't like cigarettes. I was just about to give up on anything that was primarily VA, unless it was heavily dosed with Latakia. Then I gave Escudo a try. See what the VA/PER thing in a Navy flake might do for me.

Oh, my! This works for me so well on so many levels. I originally ordered two tins, one to smoke now and one to cellar. I'm already worrying I won't be able to keep any on hand to cellar unless I just order a couple of tins every week without fail. I've been smoking this daily for a few days now. Escudo on the way to work. Instanbul on the way home.

Like Finck's Istanbul I've found Escudo to work well across all my pipes I've tried it in so far. Each may be just a little different, but both these blends have been pretty consistent in their performances. I'd almost decided to become a Cob Snob. While part of the hobby is finding the right pipe/tobacco combinations, my pipe smoking time is limited. I just don't have the time to experiment for hours and days with different combos. I certainly don't enjoy all the bleh experiences before that yeah moment of discovery when the right pipe, tobacco, packing, smoking method, combination hits. I'm out to relax and enjoy my pipe, not stress myself with endless lab experiments and failures just to get one good smoke out of many. It is here that Escudo shines for me. Even in my cantankerous, normally wet smoking Calebrisi bent, Escudo Navy Flake smokes well. I love the look and feel of that pipe, but it can be finicky.

For me at least, I find that Escudo provides enough smoke, even when easing along. It can also be smoked a little faster without searing your tongue. You start to notice the flavor is slacking a little when you are getting things heated up because you weren't paying minute attention to your technique. That's a better warning that suddenly flaming your tongue. Escudo still tastes good when smoking a little faster/hotter, just not as good as it can. Since it gives you a nice, full, flavorful smoke stream it is hard not to just keep puffing away and being greedy. You don't have to be that way, but ya just want to keep drawing in that tasty, billowy smoke.

Like most on here I just grab a coin, coin and 1/2, or two, depending on the pipe, fold them over and stuff 'em! Getting it started packed like that can take a little fidgeting, but once things are underway it takes few relights. Escudo seems pretty forgiving. If you pack it a little poorly it will require more relights, but it will still take hold and give you some good smoking between those lights. Handy when you are stuffing your pipe in a hurry on the way out the door for work.

I don't have many large bowled pipes, so can't speak from there, but I've found Escudo smokes well and tasty in pretty much everything I've stuffed it in so far. There are subtle differences if you take the time to notice them. In fact, one of the things I like about Escudo, and Istanbul for that matter, is that you can kick back and just smoke while your mind wanders and have a good, relaxing, tasty enough smoke that doesn't bite you. Or, you can focus more on your pipe, sip away, and really enjoy the flavors of the tobacco, and it does have real tobacco flavor without tasting like a cigarette. There is a nice, round, full taste that I like. The aftertaste is nice too. Escudo is a versatile and consistent tobacco in terms of pipe selection and smoking pleasure. That makes it a winner for me.

In terms of room note, I've been smoking on my way to and from work in my car and unlike previous VA tryouts, Escudo does not leave a cigarette, or even much of any kind of smell in the car as long as I crack a window while smoking and keep the A/C vent on fresh air instead of recycle.

On opening the tin the first time there was a wonderful, wine- like fragrance that greeted me. I had to exert more willpower than I usually possess to keep from grabbing a coin and popping it in my mouth. It smelled that tasty. I moved the contents to a small, plastic seal-ringed jar where it seems to be doing well. It smells good still, but not as richly so.

Escudo has it's moments where the taste might be off for a moment. It takes a few moments at startup to settle in too. But, most of the smoke is just a very pleasant experience. Consistent, versatile on a couple of levels, forgiving, and an all around enjoyable smoking experience that I can count on enjoying every time I smoke it. That makes it a 4 Star for me. I'm sure there are more complex, more this, more that VA/PER blends out there. I'm sure they also require you pay close attention to technique keeping a keen focus so you don't miss the subtleties, require careful prep and packing to get that experience. I'll take darn good, versatile, and enjoyable over a wide range of circumstances for the majority of my pipe smoking pleasure and save those "special" blends, for special times.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kashmir (21)	2010-05-18		Medium to Strong	Medium to Strong	Very Full	Pleasant

Escudo Navy Delux, a wonderful cake- or pressed-tobacco, cut from cigar-like rolls, presents a delicious (almost edible!) golden red spun coin wafer, that can be folded directly into a pipe - I use two such wafers for a Dunhill Group 4 black shell billiard 4112# or, if preferred, teased or cut apart on the provided cicular cardboard insert for perhaps easier pipe loading, is really one of my all time favorite Virginia / Perique blends.

Either way it packs well, smokes slowly, without needing a preliminary dry, and the sweetness of the Virginias, grown in NC and VA, provides for, IMOH, one of the most satisfying smokes ever. The best Va/Per blend in current production. Not to be missed.

Something I noticed about these pressed or Flake Va/Per tobaccos is that they smoke better in smaller pipes. I do flake tobaccos in billiards and chimneys, rather then Dublins, Apples etc. There is such a thing as a "Flake Pipe", and these things, as I recall, are rather small pipes of traditional forms. Seems like pressed or flaked tobaccos burn hotter and wetter if not tamped down to lower the burning temperature. In any event, the best is for the last when you get down to the bottoms of the bowl and just sip the smoke ever so slightly, then the true flavors REALLY come through. Does any else see it this way?

Having gone through some cans now, I can say that I will definitely be stocking up on more for the basement. Too bad its not available in bulk, but someone said on one of these threads, don't remember which, that Peter Stokkebye Bulk Luxury Navy Flake, which is available in bulk, is pretty damn close to Escudo. Does anyone out there think this is so?

This tobacco blend has been in continuous production since 1870 and I can see why!!

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2008-04-13		Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Full	Pleasant

A great VAper, sweet, tasty, behaves well in the bowl, you can't go far wrong with this if you like VAper Navy Flakes.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A. Morley (97)	2004-10-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I realizse that there is no point in my putting in my two cents at this point, what with the veritable archive of Escudo opinions that have here been put forth. This happens to be, though, the tobacco that I am smoking at this point in time,and so, why not.

I can only slightly recall all of the hoopla that was generated around Escudo a few years ago, either because it was said to be one of the best blends ever and that it was not going to be around anymore, or that it was going to be brought back, or that it had been improved upon from what it was--I really don't remember.

I will say right now that it is a right fine Virginia blend and that it is most likely a far more approachable incarnation of a Virginia for those of us that are not yet entirely given over to flue-curedness than many other much touted tobaccos of that sort, such as Dark Star or Gawith's Full Virginia. That being said, know that it is no better than so many other Virginias on the market today. It is, perhaps, only destinguished by its appearence in the tin, the roll cut, I admit, being both nouvle and charming.

I really cannot tell from where all of this emphasis on the supposed Perique content comes from. Likening it unto Pease's "Haddo's Delight" I do not think at all accurate. As where Haddo's Delight has such a Perique component that the flavor thereof in the midst of all of the other wonderful components never sways to the point of being almost domineering, the smidge of Perique in Escudo serves to enhance the lustre and tang of the essential red Virginia component, but never really assertes itself as a singular force. I think that what may have assured Escudo's place in legend and song as we now have it today is just that it may have been one of the first blends to harness the eccentric nature of Perique and make it such the unequaled condiment with Virginia that we are now able to enjoy in so many forms from so many other blenders.

As a final note, I find that this is a tobacco that I prefer to rub out, as leaving it in its whole or partially broken state does not generate the great volume of smoke that I have come to prefer.

Regards,

A. Morley Jaques

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2003-08-23		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I had had a few bowls of this rather famed blend from various friends over the course of my smoking existence. I had always liked it, but had never been really excited by it. As is with most smokes in the company of friends, Escudo didn't get the attention it deserves until I finally sat down and smoked it carefully and by myself.

I've long been a big fan of Perique, so I was somewhat predisposed to liking the blend (Haddo's Delight and Astley's #2 are my personal favorite Va/Perique blends). The tin aroma has that fantastic winey, fermented smell that is so readily associated with a Virginia/Perique blend. The fermented end is even more pronounced here than in other blends of the same type. Besides, the cut rope is among the most beautiful that I have seen--swirls of light and red Virginias with the near black perique.

It rubs out very easily, once, given the nose and the visual aesthetics of the cut, one can bring oneself to disturb it. It lights easily and maintains a nice, fairly even burn throughout the bowl. I'm finding that it favors my medium sized pipes where the bowls are large enough to accomodate the cut, but not so large that the blend becomes overwhelming.

It is a hefty blend and also one of the few that will burn my tongue a little if I'm not careful to smoke it slowly. My only gripe with Escudo is that the fullness tends to drown out the flavors from the Virginias somewhat.

The piquantness of the perique is the most overridingly immediate and obvious flavor. In spite of the fullness, hints of fruity sweetness occasionally bubble to the surface, but not as often as I would prefer. The lovely fermented tin aroma doesn't carry across too well, but it is nonetheless present from time to time.

Escudo has definitively earned a place in my tobacco rotation and is a most worthy tobacco, but I would be hesitant to put it among my absolute favorites.

---

Addendum (08/2003):

I wrote the review above about two years ago. Since that reviewing, Escudo has become one of my very favorite blends-- perhaps my absolute favorite. I've probably smoked in excess of 25 tins of it in the last two years-- and with each successive bowl it grows and grows on me. Truly a remarkable blend.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2003-04-06		Extremely Strong	Strong	Full	Tolerable to Strong

This was highly recommended by many friends but no matter how, what pipe, time of day, before or after a meal, it just does not work for me. Unnfortunately, I must recommend excommunication. It smells very good in the tin,but in the pipe it just makes me literally sick. I tried rubbing it out, rolling it, stuffing it, but to no avail. I found the nicotine kick so high that you almost can not drive after smoking this. I really wanted to like this stuff but there is not much more to say.....

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (306)	2002-11-05		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Upon opening the tin, you are greeted by perfectly prepared disks ~1 3/4x1/16" comprised of golden and red VAs with black Perique. A & C certainly does place an emphasis upon their presentations. Due to an ideal moisture content, I just folded the disks, easily packed bowls of varying sizes > Group 3, obtained easy lights and extremely even burn rates. Although stronger in taste and fuller in flavor than I prefer for an all day smoke, both are consistent throughout a smoke and from pipe to pipe. If smoked @ a reasonable pace, the VAs and perique nicely compliment each other and result in a cool smoke. However, as a matter of personal taste, I prefer A & C's Caledonian #499 and others' VA/Perique blends, even available in bulk, are just as enjoyable.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2001-04-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

This tobacco kind of surprised me. I've read/heard a lot about its various trials and tribulations on ASP, and so I suppose the hype that had built up for me is what ultimately lead to its downfall. Opening the tin found the tobacco to be pressed and cut into beautiful coin shaped peices, oddly the exact size of most of my trusty calabash's bowl. Using the same technique I've read about fellow pipesmokers making use of with rope spun tobacs, I layered the thin coins in the bowl, and then rubbed out a final one for the top layer to get a good light. It rubbed out very easily, and infact almost crumbled under any sort of pressure, yet was not dry to the touch. Interesting. It's tin aroma is absolutely mediocre. Nothing special at all that I can gather from it; it smelled almost like Haddo's Delight without the Delight part. Just a basic VA/perique aroma to it. As flame hit the leaf, it ignited nicely and immediately and imparted a very sharp taste to the tongue as soon as it had any ember going at all. After allowing the proper going-out and re-lighting, I was set--not one re-light for the entire smoke. One thing that amazed me about this blend was the fact that it tasted -exactly- the same all the way down the bowl. Its burning characteristics are superior to most other tobaccos I've ever tried, but the matter of fact is that to me, the flavor was absolutely mediocre for the entire pipe. There is definately something to like here, because this blend is revered by a great many pipesmokers that I highly respect, but I just can't figure out what it is. One tin stored for future reference, one tin given to a friend who was fresh outta baccy. I think this is something you should at least try, because if you like the flavor, it could definately be the 'grail' of tobaccos, if nothing else, than for its amazing burning quality.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2001-03-26		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I'm sorry, but I just don't see what's so special about this tobacco. Upon opening the tin, I detect a nice but rather ordinary aroma of tobacco, a hint of spice present as well. The tobacco comes in coin form, too large to stack in even a group 5 bowl, so I rolled the coins up into sausages to fill my pipe. I used a Stanwell Golden Danish 1/8 bent billiard to try this tobacco, a pipe that has generally smoked well for me in the past. Lighting is easy, especially if you rub out a bit of the top of the sausages, and the bowl stays lit with little effort. The first 1/3 of the bowl is fairly bland. It's not smoking hot, and I'm perceiving no bite at all, but it's simply not all that interesting. Very little sweetness, with a touch of spiciness, probably from the Perique. The middle third of the bowl is a bit better, but not that much. A little more sweetness is perceptible to me, and the Perique is stronger. The last third is similar to the second, except I'm starting to get a bit of bite if I puff too hard. Overall, a nice, clean burn with very little or no moisture, little bite, and little special about it. Perhaps the problem is that I like full English mixtures and light aromatics, and am used to stronger flavors; but I just don't find this very exciting. On the plus side, it has some of the best burning characteristics I've come across. I've cellared an unopened tin, just in case my tastes change over time, but I plan to give away the rest of the first tin, if my first impression is confirmed in another pipe. If you like VA/Perique mixes, I imagine you'd enjoy this one; otherwise, nothing to write home about. UPDATE: Smoking in two other pipes - a Rhodo and a 1/2 bent Meer - confirm what I've said above; for me, this tobacco just doesn't get it done. I've sent the rest to someone who I hope will enjoy it more then I did.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TCody (15)	2023-05-24		Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

In 1973, I lived in Tacoma, Washington. There was a small, single proprietor tobacco shop in downtown Tacoma. I don't remember the name of the shop or the proprietor. During one of my visits, he asked me if I had tried Rattray's Red Rapparee or Cope's Escudo. I hadn't. I tried the Red Rapparee first. It was sublime. It is hard to describe the quality of the Rattray's products in those days. My next purchase was Cope's Escudo. The Cope's was oily and rich. The smoke was thick and spicy. The Virginia was dark and figgy. It was the tobacco equivalent of Irish Stout beer. From that day until Cope's Escudo left the market, I kept a tin for special pipe smoking moments. When the AC Petersen version became available, I was first in line--what a disappointment. It was harsh and flavorless. Then came the release of the STG version in 2006. This review is for the STG version.

Here are the conditions of the trial. Product: The Escudo has aged for four years in an aerobic environment. Pipe: An old GBD Size 4, reserved for VaPers. Precipitation: Like the original, a little moist by today's standards. Packing: Packed to mimic the draw of a good Honduran cigar. Percussion: Three wooden matches. Puffing: Puffed to create just enough air flow to keep the pipe lit.

Upon lighting, the smoke was harsh. I hoped the harshness would abate, but it didn't. Even though I puffed slowly, I had to baby the tobacco to keep it from getting physically hot. I could not taste the Virginia. There was no hay, grass, sweetness, or tang. On the other end of the spectrum, there was no richness, depth, or stewed fruit. I did taste the spiciness of the Perique, but it had a metallic flavor. I don't understand the high ratings this tobacco receives. It tasted like a Picayune cigarette from the 1960s.

BTW, over the years, I tried many VaPers as replacements for Cope's Escudo. They are too numerous to list. Here are the winners: Saint James Flake, Country Squire 50th Anniversary Cake, Rattray's Hal o the Wynd, Davidoff Flake Medallions, Dunhill Luxury Rounds.

Pipe Used: Old quarter bent GBD

Age When Smoked: 4 years

Purchased From: Don't remember

Similar Blends: Picayune cigarette..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dave A (23)	2022-07-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

In reading this review please note that this is my favorite VaPer. It gets hyped a lot and I think it is well deserved. The coin presentation is a joy to view and fun to prepare for the pipe. The rings are good sized and various shades or brown and black. The tin note is pleasant with a little spice. Burns well, can give a little bite if puffed too aggressively. The tobaccos play well together and both can be detected during the entire bowl with a little more spice kick at the end.This stays in my rotation.

Pipe Used: Peterson Kinsale

Age When Smoked: 1 to 2 years

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Honest&Simple (25)	2021-10-21		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I never got experience anything but the current version, and it is very good.

Tin note is delightfully sweet, dried fruit, and a bit of grass. I dont pick up the perique in the tin. Beautiful coin cut. Almost look like bullseyes dark inner light on the outside.

It comes a little moist but ready to smoke. I fold and stuff with out a problem. Smokes great, relatively cool, flavorful and very well balanced.

Its hard to pick out components on this one, the virginia is up front balanced perfectly by the perique.

Its just plain good, the bar for VaPers.

Wish it was a bit cheaper but I will buy more and cellar.

Pipe Used: Cob, various briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 6 months

Purchased From: P&C

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bushleagueosu (20)	2021-09-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you told me I could only have one tobacco for the rest of my life this might be it. I cant really think of any negatives for this. Flavor is fantastic. Dark sweet virginias, just the right amount of perique. Bready sweetness with just a hint of plummy perique spice. Goldilocks on body and strength. Has a mature taste even when fresh and is even better with some age on it. Everyone needs to try this tobacco at least once even if you are not a virginia or va/per person.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (227)	2021-06-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

STG Escudo Navy Deluxe - This is a really nice smoke . There is some grassiness and a little citrus. There is just enough Red Virginias and Perique to give it that dark fruity sweetness. I taste a slight topping of Plum and or Prune . The topping is so slight and only adds to the natural taste of the tobaccos .It is not overly sweet ever . The moisture was perfect from a 2 yr old tin . My tin was smoked in record time . Folded and screwed in the pipe brought out more fruit than rubbed out and was a noticeable difference which is something rare for me as most blends usually taste about the same either way . Nicely done and would buy more for cellaring . 4 star blend ,

Pipe Used: Pots recommended

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Similar Blends: PS luxury navy flake but better.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MangoLegs (72)	2021-05-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Preparation & Burn: 6/10 Easy, flexible coin at first but when aged, not great. Burns cool, no bite.

Taste: 17/20 This is a tasty and subtle smoke. Seems aged and mellowed. Incredibly balanced and smooth. Could use a bit more perique I think.

Mildness: 9/10 My idea of a good smoke is a relaxing, low nicotine session. Therefore, the milder the better. Not much nicotine!

Total: 32/40

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Albion1956 (42)	2021-02-19		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I know, "the most venerated va/per around"? Well I haven't tried this in some time, and when I did it was a different producer, so my memory may be suspect. Coins well packaged, easy to dry and rub out. Charring light set them on fire, and we're off. A tasty but somewhat monochromatic experience for me as the Perique didn't stand out, and I'm curious about the Virginian origin. Overall not bad, but there are better options IMHO.

Pipe Used: Savinelli

Age When Smoked: 1 year

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (192)	2020-11-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I delayed as much as possible the opening of the tin of this reference for many pipe smokers. When the time came, I prepared a pipe that would do it justice, recently acquired and with the interior wood still somewhat raw.

Presentation in larger medallions than other mixes with the same cut. Visually, the brown and bright virginias are appreciated in addition to the darker color of the perique.

The cold smell is slightly sweet, spicy and fruity, and does not jump out of the tin, but you have to bring your nose to perceive it. Although the medallions come slightly damp, they can be loaded directly into the pipe but the smoke improves by letting them dry for a while and in my experience, packing them without rubbing. It is very smooth, burns very well and even with few re-ignitions. Although it can heat the pipe, it does not bite at all.

The taste quite corresponds to the description of the cold smell: slightly sweet, slightly spicy and fruity nuances, with the addition of baked bread and slightly sweet hay when virginia takes center stage, which happens quite often during smoke, that the amount of perique added is small. In fact, at times one has the sensation of smoking a good Virginian tobacco instead of a VaPer. In the retronasal exhalation, it lightly and pleasantly pinches the nostrils, reminding us that the perique is also there, even in the background.

Pipe Used: Jan Kloucek Italy Silhoutte

Age When Smoked: young

Similar Blends: De Luxe Navy Rolls (Peterson).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sosakan (33)	2020-09-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Despite this being touted as the quintessential VaPer, I can’t stand this blend, even with a few years on it. I normally love VaPers, but this one is a hard pass for me.

Pipe Used: Cob, bent billiard

Age When Smoked: 0 & 3

Purchased From: P&C

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Bullseye Flake (No. 403).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Old Shoe (25)	2020-09-05		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Do not let some of the reviews here scare off people who have yet to try this tobacco. You hear lots about how it doesn’t measure up to its older versions. It’s a bit -different- in taste to the older stuff, but is still Escudo! All pipe smokers should try this at least once in their adventures to understand what a Virginia/Perique blend is so as to expand their tobacco experience. It’s a Virginia at its most basic form and like Virginia’s do they will nip if pulled on too hard. The Perique gives it a mild spice to the pallet and I am sure most people would enjoy this smoke. I remember I was scared of this stuff when first trying it due the coin rubbing, I figured it was a nicotine bomb due to this type of cut. Man, was I wrong! This is a mild to medium smoke and please try it, I think only the most ardent aromatic fan would not appreciate Escudo.

Pipe Used: Preben Holm Hand Cut (dedicated)

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: Smoking pipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LiterarySmoker (143)	2020-07-05		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cut: Round flakes

I am a huge lover of Virginias, Burleys, Navy Flakes, and VaPers so this should be right up my alley.

I'm currently into my final third of a bowl of Escudo and so here's my review:

When opening the tin or jar I am met with a slight breadyness and plums. The smell is alluring to say the least. I find the tobacco to be smokable right out of the jar, but a little bit of dry time never hurt any blend. It comes in perfect round flakes that somehow fit perfectly in your pipe. As I am a fold-and-stuff affecianado it does its job nicely though it is fairly easy to rub out.

I find Lady N to be medium to light in this blend, and it definitely is an all day smoke for some.

Now to the taste. I find that I do detect the Plum topping and it slightly sublimates the tobaccos for me. There is a very obvious virginia sweetness to this with little of the hay-like qualities to which I am particularly fond, there is obvious dark fruits, though whether that comes from the Perique or the topping I'm not entirely sure. The Perique adds a little necessary spiciness, but I am left wanting a little more of that and a little less of the sweetness I'm detecting.

Overall a well-balanced blend and indeed a bench mark for VaPers as so many people say. I will say personally I am looking for less sweetness and more Perique. This is a quality blend which many can enjoy and in fact I would go as far to say that this and PS Bullseye Flake should be on every new Pipe Smokers list of too-try.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Oceano

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Bullseye Flake, OGS.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Desertislandtoolworks (18)	2020-06-08		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Starts off Virginia forward with hay and light bread notes. The Virginia has a subtle sweetness. I initially thought this would be a great all day tobacco for me but as it progressed so did the strength and fullness making for a great interesting smoke. The spiciness of the perique has undertones of dried fruit although I can't say what exactly it reminds me of (fig maybe). There is a slight nuttiness as well. By the bottom of the bowl I was feeling the nicotine and would not have been up for a second right away. Overall this was an outstanding smoke with wonderfull flavors that had melded together and played wornderfully with each other.

Pipe Used: Briar shellbrooke

Age When Smoked: 7 years

Purchased From: Ohlone Cigar Lounge

Similar Blends: Cornell & Diehl - Carolina Red Flake w/Perique (Small Batch).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WoodcraftSmoker (21)	2020-02-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

I was really excited when Escudo was on sale so that I could try this famous blend. I am a bit disappointed. I am starting to find that Virginias are a bit of an acquired taste. The ones I have smoked, like this one, are subtle. This can be a good thing if you sip your pipe and can savor the flavors. Just explaining my bias in this review. Overall, I find this a good smoke, but not the awesome tobacco I was lead to believe it was. It has a wonderful grassy, hay aroma in the tin. The smoke has a nice mild sweetness that becomes less pronounced (though it is never like a Cavendish) deeper into the bowl. I barely notice the Perique. Occasionally, deeper into the bowl, a bit of woody spice comes through but mostly it is a gentle, mildly sweet smoke with nice flavor. The strength is a bit more than mild. I can imagine this is a good all day smoke if you like a straight up tobacco taste, but nothing is extremely pronounced are attractive. I will try other Virginias before I come back to this one.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokingHawk (54)	2019-11-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This smokes juicy and tangy fresh out of the tin. Perique is very present and tingle your nose upon retrohale. Virginia's are sweet and bready and very much smokeable out of a new tin. Coins are bit on the moist side but could be dry out to liking. I agree some aging to already fine Tobacco could give it some more shine. But for now Escudo gets the well deserved appraise and recommendations in all the reviews down there including mine.

Pipe Used: Vaun smooth finished pot style Pipe

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: TobaccoPipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2019-08-27		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

What new can I say about Escudo? This is a benchmark Virginia/Perique mixture that stands faithfully as one of the most satisfying smoking experiences one can have. The Virginias are very grassy in the tin and the grassy quality does permeate the entire bowl. However, there is a good bottom-end to these Virginias as well, offering warm bready/hay-like notes every once in a while. The perique is not overpowering by any means, and I would say Escudo could be a great introductory blend into the world of Virgina/Perique mixtures. In the tin, the perique is sweet and bursts upon the nose with dark fruits and figs. The perique is spicy in the bowl, but not overly so, figgy, but not overly so, and offers a lovely bouquet of dark fruit notes that complement the Virginias perfectly, giving this blend the reminiscence of warm, spiced bread. The spice from this blend is most felt on the retro-hale, ticking the nose a touch, but one could detect the spiciness without having to retro-hale to search for it.

The room note is pleasant to most, and the strength is a solid medium. The nicotine is there, but only serves to sweeten the moment rather than dominate, however, if you puff this whole bowl to ash you might get some of the nicotine side effects more than you would just casually sipping this on this blend. The nicotine serves as a reminder to settle in, and enjoy the subtleties of the blend and take time to slow down.

Overall, this blend, to my mind, harkens the burnt orange of fall and welcomes the crispier air that makes you reach for a jacket, crack a good book, or enjoy the swirling, changing leaves that crunch underfoot as you stroll. With a warm, toasty tobacco come warmer memories - and memories of Escudo are bound to stay warm for a lifetime.

Pipe Used: Briar

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HabaneroHardy (403)	2019-08-08		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Unnoticeable

I was deciding what to try this afternoon and came across this tin that I had opened December 26, 2012. Seems like yesterday. The gravitational pull is getting faster toward the light I see. I had about 3 bowls left and just wanted to finish it off. I am surprised I have not reviewed this one before. I know a lot of people who after opening a tin jar their tobacco but I prefer to keep them in the tin even though they can get kind of dry. I like to take the tin out, admire the artwork, read the contents, etc. at least on older tins, the new ones have half the front covered with warnings from busy bodied kill joys. Enough said. There were about 3 medium dark brown coins left and I proceeded to stuff one into my Altinay Meerschaum Poker pipe, one of my favorites. Not a whole lot of tin aroma left but this did have a consistent smooth somewhat sweet taste as I smoked the three bowls during the course of the afternoon. I did not pick up a lot of Perique though. I read one review that said do NOT pair this with coffee. Oh well, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. I had already started on my second cup of coffee. For some odd reason I always thought that any blend that had Navy as a description contained rum. Maybe my misconception of those boozy Sailors. This blend is a Vaper as us in the trade like to say, well some do, not me. Good, consistent, and if I was an all-day smoker could probably have no problem going through a few tins of this. I like it but I have too much other blends to repurchase. With almost 400 reviews through out the ages someone must be doing something right with this blend. I am sure this one has probably slightly morphed over the years being bounced around from different blenders but I have none of the older versions to compare. Pick up a tin if you get the chance.

Pipe Used: Atinay Poker Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 7 years

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2018-12-24		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

I sampled my first tin of Escudo back in 2009 & instantly became a fan of the VA/Per blends & it's one of the sweetest & coolest, natural blends I've ever smoked. So, I ordered plenty more for cellaring & still enjoy it to this day... still in my top ten. I don't remember the manufacturer at the time but I believe it was the Scandinavian Tobacco Group. A year later, I ran across Pipestud's Consignment Shop while surfing the internet... a dealer in vintage tobaccos & I've been doing business with him ever since. One of the finest people I've "never" met. It just so happened he had a roll of the original, vintage A & C Petersen Escudo for sale... the Copes version in the smaller tins but of the same weight. It was ten years old when I purchased it about ten years ago for a hundred dollar bill & needless to say, it was sublime. Ten years has had a significant impact on vintage tobacco prices... even on eBay. I'd estimate an average of three to four-hundred % increase & some of the Mcclelland blends have already increased upwards of one thousand percent. Can you imagine?

I didn't have enough sense at the time to put any aside and because it tasted so good & mellow, what did I do? That's right! Smoked it all up in no time... seemed like it only took about two or three weeks to burn it all up. I think back what they might be worth today... priceless! I still had several new tins in the cellar, so, I really did a number on the Cope's stuff. Turns out, Escudo is still one of the biggest sellers of tinned tobacco in the world today & those of us who like it understand why.

I'm not going to waste our time explaining the smoking characteristics, tastes & subtle nuances of Escudo as it's all been well covered by many more brothers of the briar who are far more experienced in the field of blending & sampling of tobacco flavors than I. However, to me, this tasted sweeter than Dunhill's Navy Rolls & I like it better. Actually, I've never tasted a sweeter VA/Per. Obviously I haven't tried them all but have sampled at least a dozen different ones & this is still my favorite. For me, things are much simpler when it comes to rating tobacco blends... I either like it or I don't & the reason or reasons why matter not to me. Four stars for all Escudo brands/blends.

Pipe Used: Many different ones through the years

Age When Smoked: One year old tins & a 20 year old roll.

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes & Pipestud's Consignment Shop

Similar Blends: Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls, Davidoff Flake Medallions, Stokkebye Bullseye Flakes, Three Nuns, etcetera. Many clones, many failures..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jaylotw (16)	2018-11-08		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well, I suppose I need to add my Escudo review. Does this make me a badge-holding pipe smoker now? :)

The King of VaPers. The undisputed, perfect prize of a blend in its category, the one against which all others are judged.

Escudo was one of the first “premium” blends I ever tried, the first VaPer, first spun cut. Also the first tobacco I purposely aged.

This is the good stuff, I don’t need to add much to what has already been said by 400 other reviewers...so instead I’ll tell a story about opening my first aged tin of Escudo.

I let a tin sit for 5 years...in fact, I hid it so as not to tempt me. In that five years I purchased and smoked a couple more tins (it’s great fresh!) but on a fateful June day, I brought my aged tin to a camping trip with ten or so friends.

Opening the tin happened right before dinner time, I announced to everyone that this was a special moment. They all said, “eh...” Popping the lid and hearing the whoosh of air, the amazing plum and fig, sweet dark VA hay meadow tin note literally filled the air. I pulled back the wrapping and the coins were very much darker. I believe I drooled.

I carried the tin over to the fire, and declared that everyone take a whiff. As the only pipe smoker, i must’ve looked like a crazed lunatic, I can only imagine.

Needless to say, everyone took a whiff, took another, asked to have the tin passed back their way again. Picked up a coin and examined it, read the tin, became enthralled. They debated on tin note! No kidding! It was unanimously agreed upon by ten non-pipe smokers to be some amazing stuff. I think that story might give you an idea of how wonderful Escudo really is.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	airparkpiper (7)	2018-01-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Very smooth tobacco where you can taste the different notes of the VA with a touch of spice from the Perique. I really like the fact that it is a cool, slow burning tobacco that I can sit down with for over an hour on two coins. I tend to like rubbing this out vs. fold and stuff. It burns a bit more even and stays lit better that way. Make sure to leave space in the bowl as it expands when touched with flame. Once you get it going it will stay lit nicely until the end as long as you tend to it. I also find quite a bit more in the bottom 1/4 of the bowl than I expect, and the flavor notes in the bottom half of the bowl are superb. I'm buying more!

Pipe Used: Cob, briar

Age When Smoked: Freshly Opened

Purchased From: iwan ries and smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J.R. Patton (106)	2016-10-06		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Don't have much to add, just tossing in my 4 stars for an already well- reviewed blend. This was one of 2 blends that were the first non-aromatics I ever smoked. I didnt like it. It was harsh, it did something strange to my nose and back of the throat, and why would anyone smoke something with no flavor (i.e. not drenched in sweet toppings) anyway? After years of experimentation with hundreds of non-aros, gaining understanding and developing the palate, I came back to Escudo. And I loved it! I love the smell of the slightly sweet hay of the bright Virginia supporting that boatload of peppery, tangy, fermented perique. Truly a vaper by which all others can be benchmarked. This may not always be the vaper I choose when in the perique mood, but it will always stand apart and remain in rotation. Great stuff, I only wish I'd been around to try it's earlier incarnations as well.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DeathMetal.org (231)	2016-03-12		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Summary: sweet Virginias and fruity Perique combine as a gentle flavor.

This is the tobacco equivalent of General Joe's Chicken at your local Chinese restaurant: a slightly spicy sweet/sour that emphasizes the sweetness and, with its slight vinegar flavor, brings out a citrus note in the Virginias. The Perique is muted, showing up as gently peppery fruit flavors, more like dried mango than fig in this incarnation. The Virginias are of the light variety for the most part and impart a strong sweetness with high acidity. Together they make a blend that hits enough places on the taste buds to keep interest piqued.

Similar Blends: Motzek - (Curly) Strang Cut, Savinelli - Doblone d'Oro, Bell's - Three Nuns, Newminster - No. 403 Superior Round Slices, Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Bullseye Flake (No. 403).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	arpie55 (77)	2016-02-05		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am going to start with a first impression review which i may revise at a later date because this is based upon one bowl of a tobacco that i have extremely high hopes for. First of all i will say that this was the most difficult tin to open that i have ever encountered, i employed ever coin in my pocket, a knife, twisted by hand, and then ultimately pried the top off with a screwdriver, i was ready for the smoke once i got to it. The discs are a thing of beauty for a pipe smoker, they seem a bit moist but are perfect for air pocket packing if you like that method. The charring light was as easy as any i have ever experienced, the top of the tobacco fluffed up to a beautiful ash that was easily lightly tamped down. The first first few puffs gave concern that there would be tongue bite because of a pepperiness. My wife was nearby so i asked her about the room note and her response was "okay". As i went through the bowl the pepperiness quickly disappeared and settled into a pleasing mild smoke. I did detect a bit of sweetness but not so much as maybe i had hoped for. My standard for VA/Per blends has been McClellands St James Woods for many years and "flavor" wise i would say that it is a notch above the Escudo but the Escudo is easier to pack and light. The entire bowl did require several relights. First bowl, first impression; a great tobacco.

2/24/16 finding this to be a good straight blend, not big impact flavor but consistent in every way. as far as the "relights" mentioned in the original review, i am now finding it to require very few, maybe because the tin vacuum was broken and some of the moisture us gone out of the tobacco? will most likely buy again.

Pipe Used: Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mhulsey (36)	2015-12-13		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an absolutely amazing Virginia and Perique blend, as has already been explained in each and every positive review on the site. I would say that the tins of Escudo that I have been smoking have smelled more on the bready side of the fence rather than the fruity, fig like, or hay like smells that you can also get from Virginia tobaccos. I love the taste of this tobacco as it is fresh and again has the yeast like bready taste that I get each time I draw on the pipe. The Perique is balanced perfectly in this blend, giving only a slightly spicy note to the tobacco as well as a spicy ting to the tongue. Quality and cut are perfect, although the moisture of the coins recently have been a little wetter than I like, so I rub them out completely and then let them dry for twenty to thirty minutes before packing the bowl and smoking. Room note according to my wife is again the bread like smell that is easy enough for her to tolerate. I will continue to buy Escudo to satisfy my VaPer cravings.

Pipe Used: Italian Briar

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
	Pipeologist (27)	2015-10-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Wow! There is tobacco and there is tobacco! I used to smoke this in the '70's,along with Clan ,Balkan Sobranie and some Dunhill's,when I had the money.I say,it tastes terrific now....how nonchalant must have I been in my youth. Creamy taste of Virginia and a touch of perique for some bite.....no,not that kind of bite.Not really a lot going on here,which makes a nice change from having to contemplate and evaluate,as you do.I could smoke this in heaven,but,chucks,no matches available.I'll take it here, that's for sure. How come I missed out on this over recent years? I love it, I love it ,I love it! Buy some of this before you die of lung cancer and enjoy the Escudo moment. Update ....February 2018. Sorry I mentioned the C word.

Pipe Used: Dunhill

Age When Smoked: 63

Purchased From: Cup o'joes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Giovanni Palomino (21)	2015-10-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my first mix Vaper and cut by what I had a high expectation to this mix which not me disappointed in currency the Tin aroma is a little strong as pure a little harsh tobacco burned grass what worry me a little note of room but the smoke aroma is tolerable strength is very good and gives you that State of relaxation you are looking for in a good smoke, assemble the pipe was fairly easy only was split into four each coin to the Bowl a couple of punches stroke smooth and ready easy to turn on and keep on. a very good mix.

Pipe Used: Ascot Smooth - Vauen

Purchased From: 4noggings

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	D.A.M. (9)	2015-06-01		Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Now, this is a real treat. Even a Latakia/ Oriental head like me can appreciate the subtle sweet/ spiciness this had to offer. When my drinking or dining would not be complimented by my typical go-to London Mixture or Balkan Sasieni, I go here. The reviews here are right; this is tobacco blending at it's finest.

Age When Smoked: New

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sagepipe (13)	2015-04-10		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Escudo is a pleasing smoke with all the right notes and flavors. It is a full bodied perique that goes down smooth and leaves a please aroma lingering on the briar. These medallions are as fine as silver with a flavor as rare as gold.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Planet Scott (66)	2015-03-11		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I'm on the Escudo side of the debate. I do like the Dunhill DNR, but prefer the Escudo just ever so slightly as I find it just a little bit richer. Like many here say, they are very close. It is a Va Per and if you like Va Pers, by all means try it.

Age When Smoked: Several weeks maybe.....

Similar Blends: Dunhill DNR.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	crrbassman (12)	2014-12-18		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

After 19 years of piping, I opened my first tin of this yesterday. I had read so many reviews and seen it on everyone's 'Top 10' seller lists, so when it was offered as an option in an online special I picked one tin as one of my selections...I should have gotten four.

This is amazingly smooth tobacco that burns evenly all the way down the bowl. Doesn't get harsh at all, in fact others have described it as 'silky' or 'creamy' and that's right-on. The Perique checks in every now-and-then, reminding you of its presence with a little touch of spice, but then recedes into the background.

I'll leave all the rest of the praise and descriptors to the rest, as all has been said that can be said about this blend, but I will always have some on hand.

Pipe Used: Aldo Velani Ultima apple

Age When Smoked: <1 month

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillBrown (137)	2014-11-05		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

==10/31/15== Update. It's amazing what decanting can do for a tobacco sometimes. What was once sharp and overbearing is now soft, rounded and mellow. The Perique still jumps out, but it's now muted and perfectly acceptable. The taste of this blend is outstanding! So, I'm going to bump this up a notch. Decanting this baccy has worked wonders.

OLD REVIEW: I believe this blend is as close to a Perique "bomb" as I've ever had (thus far, anyway). This blend confirms that I only require a small amount of Perique to keep me happy. It too reminded me a lot of Stokkebye's Bullseye flake, which didn't do much for me, either. This blends smoking characteristics were fine and it's fine quality tobacco, just too much in the Perique department. I'll give it a solid two stars and revisit it next year to see if I change my mind.

Pipe Used: Nording Freehand

Age When Smoked: ?

Purchased From: Sorry, I can't remember

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Quaffer (18)	2014-07-16		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

I love this stuff. Great smoke, very delicious complex flavor. Smokes smooth, beautifully arranged in the tin with a good moisture level. Sweetness of VA's with the earthiness of perique. I highly recommend this blend.

Similar Blends: Solani - 633: Virginia Flake with Perique.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beano (7)	2014-06-21		Very Strong	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

what else can you say? This is a must try for every man of briar. I don't care what else you like, you have to try this stuff.

Pipe Used: cobs

Age When Smoked: 1y

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phonomet (44)	2014-06-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

This is as solid a VaPer as they come. Lovely presentation, sour/rich aroma, smooth and biteless, nice development of medium flavor at the top of the bowl to pungent and earthy at the bottom.

Age When Smoked: New

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TnRooster (15)	2014-04-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I'm a huge Va/Per smoker so far. That seems to be where my tastes are for the most part. Escudo is king and I won't attempt to argue. Sweet, tangy, and a light pepper to the tongue. Va/Pers are common, but there's just a richness to this that makes it stand apart for me. An absolute pleasure to smoke.

PS: The flake medallions are just too cool as well.

Purchased From: PipesAndCigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bigdadz (39)	2014-03-25		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I was never much of a virginia smoker. I always found them a little boring and one dimensional. The subtle spiciness from the perique makes it very interesting, truly a well executed Va/per. I particularly enjoy this one in the summer and as a change of pace from the Latakia.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2014-03-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smoking the legendary king of VaPer, Escudo Navy Deluxe at Savinelli Milano Deluxe. The first aroma I open the tin is great, I can smell the subtle raisin and plum aroma. I pack it in flake form, without rub it and at the first puff is really great, little bit stronger then usual Vaper blend that I had try before, spice and peppery but sweet. I really enjoying my 50 minutes puffing time. I think that will be harsh and strong and I'm wrong. The taste is medium to strong but with a subtle, sweet and mellow taste. Yeah, definetely I love this blend ...

Pipe Used: savinelli milano deluxe

Age When Smoked: 1

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SpeedyPete (29)	2014-01-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Although I smoke other VaPers as well, Escudo is king in this arena.The sweetness of the virginias is to die for with the spicy interludes of the perique in perfect balance.There can't be a better VaPer available at this stage. I smoke it in a smallish Sasieni Old England because I prefer to finish a bowl without an interval.

Pipe Used: Sasieni Old England

Age When Smoked: Unknown

Purchased From: 4noggins

Similar Blends: Nothing else, it's unique!.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CTS (138)	2013-12-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Excellent blend. Virginias and Perique sing in the bowl. A full tangy spiciness throughout, that does not upset, but clears, off the palate. A burley-esque (not to be confused with burlesque!), nutty character emerges mid way. Spicy tanginess hangs on, particularly on retrohale. Burns clean,to the satisfying end. A one-light wonder! Packed 3 rolls, quartered, in bowl.

Pipe Used: Karl Erik Semi-Churchwarden Tomato, MM

Age When Smoked: Tin date 10-JUN-2012

Purchased From: The Briary, Homewood, AL

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-07-20		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was my first ever VA/Per (a classic I understand) and I didn't really know what I was in for. I gave it four stars because I feel as if, in its own genre, it is very well put together. It didn't make me run to throw away all my aros and English blends, but it really added another dimension to the line-up. This was a real easy puffer and I loaded it in a rather large pipe so two rounds gave me a little over an hour and sent my head swimming a little. I'm not going to try to describe the taste, but it's good. And my wife didn't hate the smell either. Virginias burn hotter than other tobaccos due to the high sugar content, so watch your puffing and enjoy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	McKNooB (35)	2013-07-17		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I love the tail end of this one; its where I pick up the perique. It has a similar flavour profile to something else I've had recently but I can't figure that out. Not as strong as Golden Sliced or Irish Flake but still well rounded.

Rubs out really, really nicely and fills my Parker Bulldog nicely. Burns very slow and evenly and doesn't really need any airing out after tin opening. Quite curious to try some of these medallions out after they've been aged.

It'll be a daily smoke for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RyeWhiskey (43)	2012-04-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Great blend of tobacco with Perique. The medallions are just a sight to behold, and it never tires to look at them and get them into a pipe. This blend is nothing but great and everybody should try the Escudo coins. It has a nice soothing smoke, but for me anyways, it seemed to leave a heavy note in the air compared with others. Smokes cool, with nice perique spice and leaves no wetness in the heel.

The tobacco is a very nice smoker. Try it if you like perique!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-04-09		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Yes. All the wonderful things you've heard about this tobacco are true.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-03-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is something I think I will always keep on hand. I don't really see it as something special, just something dependable. It will always deliver as it promises, nothing more nothing less. The sight of those wonderfully fragrant medallions is somehow comforting. And I supposed for that reason it is special.

We don't really need another review on what makes this what it is or how it tastes because most everyone knows already.

On the other hand, if you haven't tried this, you need to.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A Northern Breed (16)	2011-12-28		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Escudo, a classic. Everyone loves Escudo, and I'm no exception, although I might use the phrase "think quite highly of" rather than "love". In any case, a great tobacco, but I give it three stars because I reserve the four star reviews for what I consider to be my absolute favorite mixtures.

I am smoking some Escudo right now, so this review should be accurate to my taste. I am smoking it in a Neerup pipe by Peder Jeppesen, a half bent that most closely resembles a Dublin, which is currently my favorite pipe that I own; I got it for Christmas this year, and it's already got a pretty good carbon cake on it, hehe. It should be noted that this pipe took no breaking in whatsoever; the taste of the first bowl I smoked in it (Mac Baren's Mixture) was completely unaffected by the "newness" of the pipe. So that should not be considered to have any effect on the contents of this review.

Upon opening the tin, the smell is of earthy sweetness, a smell which even a non- pipe smoker would appreciate. Even my mother, who abhors the smell of most of my weeds, especially my dear favorite, Nightcap, enjoys the smell of this one. The presentation is simple and straightforward: basic tin design and label, and very nicely pressed and rolled Navy rolls. Very, very, very easy to rub out, if that is your desired method.

The stuff packs very easily. What I do is gravity fill some rubbed out stuff, put a little bit of rough, not so rubbed out stuff on that (including a center disk from one of the rolls usually), press down very lightly, and then put some more rubbed out stuff on top, and then basically pack using a modified Frank Method, which is to say that, when I put in the last bit, I put it in in a thick pinch and press down vertically with my thumb until it's leveled out and packed with the perfect density to insure a perfect, effortless draw. Ideally, that is. For what it's worth, that is how I always pack my tobacco, regardless of what it is.

It takes a light very nicely, nicer than average that's for sure, and it usually burns with only one relight, if any. The taste is earthy, and it's odd that so many people consider this the quintessential VaPer, because to me, it's rather more Per than Va. The Virginia is most definitely there, and you certainly won't miss it if you are even decent at recognizing different tobaccos in a mixture, but it isn't the light, bright Virginia that most think of. For instance, Esoterica's Dorchester is more Virginia-ish to me than Escudo is. Overall, sweet, earthy taste that is tremendously satisfying at any time of the day. The nicotine is there, but certainly not overwhelming. Such a fantastic, graceful marriage of all the different aspects of a great weed. This bowl has nearly come to its close, by the way, and it has required not a single relight. Also, it is certainly worth mention that this bowl has burned exceptionally cool, which is rather unusual because I am comparatively a pretty fast smoker.

To summarize, buy it. So many positive reviews cannot be wrong, after all, right? Go get some Escudo, and enjoy a classic. Goes quite well with chocolate, by the way, and is a fantastic way to conclude a good meal. Thumbs up!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	vespa (18)	2011-10-17		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Please allow me to preface this review by saying that I've been on a " Burley Binge ", which isnt a bad thing since I like burley very much. But I stepped away from all my favorites English/Balkans, VaPers and went " Cold Turkey " so to speake except burley. I had opened the tin of Escudo that I'm now smoking about a month ago and smoked about half the tin and thought today might be a good time to revisit this OUTSTANDING blend. Let me tell you everything in this blend jumped out and sang. The Va's where bright and sweet, the Perique was nice and spicy, it was almost a religious experence. I had been rubbing out the coins and letting them dry for about an hour, as I do with most tobacco in any kind of flake. Today I just did the old fold & stuff a whole different animal. It's all been said before but I'll say it over an over again OUTSTANDING OUTSTANDING OUTSTANDING !!! Now if you have been finding blends alittle boring or you think you may be missing something in a blend. Do what I did put everthing to the side and do the " Cold Turkey-Burley Binge " for a couple of weeks and you will see most of your blends with new eyes or pick out little things you've been missing.

Your Brother in Smoke

4/4 Stars!!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cgar (37)	2011-08-30		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Pefect balance in this smoke. The spiral cut coins have a perfect moisture content and are ready to smoke right of the tin. For me the perique gave the perfect balance of spiciness I was looking for. Ill keep this in stock and visit it from time to time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tripjoker (65)	2011-02-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Escudo is THE vaper by which all others are judged and for good reason. This one hits all the right notes both high and low. The presentation is beautiful, and the coins can be smoked as is or rubbed out. The tin note is not anything exceptional in my opinion, but as soon as the flame hits the tobacco...heaven.

The flavors are what you would expect to find in a vaper. Coffee, toast, bread baking, sweet spices, sweet grassiness, fruity, lightly pepperery, and very complex when sipped slowly. The virginias here are top quality and reveal the true magic that lies in those leaves when blended properly.

The strength is a solid medium, and can drift to the strong borderline if your cadence gets a bit rushed. No tongue bite. NONE. Smooth and flavorful from first light to the bottom of the bowl. Moisture is just a bit more than I like from the tin, but easily remedied with a few moments of air time. DGT works well with this one and you get a bit of the toasted marshmellow flavor after the relight.

Fantastic blend in all repects. Four solid stars. Cheers.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2011-01-01		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Light, summertime blend style of Virginias.

Room note is pleasant. Strength is mild. Slightest hint on tongue bite.

I smoked this blend in a curved rusticated beehive. The bowl of the pipe remained very cool to lightly warm, throughout the smoke. The smoke quality is rich and mellow, with the slightest hint of tongue bite.

This tobacco mixture would be an excellent summertime blend, from mid-morning until dinnertime commensing. Taller bowl style pipes bring out the best of it. The beehive is tall, broader at the base of the bowl, with the bowl base being flat. When smoked in a 1968 Weber Oom Paul, all that was missing, was my being in East Cape, South Africa, hunting Kudu.

I rate Escudo Navy DeLuxe (Petersen, Denmark), at 2-stars, as I enjoy heavier tobacco blends, but trust me, if you enjoy Virginia light tones, you will not be regreting your purchase of this pipe tobacco mixture. In my opinion, this tobacco should be aged, to knockout the hint of bite. It must be noted that this tobacco was fresh when I smoked it, and I prefer dry tobaccos. It did remain lit with only the initial lighting, all the way to the very heel of the pipe bowls. All that remained was white, airy ash; This I liked, because residue and wet, soggy smokes, I cannot stand. I felt my money was well spent, and there was no waste. The tobacco mixture did, burn to conclusion, a bit rapidly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-09-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This tobacco smelled very nice in the tin and the coin presentation was very appealing. Unfortunately the taste was not very full as I was expecting. The aroma was nice and the perique was quite minimal which is okay by me since I'm not too fond of a strong peppering. The volume of smoke was moderate, which was good and the strength increased slightly as the bowl got past half way. I will probably not purchase this again but am glad I got to try it, though it was a bit disappointing.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-08-30		Very Mild	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Oh yes, pipers, this is by far an incredible blend. The tin I smoke from has exactly a year on it, and the taste has gotten sweeter, spicier, and a tad more enjoyable than the newer tins I've smoked up until this point. The perique is consistently flavorful from top to bottom. An absolute classic delight. Wish the bowl would never end.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2009-10-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Escudo is an absolutely first-class Va/Per IMO. I first tried it twenty-odd years ago, when it was ‘Cope's Escudo,' and enjoyed it thoroughly. My dear old Professor recommended it, and used to smoke an ounce of it a day! His proud boast was that he could shave and smoke at the same time (he could probably smoke and sleep at the same time).

Escudo went out of production for a while. Disconsolate, I drifted off elsewhere: Player's Medium Navy Cut and Lakeland flakes, mostly, and the occasional pleasant flirtation with English mixtures. When I tried Escudo again, I expected to find that the modern version of it had – like Three Nuns and Gold Block – lost the old magic. I was completely wrong: it's as good as ever.

The great virtue of Escudo is that it's just tobacco, with no discernible casing; so what you get is a pure, very slightly peppery, taste of Virginia and Perique all the way down the bowl. If there's any added topping here, I certainly can't detect it. It's sliced off a roll, and comes in fragrant, coin-sized discs. Fold rather than rub the discs, with just enough rubbed out at the top of the bowl to give you an even light. Smoke slowly, exhaling through your nostrils: the flavours are subtle, but they increase in intensity as you get down the bowl. It's cool and stays alight well. The nicotine won't wipe you out, and Escudo won't bite you if you don't rush. The room note is nothing special, but not unpleasant.

A long and leisurely smoke of Escudo in a big bowl is a wonderful experience. Not a good choice if what you're after is a wham-bam nicotine fix or strong flavours; but Escudo is an absolutely first rate choice if you want something clean and uncomplicated as a change from aromatics or Balkan/Oriental flavours. One of the greats.

The only reason why I wouldn't put Escudo at the top of my list of all time favourites is patchy availability. Sometimes you can get it, sometimes you can't. I'd be grateful to anybody who could put me in touch with a truly reliable UK supplier.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	strongirish (249)	2009-09-22		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I thought I would return to this VaPer again so I recently bought a couple of tins. So, my review is based on a non aged tin so that has some effect on my thoughts as I know this blend gets much better with age. This is not my favorite VaPer, that would be St James Flake but it sure is a good one. The tin art on this one just looks high quality and in the tin, the tobacco is arranged on little whirly jigs or pin wheels arranged in another circle. A very nice presentation and well done. The tobacco is mostly a press of medium colored brown tobacco with a nice and sweet and somewhat tart tin aroma. The tin was hard as heck to get open it had so much vacumn in it so I know this stuff was very fresh. I like my flakes on the dry side so i did set it out overnight to get to the right moisture content. I then folded it and filled my pipe with it and the many strands that separated off. It packed nicely and I proceeded to light it, and it did so on the first light.

When first lit, this tobacco is very mild and for the first few puffs, it seems sort of bland. But a couple of minutes into it and it started bursting with flavor. This being a VA, was a bright sweet tobacco taste and then when the perique kicks in, it adds a spicy, tart flavor that just sings and went very well with a cup of strong Irish tea. As the pipefull burns dow, it keeps increasing it's strength of flavor until the perique almost dominates the blend. it is a good spicy flavor but halfway down the VA loses the stage here. The perique is a good quality and tasteful. The room note is pleasant to me but not to anyone around me though they don't really complain, just no complements. So I would have to say it's tolerable. I do enjoy Escudo very much and I am glad I bought several tins of it. I am putting some back in the cellar to age and will return to it. I will have no problem finishing the open tin. But I still like St James Flake better. I do recommend giving this a try for those that have not. It's a classic.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipe4ever (204)	2009-02-08		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Absolutely wonderful tobacco! the best Vaper out there, I dont know what to say about this masterpiece, it is just perfect!!, Exceptional and Highly Recommended !

Bad Good = Excellent * Exceptional

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (162)	2009-01-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

yes very good flavor of pepper and earth..very slight natural sweetness.. its almost like eating chocolate and walnuts.. I enjoy this very much and i can see why it is considered a classic.. it is also a very easy smoke no hangups.. round 2- coming back to this I have to say it reminds me a little of solani 633.. a little brighter than i remember it being.. i get more fruit than chocolate this time around. the perique is very nice in this - very balanced.. if you are curious about va/pers i would say this is the one to try first.. it has everything i look for - solid virginia, salty,spicy, fruity.

Update... 4/19/2018.. cracked a tin from 2010.. this is really good with age.. delicious sweet/sour fermented flavor.. still has some zest but extremely smooth. The perique does seem to mellow and the Virginia really becomes the highlight.. luckily I have one more old tin.. gonna try to let it go another 5 years and see what happens.. really happy that I let this age beyond 5 years without opening it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-12-01		Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

Well - All I can say is "Damn near blew my hat-off !" Fascinated by the reviews, I was intrigued to the point of wonder. Then by chance I was offered a few rolls to try. So home I scurried to enjoy later.Really interesting look... Rolled out very well... Odour from pouch or should that be pooch was odd to me !! Did someone do something nasty in the castle yard without telling me ???

In for a penny thought I, so packed and ready to go..

WHAM - ooo eeee.. Nic - o - tine city here we come.....

Obviously I am a novice - too strong for me - Set sail for milder seas !!!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SopwithCamel (255)	2006-09-19		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This stuff is worth trying, if only because of its long, illustrious history, and the novelty of handling these beautifully spun discs of tobacco. I have to smoke this carefully in relatively small pipes. I am not a huge fan of Perique, but I must admit, my tastes are changing, and it is growing on me. The less I rub this out, the more I like it.

A classic. It is part of any well rounded pipe smoker's education.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-02-02		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

I should say I tried this 5 years ago after hearing some good things about it. I bought a few tins to age it and also tried it new back then. Back then when I opened the tin, I thought it smelled like a hay ride. Then I smoked and thought it tasted and smelled like burning hay. I simply hated it and wondered if all its supporters thought burning hay was a good thing.

Recently I found my old tins of this. I had completely forgotten that I had them and when I found them, I intended on selling them on ebay but one of the tins kept calling me to open it and try it again. When I opened the tin, I noticed the disks had turned to a deep brown. I remembered them being gold. The hay smell was still there but so was a sweetness. I loaded it into a newer Castello and had a go. At first, it's nothing. Then a few puffs into it, the sweetness hit me, followed by a mild pepperyness from what I gather is from the Perique. I was actually enjoying this! This is the most radical change from aging I have ever experienced with a tobacco! Certainly my tastes have changed but my other tobaccos haven't changes this radically. It got hot and wet when I puffed to hard but keeping it steady produced a nice mellow smoke. It's definately a "sipping" tobacco. It's a very good tobacco without being the holy grail of smokes. It has made me want to try more Virginias, which is the last bastion of tobacco types I have yet to delve in.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Danno (106)	2004-06-14		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I first tried Escudo in 1997, via a friend with a dozen or so tins which had been curing in his cellar for the better part of a decade. Unfortunately, I was much caught up in "English" tobaccos and hardly remember giving this a whirl. Recently, via another friend, I smoked half a tin of the A.C.Petersen version which had been cellared for about 1 year. My initial smoke impression was not memorable. Tasted and smoked like a weaker and less interesting version of St. Bruno. However, I did persist, and in a virginia pipe, Escudo is a complex and flavorful experience. I will acquire a few tins to smoke and store, and will post the updated results as events warrant. June/04--As promised, an update. I have been smoking Escudo regularly(ACP version) and am enamored of this blend. It burns well, has a goodly amount of nico and tastes wonderfull right to the heel. Buy some.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2003-10-02		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have reviewed Dunhill Delux Navy Rolls separately here, which is akin to this blend. The main difference is that Dunhill's reportedly is blended/aged with some scotch or wiskey, making it smell sweeter and smoke somewhat rounder right off the shelf.

But there is nothing wrong with this A&C version, if you like virginia/perique blends. If you don't, you just won't get it. This is naturally sweet red virginia with perique spead in the disks. It doesn't smoke all that sweet, especially if aged a couple of years (as the perique comes out more and aging darkens the disks), but the richness, roundness, and body of the virginia is unmistakenly there, aided by the perique for a small measure of strength. Out of a new tin, it doesn't quite have the dark side except near the finish.

Packs best for me by rolling a disk and a half in a cylinder and stopping it lengthwise ("stuffing" but not hard) down into a medium bowl. Burns steady, fairly dry for a flake type (maybe need one pipe cleaner), and rich but not heavy tasting. Room and tin aroma not as good as Dunhill's. The more you rub or break it up, the stronger it may taste. No bite noticed unless you puff fast or rubb out too much.

As I reported elsewhere, some smokers of the original (pre-'97) version of Escudo have said they couldn't tell much difference with the revived version. Others found the revived version to be milder and have less perique. What I read is that the newer version has the perique more uniformly blended/spread in the disks; the original had small clumps of it in unevenly in the disks -- giving one a sudden kick or "hit" of perique. Not mild. Well, I never tried the original, but I like the new versions (A&C or Dunhill's modification) just fine. I don't have to be slapped (!) by a blend to know it's interesting.

Recommended to va./perique fanciers who can tolerate handling a disk or flake. If you're lazy or just plain like it easier, go to something ribbon cut like Dorchester (which is stonger and sweeter) or Fox's virginia/perique blend (a little darker but not as strong as Dorchester).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Paddy (127)	2003-07-18		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

This tobacco has been one of my very favorites for a good many years. I do not have an old tin of the COPES version on hand to compare to, so I will confine myself to the A&C Petersen version. The tobacco comes in disks about the size of a half dollar, swirls of dark medium & gold tobacco. If left in an opened tin for a few days the tobacco becomes progressively darker until it turns a very dark brown. Freshly opened, it has that funky/cocoa smell of Perique combined with the sweet/sour aroma of fermented apples and reminds me of the after taste I get from Tempranillo wine from the Rioja. I roll out each disk to loosen the tobacco before packing; this seems to work best for me. In a freshly opened tin, the tobacco is a tad too moist and burns a bit sharpish at the initial light. When the tobacco is a little dryer it starts out smooth right from the start. I reserve a Ser Jacopo Picta 13 just for Escudo, and I find that smoking Va./Periques in the smaller bowl best captures the flavor. The smoke is mild with no bite. Each sip offers that winey tang of Perique and Red Virginia together with the toastiness of Brown. The flavor remains constant throughout the smoke but gradually becomes more intense as the experience develops. About half way down the bowl, Escudo never fails to hit the zone; the smoke is warm and luscious in the way Perique can stimulate the palate. It burns all the way to a gray ash with very little tending, and even when it is fresh, it does not smoke wet. In the past six months I have smoked the Dunhill version, and I detect no difference between the two. This is a classic. Together with Three Nuns(in the tin) and Luxury Navy Flake, it ranks in the first tier of Va./Perique blends. Most highly recommended for the Perique lover. Paddy.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flint (30)	2003-05-21		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable to Strong

I have to agree with many other reviewers this was kind of a let down. Not really a great tasting tobacco. I tried it because it was said this is a right of passage tobacco, but so was puberty and I'll never want to go through that again. In my humble opinion Haddos delight is the one to go with when your wanting a virginia/perique blend. Also the virginias in this are not sweet at all, felt like I smoked cigarettes after I was done with a bowl.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	OSR (78)	2003-04-06		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This tobacco (oddly enough) is underrated.

When A&C Peterson brought the blend back I was very skeptical. I bought a tin, smoked it all and put the rest of the tins up.

Today I wanted to try it and pulled a tin out of the cellar. Now, this tin is 6 years old. Upon opening the tin I was amazed at how dark the tobacco had gotten - it was brown and black, all the "yellows" were gone.

I took two coins and put them on a tray in the garage and let them sit for about 30 minutes to dry.

I took coin one, "folded it up into a ball" and put this into the bowl of a very nice Barbi. I then took the other coin and rubbed it out fully and packed this over the folded/ball.

When I lit the tobacco I could taste how refined this blend had become. The 'woody' taste of the yellow virginias had mellowed with age and the Perique was much more pronounced than it had been years ago when I smoked it.

This tobacco is delicious!!

The smoke was consistent all the way down and the result was a whitish/grey ash and very little dottle. At no time did the perique outbalance the virginia, the tobaccos were in harmony all the way down the bowl.

So, get a few tins of this and stash it away. If you can hold out for 6 years, the wait is well worth it. Wonderful!!

When I heard that A&C Peterson was no longer going to make this blend I bought 20 tins. The rumor that I heard turned out to be false but I need to order more and let it sit. My patience was paid off in full.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BostonPipe (84)	2002-12-18		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

After years of cajoling by my Pipe Buddies, I finally tried this blend. Being a fan of Three Nuns, I was interested to see if this blend would be similiar. Er, not exactly. This is a blend that I found I need to be totally conscious of while smoking it. Being a smoker that tends to begin fast and then slows down after a few minutes, this can have undesirable effects with this blend. Fast Puffer Beware! As with other disc-blends, I stacked them then rubbed out several for the lighting process, it did need one false light and tamp. This blend has a consistent flavor the length of the bowl. I find it a little rough around the edges as opposed to Three Nuns, especially if over-heated. A nice overall smoke. To many, this is a "right of passage" smoke

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pxi106 (18)	2002-12-11		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Hooplah surrounds this blend, it being the holy grail of many old time smokers. You know, the tobacco the 2000 year old man used to smoke back in the days before baggy pants and punk haircuts and when a car looked like a car, not a freaking jelly bean. When one of the old timers starts in about the glories of Gallaher's Escudo and the shortcomings of Petersen's, I usually make for the door as respectfully as I can.

This tobacco has possibilities for me, but little else. The first half smokes nicely, with a dark pruny sweetness and mild spice. That is, before it burns the hell out of my tongue.

The second half gets even hotter. At least it does before the perique kicks in and completely anaesthetizes my mouth.

To sum it up, I find myself reaching for this blend believing each time that THIS time it's going to be great--and each time I smoke it I go numb. I try to like it, but I usually use it to punish myself when I've been bad.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2002-11-14		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I wonder if I ought to add yet another review of Escudo; my enthusiasm and fondness for this blend override common sense and so here you go...

I was a steady consumer of the Gallaher's version of this blend, and as I'm down to my last four tins, I figured that I had better find out if I like the Danish version.

In a word: yes. I like it very much. The original presentation of the rolls has been preserved; I still smile with delight when I open a tin...simply gorgeous! My first bowl of the Danish version had me on pins and needles, and I thought I had detected a slightly lighter, grassier note, but I haven't noticed it since. It still provides a piquant, ever so slightly sweet, clean Virginia taste, with the wonderful "take it or leave it" perque pepper always present. It is a pure, refreshing, yet quite strong blend that I seem to enjoy, no matter the season, or what I'm doing while smoking. Do try it; be prepared to be enraptured or enraged, depending upon your taste.

I won't get to deeply into comparison of English versus Danish...my memory says that they're very much the same. And any Gallaher tin I would open now, for comparison's sake, is, obviously, quite aged...dark rolls dusted with sugar crystals...this is a blend made for cellaring like no other!

I would, as you might imagine, like to smoke this every day, making it, by the criteria here, a four star blend. But. In Canada, a tin costs thirty dollars. So it's set aside for special occasions. Wise man says: if you like a blend, buy all you can, it will never get cheaper!

Updating the rating, long overdue, to four stars, reflecting the change in how stars are awarded.

Age When Smoked: From new to over twenty-five years old

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stogie (26)	2002-10-13		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Just finishing up a tin of this much debated tobacco. As a self professed lover of all things Perique, I had very high expectations for this blend, and after picking up an aged tin at the 2002 NASPC show, I patiently waited to finish off my open tins of other VA & VA/Perique flakes so that I could devote my undivided attention to Escudo.

Visual: Without a doubt, one of the most attractive forms of tobacco I have ever seen. Opening the tin revealed an array of tobacco disks composed of mainly dark brown tobacco with streaks of black and even more streaks of gold interspersed. My tin had an abundance of tiny sugar crystals dusting the disks as well.

Texture: My tin was just a bit on the dry side, so that the disks tended to crumble as I would rub them out. However, I did not feel the need to add humidity.

Pack/Pipe: Smoked this cut into small pieces, rough rubbed, and fully rubbed out. Although the cut "chunks" seemed to provide a bit more flavor, I usually smoked this fully rubbed out. Gravity fed with a few taps and very lightly packed seemed to give me the most consistent burn. I smoked this tobacco in almost my entire rotation of VA pipes. It really stood out in the smaller Ashtons (xx), and wasn't too bad in a very small Comoy Rockroot. It did not taste as good in my larger pipes.

Lighting/Burn: On match to char (long charring light), and one to achieve an outstanding burn. (Usually to the bottom, or maybe one additional match to finish. Maybe the best burn characteristics of any tobacco I've ever smoked! Smoked relatively dry for me, and never really got too hot. (I did experience burn-out for the first time with this tobacco in a Stanwell Bamboo, but I think that was due to the pipe, not the tobacco heat).

1st 3rd: Starts with some VA tang, and a stewed fruit taste that remains throughout the bowl. Somewhat sweet and pleasant, but light. Burn at a slightly above average speed, but remember I pack this very loose.

2nd 3rd: Loses most of the tang at this point, and the sweetness is dark, not sugary. Stewed fruit remains. Notice some nicotine strength here.

Final 3rd: Not much sweetness here, but just a bit of VA sharpness with the stewed fruit aftertaste. Once in a while it got a little ashy here, but usually just burned to the bottom leaving a fine grey ash. Nice nicotine kick.

Notes: I really was hoping that this would knock my socks off. Unfortunately, it just never had "enough" of what I was looking for. Everyone should try this, and I may return to it sometime in the future, but it will not become a regular.

Stogie rating: 6 Mild Macanudos

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JClark (26)	2002-10-07		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I have to say that the first time I smoked this classic I was a little disapointed. Not because it isn't good, because this is one tobacco that stands out, I just expected a little more from such a famed tobacco(though I have not smoked the original version). This is a truly beautiful tobacco upon openning the tin, coins arranged so carefully, almost as if done by hand. The scent is nothing but fine tobacco.

I've always had a bite problem with this one, I must be very well behaved when smoking it so I don't over-puff. This tobacco has one of the best tobacco tastes (at times) that I have ever encountered.

This blend grew on me over time. It started as a disapointment, and grew into an occasional smoke. It should be noted that I generally prefer english blends and only smoke va's and va/p's in the summer months (generally).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2002-09-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought a tin of this blend because of the reputation of the blend. Then I read that the original Cope's blend was exceptional, but the current ACP blend wasn't quite there. I have never tried the old Cope's blend, so I can't compare it. The tin sat around for about eight months when I finally noticed the poor can laying there looking lonely.

Opening the tin, you are greeted by a well-arranged circular stack of coins (sliced rope) about an inch and a half in diameter, colored light brown to dark brown, with flecks of blond.

Rolling the coins, about three to a smaller sized bowl, results in a well packed pipe. Escudo lights and smokes easily, releasing a very pleasing flavor and a cool to medium temperature smoke. Puffing easily brings out a delicious Virginia sweetness that is accentuated by the Perique. This is good tobacco burning. My many bowls have burned cleanly to the bottom of the bowl with a steady flavor all the way down. This is what I want from a Virginia / Perique blend - a flavorful slightly sweet smoke that really shines in smaller pipes, like an Ashton XX or a group 2 - 3 size bowl. Hitting the bottom of the first "trial" tin was a sad experience, redeemed only buy getting 12 more tins. I will cellar some of this blend, I never want to run out again.

Escudo is on my "A" list of top smokes. I hope it remains available!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2002-01-24		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Not sure what all the fuss is on this one . I like it and all , but I'm not crying because it's not being imported to the US any longer . It has a high nicotine hit for me and is best as a sit down smoke . The flavors are nice and right along with my 3 nuns cravings . Still , there are , for me , several tobaccos that will fit the bill as well as this one when I get the urge for perique .

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pie Eyed Piper (22)	2022-12-01		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Total bliss ! I love this Va/Per ! Sweet, plum and raisin flavors, rich and satisfying. Cool smoking, nice sweet natural aroma, awesome side streams. This is pure pleasure. Burns clean no goop. Sweet, tangy, rich is the best description. You won't be disappointed.

Pipe Used: Peterson 107

Age When Smoked: New to 5 years aged

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

Similar Blends: Orlik golden, PS luxury bullseye flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GeoffS (29)	2022-06-06		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I can tell this is a quality blend. The virginia and perique are perfectly balanced. Not too much spice, but not too little. Presentation is amazing, and loading into the pipe is an experience in itself. The bowl burned clean, cool, and consistent. However, I found the experience somewhat thin. I struggled to find the depth in the Virginias. Maybe this one is too young and will benefit from some aging? Will definitely tuck this away and revisit. Update: Returned to this after going on a VaPer exploration and had to upgrade my rating to 4 stars. There's a workmanlike quality to this tobacco that I really appreciate - what I originally thought was "thin" is better expressed as "delicate" after more reflection and experience sampling different VaPers. Balance is a word that comes to mind. It's just a great benchmark blend to come back to and recalibrate. Every time I revisit I appreciate it more as one of my absolute favorites.

Age When Smoked: 6 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jason N (5)	2021-11-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin smells of figs, raisins and hay with its distinctive 'coins' laid out in a spiral. A bit moist but completely ready to smoke with a quick rub. This is truly the benchmark VaPer that folks have lauded in the past and does not disappoint. My top 5 of all time and never out of my rotation.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Bent Billiard

Age When Smoked: New from tin

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bumble (65)	2021-11-04		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	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. I found I really like virgina, so wanted to try this. Opening the tin, what I smelled was hay. The tobacco taste was extremely good, I really didn't taste the perique but I am now going to try more VaPers! I did not have any tounge-bite with this blend.

Pipe Used: Nording Signature Black Freehand

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2021-10-27		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I put this one off for a long time. I should have tried it before the prices started getting to the point they are now.

My tin was fresh. Date coded for Sept 2021. The tin aroma is stewed fruit with a little tang.

Overall flavor profile is sugary sweet with some bread notes from the virginia's. The perique is there but not very noticeable. Just a very sight earthiness and even less of a mustiness. Also I pick up on that stewed fruitiness that I get in the tin aroma. No tongue bite but it can steam my mouth if not given at least a 30 minute drying time. I do find it smokes better if rubbed out versus folded and stuffed.

Overall a nice blend. If it wasn't for the price, I would definitely consider this an all day blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Amarelo (25)	2020-08-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first experience with Vapers.. Already familiar with Sunday Picnic which is more of a "Va-Turk". Seen people saying the Periques are not that present, not for me, I ve sensed a lot of pepper and little sweetness. Despite the very smooth mild smoke, almost like water vapour in it's consistency, Escudo displays a deep sense of complexity. I'm giving it a 3 stars because now I'm certain that I'm not a Virginia guy.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Milton Blumquist (3)	2020-02-07		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Beautiful presentation of perfectly spun coins circling the tin. Deep tangy red Virginia aroma complimented by Perique fruitiness. Easily portioned and rubbed to fit your favorite pipes. It’s sweet, spice, and everything nice. A staple of most Vaper lovers, for good reason. It’s a true benchmark blend. I’ve smoked it aged, I’ve smoked it new, and I’ve smoke a lot of tins. It’s always great. If I had to narrow my cellar to one Vaper, this would be it.

Pipe Used: Many

Age When Smoked: Various

Purchased From: Everywhere

Similar Blends: Many emulate, but few duplicate (DNR is close)..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bruche (17)	2020-01-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant

High ratings for a reason. A staple Virginia/Perique tobacco. Very satisfying and always consistent from tin to tin. I can’t imagine not having this in my rotation. Love this tobacco👍

Pipe Used: Italians.

Purchased From: Cupojoes, Mars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Indianapolis (49)	2019-12-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Who can complain? It's a really good middle-of-the-road Va/Per.

The tin note is slightly sweet, but in a natural lovely way. The flakes rub down easily, and its not overly moist even fairly fresh. It smokes long and cool, has a nice pepper, a mild sweetness, a little fruit, a little hay.... Fine! The perique stands out with a little nose tingle, but doesn't overwhelm. You could smoke this every day without fail.

Personally, I don't tend to pick this mixture daily when I'm in the mood for a VA/Per. There are other VA/Pers out there that are more distinctive -- Bayou Morning for that big tobasco kick, Chenet Cake for its odd creaminess and popcorn notes, Bluegrass for the cigar leaf condiment. Thus, I'm saying three stars FOR ME. BUT, if those outlier notes don't appeal to you, and you're looking for something more traditional in your VA/Per, I haven't found a better middle-ground option, and it's probably four stars for that smoker. God bless subjectivity....

Pipe Used: Briars and Clays

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 3 mo

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jedibastard (37)	2019-09-10		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Ive had this tin since 2012...smoked a bowl....didnt understand the hype, jarred it, and forgot about it. As i sit here with it loaded in my Freddy Prieto pipe, i now see why its a favorite among many pipers. The coins are a deep brown with little black streaks here and there. Smells of raisins and wet grass. Rubs out perfectly and loads even better. Sweet. Grassy. Zesty. And just enough spice from the perique to keep me interested. Theres a little tartness to it....maybe sour? In a good way of course. Gets a little "eggy" if pushed...but i tend to puff fast. Im an English smoker, and i always found Virginia dominate/pure Virginia blends pretty bland. But i really enjoy Navy De Luxe! Like...alot actually.

Pipe Used: Freddy Prieto

Age When Smoked: 7yrs

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BrokenRecord (124)	2019-06-11		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Escudo: The Spice of Life

The tobacco is mostly made up of a variety of bright and reddish-brown Virginia leaf. They are fairly sweet with a pervading grassy undertone that adds some crisp edges to the smoke instead of the earthy or tangy side of the Virginia spectrum. The perique is quite nice, offering just enough spicy wonderfulness to set me straight and some subtle fruit flavors.

While I like Escudo, I prefer the earthier Dunhill De Luxe Navy Rolls.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KingDuncan83 (25)	2019-04-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my absolute favorite VaPer! In my opinion it is by which all the rest are judged! This is my all time favorite! Get ya some!

Pipe Used: Cobbs and briars

Age When Smoked: New to 1 year

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

Similar Blends: PS luxury navy flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2019-04-17		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Escudo is still one of the biggest sellers of tinned tobacco in the world today & those of us who like it understand why. I'm not going to waste time explaining the smoking characteristics, tastes & subtle nuances of Escudo as it's all been well covered by many more brothers of the briar who are far more experienced in sampling tobacco flavors than I. For me, it 's much simpler... I either like it or I don't & the reason/reasons why matter not to me. Escudo is the sweetest & number one VA/Per in my rotation.

I bought a roll of the vintage Copes version of A & C Petersen Escudo... you know, the stuff in the smaller tins but of the same weight. It was ten years old when I purchased it about ten years ago for a hundred dollar bill & needless to say, it was sublime. I didn't have enough sense at the time to put any aside and because it tasted so good & mellow, what did I do? That's right! Smoked it all up in no time... seemed like it only took about two or three weeks to burn it all up. I think back what they might be worth today... priceless! I still had several new tins in the cellar, so, I really did a number on the old stuff.

Pipe Used: Peterson 11S Deluxe, Peterson 9S Deluxe

Age When Smoked: Some 20 year old, other old & fresh tins...

Purchased From: Pipestud's Consignment Shop, P & C

Similar Blends: Deluxe Navy Rolls, Medallion Flakes, Stokkebye Bull's Eye.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Badmedicine (51)	2019-04-14		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Hmm... So this is Escudo. I'll admit to a certain amount of embarrassment that it's taken me so long to try "The King of VaPers", but my usual MO is to dive deep into the deep end first, and Wade back into the shallows at my leisure, if at all. Maybe this colored my perception a bit; this didn't impress me much. To me, this is the Montecristo White of VaPers, notable for it's consistency, reliability, and ubiquitous availability, if not for great complexity. I prefer a much higher percentage of perique and darker shades of Virginias. Not to say that this is bad, not at all. This could easily become my all-day smoke, and I'd like to always have some at hand for when I want a well-behaved smoke I don't have to give much attention to. The Virginias have a nice grassy, citrus, honey-nut character, and the Perique is noticeable, if a bit anemic for my jaded palate. I see the appeal of this, but it just plays it too safe for me; no tidal wave if spice like Chenet's Cake, no deep bass notes like Cajun Kake, no dark-fired funk like 5 O' Clock Shadow. It is what it is, and it IS good. Folded and stuffed into a small bowl (or two, for a larger bowl) it burns to fine Ash without fuss, keeping a consistently pleasant flavor without bite, and leaving a rather attractive room note. It's just not "Wild" enough for my tastes. This would, however, he an outstanding introduction to VaPers.

Pipe Used: Big Ben Pipo, Peterson 999, Savinelli 320KS

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: S.G Roi Tobacconist (B&M)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pi'd Piper (11)	2019-03-26		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Full disclosure: I am new to pipe smoking.

Virginias in this blend are dominant. Mostly mildly sweet hay notes, which go a little bit sour (almost an oriental sour) as it gets to the bottom half of the bowl, and particularly when you smoke it cool. The perique is very noticeable on the retrohale and provides a darker, richer sweetness. If you've ever had Paul Prudhomme's blackened muffins recipe, it reminds me vaguely of that flavor and surreptitious natural sweetness. The nic hit was a 2 out of 5.

Mechanically, I tried folding and stuffing and rubbing out, and the latter smoked better. Lights easily with a typical number of relights. Not an aggressive tongue biter, but pace it. Easy to smoke cool. Left a fair bit of moisture in the bowl

Room note was very mild and pleasant, and dissipates more quickly than other VaPers I've tried. Aftertaste is pleasant, but mild. Overall, 3.5 out of 4. Personally, I prefer H&H Viprati.

Pipe Used: Falcon Int'l with briar Dublin bowl

Age When Smoked: 2 months

Purchased From: Tobaccopipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Earthmane (11)	2019-03-23		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Mouthwateringly tangy and naturally sweet. A bit of grass and hay from the Virginias, raisins and plums from the perique. Savory sun-dried tomato. A little spicy. (Side note: does NOT pair well with coffee.)

Pipe Used: Savinelli 311ks

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill Navy Rolls, PS Luxury Bullseye Flake.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleJon (2)	2019-03-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I’m a bit biased here because this is one of my top three pipe tobacco blends. To me, Escudo is the perfect VaPer. Enough perique for you to know it’s there, adding good peppery spice to the very nice, bready Virginia. I’ve got several tins simmering in the cellar and can’t wait to see what age does to this excellent blend. Front porch swing, a nice IPA, baseball on the radio, and a pipe full of Escudo is just perfect.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Bing's Favorite

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: tobaccopipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HeavyMetalPiper (64)	2019-03-11		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

It smells like a VaPer, sweet, fruity, like a raisiny fermenty type of sweetness. The taste did not do much for me at all, and given the reputation (even this iteration) I was quite surprised. I tried different packing, different pipe material, even different ages, and it was the same each time. It was not bad, but when there are VaPers that would be preferable at the same price but cost about half of what escudo does, it's hard to justify this one. It could be worth a try as many find this to be a top quality blend, but don't expect it to knock your socks off.

You can view my video review of this blend here:

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Bent Diplomat Apple

Age When Smoked: 8 Months, New

Purchased From: Smoking Pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mark81253 (18)	2019-03-09		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Dear Lord this is wonderful. A Vaper for Vaper heads and I'm a Vaper head. Tangy, sharp full flavored, a real "snorter" the exhilaration it gives me when I exhale it out the old snot blower. That has to be one of the best sensations you can have. A blast of olfactory spice and fiery tingle that I can't seem to get enough of, but this one gives it the old college try. A straight forward Virginia flavor on the aggressive side and the pungency of the Perique married to perfection in beautiful coins which rub out nicely to a mix that packs easily and burns evenly with little relights in my experience. I like it that way. I'm not a folder and jammer.

If Vapers are your thing this blend needs to be your thing. It will tantalize and please your smoking senses. If perhaps you have not tried it you need to. This is a backbone of my tobacco smorgasbord. Many kudos to STG.

Pipe Used: Carey's

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mikefu (20)	2019-03-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Sweet, tangy, raisins with oats and hay at the beginning, and bright fruitiness that transitions to dark fruit richness as the bowl progresses. Very mild pepper from the Perique, with a few hints of marzipan toward the bottom of the bowl. Easy to prep and light, I just roll the coins into a ball and place them in the bowl loosely. Does need a bit of drying time, as it ships moist. While I prefer Dunbar and Dorchester, Escudo is in my top 5 VaPer blends and a true classic.

Pipe Used: Various Briars

Age When Smoked: 6 months

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rustedrailsmokes (293)	2019-02-16		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

One of the classics that has earned that reputation.

I've gotten to sample older samples of Escudo which are like candy but today I'm going to review a new production tin which I opened this weekend.

Even with the dumb warning label, the tin label remains classic. Slipping a coin under to get a wonderful pop of a well sealed tin, I open it with anticipation. Underneath is the wrapper with the traditional cardboard disk underneath. I remove the disk and give it a sniff. It's a combination of sweet Virginia and spicy Perique which to my nose is sort of a fruitiness of stewed prunes or even almost a port smell.

Inside the tin is a stack of of twirled coins. Each coin is dark getting the darkest in the middle. They are consistent and in my tin there were almost no pieces of broken coins. I pick two off the top for my smoke.

The great thing about these coins is the choice of smoking techniques. In a bigger bowl, you can fold them carefully and stuff as is. You can also shred the coin into its components for use in smaller bowls.

For this smoke, I stuffed two coins into the bowl of my Morgan Blackjack Churchwarden. I sprinkled the top with a few splinters to help light it. A charring light let it expand. After tamping back down, a single light got it going good.

The taste is a combination of sweet and spicy. The smoke is creamy and full. Retrohaling allows me to pick up the same fruity notes I smelled. It burns great without much tending and it is one of those smokes I hope never ends. Its consistent through the bowl as the folded flakes burn through. When it hits a section of perique the pepper level increases but is not overwhelming at all. The nicotine level to me is about perfect. Not overpowering at all, but there is enough there to know you are smoking.

Escudo lives up to the hype and really is a class standard for VaPer to me. I'll always have a jar open in my rotation and I look forward to opening my cellared tins over the years to enjoy the additional aging. But even a brand new tin is a treat not to be missed.

Pipe Used: Morgan Blackjack

Age When Smoked: Fresh from Tin

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

Similar Blends: Peter Stokkebye - Luxury Bullseye Flake (No. 403), Mac Baren - Three Nuns Green.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Voyaging (80)	2019-02-10		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The tin note is sour, kind of musty, and somewhat grassy. There is a bit of a sweet fruit smell, but that may be from pectin, or from a topping (to me). There are some red fruit notes that remind me of strawberry, raspberry, sometimes plumb skin. There is a wine-like flavor and sourness that comes in and out as well. There are honey, bread, and cereal notes. There is a pepperiness that comes in and out, and something fermented. The closest thing I could think of is Belgian beer like St. Bernardus Abt 12, which has a fermented, kind of sour taste, with some fruit notes. The strength I would put at medium, along with the taste. It's a tasty blend. I enjoyed it most smoking it in winter months in New York (USA) and Ontario (CAN). When I first tried this blend it was during a summer and I could not understand the hype around it.

I have tried a lot of blends, and a lot of Virginia Perique blends, and this is one of the best tobaccos I have tried of any category. It is reliable, produced with consistency, availability is not an issue, the combustion is great, and the flavor delivers. It is a satisfying mixture. If you like Virginia Perique mixtures, I think you should try this one. You can't go wrong. If you have a different Virginia Perique mixture that is your favorite, this is still worth trying. It's a great measuring tool if you are looking to try other mixtures of the same type.

When it comes down to choosing between Escudo Navy Deluxe and Dunhill Navy Rolls, I advise you to smoke a tin of each blend and you will figure out which one you like more. They are similar, but I do not believe them to be the same.

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Similar Blends: Dunhill Navy Rolls/Deluxe Navy Rolls, Samuel Gawith - Cabbie's Mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Briar Piper (89)	2018-11-27		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Extra Strong

Reminds me vaguely of dunhill flake in taste. Has a really foul room note to a nonsmoker. The perique is not the spicy type but rather the fermented type, has a tinge of the taste of dirt common to vapers (but absent in some such as st. James flake) which detracts from my rating. Make sure to smoke this one out doors, as the aroma won't win you any friends. It is a great tobacco for a walk and for that reason I will keep a tin around on occasion, but it doesn't spark my interest for a regular smoke. I much prefer bullseye flake or flake medallions for this type of thing, due to the added cavendish. But I don't usually smoke vapers, prefering english blends, and lakelands or aromatics.

Pipe Used: cobs

Similar Blends: Luxury bullseye flake, dunhill navy rolls, flake medallions.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	KrzysD (24)	2018-11-26		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I very much enjoyed this blend. The presentation is the first thing i notice when you open the tin , a tightly packed spiral of medallions so nicely packed that it makes you aware that someone cares about this product. The blend itself pushed me to explore the genre further

1 person found this review helpful.