Tobaccos James Fox - Campanile

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2008-08-08		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Tolerable

(Original review: 03/04/2003):

This is the second Fox I have tried, and just as with Provost, this one has instantly become a favourite of mine. If anything, this tobacco proves that Orientals need not be harsh or rasping to provide a very tasty, refined and subtle flavour, and when skilfully combined with the proper Virginias, produce something very close to an all day smoke.

Campanile (an Italian word meaning bell tower, the one in the bright red tin depicting that of Trinity College, Dublin) is an apparently simple mixture of mild Virginias and Oriental leaf, mainly Turkish, with no Latakia or dark Cavendish. The quality of the Virginian leaf used here is quite similar to the ones used in some Dunhill mixtures (especially in Standard Mixture Medium and London Mixture), which means that their sweetness is not sugary, but more natural and subtle. In turn, the Turkish provides a very tangy and slightly sour undertone which, combined with other condimental leaf, produce a mellow yet flavoursome smoke, similar to Early Morning or Skiff, without the Latakia.

However, as you indulge in the fresh tartness of this blend, the interplay between Orientals and Virginias gathers strength, and becomes a livelier tobacco than the other two. It burns cool and clean, and the natural taste of the leaf pleasantly lingers on for a while. IMO this an excellent tobacco to start the day with, especially if planning to carry on smoking stronger Orientals later on. It is great with a cup of black coffee, just after breakfast, and prepares the scenario, and the mood, for more adventurous English blends. As with Provost, my only objection to this blend is the high degree of moisture in the tin. But airing for a couple of days solves the problem.

UPADTE:

I regret to inform on the demise of the much beloved Campanile. Gone is the distinguished bright-red covered tin, and gone is that exquisite and delicate blend of Virginias and Orientals. What we are now being offered is a very bland and innocuous blend.

It is so similar to the current version of Early Morning Pipe, that I?d swear it is now being produced by Orlik. I recently ordered some from Martin MacGahey, in Exeter, G.B., thinking I would still find some last tins of the original Fox. When I wrote to him afterwards, he told me he thought Campanile is now being produced by Kohlhase and Kopp, in Germany.

It may be. But if so, this stuff has NOTHING to do with the previous version. It?s not that this blend is bad, but it simply isn?t Campanile.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2003-10-09		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This has the same scrumptiouso red Virginia ooomph of the delicious DORISCO, but instead of the zany Périque edge of that wonderful blend, this beauty is suffused in a cushiony cloud of glorious-smelling Orientals. This is what the word aromatic meant before it was usurped by the candy-smokers: the fabulous perfume of Turkish tobaccos.

As in any Balkanic blend, the beginning was a bit rough. The Virginia was a bit cutting, too. But it soon settled into a truly chimærical, smooth, marvelously and truly mild smoke, meaning that it was gently but exceptionally flavourful.

First-rate Virginia & Orientals mixes are rare, and rarely do they have the delicate power of this.

The room note and sidestream richness of this blend are wonderful. (If you love, as I do, the smell of Orientals...)

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	O'Confrère (40)	2014-02-25		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Until about 15 years ago Campanile was one of my go-to blends. A remarkable and delicious concoction of turkish and virginia, it delivered every bowl and was tasty at any time of day or night. I have just opened a tin from the '90's and enjoyed a wave of nostalgia at the familiar whif of the sweetly sour leaf, the sourness of fermentation (!), an honest smell that is almost impossible to find these days. The mixed ribbon cut burned beautifully, relatively quickly yet cool and without bite, delectable from tin aroma to grey ash. This Campanile has gone the way of the many. If you are looking for something similar today, try Compton's Reserve No. 21. Although it has a smidgen of Latakia it is an excellent alternative and, even fresh out of the pouch, may be better than this well aged classic. The original Campanile: four stars (plus). The current version: two.

Age When Smoked: ca. 15 years, maybe more

Similar Blends: Compton's Reserve No. 21.

9 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A. Morley (97)	2006-09-01		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Very Pleasant

Campanile managed to secure a perception that I have been carrying around for years. This is that Latakia is over rated. Here is an English blend that is the best tasting English blend I have ever smoked and it has little to no Latakia, depending upon whom you ask. The combination of light Virginias and various sorts of Turkish make for a blend that tastes meaty and toasted and simply wonderful at any time of the day.

I get the impression that Latakia was once a mere component in the whole range of blending for the pipe, and only in recent years became a genre in itself. Why should it be the end all, be all of this style of blending when Campanile and other fine mixtures of old manage to do such amazing things without relying upon it?

One warning is that this much Turkish leaf can burn hot if one is not careful. I wanted to smoke one pipe of Campanile after another, but would find my tongue becoming a bit sensitive over time.

Regards,

A. Morley Jaques

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3050)	2015-06-30		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

The Virginias are grassy with a touch of earth, and light tart and tangy citrus, woody notes. The Turkish is woody, earthy, herbal, vegetative, a little smoky, with a hint of butter and sourness as a strong competitive player. I detect a hint of smoky, woody, earthy Cyprian Latakia. The strength, nic-hit and taste levels are mild. Won't bite, and will smoke slightly warm only if you're puffing your brains out. Has a few small rough edges. A mildly creamy smooth smoke that burns at a moderate pace, clean and cool with a mostly consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste, and lightly stronger room note. Produces a good volume of smoke, though I don't recommend puffing like a steam engine. At times, it reminds me a little of Turkish cigarettes I have smoked, though I would not say this is cigarettish. An all day smoke that does well enough, but doesn't have a range of flavor or body to make the "must have" list.

-JimInks

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-08-03		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

White tinned version. There is definitely a small amount of black tobacco in this, which tastes and smells like latakia. Or maybe it's the type of latakia that supposedly isn't in Presbyterian Mixture - a sort of non-latakia latakia. All I know is that both blends taste faintly of latakia and leave a room note of latakia, not to mention the tin aroma. So if it's not latakia, it's doing a very believable impersonation.

I found this tobacco unmemorable. The virginias seemed moderately interesting and there was a wisp of muted orientals that showed up from time to time but the predominate flavor was latakia... not that it was very prominent at all. The trouble with this blend is that there was not much flavor at all. It was mainly the proverbial "warm air" smoke. I never got to smoke the original but I'm guessing it was a richer blend in the past. This is forgettable, and I intend to forget it now that I finished about 2/3 of the tin. The room note was decent but nothing to get excited over. Admittedly, I overpuffed a few bowls to get some flavor to develop and paid the price with a bit of tongue burn. When I puffed normally, there was very little flavor to be discerned. Recommended only to those who like very light-flavored tobaccos with no complexity or "color" to them. Not a bad tobacco by any means but certainly nothing I'd care to repeat when there are so many other more deserving blends.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-10-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Side by Side Comparison of Orcilla Mixture, Campanile and Original Oriental

I usually do not open multiple tins of tobacco at the same time of the exact same genre. But with the advent of Embarcadero, Yenidje Supreme and HH Vintage Virginia, all containing Virginia and Oriental leaf without latakia, I wanted to see how three ?classic? blends compared. Each has at least five years aging in the tin unopened. I do not have a tin of aged Cairo, or I would add it to the present review.

I laid out three mounds of leaf from each tin, equivalent to what would fill a very large pipe bowl and then some. As always for me, this is a test for the eyes, the nose, the fingers, the ears and mouth.

Orcilla Mixture: Color-wise, Orcilla is the overall lightest of the three. Mostly light browns and tans, with a few suspicious specks of dark leaf. Moisture content is just right, but there were more stems here than in the two others. There is a fermented nose in the tin and something very faintly smoky when I cup my hands around the tin and inhale through my nose very deeply. I am suspicious of Latakia, but am not confident.

Campanile: Darkest of the three and the reverse of Orcilla. The specks are the lighter leaf, while the remaining are medium browns to black. There are a few stems. There is something definitely smokey in the tin aroma, as with Original Oriental. This was noticeably moister of the three.

Original Oriental: Bright, black and brown in near equal proportions. The most visually interesting of three, but it is also the hardest to anticipate what it will be like smoking. Only a tiny stem. Moisture content is fine, but I smell something smoky, just like in Campanile. These are not supposed to have latakia, hmmm.

Cut: All three are a medium long ribbon cut, with Orcilla being much finer, followed by Campanile and then Original Oriental. All three are nice blends to handle, but will require care when loading due to the long leaf.

I decided on three of my best Virginia pipes for the test run, then one more whiff of Campanile and Original Oriental made me think better of it. I think they have Latakia. I will not put noticeable latakia or aromatized leaf in a pipe reserved for Virginia blends. I switched out two pipes for pipes used with very light English blends that had very little noticeable residual smell in the bowl. Orcilla loaded with ease, followed by Campanile. Original Oriental took more care. I used the Frank Method with each blend.

My notes on each blend as follows:

Orcilla.

First Bowl Impressions: Not a light-weight by any means, and deep, earthy, spicy flavors betray the lighter appearance of the unburned leaf. I do detect brighter leaf at times. There?s a definite tingle in mouth and nose, but no Latakia, which is a good thing in this case. The burn is exceptionally even, white and rapid. My experience says, ?Respect this or your tongue will get slapped.? That said, it was easy keeping this cool. There is flavor aplenty. ?Sipping? this carefully avoids the need for aggressive puffing. Since this develops somewhat down the bowl, I?ll give my impressions on the middle and last third of the bowl.

The second third of the bowl is when the flavor intensifies. It does not vary from one flavor to the other, except when a little ?something? arrives. This ?something? might be Perique. If you do not generally like blends with Orientals or Turkish leaf because they are harsh, sour or oppressively acrid, Orcilla will change your mind. The Turkish in Orcilla are as good as any I have smoked in any blend and better than most others.

Last half is about the same as the middle third, but a bit more intense. I also sense more Perique. Overall, a solid blend with no arias, but Orcilla is surprisingly fuller than I anticipated without being overwhelming in flavor or strength.

Ongoing Impressions with Orcilla: I keep reaching for this of the three being reviewed here. It gets better each time I smoke it. The balance is perfect, highlighting the Virginias by off-setting them with the mild Turkish. The blender has a palate for subtle, rich flavors that anyone could enjoy who likes flue-cured leaf or Oriental leaf. This is World-class blending indeed.

Campanile: First Bowl Impressions: Subtle, but definite Latakia at the match and throughout, with a surprise taste of non-descript topping. Campanile is a nice, refined mild-medium English, but not an Oriental blend or a ?spiced? Virginia. It really does not develop much down the bowl, but does burn beautifully, cleanly, coolly, and to a dry, slightly mottled white ash. If J.J. Fox were a tobacconist in my neighborhood, I would feel quite blessed with access to such quality (and to think of the blending houses the residents of Edinburgh, Dublin and London had access to, without forgetting Kendal or Jersey, is to sigh that a great era has passed). With the price per tin and solid competition readily available, I am not likely to purchase more. I can still recommend it because it is well crafted, just not a niche that needed filling in my rotation.

Ongoing Impressions: Truly a clean pipe, clean palate blend. The Virginia leaf is top-notch and just gets creamier the more I smoked it in the same pipe on repeated occasions. This is far more refined than my staple lighter English, EMP. If I could get this more reasonably priced, I would enjoy a tin now and then.

Update: Having quite a collection of Oriental blends without noticeable Latakia and being quite confident of the ability of blends to be rich, robust and exquisite without Latakia, Campanile has some Latakia in it (or some other smoke-cured Turkish leaf [wink, wink]). Holding an opened tin to my nose, it is smokey and there is noticeable dark brown tobacco, akin to lovely Syrian Latakia. Dorisco is allegedly a pure Virginia and perique blend, but what makes it here in the USA has Latakia in it. That said, Campanile has absolutely no black tobaccos!

Original Oriental:

Initial Impressions: This is more in the genre of Orcilla, but darker still, with that acrid taste for which Turkish leaf is renowned. Thankfully, it is not sour, bitter or bitey. Compared to Orcilla, this starts off strong, like an amusement park ride launched by catapult. Orcilla starts more like the walk before the jog before the run. Despite the instant ?pow,? Original Oriental is smooth enough. The thought occurs to me that Original Oriental borders balkanic. There might be a smidge of Latakia here, but much in the way it appears ghostly in Pease?s Fillmore. If there is perique, it is quite enigmatic. I think Original Oriental is more like McClelland?s Yenidje Supreme, just fuller-flavored, but not as refined.

Ongoing Impressions: This has merit by itself, and I really do enjoy its complexity and richness. If I smoke it back to back with Orcilla and Campanile, it is ?odd man out.? I think that this is because Original Oriental demands my attention, and I do not always want to think too much about the ?act of smoking.?

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-05-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Sadly, J.J. Fox in St James's London, my local tobacconist, now only appear to have four tobaccos that they still blend themselves; the remainder have been handed over to Kohlhase, Kopp.

Such was the destiny for Campanile. I must admit that the last time I smoked a tin was one I purchased in the shop in Grafton Street, Dublin; it was a red labeled tin. So when I purchased a few tins in London recently, without realising that Kohlhase had entered the arena, I was so dis-appointed that I brought back two un-opened tins for refund. Luckily, the manager happened to be in the shop at the time and as a long-standing customer, she spent an hour with me explaining the circumstances under which a complete transformation of their blends has been undertaken.

While I was reassured that the blending of my all-time favourite English oriental is still undertaken by them, and there are no plans, at present, to transfer blending to Kohlhase, there is a certain enevitably about the eventual loss of this great oriental that has been around since 1904.

today's Campinile is a different cut, a different aroma, a different flavour and an altogether different tobacco from the founding original: It is blended from medium cut virginian and Turkish leaf (no black at all); it's smooth and sweet to the last, but it lost its classic English character.

I reviewed as 'somewhat recommended' purely from a perspective that some, not familiar with the original blend, might still find it appealing, but be under no illusions - another classic English destined for the annals of history!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	beaupipe (102)	2008-11-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

This was genuinely disappointing. I missed out on the original, red-tinned, black-tobacco-free version of Campanile, so I can't compare my white-tinned version to that old standard. But I can say that this white-tinned version is just plain dull.

When I first popped the tin, I was greeted by a briny, olive-like aroma and I thought I was going to be in for a great ride. But after that promising start, the tobacco turned into...well...tobacco--neutral, dull, uninspired. It's very clean tasting, I suppose. But if tobacco had its neutral midpoint--the equivalent of distilled water on the pH scale--it would be this stuff.

It's easy to pack, lights and burns well, smokes cool, and I suspect that it will become my go-to tobacco for breaking in new pipes. No ghosts here. That's the only reason it reaches the "Somewhat Recommended" level.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	NEWMAN (306)	2008-01-08		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I normally prefer flake tobaccos vs. this, a ribbon cut, but gave it a try based on the high marks of others. The tin aroma is certainly Turkish and took me back to my early days of Gauloises cigarettes. However, the room aroma from this pipe tobacco is much better. Easy packing resulted in an effortless smoke without bite, condensation or hotness as long as puffed slowly. Although it has a clean taste, I found the Turkish influenece very intense, initally harsh and missed the normal sweetness of my regular VAs. However if you enjoy oriental smokes, this is worth a try.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ocelot79 (32)	2021-06-25		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

At last found a tobacco I like to smoke at the very end of the day; light enough, but still with that 'sophisticated' though satisfying flavour. Plenty of light creamy VA here but with only that delicate and airy Turkish to go with it - none of those heavy or bitter orientals. Makes lots of smoke and a fair bit of ash too. The nearest pipe smoking gets, or should get, to a decent Turkish cigarette, but with more weight. This one is a rarity; you can find 50 VA flakes and hundreds of 'English' with Latakia, but not yet in 40 yrs smoked much like it. Different, and thanks for being different!

Pipe Used: Good English briars

Age When Smoked: 3 yrs cellared

Purchased From: smokingpipes

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JAX619 (2)	2019-10-03		Very Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

As a fan of the sour/sweet/fermented McClelland Oriental No. 6 VaOri, I took a colleague's recommend and tried this blend. I'm disappointed. I was hoping for the sweet sourness of No. 6 but this tobacco didn't produce the desired result.

In fact, it tastes like it has a hint of Latakia in it, such that you leave the smoke with more of a sense of perfume than you do of the citrusy fermentation you'd expect out of a VaOri.

I couldn't pick up any hints of Virginia. The Orientals were there, but overwhelmingly so.

I feel like this tobacco is labeled as a VaOri as an aspiration and not a reality.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meerschaum Cob

Age When Smoked: Less than 1 year

Purchased From: Iwan Ries

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gentleman Zombie (729)	2017-02-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Wish I could've tried the old version because this one has less value than used toilet paper. Definitely has Latakia, in fact, in a cob it's about all I can taste. The only thing I get from the other two components is a funky tasting tang and a bare hint of sweetness. I can't say that I care for this one at all.

Mild to medium in body and taste. Can't detect any added flavorings unless it's the funk. Burns very well.

Pipe Used: MM Little Devil Cutty, Little Devil Acorn, Marcus

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2007-04-17		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I sure am glad I recently went back to this blend after a several year separation. It seems the leaf now employed is a bit more aged (as am I), but unlike me, the new maturity has produced a better product.

Campanile is soft and subtly sweet in a way one would expect from a Virginia/Oriental combination. Yet the exotic companion to the Virginia here is a cut above many other similar blends that I have tried. And, the room note is "to die for."

As one of the previous reviewers noted; a minor drawback to this blend is that is does have a tendency to heat up a bit. Puff slowly and surely you will be rewarded with as rich and creamy an Oriental taste as there is.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Aduana Taylor (30)	2021-04-26		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Nunca había fumado Campanile. Siguiendo las reseñas pensé encontrarme con algo parecido al Elizabhetan pero sin perique. Grande fue mi sorpresa cuando abrí la lata que compré hace unos meses. Tal vez tenga el paladar atrofiado pero lo que encontré es un mezcla inglesa suave, de esas que llamamos "orientales", como standard o presbiteriana. Los típicas hojas verdosas del tabaco oriental brillan por su ausencia y en contrapartida veo si, las carteristicas hebras negras de latakia que supuestamente no debiera tener. Moraleja, no digo que sea malo, digo que no es lo que dice ser.

Pipe Used: Bbb

Purchased From: 2020

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wild Man (3)	2020-05-18		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Strong

Nice enough blend but not for me. I enjoyed it initially, but quickly grew tired of it. Very little sweetness, leathery at first then sour notes predominate, and a bit too mild in nicotine for my liking

Towards the end of the tin I've been mixing it with latakia and cigar leaf to try and make it a bit more interesting and motivate me to finish it.

I don't usually smoke blends of this type, but when I do, Embarcadero is the standard by which I judge them and this falls way short of that in my opinion. As I said, not bad but not for me. I won't buy again.

Purchased From: M Cahill & Sons - Limerick, Ireland

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2082)	2020-05-17		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

James Fox - Campanile.

Hmmmm., confusing. Because, it isn't exactly congruent with the description! C'est la vies!

I'm unsure about my tin's age as there's no date stamp but because the paper lining and cap are well stained with oils I prejudicate it has a good few years on it! 'Absolutely NO black tobaccos'? Well, that's quite a specious description seeing as mine contains a few black pieces! The aroma's musty, indicative of Orientals and Latakia, and the hydration's perfect.

I note this gets a lot of different reactions and ratings, that might depend on newer or older version? Either way, I find it pleasant. I find the smoke has a fairly formidable hit of Turkish. This Turkish isn't overly floral or perfume like, but more rustic and a little butyraceous. The Virginias account for the base of the blend, but other than a mild hay flavour I don't get much more; it isn't awash with 'zingy' citrus, or succulent fruit. Again, the flavour doesn't go along with the 'NO black tobaccos'; the smoke is definitely reminiscent of a snifter of smoky Latakia being included! On the low side mine can burn slightly fast, albeit not warm and without bite.

Nicotine: medium at a push. Room-note: pretty nice.

Campanile? Although it's had a decent amount of low ratings I like it. I guess this proves we all perceive things differently and have to form our own views! To me, the factor which diminishes the rating is the speed of the burn. So, I'll give it three stars:

Recommended.

Pipe Used: Ben Wade Banjo

Age When Smoked: ? A few years?

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	incendio (45)	2020-04-26		Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant

I'm currently on a 'Virginia-Oriental' kick.

That's what this blend once was, apparently. I suppose it's unfair to rate this blend on what it is (or was) "supposed to be," so I'll increase the rating from 2 to 2½ stars. However it's important that you be informed (before purchasing it) that this is in fact a mild English mixture and not a bona fide 'Virginia-Oriental.'

My guess is that the manufacturers opted to improve the aromatic qualities of the mixture by supplementing it with a minuscule amount of Latakia rather than investing in higher-quality Orientals. Unfortunately the mixture is left somewhat like a tripod without a third leg: Virginia, an unremarkable Oriental, and a remedial amount of Latakia.

It's an appealing mild English mixture, however since it's lacking in significant body or depth, I would relegate it to more workaday uses or as a contemplative early morning smoke. I somehow envision this mixture as the base to which the manufacturer might add other ingredients to make the desired final product

Pipe Used: billiards

Age When Smoked: fresh

Purchased From: unsure

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2019-03-16		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

I remember ordering a tin of this back around 2010 when I began sampling many different blends to determine which type of blends that suited my palate and craving for a Vitamin N treatment. I found this blend totally lacking in strength. However, it did possess a good flavor & the tin aroma was awesome.

This didn't smoke like the tin aroma suggested. It was a little harsh initially but soon subsided into a fairly mild, "wimpy" smoke... lacking in strength & didn't possess the flavor I was anticipating from the tin aroma. It seemed to be very suitable to some pipers but I don't favor such mild blends lacking a true tobacco kick.

As to the recommendation of a few pipers, I can't agree. I didn't finish the tin but should have mixed it with some stronger tobacco... didn't think of this idea at the time. I was just tossing out the trash that I didn't prefer and this was one of them. I have no need or desire to purchase another due to its wimpy nature & lack of strength. This must have been a mixture of mainly ''Orientals" which lacked flavor & strength. This was almost like smoking plain air. Not for me. I respect those who like this however but not my type... I want more strength & tobacco flavor which was lacking in this mixture.

Pipe Used: Dunhill 2S Shell Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Never smoked anything as wimpy, so, unable to make a comparison..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ThePeterPiper (2)	2018-05-05		Extremely Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant

This is a review of the currently available version:

The Virginias are sweet and a bit earthy. The Turkish component is woody and dry. Neither component shines brightly, but to my palate, the Virginias dominate, and the Turkish plays a backup role. This blend was supposed to be Oriental forward in a past life, but what is currently blended fails in that regard.

This is a subtle blend that some call flat. I don’t think this blend is flat, but it’s not a powerhouse of flavor or nicotine. You can smoke it on autopilot and have a pleasant experience, or you can sit and contemplate the components and find just enough there to keep your attention. I find the last half of the bowl better than the first half.

The tin note is nice. The ribbons pack and burn readily. The room note is not offensive. It is a well-behaved tobacco and would be perfect for breaking in new pipes if not for the cost.

Pipe Used: Peterson Aran 53

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2017-01-19		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

The paper of the tin was stained by tobacco oils and the inside of the rim has signs of rust, so there must be some age to this tin. Unsmoke it is quite fragrant. It is woody with a hint of smoke and it is seems to be minimally topped with a beautiful fruity/flowery fragrance which reminds me of the tin note of Rober McConnell's Original Oriental. The tobacco is almost shag cut and contains a few shades of brown leafs mixed with a few black shags presumably from Latakia (there are indeed a few bits of black tobacco despite the advertisement, if it’s Latakia or another fire cured leaf I cannot tell).

Packs and lights easily and produces a delectable sweet and sour fragrant smoke with notes of wood and exotic spice where the Orientals have the lead role while Latakia although present is almost imperceptible. Has an easy draw, if one is careful to unclog the shag before packing, and it is of mild to medium strength but full of flavor. It is very soft, round and supple, but it burns quick – this is a minus - to a fluffy white ash.

Overall is an excellent Oriental forward mixture even more so than Robert McConnell’s Original Oriental which has more Latakia. It has less Oriental tanginess than El Rincon de la Pipa another favourite Oriental forward blend and I think it’s much more flavorful than Early Morning Pipe. Easily an all-day smoke.

Highly recommended for those who like Oriental blends with minimal or no Latakia. The only minus is that it burns quick.

Similar Blends: Robert McConnell's Original Oriental, El Rincon de la Pipa, Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	LV9 (85)	2016-10-03		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

From what I have read this is not even a shadow of what it used to be which is a shame if you were a fan of the original, what I smoked (white tin) probably is one of the most boring concoctions I have put in a pipe, dull virginias and muted oriental is how I would described this, it does not even has the redemption of a decent amount of nicotine. You could do worse I guess, but for the price this is no better than a bulk blend. Would I buy again...not likely.

Pipe Used: Meerschaum billiard (nording)5

Age When Smoked: 5 plus years

Purchased From: Pipes and cigars.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Piper@thegates (20)	2011-01-06		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Review of red tinned, Peterson & Sorensen blend bought from Germany Jan 2011.

This tobacco comes packed in plastic, a la Prespytarien. Aroma is that of a good Va mixture with the presence of Oriental also detected, but predominently Va. Appearance is of a ribbon cut blend of Va tobaccos and a small amount of darker tobaccos which after smoking, I believe to be that of a (Va) Cavendish rather than that of Latakia.

Campanile may have undergone some variation during its transformation from a James Fox blend to that of its present German blenders. But as we know, this period can sometimes lead to blends losing its original identity if the blenders do not stick rigidly to the original source and recipes. My current tin however is representative of everything the makers say it is. An English Oriental with no black tobacco other than what I take to be that of a Va cavendish. Certainly I detect no latakia present in this blend

Moisture is fine and the tobacco packs and lights very easily. I was impressed with the Va blends which are the dominant flavours of this smoke, although as the smoke progresses, the spicy almost peppery flavours of the orient leaf become more apparant. I find this blend to be an easy smoking, slightly bland English oriental, not great, but also not bad at all. For the smoker who likes English blends but is not over fond of latakia I would recommend Campanile in its present manifestation. Medium in both taste and strength with a substantial Va body and peppery Turkish undertones, This blend shouldnt dissappoint, its not meant to be a strong latakia English blend, more of a slightly spicy English Oriental. On the value for money scale I would say that Campanile does itself justice and represents good value with good quality leaf providing a mellow yet slightly spicy and rewarding smoke. Recommended

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-03-22		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is for the white tin version. There is definitely black leaf in it, but I suspect it's cavendish since I didn't notice any latakia. This is a very clean tasting blend, sweet from the virginia and slightly spicy and almost floral from the turkish. It reminds me a bit of McConnell's Oriental (a favorite) but without the latakia, however I found myself really missing the latakia. Campanile is rather like a nice cup of light tea in the morning; it's just not really my cup of tea. Still, it's a very well constructed blend, perfect for those who enjoy orientals but dislike latakia that usually.

Recommended for thee but not for mee.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2008-07-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Exquisite mixture of matured, mostly red Virginias with superb Smyrna (or at least it tastes like it). A sweet, mellow and tasteful smoke which burns cool with no tongue bite. No Latakia here, this is a plain Oriental mixture.

I always try to provide comparisons for the reader to know what to expect. This is a tough one, but the closest I can think of is Davidoff Royalty, without the top-dressing (Campanile is unflavored, as far as I can discern).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-10-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am very enthusiastic about Oriental Mixtures. This is the Standard by which all others should be judged.An amazing melding of fragrant Turkish tobaccos and aged, cool smoking Virginias. I detect no Latakia in the blend. It is easy however, to see why some people might think that there is Latakia present.The blend is so rich in flavor and is so satisfying one might question how it could be done w/o the mother of all condimental leaf. This is better , yet similar to Presbyterian Mixture which also contains no Latakia. A fine, rich, and satisfying mixture for the piper who appreciates the classic mixtures. 4 of 4 stars!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2006-05-02		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Good burning blend. That's where the goods end. I guess you could use this one as a base for home-blending tests, because smoked alone it's totally insignificant. If you're a cigarette smoker who wants to switch to the pipe, try out this mixture: the flavour is the same.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lochinvar (78)	2006-03-27		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I hate that I could not like this blend, as I am generally a Turkish fan. This however is not a good showcase of Turkish potential. Aperitif, Red Raparee, Cairo; these show of the best qualities of the Turkish leaf. This is nothing more than a Camel in pipe tobacco form, an absolute dearth of depth. The overall taste was too dry and without siqnificant character in the Turkish and Virginia componenets, much like a Toast sandwich (a slice of toast sandwiched between two pieces of toast). I gave my tin away. Try something else.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	UncleGar (110)	2005-04-20		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I purchased a tin of this several months ago while on a quest for a good oriental mix. I found what I sought in several others (Robert McConnell's Oriental, for one) and never really got back to this. It is certainly a quality tobacco, but I concur with other reviewers about its initial harshness. This seems its only drawback. I too enjoy Turkish tobacco and its smoke aroma, even going so far as to smoke Camel unfiltereds in my youth. This is the pipe tobacco equivalent of Camels, which may or may not be a complement.

A petty quibble with the description above, apparently formerly from the tin: even in sunlight, my mixture clearly contains a small percentage of black tobacco. What it is, I neither know nor care. If it is latakia, it is barely detectable. Also, the sweetness I associate with oriental and Virginia tobaccos is muted to barely perceptable; a dry smoke, like cabernet is to wine.

I prefer many others, especially considering the premium price of Campanile. Nonetheless, it is a quality smoke, deserving of a recommendation to those who like dark Virginia and Turkish tobaccos.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2004-10-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I've enjoyed Campanile for quite some time, but never smoked it as much as other, more famous blends. There are just so many high quality blends available that time constraints preclude me from enjoying them all on a regular basis. Recently, I stumbled across the perfect application for it- it has replaced Momoyama (no longer available, and a precious single tin left) in my rotation. This may seem odd, given the lack of similarity of the blends. They do, however, share an ethereal perfume that satiates my need for an occasional aromatic, without mucking up my pipes.

Campanile is a light-colored, easygoing smoke with subtlety and complexity worthy of a Pease blend. Gorgeous.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2019-04-22		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I remember ordering a tin of this back around 2010 after reading Pipestud's review but my tin was the newer one which had the white label attached. This was back when I began sampling many different blends to determine which types that suited my palate and specific desires for various Nicotine strengths. I found this blend a little lacking in Vitamin N content to suit me. However, it did possess a good flavor & the tin aroma was awesome.

This didn't smoke like the tin aroma suggested. It was a little harsh initially but soon subsided into a very mild, smoke. It lacked the strength I was seeking & didn't possess the flavor I was anticipating from the tin aroma. It seemed to be very suitable to some pipers but I don't favor such mild blends lacking a good tobacco kick.

As to the recommendation of a few pipers, I can't agree. I didn't finish the tin but should have mixed it with some strong Burley or Picayune... didn't think of this idea at the time. I was just tossing out the trash that I didn't prefer and this was one of them. I have no need or desire to purchase another due to its wimpy stature & lack of strength.

This must have been a mixture of mainly ''Orientals" & maybe a mild strain of Virginia which lacked strength & possesses only a minor amount of Nicotine. This was almost like smoking plain air. Not for me. I respect those who like this however but not my type. Three stars for the flavor & mild smoking characteristic & two stars for lack of strength which leaves us with only; please wait while I get my calculator... two & one half stars.

Pipe Used: Dunhill 2S Shell Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh Tin

Purchased From: Pipes & Cigars

Similar Blends: Never smoked anything with such an appealing aroma & lacking in Vitamin N, so, unable to make a comparison to anything...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-11-10		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

To be sure - a nice, smooth, flavoursome experience. Perhaps somewhat lacking in identity of its own among many similar mixtures...

However, after reading many reviews distinguishing between the "old" one and some "new" versions, I checked the tin (which otherwise looks the exact copy of what is displayed here...) only to notice that it bears a "Petersen & Sorensen" logo (???). Anyone can tell me - am I missing something here?

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-08-10		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Update 08/10/08 After the third K&K thin I have to downgrade this. Not a great smoke anymore, a classic is gone. Maybe I will even downgrade this further in future. What a pity.

Delicious, rich and creamy oriental taste. Contrary to the description there is obviously some very dark tobacco in the K&K version (the original Fox version had no black tobacco indeed). However, taste is still great!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-07-24		Medium	None Detected	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Update: The original red label Campanile tin has been replaced by a plainer tin and the tobacco inside is not the same either. Once a uniform, medium brown fine ribbon, it is now a mixture of light and dark tobaccos which contain a different blend of orientals and perhaps, some Latakia. There is a general similarity in taste to the original but the current edition is rougher around the edges and lacks the smoothness and underlying sweetness of the original blend. Unfortunate. Still a decent smoke but no longer exceptional.

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Campanile is truly a unique tobacco in that there are not a lot of Virginia-Oriental blends made that do not include the dominating influence of Latakia. Even so, there is a slight smokiness in the tin aroma from the other tobaccos.

Though primarily a Virginia, the Orientals give it a lot of character. It differs from Cairo (another good V-O blend) in lacking the latter's distinct, but not unpleasant, sourness. Instead, more of the Virginia's inherent sweetness is present. As the description says, "smooth and sweet"-- but in a natural, unflavored way.

Were it not for the relatively high cost, I could smoke this every day.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Laudante (29)	2008-07-23		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This rating is for the original Fox version (why all the originals are disappearing nowadays?). I haven´t tried the Kohlhasse´s, although I just bought a tin of it and I will open it soon.

Campanile is a great tobacco and for at least 4 years I smoked one bowl of it every morning, almost religiously. One year ago I decided to start a change of pace and take the opportunity to try new things and see if I can find something better, but I´m returning to my Campanile. That says it all.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-07-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I have smoked this tobacco in many different sized pipes over the past year. I have only smoked unaged Campanile and I am sure the blend only gets better with aging. Even without aging this is an outstanding blend. It is well balanced and the different leaves, orientals and Virginias, absolutly sing in harmony with eachother. This is not a sweet blend. Think of a natural English blend without latakia. The cut is ribbon, coloring is yellow and brown, with a wonderful tin aroma. It packs easily and stays lit. It does need a little drying out. Flavor is rich, never overpowering, smooth, smokes cool. There are times when I really want this tobacco...I give it 10 out of 10.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-03-30		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Great tobacco! I really can't put a finger on any of the aromas of this one, but it is smooth and very pleasant to smoke. Takes to flame nicely with minimal drying as well.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2008-02-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Pretty big hit of turkish in here, and the result is a somewhat "Camel" ish smoke.

Astringent but flavorful.

I think a better bet is McClelland 221b Arcadia or Presbyterian Mixture. These are both better balanced for contemplative smoking.

All the same, this is top quality stuff, and worth a run. It blends very nicely with softer Virginias, like HH MAture from Mac Baren.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-11-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

Campenile is what I like to call - Presbyterian Lite. High quality mature VA's blended with Turkish leaf and other orientals - except Latakia. While I'm certain there are other fire cured orientals in the blend - personally - I see and smell NO Latakia of the Syrian or Cyprian denomination.

What I do taste and smell are remarkable matured VA's striking a wonderful chord with some of that incense-like Basma, some rich Macedonian leaf and sweet spicy Turkish.

This is a complex smoke that smokes remarkably well right out of a moist tin, and even better when aired for a time. The ribbon cut is easy to pack and takes one char light very well. In fact, often, I only light once until the bottom of the bowl (with gentle tamping).

Marvelous stuff Cheers, VC

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-11-25		Medium	Medium to Strong	Full	Very Pleasant

I ordered it with a great caution and basically because it was recommended by PIPESTUD. And he was ? once more- 100% right.

Amazing tobacco. For the last two months I have started trying many oriental tobaccos. It looks that Campanile has a maturity that makes it particularly tasteful. Creamy and sweet flavor from a combination Oriental and Virginia. I firstly tasted it in the evening and I didn?t want to smoke anything else before I sleep. Substantial tobacco. You can smoke it easily and pleasantly also in the morning.

His fault is that it warms up - in the beginning only ? the bowl, but afterwards you can smoke it cool and dry till the end. I will surely order enough of Campanile. It has the perfect humidity and does not need any drying. I will agree with most of the reviewers that it does not contain any Latakia. It gives a very nice smell in the room.

PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT ...........

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-11-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

I have always been partial to oriental blends, and have recently found that my palate has been telling me that I don't like as much latakia as I used to. I therefore started on a search for a tasty oriental blend with little to no latakia. After reading the reviews on this site, I ordered a tin of J.J. Fox's Campanile (some of my favorite tobaccos are Dorisco Mixture, and Durbar).

Campanile did not disappoint.

The awesome Virginias used in this blend, along with the high quality turkish give such a wonderful natural tobacco flavor and room note. This tobacco is tasty, tasty, tasty. It is unlike any other tobacco I have ever tried.

This has become my "if I could only have one tobacco" blend, although Fox' "Dorisco Mixture" is a close second.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2006-08-27		Mild	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Campanile is a sumptuous blend of delicious Virginias and glorious Orientals. It is an excellent morning, afternoon , evening, anytime smoke: though it will not make much of an impact if smoked after a Latakia laden blend. The mouth feel is gorgeous. It is subtle, and therefore , in my opinion, more likely to appeal to the experienced pipe smoker than to a new comer. In the same genre as Davidoff`s Royalty and Rattray`s Number 7 Reserve, and less characterful - and less mouth scorching - than Red Raparee. Rich smoothness is all.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2003-08-31		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an intriguing blend, composed plainly of Virginias but I would guess predominantly Oriental tobaccos. On first light is a bit harsh, but as the bowl burns down it becomes mellower and more balanced. It makes me think of a balkan blend that has left out the Latakia. The tobaccos seem to be of first quality. As an occasional smoke I like this very much. But, for day to day smoking I would reccomend Cairo more highly.

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