Tobaccos Butera - Pelican

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2016-04-05		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

The majority of the marvelous Pelican tins that I have smoked were produced by Germain and in Denmark as well. A very smooth, creamy and satisfying smoke with a lot of depth from the Virginia, cool spice from the Orientals and the light layer of Latakia that envelops the palate slowly as the bowl is enjoyed. A very smooth and easy to stay lit blend that arrives with the perfect moisture content. A true classic.

Pipestud

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SteelCowboy (685)	2014-02-05		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am just finishing up a tin of Pelican that I bought two weeks ago at a pipe shop. Although I just bought it, I would guess there was a little age on this tin because there was a little sugar on the broken pieces of flake intertwined with the very thin ribbons. There was also some “leaking” into the wax paper indicative of a blend with some age. For me, the story of Pelican is all about the Orientals. The quality of the tobacco is very good and typical of Germain made blends. There is some sweetness to Pelican and the spice arrives about mid bowl and really builds from there. I get a little more Latakia later in the smoke too. It was more than I expected based on the visual appearance of the blend in the tin. With that said the Latakia is in a supporting role and it doesn’t really assert itself until the latter half of the smoke. Like so many blends, Pelican demands to be smoked slowly for the best result. I found it a bit hot if pushed and had my best results when sipped rather than puffed. By the last third of the bowl, Pelican always became a little muddled and it was hard to distinguish the different flavors. I think this blend has some merits, but given the fact that it is hard to find and it isn’t something I would envision in my rotation, my memory of this blend will be a short one.

Purchased From: Watch City Cigar

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3048)	2014-09-08		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

The fairly floral Orientals offer earth, wood, vegetation, herbs, mild spice, light sourness, and slight butteriness. They take a little of the lead. They seem to gain a tad more prominence after the half way point. The smoky, woody, earthy, leathery, mildly sweet and floral Cyprian Latakia is a strong supporting player. The Virginias provide some tangy ripe dark fruit, earth, wood, bread, sugar, light tart and tangy citrus with a touch of grass and vinegar. They form the base of the blend. There's an extremely mild topping that's hard to identify, though it seems to be a little tangy and tartly orange-like. Here and there, I get a hint of vanilla, and I suspect a pinch of black cavendish may be present. The strength and taste levels are medium. The nic-hit is a step past the center of mild to medium. Won't bite or get harsh, but it does have a few small rough edges. Burns cool and clean at a reasonable pace with a mostly consistent sweet and savory, campfire flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a lightly lingering, pleasant after taste, and a stronger room note. Can be an all day smoke for the experienced smoker. Three and a half stars out of four.

-JimInks

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	CaliPipeGirl (3)	2014-09-05		Very Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Blend Name: Butera Pelican

Description on Tin: The second, after Kingfisher, in this special series of pipe tobaccos especially formulated to the specific priorities of Michael A. Butera. Simply, Pelican is the perfect Mixture, combining exact portions of the finest, most rare Cyprian Latakia, the spiciest, most zesty Turkish and Orientals, and the richest, most sweet sun grown Virginia whole leaf available today. Aged in cakes then fine cut to ribbon form. Pelican delivers multiple dimensions of sweet, mellow tastes, with a variety of contradicting rich and spicy room aromas. Return in time to those days and nights long since forgotten, when only the finest English Oriental style Mixtures would satisfy you.

Leaf: Cyprian Latakia, Turkish, Orientals, Virginia. Ribbon cut.

Tin Aroma: Slight sweetness, Latakia in the background although not overpowering. Very pleasant.

Taste: Not very complex. No sweetness. Could mostly taste smokey latakia, a little harsh.

Smokability: Dry. Took a few relights, but burns to a nice fine ash.

Room Note: Typical smokey English aroma

Thoughts: Was a little too strong for me. I prefer English's with a little more complexity to the flavor, such as slight sweetness or tangy flavor.

Recommend to: Experienced English smokers that prefer a strong blend or favor Latakia.

Summary: It didn't live up to the hype for me. There's other less popular English's that I prefer. This particular batch had at least a year of age on it. Smoked in a cob & briar.

My Background: I've been pipe smoking for 1 1/2 years, starting out on Aromatics, then moving on to English & Virginia. I favor VaPers. I'm not a Latakia fan but enjoy a well balanced blend. I've been doing Sutliff reviews for about a year. I have tasted at least over 100 tobaccos.

Pipe Used: Corn Cob, Briar

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Gift

Similar Blends: Dunhill 965, Sutliff Blend No. 5, and other stronger blends.

8 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-03-14		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Without doubt, one of my all time favorites. An English blend that always keeps me coming back for more. So pleasant a smoke as to rank up there as a trusty friend, It's been said it reminds one of Squadron Leader, Penzance and Westminster. I agree. Possibly one of the most enjoyable smokes I've ever had. I get a hint of orange every time I try this stuff. Simply heaven.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-03-10		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is my first review here on TR dot com, inspired by this tobacco. At first I was put off by the high moisture level of this tobacco when I first opened the tin. It made it hard to smoke properly, hard to light, and I had to leave the tin open for a few days to let it dry out. Even after two days, I put the lid back on and set it aside, it was still hard to light and keep lit. All this time, when I did smoke it, I knew I was missing something amazing, I just wasn't getting all of the flavors but I could tell they were there. Once I packed a bowl and my girlfriend demanded I go with her to go shopping (arrg). I ended up leaving the packed bowl in the pipe for another two days, then lit it up on the first warm Sunday morning of the year, and wow was I happy. The long wait from packing the bowl to smoking it dried out the tobacco until it was almost crunchy. This was the secret. The bowl lit beautifully, there was no moisture build up in the pipe, and the flavors really sang. There are notes of cedar, citrus, nuttiness and tobacco. This stuff is just as amazing as I had been told, I just had to treat it right. I highly recommend this tobacco, and also recommend drying sufficiently before smoking. You will not be disappointed.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_dalai_lama_himself (43)	2017-03-25		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Tolerable

Orange creamy tartness and citrus notes (Virginia's) are present in this blend, it's quelled however to a moderate level by superb orientals that are buttery and spicy, and finishes with a Latakia that is woodsy, smoky and a bit of earth and a mouthfeel similar to that of eating an animal cracker mixed with an Oreo and you have Butera Pelican! One of my favorite blends.. has some nice peppery bite to it if you push it / don't dry it thoroughly. But if smoked slow and given time to dry it's tame. Got 2 more tins coming! Rating should be much higher on here.. I think ppl are just butt hurt they can't find more of it. If anyone has any kingfisher I'd love to try it/trade/buy!

Pipe Used: Briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: Friend, b&m

Similar Blends: Margate, Penzance.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Arkie (129)	2015-02-02		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you like Lat bombs this mixture is not for you. It is a balanced mixture similar to King Charles and Squadron Leader except it is a tiny bit sweeter. The sweetness of the Virginia, the spiciness of the Orientals and the smokiness of the Latakia are in good proportion. Good stuff.

Similar Blends: King Charles & Squadron Leader.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2014-08-17		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Predominately dark in color, tiny ribbon in cut with a tin aroma of latakia and orientals. I picked this tin up some years ago and I'm not sure why I never dipped into it before now, but something else always seemed to bump this one back to the rear.

This seems to be a fairly typical English-style blend at first, with the latakia being the main player for the first dozen or so puffs before settling down and allowing the orientals to come forward. The problem for me was that the Virginias were extremely subservient, and this blend had very little VA sweetness and body. While it had a decent flavor, it seemed to have no backbone. Reminded me of Tashkent in that regard, except Tashkent truly does not contain Virginia, while this one is purported to. But it wasn't very noticeable and if I didn't know it was there, I'd be well on the way to believing it wasn't. Interestingly, this one exhibited a light menthol-type note somewhere in the final quarter-bowl. I've found that to occur in other blends and I assume it's some type of oriental tobacco merging with the latakia. Unfortunately, this didn't last long and in short order the blend became ashy tasting as it neared it's finish. As it stands, this one is fine enough but pretty unmemorable and, for me, not nearly deserving of the hue and cry over it's current state of unavailability. I finished the tin but won't buy more.

Pipe Used: meerschaum, morta and briar

Age When Smoked: 8 years

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jedibastard (37)	2016-11-13		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Woah.....pretty damn good!

Worth all the hype, and crazy price tags? NOPE!!!!

Really wet out of the tin. So dry it for at least 30min. I only did about 10min. And im already having my 3rd relight. Long strings of golden and black tobacco are incredibly easy to pack. And the aroma is amazing straight from the tin, It doesnt punch you in the face. The first half is very smokey with some mellow spice. Can get a burnt flavor if pushed, but nothing crazy. Smokes pretty cool too, which surprised me with the amount of relights.

The last 3rd of the bowl gets a bit more body, and really shines. With just a nice little head buzz. Nothing fancy, nothing out of no where, just a welcomed buzz. This stuff is smokey, with an even amouth of sweetness in the background, and a decent amount of tangy spice. Reminds me of Dunhill 965, just with more sweetness, and a gentle spice. But pretty damn close.

Im really happy i scored a tin of this, but i wouldnt go paying ebay prices. I would however, grab a tin every time i stumble upon this though, i think its damn good.

Pipe Used: Moonshine pipe co. stoker

Purchased From: Richs cigars, Portland Or.

Similar Blends: Dunhill 965??????.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bluesmoke (75)	2014-11-29		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This blend is a nicely melded, rife with VA, latakia, and Orientals. The Orientals and latakia seem to be most prominent and the VAs sit in the corner smiling at you. My tin was wet and a little drying time was needed, no problem here. This is a rare tobacco, but I know a B&M which gets it in from time to time. I like this mixture with its sour, sweet, smoky flavors weaving in and out of the finely plumed smoke. If you happen to get lucky, want to try a good smoke and be able to broaden your palate with a rarity, go for the Pelican.

4 people found this review helpful.

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

This has the potential to be a fine Latakia/Oriental blend, but there is some kind of additive that gives it a sour chemical, taste and an odd aroma as well. Too bad really since I greatly like its brother the Kingfisher.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2012-12-18		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I have read many mixed reviews on this tobacco and I don't understand the one and two stars. I would love to know what they are comparing this tobacco with in order to give it such a poor rating. With that said, I fell in love with it from the start. I could enjoy this tobacco any time of the day. It could be my morning smoke paired with a cup of coffee, a bowl for the drive home from work, or to aide me in my reflections before bed time. I love the complex flavors that are locked away in this tin of tobacco and I hope to enjoy it for some time to come. If you are a fan of English blends, you must give this one a try!

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2010-09-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

This is an English blend for those who enjoy English blends. If you don't care for a quality English then look elsewhere. It is a ribbon cut, the moisture level was not a problem. The tobacco packs easily, and lights without difficulty. I have smoked two tins of Pelican and have not had any negative experiences. The flavor is rich in orientals, Latakia, and Virginias. The flavor was there from beginning to end with only a gray ash to remind me that tobacco had been there in my pipe. Of course there was also the smile on my face in knowing that I can still get a good English blend even if it is made in Denmark. This blend can be ranked right up with Westminster, Squadron Leader, and Penzance.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tee-dub (48)	2010-08-16		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a review I will update for sure, as I write this after only one bowl.

A good friend gifted me a tin of this, for which I am grateful as I might not have tried it otherwise, but this was a welcome addition to the rotation.

It says at the top of the page here that this has coffee flavoring added, but I'm not sure I detected any of that. Perhaps in the second half of the bowl I tasted something reminiscent of coffee, but I never would have guessed it was topped or cased. In fact, I'd swear it wasn't.

If you were to record your tasting notes, you'd write down some flavors that would seem discordant, but aren't. Smoky Latakia fills in the gaps. but doesn't have a leading role. The Virginias and Orientals, proportioned nicely, combine to produce a taste like unsweetened tea, and it smacks of orange, slightly. And in the second half of the bowl there's a richness that, yes, reminded me of black coffee. And somehow these all added up. It's a very nice smoke.

My only gripe, and it's a small one, is that the bowl burned down to an ash faster than I wanted it to.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2009-02-20		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Strong

I am a little surprised that most of the previous reviewers do not mention other classic oriental blends, like Red Rapparee, for example. This Pelican is very much of that ilk, similar to other oriental-heavy "medium English" blends like Squadron Leader. It is smoother and smokier (more latakia I guess). The virginias are sweet and citrus.

A very easy smoke, delightful right to the end of the bowl (it gets a bit acrid right at the bottom).

I will smoke more and post again, but I am really pleased with this tobacco.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-12-29		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

UPDATE

As I finish the tin I realize that I will miss this blend. This is good stuff. I will definitely buy this again. Upping my rating to three stars.

--

After smoking several harsh, nasty bulk C&D baccies back to back, this soft bite-free smoke is such a pleasure on the tongue. It's a middle English with a very light bitter orange top note (think Earl Grey tea). It comes out of the tin very much like Squadron Leader or Red Rapparee, but there's less Oriental and more Latakia.

It's nothing eye popping, and it's not Westminster. It's nice enough though, and I'd smoke it again, also whether I'd buy it again any time soon is another question entirely.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2004-08-06		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable

This is one I smoke infrequently so as to not get burnt out on Latakia. This would be a true four star tobacco if it weren't for a slight excess of flavoring that seems common in English type blends. G.L. Pease Blackpoint tobacco is more user friendly with a similar makeup. Still in all an excellent smoke.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2001-05-15		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Edit: Years later, and this has become a favorite of mine. It just needs to be smoked in a meershaum or calabash. The only other balkan blend that has this trait for me is (was) Balkan Sobranie, which was my previous favorite blend. Rating upgraded to Highly Recommended.

Original Review: I've been puzzling over this blend for a few weeks now. I'm a diehard BS White fan that is down to his last few ounces, and this was recommended to me by several reliable sources as exactly the sort of tobacco I was looking for. According to Butera this is an attempt to replicate Sullivan's, which I remember as being vaguely Sobranie-ish. All in all, I really wanted to like this blend.

Pelican is certainly a nice enough tobacco, with many elements of a fine balkan blend -- the virginias are mild and play a supporting role providing a touch of orangey sweetness to counteract the drying affect of the orientals. There's the spiciness of the orientals providing a nice middle palate that the smoky latakia is missing. There's even a hint of that saltiness that I love in Sobranie.

The problem is, I'm getting nearly all of this from the aroma -- the mild flavor is tantalizing but offers only hints of greatness. It does seem to vary a bit from pipe-to-pipe; it is nearly completely tasteless in my Ashtons, thin in a Boswell freehand, and reasonable (but still underwhelming) in an Upshall. It is also the most heat-sensitive tobacco I have ever smoked -- smoke it cool and it tastes like diluted spiced orange pekoe tea, smoke it hot and it begins to show its balkan underpinnings.

According to the wife, the room aroma is nice and reminiscent of oranges.

Butera supposedly designed Pelican as a replacement for his beloved Sullivan's. Several hats older and more experienced than myself indicated that he had indeed hit the mark, possibly surpassing it a bit.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pryhosm (248)	2020-12-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

I was lucky enough to get a few tins from 2004 and even luckier to score a 2017 tin. I am not sure if it is just the variability of the component tobacco's from year to year or the age but there seems to be a distinct difference from the old to the young. I am currently smoking a 2004 tin and will try to stick to that tin while drawing a few comparisons. Germain makes several blends that fall under the brand names of others (Esoterica, Butera, J.F. Germain, Smokers Haven, etc.) and you can detect the Germain process in all of them, Pelican seems to diverge from this particularly in the older tins. I do not mean this in a bad way at all but there is something about Margate, Balkan Sobranie, 1820 Mixture, Krumble Kake, etc that is distinctly Germain and has the feeling of age and an underlying flavor. Pelican doesn't really have that, but it is an exceptional in its own right. That tin note is signature Balkan: sweet, smoky and spicy. The smoking experience is sublime and if you love Orientals you will love this. The spicy Orientals are the main show: hints of wood, spice (cloves, mace and hints of cinnamon). I think there is some Izmir along with Basma and perhaps others in this blend as it has a seltzer like fizziness to the mouth feel. The bed of high quality Virginia proves earthiness and sweetness: mottled hay and a hint of citrus. The Latakia is not unnoticed and provides creaminess, malty and some leather and campfire flavors. The way these component tobaccos intermingle, compete and harmonize is fantastic! This is a highly complex blend that changes as you progress down the bowl. The flavor becomes deeper at the midway point ( have exclusively smoked this in Group 4 briars) and while I am not sure that this is accurate, I detect dark fired Kentucky on the relights at the mid bowl mark which makes relights very tasty for the first few puffs. The newer tin had flavors more similar to Balkan Sobranie and Margate: that sense of age and slightly more musty and dank (also very good despite how the description may sound), I do not get this in the 2004 tins. Fantastic smoke and yet another world class Balkan from Germain.

Pipe Used: Briar's

Age When Smoked: 3 to 16 years

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	hawky454 (107)	2017-03-07		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Just finished up with a tin of Germain's Pelican from 2013. Initially I was totally disappointed by it and thought it tasted no better than a Camel Turkish Royal cigarette, the Latakia was barely detectable but that could possibly be from it being 4 years old but I don't think it would have faded that much, I just think it's a very lite, Oriental forward blend. After airing out for a good two weeks this started growing on me a bit but still way to mild for my palate. I decided to add some Izmer and Latakia to the mix and let it sit for another month in order to fully marry. With the added leaf I truly enjoyed this and it reminded me some what of the blends you would find from Smokers Haven (also Germain). Great quality leaf for sure but a little too bland for my taste. I don't know why this one garnered so much hype on the forums but I think it's totally undeserving of it and if it were readily available you would hardly hear a whisper about it - hyped due to obscurity - go figure.

Pipe Used: Neerup, Savinelli, Nording

Age When Smoked: 4 1/2 years old.

Purchased From: Rich's in Portland

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TallPuffO'Burley (633)	2015-09-24		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

I had long heard of this blend and finally got a tin of it in a trade with a forum friend for the common Escudo. This was a trade in my favor, I suppose, in a matter of value as the Pelican at the time was recently discontinued. From a standpoint in flavor, however, my friend definitely got the better end of the deal.

This one just didn't do it for me and it is likely the fact that I just don't like light bodied blend and this is one to my tastes. It has that hay like sweetness from the Virginias and a bit of sourness from the orientals. If there is Latakia in this blend it is barely detectable. It justs needs more.

So what to rate this blend. If this blend was available I would give it two stars and would say if what I described sounds like what you would like, then buy this. But since this is discontinued and tins are already flying off the auction block at ebay for greater than $40, I would be a one star out of realism as you would be better served by buying a couple of 250g boxes of squadron leader.

Keeping it objective I will give it two stars as I reserve one star for those blends that truly repulse me.

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Autumn joy (47)	2015-03-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant

Butera Pelican, first off this is a little difficult to find. I was lucky to grab two tins just when the time was right. Anyways this tin required a bit of drying the tobacco has a nice fairly moist texture to it upon opening the tin. The tin note left me with a good almost Oceanside smell and is kind of unique. The lighting of this tobacco was not difficult to keep lit after some drying out. The Orientals really give you a lemon zest taste and the latakia used gives just enough of that smoke I personally desire. This blend gave me a good long smoke and was very enjoyable, but probably would benefit from a good bit of ageing. There has been debate on who is blending this now it was originally blended by JF Germain, but then Mccelland was blending for the US, and then it was bought out by Peter Stockelbeye. Although the tin does state it came from the British Isle which would trace it back to JF Germain. So with that being said I would say Germain is now making this blend again and it really makes sense do to the scarceness of this blend. Overall this is a fantastic smoke and if you get lucky to get your hands on some enjoy.

Pipe Used: Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geronimo Von Klaus (76)	2014-09-02		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Bit of a letdown, it has to be said.

For as long as it took me to procure this tin, I was expecting to be really wowed.

What I got was a high quality, refined, well behaved but also predictable English blend that was remarkable for the high quality VA's that are present throughout, and for the transformation that goes on as the smoke goes on. It really needs a pipe that gets warm to get this one to play much, otherwise its rather boring, but in a good pipe with a well packed bowl, it goes from meh to really nice and sumptuous quite well.

However, it has nothing on McClelland British Woods which is similar in what I think they are aiming but, but BW blows it away for a fraction of the cost or fanfare.

Don't hunt this down, in my opinion. There are so many others.

Pipe Used: South african Bulldog Briar

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Beer (345)	2008-12-07		Medium	None Detected	Full	Tolerable to Strong

Very "dry" tasting, with lots of oriental/latakia flavor, and very little virginia sweetness. Quite spicy and nutty, with some pleasant bitterness, lots of incense-like flavor. Dry in the tin, long lasting and extremely cool. A bit monochromatic, but very good. A no-compromises English blend which is refreshing and unique.

2008 Update: This tobacco is getting more and more difficult to find, but it keeps being worth the effort. Kudos to Butera for not accepting compromises: this is a great English blend, in a world in which English blends die and/or get worse every day (see the Dunhills, or Balkan Sobranie, or even Timm London Blend 1000).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tomcat (226)	2021-07-05		Medium	Mild	Medium	Unnoticeable

Butera Pelican - An Oriental forward balkan blend that is a little buttery ,spicy and sour . The Latakia right behind with the usual flavor of the smokey leaf . The Virginias provide some grass and fruit and some citrus? It reminds me of Red Rapparee a bit . It tastes like there is cavendish in it but that could be the topping maybe . It is not a terrible smoke but the citrusy topping just doesn’t work for me . It covers up what I think the Virginias are supposed to do in this type of blend . The topping clashes with the Orientals and makes the blend too sour for me . Red Rapparee represents this genre of tobacco better. 2 stars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Precious Paul (20)	2018-11-01		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I wonder if this wasn’t how the original tasted and smelled. Sour/earthy aroma, that comes through in the taste. This is an outstanding Latakia mixture.

Tried it several years ago when Stokkebye made it and was meh, 2.5 stars, however this is the Germaine version and like most of what they do it’s fantastic.

It’s a bit of a bugger to find but would recommend it if you can lay hands on it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pinko (52)	2016-08-28		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pelican is a mild, smooth, standard English blend, at least in its Jersey-produced iteration. Turkish forward, as you'd expect, with an appropriate amount of Latakia. The Virginias are good, not great.

There must be 1000 blends that fit this description. Fans of Germain's house style will like this better than some, but I can't imagine that anyone is pining away for Pelican when it's not available.

This is very much a take-it-or-leave-it blend. I'll pick up a tin if I see it on the shelf, but I'm not going to go out of my way to find it.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Joeray (61)	2014-02-03		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

For a smooth and pleasant smoke lover i bet sure love this blend, but for those who find a "strength" complicated smoke must be just give 2-3 star rating to this blend. 1st i open the can i see an oily almost shag cut tobacco with oriental smells. Easy to pack and easy to light. is a great smoke but not with a strong Latakia flavor, almost dominate with the taste and flavor of Virginia. The spiciness of oriental also not too strong, just a smooth spiciness to give a hint on nose. Must be draw it slowly because it's cut form, if not the heat is not good and make the pipes damn hot and lot of moisture but if smoke it slowly, is beautiful to watch the oily layer on the pipe chamber. I really enjoy my smoking time with this blend so i will give this blend a good rating for the smoothness and the mildness.

Pipe Used: Tsuge Kaga Brandy Shape

Age When Smoked: 1 year

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2013-10-29		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

for all the hype i found this to be a little disapointing good tobacco not great in any way

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cochon74 (29)	2012-12-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

Wow... all I can say is WOW. I've never been so utterly and immediately disappointed by a tin of tobacco.

I've been looking for Pelican for many months... and finally found some. The tin looks really cool. And upon opening, there's a nice, albeit mild, typically English aroma. The presentation is that of a nearly solid-pressed block of fine ribbon cut tobaccos wrapped in waxy paper. Judging by color, the blend looks promising - with a fair amount of latakia mixed in with yellow, olive and orange leaf. My tin was fairly moist, but not overly so.

It packed well and lit fairly easily... up until this point, everything was fine.

I have to say, this mild to the point of being bland. The latakia occasionally rears it's smoky head, but the Orientals don't sing and dance. In fact, they barely have a pulse in this mixture. The virginias weren't particularly sweet, or citrus-y, or anything else for that matter. It says in the description above that there is a top dressing on this. Given the humidity of the tobacco, I might believe it. However, I tasted nothing of the sort. In fact, this blend reminded me somehow of cigarettes. The smell left on my clothing, in my beard, on my fingers... nothing like the rich smells of fine pipe weed I'm used to. All in all. This was a dud from match to dottle.

Lastly, I've read the complaints about the Danish production... and it's deficiencies in the flavor department. I'd have to say I agree. Continental blenders seem to somehow miss the mark with English blends (Black Mallory - made by Kohlhase and Kopp in Germany - being another disappointment in this style tobacco). HOWEVER, both of my tins have a label on the bottom saying "Made in Jersey, British Isles." After checking some forums, it would appear that JF Germain has taken back over production. However, maybe the recipe is still Danish? I don't know.

All I know is that Pelican was a massive let down for me. I'll try to get through the tin slowly... let it breathe, maybe try it in several different pipes. But I'm not holding out for a miracle - especially considering the number of amazing, immediately gratifying, and readily available mixtures out there.

Give it a shot if you want a mild, character-less smoke.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	constantsmoker (65)	2010-02-08		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I agree with Sasquatch: this is in the same 'family' as Red Raparee, Squadron Leader, and other blends that lean more towards the orientals, which is what (I thought) characterized an English blend. At any rate, it is a very smooth tasting blend containing a goodly portion of Latakia.

The tobacco from the tin that I sampled was at a nearly ideal moisture level, which translated into only one re-light. There was a slight pungency in the room note and a pleasant, spicey 'tingle' in my nostrils during the smoke that I attributed to the latakia and the orientals, respectively. This won't be a wife or girlfriend pleaser but, if you can sit back in a comfortable chair, relax and contemplate life for 30-40 minutes in solitude, you'll find this blend a fine companion.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-08-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Pelican is an ersatz English. You can tell it is really Danish. This is not a slap at Denmark. Most of my pipes are Danish, but when it comes to tobacco English rules. It contains the right tobaccos: Virginia, Latakia, Oriental, but somehow it doesn't work. It has a sweetness to it which I would swear is a bit of black cavendish. It is milder than most English mixes, which comes through not just in flavor but also in room note. This gets a nod of approval from my wife. It is better in the last half of the bowel because it picks up a little in strength, but you have to smoke the first half to get there.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-04-04		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

I guess this is more of an acquired taste. I changed over from cigars, smoked aromatic tobacco for a little while, then started getting into the English Blends. While this blend is palatable, I would hardly choose it for one of my larger bowl pipes. This blend gets better if you dry it out some and then smoke it very slowly, and put it in a smaller bowl pipe. There is no dimension to this blend. It stayed relatively consistent on flavor, lighting it when it's fresh from the tin in not very easy at all. I come back to it every now and then when I get tired of my regular and expanding rotation. I would try it for the sake of trying something new, but it's not something I would personally smoke all the time.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-02-04		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A wonderful bird is the Pelican. I couldn't resist trying it on the merits of the name and tin picture alone (I'm a sucker for that sort of thing). Its appearance in the tin is a ribbon-cut blend of black and brown; the scent sour, sweet, and musty. It is relatively dry but not brittle at all.

Upon the initial effortless light, there is a gust of delicious Latakia, but that is probably the most you will notice it from here on out. The Latakia delivers a prologue and then bows out to let the Orientals take the stage, which are good and musty and spicy and nutty. My tin is a couple of years old, so I'm thinking that helped with the sweetness of the Virginias, which, while not as pronounced as the Orientals, do play a nice supporting role. This interplay of sweet and sour may account for the prior comparisons to orange and tea (one reviewer mentioned Earl Grey, and there is a hint of something similar in character to that beverage in this smoke).

I class the room note as "Pleasant to Tolerable" because while smoking Pelican on two separate occasions, two separate friends who happen to lack Y chromosomes and the attendant tolerance for stinky tobacco asked what I was smoking and remarked favorably on the earthy aroma. This is always a plus.

As a final note, I did not like Pelican this much when I first cracked the tin. It was OK. Maybe it just needed some breathing and drying, or maybe it just takes a bunch of smokes in the same pipe to really get it. Either way, it's one of my favorites now.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	WillardFan (90)	2008-12-02		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I'm surprised that this one didn't get more 4 star ratings. This blend has a taste unlike most other English blends I've tried. It's very smooth, nothing harsh about it. No majorly overpowering Latakia taste. I too noticed the orange flavor, which I attributed to the Virginia's. I liked this alot, and though Squadron Leader is one of my favorite English Blends, I would definitely buy more of this tobacco. A mild English, and IMHO it could be used as an all day smoke...

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jankoez (69)	2008-09-01		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant

This is very elegant blend, surprisingly dry upon opening a tin but burns well to white ash. The whole impression is quite unobtrusive giving to this tobacco pleasant room note although taste is medium strength. It is an excellent afternoon blend.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-01-15		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

On opening the tin, you find a dark ribbon cut. As others have noted it is very dry, more like a Pease tobacco than anything I?ve had from Butera. Pelican can be nippy, and the dryness may be an effort to minimize the tendency.

Delicious on first light with a sugary strain that must come from the Virginias. The sweetness tastes natural, but it?s quite noticeable; by no means a bad thing! It does tend to recede as you go down the bowl (or maybe I just get used to it). The blurb on the tin calls the Orientals ?zesty,? which is not wrong but neither is it the whole story. There?s a bit of spice at the tip of the tongue, but the real job of the Orientals is to soften the blend and bind the flavors. They give it a cloudy gentle feel. The latakia is exactly right for this situation: sturdy and a definite presence, going right up to but never crossing the point at which it would throw the others off balance. It's very skillfully done.

Pelican is not one of those blends which, like Margate, combine many different flavors in a kaleidoscope. Instead, like its sibling Kingfisher, it uses a restricted palette. Each flavor is clear and distinct ? I can easily separate the latakia, the VA, the Oriental, with that sweet note over all ? but of finest grade and the ensemble marries wonderfully. Not a big booming blend, but by no means bland.

Verdict: A fine mild English, extremely pleasant and expertly made. If you like strong tea or coffee with a biscuit, you?re sure to like Pelican.

Reviews of this blend tend to extremes. I have noticed that Pelican smokes very differently in different pipes. I have a big Ser Jacopo rusticated billiard that really makes it ?sing.? A equally large Ser Jacopo blast does not. If you try this blend and find it flat, it might be worthwhile giving it another chance in a different pipe.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	sasha (228)	2005-06-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

One of the best tobaccos I've smokend in the past few years. It's tasty, cool, it reminds me of those no longer made great English mixtures. It comes pretty dry in the tin but it's not a problem because it burns evenly and slowly. The top note is clearly the oriental one, but it's well balanced anyway; in the last third of the bowl the latakia note comes out with more power, while the Virginias give body to the mixture but not their typical sweetness. A true masterpiece by Mr.Butera

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-04-03		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Avery unusual experience for me -A Butera tabac I did not like.This has almost no flavor whatsoever.It is mild to the point of boring, and I find no English qualities about it.It has a vanilla casing and latakia and that is about all you will taste. Take a pass.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-03-16		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Butera's Pelican is unique in many ways. Upon opening the tin, and rubbing the tobacco from it, I was struck by how dry the tobacco was (dryer than any fresh tobacco that I have opened). The 'Krumble Kake' (like a very thin ribbon) is nevertheless splendid. It packed extremely well and lit wonderfully. This is the only tobacco that I have not had to re-light during smoking. (Perhaps it is a charming image on the tin, but it caused me to reminisce about a university near Devon where I taught--there is a pond on that campus among pleasant woods where I would occasionally see a glorious heron soar above. Quite the sight!) Butera's Pelican smoked fast, but never hot, producing a nice white ash and it did not leave any wetness at the bottom of the bowl (something that I have not experienced before or certainly not in recent memory). When I say that it smoked fast I mean that I usually smoke a normal bowl in 30 to 45 minutes. I smoked three bowls of this in less than one hour! Regardless, this is a wonderful tobacco that reminded me of sweet cedar (although the room note was not as nice as that). The only aspect of this that I did not care for was the fact that is it produced a slightly dry harshness. It also is very mild and the smoke, like the cut of the tobacco, is thin. This is a keeper, however, for occasional smoking. It may find a more regular place during the summer months when something lighter is more appreciated.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2004-11-15		Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

A daily smoke for me I highly recomend this fine mixture! From the pleasing aroma when first opening the tin to the last draw, I find this mixture a pleasure to smoke. I always look forward to the midday watch with a pipe full in one of my freehand Ben Wades.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan (179)	2002-08-07		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I have smoked several tins of this over the past two years in a big Don Carlos bent blast. I spoke to Mr. Butera when the blend first hit the U.S., and he said it was the smoothest english he had every tried. It is an old Sullivan tobacco formula. He said it would be hard for him to go back to his Latakia No. 1 now (a much fuller latakia mixture of his).

According to close acquaintances of Mr. Butera, Stokkeybe hit the mark on the first batch of the mix, following Mr. Butera's formula and directions exactly. A great accomplishment for normally an aromatic blender, as this time it is straight tobacco.

This is indeed a smooth english blend, with enough latakia to have meaning but still having the flavor dominated by the sweet oriental leaf and virginia. It is not balkan in strength but, in character, it is close. Cool and steady burning, I find it enjoyable whenever I yearn for a good tasting english. I do not find it strong or boring but complex.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2002-01-17		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Full	Pleasant

A great latakia tobacco blend . It satisfies the urge for latakia , but also has unique flavors that make it stand apart from similar blends . Latakia lovers would benefit from this tobacco in their rotation .

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2002-01-16		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable

Appearance: Ribbon cut, well mixed assortment of colors

Aroma: Classic Oriental aroma. Good sweet Virginia base, spicy nutty Turkish, moderate Laakia smokiness (probably Cyprian).

Packing: Nothing unusual about the ribbon cut. Packs well into any pipe except very small.

Lighting: Takes flame quickly, sometimes just one Vesta.

Initial flavor: Initially the Virginia stands out, the Latakia right behind it, and the Oriental coming in not long after. Nice balance of flavors, and easy on the palate.

Mid-bowl: Great balance and layering of flavors. Can get hot if puffed too strongly, but you would have to try,or be agitated No moisture.

Finish: Just a bit stronger at the end, not very harsh at all.

Summary: At first I was not impressed with the flavor, but it grew on me. By the time half the tin was gone, it was my standby. Medium rich Oriental flavor is it?s strong point.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2001-03-10		Strong	None Detected	Full	Tolerable

Interestingly, I had almost exactly the same experience as Trever. The first bowl was fantastic and I was about ready to by a few tins of it. Fortunately, I waited until I had smoked a few bowls before I went out and blew a week's pay on tins of tobacco. After the third bowl, it began to lose my interest and the slight bitterness from the orientals became an irritation rather than a point of interest. As Trever said, good if smoked very occasionally; more often than that and it becomes a little irritating, though I wouldn't call it boring.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2001-02-25		Strong	None Detected	Overwhelming	Strong

A really delicious tobacco. It's extremely dark and rich, with a luscious flavor that glides over the tongue like Bailey's Irish Creme. It's smooth and easy-burning, and like its namesake bird it is very graceful for its sheer volume. Smoking a bowl of Pelican is much like having a nice meal of Jerk Chicken - very filling and nicely unique. The only Achilles' Heel it has is a certain sameness - after I'd finished 3/4 of the tin it was getting old, and it wasn't fun to come back to over and over again. I couldn't begin to guess why I can always smoke Dunhill Standard or Three Nuns, but this didn't have that universal enjoyability... again, like Jerk Chicken, it was really good but not something you'd want to eat every meal. Highly recommended as a change-of-pace tobacco!

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustOneforMe (28)	2012-04-26		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Objective: Good tin for storing tobacco after opening. Needed to be dried out some before smoking. Good volume of smoke, which I like.

Subjective: Nice aroma and initial taste, but there is some sort of chemically aftertaste that just really ruined what could have been a very good smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	quantumboy (130)	2011-04-20		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

I really like this blend but not quite enough for four stars. It's just not as smooth as some good smoky English blends out there. I have a few tins stashed away so I'm hoping it will smooth and mellow out with age. I would prefer just a bit more sweetness, but if you like a more astringent and oily English, this one is sure to please. Aside from a very mild rough edge, this is obviously quality tobacco and I am very much looking forward to seeing how it improves with time.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2009-02-08		Mild	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

My first bowl of this was very impressive, very nice citrus notes, especially at the beginning og the bowl. However, like others here, I find this blend a bit boring, it is great on occasion and I bought several tins to cellar but it will not be an everyday smoke. Also, as others have stated this seems better in a narrow, tapered bowl.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-09-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Well this just goes to show how different taste can be. Or maybe I got a bad tin.

Several have commented about a subtle Orange flavor. Several others have said this was bland and tasteless.

I had neither experience. For me the tin note, flavor, and aroma were all full bodied and very woodsy. What I did not like was an occassional taste and smell that I can only compare to the armpits of the average New York City taxi driver. Not my thing.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2008-09-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin: In a large square tin, the blend is black and brown, mostly black, not a Krumble Kake at all, but a short ribbon cut, as is printed on the lid; quite dry, as others have noted. Soft smoky Latakia aroma, a standard light English. If compared to McClelland's Oriental, the Pelican doesn't smell very oriental, maybe just a light subtle note.

Being dry, the Pelican packs and burns quite easily. It does indeed seem to produce more flavor in a large tapered bowl.

Taste: On first light, nothing, but after a minute, a sweet orange taste is experienced from time to time, so subtle and bland as to be barely detectable. The blend invites you to try and detect any taste; it is elusive. Easy, gentle puffing rewards one with a nice soft scent, so light it could easily be inhaled.

Mid-bowl there evolves a soft, vague nutty element.

The Pelican is a little darker and stronger, towards the end.

Aroma: Similar to the taste, a vague bitter essence perhaps from the Turkish. I don't detect much Latakia.

Nicotine: mild

Room Note: Someone mentioned something like a soft spiced orange pekoe tea.

Overall: A nice soft smoke for someone who doesn't need a tobacco with much substance. A light English which leaves my mouth somewhat peppered after several bowls. To gain maximum flavor, the Pelican has to be smoked with very light, contemplative puffs. Having said all that, you'd think I like it, which I do, but, it doesn't seem to feel any niche in the light English/Balkan category. Rated 2.7 out of 4.0, but two and a half stars.

Decided to up the rating, since the Pelican is as good or better than some highly touted offerings. 3 stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-12-22		Medium	Mild	Medium	Tolerable

A very nice latakia, but there's something lacking. I dont know what. High quality stuff but IMO second to Frog Morton and MM965

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2007-11-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This blend came a little wet for my tastes, but it burned pretty well and produced a moderate amount of smoke. In general I found this to be just a so-so mixture. It was too mild for me and I had a hard time locating the "zesty" Virginias...it was mostly a tug of war between the latakia and the Orientals. I think this Pelican flew south to warmer waters and took the flavor with it. Perhaps this would satisfy someone who likes an early in the day English or just a very mellow smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2006-06-13		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This was my first step into non-aromatic. All I can say is that I wish I did this years ago. It wasn?t very expensive. Very clean taste with no bit. I wish it was a little stronger. I would recommend this to anyone who wishes to try a more English mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-05-23		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

This is the second Butera blend I have tried that had almost no taste at all (the other being Kingfisher). This is so mild its just boring. Other than a subtle vanilla'ish aroma and a very, very weak hint of latakia flavor, it's similar to puffing air. Very dissapointing. :(

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-01-19		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

You don?t need to see the ?Made in Denmark? sticker on the back of the tin to know that this is a Danish creation. The tin aroma has the same distinctive undertone that I find as characteristic of Danish blends as the Worcestershire/ketchup smell is of McClelland blends.

Pelican is an enjoyable blend. A nice-looking, and very dark, blend in the tin, and quite dry. Very tasty and enjoyable, but not really anything remarkable, and in the end it doesn?t make for a particularly memorable smoking experience. The more I smoked of this, in fact, the less impressed I was. Unfortunately for Pelican, I was smoking this tin at the same time as I was working my way through tins of Abingdon and Raven?s Wing by Pease and some bulk Proper English by Stokkebye, the blender of Butera?s Pelican. The Pease blends left Pelican in their dust, taste-wise, and the only significant difference between Pelican and the bulk Stokkebye was the presence of some nice orientals in the Pelican.

I had intended to give this a ?Might Try Again? rating but, to be honest, I doubt I ever will try it again. If I want to smoke a Stokkebye mixture I?ll stick to their bulk English Luxury or English Oriental Supreme?just as nice in flavor at a much lower price.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2005-01-18		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin Opening-Mottled brown black with a mild English scent. A very light English scent. The Latakia is faint.

Packing-Packed well in all the pipes I tried it in

Lighting-Two matches and a tamp

First Impression-This blend starts well with a mellow English aroma lifted from the bowl. It burns cool and light, without impacting my senses.

Mid Bowl-By mid bowl, this really hasn?t developed into anything I would describe as complex. The Orientals dominate the taste and they are good, just not exceptional. The Latakia remain subdued in the background.

Finish-Develops a slightly stronger flavor towards the end though it doesn?t come to life per say.

Over all-I was excited to try this blend because of all the good things I had heard about it. After 4 bowls, I can say my initial disappointment has remained. It?s a blend of quality tobaccos, but they never develop into anything beyond pleasant but singular. One other note, most of my tins will keep their tobaccos moist through my duration of smoking them. This one went dry within two weeks even though it was stored the same way as the others. This is an OK smoke if I were trapped on an island with nothing but, but I won?t buy it again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2002-12-02		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

The tobaccos in my first tin were very dark with a few light brown and golden strips. The aroma was leather with a slight tinge of sweetness and a bit of a tart scent.

Lighting was easy, charring light, tamp and second match. A definite full flavor of smoky latakia with a some nice orientals/Turkish in the background for the first fifteen minutes of the smoke. One-third down the bowl, the Virginias entered the fray with a subdued sweetness. Some bitterness encountered near the end of the smoke, but overall a very enjoyable English blend. Not as full flavored as appearance. I've already picked up a few tins for future enjoyment. Recommended.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JClark (26)	2002-11-26		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I love the tin aroma of this blend. Sort of a zesty smelling english blend, perhaps a little citrus type background aroma as well. The tobacco is fairly dry in the tin, but hydration was not required. They claim that exact proportions of latakia, oriental, and virgina are used in this blend, however, I have a tough time believing this claim. The orientals definitly dominate all other components. This is one of the first english blends that I have tried in which the orientals overpower the latakia to the point where I barely notice the latakia at all. For me this makes for a dull and bitter smoking experience. I loved the oriental flavor during the first quarter to half of the tin. After that the bitterness became too overwhelming for my taste. I find myself still reaching for this on occasion, however, when my tin is finished I don't see myself purchasing more any time soon. If you like your english blends leaning more towards the oriental spectrum of flavors, this just might be a winner for you.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30194)	2002-04-17		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Nice tin. Scent on opening is sweet and zesty but not sharp. Darker ribbon cut. Very nice smooth latakia and oriental blend and, as others note, a bit of an orange peel scent to the smoke. Smokes a bit wet, bit I like this tobacco on the damp side. Very little bite. Very different flavors in different pipes. I like this in a smaller narrower bowl; in a big open pot I taste the latakia more, but in a smaller pipe the zest stands out more, but always smooth. Good quality tobacco, easy on the palate. 7.5 of 10. - Kelly

1 person found this review helpful.