Tobaccos Peterson - Sherlock Holmes

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JimInks (3025)	2015-03-11		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The red Virginia is the more noticeable Va., providing tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, and a light breadiness. The brighter Virginia offer tart and tangy citrus and grass in a support role. The earthy, woody burleys are a little nutty, and at times I get a hint of molasses from it. At times, the Brazilian burley steps forward from the other tobaccos, but not enough to overwhelm. The burleys compete with the bright Virginia for attention. In fact, the individual characteristics of the tobaccos show up more at various times than others, an inconsistency that some may find distracting. The toppings have a mild fruitiness that reminds me of apricot. They mildly sublimate the varietals. The strength is a step past the mild mark, while the taste falls a tad short of the center of mild to medium. The nic-hit is mild. Won't bite or get harsh, and has few rough notes. A slightly complex blend that burns cool, clean and fairly smooth at a moderate rate. Leaves a light bit of moisture in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste and room note. An all day mixture that produces a decent volume of smoke. Two and a half stars due to the inconsistent flavor.

-JimInks

36 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmokeDawg (82)	2014-01-13		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

The key to this blend is accepting and appreciating for it for what it is. The smoker must overlook the marketing and comparison to other blends. This is a quality ribbon cut that is mild with subtle notes of sweetness and a bit of citrus. It requires the pipe smoker to use their puffing skills to keep it cool as it will surely burn hot. You will receive the sweet and warm flavor from the virginias on the tail end of a gentle cool draw.

The bouquet from the tin brings visions of peaking my head in my grandfathers tobacco barn. You get that sweet VA tobacco smell air cured and hanging up in the wooden barn.

When I tried this blend I was disappointed as I was trying to force it into what the Peterson marketing was trying to do. After a few bowls I decided I hated it and set it aside, I remember thinking I might never open it again. However, months later I decided to revisit it as I wanted to see how it compares with Irish Oak in my pre-republic Peterson standard. I discovered the blend didn't change, but my understanding and way to approach it did. Then something I didn't expect began to happen, I liked it and appreciated it for what it is. It began to grow on me and I found I craved it more often.

Its not a part of my rotation but I would recommend a single tin for the experience. To appreciate it, is to know what you are buying and what to expect. This is a nice vintage blend of mello Burley and VA with subtle sweet flavors. Don't expect a lot of bouquet or complexity like Old Dublin. But Sherlock Holmes is a fine tobacco in it's own right.

Pipe Used: 40s Peterson Standard.

Purchased From: JR Cigars.

35 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipestud (1829)	2005-03-05		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

3/05 - I am updating my review of Sherlock Holmes because a very good friend recently sent me a 6-year old tin. After three bowls in three different size and shaped pipes, I have determined that this is a really quality tobacco that I quite enjoy.

Upon popping the top, I discovered leaf that was way too moist to load up immediately. I also was not pleased at the length of the fine, ribbon cut Virginia. I quickly pulled the tobacco out of the tin and loaded it in my one speed food processor. A quick zap made the length of the leaf packable. I then spread some of it out on a paper towel for 20 minutes or so, and that made the leaf smokable.

The first few puffs were quite spicy and I probably lost a few nose hairs. After that, things settled down quickly and I enjoyed a nice smoke. I detected a very mild topping - almost fruity in nature. The flavor was mildy sweet, tasted like tobacco and a healthy dose of nicotine kept me satisfied. The bottom third of the bowl was a bit difficult to keep lit due to the moisture.

Oh yeah, this one works for me.

23 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-06-27		Overwhelming	Medium	Overwhelming	Tolerable

When I started these reviews I couldn't understand the absolute negativity of some of the reviews. I thought every tobacco should be given a fair shake. However I had never tried Peterson's Sherlock Holmes. This is by far the worst tobacco I've ever attempted to smoke in the past twenty seven years of pipe smoking. I tried normal packing, light packing,even different pipe sizes.

This tobacco almost reminded me of a chemical burn.YOU COULD NOT CHEMICALLY INDUCE A TOBACCO TO BURN AND BITE ANY WORSE THAN THIS BLEND!!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes deserves better representation than this.You don't have to be a detective to deduce that.

22 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SpeedyPete (29)	2013-12-30		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Very Pleasant

I've been buying this tobacco on and off over the years. Although it was good, I never smoked enough to really become a fan of it. My favourite Pete is Irish Oak which is also my daily go to baccy

As of lately IO is not available locally. I tried Irish Whiskey which I also find very good. Now IW has also gone AWOL.

So Sherlock Holmes was next on my list. And what a lovely tobacco this is! I'm on my third tin now and the more I smoke it, the more I like it. I love the beautiful yellowish colour. The tobacco is quite dry out of the tin, ready to smoke. The room note is acceptable for all my non-smoking friends. There is no gurgle and no tongue bite. Nicotine delivery is good and I can go through a whole bowl, sipping slowly for an hour or more, and still enjoy the taste. To my mind, this is the main sign of a quality tobacco. I love Sherlock Holmes Tobacco !!

Pipe Used: Sasieni

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: Curiosity Hut

Similar Blends: Unique!!.

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dryseason91 (6)	2013-10-24		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

As others have noted, Sherlock Holmes works best as a 'transitional' blend: it is not cased or topped enough to be an aromatic (although the tin note does reveal some hints of dried fruit) nor 'straight' enough to be considered a natural blend. The predominant characteristic of both taste and room note is of quality, mild tobacco, with the toasted semi-sweetness of red Virginias balanced well by the nutty Burley. As such it's difficult to dislike, but 'mild' remains the prime adjective: aside from some occasional spice and a subtle, chocolately deepening late into the bowl it fails to develop enough, or convince the smoker that there isn't something, somehow, missing. It just doesn't pique my interest enough to warrant buying again.

EDIT - 6/10/14 Having given SH a bit more thought - as well as a few months' breathing time - I'm upping it to 3 stars. Yes, it's mild, but a slow smoke in a meerschaum has really brought out its delicacies. Its sweetness, as I mentioned, has that lovely bready quality of the reds, the brights provide a quiet zest, while the well-integrated burleys are mainly there for body and just a hint of depth. Treat it gently and it will bite very little. It doesn't have the complexity or the big grace notes that would bring it up to 4 stars, but it's not really designed to: it's just a soft, top-quality VaBur blended with easy smoking in mind, and should age very elegantly.

Pipe Used: Bent meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 7 months

18 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-12-07		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

Sherlock Holmes is a yellow and red virginia with a little burley. I have a hard time considering this an aromatic. There is a citrus note that is common to bright virginias. That's it. I really enjoy its simplicity. There are some better examples of this genre out there but I still buy a tin of Sherlock Holmes here and there. There is something about it that grows on you.

Note to some reviewers and readers. This is not an english blend or crossover there of in any way. Just because the character is british doesn't make the tobacco so. EBs have orientals and usually latakia. This one definately does not. Its just a straight virginia with some burley.

Similar Blends: SG Golden Glow.

16 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Susanna Hoffs (74)	2011-08-02		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Unbelievable,

I wasted ten quid on this faeces.

I wont compare it to its namesake and what he would have smoked or made of this because he never existed and isn't real. (Sorry you Americans but its true. He was a figment of the imagination of some moustachioed Victorian Brit, who had far too much time on his hands)

A bright leaved mess of a mixture that bites like a hungry ferret down your trousers, burns as hot as freshly squeezed tea-bags, and tastes like air.

Smoked two bowls, and the rest of the 50gm's is now in good company with some potato peelings, empty crisp packets, and some unwanted cauliflower cheese at the bottom of my kitchen bin. Actually that's an insult to the potato peelings.

Do yourselves all a massive favour. Spend $12 (£8) on a 100gm tin of Orlik Golden Sliced, or $6 (£4) for 50gm and revel in the knowledge that you will never have to think of Peterson's Sherlock Holmes ever again. This takes pride of place next to their other disaster/abortion of a blend, Sweet Killarney.

However, Old Dublin, Irish Flake, De-Luxe & Connoisseurs are the stand-outs from Peterson(IMO)

The rest are, well............. quite shit.

UPDATE - This blend is still entirely shit. 0/4

mike102 (above) :-

1. 'Brit' refers to 'British' which incorporates Scotland, Wales, and Northern Island. (sigh!! geographically inept Yanks!)

2. It was the Russians that saved us ALL from speaking German, not you eleventh hour hero's with your tins of Prince Albert!

3. The tribal Lenape Indians? I take it that was before you wiped them out with their allocation of buffalo as well?

4. Just 'Yank'ing your chain too!!! ;o)

15 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-09-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Had several tins of this over the last few months, after we started to stock the bulk of the tins in the Peterson's range.

The tin note was grassy,sweet, slight cramel and fruit. Very nice.

It filled well and lit well too. The smoke was reasonably cool and burnt down well with little waste. Tastewise it seemed bland at first, a simple clean bright Virginia with a touch of sweetness and leather. However The flavors got stronger mid pipe with the addition of an ever-so-slight fruityness coming through.

Very smokeable and not too heavy on nicotine either. Found myself refilling with it without realizing! Ballanced pleasant and a good all round smoke. This is particulalry suited I think to the morning over the newspaper or a two-pipe crossword puzzle!

13 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	StevieB (2076)	2014-03-31		Medium	Extremely Mild	Full	Pleasant

Peterson - Sherlock Holmes.

This seems to get a mixed reaction so I'd decided to be as open minded as possible! Unlit the aroma is of a decidedly full Virginia and the ribbons are very uniform in size. I find the moistness to be just about perfect, requiring no extra airing time.

Once filled it is very simple to get lit and gives a really steady burn which does not necessitate re-lighting unless you leave it to stand un-smoked too long. On the tongue bite we must remember that it is more subjective as it does not bite me but gets a few complaints from other people in that department. The nicotine level is about that of Squadron Leader, as is the smokes thickness also. I get a slight touch of nuts and fruit in the background.

I find this to be a very pleasant smoke.

Pipe Used: Mr Brog

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smoke King

12 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jevverrett (104)	2015-02-12		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

As I have been making a fairly thorough exploration into VA blends lately I was searching around on this sight and noticed I hadn't reviewed this as of yet. Odd because I've smoked several tins of it. Some time ago, but nonetheless I did.

It's the only VA I have smoked that I really liked. I think that may be because of the addition of burley and red VA to the blend. I've been finding that straight VA is very sour overall. With this blend I think that the heavy citrus flavors have been softened enough for me to be able to taste the sweetness I've heard about in the genre.

Treated properly it burns well and won't bite the tongue. It smells good in the tin as well as in the air. It is a very nice ribbon cut, mostly gold with some varying shades of brown to it. Overall very good presentation in the tin. The flavor is sweet, with some fresh baked bread qualities to it. Sort of yeasty maybe is the word. Also, it does have some fruity notes to it that may be a topping or casing. But, as they say, if you have to think about it, than they did it right. It burns down fairly clean if you smoke it slowly. It doesn't require a lot of thought as you smoke, just nice and easy. Which may be helpful if you've got better things to be thinking about at the time than keeping your pipe lit.

It does tend to grow on you as you smoke it more. Not very strong nicotine wise, but I'm not sure that was its purpose in the world. I would recommend this to others, and I have. I gave one of my brothers his first pipe for Xmas last year along with a tin of this and a pouch of Macbaren modern Virginia. He liked the Sherlock Holmes better, although his wife didn't. So, if you're reading this, give it a try if you haven't. If you have, give it another shot. You're expanded palate may appreciate it more if it didn't before.

Pipe Used: Various Grabows and cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Most tobacco shops

10 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dixcreek (182)	2018-05-31		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This review is for a can I opened and jarred five years ago. Grassy, earthy and fruity jar note. Moisture was perfect. Char light and second light were on cue. Excellent Virginia here with a smattering of good burley mixed within. Flavor profile same as nose note. Gradsy, earthy and a little fruity but not aromatic fruity. Flavor profile true throughout the smoke, not a real nicotine rusher but ample enough. More so at the ladt 1/8 of the bowl. Good solid smoke which has benefite from some cellar time. Like most blends that are heavy on the Virginia, time in the jar is a plus. Will cellar more

Age When Smoked: 5 plus years

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-04-21		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Excellent blend. I smoked a full tin before I knew it. Must remember to pack lightly, as a tight tamping with this blend will cause it to constantly need relighting. Slow, full draws are best, and not in quick succession, as this blend will bite. When exhaled through the nose one will get the full flavor and the subtle, illusive notes sing. Overall, my favorite. I find it smokes better in a briar as well. I have a pipe made of pearwood and it just doesn't burn as well in it.

7 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Roger Xavierq (34)	2015-08-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

After reading the very controvertial reviews of this blend, I decided to try it myself. I was very skeptical at first. I grab one of my cobs, which I dedicate to VA/Burley blends, and so I went for it.

The tin aroma is pleasant, raisins and grass, sweet but not "scary sweet". The cut is very fine, which makes it very easy to pack and to light. The moisture content seemed just about right.

The first puffs come through a bit harsh, cigarette like smoke. After it settles down it gets better and better. The Va is very sweet and grassy and the Burley gives it a subtle nuttiness.

I would say Peterson Sherlock Holmes is an easy smoke: No bites, easy to keep lit, smokes cool and it's not charged with a lot vitamin N. It can be an all day smoke.

I believe I will keep this baccy around for it's a nice change of pace from my usual Oriental and English blends.

My final word is: try it for yourself. It's not an "epiphany sort of tobacco", no great complexity in here, but it's a decent tobacco, made with quality leaves.

Pipe Used: MM Cobs

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Knightsmoker (217)	2012-11-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my favorite blend right now. I can smoke it all day without problems. The flavoring that some many reviews seem to find is not there for me just a good straight high quality VA/burley blend. The smell is hay-like in the tin. The taste is sweet with a very little (occasional might be a better description) tart undertone here and there. Once in a while the nuttiness of the burley comes through it changes just enough to keep my interest. Something about this blend keeps me wanting more. I open a tin of something different and find myself wanting to open another tin of this stuff. For those that like the VA/Burley blends I highly recommend trying this.

6 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Leon (82)	2020-10-02		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

When I started smoking pipes many years ago I took on a few blends: Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey, Captain Black Original, CAO Eileen's Dream, and Peterson Sherlock Holmes.

I decided to get back to all of these and review them after all these years. See if they bring any memories, do I recommend them or not now that I got more experience.

Here's my #2 review: Peterson Sherlock Holmes.

First, I love it that one of the most English icons is not given a so-called "English blend". At the same time, considering Sherlock's humongous pipes and him pacing around smoking in his office, I'm not sure this blend would've worked either. In any case, though, it definitely works for me!

Regardless of whether or not there is any topping or Burley in it, this should be considered a Virginia blend. And mostly of bright leaf, although the exotic description of Mysore and red leaves is interesting. What you get is primarily a mild sweet citrusy Virginia with some occasional pepper, especially in the retro-hale. At times I even get an after-taste of one of these lollypops on my lips!

It's interesting that I've had different experiences with this one at different times, even when smoking from the same pipe. But in its best times, it tastes like a simple mild straight Virginia. If the topping and Burley are there, they're extremely mild. However, don't mistake its mildness for boredom. This is not a boring blend by any means!

Should be sipped, otherwise can burn hot and bite. Flavor is fairly consistent, although you do get a small change in flavor once in a while. It's cut in ribbon, easy to pack and smoke, few relights, and maybe just a tiny bit on the moist side. Body and strength are mild.

This is a good blend for relaxation while reading a book or watching TV. Can be an all-day smoke if you can control your puffing. I like it very much, but it's not at the top of the Virginia world by any measure. For that reason, three stars.

Pipe Used: Stanwell 242

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Greekpipesmoker (201)	2017-05-27		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Sherlock holmes by peterson..i was very curius to smoke what the famous character might smoked!!once you crack the tin a fresh smell comes out.i detected apricot and nuts.perhaps some cocoa hints.the red virginias are more than the bright ones and the burleys.the moisture level is ok making the tobacco very smooth.packs and lights easy.some relights are needed though.while burning the topping is not so noticeable,though the flavours are very rich and pleasing.dark fruits,tropical tastes,nuts citruses and some grass notes.all combined in a very natural taste.burns slow and medium hot.the nicotine level is low to medium.burns to total ash and leaves a little moisture at the end of the bowl.the room note is barelly noticeable.definitelly a pleasant blend to start your day but not a blend to finish your evening.recommended!

Age When Smoked: When opened

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	fr_tom (393)	2015-07-12		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was gifted an ounce of this by a fellow pipe smoker. It had been "aged" in a ziplock, and came a little dry. Topping may have flashed off a little, so my comments may not correspond exactly to the contents of a just-opened tin. I smoked it as delivered.

This is a good but unremarkable VaBur on the Virginia end of the spectrum. The smoke is a slightly tart sweet and a mellow nuttiness. There is a little fruit that is topping and not the Virginias. I get a slight hint of spice when I exhale through the nose, and that may be the Brazilian burley. I do not have a refined enough palate to say such things with authority.

I found it a pleasant smoke, and it was not fussy about packing or lighting. It burned well and was a cool, dry smoke with enough tobacco flavor to satisfy me.

This is an easy 2.5. I could smoke it every day, but I am not likely to buy a tin. In this category there are lots of great blends that come at a more attractive price point. I am glad I tried it. It might be THE VaBur you have been looking for, so if it sounds appealing, I would give it a try. It is readily available.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2014-06-21		Very Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Picked up as a throw-in on a trade, this light brown to gold ribbon cut had a tin nose that brought a shuddering reminder of my experience with the long out of production Dunhill Golden Hours. Although that aroma may be more common than I think, I haven't smelled it since, and this one reminded me of it. Still I soldiered on.

I suppose one could call this an aromatic depending upon one's definition. To me it's more of a lightly flavored ultra-mellow VaBur. The flavor was sort of a light wheat cereal with that flavoring I couldn't place. The flavor was of the wispy variety, which surprised me based on its component tobaccos. Some air drying and the tobacco sitting in the tin over time reduced the power of the flavoring but never the aroma. The flavor then took on a bit more of the grassiness I associated with lemon Virginias, but at no time was this a flavor powerhouse. I found it rather ordinary and tedious on the whole but it's recommended for those that smoke all day and want a little added sweetness with their very mild tobacco. I did mix in some darker Virginia with mixed results as well as some perique, which was disastrous. But it might be useful for the end of the day when the smoker can tolerate no more surprises and just wants something that will help wind him down.

Pipe Used: meerschaum

Age When Smoked: 1 year

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	the_german (309)	2012-06-05		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Sherlock Holmes himself would probably have smoked this blend. But then again, he has been described as greedily smoking cigarettes, cigars, and practically anything else that burns and gives off smoke.

That is not to say that this blend is bad. Quite the contrary. It is a sweet VA blend (Mysore produces some of the sweetest VAs on the planet) with a touch of Burley that I personally cannot detect in the room note, but just barely in the taste: that chocolate-cocoa-ish taste, cleverly hidden underneath the VA sweetness from India. Makes for a fuller taste than a straight VA blend, so that is a good thing.

The tongue bite some complain about is what you get when you mistreat a VA blend. Sip slowly and it won't bite. So, no complaint from me on that.

Overall, a good VA blend with a touch of Burley that adds to the taste. The taste builds up a little throughout the smoke. Solid three stars for me.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	A. Morley (97)	2007-07-11		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium to Full	Pleasant

There seems to be some mystery about this blend. This is appropriate, I suppose, but none the less maddening. To so many others whom have reviewed Peterson?s Sherlock Holmes, this is a straightforward, natural Virginia tobacco. Some seem to think that it is a blend of Burley and Virginia, though no Burley is mentioned in any of the official descriptions I have found. Only one other reviewer has mentioned the similarity in aroma to Earl Grey tea. With this I am in agreement. This purportedly nineteenth century blend seems to me in the spirit of many aromatic tobaccos with a truly ancient pedigree: a base of Bright or blonde Virginia with a top dressing that is rather floral and at times tangy.

I have a great fondness for such blends and this presentation manages to heighten the characteristic tanginess of Virginia tobacco moreso than say Grousemoor or Erinmore Flake. The one problem with Virginias so pale as the ones in Sherlock Holmes, and of rather a fine cut at that, is that it can become rather hot rather fast if one fails to apply an almost Holmesian level of concentration while smoking. Of all the flower & soap sorts of tobaccos to be found, I would say that Sherlock Holmes is on the milder end of the spectrum and good for those who have found the new Bourbon Street a little overwhelming.

I did think it a bit of a shabby trick that they took a mixture that may well have originated in the nineteenth century and simply attached the name of a famous nineteenth century personage. I will say with confidence that this is far from what Mr. Holmes would have been smoking. For a pipefull more like unto the Master?s perhaps one might try Gawith, Hoggarth & Co.?s Special Dark Birdseye?

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Eulenburg (193)	2002-04-04		Medium	None Detected	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

There is no "oriental" leaf in this mixture: all Mysore means is Virginia tobacco that was grown in India, as it could have been grown in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Brazil, Argentina, or, for that matter, the Old Commonwealth.

Soil, humidity and the altitude where it is grown subtly affect the taste of Virginia-type leaf, but nothing can eradicate the incomparable, unique flavour of this tobacco. When describing it, many use the somewhat vague expression "savoury"; American Southerners often refer to molasses, although I suspect that most people today have no idea what molasses taste like, except that it is generally "sweet". Once, before ordering maple-sugar pie?a Québec specialty?at a restaurant in Montréal, I asked the waitress to describe the taste of it to me; to which she answered: "I am sorry, Monsieur, but there is nothing else like érable [maple], you will just have to try it." I would say the very same thing about the sweetness of Virginia tobacco: it is a thing onto itself. Comparison to other flavours, which may suggest flavouring additives, does not adequately express its individuality. The best and greatest Virginia blends are those that successfully showcase the inimitable personality of Virginia tobacco.

Peterson's Sherlock Holmes certainly does that. It combines the, forgive me, savoury sweetness typical of Virginia, with a darker, stronger tobacco flavour that may suggest Latakia, but does not in the least taste like Latakia, being not so much smokey as...dusky. Thus the sweetness is not at all syrup-wrapped-in-smoke, but just purely?Virginia. Not a combination of conflicting flavours, but one unique flavour.

So I would call this a great mixture because it gives a unique insight into pure Virginia taste, and does it without reference to anything else.

5 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Madox07 (43)	2019-08-30		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

My first go at it was nothing special. I popped the tin, and what I notice is a very sweet, honey like sweetness. The Virginia is quite visible, broad ribbon cut, and quite bright - tasty too, judging by the stains on the paper it had some age to it. The tobacco was so moist that the whole round brick off from the tin could hardly be taken apart to jar. I didn't leave it dry, just stuffed a pipe and lit away. The first impression was that of a light tobacco. I mean, I could seem to detect some flavors, but they were all background ticklers to my tongue. I told myself this is not the way to go, so I dried the stuff for about 20 minutes (I do like my tobacco moist) and stuffed it in the same pipe in which I reviewed the Irish Oak. Different story, the mix seemed to open a whole lot better. I don't know if it's the pipe, but my impression is that Peterson uses the exact same Virginia as in the Oak. Same taste, same sweetness, except that your finishing bouquet is clearly Burley. It seems like a very Virginia forward blend that uses enough Burley to balance it off. So you have your sweetness in your fore front, and then as you puff and hold the smoke in your mouth the Burley kicks in mellowing it down, and making it a very enjoyable all day smoke. Opposite to the Oak, this lacks any of the topping that makes it dried fruity like, and obviously the pepper of the Perique. Smoking the Oak as you draw, then puff and then abuse the smoke a bit, the Perique lets its presence be known more and more, adding more and more spice to the smoke. Opposite, SH starts with the Virginia sweetness, finished by a melow Burley that makes you wind down and keep on puffing with no rush. I guess I can compare the Burley to a pleasant hand break, you draw in that sweet Virginia expecting it to open up more and more - possibly to the point where it will get hot and bite you, but before it gets a change to do that the Burley acts like a counter weight. Quite and interesting tobacco, that I almost overlooked. Also not a nicotine bomb, though it has plenty of it to keep you satisfied.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GeorgeB (8)	2018-06-03		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have just returned from a cruise which went into Gibraltar. Found a shop which sold Peterson tinned pipe tobacco. No Peterson tobacco is a bad tobacco. They cost £14.50 online in the UK in Gibraltar only £6.50. Can’t go wrong. Its the tobacco shop opposite the church if you get a chance to go. Bought 5 different Peterson tins, non I have tried before. This Sherlock Holmes tin smelt great when opened and was moist but not wet. Like a fruit cake. Did’t rate it at first but got better as I smoked. Great smoke, mild with light nicotine hit.

Pipe Used: Peterson K briar

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Gibraltar

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stefanos (222)	2018-02-10		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice ribbon cut with good moisture content to smoke straight from the tin. Sherlock Holmes is a nice everyday smoke with a very mild fruity topping.

It is mildly tangy with a suspicion of fruit but generally it is tastes mostly of plain tobacco. It does not have complexity but it is a very tasty tobacco. It is yeasty, bready and nutty. It reminds me a lot of Dunhill’s Ye Old Signe, although Sherlock Holmes is a tad sweeter and Ye Old Signe tastes of purer tobacco. Maybe a better description would be of a cross between Ye Old Signe and J.F. Germain’s Uncle Tom. I can see in Sherlock Holmes what other reviewers mention as ‘old fashioned’ style, but I can also see affinities with more ‘modern’ blends like Briar Fox. For me Sherlock Holmes is a very good tasty but uncomplicated smoke with considerable sweetness (and some balancing tanginess) which tastes of tobacco ( a little ‘cigaretty’ if you like) with a very mild fruit flavoring which in no makes it an aromatic.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	zenpipe (3)	2013-06-20		Mild	Mild	Mild	Tolerable

First of all: this is my first pipe tobacco review, and it was also the first pipe tobacco I ever tried, in the first pipe I ever tried. So let's hope I can say something meaningful about this tobacco.

I can also add that I bought this somewhat randomly because Peterson has a good reputation, and because I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes.

Ok. The tobacco in the tin has a rather fruity aroma, kinda like sweet peach juice with notes of strawberry and vanilla. Quite pleasant to me.

In the pipe, I have to relight it quite often, but I assume that is because I am very inexperienced with packing a pipe correctly. The flavor of the smoke itself is not very exciting. A slightly nutty note perhaps. Quite pleasant though, but a little boring.

I've tried it in a (new) briar and in a corn cob, with similar results.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain bob (38)	2009-09-02		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Tolerable

I've been smoking the pipe for 45 years. I have a very wide taste range for both non-aromatics and aromatics. As hard as I tried over the course of a couple months,I just could not enjoy smoking this blend. It is a quality premium blended tobacco, no doubt about that. It may just be the rare blend that can't satisfy me in any way as a smoker. I'll always encourage people to try what interests them. But, this one is not for me. And I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan from way back! Too bad for me, I guess.

4 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ScienceSmoker (60)	2022-01-30		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Sherlock Holmes is another polarizing blend... but this time I don't understand why. I really like it. It's pleasant and sweet and easily an all-day smoke. Opening the tin/jar, there's a sweet, familiar fruitiness that I can't quite place. The color of the tobacco is striking, it's fairly light tan, almost orange. And the cut is a perfect ribbon. First few puffs... it's the Virginia's way up front with dark and earthy fruit and some light hay. And the fruity topping. The topping is almost like they took the mild sweet citrus note that comes from good Virginia's, bottled the pure essence of that, and added that as topping. It's a pleasant, slightly citrus, slightly berry flavor. The Burleys are only minimally there, but they're an important part since they really temper the blend's fruitiness with a nice earthy, woody flavor. I really do love the overall flavor, but it can be a little rough sometimes. And Sherlock Holmes does bite and get hot when smoked fast, but slowing down a bit seems solve that issue. I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars, because I really do love this blend. But my general rule is, if I can't decide if it's a 4 or not... then it isn't.

Bottom line: A really nice, pleasantly sweet and fruity Virginia-forward blend. I have a hard time understanding the hate some people have. Solid 3 stars.

Pipe Used: Georg Jensen Grand Prix

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DenizBeck (323)	2017-11-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Very Pleasant

Sherlock Holmes truly is a "old-fashioned English blend" (without Latakia) as I think of! Like 3Ps, or maybe St. Bruno. As Lazarus77 said well...not flavoured enough to be considered an "aromatic", but noticeably, mild aromatized, whilst the flavouring only underscores the Virginia tobaccos.

Unburnt aroma is of bread, honey, and fruits. Fine ribbons, easy to handle, in orange-red coloration.

The taste is dominated by the Virginias, and oh my...these are some fine leafs they used! Orange and red Virginia sport lots of sugar (whilst not being overly sweet though!), bread and pastry notes and I also get some hay and stoved fruits. The Burley lurks in the back, giving this blend a somewhat nutty undertone of sweet and tart nuts! By times the Burley stands out a bit more, but it's mostly in the back. The flavouring is somewhat fruity (reminds me of yellow- and orange fruits), light-handed applied and underscores the experience par excellence! Not standing out too much, but flattering the fruitiness of the VAs.

I was expecting this to be like Petersons 3P's, and in a way it is. But 3Ps has more strenght and more Burley. Yet Sherlock Holmes is in the same fashion as 3Ps. Plenty of tobacco aroma, underscored by a mild flavouring.

Yes... I like it! 3Ps is a tad better to me, but Sherlock Holmes is much more All-Day-suitable due to lower strenght and less intense flavours. 3 stars for me, but this is without a doubt top-notch, classy and tasty blend! Well blended, I only had a nice sample, but I'm quite sure, that I'll get a tin (or two...;-P)

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kamerling (28)	2016-09-04		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

I thinkt that would be the best of Peterson's regular series. Little bity, but instead of it's brothers and sistars it has an original taste (rose & cherry). What is unique for this Peterson, it's that you won't be attack by chemical flavour (which you should rightly afraid of). They say there is a Virginia and Burley, but I always get 100% golden leafs, so it's rather Va gently sprayed with some aroma. I like to go back and try Sherlock, but not more often than once a year.

PS: Have you noticed, that Sherlock Holmes threw the years always gets purple color on it's tin? It's because first Arthur C. Doyle's novel about famous detective was "A Study in Scarlet".

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	TW (38)	2016-03-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Now, as is well known, Sherlock Holmes himself favoured a well-used clay churchwarden in which, according to Watson, he smoked an "evil dark shag" that he kept in an old Persian slipper. As you do.

Peterson's "Sherlock Holmes" is about as far as you can get from an evil dark shag. As the blend description says, it's a blend that's mostly light Virginia with some Burley added in then topped with something clearly related to fruit.

On opening the tin the smell of the topping wafts out, the smell of the tobacco itself being pretty much overwhelmed. I'm not sure what the topping is, sometimes I think there's cherry in it, or maybe blackberries, or perhaps plum.. The tobacco itself is a pretty standard ribbon cut with a few bigger bits of leaf every so often. The moisture level is pretty much smokable straight from the tin, and if you want to dry it to a crisp that doesn't take very long.

Me, I prefer it with a little moisture still present.

Smoking it, the initial taste is a mix of a good quality mild to medium VaBur with the topping clearly there but no longer overwhelming the tobacco. As the bowl progresses the topping recedes pretty quickly, then is present in just enough quantity to add something to the leaf rather than dominate. Similar to how the plum in University Flake adds something without being too forward.

It's a pleasant enough tobacco, though I can see it could bite if puffed vigorously or drawn on too hard. Slow and gentle is the way to treat this blend.

It would make a good, uncomplicated all-day tobacco I think, in fact that's how I've been treating it. The nicotine level is enough to let you know it's there, but quite mild by British/Irish pipe tobacco standards.

Overall, a gently pleasant blend without much in the way of complexity, just good quality leaf and a topping that adds a little interest and works very well without taking things into the realm of "American-style" aromatics.

Pipe Used: A variety of briars

Age When Smoked: New tin

Purchased From: www.mysmokingshop.co.uk

Similar Blends: Gawith & Hoggarth Kendal Gold (if Gold had less citrus and bite)., Orlik Golden Sliced..

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	machinebcon (50)	2012-03-29		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

SH comes in a round 50g tin, the colour of the ribbon cut tobacco is bright and bronze. Tin smell is like overly ripe red apples, orange peel, apricots, and traces of banana cake and dark chocolate. I doubt there are Orientals in the mixture. SH needs a slow sipping to show its strong points. The smoke might be a bit boring for most, I detect oak, black tea, orange peel and a touch of honey - all not in a "Danish aromatic" kind of way. Burns down peacefully and dry, doesn't require much attention and has a medium dose of Vitamin N. Room note is slightly sweet-sour, honeyish. Unfortunately, this tobacco is too expensive to be an all-day smoke (Mac Baren's Navy Flake might be a good replacement). I can imagine it tastes better with a cup of black tea, or whiskey. I absolutely like SH, but I can understand people who find it boring, flat, uninteresting. Nevertheless, the tobaccos used are high quality. 3.5 stars

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xeneize (275)	2009-05-20		Medium	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

This is a fine Virginia/Burley mixture with a strange but very mild flavoring, easy to smoke, although it can bite if smoked recklessly. I can see why many people enjoy this tobacco, but I find it lacking some taste and a lot of character.

Should it be discontinued, I wouldn't expect many smokers missing it, as there are many similar tobaccos on the market (Sail green coming to my mind while I smoke it).

3 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	cm1648 (107)	2021-10-03		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Prep: Moisture slightly on the wetter side Notes: Certainly a Virginia forward blend. Despite the topping, the virginas natural flavors appear. Somewhat fruit and grassy with spicy earthy notes. Burley is take a back seat to the Virginia and the topping, peaking its head with a slight molasses and nutty note. The flavoring reminds me of the flavoring on Erinmore flake, which I'm not a fan of. By mid bowl, I begin to enjoy it more. 6.5/10

Similar Blends: Erinmore Flake.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	MarkTheLad (46)	2020-10-19		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I am a huge literary fan of Sherlock Holmes, so of course I had to try this blend. At first I taste a decent quality Virginia with a little citrus and some natural sweetness, and a very light and fruity topping. There is just a little burley nuttiness in the background, but it's not a key player. I can't quite put my finger on this topping, apricot maybe. It seems to fade a little halfway through the bowl and never sublimates that fine natural tobacco flavor. I smoked this blend slowly, so it never bit me and it turned out to be a very flavorful and enjoyable smoke. I suspect this will age well, so I'm going to put a few tins back. Mr. Holmes would be proud! 3 stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes Strand

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	L'Italiano (231)	2020-07-03		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

SHERLOCK HOLMES: Yes, there is Burley in this blend and you can taste it from the beginning to the end of the bowl. This is not straight Virginia and the tin description is correct. Probably some time ago it was straight Virginia, but now it is a Virginia/Burley blend. At the moment this mixture is superb, well balanced and perfectly harmonious, with a skillful dosing of the ingredients. Slightly flavored it has a perfect strength and an excellent taste. The flavoring is mild and there is both casing and topping but the tobacco taste is always present. I think there is also some alcohol. The real difficulty is determining what kind of mixture it is. I mean it could be a slightly flavored top natural blend or a simple light aromatic or even a classic flavored mixture. In my opinion this is a slightly aromatic blend, certainly flavored but in moderation and respect for tobacco. Whatever it is, I would like to say that among the flavored blends there is a lot of trash on the market and if you really want something superior, don’t miss out on this blend and you will not be disappointed. In my taste this is a three stars blend but among the flavored blends it deserves four full stars. So, in my personal rating system (from 1 to 10) my score is 9 and four stars. L’Italiano

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	pipeclubsi (17)	2019-11-03		Strong	Extremely Mild	Very Full	Tolerable to Strong

Red virginia tobacco made in old no-nonsense style. Simply good english full strong smoke. It gives you the typical virginia experience and I can understand why some don't like it. It's a smoke it or leave it tobacco, no aroma to make a dissertation about, just hints of citrus, nuts and natural sweetness. It smokes well, easy to maintain lit, great smoke and burns to fine ashes. The aftertaste is very satisfying. I smoke it on balcony and like if the nature wanted to tease me, the weather was windy with sun and rain changing within minutes giving me that English autumn feel, the falling colorful leaves flying around like having the last play before dark clouds and mist bring the cold and announce the winter approach ing. I can imagine many can enjoy this tobacco in peaceful reading the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and slowly puffing the same named tobacco. It's just that kind of tobacco.

Pipe Used: Adsorba 210 bent apple

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: Pipe shop Dreier , Graz/Gradec Austria

Similar Blends: Austria Tabak GmbH - Landtabak, Rattray - Old Gowrie (British Collection).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Gerry P (39)	2019-09-08		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

After smoking a couple bowls of this, then reading the reviews, I was puzzled by the vitriolic nature of some of the one star reviews of what I considered a mild, flavorful, inoffensive blend. Then I noticed a perfumey note that reminded me of a Lakeland blend...certainly not like Dark Flake Scented (the strongest Lakeland in my repertoire), but a little "soapy", to draw a crude comparison. I can see how combining that with citrus would throw people off, considering the polarized opinions on floral tobaccos. I believe Peterson when they say this is an old Irish blend, since modern palates seem to be suspicious of toppings that don't taste like candy, fruit, or pancakes.

As for me, I think this is a cool-burning, bite-free, mild Virginia blend with a topping that makes it interesting and a fantastic tin note. I'm smoking a bowl of it now after spending the day detailing my car in the 96-but-feels-like-103 (f) heat, and I'll tell ya...I haven't tried a better hot weather blend than this one. A strong 3+ stars.

Pipe Used: Peterson System 302, MM Carolina Gent

Age When Smoked: Purchased yesterday, age unknown

Purchased From: Mayan Import Co., New Orleans LA

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stan27 (4)	2019-02-05		Mild	Extra Strong	Medium to Full	Tolerable

First impression: "Oh no!!! Such a good leaf spoiled!". The tobacco leaf is quality, but destroyed by heavy flavoring. The smell from can is much worse than the taste you get when it is smoked. The tobacco is also very moist and needs some drying before it could be smoked well. I see a difference in the descriptions about flavoring, some say it is mild while others say it is strong. Tobacco in my can was covered with a layer of sticky sirop. This could also explain why you either hate or love the blend. I would love it if it had less sirop in it, which i tryed to do by putting tobacco on a sheet of paiper, so that it soaked some juices. Then I liked it more. Overall impression: pity for a good leaf.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	HastingsPiper (9)	2019-01-19		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

My brother urged me to try this blend, and I'm glad he did. Straight from the tin it's a bit moist and will not reward you if smoked that way. Leave it to air for a day or two in a jar and it's a different story. This is a top quality Virginia blend with a light plum/fruit topping. Not strictly an aromatic, the topping just eases the flavour out of the tobacco. It burns very well and stays lit. It's a sipper though. If you hammer it you may regret it. I'm not into strong, heavy tobacco so this suits me fine and is a good all day smoke. Get it out of the tin though and let it air. I can't emphasis how much better it gets if you do. This has become a permanent blend in my rotation. Recommended to smokers who like a nice mild smoke as opposed to road tar like Nightcap!

Pipe Used: Falcon International. Duncan Poker.

Age When Smoked: Straight from packet

Purchased From: My Smoking Shop

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	1/2 (17)	2018-07-09		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was at the local tobacconist today and wanted to try something that was new to me. Having never tried any of Peterson’s tobaccos, I thought I would give it a try. My first impression of this tobacco was the Nice scent and the warm copper and brown tones of the tobacco. I savoured the scent and sight for a bit before choosing a pipe to enjoy my first bowl of this blend. When packing my pipe I noted that the tobacco was not to dry, yet Nice and ready to smoke right out of the tin. A Nice texture that is easy to work with to pack the bowl just how I like it. Not to firm, and not to loose. The aroma that hit me and the texture was very Nice when I lit it up the first and second time. Nice texture and aroma to this blend, and it really topped my morning nicely sitting on the deck enjoying the sound of the gentle breeze as I planned the rest of my day. I have never times how long a bowl lasts, and I most likely never will But this was a tobacco I could savour. I did notice that it did burn relatively warm as I enjoyed it, so I would recommend not being in a rush while smoking this one.

Pipe Used: Talamona Reverse Calabash

Age When Smoked: New from the store

Purchased From: M.Sørensen Tobbakk in Bergen

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Simple Man Peterson Fan (4)	2018-06-28		Medium	Medium	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The jar note is reminiscent of opening up the tobacco barn doors on a foggy autumn morning but with a little something extra; is that grapefruit I detect? The aroma of Earl Grey tea comes to mind briefly.The moisture of the blend is a little high for my liking but I suspect it’s nothing a little more aging couldn’t remedy. The cut of the blend seems varied, not quite a ribbon but larger than a flake. It packs quite well and after the initial char light, burns very evenly, requiring minimal re-lighting. Surprising given the moisture content. The fruity grapefruit note from the jar is present on the palate in the first draw but is quickly replaced by an earthy, organic flavor on the back of the tongue. There’s nothing too sweet in this bowl, that much is quickly evident. Fifteen minutes into the bowl it’s clear that this blend is best enjoyed in small sips. (As is often the case in pipe smoking) I find if I’m not careful to pace myself I get a slight bite from the blend, as it seems to burn a little hotter than the aromatics I’m accustomed to. This fact brings me to the room note of the bowl. It isn’t altogether unpleasant, yet my non-smoking friends are quick to notice I’ve changed blends. The aroma is tolerable and even nice, yet not as inviting as other blends I favor. Nearly an hour into my smoke the bowl has burned down to the dregs but I have experienced none of the gurgling or swampy residue that is common in most aromatic blends. I have had to re-light my bowl only twice and the tobacco has burned evenly to a fine, nearly completely dry ash. The grapefruit note is noticeable on my palate as well as a hint of something sweeter mingled with the pleasant earthy tone mentioned before. While far from my favorite blend, I would have to rate this smoke an overall enjoyable experience. I don’t think I would rate it suitable for all day smoking, but it is certainly a nice change for a once in a while smoke. In my humble opinion it is a much better blend than it is given credit for.

Pipe Used: Peterson System 302

Age When Smoked: 1 month

Purchased From: P&C

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Courtney Fish (33)	2018-03-22		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

OK, first off let’s try to get past the name. Whether it is attractive or stupid or solely to do with marketing or if it is a ploy for sales or to appeal to the American market, does not matter. What the tobacco is like is the only significance.

Real proper almost astringent Virginia aroma from the tin, fruity and quite zesty but with a subtle vanilla sweetness in the background. A fine ribbon cut in shades of golden brown that is easy to pack. Upon lighting and initial draws the taste is towards a good quality cigarette... hmmm, not quite what I was looking for or expecting. I would imagine if smoked fast (my default pace) this would be ok for previous cigarette smokers but this was not what I wanted.

If I had stopped there my review would have been poor, the same as many previously posted here. However, the revelation came when after a few minutes I forced myself to slow down only as I thought I was heading for bite. Forced into ‘sipping' the pipe led to a completely different experience.

The grassy notes were subtle but well defined, fresh and dry and gently sweet, as was a richness that I had not previously perceived. My initial thoughts now were of lemon tea, particularly when exhaling through the nose. So after the false start, so far, so good.

But after 20 minutes things really step up a level with smoky caramel and nutty notes coming through (possibly from the Burley) and then a very distinct and surprising, almost refreshing citrus flavour on the exhale and remaining as a delicious aftertaste. These flavours combined with the perfect level of nicotine and the fact that I was doing nothing but concentrating on the act of smoking left me feeling very mellow and experiencing an almost perfect smoke. This is what I would have missed had I just puffed away as normal.

Sherlock Holmes is a tobacco of subtlety and nuance and does require the investment of time – it is not an all-day smoke, to stuff in the pipe when you are concentrating on something else, it is a treat to be saved for when you have the time to dedicate to doing nothing but smoking. Puff away and you WILL be disappointed but give this tobacco the time and it will handsomely repay. This is very close to the top of my list.

Pipe Used: Peterson, Falcon, Carey

Age When Smoked: Less than a year

Purchased From: Smoke-King

Similar Blends: Stands alone.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pastor Puff (15)	2016-09-25		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

I think every smoker has those blends that were instant favorites. 965, Full Virginia Flake, Chelsea Morning... The tobaccos that we panic when we begin to run low. I watched a YouTube review of this tobacco and threw an oz of bulk on my last P&C order. I remember opening the little bag, and taking a whiff. Orange? Lemon? Citrus for sure. I packed this into my trusty tasting cob. And BAM.. A new favorite.

This is not a punch you in the face blend, if that's what you're looking for walk away. This is a nice, mild blend with the faintest of citrus flavoring in the background, and is there even any nicotine in this blend? This tobacco is best suited after a hard days work in the July heat, with a light pilsner playing compliment.

Pipe Used: Cob

Purchased From: Pipes and Cigars

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RoyAxly (2)	2016-06-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend burns hot as the temper of a woman from the tropics, flavorless as certain rare poisons culled from exotic flowers, and tastes like papers burnt to cover a crime. That is, when you can keep it lit.

The scent is very unusual but not totally unpleasant. Reminded be of blackberry brandy, though this isn't what I would call a sweet aromatic by any stretch of the imagination. The scent doesn't really make it's way to the flavor at all. After several attempts in different pipes, this is the first tobacco that I just gave up on and gave away. The guy that I gave it to couldn't keep it lit either, but said that it didn't taste bad. Hopefully he wasn't just being polite.

There is an outside chance that this could be your thing. The only thing this blend has going for it as far as I can see is that it's ver unique. If you really want to try an unusual crossover and just feel like taking a gamble, go for it. Otherwise, I'd skip it.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Iwan Ries & Co

Similar Blends: Nothing I know of. A very unique blend. Maybe a little like Dr. Bradley Blend but without the latakia (or as much flavor)..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	oldcodger (74)	2016-06-26		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Peterson's Sherlock Holmes mixture is a pipe tobacco for which the sum is less than the total of its parts. What are its constituents? Several types of Virginias of obvious high quality. And Burley. The Peterson web site currently refers to "the straight Virginia blend," but the tin proclaims "a Virginia and burley leaf blend of great character with a sweet taste and aromatic aroma." And a mild flavoring of a fruit/citrus nature.

Open the tin and you find a ribbon cut of varied gold and brown strands. Upon doing so, the grassy Virginias aroma is matched by the fruity and raisiny flavoring agents which seem somewhat stronger than comes through in the smoking. Is this a semi aromatic or a light aromatic? I vote for light aromatic.

The moisture level is fine for immediate smoking, unlike most tinned blends which benefit from some drying time. It lights easily and seldom requires a relight. The nicotine level registers in a little below medium. The room note is OK, nothing to excite others but also nothing to offend any but the most obnoxious non smokers.

For a primarily Virginia blend the chance of biting is small so long as a gentle puffing rate is observed. As with all Virginia dominant tobaccos, a fast puff regimen creates some problem, especially for sensitive tongues.

I smoke this in my pipes reserved for Virginias or Virginia/periques. But unless you smoke repeated bowls in the same pipe, ghosting should be no problem.

All told, the combination should offer an outstanding smoking experience. For me it is not. There is nothing wrong with Sherlock Holmes, but it lacks the pizzazz that impels me to highly recommend it. Boring? Tedious? Both of those words are far too harsh. Unremarkable? That pretty well sums it up for me.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lazarus77 (91)	2016-06-19		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Sherlock Holmes works best as a 'transitional' blend.it is not cased enough to be an aromatic and not straight enough to be considered a natural blend. There are no strong flavours and strangely this tobacco tastes very much like it smells. This tobacco is becoming more & more enjoyable. Overall good stuff, worth to try it.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 6 month

Purchased From: Local tobacconist store

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mawnan Smiff (28)	2016-03-21		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I am really struggling to think of something positive to say about this particular blend, all I can think is that it packs very easily due to being a ribbon cut.

The smoking experience itself is a very bland one with zero flavour & minimal taste......it really is that bad. Granted, come mid bowl it picks up ever so slightly but still lacks flavour. This is one very dull & boring smoke and not one I feel I could recommend.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie Oom Paul & Barling TVF brandy.

Age When Smoked: Fresh.

Purchased From: Harvey's of Redruth, Cornwall.

Similar Blends: Fresh air..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Wibblefishofdoom (139)	2016-02-08		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

I bought this one at my local b&m, wanting to try a simple tobacco and Peterson I had not had before. This one seemed to fit the bill.

The tine note I found to be one of cherries. Very nice. Packing and lighting are easy. The initial smoke was one of hay, much like a milder version of SG Golden Glow, something which nicely impressed me. As the smoke progressed, the topping began to kick in, something fruity, possibly those cherries again, though no citrus availed itself on my tongue. As I have progressed down the tin, the topping has kicked in earlier and has combined very nicely with the hay of the virginia. I have found a little tonguebite in the first third of the bowl or so, even when I ease off with the smoking, but the flavour so nicely dallies over the top of it, it seems to be more of a beauty spot than a wart.

In summary, this is a very nice, mild aromatic that plays nicely on the tastes buds and combines well a good virginia with what is perhaps a hint of burley with an excellent, restrained topping. In this case, both the tobacco and the topping complement rather than obscure each other. It reminds me a little of Dunhill 3 Year Matured Virginia, a well blended baccy, only this does burn hotter and bites a little more. That's no real biggy though, an all round good tobacco that will go back to time after time.

Pipe Used: Rogers Standard Algerian Briar

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

Purchased From: Cuban Cigar Club

Similar Blends: Dunhill Three Year matured Virginia.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Geronimo Von Klaus (76)	2016-01-21		Mild to Medium	Medium to Strong	Mild to Medium	Very Strong

I did not get on well with this blend.

Nice tin note, very moist, well presented.

Dried some out and fired it up. Lights very easy, packs and lights well.

Then it all goes horribly wrong. It tastes like low grade cheap and nasty cigarettes. The smoke is sharp and harsh, the aroma bitter and cheap, the aro elements just make the bowl burn incredibly hot.

Gave it a few bowls in a few different pipes. Every time I tried it the same result. It actually stings my nostrils, leaves me with a film of crud on my palate which I cannot seem to get rid of, and each time I feel like a teenager who just tried a cigarette for the first time.

How on Earth Peterson produce this at the same time as the Irish Flake and Irish Whiskey is beyond me.

Give it a wide birth.

Pipe Used: A now ruined WDC billiard

Similar Blends: Cheap cigarettes..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ATW (110)	2016-01-05		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

If you think this stuff is a treat then you may also like to smoke a citrus scented pile of barber shop hair 👎🏻 Not a fan at all

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sybariten (61)	2015-09-18		Mild	Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Fruity because of the added flavour, nutty and hay-ish because of the tobacco. That's not bad. I enjoy the taste, it is but a mild aromatic. I do not enjoy the smoking qualities. This one burns HOT and it WILL bite you if you are not careful. Slow is the way to go, if you are a slow smoker and are looking for a light and fruity smoke - this one might do the trick. For me it does not. Can't stand that bite.

Pipe Used: Orlik supreme

Purchased From: Mellgrens.se

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Cumarinophil (108)	2015-04-09		Strong	Very Mild	Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Peterson Sherlock Holmes is strong on nicotine and smokes like a pure (red) Virginia blend with enhanced backbone from the Burley. It is spicy, almost piquant, developing the smell of a nice fig or plum casing, very subtle though, combined with a fair amount of smoke. Not recommended to the faint hearted, but a very nice “thinking tobacco”, that used to keep me awake during my studies. To smoke it does not require much thinking/attention as long as you respect the blend by using low cadence.

Sherlock Holmes doesn't change much with age and even completely dried out you can re-humidify and be good to go again.

I’m glad this is not just a merchandise product, but one that shows some character instead of being everybody’s darling. I like it very much but at the same time I would not recommend this to a lot of people.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: fresh to 5 yrs

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Bonneville (52)	2014-08-12		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Full	Tolerable

This is a decent blend, and would be better if it had less Burley. The Virginia needs to be more prominent, in my opinion.

All in all, it's a nice smoke. Smoke it slow and you will pick up on the best qualities. It's rich and sweet with a distinct Burley nutty fullness that I don't care for particularly. If you like Burley, you will enjoy this blend, however.

Pipe Used: Italian Basket

Age When Smoked: unknown

Purchased From: Beehive Cigars, Salt Lake CIty, UT

Similar Blends: C&D Briar Fox.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JustinCarcerated (99)	2014-06-13		Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

As should be expected from Peterson, this presents with all the expectations of a high quality blend. Ribbon cut, very good quality leaf, uniformity of sizing, minimal woody stems.

Tin note was bright in a citric, Va leaf type of way, but no topping detected in any way.

Getting this baccy lit remained a minor chore, even to mid tin, but once lit it behaved fairly well. This despite having what I considered to be an appropriate tin moisture-additional drying time did not seem to positively affect the burn characteristics....at least as it relates to getting it toasty.

This blend, being a VaBur, seemed to me taste-wise to be an equal proportion of Virginias to Burley. And speaking for my palate, this resulted in a taste profile that was bland, too even for interest to be maintained... The best results I found came from a larger Aldo V. billiard with high wall, where when able to breathe some Va sweetness could waft in and out. However, primarily it was cancelled out by a rough bitterness.

This from the same manufacture that spits out University Flake, a VaBur that I hold dear enough to cellar a goodly stack of tins yearly.

Lastly, from a common sense perspective, shouldn't the good detective be representing a fine English....or better yet, perhaps an intensely strong turkish forward blend?

Pipe Used: many shapes and sizes, briars and cobs

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: pipesandcigars.com

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krg1000 (183)	2013-12-14		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I think if Holmes were a real person, he would not be caught dead smoking this blend. Yes, SH smoked cigars, cigarettes and pipes, he always went for the stronger blends. Read the books and find out how many times Dr Watson complained about what Holmes smoked. With that being said, I must say that this is an aromatic that seems in line with the other Peterson aromatics I have tried, they usually suck. It is too moist out of the tin and just does nothing for me except puts gunk in my pipe at the end of the day.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-02-12		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Unnoticeable

This was the 2d tobacco that I bought and - I'll admit it - it's because I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes (the Doyle canon, the Jeremy Brett Grenada series as well as Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch & Martin Freeman) fan. The taste is "gentlemanly": mild, civilised, an all-around pleasant smoke that would tip it's top hat (no NOT a deerstalker!) & apologise if it caused any bite. A lovely golden colour that's packed tight in the tin which also makes it easier to pack in your bowl. I found that having a little loose bit on top as tinder helps a lot to get it and keep it lit.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-04-17		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Smells of apricot, but tastes of Earl Grey (tea and dark citrus) and a wooden desk. I agree with others who point out that it's a good “breakfast” smoke: feels like having a cup of tea while reading the morning papers, on the lookout for clues... or just solving the crossword. Then again, could also work great in an early afternoon, after a short work day.

The Earl Grey aftertaste is quite strong and nice, leaves a pleasant dryness on the tongue. The room note will make friends. As others has noted, does have a bite at first, but quickly disappears after a few minutes as the rest of the bowl dries from the heat.

Such an interesting blend! Easy to smoke without having to pay too much attention to it, in which case you get a constant, comforting mild Virginia sweetness. But when you have contemplative moments here and there, it rewards you with subtlety. Nothing too sophisticated, but enough to fit the popular fictional connotation of Sherlock Holmes. I think it's a great name for it.

Was looking for a lighter variation on my usual fare (spicy English), but nothing too shallow, and this was just perfect. If only it were cheaper! It's worth pointing out that the tin contains a condensed cake, so you actually get a bit more than you might think for the price.

Surprised by so much negativity in the reviews. Perhaps quality is inconsistent, or perhaps it's too “interesting” for folk with well-honed expectations. I guess it's not everybody's cup of tea (see what I did here?).

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Connoisseur (47)	2012-02-29		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

University Flake aside, Sherlock Holmes is probably the best of a lackluster bunch from Peterson. The bright ribbon cut tobacco has a subtle sweet scent though I cannot detect any flavouring. It burns slowly with a smooth, medium body smoke, but again has no detectable flavourings. Reasonable tobacco taste - a little on the mild side given the body of the smoke, but certainly doesn't bite the tongue. Don't know if I will buy again but certainly good enough to finish the tin.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	who broke my clay pipe? (70)	2011-09-03		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Strong

An intriguing semi-aromatic that walks the tightrope between the aromatic and strait tobacco divide, it is in my current tobacco collection a bit of a fence sitter.

I have had a few tins of this and to be honest it is my favourite of the peterson aromatic series because it is sweet enough to satisfy my slight occasional aromatic urge and also serious and plain enough to qualify as a strait tobacco.

It is actually quite a strait tobacco and the first thing that gets me as soon as I see the tobacco apearance is how blond and light it is;its a strawberry blond orangy glowy ginger cake of thin easy to deal with ribbons.

Quite moist to touch and could do perhaps with a pre ignition airing before packing. The tin aroma is light and reminicent of a blueberry breakfast muffin.

Its takes flame ok and you get a light virginia sweet fruity note for about the first quater inch of burn then its tangy cereal-esque cornflake virginia nature comes into play, and you get a toasted rock cake /sweet bun taste..'Toasted' is a key description here ,kind of in the nature of lucky strike cigarettes but pipeish in its charecter.

Due to its strait out of the tin moisture level , I do not pack too tight I also note it burns quite quickly and can be a bit steamy for the first quarter inch before settling into dryer condition.

Room note is mysteriously milky creamy and my written notes say like "wet sweet acrylic paint" (in a nice way i might add)

Even though i say this tobacco does not bite;-it can get hot and can give you dry tongue if you go hard. But; it does have a 'prickle' factor sometimes which is not tongue bite ,but is 'tangyness';i will compare this tangyness to explain what i mean:- Sherlock holmes has a 'green' taste which is like an aftertaste sensation simular to having eaten green cobnuts(simular to fresh chestnut that hasn't been roasted yet : the taste is like a substance found in some tree nuts which is astringent and is a bitter substance called 'tannin' which is found in vegetation- (and is used for tanning leather actually) It is a taste like a pre- ripe banana, or like chewing an accorn slightly (accorns are edible btw) ,or plain green tea maybe. What it does to your tongue is simular i suppose to what curry also does;it leaves a sensation but is not 'bite'.

Sherlock Holmes has a tang factor which depending whether you like tang or not, you can chase this tobocco with a drink that opens your taste buds to reveal that tang,or another drink like milk which masks it.

The tang is not massive but it has something in its mild and easy going plain-ness which makes it slightly hotter than another simular competitor like 'erinmore mixture' which i like also and have discovered since discovering Sherlock holmes.

This tobacco prefers a larger bowl ; it gives a more rounded delivery.

It burns down to a light ash and the taste doesn't change or turn turgid like some chunkier pelletish aromatics do in a large bowl..

I prefer erinmore flake for its creamy milkyness,but sometimes i prefer a bowl of this for its more tangoman tangyness/green tea way.. Sherlock Holmes is more aromatic than erinmore but they are good comparisons.

I have already said that i have repurchased this a few times and is my choice on hand example of a non over the top mellow but serious as well aromatic.

2.5 stars

UPDATE 14-06-2017

I have been going through my cellared jar collection lately revisiting some old friends and enemies with my preferred Falcon, Alco, Brentford pipes of late to examine the tobaccos I haven't touched for a few years.

Some tobaccos have a shelf life where they get worse with age: Some keep well and preserved where they taste as good as first smoked: Others improve in ways where they taste greater than their initial purchase price and equal a genuine investment.

Sherlock Holmes was virtually an untouched perfect whole 50g tin's worth in a sealed kilner jar for 5 years.. It smelled metallically sour in the jar,and unfortunately this sourness also translated to taste in the smoke in the same way and the worst bite and taste I have had in years.. It has aged absolutely horribly and self spoiled..

Sherlock to be honest wasn't that good to begin with ,it was just a bit easier than the other aromatics at the time. But 5 years o;, the other aromatics are ok, but this has really declined and become an augmented version of its own bad properties.

Absolutely acid sour horrible,i am not mistaking citrus notes for this ;this was metallic sour abominable. I am afraid that anybody aging this expecting to find a better version in a few years should smoke it ASAP before it gets worse with time!

I tried lightly toasting it in the oven , just to try and change its ph factor in order to redeem it somehow: Although the taste was slightly less acrid, it still none the less had the same acidic bite factor.

I got so many good tobaccos and some of them by Petersons, but this went in the bin yesterday and taught me that some things definitely don't age. The writing was on the wall in my first review really, i can read for myself me apologizing for it and trying to look past and justify its nastiness.

1 Star Rubbish.

Age When Smoked: New,Months,Year, 5 Years

Similar Blends: A 9-volt battery.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Susanna Hoffs (74)	2009-11-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A pleasant floral bouquet of oranges, burnt digestive biscuits (in a nice sense) and a hint of english tea. A quality, steady mild aromatic.

More of a Dr Watson than a Mr Holmes IMO...

Still, as I say, smoke what 'YOU' enjoy.. Not what others say you should.

i was talking utter shite. This abortion of a blend is worth fuck all. Burns hot, tastes like a cup of English tea. What's the point? If Holmes smoked this in fantasy land, then well, he obviously loved it up the wrong un=

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BingCrosby (161)	2009-01-20		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is an example of a tobacco that is very good but is just not my thing.. I like the apricot citrus flavor but i find it kind of dominates a little too much for my tastes.. it burns well smokes a little on the hot side but if you slow down it shouldn't be a problem.. I would recommend that you try this blend if you like natural tasting aromatics.. or if you like virginia burley mixtures.. It is good and I will probably try it again.. but it does not excite me very much..

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	garydobbs (20)	2008-05-21		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

Firstly and nothing to do with the actual tobacco - the new tin design is terrible. There's not even a pic of Holmes on the purple label. The new design can be seen here - .

It's somewhat moist when it comes out of the tin but I found that leaving a clump to dry for awhile before putting it in the bowl is the best thing to do. Straight from the tin it produced some bite but after drying it was a lovely smooth smoke.

The tin states that it is a virginia and burley blend but I didn't find the burley that noticeable. It does, as some have stated, have an apricot tinge to the flavour and on times it is rather creamy. It is an enjoyable smoke but I plan to leave my tin for a week or two and then try it again and come back to this review. My first impression is that it is pleasing and mild with a considerable nicotine hit but rather lacking in the flavor department. I will say though, that once dried a little, it does smoke very well and produces a nice crisp ash and left my pipe clean and fresh.

I've tried this again now that it's stood in the tin a few months and I still feel the same way about it but I do think that the creamy flavor favors oatmeal. In fact the only complaint I've got is that the new tin design is bland and boring but the smoke is anything but.

QUITE EXCELLENT.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dubinthedam (133)	2007-03-15		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

My first review, and SH is a good one to start with, I am a fan of peterson tobaccos, being a Dublin man, is just coincidential. This is my main tobacco at the moment, it has grown to be my favourite over the past few months. I like aromatics and this is a good one, yes it is a mild aromatic, but stronger than many packet aro's. The apricot/ citrus and natural sweetness of virginia tobacco go very, very well together. Yes it is a bit damp in the tin, but i find this means it lasts well in a pouch or small sample tin I carry it about town in. Strong nicotine flavour, but still fruity and not too sweet. I little bit cigar in there too. I smoke it in a large Neerup straight (9mm filter), billard and a Big Ben straight silverline (9mm filter). It is usually my first smoke of the day. PS. I have found that filters can actually often help the taste of my aromatic tobaccos, ie reduces bite, moisture and harshness or bitterness of flavours. Most of the above has been mentioned in better more experienced reviews, to conclude a top quality, fruity, sweet virginia.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sasquatch (90)	2006-12-09		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Tolerable

Update, Mar 09

An aquaintance suggested that I had been overly hard on old Sherlock, and I had been looking to try again anyhow, just out of sheer perversity, perhaps.

I think my initial problems with Sherlock were twofold: First, it is very wet and a very thin cut indeed - very easy to pack poorly, and must be dried very thoroughly as most Virginias do. Second, I was expecting some kind of Uber-tobacco in the way of Condor or Saint Bruno - why else call it "Sherlock Holmes". So I was expecting a monster, and this Sherlock is very light and gentle (genteel?).

Take the name away - this is a pretty light virginia and burley mix, probably with a raisiny/bergamot sort of topping (lavender with a hint of licorice?). Very similar in style to Uncle Tom's Smoking Mixture and certain other "old school" virginia-based mixes. Smoked as such, and appreciated as such, it is a very tasty blend, oscillating between sweet and bitter (or maybe woody) notes.

It is NOT an overly strong blend in any way - in some senses it is fairly forgettable. But I will give it 3/4 for being old-timey and pretty tasty if you master it. -.5 for invoking the ultimate pipe lunatic, and -.5 for being so wet and fussy.

A little perique in this might be worth a try...

Original review:

Well, it's a funny world. My "Dear God!" tobacco, this is the one tin of baccy that I wound up just discarding. Kept it for a couple months, trying this stuff on and off.

The stewed prune aroma on opening the tin had my mouth watering - was this to be another plumcake? Alas, no, it is harsh and cigarette-like, with the Va component being completely unable to offer any richness or genuine sweetness, and the topping coming through at all times "Don't forget me!" Pretty bad ride for this pipester.

Dunhill's Elizabethan Mix is Sherlock done correctly.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Noorrmm (192)	2006-03-30		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Appearance: Slightly rough cut, mostly orange-red with a few darker bits throughout.

Aroma: Nice Virginia aroma with a trace of the stewed fruit hallmark of Perique, and an elusive floral top-note.

Packing: Packs well into any size pipe from fairly small to medium-large.

Lighting: Lights easily, stays cool while starting.

Initial flavor: Initially, the top dressing is most noticeable, with the Va. Sweetness following closely after. There may be some Burley in the blend, as I feel a heavy, almost cigarish flavor present. The Perique stays in the background, adding an interesting piquancy.

Mid-bowl: There is an interplay of the flavors, which makes the blend better than the individual components. All told, the flavor is just a bit flat, or watered down

Finish: The end of the bowl is somewhat stronger, with the Perique showing more presence.

Summary: A pleasant blend, but not a great one IMHO. There are many superior Va/Per blends on the market.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tantric (321)	2003-01-18		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I have often referred to this tobacco in reviewing other blends, but for some reason had not come round to specifically expressing my opinion about it. On and off, I have smoked about three tins of Sherlock Holmes. IMO this a good quality Virginia, but with a flavor and a structure that, as a whole, I find strange, watery and bland. It has a kind of sweetness that does not really hit the mark for me, and I have not been able to reach that point where the tobacco?s body and structure merge with the palate creating a harmonious unity. So far, every time I have smoked SH the flavor ends in an elusive and ghostly fashion, with a grassy undertone.

Though they are entirely different, for me the experience of smoking SH is similar to that of University Flake: unexciting and conflicting (there is a ?something? there, but I just cannot seem to get to it, thus making it very frustrating). Maybe I should try this some more, because I do acknowledge the quality of the leaf and the excellent craftsmanship of the blend. So far, however, I am not convinced.

2 people found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DRU-MANIC (7)	2022-12-11		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Nice blend with some good qualities.

Tin Note: Interesting and/or Complex - The Virginia is there, but the added fruit flavoring really pulled me in. It was a nice balance and quite interesting to me.

Pack/Light: Standard - It could just be the tin I picked up, but it came out quite moist and almost sticky. Surprisingly, it packs and lights okay and I haven't had much trouble.

Taste: Compliments to the Chef - The added fruit flavoring is a really nice choice and the result is a great tasting Virginia. It's noticeable but not overpowering. Pleasant to say the least.

Mouth Feel: Smooth - No bite and easy smoke. I enjoyed it without any worries.

Room Note: No Complaints - I found it slightly better than a straight Virginia, but not enough to really stand out. It's not bad, but not good either.

Overall: Good, but not Great - I enjoy it enough to keep it in the rotation for now. I like the flavor they added and it makes it interesting enough to really savor the smoke and pick through it. I think the moisture content can become an issue over time as it starts to gum up the bowl, but it's manageable.

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Local Tobacco Barn

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmileyOrb17 (6)	2022-07-23		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tried this tobacco years ago when my pipe smoking was in its infancy. I recall it burned like a camp fire! Now I am an experienced pipe smoker I came back to this tobacco and I was pleasantly surprised. Firstly, if you smoke like a steam locomotive at speed this will whip your tongue. I smoked this much more slowly, sipping and easing off deep bouts on the inward draw. Secondly, this tobacco is mainly fine virginian, which is a forward taste on initial light. I was surprised by the mild delicacy of the taste . A citrus type taste, but sweet, which must be down to the virginian mixture. There is definitely burley, sitting at the back, providing that typical nutty cocoa taste from time to time. There is something else too - a sort of mild rose like taste, and I cannot pin it down in terms of whether or not something else has been added to the blend. Taking this slow it was, to my surprise, quite enjoyable. However, I ponder on the marketing of this tobacco as "Sherlock Holmes". Whilst it is an old school blend of that time, I would imagine the first Consulting Detective, fictional that he is, would probably smoke more of a London darker leaf, perhaps with s oriental / Turkish variety of leaf perhaps? But that is just my imaginative conjecture of course. The tobacco is ribbon cut, sort of fine flake, the tin aroma is stronger - fruity, than the actual taste, which is distinctly milder. IMHO the tobacco is a fine one, but it is not a complex taste. Due to it's mildness I think many would expect something quite different due to its name, with high expectations thwarted. If you eliminate the naming of the tobacco I think it would help the mindset when smoking this.

In conclusion then, it's a pleasent enough blend, but nothing really stands out as remarkable, just amiable really, an all day smoke. Room note is not offensive due to the mildness. I have this in my rotation and smoke it occasionally. I do not think though I will be going out of my way to seek it out, as it is for me, somewhat two dimensional tobacco. I suggest this tobacco would be enjoyed by more experienced pipe smoker. I would not recommend this as a tobacco for those trying pipe smoking for the first time.

Pipe Used: Peterson's Rathbone

Age When Smoked: 8 months old

Purchased From: A gift

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipefitter (51)	2022-06-18		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I shied away from this because of some of the negative reviews, but I kept noticing it next to some of the more prestigious blends at City Tobacco and I said the heck with it and bought some. I’m glad I did. Most of the pipe tobacco that I smoke is what I would call “big tobacco” with big tobacco flavor, complexity and nicotine strength that would overwhelm a new smoker. The description says there’s burley in it, but it’s very mild as the Virginias are forward and the citrus flavoring is mild as well. Not much nicotine to get the head spinning on an empty stomach either. This is a good first thing in the morning pipe tobacco and an all day smoke as I didn’t get any palate fatigue after several bowls. This isn’t Peterson’s best or their worst either. Be wary of the negative reviews as I’ve smoked a lot over many years and have tried some of the “premier” blends out there and this is a good quality, mild smoke that doesn’t bite or get hot and would be, in my humble opinion, a good smoke for a beginner to put on their regular rotation.

Purchased From: City Tobacco in New London Ct .

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mijnnif (127)	2022-06-03		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note is grass citrus slightly sweet. Beautiful ribbon cut bright Virginia's. I think my tin was much older than when I purchased it last year. lots of brown staining on the inner holder. I was pleasantly surprised with this blend I usually am not a fan of aromatic blends. This one has extremely light toppings and I mostly taste tobacco with some peppery notes and a super light citrus flavor. Light nic hit. An all day smoke but burns a bit hot if puffed hard If gently puffed the burley keeps the Virginia's in check. Recommended for a light smoke.

After many bowls of this blend I am upgrading it to 4 stars Its a nice all day light smoke that is quite satisfying not overly complex but enough to be a regular smoke.

Pipe Used: many different Brier pipes

Age When Smoked: not sure but some age

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

Similar Blends: Straight Virginia with some citrus and pepper notes..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	getyur@sstomars (26)	2022-05-14		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Love the tin note on thos one. Fruity in a general sense w a bit of floral wafts coming out. It is def lightly cased, but done very respectful of the tobacco.

The color of the weed is fantastic. A light mahogany and tan, long ribbon cut.

Comes a tad moist for my liking and not the easiest to pack. But a small amount of tearing a pinch or 2 help with that.

Takes a flame well and relatively easy to keep lit.

The tin note is almost exactly the same as the flavor. Behind the floral/citrus smell there is some quality Va and so.e burley. The VA is light w grassy hay like qualitys ends the jury's counter this nicely w their earthyness. It's almost an all day smoke but I never buy it often even though I rate it a solid 3 possibly 3.5 life is short why settle for 3 star smome when there are always 4 star options that are easily acquired.

Buy some and I bet you will not regret it.

Pipe Used: Kaywoodie filter pipe/ Wilmer AAA bent billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Similar Blends: McConnell red VA in color but SH is a bit lighter. Odor wise they are completely dif..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Klaus_75 (6)	2022-03-08		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Only a few months into the pipe smoking “way of life” so there are certainly better tuned and more sophisticated palettes out there…therefore take this with a grain of salt…

Saw this at my local B/M and grabbed a tin.

Tin note is initially strongly dark fruit, figgy almost “minty” for lack of a better word.

I found the flavor to be fairly mild; slight plummy sweetness throughout with an occasional juicy citrus on the back of the tongue and the nuttiness of the burly showing up now and again in waves.

I can see how this could punish your tongue a bit if you go too fast. I have really been focusing on developing a good cadence lately and I think that helped. For that reason it could potentially be useful for a new smoker who wants to learn to slow down…high stakes may help you learn fast or something like that. Some really good albeit muted flavors to be had if you don’t force it.

Bit of a nic hit towards the bottom of the bowl (nowhere near as hard as Old Dark Fired).

Not bad, not amazing. I could see buying the occasional tin if it grows on me a bit but I would wager there are better lightly flavored VaBurs out there.

If you haven’t tried it I would say go for it if only to see what it is.

Pipe Used: Cheap bent Dublin

Age When Smoked: 2019 on the can

Purchased From: Brick and mortar

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nuvoleazzurre (36)	2022-02-19		Medium	Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Cosa dire di questo storico tabacco? E’ un tesoro per chi ama il Virginia aromatizzato. Chi ha vissuto anche solo come fumatore passivo la pipa negli anni 70, 80 non può non farsi venire alla mente questi profumi che lo Sherlock Holmes rimanda.

Alla apertura della latta appare un tabacco ben pressato con un omogeneo e ottimamente tagliato ribbon, i colori sono stupendi dal rame a fili cremisi che punteggiano il sottofondo usuale del biondo Virginia.

Il tabacco ha una umidità ciò perfetta per essere subito fumato, comunque preferisco aprire un po’ il ribbon e farlo ossigenare una mezz’oretta prima di caricare la pipa. L’accessione è immediata. I primi puff sono sapidi ed al contempo dolci con aromi erbacei, di spezie. La persistenza è prolungata e rimane fresca. Lo spettro di sapori e aromi è affascinante. Ogni puff è una rivelazione delicata, che lascia dietro di sé un retrogusto persistente che è sia soddisfacente che rinfrescante. Il Burley, ottimamente integrato, dona corpo e profondità alla fumata.

Proseguendo la fumata, questa si fa cremosa per la combustione degli zuccheri naturali del Virginia. Il tabacco è ottimamente lavorato tanto che la pipa, lasciata lì, fa fatica a spegnersi. Questa miscela, dai molti tratti positivi ha un incommensurabile difetto strutturale va fumata più che lentamente, se si forza ecco che la lingua urlerà diventando come quella di un bue muschiato.

Per poi essere veramente apprezzata consiglio radice molto stagionate, anzi fumata in morta. Lo sherlock Holmes non è un tabacco per neofiti, è un tabacco da chi conosce bene il fumo della pipa, sa cadenzare lil ritmo di fumata. qui ci vuole il termine: meditazione. Un davvero buon tabacco sempre che si apprezzino gli aromatizzati.

EDIT - Se fatto ossigenare il tabacco perde l'aromatizzazione segnalata; diventa un ottimo Virginia con un dolce sottofondo, un poco più dolce del virginia classico, temperato dal Burley

Concludendo 4 stelle su 5

Pipe utilizzate

Pipe Used: Ulrik, Brebbia, Don Florian, Dunhill

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	rylandbrown (9)	2022-01-07		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant

A delightful ribbon cut with a tangy fruit topping that's not over-powering, but the key, like most tobaccos, is to not puff too much. You want the tobacco and fire to do the work.

Opening the tin, the smoker is greeted with the Elizabethan collar that covers the uniformly ribbon cut that ranges in hues of orange to red. It's definitely a Virginia blend but the topping is hard to put my finger on.

Burns clean and smooth through the bowl with little trouble. Because of the fine nature of the ribbons, I have to pack a hair lighter as it was easy for me to pack too tightly; I prefer a ready rubbed tobacco.

Anyone who likes Virginia should put this on the list to try. My palate is not refined enough to notice the different nuisances in the tobaccos, but there is quality flavor the whole way down the bowl.

I believe this blend has burley in it because of the way my body reacts to it. Burley effects my system by making it think the tobacco is a lot stronger than it really is. I'm putting a strength of medium in the room because I think that more accurately describes its strength, but it's a powerhouse on my system.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	FilipPruncu (85)	2022-01-02		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Tin note is fruity, a little citrusy with some lemon or lime notes, a bit of honey.

Presents itself in short ribbons, all golden with only few light brown parts. Quite moist, needs to dry.

The taste is that of a straight virginia, with little sweetness and some hay notes, citrus and bit bready. Burley can’t be detected easily, if I didn’t know it has burley I would’ve thought it s a straight virginia. Actually, I can detect it only at the middle of the bowl, with a mild nutty/hazelnut taste. Has a mild to medium taste, flavoring is extremely mild to very mild, mild to medium strength. Smoking this with a filter will feel like inhaling air with no taste, so if you want to avoid the bite by using a filter, be aware that the taste will be diminished almost entirely, since this has a mild to medium taste without filter.

And speaking of bite, it does tend to bite a bit and to get hot. Maybe because I’m trying to get something out of it and puff too much.

However, it burns excellent, leaving a perfect white ash.

A decent smoke, between mediocre and pleasant, but I wouldn’t pay again for another tin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipeDragon (43)	2021-10-02		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This one was a pretty tough nut to crack, as it took quite some time to decide if I like it or not (that is, like it enough to buy it again).

Lovely smell in the tin; sweet Virginia smell, with a fruity fragrance from the topping and also a hint of vanilla. Comes pretty moist, but apart from that it's easy to work with when it comes to packing, lighting and controlling.

The smoke brings the feel of a nice, pretty sweet, mellow Virginia. Slight hint of a nutty/earthy Burley that tones down the sweetness a bit. The topping is not in your face, but it is noticeable and brings a nice citrusy and zesty feel to it. The main downside is that I find the taste a hair too sharp, probably from the topping, though it's not that bad. I can still see myself smoking this once or twice a week. It's almost cliche to say that every blend needs to be sipped and smoked slowly, but that is certainly required for this one. Smoke it too fast and it will punish you.

Sherlock Holmes is a nice, mild, uncomplicated Virginia blend which makes for a perfect smoke when doing something else, as you don't have to focus on it. That citrusy topping also makes it a very good summer blend. Probably a bit on the sharp side, but I will have no qualms in purchasing it again.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JSponge (2)	2020-12-18		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I think I am now in love with this blend. I had tried it years ago, and I was not a fan. However, recently I found another tin in my cellar. Perhaps it was the aging that helped... perhaps it was my own inexperience... perhaps it was a changing palate. But now I found it absolutely enjoyable! For me, I smell apples or apple cider ... maybe a hint of grape from the tin. When I smoke it, the flavor experience is similar to what I get from the tin note. Only one fault...... Now I have to order more of it.

Pipe Used: Various

Age When Smoked: 2 to 3 years

Purchased From: 4Noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DEN-C1956 (35)	2020-11-19		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

i was very keen to try this tobacco,so i bought a tin of it i opened it and what a lovely aroma,i thought this is going to be a great smoke.i was so disappointed its more or less tasteless,maybe im missing something with this blend but the tin is half gone now and its got no better,i will be glad when i have finished the rest of the tin,i wont be buying this tobacco again,reading the other reviews many people seem to like it and that fine but its not for me that about sums it up for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rayzor (16)	2020-07-11		Medium	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

Much has been written so I want to add a few insights and thoughts to this.

Yes, it's VERY MILD when compared to most aromatics I've had which have a considerable amount of burley in them. It's NOT a typical "English" because it lacks the tobacco components of one and there's a distinct tangerine/citrus topping.

I bought this based on the name and the idea that this was an "Old Irish Recipe". It doesn't taste "old". I would think of Margate as an "old" recipe.

Sherlock Holmes takes some patience and an open-mind. The first few bowls I didn't get any sense of a flavour but there was a solid nic kick so there's something going on here.

I bought my tin at a sale of old stock and the tobacconist said it was at least 5 years old. It was dry not "Wet" as described by others. I had an amazing aroma of fresh tangerines or blood oranges. After opening it I jarred it. After a week or so I began to detect some kind of vanilla smell. Everything about this was understated.

It lights well and has a tendency to burn hot if not packed right. I was packing it too tight at first, then too loose. When I finally got it the way I want it Sherlock Holmes began to unleash some subtle nutty, light citrus-like flavour. Puff on it slow otherwise the nicotine will smack you in the head. It will anyway.

It has a very light sweet aroma much like its taste. If you puff it too fast you'll just get air. It's one of those tobaccos that is easy to hate or overlook if you're not aware of its subtle characteristics. It's grown on me.

Even though my tin was dry it still does have some bite if I smoke it too hard or fast and does leave some wet tar at the bottom of the bowl. But the citrus topping isn't sticky or messy.

Although it's referred to by some reviewers as an "aromatic" Sherlock Holmes doesn't have that same character of a strong, sticky or sweet feeling. It seems like a tobacco blend that someone thought a lot about but it is a take-it-or-leave-it experience. You may find you get nothing out of it the first few times.

Also its mild flavour is perfect for a hot day when a latakia blend or a heavy aromatic will clash.

Take it with a club soda or tonic water (or Gin and Tonic) and give it a try.

Puffed slowly it offers a light, pleasant smoke that burns down to the bottom of the bowl.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Nonpareil 9111 vintage

Age When Smoked: 5 year old (New Old Stock)

Purchased From: tobacco shop

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Michael D (29)	2020-07-08		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

Let me start by saying.. in Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes The house of Fear, Watson tells Holmes "Must you smoke that filthy stuff, it smells like an old sock". Who hasn't heard their other-half say that? With that in mind, one would think a Dark British Character would have a Latakia with Burley, Virgina, Orientals, possibly a pinch of Perique. to show his many sides. Not in this case.

Citrus tingle Virginias dominate. If Burley exist it is washed away. No latakia? not even a pinch so you can claim it? I was quite disappointed With the name staring at me on the tin. The burley provided if any, cannot tame the Virginia and Citrus flavor. My only savings is to drink tonic water while smoking this, which those ole Brits like their Gin and tonic for their Malaria fears back then. Citrus soft drink lovers may enjoy this nipping blend fine. Myself, I will keep the tin once emptied and put some mild Latakia blend in it, for watching some good old Sherlock Holmes movies, and seeing I don't have a slipper tobacco pouch. Only offer this to Virginia lovers, while they sip their Citrus soft drink. Besides the Holmes reference, knowing the wonderful Wilke 515 rum blend made personally for Rathbone, I could possibly put a safe bet out that this was not in his pipe. Maybe Watson.. but never Holmes.. it's simple elementary dear lads. This is nowhere near a three pipe blend.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DakotaHale43 (47)	2020-07-03		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is one of the first blends that I tried, and honestly it's just boring. It is hardly a step above over-the-counter blends flavor-wise. I'll admit I bought it for the namesake but it never really lived up to it.

UPDATE: After allowing my palate to mature a bit, I can better appreciate the virginias used in the blend. On the bright side, I can almost guarantee that it will age really well, so I'd buy it for that purpose. Raising my review from one to two stars.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Nick73 (6)	2020-04-11		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Here's is a nice, mellow smoking Peterson tobacco. My Girlfriend bought this for me mainly because I'm a Sherlock Holmes reader and she thought it seemed an appropriate gift.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised, on opening the tin to smell a mellow fragrance that develops into a smell similar to a rum nutty fruit cake. The tobacco is somewhat moist (tin was fairly recently packed) and I left it out about 30 minutes to dry some. Once packed, I needed a charring light and 1 relight to smoke it all the way through to the bottom.

Taste is lightly sweet and fruity, a touch of roasted nut, and a finish similar to a nice Sherry. The cool, mellow thick white smoke gives off a pleasing room note, not disagreeable to others.

All in all, a very decent Peterson smoke, it could be called American Delight by Gawith Hoggarth as it is very close in flavouring, taste and room note. American Delight is a tad sweeter, but other wise very close overall.

Pipe Used: Peterson Dublin Rustic 305

Age When Smoked: freshly packed tin

Purchased From: Unknown, gift

Similar Blends: American Delight by Gawith Hoggarth.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	J-P (11)	2019-11-28		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I was gifted with a few tins of this when I first started pipe smoking, which would have been back in 2010. I hated it and promptly threw the jar in a cupboard.

Tin note is predominantly of fruitcake. Sweet and nutty. You can smell plumb, apricot with slight orange zing. It reminds me of wedding cake or christmas cake laced with a little orange brandy.

I was revisiting my cellar and came across this - and thought I'd give it another try. I think the 9 years of aging (and drying out a little) definitely did it some good. I recall the original experience of opening the tin and finding it quite damp.

I now find this to be a more tolerable smoke, with a stronger, full-bodied and sweet virigina taste (not sickly sweet). I've listed this as 'mild' but it heads into medium territory and there's definitely a nicotine kick. Even though it was drier I found that it benefits from being smoked cool and slow. I can imagine that it would bite if it was tightly packed.

There are definitely dried apricot and fruity tastes in there that meld well with the grassy Virginias and stronger Brazilian burley taste comes further forward at the end of the bowl.

It has a heavy and lingering smoke; leaving a fairly strong room note, but the aroma is fairly pleasant. Two and a half stars? I think I'd agree with that. I can see Virginia/Burley fans liking it. I'm giving it three in accordance to it's improvement with age.

Pipe Used: Rusticated Wellpipe Italy (bent billiard)

Age When Smoked: 9 years

Purchased From: James J Fox London

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2018-08-18		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco must be a bit of a rarity in that its still as good as it was 15 years ago when I smoked my first tin.decided to revisit , being a burley smoker thought i would have a change , not disappointed , very satisfying flavour , sort of a flowery topping which I like,not much nicotine , no tongue bite for me , needs some drying before smoking , will be buying more.

Pipe Used: Briar , corncob

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Arthur morris

Similar Blends: None.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Rofereox (7)	2018-07-06		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Smells good! The Virginia's are sweet and those of quality. And as expected, this blend definitely wants to bite, so take it slow and keep it cool. A cool retrohale from this blend tastes lovely. I'd consider this an aromatic but for those who prefer a purer Virginia/Burley taste.

Pipe Used: Briars

Purchased From: CGars UK

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	toddsmith7378 (41)	2018-03-28		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Yeah, So, this is one of those blends that can really taste great as it moves down into the bowl. It's maybe my favorite experience of smoking tobacco when these more straight forward Virginia's bloom as they go. This one does that better than a lot of the ribbon one's. Also, I like Peterson blends because they add enough burley I think to ramp up the strength a bit, but not enough to overshadow the Virginia........at least comparing it to similar straight Virginia tasting blends.

The thing about this blend that gives me pause is that it seems to be easy to get bite or mouth burn from it. I experience this with other comparable ribbon cut straight Virginia's that I love the taste of, but just can't be smoked one bowl after another.

I want to smoke bowl after bowl of this stuff, but its just not feasible given the way it handles on the mouth. I've found the best way to smoke this one is in one smaller bowl per day. It's not as dangerous in a smaller bowl one shot and leaves me satisfied without long term side effects.

If this could be smoked more, I would though because its got the taste I love with more strength than I get out of other tasty Virginia's that don't have the added burley (I think that's the reason). I don't taste the burley though, just know its there due to the bit of nicotine that seems a bit stauncher than straight only Virginia's.

I smoke it usually out of a small p-lip peterson as my first breakfast bowl of the day with some coffee and its just right. This is a tobacco that, to me, just has to be mitigated through technique for the pleasantry. It's not a terrible biter or anything, but will if you let it.

Peterson's got some kind of light casing on the tobacco to give it a kind of sweet fruity tin note, but its not enough to taste when I smoke it.

All in all, It's better than I'd expect from the ratings here for my tastes.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mightysmurf8201 (28)	2018-03-20		Very Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I get apricot and grassy aromas from the tin note. Moisture is ok from the tin, but some may prefer to dry it just a tad. I found nothing too remarkable about this blend. Its just fine IMHO. Burns well, but can bite if you're not careful. I didn't get a very consistent flavor throughout the bowl. Sometimes the VAs, sometimes the burleys peaked through. The casing is light and does add a nice mild fruitiness, but only if smoked cool and carefully.

Pipe Used: cob, briar

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jotaerre (2)	2018-03-04		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

It is a sweet tobacco. It is reminiscent of good American tobacco. Pure Virginia hot mix and burley. Whenever I smoke these tobacco I think about the good times

Pipe Used: Ezequiel Herrería

Purchased From: Cienfuegos Tabaco, San Telmo, Buenos Aires

Similar Blends: Golden Glow.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	moniker (217)	2018-02-19		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I admit going in that I am a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle, Basil Rathbone, and Benedict Cumberbatch, and it was simply morbid curiosity that compelled me to try this tobacco. Tin popped, Peterson’s Sherlock Holmes rather reminds me of a cross between the long-gone John Player’s cigarettes and Orlik Golden Sliced, or maybe F&T’s Golden Mixture. In either case it’s in good company. The flue cured tobaccos seem to be mature and toasted rather than stoved or “fired”, then they are left to ferment. It looks like wet RYO in the tin, all yellow and gold, with a little mid-red/brown, and the initial tin note is almost wine-like, maybe berries over Seville oranges, over fermenting meadow grasses. It works fine for me straight from a fresh tin, if I don’t pack it too tight. It lights easily enough, and it burns fast, going quickly from fragrant meadow flowers and grasses to a mild, codger-ish version of fragrant meadow grasses over the course of a bowl, including some nuttiness, some citrus, also some bitterness and astringency, and more of this if it’s pushed. Though I’ve never gotten tongue bite from SH, I can tell it would do it if I rushed. Strength runs more mild than medium. Tastes run toward medium with long, slow pulls. Room note is pleasant. Aftertaste is a quick fade out of the smoke.

While it can be reasonably argued that Holmes himself would have preferred something considerably stronger to tussle with, my own inner Sybarite simply enjoys this blend on its own merits, and I suspect I will blow through this tin in short order. Eponym aside, 4 stars.

Pipe Used: various briars; best from light VA pipes

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin and from jars.

Purchased From: Liberty Tobacco

Similar Blends: Orlik Golden Sliced, also Fribourg and Treyer's Golden Mixture.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antihero (17)	2017-11-11		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is severely underrated. I mean, ok, >2,5 stars still means technically "recommended", but this is easily a 3,5, if not 4 star tobacco! Why? I will tell you ;-): First: packs, lights and keeps lit easily. Can be smoked straight from the tin. Second: the taste is gentle and fulfilling at the same time and wonderfully balanced. The casing only enhances and sliiiightly sweetens the natural tobacco tastes and adds only the tiniest amount of (very pleasant) citrus notes. Third: the tobaccos are top notch quality leaves! (As with most Petersons). Fourth: this one really only bites if you're a fast puffer. If it bites you you may practice your puffing pace excellently with this tobacco. I had no tongue bite whatsoever.

Edit: Apart from my differing tongue-bite experience I couldn't agree more with - and therefore recommend you to read - the review of PC Plod from 2014-07-13.

Pipe Used: Different Caminettos Billard shape medium sized

Age When Smoked: Fresh from tin

Purchased From: www.tabak-kontor.de

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Papa Koala (12)	2017-07-18		Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

Just realized how long it has been since I posted a review on this site. I have been rather busy but with some spare time on my hands again I will be able to partake of my 'guilty' pleasure for pipes and tobaccos again. My tin of Peterson's Sherlock Holmes has matured over the past 4 years without being opened apart from the first time I did when I received it as a gift so the vacuum seal had been broken. This being the case I am happy to report that apart from drying out the tobacco has, in my opinion, smoothed out and is now a very pleasant and smooth smoke that does not burn as hot as it did when I tried so long ago. It is mild and pleasant and it is the Burley leaf that now edges out the Virginia in taste. I believe Peterson's added some mild flavourings to it but if they did those additions have faded away now leaving only the aroma of the tobacco leaf which is no bad thing. As to whether the great detective would have smoked this blend is a whole other discussion but I always imagined him to be more a Latakia or Perique blend smoker for his crime busting ponderings much to the consternation of Dr Watson and Mrs Hudson (who would, undoubtedly, have to navigate her way through the thick smokey miasma to deliver his afternoon tea) . All that aside it is a pleasant tobacco for your bowl for an affable afternoon's meditation whilst watching the smoke curl.

Pipe Used: Berlin Pipes 'Elysee'

Age When Smoked: Tobacco 4 years matured in opened tin.

Purchased From: My tobacconist

Similar Blends: Peterson's University blend..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	dutch (9)	2017-04-13		Medium to Strong	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

tried this tobacco a while ago and I do have to say it is not a bad tobacco , the aroma is real good, but the taste is a little on the dull side, but I still keep going back for this brand.petersons Sherlock holmes is what it is smoke it and enjoy it or don't smoke it and you will not know it.

Pipe Used: GBD most of the time

Age When Smoked: from a few stored away

Purchased From: pipes and cigarss

Similar Blends: amphora, but it sort of lacks the total mildness and flavor, room note is real good on both., 4noggins - Bald Headed Teacher, 4noggins - Butternut Burley.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ecce_ego (24)	2017-04-06		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

The tobacconist in my new home town didn't have Briar Fox, which I tried and found quite good, with a nice complexity and occasional surprise sugary sweetness. So I thought I'd try another VaBur blend and decided on Sherlock Holmes.

The tin was well sealed, but on opening I found the tobacco to be so dry as to be crispy. Tin note was excellent, sweet Virginia. After patiently rehydrating I tried it out. It's not as good as BF, just a solid American style tobacco, not very complex, very mild sweetness and flavor. It's a good "taking a walk" smoke for when one doesn't have the time or inclination to sit and enjoy a pipe properly, but just wants to smoke and get some nicotine. It's the equivalent of the habitual cigarette. Not something I'll keep in rotation, but not bad.

Pipe Used: Briar

Purchased From: Happy Jack's Laconia, NH

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	littlefield (17)	2017-03-15		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium	Tolerable to Strong

Not a tin I’d normally buy, but purchased for a friend whose father used to smoke this blend as his go-to blend. This was trip down memory lane for my buddy and a first for me as we smoked away in a local lounge bar in European branded hotel in a country bar where smoking in public is still the norm. So what about SH? Maybe since it was a new tin or I was just beat, I got seriously buzzed from this tobacco, so much so that I actually vomited afterwards. It was a nice buzz, not complaining, and the nausea may also have been from just eating too rich of a dinner just prior to the smoke. The tobacco is a burley /virginia blend and I had since that initial smoke, smoked another bowl without the slightest hint of a buzz. It’s a decent tobacco and I can see how one could make it his or her go-to blend, has a good mouth feel and a fairly strong kick, nutty and sweet. Not particularly a unique character of a tobacco but decent and worth a try, just that we are spoiled with choices and if it weren’t for the famous detective on the tin it might get lost in the crowd.

Pipe Used: Dr. Plumb bent brandy with Vauen 9mm filter

Age When Smoked: Fresh tin

Purchased From: Smokingpipes.com

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phil Theharp (16)	2016-09-06		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Far be it from me to try teaching my pipe smoking friends how to suck eggs, never mind a pipe, but this blend does demand some care. I packed my first couple of bowls too tightly for the cut. Consequently I had to draw too fervently. The result, a mouthful of heat and no flavour. The necessary adjustments made I began to quite enjoy SH. The tin yields a lovely fruit-cake nose and the smoke is sweet, moist and peachy with the Virginias dominant over the Burley. Less complex than Dunhill's EMP it is nevertheless, in my estimation, a decent enough tobacco for earlier in the day, although I have smoked it with satisfaction in the evening. Hints of flavoring come through occasionally without being unduly intrusive but I do understand those who find it a little bland, particularly when the palette begins to demand something rather more robust. That is to say, it is pleasant enough but lacks the mystique of, for example, a Latakia blend. Therefore it falls short of a 3.

Pipe Used: Peterson

Age When Smoked: Fresh from the tin

Purchased From: JN Barber Ltd, Otley

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Silent Soliloquy (17)	2016-03-17		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

To my buds this is straight honest virginia. You get the grassy (think hey stack on a sunny day), sweety (not sweet - not an aromatic at all) flavour characteristic of the tobacco type. Can't taste much burley here, but guess it mostly speaks for itself in the nicotine.

Burns evenly and honestly with medium thickness smoke to the very bottom. Burn temp is middle for my smoking and it doesn't burn up too fast. If you rush - you might get bitterness. I did not get any bite from it, which many here complain about, but I would not smoke it when walking at a rushed pace - the bite and the bitter might show up, this is a virginia after all.

The sauce does not really come out in this for me, it's a very straightforward baccy with just a hint of added sweet in the back and perhaps a bit of melissa (rather than lemon), but if nobody told me it was there, I'd just write it off as fresh virginia tones.

Nicotine is there, but not heavy or imposing.

Leaves a very pleasant grassy aftertaste, you can then walk about and flap yer lips like a happy old fart just to enjoy that aftertaste.

In all, good for a sit down, relax or walk about the house smoke, but requires some attention to how you puff.

Ah, yes, I did not find the smell out of the tin all that enticing upon opening, but it's gotten better since (now it's nice virgy-citrusy-herby). It's good at what it is, but it's not a complex mix, nor does it pretend to be.

And yes, given the right price I would purchase another tin.

Pipe Used: neerup briar, sahin briar

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: a mysterious but friendly stranger

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Xortex (6)	2016-03-14		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I think the negative reviews are a result of Peterson's (typically) odd marketing choices. Why would you tag a famous British sleuth with a decidedly non-English blend? Anyhow, get past the odd marketing, and this is a hidden gem. Rewarding and relaxing with a girlfriend-approved room note. Can burn hot if not tended properly. As others have stated, not for the beginner: SH is a crucible for experienced palates. It's a lot harder to zero in on SH's subtle flavors than it is to smoke yet another obvious Latakia bomb (but nothing against Englishes!). Give SH a good, attentive sitdown, put on some relaxing tunes, and forget Peterson's odd marketing. I hope you are rewarded as I have been.

Pipe Used: Peterson Rosslare 106

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Cigars Int'l

Similar Blends: Very, very unique..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr.Peterson (8)	2015-10-18		Strong	Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I've read a few reviews on this tobacco, and having tried most of the peterson range, as the rare opportunity arose to purchase a peterson blend over the counter, I decided to give Sherlock Holmes a try.

Having just had my first bowl, I can report, I enjoyed it!

As soon as you open the tin, you're treated with a pleasant woody aroma and a light hint of dried fruit.

SH smoked very well and burned evenly and cleanly through out the smoke. It was a little harsh for my taste, but nevertheless, an enjoyable smoke that I will look forward to again!

Give it a go!

Pipe Used: peterson Aran 80s

Age When Smoked: straight from tin

Purchased From: Havana House, Windsor, UK

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	puss n' pipes (27)	2015-10-10		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Pardon me, but i tend to see around the web so much enbittered and terribly oblivious comments on certain tobaccos, sometimes just for the sake of mere disgust and possible hatred as i perceive. Free opinions that sometimes just denote a poor background for knowledge and much more of just plain existential disgust. Most good to professional smokers tend to give opinions based on well assented expertise and they even if critical most of the times show that the smoker has trascended the overly emotional stage so typical of adolescence or puberty, that means that they tend to be overly fair and just.

A blend may be bad, regular, good or excellent but it always comes as neutral thing to us, and it greatly depends on our qualities and abilities to not just appreciate its nuances but also our personal technique for smoking. The never ending thing. Smoke slow, slower and lentissimo (as in music) is the center of all (as in life). The problem comes when the smoker dismiss this principle (and there are tons and tons of smokers that, paraphrasing Freud return to infancy via their pipe) and suck as hard and fast as they can, making of the whole sibarite ordeal a reminiscence from mother´s milk treasure.

Sorry to ruin that attitude towards smoking but not all blends are made to be smoked fast and hard. In fact most of them, due to the inner mechanics of the pipe and the characteristics of the blend such as moisture, dryness or leaf components were made to "suck" on slow and slower.

Peterson is a traditional brand. That means they certainly know how to do things, a century and half of blending and making pipes attest their tradition and professionalism. So you may particularly not like a blend, but that doesnt make it crappy, just not your thing or perhaps shows your innefficience to appreciate it or poor smoking technique (i will come as far as telling it is mostly the second).

With that i come to end my point to balance the review. Sherlock Holmes has received many lousy appelatives here: Crap, overly sweet, "yucky", nightmare and so on. But guess what? It is none of the above, as a matter of fact it is a great blend with basic characteristics for an American blend. First of all the leaf ingredients are top, the virginias and the burley. Cut and ribbon formation in equal parts and adorable fruity smell. Peterson leaf quality as with most traditional brands is perfect and this is not exception. But in here commence the issue that i addressed early. The delicacy of the virginias and high content of sugar that is apparent as you open the tin demands a lot from the smoker in technique and patience to capture its essence. First of all, if it is too moist it will create problems so forget about opening the tin and load your pipe with the snuff, with that you just started badly. Let it dry and, light it gently and puff slowly. First puff notes are a bit spicy, the burley through the nostrils is a citrus like and tingly. Then the experience really starts. The virginias come through, very sweet like, mild to medium and you can really appreciate the fruity taste, very high sugar content which can translate this into a middle end between Aromatic and English and that is also something that may bring so many peyorative epitets for all those lovers of the brave new world of Latakia and orientals and less of the nuances of sugary things. Now, if youre dedicated you may keep on translating between that sugary and perfumed virginia and the nuttyness from the burley that comes in between, but it is mostly virginias what commands here.

Puff it too hard and then it will come what most negative comments have adressed here. Cigarette like smell, foulish carbon taste, disgusting tar and acritude. So i must say 50% responsability for the bad reviews on this come from that aspect, smoking wild. This is a contemplative and secretive smoke with a distinguishable nico kick, not overly pronounced but pleasant and that makes it especial for the observation. Not apt for the careless smoker.

Puff it slow and you'll find your captain America, a perfect blend that delight with the balance between sweetness and creaminess. By the way, it is way received by bypassers, which gives it an extra.

Age When Smoked: 3 years after opened

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Supo (3)	2015-06-25		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

After reading so many mixed reviews on this puppy, it was one of those tobaccos of which I was initially hesitant to buy. In Canada such a 50g Tin of Peterson is usually in the $32 to $40 CAD dollar range -- so venturing into any new Tin, requires some due diligence. I asked my tobacconist about the mixed reviews in the market, but all he said was “it’s a steady seller, and some swear by it". That said, I finally grew a pair, and committed.

My initial impression: The 'Tin Note' threw me for a bit of a loop. Grassy, reminiscent of dry hay, slightly tobacco-ish, with a hint of dried raisins. Slightly fermented ones, on the Tin Note finish. Hmm. Interesting... They referred to it as being "Aromatic Aroma" on the Tin. Perhaps an ESL student in the labeling division had last crack at the packaging copy. It's not, nor should be confused or interpreted as an Aromatic. *Peterson doesn't categorize it on their website as an aromatic either.

Moisture was near-perfect in the Tin, and it may be the cleanest ribbon-cut I have seen to date. Peterson ribbon cuts are very clean and consistent.

First Bowl: Packed surprisingly well, and volume-wise it took a lot. Deceiving, but it burned well (ultimately down the ever praised white ash). I lit the bowl, and-- well punch my face, it tasted like what I'd imagine to be like the inside rim of a sweaty and stinky ole baseball cap... or maybe a sour salt’n’vinegar chip. Simply put, I hated it. My mouth tongue went dry, like I had just eaten polymer crystals. We didn't hit it off too well.

A day or 2 later (once i got my tongue back), and a few more bowls in, I realized that it was me. I had the problem. I was smoking like a real dick: -Too fast, too anxious, hauling too hard, and looking for some sort of exciting experience that I could talk about with some sense of pipe-romanticism as I had seen from others...

Straight-up, this Sherlock Holmes Virginia/Burley blend deserves a bit more respect, than I initially gave it.

Half the Tin done, and I finally get it. It's an honest smoke. Nothing fancy, and it’s up to YOU, the smoker to TAKE IT EASY. I grew to like it and to respect it for what it is. (You know, sipping slow draws of this stuff, actually gives a nice mellow finish from its casing). Overall, light to mild nicotine and mild to medium strength. I still cant figure our a true room note on this one.

I went my brother's later that day and tried it with him. He liked it (uninfluenced by my previous negative/uncertain comments). He used a filter-less Italian pipe. Further validation that I was not tongue-blind.

In closing, with care, it’s a really nice smoke, and there will always be a tin finding its way into my rotation.

Supo.

Pipe Used: Brigham

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrT999 (317)	2015-04-07		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant

What can I add to the many reviews? This is a mild, straight forward VA with hints of burley with a very mild citrus/fruity addition. If I smoked in my car more or indoors, I think I would appreciate this a lot more -- outside, the flavor can get a bit lost. Until I can try out the smoking inside theory, however, I doubt if I would rebuy this.

Pipe Used: briars and a cob

Age When Smoked: 2 years

Purchased From: 4 Noggins

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steden (100)	2015-03-04		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

This blend has a good ribbon cut perfect in moisture without stems and very easy to load. The smell in the tin is of tobacco goodness along with an added mild fruity-citrusy scent, not strong but a bit pungent. Once lit the taste is linear with no surprises: mild Virginia traits and hints of chocolate from the Burley, not bad at all. So, what is wrong? Well, it smokes harsh to the mouth with a lot of bites! Believe me, I’m not at all a compulsive puffer but the cadence needed to properly smoke SH brings the sense of the adjective “slow” to a new level. It requires a lot of care in order to avoid bites and frankly it offers too little flavors for what you pay for. My guess was that the aforementioned casing (to be fussy it is citric, rather than citrusy) could be the guilty on the first degree for that unpleasant feel, so I left the tobacco in a jar to settles for some days. Then it was more tolerable indeed, but the taste (mild as itself) was watered down. A meerschaum is another good choice to tame those asperity, but (again) the taste that comes out doesn't fits my liking. Nope, I can’t handle this stuff, perhaps a matter of personal chemistry, who knows? Try yourself, regarding me I’m going to stop my fight with it.

Pipe Used: Briars, cob, meer

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gam86 (49)	2015-03-03		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

It's defenitly a good virginia /burley. The nuttiness of the burley pass under the sweetness of the virginia and the plum, alcool flavor it is mantained for all the puffs.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dottie Warden (22)	2015-02-14		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Tolerable

I just don't get this blend.

I picked up the tin knowing full well this wasn't the most raved about blend, but I just had to decide for myself what Sherlock Holmes by Peterson was all about. After all, Peterson knows a thing or two about pipe tobacco.

As soon as I got the tin, I popped it open to be greeted with that familiar apricot and raisin aroma. The ribbons were consistent in cut and the leaf was a lovely Golden color. After 15 - 20 minutes airing time I pinched a clump and stuffed it into my brand new Stanislav. I was left bewildered, essentially indifferent. I continued to smoke this pipe/pipe tobacco combination for several bowls, and my desire to smoke this blend diminished to the point of removing it from my rotation. After a month or so, I revisited the blend, but this time trying it in different pipes and really trying to coax out the flavor, if in fact there is any.

The trial and error process led to continued disappointment, although some bowls were okay, but just okay. I even resorted to spicing it up with different tobaccos, but still nothing to write home about.

I've now resorted to using it sparingly to buff out extra strong blends with some success.

I'm too cheap to toss the tin and couldn't give it away and keep a clear conscience, so I know I'll eventually finish the tin, however I will never buy this blend again and I'm sorry I ever did. Not my cup 'o tea, it might be yours, but I can't recommend it.

Pipe Used: Stanislav Briar Calabash

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Holt's Cigar Company Philadelphia

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipenick (28)	2015-01-17		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

Got suddenly urge for some Aromatic...after breakie went to my local tobacconist and bought a tin of Sherlock Holmes.LIked Petersons Irish Whisky and Old Dublin. Got home and made myself a nice cup of tea and opened the thin.The tin aroma was quite fruity..almost too fruity.Fine yellow Virginia ...ribbon cut was executed as always with Peterson's blend just perfect.Got some second thoughts after the citrus and fruity smell,but what a hell.Primed my Chacom Galilee and after charring light and second light got this nice fruity aroma which was not too pushy or tacky.Some of the lot says that you need to use all your smoking skills to handle this baccy,but I smoked as I use to...between half or minutes intervals gentle long puffs and the the fruitiness was there almost to the end.No bite, cool even smoke.Not a big fan of aromatics this one was a pleasant surprise.After this tin I'm gonna buy new one to my "cellar".Oh yes...before I finish this a advice to new pipe smokers.You can try this blend and if you pack your pipe correctly and keep your puffing gentle and slow you'll with perhaps like this blend.

Pipe Used: Chacom galilee and Army

Age When Smoked: Straight from tin

Purchased From: Local tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Burney (13)	2015-01-15		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was looking forward to this, but it is disappointing in the extreme. I have had some other Peterson blends before and this, in my personal opinion does not come close.

Pipe Used: Falken, Lorenzo Filturo, Sarina Lago and Spitfire.

Age When Smoked: New

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Kermit Dorman (5)	2015-01-13		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I could find nothing to write home about with this tobacco. It is a good tobacco, smells good when opening the tin. A good smoke without any tongue burn and a quick burning time. It lacked me wanting to have another bowlful.

Pipe Used: Falcon

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Guillaume (15)	2014-12-21		Very Mild	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

This tobacco, indeed, needs further thinking: the first tin was awful, and then I decided not to buy any more of this mixture…

But, months later, my tobacconist offered me little choice, and I decided to buy this one once again…

The next try was completely different: this tobacco, or so it seems to me, is of a premium quality: I do smoke it all day long, and it is a perfect companion to a breakfast… I have then stopped from buying Dunhill "Standard Mixture", which has been my breakfast tobacco for long.

Sherlock Holmes will then remain at the top of my rotation: this tobacco (not aromatic, in the sense we intend it today) is a great pleasure, anytime.

Pipe Used: Peterson 06 / 999

Age When Smoked: Fresh

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Falcon Fan (22)	2014-10-25		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was my re-introduction to pipe smoking after a long break. I was looking for an aromatic and the tin states that this tobacco is "....... a blend of great character with a sweet taste and aromatic aroma". So obviously an aromatic then? Um, well no actually, but it is a pleasant, subtle and light blend. It burns to a fine grey ash and was an all around pleasing re-introduction for me. Happy memories of walking the the port (smoking side) deck of the Celebrity Summit as we cruised the Caribbean Sea. That was until I ran out mid-trip and had to make do with a pouch of The only tobacco I could find - Clan - which really cast SH in a good light. A year later, my accumulated experience tells me I am not a Virginia fan but I did buy more of this and still enjoy a smoke when the mood suits.

Pipe Used: Brigham Heritage Straight Billiard

Age When Smoked: Fresh to 10 months.

Purchased From: Oakville Celebrity, Ontario, Canada

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Tom Bombadill (120)	2014-09-21		Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a tobacco lovers aromatic. The Virginias dominate with a very interesting hard to describe light fruit flavor. No problem with tongue bite. Nice sweetness from the burley. The burley was light too because I did not detect the burley "nutty" flavor that sometimes over powers burley blends. I was really very pleased with this mix because, while it is definitely an aromatic, it is not a candy type aro. An old school aromatic that gets it's flavor from some secret ingredients not vanilla etc... The flavor/casing was so unique it's hard to compare it other blends. Perhaps Grousemoor, but that has a different flavor entirely. This tin was two years eleven months old when I cracked it. (I have an older one in the cellar!) Smoked it now and then over ten months and the flavor/casing got lighter and lighter. Super smooth Virginia flavor. Not a good blend for new smokers. I really like this as a something different in my rotation. Will definitely buy some more. I usually smoke English/Latakia blends. Excellent!

Pipe Used: Peteron Donegal Rocky, Kaywoodie Supergrain

Age When Smoked: Bought tim 01/11.Opened 11/13

Purchased From: Smoking pipes

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Phils Galore (12)	2014-09-13		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find this to be a good virginia/burley blend that is pipe sensitive. In some briars the virginia is forward and in others the burley stands out. They say there is no added flavouring, but I too get a decidedly citrusy, apricot taste from this. I'm not complaining, I like it. This would be a good blend for beginning pipe smokers, but it can be provoked into burning hot if you are an anxious puffer.

Pipe Used: variety of briars

Age When Smoked: one year

Purchased From: local B & M

Similar Blends: other decent lightly topped virginia/burleys.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dallas Roger (2)	2014-09-08		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I first tried this around 11 years ago and several years have gone by since then. I bought a tin earlier this year and suddenly I can't get enough of it. Seems to be the perfect proportions of burley to virginia, and even though it says it has a casing, it is so subtle I can't detect it. Packs easy, lights easy and smokes cool and even. It is now my number one tobacco. I know there are better blends, but I just love this stuff...

Pipe Used: Dunhill Shell

Age When Smoked: 6 months

Purchased From: JR

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	guitar2mw (92)	2014-08-18		Mild to Medium	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

I bought this because it sounded like something that I would like: Peterson is known for their quality pipes, after all. The tin smelled of a delicious mix of raisins, dried fruits, and nuts. It was almost like opening a bag of trail mix (which is a good thing for me). However, I knew that the proof was in the smoke itself, so I lit up a bowl. Where did the flavor go? I didn't even taste the nuttiness of the burley, and only a faint whisper of sweetness. The room note was decent and slightly sweet. After the first quarter of the bowl, my tongue was steamed beyond all recognition (and I smoke aromatic burley blends regularly now, so I was not rushing it in the slightest). I decided to let it sit open for a while to dry, and try it again. The flavor blossomed a little after it dried a bit, but the awful bite was still there. I gave the tin away.

Pipe Used: Savinelli Trevi

Age When Smoked: Fresh, and after aging 1 month

Purchased From: J&R Statesville, NC

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jaysown (7)	2014-06-06		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was recommended to me by my tobacconist as it's one of his regular favourites. We have different tastes but I thought I'd give it a go.

It's clearly a good quality tobacco and the smell from the tin is very inviting. Light, grassy and very sweet. I'm not sure if there's any flavouring, if there is it's very subtle.

The taste is less sweet than I expected from the smell in the tin but it's quite smooth and no hint of tongue bite (I see some reviewers find it bites, but not me). I find it can burn hot though and when it does the smoothness vanishes and can just leave a bitter taste, so it needs to be smoked very slowly and packed carefully to get the best out of it but I find it stays lit extremely well even on a slow smoke so this isn't a problem.

Overall if taken slowly, it's a smooth, undemanding smoke with a pleasant hint of sweetness. It's definitely not exciting and so for me this is one I like to put in my largest pipe and puff slowly on while reading a good book.

Pipe Used: Various briars

Age When Smoked: New tin and then older

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mrchewson (4)	2014-05-04		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I was reluctant to try this tobacco due to some of the reviews here but because it was quite an old blend and fancied something of some vintage I decided to give it a go. The first smoke was to be honest a bit of disappointment, it tasted like a standard roll up cigarette, I was thinking have I wasted £13 on this! The day after I decided to try again, and with a cup of tea in hand it started to show some promise, don't get me wrong it's not akin to a dunhill navy deluxe, but it's quite a light smoke and when supped slowly does show some taste and character, a hint of fruit, and an easy smoke to start the day with. I have smoked about 6 bowls so far and the enjoyment of it has come on leaps and bounds, no its not the most complex is t smokes but for a day to day tobacco I can't fault it

Pipe Used: Meerschaum

Age When Smoked: New

Purchased From: Hollingsworth tobacconist solihull

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	smokemonkey (3)	2014-02-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant

I quite like this light not serious Irish whiskey blend via Denmark (someone said a breakfast smoke and i'd agree), but Holmes wouldn't, not a three pie problem at all, not heavy but a lightish smoke and!! not very good at creating a miasma a thinker needs to solve problems. It's not a bad smoke just misnamed by someone who never read, I suspect any of the journals of the consulting detective Sherlock Holmes; told by Doctor Watson as reported in the Strand magazine..

With out the Holmes connection I'd have given this blend a three star but I love my literature too much to do so.. sorry i can't disassociate the name from the tobacco, so it probably isn't a helpful review; you would really have to know Doyle's books to understand both my references and slight disappointment. .

Pipe Used: parker Rhodesian

Age When Smoked: new

Purchased From: specialist tobacconist

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	codyp (65)	2014-01-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This was an overall pleasurable smoke. The only real complaint I would have is that it dried easily and gave a bit of tongue bit if smoked too fast. With that said it lit very easily and stayed lit for the duration with almost no re-lights. That has been the case with almost all Peterson tobaccos however.

When it comes down to taste and strength it was a very simple well put together blend that would be could to keep around for a simple guy. The room note was pleasant and that is all there really is to it.

A good tobacco.

Pipe Used: Peterson System (Bent)

Purchased From: Smokedale Tobacco MN

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Big Nick (74)	2013-12-09		Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

This is one Peterson offering I didn't care too much for. I can't really say anything bad about it, but it just didn't seem to float my boat. I've had the old stuff from the can with the picture of Sherlock on it, and I've had the new stuff. The newer stuff seems to have a bit more aromatic qualities to it, but neither one compelled me to finish the tin.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stuffin McPipey (11)	2013-10-10		Mild to Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I smoked a one year old tin of this tobacco, and compared it to a new tin. Not much benefit to the aging, although a fresh tin tasted fine. Not too deep, not too complex- just quality tobacco. While I will not likely smoke this tobacco for celebratory times, I can see it being a go-to on a day to day basis.

It's an easy tobacco to manage, not much attention needs to be given whilst burning in the pipe. I can see me plugging away at it while fly fishing on the river with a corn cob, but I'll be putting it aside for a more preferred Peterson blend once I've landed a big one.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	onurturker (14)	2013-09-16		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Good combination of burley and vrigina.For long period smoking , it can be boring.I think best tobacco for beginners

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-08-30		Mild	Medium	Mild	Tolerable

I like this tabacco, but in my opinion - this one it's not for everyday. The taste is great, but not that much to smoke it all the time.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-06-28		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Pleasant

I was very dissapointed with this tobacco. Sure it smells nice, but the taste is dull and boring. I wont be buying this again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-06-01		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I was smoking this in a Peterson Irish Second, and found the bowl getting really hot. I had rehydrated this and think I may have gone too far, but I'll say that if it seems moist on opening the tin, let it dry a bit. Will also make lighting it easier. I set the pipe aside for a while and then relit, and it was much cooler smoking. No bite as long as you take it easy. Not a lot of complexity in this blend, but could likely be smoked all day without a problem and without getting overwhelming. Overall a pleasant smoke, but nothing outstanding.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mnadz (69)	2013-04-28		Mild	None Detected	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I was stuck between "recommend" or "somewhat recommend". This had enough burley to give the blend some taste. Very mild in flavor but just enough to keep it from boring. For those that like big bold blends, I would stay away from this one. Those looking for something a bit more than a boring mild straight virginia might step up to this.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	DrDyson (148)	2013-04-20		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I just finished a sample of this Virginia/Burley mixture. It's all right, mild and decent and civilised, and it comes well presented in a nice tin; but ... meh. It'll suit people who like a bland and undemanding smoke, but it's nothing special: I wouldn't light fireworks about it. Also, a bowlful doesn't last very long. Somewhat recommended, because I can't find any real negatives; just no strong positives. The point, I suppose, is that SH is just like dozens of other mild, light all-day smokes. Not unpleasant, but nothing to really savour, and nothing to distinguish it from a host of similar tobaccos. Personally, I probably won't buy it again. BTW: don't puff hard (as the mildness of it tempts you to) or it'll burn you.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	graygeek (10)	2013-03-18		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Just was offered a bowl of this from a friend. Very different from the ARO tobaccos I normally smoke. Pleasant sweet grassy smell in the tin. Packs pretty well, but probably shouldn't be packed as tightly as I normally do. From the first match, the great tast and aroma of a good VA blend. Liked this so well, will be going on the web and purchasing some straight away.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Grandad (8)	2012-04-12		Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

When I opened the tin, it smelt like snakebite, that alcoholic beverage of cider mixed with blackcurrant, so already I wasn't too keen. I found this tobacco very hard to get along with. If you're the pipe smoker who likes to constantly puff away on your pipe then this is for you.

Straight from the tin, I was constantly relighting and having to puff away like a mad man. I let it dry a little and tried again but still found myself constantly re-lighting and puffing away like a mad man. Then I let it dry completely, tried again and it was @!?#... I even tried different combinations of loose and tight packings but no matter how I packed it, in the end it still felt like I was trying to suck for air, through a straw, in a vacuum!

When I did finally manage to get a perfect light, I found the nicotine strength to be very weak, there was barely any flavour and the room note was dreadful. In fact, when I smelt the bowl of my pipe, I could have sworn somebody's cat had Pi@#ed in it!?

This was the most frustrating tobacco I have ever come across and for this reason I will never buy it again. It's also the last time I take a recommendation from the shop assistant.

It could have been a bad tin but I'm not wasting another tenner to find out. Thank Jeebus I still had half a tin of Irish Whiskey to take the pain away!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-02-01		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a very unique blend, In my experience anyways. I smoke it in a very large Meer and find it to be quite refreshing. The colour is outstanding and the tinnote matches. It has an icewine scent and I find the N count to be quite satisfying. Its worth trying. Diolch

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-01-30		Very Mild	None Detected	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

I was very disappointed with this Peterson blend. I enjoy most of their tobaccos and pipes, however this one just did not do it for me. I found it to be utterly unremarkable. Even a poor or bad taste would be something. A few words come to mind when I think of this blend : unremarkable, pedestrian, and forgettable. If you happen to be a wet noodle that lives in communist Russia with 2.5 children and a fair income this may be the tobacco for you. For me it was not. No aroma, no taste, no strength. I will not buy it again. I needed to mix it with some generic Cavendish just to finish the tin, not a good way to spend $13.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-01-28		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is the second Petersons tobacco I have tried, Sweet Killarney was my first and I felt it was a nice enough product to warrant a further venture into Peterson Tobaccos.

I must say, I wasnt immediately keen on the note the tin emminated. It rambunctiously screams berries, spice and citrus fruits. Whilst not altogether unpleasant, I can't deny that the smell briefly reminded me of Silage I'd smelt on my Uncles farm up in Aberdeenshire a few months previous.

However, smoking the stuff is a different ballgame alltogether.

The smoke is milder than the tin note would have you assume, and a much more toned down affiar. Unfortunately, some of the dominant flavours of this blend are lost when the product is lit, but nevertheless it is a very enjoyable smoke. The product maintains its spice and a very feint hint of berries and citrus, and seems more pleasant through the latter half of a bowlful.

The room note is great, though again not what youd expect from the tin note. A classic aromatic whiff with just a hint of spice.

Tongue burn is manageable if smoked sensibly, and ribbons are pleasing to the eye.

All in all, a pleasant smoke. Though not for everyone, Its worth a try!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-01-18		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

the first of peterson's tobaccos i have tried. While I absolutely K&P pipes (I have 4 including sherlock holmes the professor and the baskerville) i am not a big fan of Sherlock Holmes tobacco. Very fruity note upon opening the tin. It burns easily but kind of hot if puffed a little quickly. Overall it is a mediocre blend sharing the name of one of the best pipe makers around.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-10-24		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

This is one of the very few aromatic blends that I keep in storage or bother to buy. It is something I would suggest to any new smoker to get ahold of in terms of upper priced tins.

This is also a good way to start down the road to smoking English blends. However, aging won't really do anything to this blend, so don't buy in hopes of cellaring and getting a change in flavour.

There is a pleasent bouquet of berries when you first open the tin.

A ribbon cut with plenty helpings of virginias and burley.

Smokes well, but you should let it dry out a bit before smoking. Elsewise, you will have to relight often. Drying, however, I have found to fix this little problem quite nicely.

I offer this tobacco to anyone who comes to my house and wants to smoke a pipe with me. It also goes well with a cup of hot tea and is best smoked (in my view) during the fall and early winter.

3 stars and a good nod from me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-08-29		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I somewhat agree with GreatestShowonTurf. It's pretty bland, IMO. So is the Sweet Killarney. If you like only a hint of flavor, I would go for it. At least it won't hurt you. I won't throw mine out. I'll blend it with some nice, goopy, black aromatic from E. A. Carey. as I did the Sweet Killarney. That will stuff a sock in it's shorts.

If your looking for a fruity taste, definately try the Connoisseur's Choice. Fruity, spicy, and very flavorful. The room note smells, to me, like an apricot cobbler, if there is such a thing. It tastes pretty much like it smells. Very nice. The Sunset Breeze is a bit milder, but also very nice.

I do have a bone to pick with 'GreatestShow', however.

1. Doyle was Scottish, not a "Brit".

2. No need to apologize to Americans. We know Holmes was a fictional 'consulting detective'. We got the news via the tribal drums of the Lenape Indians.

3. If it wasn't for 'Americans', you'd have had to order whatever you've been drinking all day in German.

4. Just messin' with 'ya. ;-)

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	SmileyOrb (17)	2011-07-18		Very Mild	Extremely Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Unnoticeable

If you can imagine Mr Sherlock Holmes smoking his pipe with this his named tobacco, then I can imagine him choking wildly, red eyes blazing, and shouting for Mrs Hudson for a cold glass of water. Yes, even though Holmes dubiously placed his pipe tobacco in a Persian slipper, this is probably the most hot as a poker tobacco I have ever smoked in a pipe (and I enjoy most other Peterson blends!). You have been warned; Persian slipper or no Persian slipper...this is by far the most disappointing blend (and I'm being polite).

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Capt (339)	2011-07-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Jeremy Brett played the best Sherlock Holmes in the Granada Television series.

Peterson makes the worst Sherlock Holmes related pipe tobacco.

I have a tin purchased back in 7/06. It still bites just as bad as it did in July of ought six, even out of a Churchwarden.

2 out of 5 stars.

This blend would pair well with a fire extinguisher, because you're gonna need it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	doc'spipe (241)	2011-05-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

I secured my first tin of this recently. It's ten years old and sports the older design of the Sherlock Holmes silhouette and says "Made In Ireland." It was vacuumed sealed and a bit rusty outside. The tobacco contents was just at the right moisture level for me and consisted of mostly medium dark ribbon cut. There was a faint smell of something fruity, but not very distinct at that. Packing and lighting were without problem. The light up produced a soap-like taste and mildly floral ala Lakeland floral. The floral notes soon disappeared but the mild soap-like essence was in and out throughout the smoke and actually added to the overall charm of this blend. There was a subtle spicy sweetness that reminded me of Erinmore Flake, but less heavy on the apricot and with none of the other essence that makes Erinmore so unique. It is not as stong as Erinmore either. The Virginias were expertly stoved producing a different, unique, and appealing mixture. I do believe there is some Burley, as I did, from time to time, detect a nut-like flavor. Orientals? Perhaps some, which may have accounted for the spiciness I noticed. The sweetness remains throughout the smoke and is similar to the brown sugar sweetness found in the Mac Baren roll cake offerings that are cased only with sugar and water. Coupled with the sweetness of good, aged Virginia leaf, that sweetness is spot on. It can smoke hot, but without bite nor moisture. More in the Irish tradition if you ask me.

Overall a very pleasant mix that is great for when all you want is "a pipe."

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-04-17		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is a well-balanced, light aromatic. Upon opening the tin, I was met by an aroma that struck me as a mildly sweet apricot tea; however, it doesn't really translate to taste or room note - both of which I think are simply mildly sweet in a way that I can't quite describe.

At first, I didn't think much about this blend other than it was very nice. I certainly wasn't planning on reordering it. Until I lit up a corncob pipe full one Saturday morning... simply great with a cup of black coffee. Makes since though, since I like mildly sweet and mellow Virginia blends in the morning.

This is not a blend for those who like to furiously puff away on goopy aromatics, or expect a blend that will send them rocketing into low earth orbit. This is simply a solid, conservative, well-behaved, and mellow smoke that needs to be sipped.

I like a gentle tobacco to start my day, and this delivers in spades. It's one of the few blends that I always keep on hand, and I'd highly recommend this blend to anybody who is simply looking for an elegant smoke in the tradition of the finest old school blends like those put out by Dunhill, Davidoff, or MacBaren.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Virginia lover (218)	2011-03-31		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon opening, I get a blackcurrant aroma from the preservative or topping. Lights and smokes easily. The aroma while mild at the beginning is almost gone after some drying. There is some bite but nothing too difficult to handle. The taste is tangy with characteristic Burley nuttiness. Leaves a pleasant aftertaste. A bit boring for me but could be a hit with Burley smokers.

Virginia lover

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	gunner525 (66)	2011-03-27		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Cracked a tin of this open for the first time yesterday afternoon. I noticed on opening the tin that it had a similar aroma to that of the raspberry truffle candies my fiance gets from See's chocolate store. Definitely inviting. I didn't notice the tobacco as moist as some have noted. The tobacco did burn a little fast and quite warm, however I didn't get the tongue bite that some have complained about. My guess is since I've been smoking for a few years now I've learned how to control the heat fairly well on tobaccos that burn hotter because of their aromatic properties. It tasted quite nice. Just the right amount of the Virginia and Burley and a hint of fruit. My fiance loved the smell. I will definitely keep myself stocked up on this blend. Probably wouldn't reccommend it for a first time or beginner smoker though, as it may cause tongue bite which is a huge turn off if you're a new smoker.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JohnnyMcPiperson (119)	2011-01-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is a decent smoke. It's kind of a middle of the road blend for me. I smoked through a tin of this during a time when I was unwilling to open much else. It was good, but it wasn't really anything that I imagined Mr. Holmes smoking, to me it harkened more to something that I imagined from Lord of the Rings, something that Gandalf might have smoked as he was pouring over old manuscripts in the library at the white city... A nice blend, very mild if you ask me, but it carried me along nicely, I made my way through a tin of it, I will probably not every buy another, but it was okay. The flavor is for sure predominately derived from the burley in it, which gives it kind of an old book taste, with a hint of perique to open it up a bit. I would recommend this to someone looking to try something new moving away from Aromatics, it's a kind of traditional blend almost I think, although it's comprised of some odd tobaccos, not going to blow you away or anything.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	The Persian Slipper (30)	2009-12-08		Very Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant

I have to say, this blend dissapointed me. I was ready for something with kick, and instead I found something that Bradley's would sell to Watson. This blend had nothing special in it. The flavor was nice and the strength was well below what I expected it to be. Not to speak badly of a blend that, I'm sure, quite a few people would enjoy. It just did absolutely nothing for me.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pip (80)	2009-08-18		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

A nice mild aromatic that is not heavily cased. Smells like Apricots & Oranges. The tobacco is a nice red virginian ribbon cut. Good quality leaf.

Comes a bit moist so you must dry it out a some. Also don't pack your pipe too tight to avoid the bite.

When smoked slow it is quite enjoyable and has a nice taste to it.

Not bad for every once in a while.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flagg1122 (15)	2009-05-03		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This one is on its way to becoming one of my favorites. I really love the almost chocolate taste midway through the smoke. The Virginia is livley and bold! I find that if you smoke a bowl about 1/8th of the way and then put it down for a while, the second time around is truly a great experience. Love it!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	AcworthAl (38)	2009-04-21		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Tolerable

The reviews are all over the place with this one. I have started smoking more Virginians and I like this one. One must start out slow, as it can bite the tongue, but if you go slowly, by mid bowl this becomes an incredibly sweet and scrumptious smoke. For me it is too expensive for an all day, everyday smoke. I did not find it aromatic. I would call it a non-aromatic with not a bad room note. I packed a big Hercules 611EX Dublin with this stuff, and smoked it on the hours drive to work. Quite a chore, when you consider I am driving a WRX with a stick shift. There were times, I wanted to pull over and simply enjoy the smoke. I give it 3 and 1/2 stars.

UPDATE: I leave a pipe's worth out in the morning. It seems to smoke better if if is dry.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Skando (203)	2009-04-08		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I find this something right on the spot as an all-day smoke. It has the strength, the body and a delicate flavouring (berries I detect, but not in the fashion of University Flake). SH comes wet in the tin, threw the whole content into my leather bag and let it there a couple of weeks for a proper smoking condition. It's mainly Virginia (and so the online description by the distributor tells), no Orientals, but I feel a trace of Burley. Being a fine ribbon, needs hands like feather to fill in the pipe. I like it quite loose packed. I have not experienced bite nor goopy end. A bit pricey but worth the experience.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Top D (10)	2009-03-12		Medium	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

The tin art has changed since this blend was first added here. I've held off reviewing it because it seams to change and be a bit different each time I smoke it, but always pleasent. As an English lover I'm not crazy about aromatics but I'm not so sure this is one. The sweetness of the Virginias leads itself toward an aromatic, but one I can get used to. I've dedicated a meduim size meerschaum to smoking this blend as it is quit noticeable with other tobacco's. I have 4 tins aging.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	mo (81)	2009-02-28		Medium to Strong	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

I have decided to re-write some of my reviews.

I have always loved this blend. I still remember my first tin a while back and how much i loved the tin aroma, i was worried though as the aroma and how it smokes are usually very different.

The original version ( with the picture of SH) was fantastic, the newer ones ( with the purple sticker) needs a bit of age and i feel Peterson might have distributed them a tad early. A few months does the trick.

The taste and vitN content for me is right on the money. Its strong enough to satisfy for a morning or mid day smoke and it tastes wonderful. As other reviewers have noted, there is NO Oriental leaf in this mix, its all high quality Virginia.

The result of different grades of Virginia and skillfull blending results in an almost Vanilla like taste, i am not remotely suggesting that this is a Vanilla flavoured smoke. My opinion is that the natural flavour of the leaf really comes to the fore and shines and i as a smoker appreciate that, this is a delicious mix.

As Eulenberg has noted, this blend showcases the taste of a Virginia tobacco like all great mixtures do.

On the matter of wheather or not there is a topping present. Peterson's has this listed under their Natural tobacoo blends. If there was a topping i would have tasted something, although a bit sweet, i cannot say for sure and i will give the benefit of the doubt to Peterson.

I always have a tin of this open and even after a few years, i still enjoy it very often.

Petersons is a company i will always support. I think that their products are of very good quality ( pipes included) and they really think of the smoker. I live on the Southern Most Tip Of Africa and no other blending house of note sends anything our way but Peterson.

I will take this opportunity to say thank you to the people at Peterson's and everyone involved with Tobaccoreviews.com, You have no idea how you have helped this smoker.

Mo, South Africa

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Sinister Topiary (84)	2009-01-20		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

A nice light blend, mildly sweet and woodlike (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), burns well but gets gradually hotter as it goes, nicely fills the mouth with smoke, but nothing special. Glad I tried several bowls, but I don't feel a need to revisit it.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	lonefrog615 (4)	2009-01-06		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my first review so understand my inexperience may influence this review... I generally smoke aromatics, mostly house blends from my local tobacconist. A non-smoking friend gave me a tin of this as a gift. I enjoyed it - sweet and mild tea flavor, some berry. I found this to be pleasant and very much to my taste. The best thing about it was the smoke stayed cool and enjoyable to the last. If your taste are like mine and you enjoy mild aromatics - give this a try. If you need your tobacco to "kick you in the teeth" with flavor - skip it.

Keep em' smoldering!

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Dr.sadik (120)	2008-12-20		Medium to Strong	Extremely Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This blend changed somewhat from the last time i reviewed it so here it goes for what it worth. Virginias dominate the taste and their sharpness can be harsh if puffed fast, not too sweet but their is a citrus edge to it. If there is burly or other varietals they are increasing the blend strength, it is not a mild tobacco but it build up in strength which remind me of dunhill royal yacht. Gets better with age but it needs time and lots of that. Burns well and if dried slightly goes with minimal relights. If you like virginia burly mixes go for it.

Pipe Used: Briars

Age When Smoked: Fresh

Purchased From: Pipesandcigars.com

Similar Blends: Dunhill - Royal Yacht.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	jankoez (69)	2008-10-16		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

?A Virginia and Burley leaf blend of great character with a sweet taste and aromatic aroma?? they said on the tin? Aromatic aroma?

Anyway, this tobacco is good smelling after opening but plain, plain, plain when smoking. To me it did not bring much joy and for sure I will not buy it again.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	flaminbill' (57)	2007-12-28		Medium	Medium	Medium	Tolerable

What a strange tobacco. I keep searching for a Peterson tobacco that I will like: This isn't it.

Once it gets going, it is not so bad. However, the first few puffs are too floral for my taste. This stuff reminds me of Grousemoor. I have to believe that this stuff will linger in the pipe. It does pack well and burn well and has the correct moisture when you first pop the lid.

In my mind, despite the stated ingredients, this is an aromatic tobacco and you should choose your pipe accordingly.

I seriuosly doubt that I will try this again. I will give it two stars. After all, it's the holidays and one should be generous.

The search for a good Peterson blend continues.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Griswold (21)	2007-09-13		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

My review is based on the 'new' tin with the new purple sticker on the lid that also mentions Burley.

Having smoked a tin or two of the old stuff in the past I get the strong feeling that the tobacco has been changed. The smell of the unsmoked tobacco is more subdued in the new tin and I also detect a peach/citrus/spice topping that either wasn't there or it was much more discreet, but my memory may fool me here. But most important the strength of the tobacco has been reduced to nothing more than medium while the old Sherlock Holmes was a much more hefty weed.

But all that said, the new Sherlock Holmes is still a good tobacco. It packs well, lights easily, burns cleanly and tastes good, albeit a bit monochromatic. Near the end of the bowl I detect a slight cocoa note which may be due to the Burley.

All in all I recommend it somewhat but I liked the old stuff a lot more.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	PipePaladin (78)	2007-07-13		Mild	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This blend is a good one and is worth a try.. However, I do believe that Peterson could do better than that.. Indeed, they are great pipe makers but when it comes to tobaccos they don?t have to do as great as they have a good name in the market already.. Sad but true..

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stacey (40)	2007-06-18		Very Strong	Medium to Strong	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Heavy apricot taste with a bit of grapefruit thrown in there. Overall I enjoyed it somewhat but probably won't rush out to buy more. This tobacco is the strongest I've tried so far, but I'm sure there is stronger out there. I smoked two bowls on an empty stomach and paid severely for the indiscretion. That said one bowl after a meal is no problem. Another warning, this one will stick to your pipe and you will taste it long afterward. I plan on smoking the rest of the tin in a corncob and hope the baking soda I stuffed in my briar will get this stuff out.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	tacoeatingzebra (37)	2006-10-25		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Not a bad tobacco. My nose detects some sort of topping of a fruity/berry variety. This stuff, overall, burns cooler than I had expected. I've been smoking from two pipes: a bent chacom and a missouri meerschaum. in the chacom, the topping come through a bit more without killing the tobacco flavor, while in the corn cob, a hay/grassy flavor comes through. both flavors are appealing.

Do not allow my two star rating to deter you from trying out this blend; I am primarily a smoker of English/Balkans with a minor in Virginia/Periques.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Jazzplayer (9)	2006-10-05		Mild	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very mild virginia shag. Great for the begginer! It is a good tobacco, not a great one. Upon opening the tin, my sences were aroused with a wonderful aroma of dried apricotes. Have this in my rotation as a light smoke.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Captain Pete (83)	2006-08-29		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

Earl Grey tea; that's what I think of when I smoke this blend. Upon opening the tin, I was greeted by a peculiar scent that I couldn't quite identify. It was a bit floral, a bit fruity. Then it hit me, oil of bergamot. It was really heavy at first light, but toned down pretty quickly. About a third into the bowl, the burley was the most pronounced flavor, with the virginia adding a touch of sweetness, and the bergamot flavor just barely hitting the back of the palate. A very pleasant smoking experience; not overwhelming in flavor and aroma. I will have to purchase a clean, unused pipe with which to enjoy this blend exclusively.

Edit: Just tried this in a brand new unsmoked pipe. It's really a lot more complex in flavor than I was able to pick up using another pipe, and the new Peterson pipe will be dedicated exclusively to this blend (as another one is dedicated to the Irish Oak). It has a nice fragrant sweetness to it; and I still suspect it is flavored with bergamot. This stuff, though a completely different type of blend, goes next to the Pease Caravan mixture in my cabinet.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pipepundit (168)	2006-02-16		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The description on my tin reads 'A Virginia and Burley leaf blend of great character with a sweet taste and aromatic aroma'. Unless a scholastic hair is being split, the description should settle the matter of topping.

The tin aroma is somewhat reminiscent of Davidoff's Scottish Mixture, but much less aggressive, permitting the tobacco notes to come through. In the bowl the taste is naturally sweet and the topping does not strike a discordant note. The tobacco burns cool, but at the bottom requires some perseverance and a few relights. The room note is pleasant but only when fresh. I could detect no oriental leaf.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	RCUSElder (244)	2006-02-10		Medium	Mild	Full	Strong

Appearance and Tin Aroma: Mostly mohogany to light brown leaf with some lighter colored leaf interspersed. Smells lightly fruity and pungent. Reminds me of Royal Yacht a little.

Packing and Lighting: Moisture is perfect out of the tin, leaf is a little tight straight out of the tin, rub out as you pull it out. 2-3 lights max.

Initial flavor: Slightly sweet, but dark at the same time.

Mid-Bowl: This is a hearty blend. The Indian tobac is earthy, dark, rich. The topping is a nice counterpoint.

Bottom of Bowl: Builds substantial strength, but no where near to that of Royal Yacht.

Overall: This reminded me of lighter versions of Royal Yacht and Dark Birdseye. Good flavor, no tongue-bite, but the topping always seems to give me a whopper of a headache, hence the lower recommendation. I wish I could taste this blend without the topping. Lastly, the room note of this is great while smoking , but terrible when you are done, almost a burned plastic type odor. Remember, this is a strong blend, eat first or you'll be green...Yes, I could see Holmes smoking this. Elementary, my dear Watson...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Ducksbreath (125)	2006-01-10		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

If I could give this 3 and half stars I would. I'd reccomend it to anyone who likes Virginias and is looking for something a little different.

It reminds me of Dunhill Elizabethan in terms of color and quality of leaf, and body to strength ratio, but without the Perique and a bit sweeter and cooler burning. It is the first Peterson blend I've smoked that I would call "elegant" and "complex", no offense meant.

At first light it is sharp with an odd floral scent coming through. And if I call a floral scent odd, it must be so, since I enjoy Condor from time to time and used to smoke a lot of Kendal Flake. But I do not really think this is topped. The floral scent soon moves to the background or disappears.

Anyway, this is a nearly biteless medium-full strength tobacco with a soft, complex body. Mid bowl it is at its most piquant, with a spicier finish. It should be dried out before smoking.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Mr. Dottle (162)	2005-07-21		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Usually one is able to note the similarities among the various blends one has smoked. I was unable to do that with Sherlock Holmes or other Peterson blends I have tried. For me, Peterson blends seem to be in a class by themselves regarding taste and flavor and defy comparison. A very unusual breed of tobaccos, indeed. A previous reviewer termed Sherlock Holmes ?confusing.? I will say it is NOT ?elementary.?

I found Sherlock Holmes to be a good but not great smoke. It is a one-dimensional, light aromatic having what I would call a dried, wild fruit taste. It is not pronounced. The flavors in this tobacco are subtle. It does not overpower you. But the classic Virginia sweetness is not there. It is squelched and never truly comes to the fore because of the flavoring/casing, whatever it might be. I experienced no bite. If you like aromatics, give SH a try. If you are a non-aromatic smoker and are looking for VA sweetness and a truer tobacco taste, you can skip Sherlock. But if any of you are fans of the greatest detective, buy this 19th century blend just for the tin. I would NOT say this is an average blend. I will say it is a different blend, very different. I liked this tobacco as a change of pace but not enough to buy another tin. The game is (still) afoot???to find the ?holy grail of tobaccos.?????

A cigarette is to be smoked. A cigar is to be enjoyed. A pipe is to be savored.

I rate this tobacco 8.4 out of 10.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Spike (296)	2005-04-28		Medium	Medium to Strong	Medium	Tolerable

I will try this again later and modify my review if needed. But, at this time my impression of this blend is too much flavoring to taste the tobacco! I recommend you try a sample before buying. If the flavoring was cut by about 2/3, it might be a good smoke.

Update: 11/12/04

After sitting for about 6 months unsealed and drying out almost to the point of too dry this blend smokes and tastes great. The flavoring is very subdued and I will finish this tin in no time now. A very pleasant change-of-pace somewhat Aromatic Virginnia type tobacco. Could be an all-day tobac for those looking for a break from Latakia. No bite encountered in spite of a certain sharpness from the Virginnias. Smells better than most also. No objections from the S.O. either.

4/27/05 This tobacco has become one of my favorites. If I didn't know better I'd swear there is a touch of Perique in this mostly Virginia. Excellent!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	BigSwede (89)	2005-04-25		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I came to this blend as one of those guys who smokes burley. In the past, if it didn't have some burley in it, I probably didn't smoke it. This blend, however sounded like something I wanted to try as a change of pace and I noted that several of the reviewers, whose opinions I've come to trust, liked it and gave it a high rating.

The more I smoke this, the more I like it. For me, the first third of the bowl is quiet and subtle; after that the natural virginia flavor comes out to a wonderful finish amd the final third of the bowl, (the part that burley lovers approach with some caution), is the best part of the smoke. I note that the longer my tin is open, the drier and better it smokes. For me, the sweet, floral aroma in the tin doesn't come out in the smoking. This is a good all around smoke and I would highly recommend it.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Steerpike (150)	2004-08-17		Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Very mild virginia shag. Not really the strong, course variety that Holmes chainsmoked, but its a good tobacco all the same. It comes a bit damp, but soon dries out, lights with great ease, and burns very completely, until at the end of the bowl, it just stops abruptly, leaving a little plug of greasy dottle. If I really wanted to act like Holmes, I would collect these through the day, dry them on the corner of the mantlepiece, and smoke them first thing the next morning. Hmmm... Maybe not. The tin aroma is really sweet, there's almost an icing smell wafting over the apricot scent of the virginia. This sweetness does not seem so apparent in the smoke, just a mild, virginia kind of sweetness, although the aroma can seem very sweet. The flavours of this tobacco are very subtle, they do build up in the pipe with a few smokings, and it develops its own complexity, although this is of a very laid back sort. It's not strong, its not weak, some love its aroma, others are indifferent, its all very average. But if ever I owned a huge calabash, this is what I would smoke in it. I could really smoke this for a long time, while contemplating mysteries or just lazing around.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	GaryScott (8)	2003-09-23		Mild	Extremely Mild	Mild	Unnoticeable

This is, for me, a difficult smoke. It comes too moist for pleasant smoking, but if I dry it too much, it tickles my throat in an unpleasant way one might associate with ashy, drugstore blends.

When I manage to get the moisture right, it burns nicely ? down to an almost non-existent, gray ash with few relights ? and it shows the unique sweetness of Virginias, but it has little more going for it and it?s a bit too soft for me. It?s definitely not a good outdoor smoke because its relatively mild flavor literally gets blown away with the wind.

Overall, it?s a tobacco that lingers in my rotation, but gets a visit only a once a month or so. Generally, I prefer something more complex.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Pounder 5000 (178)	2003-08-16		Medium	None Detected	Mild	Tolerable

This blend is a mess. While it is somewhat enjoyable due to the good tobacco used, it seems like these wonderful ingredients were just thrown together with the hope that it might be alright. I found this blend too be unique and tasty at first, but quickly became boring and underwhelming to say the least. The Virginia used is sweet enough to finish the tin, but I doubt I'll buy another.

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2001-03-28		Medium	Medium	Medium to Full	Tolerable to Strong

Maybe it's just the fact that I like ol' Sherlock. There is very little tounge bite in this nice, flavorful blend of pedigree tobaccos. Lights well, burns well, tastes good. It was foggy on the golf course last Sunday so I sat and waited with a vintage Peterson and a nice pince of Sherlock Holmes and watched the fog lift on the course and in my head. Such memories will not soon leave me. I'll be back for more....

1 person found this review helpful.

	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	kcpipedpiper (9)	2023-03-20		Mild	Mild to Medium	Medium	Very Pleasant

I will start off by saying this: age has done so much for this blend. Usually thats a little taboo for an aromatic blend. Usually, age will degrade the smoke. Not with this.

To start, this is an aromatic comprised of virginia and burley leaf. That in and of itself is a nice departure from the typical cavindish that most aromatics are. Second, this isn't heavily flavored. But, still flavored enough to know its an aromatic. Very well done, as most peterson aromatics are. Virginia notes of dark fruit, hay, cirtrus are present and the burleys really round out the flavor quit a bit. Mind you, this is as 8 year old tin im smoking. Right out of the tin, its a no wonder this has lower reviews. I didnt like it fresh out. Much more harsh and the flavors/toppings almost clashed w/ the leaf becuase of how intense everything was

Tin note is pleasant. Doesnt bite at the nose but smells very rounded and inviting. Fruit topping forward. Dark browns and some lighter browns but clear distinction between vir & bur leaf. Plenty of smoke and the retro is very pleasant with all flavors from leaf and topping present. Room note is inviting to the non smoker and smoker alike. And, has a very pleasant flavor on the palate. It tastes very good. This is an excellent quality smoke. Cellars well...recommended actually(obviously).

I highly recommend. This could easily be an all day smoke of great quality in any circumstance

Pipe Used: cobs

Age When Smoked: 8

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	JaWiBr (453)	2023-03-04		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Tin note of bready, spices and mildly fruity. Tobacco is a ribbon cut of brown and dark brown. Moisture content is great. Burns moderate with a few relights. The strength is mild to medium and nic is mild to medium. Flavoring is mild, with notes of citrus that diminishes considerably during the first 1/4. Taste is mild to medium and moderately consistent, with notes of citrus, sour vegetation, cocoa, tart dark fruit, bitter wood, vinegary fermented, molasses, spicy, nuts, dry, acidic, zesty orange peel, spices, toast, mildly savory, a sweet hay background note, and a peppery retro. Virginias are leading with Burley supporting. Minimal support from the Flavoring. Room note is pleasant to tolerable, and aftertaste is great.

Pipe Used: 2015 XXX Ashton Brindle Author

Age When Smoked: 5 years

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Stah (139)	2022-12-29		Mild	Mild	Mild	Pleasant

Despite the fact that the current description describes Sherlock Holmes as a virginia without any additions, I'm pretty sure it has burley in it. And I am pretty sure that Sherlock Holmes' clone is Rattray's Macbeth.

Appearance: both blends look the same, except that the Macbeth was a little brighter in hue. It's a quality fine ribbon cut of three varieties of Virginia, dominated by orange, added a small amount of burley, which may well get lost in such an abundance of Virginia. The tobacco in both tins was a little moist, which I mentioned to its freshness, but did not contain excessive glycerin or propylene glycol. Judging by the sample I have from the 2015 tin and the year difference between the Sherlock Holmes (February 2021) and Macbeth (summer 2022) tins, the blend darkens rather quickly as it ages, taking on a milk chocolate hue.

Flavor: Sherlock Holmes and Macbeth have an almost identical flavor from the tin, except for one minor detail that I will mention. When I opened the tin, I felt an unobtrusive but quite perceptible flavor of topping. Its composition is unknown to me, but the topping gave off an aroma consisting of notes of apricot, anise, and a slight lemon note. In the case of Macbeth, a bit of corn molasses was also nailed to these notes, and the presence of extra sugar listed in the formulation of both tobaccos suggested that it was indeed present. Why molasses is less in Sherlock Holmes than it is in Macbeth, I don't know. But after a couple or three minutes, its flavor in the Macbeth weakened so much that in a blind test I would hardly have picked up the difference. When the flavor of the topping dissipated a little, the tobacco notes came through, clearly indicating that I had the most common Virginia blend with a very small amount of burley in front of me. The wheat, hay and especially the woody notes came through a little more brightly, the nutty and earthy burley notes were muted. The blend, while very simple in composition, was equally uncomplicated in aroma.

Taste: I wasn't particularly surprised that both tobaccos were also similar by taste, so I'll describe their taste without remarks to one or the other. The sweetish flavor of the topping is present until about the middle of the pipe, but is especially noticeable in the beginning of smoking, where it is represented by the lightest apricot note, anise spice and sweetness. In addition to the topping, you definitely feel the Virginia bread note framed by dried fruit, wood tones and a slight nutty, almondy, cocoa notes of burley, which is barely enough to add density to the blend and smoke. And here I must mention one minor flaw in the blend. Unfortunately, in fresh tobacco, the overall flavor doesn't add up to a unified ensemble until about the middle of the pipe, the birch and Virginia exist on their own. To understand this, I had to smoke a pipe of seven-year-old Sherlock Holmes, and its taste was more whole and the topping less obvious. Like all blends dominated by Virginia, this one requires attention to the smoking rate, overheating the pipe quite easily and giving the smoke a bitter aftertaste that turns smoking into torture. But even so, the blend doesn't bite. If you smoke it slowly, towards the middle the taste begins to be dominated by woody notes, through which sometimes a fruity sweetness of Virginia or a light nutty note of burly comes through. Some may not like this kaleidoscope, but it didn't bother me at all. The strength of the tobacco is mild, only smoking it in a extra large pipe at the end of the day I felt something akin to a slight nicotine hit. The blend slowly burns into a fine gray ash with some slightly darker large fractions, leaving some moisture in the pipe. There is virtually no aftertaste from the tobacco.

The smoke has a distinct woody note and wears off almost instantly without irritating those around you.

What is the result? First of all, I will note that Sherlock Holmes is copied very precisely by the Germans. As for the overall impression of the tobacco: it is a quiet, predictable blend of low strength, which allows you to consider it as a good everyday tobacco. It has almost no brightness in flavor and aroma, and by that it may seem boring to some. Other things being equal, I would prefer Laurel Heights by Gregory Pease with just a little bit of latakia for the fullness of flavor, and someone might like Montgomery blend with a little Kentucky for the same. However, fans of Peterson products can be calm - Sherlock Holmes still can be found, and if the rumors turn out to be true, you have Macbeth.

Pipe Used: Peterson 80s, 106, 150, 999

Age When Smoked: 2015, 2021

Purchased From: Online

Similar Blends: Rattray - Macbeth (British Collection).

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	krog (20)	2021-09-27		Medium	None Detected	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Peterson’s sherlock holmes blend is not extraordinary. The really first thing that striked me about that blend while smoking was the sweet, citrusy virginia. Nutyy Burley is also noticeable but its definitely secondary ingriedient and also there is not much of it in the blend. Dont even try smoking it right after opening. Let it age in a jar for some time. (1 year) It will get much better because Virginia will be much more noticeable and much more sweeter. You just have to appreciate that blend for what it is , cause there will be no fireworks while smoking.

Pipe Used: Missouri Meershaum Corn cob

Age When Smoked: 1 year

Purchased From: tobacco shop

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Lord Guyrox (24)	2021-06-20		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

SH turned out to be better for me than what I expected from the peer reviews I read. The addition of Burley really help the tobacco shine in the sense that it does add some strength (i.e., nicotine) which is more than welcome. At 8 months old, SH is already showing some potential to represent a good All Day smoke. The citrus casing is subtle, the Virginias sweet and grassy and the Burley bring some nuttiness that make it a decent tobacco overall. I am curious to find out of this one will fare with some more age on it.

Age When Smoked: 8 months

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Antonius Blok (190)	2020-09-17		Mild to Medium	Extremely Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

This mixture comes from an old Irish recipe dating from 1880. It seems that its name derives from the fact that it was smoked at the time when the action takes place in the novels of the famous researcher created by Arthur Conan Doyle.

When the tin is opened, the tobacco is orange, orange ocher, and is highly pressed, as is often the case with tobaccos that come in pouches. The strands are all very similar and it loads into the pipe without difficulties. Due to the sticky touch, it may also contain a lot of sugar.

I bought this tobacco four months ago and at first it seemed quite anodyne but over time I have liked it more. The aroma reminds me of bread and hay, something citrusy and slightly sweet. If you smoke in a hurry, it heats up the pipe a lot and can bite, but that is solved with a slower smoking cadence. In that it resembles most aromatics. The virginia base prevails over burley and although it is a smooth smoke and without great fanfare, at this moment it does not seem like a bad tobacco, although I admit that I prefer to smoke it in pipes of smaller size because otherwise I end up getting tired.

Two and a half stars at the moment, although I will continue to watch how this tobacco evolves in me.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	ccl78 (1)	2020-08-10		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Being a fairly new pipe smoker I have been on a hunt for a favorite tobacco. Sherlock Holmes has not still become that one, but..

I bought a tin of this a few months into my pipe tobacco journey. Smoked it in my no name pipe that I first bought. It didn't give me anything at first and gave me a terrible tounge bit. Left it in a jar until now and almost forgot about it. The other night I was in for a smoke and felt a bit tired of my other blends, so I thought I would give it a try again. And what a difference! Really enjoyed the whole bowl and found a lot more flavor than when I first tried it. The citrus is there, and some kind of nuttiness. Not strong but on the upper half of mild. Low nicotine hit and a sweet aftertaste. Didn't have to relight too much and it lasted a long time. I think I have learned to sip the smoke and this is necessary for this tobacco, since it will give a less nice taste if smoked to fast. I will not make this a regular buy (want to try more blends), but I will enjoy the rest of the tobacco I have left.

My preference at the moment is not aromatics, since I usually find them overwhelming, but this one is quite nice.

Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes Strand

Age When Smoked: 10 months

Purchased From: Local tobacco store

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Reviewer (25)	2020-05-19		Mild	Very Mild	Mild	Tolerable

I bought this and didn't know a thing about it at all. My tin is from 2015 and still have 3/4 of it left. I smoke a few bowls per year of it. I don't mind it. Its ok but I don't like it very much. The tin note and room note just has a smell I don't like. Nothing I can pin point and pick out of it that I don't like, I just don't like it much. So my few bowls a year is good enough for me it should last a very long time. It was better fresh and aging it doesn't make it any better in my opinion and experience. Burns to a nice ash and lights well, that is always consistent and good. I smoke it slow and cool and my pipe never gets hot and never get tongue bite. Smoked it in pipes made from briar, pear wood, corn cob and it smokes well from those. Just not for me and I don't even know who to recommend it to either. Try if you want to. I'd say it is worth buying at least once to try out. It is different than anything else I've tried. I smoked a bowl of this out of my VaPer pipe and it takes two or three bowls of my VaPer to get rid of what this one leaves behind. My advice is don't smoke this in your VaPer pipe.

Pipe Used: briar, pear wood, corn cob

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2019-04-20		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Back in 2009, I received a sample of this along with some Old Dublin from the good folks at the Peterson Pipe Factory in Dublin, Ireland. I had sent them a pipe to repair & the samples were complimentary. I enjoyed the Old Dublin really well and liked the unique flavoring of this one fairly well. The pouch aroma sort of smelled like a tea blend.

The moisture content was perfect for immediate stoking. I can see why many find this blend appealing. It's a very mild & smooth smoke. I recently started smoking Tabac Manil's Le Petite Robin a few months back and noted a slight aroma & flavor comparison to Sherlock Holmes. Therefore, since I found Le Petite Robin to be extremely enjoyable on occasion, I will allocate three stars to Sherlock.

Pipe Used: Size two Stanwell

Age When Smoked: Fresh Pouch

Purchased From: Complimentary Sample From Peterson Pipes

Similar Blends: Akin to Tabac Manil's Le Petite Robin in aroma but with a little different flavor...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2019-03-06		Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

I received a sample of this along with some Old Dublin from the good folks at the Peterson Pipe Factory in Dublin, Ireland. I enjoyed the Old Dublin pretty good but I didn't cotton to the flavoring of this one. The bag aroma smelled like a tea blend.

The moisture content was perfect for immediate stoking. I can see why many find this blend appealing, however...very mild & smooth. I don't think it's fair of me to judge this blend predicated on the basis of a flavoring that didn't agree with me. Therefore, I will allocate three stars to Sherlock.

Pipe Used: Stanwell Size 2

Age When Smoked: Fresh Pouch

Purchased From: Peterson Pouch Sample

Similar Blends: Nothing Compares to This...

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2018-12-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I received a sample of this along with some Old Dublin from the good folks at the Peterson Pipe Factory in Dublin, Ireland. I enjoyed the Old Dublin pretty good but I didn't cotton to the flavoring of this one. The bag aroma smelled like a tea blend. The moisture content was perfect for immediate stoking.

I can see why many find this blend appealing, however...very mild & smooth. I don't think it's fair of me to judge this blend predicated on the basis of a flavoring that didn't agree with me. Therefore, I will allocate three stars to Sherlock.

Pipe Used: Stanwll Size 2

Age When Smoked: Fresh Pouch

Purchased From: Sample From Peterson Pipes

Similar Blends: Nothing Compares to This.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2013-07-27		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I don't think Holmes would like this blend, though he could identify the left over ashes. :) This is a blecky...yeah I said blecky, creation. I'd like to get my hands on the stash Holmes has in the slipper on the mantelpiece though. This is a bland, wimpy smoke producing blend. Never again, but I'm sure you deduced that.

Smoke in Peace.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2012-08-23		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild	Pleasant

I liked this tobacco but the tin I recieved had been a gift from a store who was not using it. As such the tin was already opened and had seen a little drying. I did find this tobacco mild and a nice pleasant smoke.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-06-29		Medium to Strong	Medium	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

This is my morning smoke. I walk into my work pack my pipe and puff away until the bowl gives out. It gets me moving and the taste stays with me until an hour or so before lunch break. The taste is nice and has an almost hickory or oak finish that stays for a long time after the smoke is done. Not a beginner's tobacco but a nice one.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-06-28		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

Not again! Peterson's, you can do better than this!

This is the third straight aromatic tin from Peterson's that I've found to be bland. Unlike Sunset Breeze and Gold Blend, this tin had no black cavendish and no apparent flavoring. On opening, it is nothing but Virginias and Burleys, as far as the nose can smell. The smell was rather figgy, which promised a nice, earthy smoke. My first few bowls left a lingering sweetness in my mouth, somewhat like brown sugar, but it was overall very weak. But after letting the tin sit for three days and lighting up again all I am tasting is thick clouds of vapid smoke that tickles your tongue if puffed on too vigorously. I've slowed down, I've sped up, I've done everything with this tobacco and the rewarding smoke is just not there. I've filled meerschaums, corn cobs, and my Peterson briars with this tobacco. I have given it a fair hearing and yet the verdict is a resounding GUILTY for being a bland smoke not worth your time to puff on, or your money to purchase.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-06-24		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The first few pipes I thought tasted far too weak, like smoking air. I was not impressed and was going to use it for blending. After about 1/4 of the tin I have decided this is one of the best tobaccos I have smoked. It's sweet, and very high quality. As I'm learning with most tobaccos, smoke slowly, makes a huge difference. Buy more.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-03-21		Mild	None Detected	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

This was the first "real" tobacco I ever tried, and as such this is also my first review.

Being used to the sticky "convenience store" blends that I think most pipe smokers start with, I was eager to try something "real". I was familiar with Peterson Pipes, admiring them ever since I learned I would have the opportunity to visit the Peterson factory on my upcoming honeymoon, and when I saw a tin of Peterson tobacco in a cigar shop, I was very interested. I was a bit worried about trying a strong, non-aromatic blend, as I had been smoking cherry cavendish since the start of my pipe smoking career. I chose this tobacco because the tin described it as aromatic referring to the aroma, yet made no mention of artificial flavorings or casings. This was also my first tinned tobacco.

Upon opening the tin, I was greeted by a dusky aroma of dried fruit, almost as if I were sniffing a bag of dried apricots. The tobacco was densely packed, but was not wet or sticky. It has a very soft texture, and its dryness did not make it stiff or crumbly.

I found it easy to pack into my pipe, and after lighting and tamping it down, it re-lit evenly, and burned evenly down to the bottom of the bowl.

The flavor was very subtle. I didn't detect any strong "flavors", meaning that although the tobacco had an aroma of dried fruits, this aroma did not permeate the flavor. The smoke was thick and white, both curling up from the bowl and on exhale. There was no tongue bite, yet I could tell that this tobacco was only one shade away from being a full aromatic, which would have undoubtedly burned my tongue.

I think this was, overall, an excellent tobacco, and I would recommend it to one, as myself, who is looking to get away from aromatics and explore the more natural territory of tobacco.

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-01-18		Mild to Medium	Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

I received a sample of this along with some Old Dublin from the good folks at the Peterson Pipe Factory in Dublin, Ireland. I enjoyed the Old Dublin pretty good but I didn't cotton to the flavoring of this one. The bag aroma smelled like a tea blend. The moisture content was perfect for immediate stoking.

Everything else about the tobacco was pretty just about right. I can see why many find this blend appealing, however...very mild & smooth. I don't think it's fair of me to judge this blend on the basis of a flavoring that didn't agree with me. Therefore, I will allocate three stars to Sherlock.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-01-13		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

It is nice, it worths trying it, but not sure if many should continue puffing it. It smells delightfull, not strong as expected and it burns too fast, in my view. Should be a little bit additionally dried, before smoking it.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2011-01-10		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

After buying this tin, it had a good go-around my vehicle full of friends to sample the delicious smell. I couldn't wait to try a pipe full of what I expected to be impeccable but first I had to wait for the rich and wet tobacco to air. Finally, I got to load my pipe full, pack it carefully, light it just right... and be horribly disappointed by how weak the smoke is. Although the taste is good, especially with a drink of whiskey, and the room note is pleasant enough for everybody to at least not mind, it doesn't seem worth the money to pick up a tin for the price.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-12-28		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

Hurray!!! I cracked this tobacco thanks to FunnyPipe727!

In spite of the very silly name, SH tempted me for a long time because l'm a sucker for 'traditional' and 'xhundred year old recipes'. And l really liked the tinnote of SH.

Smoking it however didnot work for me. l didnot dislike it, l didnot like it. l kept coming back however, hoping to decide whichever way about this traditional offering of Peterson's.

My experience with P's has not been a lucky one so far. When Dunhill went missing a very upmarket tobacconist in Amsterdam recommended Old Dublin as a good substitute and I didnot like it at all. Irish Flake and Perfect Plug were promising but l just don't seem to be able to finish the tins. l always find another Flake next to it on my shelf that just tempts me more.

And then I read FunnyPipe727's revelation, rinsed my mouth with some 12 year old single malt and hey presto! A lovely sweet, light, very pleasant smoke all the way!

Peterson should rename this blend 'My Mixture 727' and they will have a winner on their hands...

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-12-02		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

So I had been looking forward to smoking this blend for some time. I've found consistently great quality with Peterson's products. Upon cracking the seal and popping open the tin, I took my first whiff and it was a very gentle aroma of dried fruit. It was rather densely packed, rich in long, shaggy ribbon cuts of Virginia flake and ready rub. Upon lighting it though, this baccy was initially a let down. Very weak tasting blend, not much to speak for in taste or smell, that is to say that it tasted very empty, and didn't smell like much. I thought I was going to be very disappointed with this blend. But then I did something that turned it upside down and made it a sweet, very flavorful blend: I drank a little high-end hooch with it. For my room mate's birthday, he bought himself a bottle of Forrester's Birthday Bourbon. Aged 12 years in an ashen oak cask, this whiskey certainly had flavor, and was smooth, and rich. But it also had a strange effect of opening up my palate enough so I could taste the subtleties in Sherlock Holmes. A very mysterious blend indeed, my dear Watson. Go do some sleuthing of your own and see for yourself! Uncover the hidden secrets in this blend, and you will not be disappointed. A good glass of good quality bourbon will make this pipe tobacco taste like the tin says. Very good and complex. I would recommend this to any beginning pipe smoker, but make sure you pair it with some good whiskey or even rum.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-28		Mild	Mild	Very Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

out of the tin this smelled great but I found it to be very wet and packed very tightly in the tin. It is best to let this tobacco dry before you smoke as it will sizzle and pop if you don't. tends to burn a little hot even after drying it out but it is manageable and had a mild bite. not sure a beginner might or might not enjoy this would only get to try smothing new

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-26		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

The tin smells appetisant. After an half hour of airing the tobacco packs and lights well. It has a fruity light topping and the spicy sweet smoking is just enjoyable. It would fit to my tastes better if it could offer some more strength and natural flavor.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-11		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

I would recommend this tobacco to any beginners, its cheap and smokes fine. However at most this is a novelty smoke and not really for someone who enjoys any specific style.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-10-03		Mild	Mild	Mild	Very Pleasant

i just got a tin of sherlock holmes yesterday saturday. what a lovely smoke.it's realy pleasant with nice a flavour and it's not to strong for people who dont like pipe tobacco this is going to be my first choice for now on.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-09-17		Mild	Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Tolerable

This blend looks good in the tin, and it has a good name, but it has no nicotine and body. I prefer my winston light cigarrete to it.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-09-14		Mild	Very Mild	Very Mild	Tolerable

Lightly cased aromatic of good quality leaf, loses 1 star for wrong naming. If you are going to smoke this tobacco for the first time, forget the name, too mild to be named after sherlock holmes.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-08-23		Mild to Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

I'm new to pipe smoking and this is my first review. I have just smoked the first bowl of this tobacco, and I feel like sharing my experiences on this leaf.

It smelled very nice in the tin, the odour reminden me of freshly dried fruits.

As I always do with every moisty tobacco, I put it out to dry an hour before smoking it (as it is very wet in the tin)

Lighting it was easy, and the smoked smelled very nice, with a pleasant sweetish scent. I was surprised. Actually, this was the first tobacco i smoked that tased the same as it smelled. At half way through the taste changed, and became a mosre full tobacco taste, which was the best at somewhere around the last third part of the bowl, so I would say that the first third and the beginning of the last third part were the best. This tobacco isn't so strong I guess, since I don't smoke a lot, and I can only feel the symptoms of starting nicotine intoxication a little bit.

It may seem odd that although this tobacco left me with a pleasant experience, I'm only giving two stars. This is because of the price. Actually, there are other tobaccos like this that cost a lot cheaper. All in all it is worth to buy a tin of this tobacco (especially for beginners, like me), but not more.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-07-25		Mild	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Very Pleasant

A remarkable blend for someone ready to go from cased to unaltered tobaccos and not quite ready for something stronger.

The taste is nice and the tin aroma is great. It is hard to believe that this is an unaltered tobacco.

The thin and long cut, almost shag, makes it easy to fill the pipe and smoke.

This is not suited for an experienced smoker.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-07-02		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I tend to compare this with solani virgina flake with perique and so I have to say that is not as good, but still great tobacco. High quality virginia inside.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-06-29		Very Mild	Very Mild	Extremely Mild (Flat)	Pleasant

I never like to "Not Recommend" a tobacco, but this one wasn't for me. It smells very nice in the tin but that is about where it ended for me. I really got nothing out of this one aside from the room note. I tried the Peterson brand tobacco because I just love the 2009 Peterson St. Patrick's Day pipe I have... I was not nearly as happy with this offering from Peterson.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-06-06		Mild to Medium	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

It is as the tin description reads: "A virginia and Burley leaf blend of great character with a sweet taste and aromatic aroma."

The tin aroma and room note, is reminiscent of blueberries, however the taste of the leaf does not reflect the unfavorable qualities of most aromatics such as "sweet-n-low" bitterness or soapiness nor does it carry a blueberry-like taste. As far as I know, I am tasting an unhindered va/bur leaf while my peers are enjoying the smell. It's a win/win tobacco.

Two more points however: 1. You have heard it a thousand times, but some drying out does this weed some good. 2. It tends to get dull after smoking it exclusively for long periods of time. Rotating it with an english blend is recommended.

Edit: I would like to add that at rare occations, I seem to be picking up hints of oriental leaf in the side stream, though the inclusion is not advertised on the Peterson site.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-05-26		Very Mild	None Detected	Very Mild	Unnoticeable

I can honestly say I found this tobacco very dull indeed. On opening the tin the aroma seems quite pleasant, if only it could reflect in the taste. As a rule I am not a fan of ribbon cut tobacco, and this is no exception, I found it burned much to fast to be enjoyed and often lead to a wet pipe, resulting in the obligatory sour taste. Stay away...

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-05-06		Mild to Medium	Very Mild	Mild to Medium	Tolerable

The single worst tobacco I've ever tried, in thirty years of puffing. I recently reviewed their Old Dublin, giving it the highest rating I could. This is its exact opposite. How can the same company make both of these? Ghastly.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-04-12		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Well I havnt ben puffing this blend for too long, but all in all its not bad. Like said ubove a little moist out of the tin, and had a little trouble keeping it lit. Vary nice smell unlit. My ownly pet peeve is the way the smoke was. the smoke gives a bit of light headedness if smoked too fast, and for me the smoke burns the eyes like crazy lol. My heavy english tobacco is smooth and painless on the eyes apposed to this one. Other then that it realy isnt bad, not my favorite smoke but is in my back up box when I do run out of heavy english. As for the taste it has a bit of a bite to it but is good.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-03-24		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

A little on the moist side right out of the tin. It had a pleasant fruity aroma. Once lit up it was straight forward tobacco flavor. An earthy taste that didn't overpower. The only drawback was some tongue bite.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-02-18		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

This is my first review here on the site FYI. SH is a tobacco i have been wanting to try for a while, but haven't until they bumped the Dunhills, forcing me to branch out to other brands and experiences. The only other Peterson I've sampled is the Irish Oak which was not impressive to me. As a pipe smoker of only 5 years or so I still get a taste for an aromatic type when I'm not indulging in my 965. When you first open the tin of SH you get a nice fruity smell but it isn't too sweet and over the top. I agree with what some other reviewers have said, that it helps to give this tobacco some air before packing it. I have run about 10 bowls or so and the best experience with it has been after letting a portion sit out over night to dry. Upon packing the bowl and hitting it with the first match I got a nice cool draw. I have smoked it in a Peterson Standard 303 with the P-Lip and had very good results. It smoked cool and dry with a nice gray/black ash. The leaf is good quality and more natural than flavored. When you taste the tobacco at first it reminded of a warm fruity flavor then after I set the pipe down and came back for a relight I got a flavor I can only describe as nutty marshmallows, just the flavor not the sweetness. Overall I have enjoyed it as a break from the normal routine. I have already decided to add it in my rotation. It's not the greatest thing I've ever had, but it is a very pleasant change of pace.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2010-02-16		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Medium	Tolerable

Nice, very nice. Not an aromatic, and has a tangy flavor which sets off the dark rich taste of the other tobaccos.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-12-21		Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

I have never yet had a bad Peterson Tobacco. Sherlock Holmes was not at all as I expected in terms of flavour and it will never replace Old Dublin as my favourite but it is a good smoke any time of day. Lights easily and stays lit. No second light up , just light ,tamp and smoke away to almost nothing but a light grey ash. I think new pipesmokers would love this tobacco.Smells like an aromatic in the tin but doesnt smoke too much like one. I think the name suits it. Contemplative.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-12-16		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

I bought this on a whim. It was listed in Peterson's "Traditional" section and not their "Aromatics" so I wasn't too concerned. But, when I opened the tin I thought I had wasted ten bucks. It was sweet and aromatic smelling, citrus like and even some tea as others have noted, along with perhaps apricot. I was afraid. I do not like aromatics. I like unadulterated tobacco.

However...I was pleasantly surprised by this blend. To be safe I packed a bowl in my small clay instead of one of my favorite briars. It was moist and could do with a bit of airing, but it packed well. I had difficulty keeping it lit, partly because of the pipe, my own inexperience, and the moisture in the tobacco. It wanted to bite, so I had to proceed mindfully. It produced a satisfying dense smoke with a decent room note--It may not score points with companions but it shouldn't make any enemies either. But the flavor was not as I expected. It was slightly sweet, but it was predominately tobacco! Quality leaf too. I actually smoked the whole bowl! It left a mostly dry black and dark gray ash with just a little dottle in the bottom.

Three stars mostly due to my surprise. I won't be shouting its praise from the rooftops though, and I have no idea why Peterson put Master Holmes' name on the tin...

It might not make a constant companion for me, but I imagine I'll finish the tin, and might even buy some more. I'll let the tin air out and dry some before I pack another bowl though.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-12-08		Mild	Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant

Update:

after some time I realized that feelings I get from this tobacco are not the ones I like too mutch. This tobacco actualy doesn't have significant taste and aroma, just makes me dizzy and then makes me thinking that the taste and aroma are pleasant; after the smoking the effect vanishes.

---

This tobacco reminds me Dan Tobacco "Green label", but is mutch better balanced. Smoking gives excellent taste and smell and senses doesn't dull after it. Superb!

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	Reviewed By	Date	Rating	Strength	Flavoring	Taste	Room Note
	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-11-04		Medium to Strong	Medium	Mild	Pleasant to Tolerable

This review is based upon one of two 5 gram samples I received from the good folks at Kapp & Peterson of Dublin, Ireland. The other sample is Old Dublin. Breaking the seal on the foil pouch, I instantly whiffed an aroma that smelled like orange pekoe tea. It was already dry and ready for stoking. After a few puffs, I could tell that the nicotine content was fairly strong which was a plus for me. After DGT'ing for awhile, I began earnestly trying to identify the taste of smoke, but could not...floral was the only thing that came to mind. It was not sweet tasting and I did not particularly like the flavor, but that's just me, having grown accustomed to sweet VA blends. It produces plenty of smoke & gets a little sweeter & tastier during the second half. I'm sure there are many who will find it delectable and quite suitable to their palate & Vitamin N requirement. It didn't bite, however, I found it just a wee bit harsh, just a wee bit, mind you. I like this "unique?" blend fairly well and look forward to finishing the sample. Therefore, IMHO, Peterson's Sherlock Holmes merits three *s!

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-09-26		Mild	Mild	Mild to Medium	Pleasant

When I first opened this tin I loved the smell but have had bad experiences with Peterson blends so I was wary. This was no exception and after two bowls of the ‘retched stuff' I hid the tin in the back of my drawer and hoped the Tobacco Gremlins would spirit it away.

They didn't. This was a good thing. I found it laying there about 2 months after I opened it and thought ‘what the heck' opening the tin I found the wonderful smell had greatly dissipated but it still was pleasing, so I lit up another bowl. What a transformation! The now dry tobacco tasted like a high quality tobacco should with a gentle ‘fruitiness' that gives one hints of both fresh and matured citrus. It had become a very pleasant, enjoyable good smoke.

It's not earth shattering, some will find it too mild or a little too sweet, but for me it's become a good reliable change from the usual and I can see, after drying out, why some people can enjoy it as an everyday all day smoke. I suggest trying it yourself but AFTER giving it some time to dry and mellow, you might like it too.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-07-29		Medium	Mild	Medium	Pleasant

This tobacco has orange undertones and a kind of citric flavouring added to it, which has not pleased my senses.It burns a bit hot also and the nicotine contents are a bit too high at least for me. Sherlock Holmes would have to conduct a thorough ivestigation to find out why one would name this tobacco after him.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-05-10		Medium	Very Mild	Medium	Pleasant to Tolerable

Upon opening the tin I was hit with a sickly sweet sour smell that I couldn't describe if I wanted to. I was thinking "Oh Hell No" hoping this wouldn't be like my tasting of the abomination known as Savinelli Aromonia. I decided to do it anyway. I packed the bowl with a genorous helping and hit it with flame....and the flavor from the smoke was NOTHING like the prelight aroma. The flavor was really quit pleasant, with hints of spicy orange and smooth oak. I did get initial tounge bite but it went away after about 5 minutes. This smoked fairly cool and was pleasing enough to be a smoke I would enjoy from time to time.

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	Emeritus Account (30125)	2009-05-03		Medium	Extremely Mild	Medium to Full	Pleasant to Tolerable

Open a new tin of Sherlock Holmes and you are hit by an extremely pleasant smell of fruit and tobacco. There are strong cherry and whisky flavours at first but these soon dissipate to leave a tangy apricot like smell. The tobacco is tightly packed and quite moist, but it dries relatively quickly.

It packs very well and lights well with no tongue bite. You can truly identify the natural taste of the tobacco and there is a subtle sweetness with cherry and fig like undertones. It burns slowly and can be smoked quite strongly without your pipe getting wet, but if it is smoked gently a creamy nuttiness develops mid-bowl and it becomes a very satisfying smoke. I highly recommend this tobacco and I particulary enjoy this as a morning smoke with its medium body and natural flavours that are not overpowering.

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