oldmansmokingpipe
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 25, 2016
- Messages
- 197
- Reaction score
- 0
New Bengal Slices
Where to begin… Well, I know this tobacco intimately - yes the original version from mid to late 70's. I smoked literally a truckload and no exaggeration. My other daily smoke - and that was truckloads - was the original Balkan Sobranie 759 Black label. That was all I smoked from the 60's onward. Everyone claims that Fusilier's Ration is close and Lancer's Slices is close and even another weird one I forgot blended by a guy in Boston I believe it was ---that one sucked - tainted my good briar with some foo-foo 65 yr. old old lady floral perfume. Disgusting. The fusilier's first batch was an attempt - and fresh and moist unlike the dried out stuff that came out later. still far from the mark - the cavendish didn't belong there. Lancer's that was off mark too. The new Bengal Slices I have to say was the closest thing yet but still needs work to get closer to the real deal. No offense to Russ - he did a spectacular job; but the cavendish again pops up - and the tobacco is dry - needed some moistness for my likes. Not sure why so dry - drying tobacco out removes the volatile oils which make the taste and aroma and the total package. The aroma is getting more close to the real Bengal, but still too floral and not incensey which was the magical quality of Bengal. The deep dark sensuous smell and aroma and taste of that mystical Latakia is missing. There is a medium high note in the New Bengal that is bitey to me and burns my mouth and is out of character along with the cavendish in comparison to the original Bengal. Again why cavendish in this????? Beats me - though I remember Russ telling me why re: fuislier's. Another well-known tobacco master told me the original Bengal was Original Balkan Sobranie White Label with a topping pressed and that was it. He actually told me the name of the topping which I no longer remember. No use to me. So - no cavendish. Those are some weak points to me; however, I have to say this is the closest thing I have ever had to the original. Kudos to Russ!!! In the ballpark - just has to tune it up. He did more than I could ever have attempted so I shouldn't be so critical; but when that was a passion of mine daily for so many years - I miss it so damn much. I would rate this easily 4.5 out of 5 stars. The tin note is interesting as is the room note; but the depth of the latakia is missing and that incense scent is just not quite there. People talk of floral and 'soapy'. Damn???? Maybe on Mars. The real Bengal was incense plain and clear.
This is definitely a very interesting tobacco and as stated earlier - the 'closest thing' you will find to the original. Nice work Russ!
Oh - I went through 1 1/4 tins of it and smoked it in 2 nice Meers. Had it with water, Porter, Pale Ale, good coffees, and Burgundian wine - and smoked it from very early A.M. to later at night.
Despite my love of bengal i do not like flavorings and aromatics. I have been a die-hard Gaslight dude since it first came out and probably went through 15 lbs of it already
Where to begin… Well, I know this tobacco intimately - yes the original version from mid to late 70's. I smoked literally a truckload and no exaggeration. My other daily smoke - and that was truckloads - was the original Balkan Sobranie 759 Black label. That was all I smoked from the 60's onward. Everyone claims that Fusilier's Ration is close and Lancer's Slices is close and even another weird one I forgot blended by a guy in Boston I believe it was ---that one sucked - tainted my good briar with some foo-foo 65 yr. old old lady floral perfume. Disgusting. The fusilier's first batch was an attempt - and fresh and moist unlike the dried out stuff that came out later. still far from the mark - the cavendish didn't belong there. Lancer's that was off mark too. The new Bengal Slices I have to say was the closest thing yet but still needs work to get closer to the real deal. No offense to Russ - he did a spectacular job; but the cavendish again pops up - and the tobacco is dry - needed some moistness for my likes. Not sure why so dry - drying tobacco out removes the volatile oils which make the taste and aroma and the total package. The aroma is getting more close to the real Bengal, but still too floral and not incensey which was the magical quality of Bengal. The deep dark sensuous smell and aroma and taste of that mystical Latakia is missing. There is a medium high note in the New Bengal that is bitey to me and burns my mouth and is out of character along with the cavendish in comparison to the original Bengal. Again why cavendish in this????? Beats me - though I remember Russ telling me why re: fuislier's. Another well-known tobacco master told me the original Bengal was Original Balkan Sobranie White Label with a topping pressed and that was it. He actually told me the name of the topping which I no longer remember. No use to me. So - no cavendish. Those are some weak points to me; however, I have to say this is the closest thing I have ever had to the original. Kudos to Russ!!! In the ballpark - just has to tune it up. He did more than I could ever have attempted so I shouldn't be so critical; but when that was a passion of mine daily for so many years - I miss it so damn much. I would rate this easily 4.5 out of 5 stars. The tin note is interesting as is the room note; but the depth of the latakia is missing and that incense scent is just not quite there. People talk of floral and 'soapy'. Damn???? Maybe on Mars. The real Bengal was incense plain and clear.
This is definitely a very interesting tobacco and as stated earlier - the 'closest thing' you will find to the original. Nice work Russ!
Oh - I went through 1 1/4 tins of it and smoked it in 2 nice Meers. Had it with water, Porter, Pale Ale, good coffees, and Burgundian wine - and smoked it from very early A.M. to later at night.
Despite my love of bengal i do not like flavorings and aromatics. I have been a die-hard Gaslight dude since it first came out and probably went through 15 lbs of it already