So I am still quite a novice pipe smoker. I will not do the disservice to you all and call this a review since I don't think I'm at a level yet where I should be reviewing anything so we can just call this a discussion.
I've learned in the last couple years that I prefer non-aromatic blends. This makes sense I guess since I do not like flavors in my coffee and sugary things like soda don't do much for me. A good strong cup of coffee with a bit of cream, a good pale ale or English Breakfast tea are my drink preferences.
Last year on a whim I purchased a tin of Presbyterian Mixture that was sitting on my tobacco shop's shelf. I guess the tin art and the history behind the blend intrigued me. I really like Squadron Leader and a lot of people made comparisons with Presbyterian Mixture so I thought I'd give it a go.
I've been trying to break in a Peterson Premier Sandblast 314 system pipe I ordered Jan 2013 from Cup O'Joes. I didn't receive it until March 2014 (I guess Peterson doesn't make these often). It's a beautiful pipe and the first brand new pipe I purchased. It doesn't seem forgiving if I smoke too fast and will gurgle sooner and more frequently than my other pipes. Go slow and it seems to do just fine (I am a novice remember?).
It appears the newly purchased Presbyterian Mixture is made in Germany. As such the note inside the tin is in German. The tobacco underneath was quite moist. I took some out and let it dry for about twenty minutes.
I packed the bowl and gave it a charring light. My initial impression was that it is a very mild, almost flavorless blend. I could taste Virginia tobacco (which I now recognize). Upon lighting the bowl and smoking for a bit I held the same impression: a very mild tobacco. I will only smoke one pipe bowl a day and until I got about halfway down the bowl I was regretting even picking this tobacco. It just did not seem interesting.
When I got a little more than halfway down I started feeling the effects of the nicotine. I also got a bit of a gurgle going on in my pipe. I stuck a pipe cleaner in for about 30 seconds waited a second and took a sip of water. I then lighted again. Suddenly the pipe had a bit more flavor and was a tad more interesting. I kept smoking until I began to get a tad queasy and then let the pipe go out. When I emptied the pipe it appeared that I had smoked it almost all the way down anyway.
So my novice opinion? Not bad, but not great. I certainly prefer Squadron Leader, but it certainly isn't bad. It is a very "light" smoke and I found it to be uninteresting. Perhaps my palate and appreciations will change over time and I'll try it again later.
I've learned in the last couple years that I prefer non-aromatic blends. This makes sense I guess since I do not like flavors in my coffee and sugary things like soda don't do much for me. A good strong cup of coffee with a bit of cream, a good pale ale or English Breakfast tea are my drink preferences.
Last year on a whim I purchased a tin of Presbyterian Mixture that was sitting on my tobacco shop's shelf. I guess the tin art and the history behind the blend intrigued me. I really like Squadron Leader and a lot of people made comparisons with Presbyterian Mixture so I thought I'd give it a go.
I've been trying to break in a Peterson Premier Sandblast 314 system pipe I ordered Jan 2013 from Cup O'Joes. I didn't receive it until March 2014 (I guess Peterson doesn't make these often). It's a beautiful pipe and the first brand new pipe I purchased. It doesn't seem forgiving if I smoke too fast and will gurgle sooner and more frequently than my other pipes. Go slow and it seems to do just fine (I am a novice remember?).
It appears the newly purchased Presbyterian Mixture is made in Germany. As such the note inside the tin is in German. The tobacco underneath was quite moist. I took some out and let it dry for about twenty minutes.
I packed the bowl and gave it a charring light. My initial impression was that it is a very mild, almost flavorless blend. I could taste Virginia tobacco (which I now recognize). Upon lighting the bowl and smoking for a bit I held the same impression: a very mild tobacco. I will only smoke one pipe bowl a day and until I got about halfway down the bowl I was regretting even picking this tobacco. It just did not seem interesting.
When I got a little more than halfway down I started feeling the effects of the nicotine. I also got a bit of a gurgle going on in my pipe. I stuck a pipe cleaner in for about 30 seconds waited a second and took a sip of water. I then lighted again. Suddenly the pipe had a bit more flavor and was a tad more interesting. I kept smoking until I began to get a tad queasy and then let the pipe go out. When I emptied the pipe it appeared that I had smoked it almost all the way down anyway.
So my novice opinion? Not bad, but not great. I certainly prefer Squadron Leader, but it certainly isn't bad. It is a very "light" smoke and I found it to be uninteresting. Perhaps my palate and appreciations will change over time and I'll try it again later.
