J. F. Germain & Son King Charles Smoking Mixture

The Virginias are grassy with a little earth, a fair amount of citrus and minor fruit notes. They direct the smoking experience, and play well with the other components. The smoky, very woody, Orientals have a moderate spice hit as an ever present second lead. It also offers a slight sourness to contrast the little creamy sweetness it possesses. The smoky, woody sweet Cyprian latakia is a back up player, and while not forceful in any way, it’s evident in every puff. Well balanced with a little complexity, though I notice a very light recession of sweetness in the last quarter. There is no topping. No bite. Being a shag cut, it burns well even though the tobacco is mildly moist out of a freshly opened tin. No dry time is necessary. Has a moderate nic-hit due to the strength of the Orientals. The strength is closer to medium than it is to mild, and the taste just barely hits the medium mark. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl, and requires very few relights. Has a pleasant spicy after taste and a woody room note. Reminds me of a less potent version of Skiff, and is almost an all day smoke for the average smoker in this genre. Experienced smokers may find this is very repeatable during their smoking day, but may find the subtleness of the latakia a little unfulfilling if they like more latakia dominant blends. Three and a half stars out of four.

-JimInks

This is one of those sleepy blends that I guess has a loyal following. It's of Skiff/EMP/Jubilee school - light English, I suppose.

Anyhow there's nothing exciting going on, just terrific marriage of the component tobaccos and the overall flavor profile really resonates with me. Fantastic stuff.

Not strong enough to satisfy a nic-needy smoker.

J.F Germain & Son King Charles Mixture.

The unlit mixture has a leathery smell to it but you can also get the lively note of the Latakia. The mix is of a good selection of colours, being right from a few jet black pieces up to some golden yellow. It's of a superb moistness, takes to the flame amazingly, and once lit you realise just how special it is! The smoke is superb, being of a great smoky prominence with a superb spiciness to give it some backbone. If you decide to inhale with this one it causes no discomfort. This one leaves a perfectly white ash as it burns. The room note is very "classic" and not at all heavy, so it suits smoking if there are some non-smokers in the vicinity!

In all, it's a true pleasure that demands 4 stars.

I tried a sample of this a while back, sadly I remember little of it so I thought I'd treat myself as part of my current Germain's binge. Having tried Germain's 1820 and Special Latakia Flake, I'd hoped I'd be in for a treat.

The aroma upon opening the tin was one of a mild creosote, bringing back those fond memories of helping my dad applying to the wooden fence out back. As for the fine shag, it does clump together a bit, so needs a little care but is otherwise. The first two or three pipefuls were a little rough but then settle down into a nice melange of flavours. The latakia is pleasantly mild but, as the smoke goes on, begins to dance with the orientals and the virginias, providing fond reminders of Squadron Leader and, to a lesser extent, 3 Noggins. If a little care is taken with this, it doesn't burn hot and provides no tonguebite.

A very good, mild latakia blend that sits very nicely between 3 Noggins and Squadron Leader in terms of the lat hit and provides the same complexity in flavours. Another cracking blend from Germain's.

King Charles Mixture has been around for many years... I imagine it is a favorite (judging from the excellent reviews here from those who choose to actually "review" blends), of those who give it three or more stars due to the quality of the Virginia, the delicate application of top-shelf Latakia and the complexity of the smoking experience.

I found that King Charles worked better after considerable drying out (I dry out most of my tobaccos anyway), and will burn evenly all the way to the bottom of the bowl. It is also very cool and did not appear very strong.

If light to medium strength latakia blends with evident Virginia leaf please you, then you may want to give this old classsic a try.

Tin aroma is one of the more intriguing that I have encountered as of late. Rich and full but not overpowering. It was easy to pick out the Virginias and Orientals. The tobacco was in a firm cake, not hard pressed, more of a Krumble Kake. It rubbed out with ease into a mixed cut ribbon. I loaded this into a Larsen Zulu, a pipe I'd used only twice due to some lighting difficulties. The tobacco was a bit damp, but easily overcome and lit very easily (perhaps my priors were user error). The aroma was warm and not the typical "English" smell. Weather was rather dreary and this provided ample reason to contemplate the tobacco. The Virginias showed their brightness and sweetness, the Orientals their spice. The Latakia kept things cool and provided a wonderful smoky background. I've been smoking "English" style tobaccos for over a year now. I'd characterize this as a mild English. The Latakia is noticeable, but doesn't dominate the blend. The Virginias provide a level of sweetness and the interplay of the Orientals is expertly done.

The subtleties of this mixture really came through in a wider billiard or pot. From the charring light the mature Virginias are deep, rich and complex- half way through the bowl it's a creamy creme brûlée and caramelized sugar dance that is just utterly blissful whilst accompanied and supported by the salty but refined orientals and subtle smokey Latakia. There is a wee topping here but it's hard to decipher from the sweetness produced from the high quality Virginias. Smoking this makes me want to take a writing class so that I may better transcribe the vast amount of flavors that are charging and counter-charging my tastebuds.

King Charles is an English on the lighter side of things as the Latakia plays more of a supporting role. The thin ribbons come nearly at the right moisture level for me as I just dried it for a few short minutes. From a color standpoint it reminds me of Early Morning Pipe or Squadron Leader. I struggled to get through the entire tin. If I were looking for a blend that I could just toss in my pipe and forget about, then this might fill the bill, but while it's balanced, I just find it lacking. I hesitate to use the word “boring” but for me it is just that. Unlike Early Morning Pipe, a blend that I would consider to be in the same realm, this just lacks the flavor that EMP offers. In fairness, EMP is topped, but I also think the underlying tobacco's are simply better. KC is OK, but with all of the light to medium English blends on the market today, there are just better choices out there.

One of the absolute finest in a much maligned genre. I see light englishes written off as vapid and weak on this site quite often, and i feel that it really comes down to a labeling issue. I understand the moniker, but it does a disservice to the products. Those looking for english blends are people partial to stiff doses of latakia and bold flavors. So a light version, by its nature, only partially delivers on the promise. And then, unsurprisingly, follow the familiar complaints. Its a vicious cycle. Where these blends find their true patrons are from the crowd that has come to appreciate the flavors of virginia tobacco in its various iterations. Those who can appreciate the less strident flavors offered by our pastime. Because when you can smolder through a bowl of Marlin Flake or old gowrie and be fulfilled, then the well crafted addition of condimental latakia and orientals can be appreciated for what they are. Condiments. Not the beginning and end of the experience. Pirate Kake enthusiasts need not apply. You see, what exclusive smokers of heavy english blends often fail to recognize is that latakia is, by struct definition, an aromatic product. It has been processed in such a way as to augment the natural flavor of the leaf. True, it isnt a saccharine cotton candy casing, but it is a flavoring agent all the same. I can appreciate some latakia heavy blends myself on occasion; i love artisan's blend, engine 99, and magnum opus to name a few. But i can be honest with myself and understand that when i smoke them, i am smoking an aromatic tobacco. I dont throw stones at milder, more natural blends, or consider "light englishes" to be less masculine.

Having gotten that out of my system, allow me to express what commends King Charles. It is composed of the highest quality tobacco, the shag cut is novel and works well with the right pipe. It is genuinely flavorful, and i think the latakia is spot on. Light leather and smoke to complement the base. Ages beautifully. The blend is a little pricey, and somewhat lacking in nocotine to my tastes. But the flavor is just what im looking for when i want a "light english".

This blend is described as “medium” without much flavour. I purchased this hoping for a mild English pipe tobacco. Upon opening the can I was taken aback and disappointed, the smoked fish smell was overwhelming. I was hoping that I wouldn't taste this when lighting it up, however the aftertaste of this tobacco was difficult to stomach and literally made me gag. "Mild" is not one of the words I would use to describe this tobacco, and the unpleasant aromas drowned out this blend. I am used to aromatic tobaccos, so this might just be my uneducated pallate talking. Maybe part of the problem is that I've mainly smoked Brigham blends up until now, which are rich, moist, and have lots of sweet caramel nuances, none of which remind me of snapper or halibut. Some reviewers compared this blend to "Early Morning Pipe", which I have smoked and found to be pleasant. This blend was revolting. Perhaps the tin I purchased had gone rancid. I will not be giving King Charles a second chance - off with his head.