Reiner Yellow Star Blend

I bought a tin of this brand based upon the reviews I read here. Although I have smoked aromatic tobaccos MANY times, this is not one of the best...it was just OK. Actually, I'm surprised that I didn't enjoy it more. I enjoy Black Cavendish, VAs, Rum, and Vanilla. I did smoke two bowlfulls in two seperate pipes during this past week. And all I could say was "is that all there is?". Ho-hum. P.S. I can't believe some of the prices quoted here. Where are these smokers located, Outer Mongolia? I paid ten dollars and change for a 50g tin!

I seldom like aromatics. This is pricey, and just plain wanted one for the holidays. It is absolutely an aromatic with little tobacco naturally presenting itself. I still recommend it as It has no strange 'wangs'. Often I find aromatics do not taste like they smell, or taste like what they are. This is no doubt vanilla rum. For people wanting an aromatic, and some tobacco flavor, try Reiner green label (rum/raisin). Reiner is also nice for not frying your mouth, unlike most! to expensive.

Firstly presentation. The "don't-use-if-open" sticker along the tin seal was a first for me. The inner paper disc (that rests on the product) was turned yellow from topping and had so many bits to pick off, I was reminded of bugs on flypaper. The initial tin aroma leaned more on the Rum, giving off a sour musty flavor that overshadowed any Vanilla. Certainly nothing ultra sweet here, yet inviting on some level. The ready rub was mostly ribbon cut, but had a good moisture and sturdiness for immediate packing.

The first few puffs were promising. This was an aromatic that maintained presence once lit without relying on a bottle of cologne dumped over wet Cavendish - quality I expect from a good European maker. I can't say it was the sort of Rum I would drink, but it held my interest. I was getting some dittle in the bowl and had some relights, but maybe abilities were slacking that day.

Over the week, the aroma kept swinging between a tangy perfume and a much cheaper vanilla, suffice to say things started going downhill.

If you prefer a liquor Aromatic, you may want to try this. I don't feel I correctly assessed it, so you need to judge it yourself.

Reiner - Yellow Star Blend.

The aroma from this is very full of vanilla, the rum is a lot harder to get. As the mixture is of a good hydration it can be smoked straight from the tin. Mine lights with ease and then I find the flavour exactly what the aroma had lead me to expect.

Again, I find the vanilla is much easier to identify than the rum, there is only really a subtle sharpness from the rum addition. As the topping is fairly heavy it masks the idiosyncratic features of the tobaccos. It burns good, once lit it doesn't need too much attention. I must admit that I find the nicotine barely recognizable, nicotine folks will be gutted! I don't get tongue bite but on the negative side I do find the smoke to be quite warm, if really drawn with force it becomes uncomfortable. To finish on a good note I enjoy the room note, albeit it's moderately full! I'm sure many people will love this but it doesn't concur with my tastes....

Two stars.

I agree with most of the above reviews. Except there was no tongue bite for myself. The taste and smell of this blend is outstanding. Don't know why it took me so long to Try this blend. I do not think this is still in production. I have not seen any for sale for a very long time. Peace.

Smells so amazing I want to eat it, smoke smells good tastes nice.

This tobacco made up my mind, cavendish is not for me. Far too weak in nicotine, otherwise pleasant. Quality leaf, doesn't smoke wet, tastes pretty good, a little sweet. Would probably go well sprinkled on your breakfast cereal.

Not for me.

This stuff smells good enough to eat out of the tin. It is extremely mild and well behaved. Obviously quality leaf was used in the blend. The casing and/or topping doesn't taste artificial or chemical. If it weren't for the tin aroma I wouldn't consider this blend an aromatic because the rum and vanilla flavor is so subtle as to almost be non-existant. I would think non-aro smokers would enjoy it. I was torn about whether to rate it at 2 or 3 stars. It is good but there are several blends available that are slightly better and I'm not sure it will have a place in my permanent rotation.

A bright Virginia blended with ribbon brown and black Cavendish with the hint of a cased Rum and Vanilla aroma.

The gentle taste of the tobacco and the mild aroma of the Rum and Vanilla makes for an excellent smoke.

There is no tongue bite and the taste is mild. This is a great tobacco for the pipe smoker with an aromatic tobacco taste.

Big, sweet and lush casing flavor!

Forget about much tobacco taste, this is a delicious dessert that burns relatively cool with no bite. Smells great too!

This is an aromatic lover's dream.

The only downside to this weed is its ridiculously high price. To my knowledge, this is not available in bulk. The best quantity price from my supplier puts this at over $70 U.S. per pound. For Heaven's sake, this is pipe tobacco, not .999 silver bars!

Never-the-less, I'll continue to buy this from time to time for special occasions.

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UPDATE 3/20/11:

Sadly, a recently purchased tin has shown a deterioration in quality. The big, bright, bold flavorings have been watered down. Taking this down a star and maybe more if the next tin is like this.

Aromatic fans who enjoy Vanilla and Rum (I had trouble tasting the Rum) will appreciate this blend. It is very light and frankly, not real tobacco tasting to me. Still, the aromatic crowd should love this quality offering because it is sweet, does not bite and stays lit easily.