Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Troost Special Cavendish

Do not be fooled by the dreaded "C" word.

For many pipe smoker the word cavendish brings back nightmares of tobacco that only tastes like hot steam, your tongue feeling like you have held a soldering iron in your mouth, and a swamp in the bottom of your pipe. In fact for a lot of pipe smokers cavendish is where you start your pipe smoking journey, and soon move on to bigger and better things. The truth is cavendish can be a lot more than that sticky fruit parfait flavored black stuff in the large bulk jars in every tobacconist.

The dutch seem to do their cavendish differently. It is not a sticky sweet concoction, but a true respectable tobacco, and man does it have flavor.

I got this originally as a free tobacco, and it soon became one of my favorite blends. This blend is light colored, like a virginia or burley. It comes in a broken flake format, that at times can be a little bit of a pain to pack, but I do believe the small bits of flake really add to the flavor.

I cannot put into words the exact flavor of this tobacco. I can pick of hints of chocolate, and licorice. I can say that this tobacco I really like, and find myself reaching for when I want a flavorful smoke. I even hesitate to call it an aromatic. It does not have any of the burn or bite issues that most aromatics present. It actually burns remarkably well. The favor is a real tobacco flavor, just slightly nuanced by the topping. Even straight VA lovers should give this blend a try.

This tobacco is not mild like other cavendishes. It is rather full flavored and in my humble opinion really shines when paired next to a strong cup of good coffee. The coffee will not over-shine the tobacco and they really work in harmony.

What started as a free sample for me has quickly become a go to blend, and I have begun the process of stockpiling this little gem. Do not let the words cavendish scare you, and do not let the fact that it comes in a pouch drive you away. This is different stuff and really very good. Highly recommended and a true favorite.

Troost Special… A (50g) pouch tobacco, containing coarsely rubbed out medium brown flakes. Some may consider this stuff a drug store blend, not so in my area, I had to get mine using the internet, and is my first Troost product of any kind. But as I always enjoyed Cavendish blends, and this one was on my must try list for some time. I'm glad I made the afford.

Pouch moisture was about perfect for most, but I prefer my delicate flavored flake blends dried "almost" brittle, I feel this helps eliminate some of the annoying steam early in the smoke, this may sound a bit zany, but it works for me. After an easy pack and light up, followed by several full draws, I found its taste reminds me of Sail Yellow in many ways, with Troost being a bit stronger (not in Nicotine which seems mild) but in taste, and with a noticeable but mild Perique like pepper presents, a nice surprise, you might even say it' a tad “special”. So… if a slightly aromatic and a somewhat peppery Danish Cavendish sound good to you, this is for you. For what it is. 3 stars. My personal rating 3/5

I get a mild toasty Burley with hints of cocoa and a sweetness that might be honey. Too light to tell. I get some Virginia citrus that always, for me, gives the smoke a "fresh" feel. Mostly natural tobacco flavors here that taste pretty dang good. Not too complex, but that's exactly what I sometimes want. I think I'll keep some of this around to enjoy on occasion.

Mild to medium in body and flavor. Burns well out of the pouch. but improves with a short drying time.

It has been 47 years since I first tried this blend, back then they included coupons, collect 10 and they sent you a free pipe of your choice (basket quality). I still have a few that I smoke on occasion. Well, on to the review of my recent purchase, basically an upscale drug store blend. It starts with a slight liquorish citrus flavor, some sweetness from the Cavendish and I feel it has got to have some Burley, very mild. Now that Peter Stokkebyes is manufacturing this, it reminds me of a milder Orliks Golden. The next time you're in "Rite Aid" and you ran out of tobacco, try some, it's better than anything else they stock.

Oh, and if I remember correctly from 47 years ago, Troost Aro tastes and smells like cookie dough.

updated 12/1/12-I've had a sealed pouch of this in the cellar for over a year and just decided to smoke it, what a pleasent surprise.The light topping of liquorish citrus flavor is gone and all that's left is the natural smooth Virgina tobacco ( no Burley flavor). It is naturally sweet, an easy burning broken flake without any bite. I now remember why I used to smoke this. Bumped to 3 stars

I was always a fan of the pipey aroma of Flying Dutchman. However, it took a while for me to master the art of smoking FD since, at first, my tongue couldn't take the heat ! I like the way most Dutch cavendish blends smell and taste, and I've found that evident in Troost Special Cavendish; plus, it's readily more available than FD these days.

I buy it by the 5 pouch pack and generally add them to a glass tobacco jar. I keep the top off for a day since it has a tendency to smoke hot if too moist. Some have stated it is "dry" in the pouch already, but don't be fooled by this. There's enough moisture in the leaf to burn your tongue if smoked too quickly. I have no issues with moisture in my pipe, and the blend burns down fully to a fine gray ash. Upon lighting you are greeted with a subtle top flavor of chocolate. As you smoke it, there is a nice licorice (not anise, but straight licorice) taste as well. This combo of licorice/chocolate remains in the background of what is an exquisite combination of tobacco flavors consisting of Virginia and Burley, and very buttery I might add. In spite of the background flavors, this is no aromatic in the traditional sense, so purists shouldn't be disappointed. The room note has what I call that "pipey" smell, and I'll put my pipe down to leave the room - so that I can re-enter to that wonderful aroma. This effect is great for when I smoke in the car! The taste has a subtle hint of sweetness which I like - not overbearing at all. There is some good quality Kentucky Burley as there is a spicy note while smoking. It truly is a delicious smoke for me. The only difference I have found between Troost Special Cavendish and Troost Aromatic Cavendish is that the Aromatic version has a nice butterscotch flavor in addition, making for a solid smoke for those who prefer more of an aromatic experience. However, I prefer the Special over the aromatic as it is fuller-bodied and the Burley and Virginia stands out more.

Troost Special Cavendish is a solid 5 star blend and in my top 5 favorites - always a must have for me.

UPDATE 1-22-10: With regard to some of the more recent reviews of Troost Special Cavendish, I wonder if the comments are based on the same tobacco that I reviewed. I know taste is a highly subjective matter, but for me, Special is very tasty in the tobacco department with the licorice/chocolate in the background in a non-interfering way. Personally, I can chug on this like a freight train without the slightest tongue annoyance. Yes, it will heat up your pipe this way, but that heat never translated to my tongue or palate. One reviewer compared this to Sail Yellow. I can see the comparison, however, Sail Yellow always smoked hot for me and would bite if provoked - each and every time - so sipping was required. The way things are today with tobacco availability, Special is one tobacco I always have an abundance of. I would be very upset if I could no longer obtain it, or if it was discontinued. I have found Dutch tobacco blends the most difficult to tame for comfortable smoking, but when you do master them, they are a delight. However, I have found Troost to be "Special" in more than name only. My first encounter with Troost Special Cavendish goes back 30 years, and it was like meeting an old friend. There was never any adjustment period. Lucky for me, I guess!

UPDATE 9-18-11: I won several packs of Troost Special from the 1970s in a recent Ebay auction. Definitely the Troost Special I remember from my early days of smoking. Although I enjoy the new stuff (Peter Stokkebye), the original from the original blender is/was far superior. Smoked alone it is simply superb. One pack added to at least 3 of the new incarnation mellows the smoke very nicely. My jar smells like a walk through a beautiful barn - hay-like and wonderful. A simple smoke, with old-world flavor and aroma. If you like a simple, unadulterated offering that delivers pure tobacco goodness...look no further!

I was gifted a pouch by a friend that raved about the 5 dollar tobacco. There was a little more than 3/4 of this pouch when I received it and it's down to about a bowl's worth.

Opening this pouch, you'll see a mixture of broken flakes in a medium brown hue with specks of Khaki. They say black cavendish but I don't see that as the dominating leaf in this blend. Scent of the tobacco smells very natural, with a hint of sweetened nuts and honey. It just a little bit too moist out of the pouch (at least for my liking) and can use 5-10 minutes of drying time.

This tobacco packs very easily and burns just as well. My favorite way to pack this is find the bits of intact flake, round them up and pack them like you would a flake. Then take the little specks of tobacco and use it as kindling on the top.

Now, I can see where some people say this tobacco bites. I can only assume it's due to the flavoring that has been added. But puff it slowly and you can coax some wonderful sweet VA profiles along with some honey and even some lemony zests. It even reminds me a little of Amphora Full Aroma with a bit more burley profile coming through. Once in a while a cocoa/chocolate flavor comes across, probably the Burley.

I love using this tobacco to break in new pipes as it doesn't ghost and helps build a nice carbon cake. At 5 dollars for the pouch, there isn't much not to like about this tobacco. I could even consider giving it 4 stars considering the price tag, but all it in all a solid three.

I like my tobaccos to be non-biting, mild, easy to pack and light and not full of artificial flavors. While I am on record for liking my Captain Black's, I find that as I mature as a pipe smoker, I like to smoke my Captain's more on an occasional basis in lieu of the Dutch blends.

Troost Special Cavendish is another Troost brand that I really enjoy. It's been nearly 25 years since I smoked this blend, but thanks to a friend who brought back a pouch from Holland for me, I have been able to re-kindle many fond memories associated with this blend.

This is not a moist tobacco and once the pouch is opened it dries even more very quickly and if you don't keep it moist it will burn to nothing in minutes. The aroma in the pouch is slightly licorice which is absent in the room note but delicately reappears in the mouth as an aftertaste.

Lights easily, burns to the end, doesn't bite and has a mild ever so slightly sweet taste and aroma. Smoke is slightly on the dry side but very mellow.......yes that's the word to sum it up.....Mellow. Very little after-taste left in the mouth.

A very nice all-day smoke.

I give it a Highly Recommended!

Though it is now being produced somewhere in Scandinavia, this tobacco is all Dutch in structure, composition, and flavour. It’s a different type of Cavendish processing from the typical Danish or American Cavendish heavily cased aromatics. If anything this tobacco today is closer to the old Amphora original (or regular, brown pouch blend) than the new Amphora version itself (produced by the Danish MacBaren).

It was Eulenburg who pointed out the difference between spraying a tobacco, and casing it. This one is sprayed with a very delicate, almost imperceptible dark cocoa aroma. But unlike the cased aromatics, it retains most of its tobacco taste. I can certainly feel and taste the Burley and Kentucky nuances alongside the matured Virginia. Thus, it is a mild aromatic, with plenty of tobacco taste, which burns slowly and easily.

Warning: it is very mild so if you draw too hard trying to “get” the delicate flavour underneath, you may get tongue bite. But if smoked slowly, gently, it is a very rewarding tobacco. A very nice blend in the Dutch tradition: elegant, unpretentious, yet satisfying. Recommended for beginners and well established smokers who wish a change of pace.

Besides, the artwork always makes me smile.

Troost Special Cavendish appears to be produced from a rubbed out flake. It's a sort of reddish gold color and is really quite attractive right out of the pouch. Its appearance, coupled with a mild and elusive aroma made me want to like it. It's tough to describe the smell of this blend, but it seems to be the result of a tug-of-war between some grassy tobacco scents and something lightly fruity. On occasion, I find light cocoa notes, too, but whatever it is that makes this stuff “Special” has been applied with a very light hand.

Reviewers here are almost unanimous in describing this as bland, unexciting. I confess that I developed pretty much the same impression from the first few bowls I smoked. But I also thought it smoked very nicely. So as an experiment, I decided to spend an entire weekend with Troost.

I came away from my little experiment believing that the real trouble with this is that it is so easily overwhelmed by most other tobaccos. People who frequent sites like this probably smoke a variety of blends on a regular basis, some mild, some intense. This is so mild that I think for it to come into its own, it needs great attention, complete fidelity. It's like a mousy date at a Clash concert. In order to hear her, you've gotta shout, “WILL THE REST OF YOU PLEASE SHUT THE HELL UP!” You lean in close. You think there's something there, something worth committing to, and so you shelve those other lovers and marry her. One day a memory of a distant experience pops into your head and even though you can't remember the details, the intensity remains. You realize you've lost something. And so you cheat one day with a bowl of Escudo or Grousmere or, heaven forbid, Old Joe Krantz. It will be weeks before the Special Cavendish-ing provided by your little Troost will allow you to stop pining for that intense experience the event of infidelity provided. And so you run off into the Wilderness and lay down beside the 3 Oaks with each of the Three Nuns. One right after another. And you know them while Old Joe Krantz sits nearby taking notes. The relationship you have with simple, mousy Troost begins to unravel. You realize it was never more than boredom's own braid. Recommended, but only for faithful types who vow not to stray with other tobaccos.

Upon breaking the seal of the pouch and sticking my nose straight in naturally inhaling deep I was instantly transported back through time. I am walking through an old lumber mill, I'm maybe ten or eleven and Dad is holding my hand. I smell freshly milled logs,Red Rose tea steeping in a tin pot on a hot plate, and a seducingly sweet and pungent aroma coming from white dancing smoke of the millers pipe. In one breast pocket of his coveralls I see a plastic case holding pens and pencils and in his other pocket I see an orange and red pouch with the name Troost written near the top of the exposed end. This is an old school classic tobacco, once popular and available everywhere, enjoyed by many I am sure. Its smoke tastes the same as its pouch aroma. A true classic that I will not be without! It is not my favorite but it is the only tobacco I have smoked thus far that takes me back to those Saturday mornings in the mid 60's when I got to have my Dad all to my self, shopping for lumber, returning beer bottles for pocket change, or sitting on a wooden bench watching the train slowly steam through the middle of town. Nostalgic bliss!!