Tavern Tobacco Co. Summit Hill

This tobacco offers a very mild smoke and absolutely no tongue bite. I wish I could stop right there and say this is a great blend. But to my taste, the chocolate is not very high quality and if puffed too briskly becomes somewhat bitter. The tobacco comes almost drenched and does not really ever dry out. It requires too many relights and would foul anything but a meerschaum. The last complaint that I have is that there isn't nearly enough nicotine to keep me satisfied. Sorry to be the lone decenter, but this one just didn't grab me.

Although I typically smoke Va and Va/Perique flakes, with the hot/humid weather we've been having, I again continued by search for a good aromatic. C & D has done a great job with this blend and it's one of the better aromatics that I've tried. The red VAs, burley and black cavendish are about in equal proportions with a high moisture content that was hard to reduce. This or perhaps my packing technique resulted in multiple relights. However, little condensation occured during the smoke and the flavoring was nicely balanced with the nutty burley taste and consistent throuhout the smoke. Both the room and tin aromas won rave reviews from my family so this is a good choice that balances my needs with others. The white tin liner was stained with remnants of the casing that also contributed to the intense but pleasant tin aroma. I'll probably never be an aromatic convert but this blend will offer a nice change of pace on occasion. It also can be kept for months without humidification and without drying out so it is perfect for my planned use.

Another Fine Representation from Tavern Tobacco!! I, also, as Rob At Home, Have been on a quest for a descent tinned aromatic. I believe I've found one. A sweet combination of burly and red Va, shag cut. The stem to leaf ratio was a bit high, but that may be just the particular tin up for review. The burly lended a nice sweet and nutty flavor to this bland that complimented the VERY restrained chocolate and cherry top dressing added. JUST RIGHT!!

I found this smoked best in a small Meerchaum, or medium to small bent briar. When properly packed, "The NY Pipe Club Method" a charring light was rarely if ever needed, and the bowl smoked almost completely to the bottom without needing a re-light. This blend also helps to build cake like a crazed Italian Baker on Christmas Morning!!!! Being Italian myself, I can say that. So There!!! 8-P. 😎

I must add one note of caution however, puff this with restraint. If pushed too hard, it can bite quite a bit, also, keep a close eye on your pack, very easy to pack too tight, on account of the soft burly leaf. otherwise. sitback, relax, and enjoy a fine dry aromatic that won't leave your pipe with a nasty case of bowl funk.

In my quest for Aromatic Tobaccos That Don't Suck, I've come across precious few that offer an enjoyable experience for both smoker and bystanders. Knoxville Cigar's Tavern Tobacco Company blends yielded a pleasant surprise. Summit Hill definitely does not suck.

Tavern's round tins appear to come from the good folk at Cornell & Diehl. Their square tins and bulk flakes are made by S. Gawith & Co. Considering this blend comes from one of my favorite tobacco houses (they also tin the stellar G.L. Pease blends), I should not have been shocked that this turned out to be a nice smoke.

Summit Hill appears to be comprised of shag-cut red Virginia ribbon, cube-cut burley, and burley Cavendish. A casing of cocoa and cherry has been applied, but with a restrained hand. It's a full aromatic, but it's not sticky, gloppy, and wet. The result is an eminently smokable mixture that is pleasing to the palate and nose.

The burleys provide the base of this blend - nutty and toasty. The chocolate flavoring isn't artificial tasting, and gets along well with the burley base. The Virginia provides a fruity sweetness that accentuates the cherry casing. All in all, it all works well together. The combination of tobaccos provides just enough interest to keep this from being another boring, souped-up bunch of burley.

The room aroma is nice - sweet and fruity without being cloying like many cherry blends. The burn is mostly cool, due to the high proportion of burley tobacco. Because there is a healthy quantity of sugary VA there, it will bite if pushed hard. It is not overly wet, and smokes dryer than many tobaccos of its type.

If you're looking for a tinned aromatic that Doesn't Suck, you could do a lot worse than Summit Hill. I would recommend this to anyone but the most die-hard aromatic haters.