Tinder Box Sherlock's Choice

(2.58)
The correct marriage of Virginia, Latakia, and Turkish tobaccos accounts for the robust flavors of this classic blend. Medium flavored and cool smoking.

Details

Brand Tinder Box
Blended By Lane Limited
Manufactured By  
Blend Type English
Contents Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
Flavoring
Cut Broken Flake
Packaging Bulk
Country United States
Production Currently available

Profile

Strength
Mild to Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
None Detected
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Tolerable
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Medium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming

Average Rating

2.58 / 4
3

17

9

4

Reviews

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 33 Reviews
Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 27, 2012 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Tolerable
The Virginia is grassy and citrus sweet. It forms the base of the blend. The Cyprian latakia is smoky, woody sweet in a support role. The Oriental/Turkish is woody and dry, with a touch of spice in the background. All the components work well together and are not overwhelmed by the latakia. Has a mild nic-hit. Won't bite or get harsh. It burns clean, cool, and dry with a consistent flavor all the way through. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, and requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant after taste. It may not be as complex in taste as some other blends on the market, but it stands well enough on its own as an enjoyable all day smoke for an experienced smoker or one who's trying English blends for the first time. Tastes the same to me now as it did when I first tried it back in the mid-1970s.

-JimInks
8 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
CTS
Nov 02, 2014 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Medium Tolerable
Good, basic blend combination in the light English genre. Latakia hangs in through the bowl, but at times the Oreiental influence pokes through. At times the flavors are muddled, but sipping at these points allows the components to seperate out a bit (oftentimes the case, in general). Solid smoking experience, stays lit on one good light, post char. 3*.
Pipe Used: Italian basket pipe
PurchasedFrom: Tinder Box, Mishawaka, IN
Age When Smoked: Fresh
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 29, 2014 Medium None Detected Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This is one of the ingredients that I call my 'main smoke'. I blend this with another Tinder Box product--Black Cavendish. I find the mildness of the black cav really suits this tobacco. Things I really like about Sherlock's choice is the smoky latakia. It reminds me of smoking a glass of lslay scotch (and the flavors compliment, i assure you). I'm not a big fan of 'extra strong' tobaccos. i don't want spinning rooms after puffing a bowl. So for me, this is a nice all-day smoke for any weather and occasion. I've smoked it for years with the Black Cav mix. i hope you enjoy it as well!
Pipe Used: Peterson Sherlock Holmes
PurchasedFrom: Tinder Box
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 18, 2019 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
This blend is pretty easily summed up: balanced and creamy. All of the components can be tasted - the Virginias offering the grass and base for the blend, the Latakia offering a subtle smokiness that sits pleasantly in the back seat, and the Orientals, which offer some sour, woody notes. They all blend together in such a way that offers a smooth, creamy, and balanced smoke with a touch of sweetness, which would make this blend perfect for those who wish to try Latakia for the first time, but still want to retain some sweet and mild characteristics. To be frank, there is a topping on this blend - and it is most likely vanilla or a caramelized sweetness - but it doesn't sit on the blend a way it would on an aromatic. It plays a minor, supporting role, and is quite pleasant.

Like others have said - is this going to compete with your Balkan Blues, London Mixtures, and Frog Mortons? Of course not. But this will offer up a solid all-day, creamy English for when you want to just bum around the shop with a pipe in hand, or puff while you are reading a book you can get lost in. You'll find that though this is not on the same playing field as the big hitters, it is a consistently flavored, well-behaved smoke as faithful as an old hound, that you'll want to have in your arsenal for those days when you just don't give a damn.
Pipe Used: Briar
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Aug 30, 2013 Mild to Medium Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Tolerable
When on the road I like to try local shops and so, while a chain, a Tinderbox was on my way. Not bad, not good. A light english blend, Smokes evenly. Latakia and a bit of spicyness throught the whole bowl. I found in this, and another Tinderbox blend, a few more stems than I am used to among the leaves, otherwise no complaints. I would not go out of my to buy it, but I will happily smoke it till gone. It is great for breaking in some Latakia dedicated pipes I have been meaning to smoke. If you have a choice of Tinderbox or OTC, go Tinderbox.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 28, 2009 Mild Extremely Mild Mild to Medium Pleasant to Tolerable
Comparing this to blends like Squadron Leader, Penzance, Dunhill 965 etc is doing this fine blend a disservice. The truth is that it does not try to be like those other mixtures. It wasn't blended to replace Balkan Sobranie or Red Rapparee or London Mixture (to pick blends that are more contemporary to this one); it was blended to fill a specific niche - that of a very mild English made for aromatic smokers who wanted to try something different. This was developed to be as much like Penzance as the Tinder Box's cherry blend is to Gawiths Sweet Cherry Twist tobacco. One blend uses cherry as its overall presentation and one just wants a slight sweetener.

My only comparison product is McClellands Frogmorton On The Town. Not because they taste alike - not at all! But they both possess a light latakia leaf with a somewhat creamy blend flavor... something that smokes easily and is mild. This has less overall flavor than FOTT, and I think less latakia flavor was the whole point when Lane blended it originally. It's a soft, round, piquant taste rather than a balkan powerhouse. Complex? No way! Flavor development down the bowl? Nope. Destined for the Tobacco Hall of Fame? Nuh-uh. But if you want a taste of latakia in a smooth blend rather than to have the latakia rule, try this one.

And if you want to move up the flavor chain from here, two words: Squadron Leader.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Mar 03, 2006 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
As previous reviewers have noted the is, "a good all-day smoke". I find this somewhat ironic because I've never been fond of Lane Tobaccos...much less those that are sold to chain tobacco shops. I do like Tinder Box's Special Blend occasionally as well and may review that later.

This bulk blend is not as "round", soft, and striking as many other English type blends available but there is something about this blend that offers some intrique... not quite sure what it is though. A subtle taste and aroma of very light chocolate mingled with a smokey wood stove smell and a rather nice flavor that stays with you through the entire bowl.

Not a blend I would stick with regularly but certainly one I will continue to buy and smoke as a break from my usual Virginia Plugs and Flakes. Nor will it replace the Balkan Flakes I enjoy. An interesting smoke and one that I would recommend without any reservation.

I smoked the majority of this blend in a 1968 dunhill, group 4, tapered stem, rusticated bulldog.

Of note... I never found anything resembling broken flake in this blend... only thin ribbons of the tobaccos present.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Apr 14, 2015 Mild to Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
This tobacco isn't that great. I find it to be a bit too acrid and bitter and I really don't like bitter things. A little rough around the edges. Not super complex.
Pipe Used: Paronelli 53 Briarwood
PurchasedFrom: Tinderbox
Age When Smoked: Fresh
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Jan 29, 2014 Mild Extra Strong Overwhelming Tolerable
Purchased an ounce to sample from the Tinder Box in Collierville,Tn. As soon as I lit I was immediately overwhelmed with a strong chemical flavor with a matching aroma. There was obviously some sort of contamination possibly from a cleaning chemical or air freshener. Odd seeing as I have never experienced that from any of their other tobaccos.
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Reviewed By Date Rating Strength Flavoring Taste Room Note
Oct 26, 2012 Medium None Detected Medium to Full Tolerable
When I first started smoking this tobacco was my adventure into english blends. At the time I thought this tobacco was great. Now that I've been smoking high quality english blends like C&D Star of the East and others, Sherlocks is mediocre. Wheres the Latakia? Its not horrible just that I've been spoiled. I guess its a good mild transition blend to stronger english blends. I just think for the money you can get some better bulk blends.
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