Milan Tobacconists Rovada

The Cyprian latakia is a minor player, and offers just a little wood and smoky quality. The perique is also a minor addition, offering a minimal spice hit. Can't say I notice the toasted cavendish that much, but I know it's there. The five different Virginias are grassy, cirtusy sweet, with a touch of earth. Not a complex smoke by any means, but it is a pleasant all day English that is sweeter than the announced description. Has a mild nic-hit, and won't bite. Burns clean, cool at a moderate pace with a fairly consistent flavor. Leaves little moisture in the bowl, needs very few relights. Has a nice after taste, and can be an all day smoke.

-JimInks

This blender obviously knows what he's doing. His blends are better than decent, and some of them are notable.

Rovada is a nice bouquet of flavors that pop in and out throught the bowl. The tobacco burns nicely and to the bottom. There is a Latakia flavor that is not intrusive, but marries nicely with the VA/Cavandish. The Perique mingles a bit of spice to the overall main course, as does the latakia. I am not a big Latakia fan, but enjoy it when it is used as sparingly as a condiment, lightly sprinkled to add an additional nuance to the dish.

Overall this is one of Milan's better blends, in my opinion. The batch I am smoking now is aged 2 years, so the Latakia is tuned down even further from when I first sealed it in jars. It is delicious.

Regarding the "absence of sweetness", I believe the description refers to what was added to the mix when it was blended. There is a slight sweetness detected, but it is from the 5 Va's, which are the main course in this blend and are of good quality.



Smoking out of an old Astly 3/4 bent, but have enjoyed this blend out of several pipes including DH and Upshall.

Like most of the Milan blends, Rovada is silky smooth. The moisture content in the bag is drier than most tinned blends so it is good to go right away. It lights easily and requires few relights throughout the bowl.

It is described as a "Medium English with no trace of sweetness" yet I found Rovada to be quite sweet in flavor. The initial light is Latakia then the sweetness of the blend starts to grow. Rovada has a nice smokiness from the Latakia and some complexity from the five Virginias they employ to create this blend.

Midway through the bowl I have noticed that Rovada can emit a strong perfumed flavor as if one was smoking tobacco sprayed with Chanel No. 5. This has only happened in a few pipes so the exact cause remains a mystery to me.

Rovada burns rather fast and the bowl always seems to end too soon. It never gets wet or bitter and the room note is pleasant enough for even most non-smokers to enjoy. I smoke this blend regularly and have recommended it to many.

I like what jimlnks had to say about this tobacco and agree with him about the affect of the Cyprian Latakia, the slight contribution of the Perique and about it being an "all-day smoke. I often get ash-mouth or alkaloid mouth if my blend contains too much Latakia but this did not happen with Rovada. I also noted a slight unusual but pleasant flavor that I attributed to the toasted cavendish. The blend was extremely mild and smokable, in tribute to the 2005 vintage of the few ounces I had. I had stored it in a mason jar and it was perfectly ready to smoke when I opened it last week.

Pleased to go first on this one. As a gift from a friend and fellow pipe smoker I must say that it has been a rather nice gift at that. The word medium does come to mind often when smoking it. It's not a latakia bomb but there's definitely a hint of latakia in here. Just the right amount I'd say if you aren't in the mood to be overwhelmed by the stuff. I don't really detect much of the cavendish flavor but would not quibble about it's presence. It's in there, just in small quantity. I'd also say the same about the Perique. Just enough to add a little spice. The virginias are the predominant presence but are well-balanced by the other components. All in all I'd say it's a pretty decent smoke. I'd certainly buy more if ever in the Milan shop.