Iwan Ries Proper English

As per its name, this is a full-bodied & straightforward English in the tradition of Samuel Gawith's Commonwealth. Apparently some or all of IRC's private label blends are made by Peter Stokkebye & can be acquired in bulk from Pipes & Cigars.com. at a lower price than what IRC is charging. So as other reviewers have mentioned, IRC's Proper English should be identical to Stokkebye's blend of the same name. I prefer full-bodied English blends & this blend fits the bill very well. Since I have tended in the past to prefer said English mixtures also contain perique my taking to Proper English may mean my tastes are headed in another direction. Proper English doesn't contain perique as its a blend of Virginias, Orientals & a heavy dose of Latakia. The smoky richness of the Latakia plays off the sweetness of the Virginias & Orientals surprisingly well for a reasonably priced bulk blend. Since this tobacco is good enough to be a primary/every day blend it earns 4 stars.

I love this English Tobacco. It is a perfect strength. Excellent flavor. Smokes easily meaning easy to keep lit. Highly recommended. Family likes the room note.

This is a solid, no-frills straightforward English. The pouch aroma is unusually strong, but the flavor seems fairly typical. Spicy, with some leathery notes. Fine all around.

This is Count Pulaski Lite. Actually not bad. one of Stokebeye's better products

Another IRC blend to round out their offerings I believe their description says it best "A distinctive English mixture of Old Belt Virginias and Orientals with a heady swirl of Latakia. Full strength, though lighter than Balkan Supreme." In other words, Balkan Supreme Light. Recommended for those who like Latakia. I like both blends and never hesitate to smoke them when I have a supply around me.

The IRC Proper English is one of those stronger Latakia laden blends that are fairly common. It is sometimes hard for me to find blends of this type that stand out as best of the best types and this held up with Proper English. It is one of those tobaccos that offers a heady dose of Latakia with the condiment leaf being the Virginia and light Orientals that did not add or detract from the overall presentation.

Pipestud

I picked this up at the local Tinder Box, and was understandibly cautious as to its quality; mall vendors cater to the masses, not the discerning palate. However, I was pleasantly suprised by this one. The latakia taste is complimented nicely by the sweetness of the Virginias. It's flavorful and exciting. It's good all by itself. When blended 1:1 with Latakia, it's excellent. Give this one a shot; see what you think. I'm pretty pleased with the quality of this one and plan to keep it in the rotation. Three plus stars.

This blend may well be the private label version of Stokkebye's product of the same name. While I am certainly no expert, the characteristics of this blend are virtually identical to the Stokkebye blend, IMHO. A very good, enjoyable English blend for those who like their Latakia 'tamed' by flavorful Orientals. Read the reviews under the Stokkebye incarnation.