Benjamin Hartwell Signature Blend

Being new to flakes I'll try to do this justice. Upon opening the tin it has a wonderful tangy, citrus and pepper smell. This is a straight forward honest virginia. It's mild, sweeter and cooler than other virginias I've tried. Some will say this is one dimensional but that's exactly why I like it. This is cool with no tongue bite and won't make the room spin, my all day virginia blend. You don't have to search or concentrate to find the flavor it delivers without a fight. It rubs out, packs and lights easily burns down to a white ash very nice. Leaves the palate and pipe clean ready for another bowl. Try this if you like straight virginia.

This tobacco gets a solid "meh" from me. Its not great, its not bad, but with a whole slew of really exciting pipe tobacco out there life is too short to smoke "meh" tobaccos.

First let me tip my hats to the publicity department on this one. The tin looks fantastic and that nice little story about this made up Hartwell character is both intriguing and transcending back to simpler times.

The tobacco instantly has the McC ketchup type smell to it. The blend comes in a broken type flake that rubs out very nicely. Moisture level is spot on and it burns well.

All this blend needs is a little taste and it would be a real winner. Just chugging steam for me.

A pretty good straight Virginia. A little more sour than sweet with a nice interplay between the two. Some citrus and darker fruit. Some earth in the second half. A nice little spice hit. Has just enough complexity to avoid the mono label. About a 2.5 as a stand alone smoke. I'll round up to 3 because it makes a nice blender. Add a little good burley to this and you get a very good VaBur.

Mild to medium in body and taste. No added flavorings. Burns a little warm, but nothing serious.

Benjamin Hartwell - Signature Blend.

A four star Virginia:

The flakes are half broken, they can still be folded and stuffed if you prefer. The aroma's slightly synonymous to McClelland, they're a fairly dark brown, and the moisture's perfect; I've only had this tin a few weeks and it's faultless in that department.

Signature blend lights easily, then gives a cool smoke that doesn't bite. When I open a straight Virginia I'm always unsure what to expect from the flavour; some Va's are sharp and citrusy, woody and cedar-like, or deep and sweet; the taste can often vary! With this for the first part of a bowl the smoke's lead by a doughy-sweetness but after about a third the smoke develops a slight tanginess, and delicate sharpness. The burn from Signature Blend couldn't be any better: slow, steady, and consistent; it needs hardly any maintenance.

The nicotine's fairly mild and the room-note's quite nice.

Highly recommended.

I have tried a lot of VA flakes, but the great majority of them torture my tongue too badly to smoke more often than once a week.

Hartwell's Signature Blend is far and away the coolest smoking VA flake I've ever encountered. It gives up a fraction of flavor intensity but it's a very welcome trade for me. For the first time I was able to smoke a pipe all day while working outdoors.

The tobacco isn't overly moist and quickly dries to a smokeable consistency. It rubs out very satisfactorily without the difficulty sometimes encountered with the gummier stoved VAs. Once properly dried, it smokes all the way down with minimal relights.

I generally like perique in my flakes but do not miss it here. The flavor is a bright Virginia without a lot of dark complexity. The room note is typical VA as well.

It's my favorite flake by far, simply because I can smoke as much of it as I want without forced timeouts. I'd love to find it in bulk someday.

Wow..... Here's a tobacco blend that I think is summed up perfectly by Tantric and Flint. If you read their reviews, you will notice that Tantric finds the flavor to be a bit too monochromatic for his tastes..... But, Flint finds the lighter flavor delightful. I think both gentlemen hit the nail right on the head. If you are into a heavier Virginia taste, old Ben's John Henry won't float your boat. If, on the other hand, light and spicy sounds good, then here you go.

As for my humble two cents worth..... If I felt like a rapid follow-up load after chugging away on a headier brew, I would fill 'er up with Signture Blend for a lighter, sweeter smoke to give my palate a rest.

There's a very mild spice and some sweetness along with some vinegar. It's a "McClelland light" type of Virginia flake. The Virginia is grassy with some tart and lightly tangy citrus along with a pinch of earth and dark fruit. Has little nicotine. Won't bite. Burns slightly slow and cool with a fairly consistent flavor. Leaves a bit of moisture in the bowl, and needs some relights. Has a pleasant after taste, and can be an all day smoke. It does lack some depth and suffers from a little dullness, so it gets two and a half stars.

-JimInks

Smoking nice and smooth, not bitter at all. No tongue bite either, which is something I am struggling with.

I believe this is all Virginia. It is not a sweet sugary taste, and not too smokey.

When I opened the can it reminded me a of a pungent BBQ sauce and had the earthy undertone of a damp forest floor. That greeny undertone had me worried that it may be bitter, but I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth mild smoke.

I like it!

****UPDATE**** Just smoked my first bowl of Escudo, and this BH tobacco is every bit as good. I am surprised that this tobac doesn't get more attention.

There are several references amongst my fellow reviewers to McClelland's style of Virginia flake associated with Signature Blend. I would go so far as to make the conjecture that this is made by McC for Consolidated. The fermented aroma from the tin, broken flakes, texture and quality says someone like the McNeil's put this together.

Anyway, my tin was from 1997. It produced an extraordinarily mellow effect, smooth on the mouth and nearly biteless. There seems to be a middling amount of Perique to my delight. Despite the flakes being properly hydrated upon popping the lid, the tobacco is nearly without aroma while burning, something associate with dried out tobacco. It does burn the eyes somewhat, though. Even flavorwise, I get the structure of flavors rather than distinct flavors when smoking and also a nice little tang. Hopefully that makes sense to someone else. I enjoyed it most in the morning with black coffee.

Not my cup of tea, as it is sort of bland as others have noted. I imagine that a little fresher, this flake had more character and edge. However, smoking 11 year aged tobacco makes this special and that means, to me, that there was good quality to start. Time does not heal all wounds, and this would not be what it is if started with inferior ingredients.

Signature Blend is one of the most beatiful flakes I've encountered, and I tend to gravitate towards flakes so have seen quite a few. In the tin it is an earthy ochre colored thick broken flake. Not dense, but pliant, and easy to pack as is or rubbed out further. It burns effortlessly and cooly, delivering a slightly sweet, unobtrusive flavor. I don't detect the spiciness it claims nor the citrus tang I would expect from this type of VA except as a very subtle undercurrent. Signature Blend is an attractive friend that I enjoy spending time with but know we'll never become lovers and don't even bother flirting with her. She's a pleasant companion for strolls around the park or watching a movie, and while I'd call her up every once in a while, it isn't a steady sort of relationship. I recommended it as a 'favorite' because it's an excellent tobacco at a great price point that ages well, but honestly I'll smoke Signature Blend only on occasion and as a palate cleanser more than anything.