Park-Lane Tobacconist Knightsbridge

Knightsbridge is a full and rich tobacco but not overpowering. The latakia dominates with the orientals playing in the background. It's creamy with a natural light sweetness, this leads me to believe that the base latakia may be from McClelland. That's not a negative (I love McC) just a note for tatse comparison.

I've had a few bowls and am enjoying it, I will certainly smoke my four ounces and then re-evaluate it.

P-L Knightsbridge is an English blend in the Virginia-Turkish-Latakia-Orientals sub-category. This is just me, but I find this one very similar to Penzance. It is creamy, smoke-intensive, smooth, and astonishingly flavorful, with the lat and the orientals taking the front seat here. It's easy to fill (more so than the Penzance flake), and easy to smoke – right down to the ash. Anyone who likes Penzance, particularly if looking for a replacement nowadays, should give this one a try.

This light English blend has a medium amount of Park Lane's excellent Latakia. The tobacco is easy to pack, light, and smoke. I used four (4) matches to light and smoke a bowl to a fine ash with a minimum of tending. Even when smoked slowly, Knightsbridge produces clouds of white smoke. The tobacco was enjoyable when smoked in July in the Mississippi Delta--an excellent choice for summer.

This is an outstanding smooth English blend. It's full without being sharp. One reviewer compared it to Penzance but I would say this is more similar to Margate. Just the right amount of Turkish to lend depth and Latakia to add weight. Highly recommended.

There is a group (Not All, and I enjoy many of them) of McClelland English blends that seem to become almost indistinguishable from each other. Park Lane, using a lot of McClelland tobaccos, and offering a large number of “house” made English blends too, suffers with this issue with their Knightsbridge blend. I really enjoy many of the Park Lane English blends, and Knightsbridge is a decent blend, but not a standout from the others. Nor do I find the similarity to Penzance with Knightsbridge that others have described as the flavor of the Latakia is that of McClelland and not Esoterica (Germain). I think that most will find this to be a pleasant, straightforward, non-complex English blend that offers billows of cool burning smoke. But it feels too redundant at this point and given some of their other standouts, there are others in the Park Lane lineup that I would choose first.

Great hidden secret for those of you that you just can't quit Penzance or would like to get an idea of what Penzance taste like this is it, easy to light cOmes in ribbon form where you can appreciate the blend Virginias mixed with the orientals and Latakia. If I was forced to pick one Latakia blend that I have tasted it that is a pleasure to smoke from top to finish and does not leave your mouth with a salty taste this is it. Very English in character I guarantee it will not disappoint.

One of five blends in PL's English Sampler #4.

Smoky with ample spice and a nice underlying sweetness. Not very complex but pleasant and enjoyable nonetheless. A solid 3 stars.