Peter Stokkebye Norwegian Blend (No.80)

This is a thin ribbon that comes fairly dry. I found it to be a mellow Virginia with just enough orientals to keep it interesting and enough burley to give it some body. This is a very impressive smoke - especially at the price. This is a solid three that may be a four by the time I am done with this 8 oz bag. If you want to try a mild VaBur with some oriental spice, you owe it to yourself to try this. I smoked this in a pipe BTW, although some of the other reviewers are treating this as a cigarette tobacco.

The Virginias are very tart and mildly tangy, citrusy sweet, grassy and hay-like as the lead components. The burley is mildly nutty, earthy, woody, toasty sweet, adding a little substance in a support role. The Orientals are smoky, woody, herbal, floral, rather sour and spicy, and are evident in every puff, but do not dominate. While the Virginias act as a base for the other components, they tend to take the lead more than the burley does. The strength and nic-hit are a couple of steps past the mild mark, while the taste is in the center of mild to medium. Burns at a more than moderate rate - being a shag cut - and should not be puffed at a fast pace, or you risk the presence of it burning hot as well as getting a cigarette taste. May come close, but doesn't bite. The flavor is very consistent to the finish. Leaves virtually no moisture in the bowl, and the lightly lingering after taste is pleasant. The woody room note is a tad stronger. Requires few relights. An all day smoke if you're so inclined. More of a two and a half star blend than a three.

-JimInks

Summary: a light Virginia-based mixture stabilized with Burleys and flavored with Orientals, this makes a good gentle smoke.

Like the Dutch "Halfzware," this blend is used in both cigarettes and pipes. A mild blend, it exudes a honey-hay-citrus flavor from the Virginias with a light woodsy taste from the Burley, underneath a spicy addition from the Orientals. This version came in a loose dry ribbon cut and burned evenly for a long smoke of pleasing flavor and easy sipping with little bite.

Sold as pipe tobacco, reviewing as RYO/MYO cigarettte tobacco. Bag aroma is impressive, dominated by topping, makes me want to eat it. Flavor bomb with near perfect balance. Almost no aftertaste, extremley well done. Flavor best decribed as plain old homemade brownies with walnuts. For me, best served fresh with maximum moisture as supplied. If left to dry out, the flavor fades, starts to become coarse/woody/veggie like. Good value. Much credit to the mfg, my favorite combination of forward topping flavor and extremely well balanced virginia/burley/oriental blending.

Edited 5/23/12: Smoking my third lb from two sources. Consistancy has been very good. I only stuff/roll/smoke one at a time. Stuffs poorly because of the moisture level. Worth the effort! Will not smoke if cigs sit around or tobacco drys out, flavor always fades and always developes the woody/veggie taste. Volatile flavorings? Served fresh as possible, still fantastic/favorite RYO/MYO smoke. Four stars!

PS - When not inhaled, almost no flavor. Can see why not the greatest pipe smoke.

Norwegian Blend is a true sleeper, as it's got all the qualities of one; a wonderful smoking experience, almost never mentioned on pipe forums, and inexpensive. Smokers who enjoy Turkish tobacco will love this one. There's a pleasant balance of flavor from its components, and none are lost in the fray. An even mix of the hallmark flavors are here in a fairly mild presence. I get the "bready" taste from the Virginia(s), a mild spiciness from the Turkish, and the fairly standard Burley flavor that's not too cigarette-like. The Turkish Oriental component is the star of this show, and it's what keeps me coming back to this blend again and again. It imparts a kind of old world flavor to the blend that's just wonderful. Nicotine-wise, it falls into the category of a morning blend; not strong but there's something there to satisfy. Additionally, if you've ever had C&D's Sunday Picnic, you'll find this similar but with a bit more Burley flavor in the mix.

The tin/bag note is exactly like marble rye bread. I have some Norwegian Blend here with me alongside half a loaf of marbled rye (I'm at breakfast), and the resemblance is absolutely uncanny; that fresh bread smell of Virigina tobacco mixed with a certain twang of Turkish is delightful. Norwegian's thin ribbon cut--bordering on shag--is perfect for this blend as it burns evenly and takes to a light with ease. With such a light casing and no discernable topping, it also dries out very easily. It usually arrives dry enough to smoke straight from its bag. The room note will be pleasant for the everyday piper, but definitely less so for non-smokers.

This is that kind of blend that's great to keep in the car or smoke whilst doing your daily activities, because you'll never have to worry about any preparation. Sometimes it's convenient to be able to simply grab a pinch or swipe your pipe into the bag and light it. Although Norwegian Blend has the "smokability" of a cheap blend, it tastes just as good as anything on the top shelf. Like the majority of Peter Stokkebye's offerings, Norwegian Blend is an excellent choice for the natural tobacco enthusiast with a price tag that cannot be beat.

Continuing my Peter Stokkebye's journey! I'm surprised by its simpleness, only three ingredients, but ends up a great smoke. The key is the Virginia, offering the natural sweetness with the help of the Burley, a nice touch, cooling down the temperature, and of course, the Orientals gave it a very nice seasoning, you can almost taste it in every puff! Best to sip it and pack it a little tight, it is indeed quite soothing, even during the winter time!

3.5 out of 4

Being of Norwegian ancestry, I was eager to try this blend. It comes dry and ready to smoke. A nice, smooth smoke, but a little boring to me. (No wonder the Norwegians hibernate in the winter.) I want to see some Latakia in there to flavor it up. But, then that makes it an English, and you'd have to change the name.

PS Norwegian blend is a good news, not so good news story.

First, the good news: the aroma of this blend is outstanding. It smells rich and sweet, not in a aromatic casing sense but in a "great tobacco" sense. If it tasted like is smells, it would be a four star tobacco.

Now, the not so good news: the taste is rather thin and there is a decided bitterness to it when smoked in a pipe. It also has an ashy cigarette flavor.

So, as a pipe tobacco, I would give it one and a half stars.

I also roll an occasional cigarette and, used as a RYO tobacco, PSNB is a pretty good smoke. For that, I give it two and a half stars.

So, overall, it's a two star tobacco. If you roll your own and occasionally pack a pipe, you might find it to your liking.

Peter Stokkebye - Norwegian Blend (No.80).

Quite a delicate shag, medium brown in colour, with a natural and slightly woody aroma. Loading a bowl couldn't be easier.

The backbone of the smoke's the Virginia, having a sprightly flavour. The Burley adds some raw/unpolished character, and if it were just these two I'd like it more. The Orientals, to me, tend to muddy the waters. Although they aren't strong, there's just enough 'murky' flavour from them to reduce the rating; it tastes clumsy. Something which isn't subjective is the heat. Due to the fine build it can burn far too warm. It bites me as well.

Nicotine: mild to medium. Room-note: tolerable.

Not a fan. One star:

Not recommended.

Mostly mid brown shag tobacco. The bag note is hay and grass like with some mild honey type notes, which I think is a topping. I don't get much from the claimed Orientals.

Obviously a dual use tobacco, it does work ok as a pipe tobacco, so I don't think it is just an attempt to circumvent tobacco laws in some places. There is more depth here than you would get from a 'straight' RYO tobacco. Not as much depth and complexity (or smoothness) as one would expect from a well rated pipe tobacco tho. It tends towards being thin and top end, flavour-wise. Can also be a little harsh, so definitely a take it easy baccy.

Seems to be mostly Red Va with a fair amount of air cured Burley. I can't separate the spice or acidity here from the Va to be able to say how much Oriental is in the mix. Probably not much.

It's cheap, it burns without relights the whole pipe, and it has nothing that stands out as objectionable. Would be a good baccy as a 'thinner', either for rich tobaccos or for the budget.