Park-Lane Tobacconist Park-Lane No. 14

This is one of five blends in PL's English Sampler #3.

A very good light English. Where the description said "very light" I was expecting something milder than what I got. It actually has decent body and flavors. The golden Virginias provide their distinctive flavor and sweetness in an amount that is a touch above a simple base. It has a nice interplay with the smooth Latakia, with which the Orientals are in good balance. I'm afraid the Perique is very nearly missing in action. Even so, a nice blend. I usually don't smoke blends this mild, but I have to say this one left me satisfied.

Park Lane No. 14 is a nice light English. I was surprised at the spiciness that hit me right away, that I think comes from the Perique. But I found the spiciness to quickly settle down as each bowl progressed. I find #14 to be lightly sweet, which seems natural to me and is something that I like. It doesn’t taste like the sweetness was added to the blend, but comes from the leaf. The amount of Latakia plays well in this blend. Its not overpowering and stays in the background. This blend in my opinion is well balanced and very enjoyable!

When one makes a light English blend with just a hint of Latakia, for me the key is that the remaining tobaccos stand out, keeping the blend from falling flat. Paul Bonacquisti has done just that. Park Lane No. 14 is a flavorful, lightly sweet blend. It burns clean and without a bite, which is a possibility with such a Virginia dominated blend. A little bit of sweetness may have been manually added, but that is just a guess. This blend works because of the balance of all the component tobaccos although I can’t quite taste the Perique. If you are a fan of light English fare, then this should be on your short list. On a personal note, one of the things I love about Park Lane is that it is a real pipe shop, with a large wall filled with jars containing more than 50 blends sold in bulk and a large selection of tins, not to mention an owner that makes some pretty darn good pipes. It is refreshing to see in this day and age.