Peterson Sherlock Holmes

The red Virginia is the more noticeable Va., providing tangy dark fruit, earth, wood, and a light breadiness. The brighter Virginia offer tart and tangy citrus and grass in a support role. The earthy, woody burleys are a little nutty, and at times I get a hint of molasses from it. At times, the Brazilian burley steps forward from the other tobaccos, but not enough to overwhelm. The burleys compete with the bright Virginia for attention. In fact, the individual characteristics of the tobaccos show up more at various times than others, an inconsistency that some may find distracting. The toppings have a mild fruitiness that reminds me of apricot. They mildly sublimate the varietals. The strength is a step past the mild mark, while the taste falls a tad short of the center of mild to medium. The nic-hit is mild. Won't bite or get harsh, and has few rough notes. A slightly complex blend that burns cool, clean and fairly smooth at a moderate rate. Leaves a light bit of moisture in the bowl. Requires an average number of relights. Has a pleasant, short lived after taste and room note. An all day mixture that produces a decent volume of smoke. Two and a half stars due to the inconsistent flavor.

-JimInks

The key to this blend is accepting and appreciating for it for what it is. The smoker must overlook the marketing and comparison to other blends. This is a quality ribbon cut that is mild with subtle notes of sweetness and a bit of citrus. It requires the pipe smoker to use their puffing skills to keep it cool as it will surely burn hot. You will receive the sweet and warm flavor from the virginias on the tail end of a gentle cool draw.

The bouquet from the tin brings visions of peaking my head in my grandfathers tobacco barn. You get that sweet VA tobacco smell air cured and hanging up in the wooden barn.

When I tried this blend I was disappointed as I was trying to force it into what the Peterson marketing was trying to do. After a few bowls I decided I hated it and set it aside, I remember thinking I might never open it again. However, months later I decided to revisit it as I wanted to see how it compares with Irish Oak in my pre-republic Peterson standard. I discovered the blend didn't change, but my understanding and way to approach it did. Then something I didn't expect began to happen, I liked it and appreciated it for what it is. It began to grow on me and I found I craved it more often.

Its not a part of my rotation but I would recommend a single tin for the experience. To appreciate it, is to know what you are buying and what to expect. This is a nice vintage blend of mello Burley and VA with subtle sweet flavors. Don't expect a lot of bouquet or complexity like Old Dublin. But Sherlock Holmes is a fine tobacco in it's own right.

3/05 - I am updating my review of Sherlock Holmes because a very good friend recently sent me a 6-year old tin. After three bowls in three different size and shaped pipes, I have determined that this is a really quality tobacco that I quite enjoy.

Upon popping the top, I discovered leaf that was way too moist to load up immediately. I also was not pleased at the length of the fine, ribbon cut Virginia. I quickly pulled the tobacco out of the tin and loaded it in my one speed food processor. A quick zap made the length of the leaf packable. I then spread some of it out on a paper towel for 20 minutes or so, and that made the leaf smokable.

The first few puffs were quite spicy and I probably lost a few nose hairs. After that, things settled down quickly and I enjoyed a nice smoke. I detected a very mild topping - almost fruity in nature. The flavor was mildy sweet, tasted like tobacco and a healthy dose of nicotine kept me satisfied. The bottom third of the bowl was a bit difficult to keep lit due to the moisture.

Oh yeah, this one works for me.

When I started these reviews I couldn't understand the absolute negativity of some of the reviews. I thought every tobacco should be given a fair shake. However I had never tried Peterson's Sherlock Holmes. This is by far the worst tobacco I've ever attempted to smoke in the past twenty seven years of pipe smoking. I tried normal packing, light packing,even different pipe sizes.

This tobacco almost reminded me of a chemical burn.YOU COULD NOT CHEMICALLY INDUCE A TOBACCO TO BURN AND BITE ANY WORSE THAN THIS BLEND!!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes deserves better representation than this.You don't have to be a detective to deduce that.

I've been buying this tobacco on and off over the years. Although it was good, I never smoked enough to really become a fan of it. My favourite Pete is Irish Oak which is also my daily go to baccy

As of lately IO is not available locally. I tried Irish Whiskey which I also find very good. Now IW has also gone AWOL.

So Sherlock Holmes was next on my list. And what a lovely tobacco this is! I'm on my third tin now and the more I smoke it, the more I like it. I love the beautiful yellowish colour. The tobacco is quite dry out of the tin, ready to smoke. The room note is acceptable for all my non-smoking friends. There is no gurgle and no tongue bite. Nicotine delivery is good and I can go through a whole bowl, sipping slowly for an hour or more, and still enjoy the taste. To my mind, this is the main sign of a quality tobacco. I love Sherlock Holmes Tobacco !!

As others have noted, Sherlock Holmes works best as a 'transitional' blend: it is not cased or topped enough to be an aromatic (although the tin note does reveal some hints of dried fruit) nor 'straight' enough to be considered a natural blend. The predominant characteristic of both taste and room note is of quality, mild tobacco, with the toasted semi-sweetness of red Virginias balanced well by the nutty Burley. As such it's difficult to dislike, but 'mild' remains the prime adjective: aside from some occasional spice and a subtle, chocolately deepening late into the bowl it fails to develop enough, or convince the smoker that there isn't something, somehow, missing. It just doesn't pique my interest enough to warrant buying again.

EDIT - 6/10/14 Having given SH a bit more thought - as well as a few months' breathing time - I'm upping it to 3 stars. Yes, it's mild, but a slow smoke in a meerschaum has really brought out its delicacies. Its sweetness, as I mentioned, has that lovely bready quality of the reds, the brights provide a quiet zest, while the well-integrated burleys are mainly there for body and just a hint of depth. Treat it gently and it will bite very little. It doesn't have the complexity or the big grace notes that would bring it up to 4 stars, but it's not really designed to: it's just a soft, top-quality VaBur blended with easy smoking in mind, and should age very elegantly.

Sherlock Holmes is a yellow and red virginia with a little burley. I have a hard time considering this an aromatic. There is a citrus note that is common to bright virginias. That's it. I really enjoy its simplicity. There are some better examples of this genre out there but I still buy a tin of Sherlock Holmes here and there. There is something about it that grows on you.

Note to some reviewers and readers. This is not an english blend or crossover there of in any way. Just because the character is british doesn't make the tobacco so. EBs have orientals and usually latakia. This one definately does not. Its just a straight virginia with some burley.

Unbelievable,

I wasted ten quid on this faeces.

I wont compare it to its namesake and what he would have smoked or made of this because he never existed and isn't real. (Sorry you Americans but its true. He was a figment of the imagination of some moustachioed Victorian Brit, who had far too much time on his hands)

A bright leaved mess of a mixture that bites like a hungry ferret down your trousers, burns as hot as freshly squeezed tea-bags, and tastes like air.

Smoked two bowls, and the rest of the 50gm's is now in good company with some potato peelings, empty crisp packets, and some unwanted cauliflower cheese at the bottom of my kitchen bin. Actually that's an insult to the potato peelings.

Do yourselves all a massive favour. Spend $12 (£8) on a 100gm tin of Orlik Golden Sliced, or $6 (£4) for 50gm and revel in the knowledge that you will never have to think of Peterson's Sherlock Holmes ever again. This takes pride of place next to their other disaster/abortion of a blend, Sweet Killarney.

However, Old Dublin, Irish Flake, De-Luxe & Connoisseurs are the stand-outs from Peterson(IMO)

The rest are, well

---

quite shit.

**UPDATE** - This blend is still entirely shit. 0/4

mike102 (above) :-

1. 'Brit' refers to 'British' which incorporates Scotland, Wales, and Northern Island. (*sigh!!* geographically inept Yanks!)

2. It was the Russians that saved us ALL from speaking German, not you eleventh hour hero's with your tins of Prince Albert!

3. The tribal Lenape Indians? I take it that was before you wiped them out with their allocation of buffalo as well?

4. Just 'Yank'ing your chain too!!! ;o)

Had several tins of this over the last few months, after we started to stock the bulk of the tins in the Peterson's range.

The tin note was grassy,sweet, slight cramel and fruit. Very nice.

It filled well and lit well too. The smoke was reasonably cool and burnt down well with little waste. Tastewise it seemed bland at first, a simple clean bright Virginia with a touch of sweetness and leather. However The flavors got stronger mid pipe with the addition of an ever-so-slight fruityness coming through.

Very smokeable and not too heavy on nicotine either. Found myself refilling with it without realizing! Ballanced pleasant and a good all round smoke. This is particulalry suited I think to the morning over the newspaper or a two-pipe crossword puzzle!

Peterson - Sherlock Holmes.

This seems to get a mixed reaction so I'd decided to be as open minded as possible! Unlit the aroma is of a decidedly full Virginia and the ribbons are very uniform in size. I find the moistness to be just about perfect, requiring no extra airing time.

Once filled it is very simple to get lit and gives a really steady burn which does not necessitate re-lighting unless you leave it to stand un-smoked too long. On the tongue bite we must remember that it is more subjective as it does not bite me but gets a few complaints from other people in that department. The nicotine level is about that of Squadron Leader, as is the smokes thickness also. I get a slight touch of nuts and fruit in the background.

I find this to be a very pleasant smoke.