Planta Akropolis

Planta is a weird, almost schizophrenic animal. At one hand they produce some of *the* very worst aromatics out there but on the other hand they treat us with wonders no other producers will even contemplate putting on the market. And in those cases they don't even care if there *is* a market out there, they just preserve traditions that otherwise long had gone the way of the dodo. And personally i believe we can't thank them enough for that stubbornness!

This blend is something special and i think it should have a place in any smokers rotation. It is a very finely cut shag tobacco (think halfzware fine), suitable for both, cigarette and pipe smokers. For cigarette smokers it offers a marvel in taste, owed mainly to the whopping 30% portion of orientals. For the first time ever a cigarette smoker will suddenly have taste and aroma in his smoke. For the pipe smoker it offers a long forgotten smoke experience well worth being preserved. And it brings sense to the small to tiny bowled pipes.

Upon opening the tin you will be greeted by the smell of figs and a very faint chocolate note. Its aromatic right out of tin but not flavoured.

Packing is fairly easy but you have to take care that no clumps are formed which happens easily with a shag that fine.

Lighting is no hassle at all and the burning properties are excellent and on the fast side. However owed to the cut its rather easy to smoke it too hot. Not that it is a problem inherent to this blend, it really does smoke cool and bite free, but the cut needs some temperance in handling.

The taste is very aromatic and spicy, with some slight floral notes as well as sweetness. Its a joy smoking this blend and something that somehow catapults you back in times long forgotten, when those very fine shags where common in the working class. It is a real treat and really perfect for those short smokes. Depending on how large your bowl is you usually only smoke 10 to 20 minutes on one filling. But tasty and satisfying ~15 minutes it will be!

Cigarette smokers will miss out on the richness pipe smokers will experience but it most likely is still the best tobacco they ever roled into a paper. And still very aromatic and slightly sweet.

The downside of course is that you will need a pipe with a fitting bowl for this blend. You only can use tiny to small bowls. A small medium sized bowl already is too tall for it and you will end up with a hot and very wet smoke. But in those small pipes its just so incredibly good a smoke and the entire experience is great.

So, do i recommend this blend? Yes! Definitely yes! I do recommend this blend to any pipe smoker, especially to those that are looking for something they can smoke without investing shedloads of time into a bowl. I do recommend this blend for cigarette smokers just so you realize what *all* cigarettes could taste like but don't. And i especially recommend this to the crossover smokers, which smoke cigarettes as well as pipes.

If you do not know this blend then by all means: order it right away it is a *very* interesting contraption indeed!

A note on the side: there also is a pouch version out there with an adapted recipe for cigarette smokers exclusively. That version is more harsh in taste, lacks depth and smells like the cheap ex eastern block cigarettes. I do *not* recommend the pouch version for the pipe smoker - stay clear of it and only get the tinned version. The cigarette smoker can try the pouch version but even to him i strongly recommend the tin over the pouch version. There also are filter cigarettes made with this tobacco which i have not yet tried, but it is the same label and my guess is they are not too bad a smoke either, but i do not know that.

The funny thing is that I first read about Akropolis in a cigarettes related blog and the guy that reviewed it used all his writing skills to praise it. And he was right. Akropolis is a wonderful tobacco. You can find in its thin golden threads a bouquet of tastes and aromas straight from the Orient. Both sweet and spicy, it just carries you away. However, Akropolis is mostly a RYO tobacco. As a pipe tobacco it does perform brilliantly, but I strongly suggest that you should just roll a cigarette and enjoy a hard to find nowadays blend.

A fine tobacco. To me it has a slight fruity flavouring to it, but it doesn't distract from the tobaccos. The tobaccos are very tasteful and the Orientals have a unique taste profile. Little sweetness, mostly spicy and herbal/etheral.

Very nice, I like this quite a bit. Not my All Day Smoke but a smoke of which I will smoke my two twins (couldnt find any more) with pleasure. If you like Orientals this is for you!