Ok, this isn't Red Odessa minus the Va after all. It doesn't appear to be related to Red Odessa/Engine #99.

The jar note has a similar fermented fruit sweet tang, but that's as close as this blend gets. It's also fuller than Red Odessa, less full than Engine #99. This blend has a focus squarely set on the Oriental component, with enough Latakia to keep you from dozing off. The Perique adds a bit of pepper, but isn't as nicely integrated as blends like Red Odessa and Artisan's Blend. I don't get a very strong nic kick from this, so in the end, it's a medium strength, medium bodied Lat blend mostly about the Orientals with a bit of Perique.

I always miss the missing component in Lat blends that don't have either Orientals or Va. Less so in Va/Lat-only blends than in Oriental-Lat-only blends, but I always feel they're better with the trinity.

Byzantium sidesteps being a blend that draws attention to the absence of Va by throwing Perique in the mix. The Perique does add a nice element here, adding a tangy note to a blend that teeters on deliciously sour but doesn't quite get there. The Oriental component here never gets bitter, is a tad oily, and almost gets to sour, which I adore.

The Perique smells like heaven in the jar, all fermented fruit, like some delicious holiday treat for stuffing in your pipe. The Lat here is medium. Overall I have had pretty decent experiences with this blend. Not a hoarder, but at only $27.49/lb I may buy a pound to smoke on occasion. Good stuff, not great but definitely good.

This is a good smoke, and the elements blend well, but not so well that you block out everything else and launch into monologues to your wife about the virtues of English mixtures and well seasoned briar. Am I the only one who does that?

soli Deo gloria

Apparently some of you like your Latakia no matter the amalgamation, so I will give it a "somewhat recommend". While I would smoke Byzantium if nothing else was available, I won't order any more of it.

Oh an it satisfies my nic craving nicely unlike most English blends. Exhaling through my nose towards the end is delightful.

Byzantium is a mixed-cut tobacco. There are some ribbons in the blend, but a large percentage of the tobacco resembles crumble cake that's been crumbled. Some of the crumbled tobacco is in very small pieces. The aroma of the tobacco is smoky, leathery, and a bit salty, but not overly strong.

I find Byzantium to be at its best when smoked in a wide-diameter bowl. I prefer it in a bowl with a 7/8" or wider chamber. I get the best results by drizzling the tobacco into the bowl, then tapping the sides to settle the tobacco as much as possible. By doing this until the bowl is slightly over-full and then lightly pressing the excess tobacco into the bowl, I get a pack that lights and burns easily. Relights are rare, and I almost always smoke this to the very bottom of the bowl without effort.

This is not a subtle tobacco. The flavors are simple and strong. There's plenty of smokiness from the (Cyprian) latakia, with the orientals adding a strong salty/musty flavor and a bit of sweetness. There's enough perique to add a peppery hint to the flavor, without overwhelming the other flavors. The flavor varies little throughout the bowl, starting off strong and staying that way. The mouth feel is smooth, though not overly full. I experience absolutely no tongue bite from this tobacco, regardless of how I treat it. Even more so than many blends, I find that gentle, slow smoking brings out the most intense flavors from Byzantium.

There can be a slight harsh edge to this blend when it's very young. A few month's worth of age removes this. If you buy Byzantium in a tin, you can check the date on the bottom to determine its age. If you buy it bulk and you can't determine its age, be sure to let some of it to rest for a few months before you pass judgment on it.

Byzantium isn't complex or sophisticated, but it is very good and it's very easy to smoke. It's a tobacco that I enjoy, whether concentrating on my pipe or otherwise engaged. Recommended.

My rate: 3.6

The tobacco was mostly black in color. It's aroma was not that of a latakia bomb; for which one might get thrown out of the house. I do not have the luxury of indoor smoking. The aroma made me question if this was what Ricardo Montalban was harkening back to when he spoke of "RICH, Corinthian leather". In my leather tobacco pouch it seemed as if the tobacco improved the quality of the leather; if that is possible. A pipe smoking friend made pointed inquiries into the name of what I was smoking. Even though he was offered several bowlfuls; he wanted the name because he planned to order some. This will definitely be near the top of my rotation.

Byzantium is not the one. If you enjoy Nightcap, you'll enjoy Byzantium though. Lots of rich/creamy/smoky Latakia, but lacks strength and complexity, just as Nightcap did. Mild and a bit boring for my tastes.

UPDATE 09-09-10:

After having to amend several other reviews based on further experience and in fairness to the blenders of Byzantium I must upgrade my assessment of this blend. As 3 Stars is a high rating in my personal TR grade scale with 4 stars denoting my intent to repurchase it dawned on me last week while making my sixth repurchase of Byzantium that I am enjoying it evermore and that the slight deficiencies I noted above have abated or disappeared. This is an excellent blend.

The kind of VAs in this are very creamy, the orientals slightly muted compared to 965, not as perfumey, and the Latakia is deep and smokey. The cut, which I can only describe as mixed, makes for a slow, sometimes slightly bitter burn. But this is very good, if sometimes tasting a bit rough around the edges. It's good enough that I'd say 965 smokers ought to try this as an alternative. It will get better with age.

Like all C&D blends, it burns well, and burns clean. A nice cool smoke that I really enjoy in the evening when it's time to put the day behind me. You can really get lost in the flavor.

The tobacco is not particularly foreboding once the tin is opened and the components are exposed. In fact, this one is really much stronger in both flavor and strength than it looks. There is no mention of Virginia leaf in the above description, but I sure saw and tasted it. The Perique, while present, was very sparingly administered and added a bit of spice to the overall presentation.

This is one of the oldest and best selling blends in the C&D line and it is easy to see why it is so popular.

I originally purchased this blend for my local pipe club's tobacco bar at the next monthly meeting. But now, I do believe I'll just keep this one for myself. Guess I'd better change my name to Selfishstud. (-;

In appearance, this is a primarily dark looking blend that gives the appearance of a strong and full smoke ahead. On the other hand, the pouch aroma does not confirm this as it is not that strong. If you are familiar with delicate but full flavored English Latakia-Oriental blends, here is the meat and potatoes version. This has plenty of flavors, a decent nicotine content, and a good Latakia dose. I find it a bit rough. I prefer that even the strong full Latakia blends have some creamy and smooth balance. It is possible that this needs even more age. I have many similar blends from C&D and others that I prefer to Byzantium including C&D Engine 99. If you like full flavored Latakia blends, and if prefer them to be untamed, here's your blend. It has quality ingredients, does not bite, and burns clean and dry to charcoal gray ash.